Lexington County, South Carolina in the 1980s was a place where doors were left unlocked, neighbors knew one another, and high school graduation marked the beginning of summer and endless possibilities. For eighteen-year-old Shari Smith, the future was wide open. Talented, outgoing, and days away from celebrating graduation, she was making plans for college, family vacations, and everything that comes with starting a new chapter.

Then she vanished.

Join us for When a Stranger Called. What happened to Shari would shatter a community and launch one of the most chilling criminal investigations in South Carolina history. Mysterious phone calls, a killer who seemed to relish control, and a family forced into an unimaginable nightmare. But the terror didn’t end with Shari. Just weeks later, a young girl named Debra May Helmick disappeared. As investigators searched for answers, one haunting question emerged: Were these tragedies connected—and could the person responsible strike again?

In this episode, we unravel the story of two young women whose lives were stolen, the fear that gripped an entire state, and the hunt for a predator who hid in plain sight. This is the story of Shari Smith and Debra May Helmick. And this is a case South Carolina has never forgotten.

Sources

On the Case with Paula Zahn, S7, E10: One Month of Terror, HBO Max, 2/24/2013.

Shari Smith Death by Force, Murder or Homicide Case, Crime Solvers Central, 6/11/2026.

State v. Bell, 293 S.C. 391, 360 S.E.2d 706, South Carolina Supreme Court, South Carolina Supreme Court, 8/24/1987.

Suspected Serial Killer Executed Nearly 30 Years Ago Connected to Charlotte Cold Case, WCCB Charlotte, Jeff Monheit, 2/24/2025.

When a Killer Calls by John Douglas & Mark Olshaker

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