Kidnapping and murder of Shari Faye Smith by Larry Gene Bell

I was familiar with this case beyond the Forensic Files episode. I'd thought a lot about Shari Smith's fear and courage as she penned her last communication to her family. I'm not sure what Bell's motivations for her abduction were, beyond the desire for control and dominance over her and her family. He had the opportunity to keep Shari isolated and alive for a period, which you'd expect if Bell's intentions were sexual. But Larry Gene Bell kidnapped, tormented and killed Shari Smith in a 14-hour period.

Just after the ominous letter was received, the kidnapper called the Smith home again. The recorded dialog between Hilda and Bell was eerie. It spoke to Larry Gene Bell's desperate need to exert power in his sad existence, and very much to the strength of Shari's mother.

Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files

Bell: Have you received the mail today?
Smith: Yes, I have.
Bell: Do you believe me now?
Smith: Well, I'm not really sure I believe you, because I haven't had any word from Shari, and I need to know that Shari is well.
Bell: You'll know in two or three days.
Smith: Why two or three days?
Bell: Call the search off.

Bell's last words before hanging up could've had two meanings, and I'm sure Hilda Smith was still hoping for the best, despite her the letter's content. "Call the search off" might've been Bell's attempt to remove the authorities from the situation in hopes of dealing with the Smiths directly and dragging out his torment of the family. But in hindsight, knowing that Shari had already been murdered, it's likely Bell was indicating that a search was no longer necessary.

Nearly a full week after Shari Smith's abduction, Bell offered detailed directions to his victim's body. One wonders if this was a vague attempt to reconcile his actions with his view of religion and God. I think it was just as likely that he sought pleasure in knowing the family's anguish when they saw firsthand the outcome of his handywork. It was determined that Shari's body had been in the location for several days, likely dumped hours after her murder. It was speculated that Bell waited for several days before notifying the Smiths where to find in an attempt to let nature purge some of the potential physical evidence. I'm not sure Bell was that clever.

Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files

And it wasn't enough to torture the Smiths with the murder of their young daughter, even calling them on the very night of Shari's funeral. Once the sick thrill of that had worn off, Bell continued to harass the Smiths with information about his latest victim, Deborah May Helmick, who was hardly more than half of Shari's age.

It was very satisfying to learn how the authorities pieced the puzzle together. The impressions (latent images) in the letter contained crucial information that led to the paper's origin. From there, a suspect and crime scene were evident. Then it came down to the circumstances, some hair evidence at the location and matching the stamp on the letter to its source. Similar latent image evidence of writing on an adjacent page in a pad was seen in the episode "The Blood Trail".

In one of John Douglas' books (I believe it was The Killer Across the Table), I recalled how Douglas described helping the police prepare for their interview with Larry Gene Bell. While physical evidence is often enough to clinch a conviction, an outright confession is always helpful. Douglas described Bell's description of the "other Larry Gene Bell" having been the one to commit the crimes. The episode alluded to this too. But was this just a scapegoating, or was it possible Bell was bipolar or schizophrenic?

Shari Faye Smith Full Letter

Since first posting this episode in October 2021, I've been on the lookout for Shari Faye Smith's full two-page Last Will & Testament letter that Larry Gene Bell sent to the Smith family. I've only been able to piece some of it together from various scenes from other shows. I'm happy to share what I have of Shari Faye Smith's full letter:

Where is Larry Gene Bell now in 2024?

Larry Gene Bell was convicted of the kidnapping and murder of Shari Faye Smith in February 1986. The jury recommended the death sentence. Bell chose to be executed in South Carolina's electric chair instead of by lethal injection. Larry Gene Bell was electrocuted on October 4, 1996. In the ten years between his conviction and execution, Bell filed several petitions and appeals – all were denied.

Some mental health experts believed Bell was schizophrenic, but many felt his behavior was an act to make others believe he might be insane and not responsible for his crimes. Larry Gene Bell had often claimed to hear revelations directly from God, and that he was Jesus Christ. While in prison, Bell "smeared his own feces on himself and drank his own urine," according to a 1996 article from upi.com.