Larry Gene Bell

Serial Killer

Larry Gene Bell: Kidnappings and Murders in the Carolinas

Overview

Larry Gene Bell was an American kidnapper and serial killer whose crimes terrorized communities in South Carolina during the spring and summer of 1985. Bell was convicted of kidnapping and murdering 17-year-old Sharon Faye "Shari" Smith and 9-year-old Debra May Helmick. Decades later, investigators in North Carolina formally concluded that Bell had also kidnapped and murdered 26-year-old Sandee Elaine Cornett, who disappeared from Charlotte in 1984. Bell has additionally been investigated as a possible suspect in the unresolved 1975 disappearance of Denise Newsom Porch. Bell's crimes were particularly disturbing because he did not simply attempt to conceal what he had done. After abducting Shari Smith, he repeatedly telephoned her family, revealing information known only to the killer and deliberately prolonging the family's uncertainty. He later used the same family as a means of directing authorities to another victim, Debra Helmick. Those telephone calls, together with a handwritten document Bell forced Shari to prepare, ultimately contributed to the evidence that identified him.

Earlier Violence

Bell's documented violence toward women began before the murders for which he became notorious. Evidence presented during later court proceedings showed that in 1975 he attempted to abduct a young woman at gunpoint. Bell subsequently pleaded guilty in 1976 to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. The incident became important during the sentencing phase of one of his murder trials because prosecutors argued that it demonstrated a pattern of predatory behavior toward women. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Sharon Faye Shari Smith Age: (17), Date of Death: May 31, 1985

Suspected Victims:

Denise Pourch , Date of Death: July 1975

Larry Gene Bell - Wikipedia