Episode Description
Larry Gene Bell: The Sadistic Killer Who Tortured Families by Phone
In May 1985, seventeen-year-old Shari Faye Smith was abducted from her family's driveway in broad daylight near Lexington, South Carolina, sparking one of the most intensive FBI investigations in the region's history. The perpetrator, Larry Gene Bell, tortured Shari's family with phone calls for days before killing nine-year-old Debra May Helmick two weeks later, turning the Midlands into a landscape of fear during what became known as the "Summer of Terror."
This case has everything that makes true crime both fascinating and deeply unsettling. Bell didn't stop after killing these girls. He played a sick game with their families, making phone calls where he'd describe what he'd done, all while using voice-altering technology like some bargain-basement supervillain. And here's what really gets me about this story: the breakthrough that caught him came from handwriting indentations on a legal pad. Sometimes the smallest detail is the one that brings a monster down. Plus, there's a 2025 update that confirms Bell had been hunting victims for a full decade before anyone connected the dots.
#LarryGeneBell #ShariFayeSmith #DebraMayHelmick #TrueCrime #SouthCarolinaMurder #SerialKiller #FBIProfiling
🔔 Subscribe for True Crime Cases multiple times a week
Never miss a story. Subscribe to 10 Minute Murder for bite-sized true crime episodes delivered fresh every week.
Get a weekly email from me about the upcoming cases and more: 10minutemurder.com/newsletter
📱 Follow for Behind-the-Scenes Content Get exclusive case updates, research photos, and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes:
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/10-minute-murder-bingeable-true-crime-stories--4603604/support.
In May 1985, seventeen-year-old Shari Faye Smith was abducted from her family's driveway in broad daylight near Lexington, South Carolina, sparking one of the most intensive FBI investigations in the region's history. The perpetrator, Larry Gene Bell, tortured Shari's family with phone calls for days before killing nine-year-old Debra May Helmick two weeks later, turning the Midlands into a landscape of fear during what became known as the "Summer of Terror."
This case has everything that makes true crime both fascinating and deeply unsettling. Bell didn't stop after killing these girls. He played a sick game with their families, making phone calls where he'd describe what he'd done, all while using voice-altering technology like some bargain-basement supervillain. And here's what really gets me about this story: the breakthrough that caught him came from handwriting indentations on a legal pad. Sometimes the smallest detail is the one that brings a monster down. Plus, there's a 2025 update that confirms Bell had been hunting victims for a full decade before anyone connected the dots.
#LarryGeneBell #ShariFayeSmith #DebraMayHelmick #TrueCrime #SouthCarolinaMurder #SerialKiller #FBIProfiling
🔔 Subscribe for True Crime Cases multiple times a week
Never miss a story. Subscribe to 10 Minute Murder for bite-sized true crime episodes delivered fresh every week.
Get a weekly email from me about the upcoming cases and more: 10minutemurder.com/newsletter
📱 Follow for Behind-the-Scenes Content Get exclusive case updates, research photos, and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes:
- Instagram: @10minutemurder on IG
- Facebook: 10 Minute Murder on FB
- TikTok: 10 Minute Murder on TikTok
- Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review to help other true crime fans discover the show
- Share: Send this episode to fellow true crime enthusiasts
- Join the Discussion: Tag us in your episode reactions on social media
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/10-minute-murder-bingeable-true-crime-stories--4603604/support.