When a killer calls A haunting story of murder, criminal profiling, and justice in a small town

In June 1985 in Lexington, South Carolina, a high-school senior vanished from her driveway. Her decomposing body was found two weeks later. Two weeks after that, a nine-year-old was kidnapped as she played outside her home. Her body was discovered after a 12-day search. Local law enforcement brought in legendary FBI agent and prolific author John Douglas, who is generally acknowledged as the founding father of criminal profiling. In this straightforward, chronological account, Douglas reconstructs the crimes, documenting the ensuing investigations and court proceedings. Douglas takes readers through the process of developing suspect profiles, sharing plenty of insider details and psychological insights, and often refers to his experiences with previous cases and notorious criminals. His narrative is satisfyingly accessible, and fans of true crime documentaries will feel fully involved as pieces of the investigation come together. Douglas, equally adept at creating profiles of victims and their families, offers another compelling account of an unusual unsubstantiated case, a bizarre trial, and the never-ending search for justice.

FBI profiler Douglas and Olshaker (Mindhunter) tell the riveting story of how the FBI, working with local law enforcement officers, cracked the case of a particularly nasty killer. In rural South Carolina in 1985, 17-year-old Shari Smith was kidnapped from her family's driveway by a man who later raped and suffocated her. The killer called the Smith home multiple times and mailed the parents their child's last will and testament before telling them where to find her body. Two weeks later, he did the same to nine-year-old Debra May Helmick. Douglas, who was called in on the case, discovered that Larry Gene Bell, a 36-year-old electrician's assistant, fit the FBI's profile of a white male who had served in the military. The authors describe in dramatic detail how Bell was finally caught (clues included the imprint of a phone number lifted from the sheet of paper on which Shari had written her will) and the two trials that ended in death sentences, as well as the sense of terror in the small town and the incredible faith of the Smith family and their community. Peppered with other FBI profiling cases, this is required reading for those interested in the early years of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit. Agent: Frank Weimann, Folio Literary Management. (Feb.)