Don’t miss America’s Most Wanted on Fox this Saturday Night. Instead of trying to find a murderer, this time the show is trying to free one.

“America’s Most Wanted,” scheduled for broadcast at 8 p.m. Saturday on KQFX-TV (Fox 38), will devote an hour to the investigation and trial of Helmig, now 53, who in 1996 was convicted of murdering his mother. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The show is designed to capture bad people and put them away,” said producer Dave Bolton. “This case jumped to our attention because it looked like a huge miscarriage of justice because the bad guy who did the crime was still out there and the innocent guy was put in prison for a crime he did not commit.”

Helmig was convicted of killing his mother. The evidence against him, all circumstantial, was beyond thin. His conviction was overturned in a federal habeas petition (opinion here), but the state appealed. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated Dale’s conviction and the Supreme Court denied cert. He remains in prison today, having served 12 years of a sentence to life without parole.

The prosecutor in Dale’s case was Republican former Congressman Kenny Hulshof, who unsuccessfully ran for Governor last year. An issue was made in the campaign of numerous questionable homicide convictions when he was a prosecutor and Dale’s was one of them.

This will be the third feature show/film on Dale’s case. The first was a TNT documentary in 2000, Was Justice Denied? in which a former prosecutor and I spent weeks in Missouri re-investigating the crime, interviewing witnesses, family members, the Judge, defense lawyer and yes, even Hulshof.

The second, and far more comprehensive one, was by “A Matter of Innocence: The Story of Dale Helmig,” by the Innocence Project of Missouri.

I hope the third time’s a charm, and AMW is able to attract the attention of someone who might have knowledge that would prove Dale’s innocence. Some prior TalkLeft coverage is here.

[10:00 pm MT: See updates below, Congrats to Shawn Johnson and Mark!]

The winner will be chosen tonight on Dancing With the Stars. My vote: Melissa and then Gilles. Who I think will win: Gilles, but I’m not counting Shawn out because she has been terrific the past few weeks, especially last night. Gilles is really hot, but too often his dancing seems to be more about Cheryl than him. Len pointed it out last night, but I’ve been thinking that for a while.

Melissa is the best dancer of the three, by far I think. Shawn has the gymnast thing going which may make her appear better than she really is. Go Mel!

My pal Jesse Csincsak, former Bachelorette winner, is looking to be on the next season of Dancing With the Stars. I'd think he'd be terrific. As a professional snowboarder, he's certainly got the athletic skills and balance and coordination. Plus, he really looks good (and even better in person than on camera.) So I hope you'll take a few minutes and go sign the petition to help get him on the show. (You can even sign and click the box not to have your name displayed.)

Updates on tonight’s show below:

It’s great to see Steve Wozniak back. He always brings a smile to my face. Julianne Hough is just so pretty and perky, I’m glad she’ll be back next season. Ok, they are almost ready for the final dances which will only be scored by judges, not the viewers.

Len is so animated tonight. He usually seems like a grumpy old man. Tonight, particularly during the promo pieces, he’s got fire in his belly.

Lil’ Kim and Derek bring the house down with Jailhouse Rock. I think she deserved third place instead of Shawn Johnson.

The three finalists did a great scene about who would win the trophy. Melissa is still taking a lot of ribbing about the Bachelor. Gilles said to her, “Melissa, You take this rose, I’ll take this trophy.” A comedian who was a former DWTS contestant roasted them earlier and also did a Bachelor joke on her saying first she came in second on the Bachelor, now she’ll come in second on DWTS. Memo to comedian: Melissa came in first on the Bachelor…it was after the final rose that Jason changed his mind.

Finally, we’re going to get to see the final dances, and then the winner. 45 minutes to go.

Update: Shawn and Mark just finished the cha-cha. The judges loved it and each gave her a “10,” but I think Carrie Anne’s comment, “You deserve to be here” means she isn’t going to win.

Melissa and Tony’s Samba: Outstanding. She is by far the best dancer of the three. The Judges loved it and were effusive. Scores: 10 -10-10! Ok, I say it’s between Melissa and Gilles now.

I didn’t like Gilles and Cheryl’s last dance too much but the Judges give it a unanimous “10″ and Bruno proclaims “A star is born.” If just the judges were voting, I’d say it goes to Gilles. But the viewers’ votes have a big impact. So I think Melissa is still in the running, but …just a few minutes left, they are tabulating the votes.

Update: Melissa takes third place. She’s a winner anyway. What a great career she has ahead of her.

Prediction: Gilles wins. Final commercial break.

Closest votes ever, less than 1% difference between Gilles and Shawn. And the winner is: Shawn Johnson! Congratulations, Shawn and Mark.

That’s a wrap, I’ll try to do a better job predicting the outcome of this season’s Bachelorette. And remember, please go here and sign the petition for Jesse Csinscak to be on next season’s Dancing With the Stars.

I wasn’t going to watch “Farrah’s Story” last night, but then I did, all two hours of it. It made for a fitful night’s sleep and every time I woke up I was thinking about it and how horrible and tragic and hopeless her situation is.

I wasn’t going to write about it but this review in the New York Times made me angry. The comments by readers are across the board.

As to those who wonder why she went to Europe for surgeries and treatments not authorized in the U.S., I thought the answer was clear: When her cancer returned and the tumor was the size of a peanut, her doctors at UCLA said they wouldn’t operate because the surrounding tissue had been too damaged by her prior chemo and radiation. Maybe I missed something, but I thought they were telling her there was nothing they could do, so she opted to let the doctors in Germany try.

Did she make some bad decisions, like flying back to the U.S. against the wishes of her doctors who thought it was too soon? Yes. Did that make a difference? Unknown.

Farrah Fawcett is dying, she and those who love her are in pain, and her documentary was powerful, in a very disturbing way. I think criticizing her or Ryan O’Neal or her son, who happens to have a drug addiction that like thousands of others, he is unable to shake, is crude. I also have a lot of admiration for Alana Stewart, who apparently has been by her side through this entire, awful ordeal.

As to the film’s effect on viewers, while some say it may promote early detection and cause people to seek treatment, I wonder whether it’s not equally possible others will say, “Just let me go now. If that’s what ahead, why bother?” Particularly those without the support system Farrah has.

Of the comments to the article I read, I think this one most sums up my attitude on the show:

I am disappointed to see “Farrah’s Story” being critiqued as if to say there is a “right” way or “wrong” way for a person to present their end of life story…. or the choices that one makes to seek help and remission for their illness.

I admire Ms. Fawcett’s grace in exploring and attempting to make sense of this obviously painful [literally and emotionally] time in her life.

Other news articles on the documentary:

• LA Times: It wasn’t the film Farrah wanted to make

• The Guardian: An Unflinching Documentary

• AP: Farrah’s Story Draws 9 Million Viewers