Shari Faye Smith was a high school senior in Columbia, South Carolina, and she was kidnapped in front of her own home on May 31, 1985. Her car was found in the driveway of the family home with the motor running and the door open. Her abduction sparked the largest manhunt in South Carolina history. The abductor contacted with Smith family and let them know that he had kidnapped her. He also gave them the color of the swimsuit that Smith was wearing under her outfit to prove that his call was not a hoax. He made no ransom demand and informed the family that he would be in contact with them by letter later in the day. The sheriff, Jim Metts, immediately reached out to the FBI for assistance. They agreed that if Smith was not already dead, her life was in danger.

The family soon received a two-page letter from Smith to her family entitled “Last Will & Testament” (300), which expressed her final wishes and messages to her loved ones. Metts sent the original letter to the crime lab for processing and a copy to the FBI for analysis. After reading this letter, the FBI was certain that Smith had been murdered.