Larry Gene Bell, born on October 30, 1949, was an American murderer and suspected serial killer who operated in Lexington County, South Carolina. He was convicted and ultimately electrocuted for the murders of Sharon Faye “Shari” Smith and Debra May Helmick. Bell’s criminal activities were marked by a particularly heinous modus operandi, including kidnapping, taunting victims’ families, and suffocation using duct tape.
Born in Ralph, Alabama, Bell had a tumultuous upbringing, marked by frequent moves and familial instability. After attending Eau Claire High School in Columbia, South Carolina, he pursued a career as an electrician following his graduation from high school in Mississippi. Bell’s life took a darker turn when he joined the United States Marine Corps in 1970, only to be discharged due to a knee injury sustained from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a cleaning mishap. Subsequently, he briefly worked as a correctional officer before settling in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Bell’s descent into violence began to unfold in 1985 when he kidnapped 17-year-old Shari Smith at gunpoint from her driveway in Lexington County. He subsequently made chilling phone calls to Smith’s family, taunting them while providing false assurances about her well-being. Despite the family’s cooperation and hope, Shari’s lifeless body was discovered days later, indicating she had been suffocated with duct tape.