Casefile True Crime Case 261: Shari Smith & Debra May Helmick (Part 2)
Sep 30, 2023
A serial killer on the loose in South Carolina links the abductions of nine-year-old Debra May Helmick and the murder of Lexington teenager Shari Smith. Investigators make a breakthrough discovery with a latent phone number on a letter, and focus on Larry Jean Bell as the suspect. Bell denies involvement, but odd requests and a business card linking him to Debra raise suspicions. The arrest of Bell brings relief and disbelief to the community, and the aftermath includes divorce, grieving, and reflections on faith.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Witness to Debra May's Abduction
- Ricky Morgan witnessed a stranger abducting nine-year-old Debra May Helmick from her trailer park.
- Woody, the younger sibling, hid under a bush and was terrified, recalling the man saying he would come back for him.
Link Between Abductions
- Both Shari Smith and Debra May Helmick were abducted similarly, from their front yards, while parents were nearby but unaware.
- This similarity suggested either the same abductor or a copycat inspired by the earlier crime, escalating community fear.
Killer's Direction to Debra May's Body
- Shari Smith's killer made a chilling phone call to Shari's sister, Dawn, giving directions to where Debra May's body was located.
- Police found Debra May's body in a remote wooded area following those exact directions.