Larry Gene Bell: The Murders of Shari Faye Smith and Debra May Helmick (1985)
The crimes committed by Larry Gene Bell rank among the most disturbing serial murder cases in South Carolina history. Bell abducted and murdered 17-year-old Shari Faye Smith and 9-year-old Debra May Helmick, then repeatedly telephoned Shari's family to taunt them and describe his crimes. He was arrested on June 27, 1985, convicted of both murders, sentenced to death, and executed in 1996.
Larry Gene Bell
Bell was born in Alabama in 1949 and later lived in South Carolina. He had worked various jobs, including briefly as a correctional officer and as an electrician. Investigators later linked him to the murders of Shari and Debra and identified him in 2025 as the likely killer of a third victim, Sandee Elaine Cornett, although he was never tried for that case because her remains were never recovered.
Victim 1: Shari Faye Smith
On May 31, 1985, Shari, two days away from her high school graduation, drove home after spending time with friends.
She stopped at the mailbox at the end of her family's driveway in Lexington County, South Carolina.
Her father noticed:
- Her car was still running.
- The driver's door was open.
- Mail was scattered.
- Shari had vanished.
Police immediately suspected she had been abducted rather than having left voluntarily.
The phone calls begin
Within about a day, the Smith family received a telephone call from the kidnapper.
Instead of demanding money, he:
- Described details only the abductor would know.
- Claimed Shari was alive.
- Taunted the family.
- Continued calling over the following weeks.
The FBI worked with the family, especially Shari's older sister, Dawn, to keep Bell talking in hopes of tracing his calls.
The "Last Will and Testament"
One of the most chilling parts of the case was a letter Bell mailed to the Smith family.
He had forced Shari to write what became known as her "Last Will and Testament."
In it, she expressed love for her parents, siblings, and boyfriend and asked them not to blame themselves. The letter became one of the most haunting pieces of evidence in the investigation.
Shari's murder
Bell later admitted during calls that Shari had already been killed, likely within hours of her abduction.
He eventually telephoned the family again and provided directions that led investigators to her body in Saluda County.
He also described how he had killed her. Court records and Bell's own statements indicated she died by suffocation, although the condition of the body meant the medical examiner could not conclusively determine every aspect of the killing.
A second victim
Just two weeks later, on June 14, 1985, Bell struck again.
Nine-year-old Debra May Helmick disappeared while playing outside near her home in Richland County.
After murdering Debra, Bell again contacted the Smith family—not Debra's family—to tell them where her body could be found. This reinforced investigators' belief that the same offender was responsible for both murders.
How Bell was caught
Bell made a critical mistake.
The paper used for Shari's letter contained faint indentations from an earlier page with part of a telephone number. Investigators recovered those impressions and systematically reconstructed the missing digit combinations until they identified a residence where Bell was house-sitting.
Searches also uncovered forensic evidence, including hairs microscopically consistent with Shari's, helping tie Bell to the crimes. Bell was arrested on June 27, 1985.
Trial
During his trial, Bell behaved erratically, frequently interrupting proceedings and making bizarre statements. Prosecutors argued this conduct was an attempt to appear mentally ill rather than genuine incompetence.
He was convicted of:
- Kidnapping and murdering Shari Smith.
- Kidnapping and murdering Debra May Helmick.
He received two death sentences.
Execution
Bell exhausted his appeals and chose execution by the electric chair rather than lethal injection.
He was executed on October 4, 1996, at Broad River Correctional Institution in South Carolina. He made no final statement.
Lasting impact
The investigation became a landmark FBI case because it combined:
- Behavioral profiling.
- Telephone analysis.
- Early forensic document examination.
- Extensive cooperation between local police and the FBI.
The case has been featured in numerous documentaries and was later examined in When a Killer Calls by John E. Douglas, which describes how behavioral profiling contributed to Bell's capture.
Below is a reconstruction based only on evidence presented at trial, law enforcement findings, and documented statements by Larry Gene Bell. the exact timing of many events is unknown
Friday, May 31, 1985 – Shari Faye Smith's Abduction
Approximately 3:30–3:45 p.m. (Known)
Shari Faye Smith, 17, leaves after spending time with friends.
She drives toward her family's home in rural Lexington County, South Carolina.
Approximately 3:45 p.m. (Known)
Shari stops at the roadside mailbox at the end of her family's long driveway to collect the mail.
This is the last confirmed sighting of her alive by anyone other than her abductor.
Within the next few minutes (Estimated)
Larry Gene Bell approaches her at the mailbox.
Evidence suggests he confronts her before she can drive away.
There are no confirmed eyewitnesses to the confrontation.
Minutes later (Known from the scene)
When Shari's father arrives:
Her car engine is still running.
The driver's door is open.
Mail is scattered on the ground.
Shari is gone.
Investigators immediately conclude she was likely abducted from the mailbox.
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The First Hours After the Abduction
Late afternoon
Deputies secure the scene.
Family members and neighbors begin searching nearby woods and roads.
The investigation quickly expands because there are clear signs she did not leave voluntarily.
Evening
State and local investigators join the search.
The FBI is notified due to the apparent kidnapping.
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The First Phone Call
Approximately 24 hours after the abduction (Known)
Bell telephones the Smith home.
He:
Identifies himself as the kidnapper.
Demonstrates knowledge only the abductor would possess.
Gives no ransom demand.
Says Shari is alive.
From this point forward, investigators realize the offender wants attention more than money.
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The FBI Strategy
After the first call:
Investigators ask the Smith family to:
Stay calm.
Keep Bell talking as long as possible.
Avoid arguing with him.
Listen for background noises or clues.
Telephone company specialists begin attempting to trace calls, but tracing analog landline calls in 1985 generally required the caller to remain on the line for several minutes.
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The Following Days
Over the next several weeks Bell repeatedly calls.
Typical pattern:
Bell telephones
↓ Conversation lasts several minutes ↓ FBI attempts trace ↓ Bell hangs up before a complete trace is obtained
He frequently:
Asked about media coverage.
Wanted reassurance that newspapers were reporting on him.
Sought emotional reactions from the family.
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The "Last Will and Testament"
At some point during the captivity (Known)
Bell forces Shari to handwrite a letter to her family.
In it she:
Tells her parents she loves them.
Says goodbye.
Expresses affection for her siblings and boyfriend.
Urges them not to blame themselves.
The letter is later mailed to the Smith home and becomes one of the case's most poignant pieces of evidence.
---
Shari's Death
The precise time is unknown.
Based on Bell's later statements and the evidence presented at trial, investigators concluded she was killed relatively soon after her abduction rather than being held for weeks.
Bell later told the family she had died and eventually directed authorities to where her body could be found.
---
Discovery of Shari
After another telephone call:
Bell provides directions.
Search teams locate Shari's body in a wooded area in Saluda County.
The discovery confirms Bell is the caller.
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Two Weeks Later
June 14, 1985
Nine-year-old Debra May Helmick disappears while playing near her home.
Investigators soon suspect Bell is responsible.
After Debra is murdered, Bell again contacts Shari's family, not Debra's, and provides information leading authorities to Debra's body.
This strongly links the two murders.
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Bell's Critical Mistake
One of the letters Bell mailed contains faint indentations from a previous sheet of paper.
Forensic document examiners recover these impressions.
The indentations reveal part of a telephone number.
Investigators test the possible missing digits until they identify a residence where Bell had been staying.
That breakthrough, combined with other forensic evidence, leads to Bell's arrest on June 27, 1985.
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Why Bell Kept Calling
Behavioral experts concluded Bell appeared to be motivated by:
A desire for control.
Enjoyment of psychological torment.
Fascination with media attention.
A need to relive the crimes through conversations with the victims' family.
His calls became as central to the case as the physical evidence, and the investigation is still studied by law enforcement for its use of behavioral analysis, telephone tracing, and forensic document examination.
Although many exact timestamps remain unknown, the documented sequence of events—abduction, repeated taunting calls, the forced farewell letter, the recovery of Shari's body, the murder of Debra, and Bell's eventual identification through forensic evidence—formed the foundation of the prosecution that resulted in his conviction and execution.
