Ep 10 - When a Stranger Calls: The Murders of Shari Smith and Debra Helmick
31m | Aug 14, 2021Lexington, South Carolina. May 31, 1985. 17-year-old Shari Smith was excited for the future. In just a few days, she would set off on a cruise with her friends to celebrate the end of their high school years. After that, she had her entire life ahead of her. Everything came to a tragic end, however, when Shari was snatched from outside her home in broad daylight by a sadistic predator, Larry Gene Bell. For 28 days, the Midlands region of South Carolina was terrorized by Bell, who callously taunted Shari's family on the phone. Then, as the FBI expected he would if he wasn't apprehended, he snatched another girl. His second victim was 9-year-old Debra May Helmick. By the time Bell was apprehended, he had taken two young lives and shattered a community, leaving scars that would never fully heal.
Instagram: @talkmurderwithme
Facebook: @talkmurrderwithme
Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/talkmurder
Sources for this episode:
Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit - John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
Palmetto Predators - Mark R. Jones
Murder in the Midlands: Larry Gene Bell and the 28 Days of Terror that Shook South Carolina
In first interview since indictment, James Metts expresses regret
Midlands killer taunted victim's family in phone calls. This TV show tells the story
Keep on believing: Dawn Smith Jordan on hope after tragedy
Police: We may never find missing woman
Newspaper articles about Sandee Cornett - here and here
Music from Purple Planet Music
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/talk-murder-with-me/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
