When a Killer Calls

From John Douglas—the legendary FBI criminal profiler, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and inspiration for the Netflix show Mindhunter—comes a chilling true crime journey inside the mind and crimes of Larry Gene Bell, one of the most dangerous serial killers Douglas confronted, and the desperate effort to identify and catch him.

On May 31, 1985, two days before her high school graduation, Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home in South Carolina. Based on the crime scene and the abductor’s repeated and taunting calls to the family, law enforcement quickly realized they were dealing with a sophisticated and highly dangerous criminal. A letter arrived the next day entitled “Last Will & Testament,” in which Shari, knowing she was to be murdered, wrote bravely and achingly of her love for her parents, siblings, and boyfriend, saying that while they would miss her, she knew they would persevere through their faith. The abduction rocked her quiet town, triggering a massive manhunt and bringing in the FBI, which enlisted profiler John Douglas.

Then nine-year-old Debra May Helmick was kidnapped from her yard, confirming the harsh realization that Smith’s murder was no random act. A serial killer was evolving, and in this gripping criminal investigation, the only way to stop him would be to use the study of criminal behavior to anticipate his next move before he could kill again. Douglas devised a risky and emotionally fraught strategy to use Shari’s lookalike older sister Dawn as bait to draw out the unknown subject. Dawn and her parents courageously agreed.

One of the most haunting investigations of Douglas’s storied career, this case details how the eerily accurate profile he created with the Behavioral Science Unit—alongside his carefully crafted and stage-managed manipulation of the killer’s psychology—combined with dedicated police work and cutting-edge forensic science to end a reign of criminal terror. As Shari’s family took incredible personal risks to lure her killer from the shadows, Douglas and the FBI pushed criminal profiling to its limits, culminating in one of his most dramatic and effective confrontations with a sadistic and remorseless killer.

This landmark case in the annals of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit reveals:

A Killer’s Taunts: The chilling, real-life story of a serial killer who terrorized a family with phone calls after abducting their teenage daughter, Shari Smith, just two days before her graduation. The Mindhunter Technique: Go inside the FBI’s elite serial crime unit as legendary profiler John Douglas develops a revolutionary psychological profile to get inside the killer’s head. A Family’s Courage: Witness the incredible bravery of Shari’s family after they agree to a high-stakes plan to use her lookalike sister, Dawn, as bait to lure the murderer out of the shadows. Landmark Forensic Investigation: Discover how cutting-edge forensic science and meticulous police work combined with behavioral analysis to end a terrifying crime spree that also claimed the life of nine-year-old Debra May Helmick.