God Chose Us Part 1 | The Kidnappings and Murders of Shari Smith

True Crime Stories For (No) Sleep

The "God Chose Us" case, as it's known, refers to a series of tragic events involving Shari Smith and Debra Helmick, orchestrated by a criminal who took pleasure in tormenting the victims' families with disturbing phone calls and letters.
The case is marked by the kidnappings and murders of Shari Smith and nine-year-old Debra May Helmick in South Carolina.Shari Smith, abducted outside her home, was forced to write a "Last Will and Testament" letter, which the kidnapper mailed to her family. The letter, examined for forensic evidence, was one of the key pieces in the investigation. The kidnapper, enjoying the control and fear he instigated, made several phone calls to the Smith family, in one of which he chillingly stated, "Shari is now part of me... our souls are now one," and later, "We’re waiting. God chose us." These calls displayed his delusion of being in a position of god-like power and control.