When a Killer Calls

From John Douglas—the legendary FBI criminalprofiler, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and inspirationfor the Netflix show Mindhunter—comesa chilling journey inside the mind and crimes of Larry Gene Bell, one of themost dangerous serial killers Douglas confronted, and the desperate effort toidentify and catch him.

On May 31, 1985, two days before her highschool graduation, Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her familyhome in South Carolina. Based on the crime scene and the abductor’s repeatedand taunting calls to the family, law enforcement quickly realized theywere dealing with a sophisticated and highly dangerous criminal. A letter arrivedthe next day entitled “Last Will & Testament,” in which Shari, knowing shewas 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 theywould persevere through their faith. The abduction rocked her quiet town,triggering a massive manhunt and bringing in the FBI, which enlisted profilerJohn Douglas. A few days later, a phone call told the family where they couldfind Shari’s body.

Then nine-year-old Debra May Helmick waskidnapped from her yard, confirming the harsh realization that Smith’s murderwas no random act. A serial killer was evolving, and the only way to stop himwould be to use the study of criminal behavior to anticipate his next movebefore he could kill again. Douglas devised a risky and emotionally fraughtstrategy to use Shari’s lookalike older sister Dawn as bait to draw out theunknown subject. Dawn and her parents courageously agreed.

One of the most haunting investigations ofDouglas’s storied career, this case details how theeerily accurate profile he created—alongside his carefullycrafted and stage-managed manipulation of the killer’s psychology—combined withdedicated police work and cutting-edge forensic science to end a reign ofcriminal terror. As Shari’s family took incredible personal risks to lure herkiller from the shadows, Douglas and the FBI pushed criminal profiling to itslimits, culminating in one of his most dramatic andeffective confrontations with a sadistic and remorseless killer.

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