As someone who grew up in South Carolina at the time of these events, this movie is crap even by TV movie standards. The attempts at Southern accents by all of the actors are beyond awful. I'm a life-long resident of the Palmetto State and this movie is the only time or place I've ever heard anyone talk like the characters in this waste of celluloid.The producers couldn't even get their geography right. There's no such thing as Columbia County, South Carolina. I realize the need for creative license, but why not call it, "Murder in Carolina?" or anything other than what the morons called it.I noticed many of the reviewers like this story because it was something they could relate to personally. That's one of the reasons I hate it. I spent roughly 15 years as a reporter covering this state (I was in elementary school at the time of the Bell murders). But this movie was so poorly produced, it's insulting to everyone involved. Every remaining copy should be boxed up and thrown into Lake Murray for the catfish to eat.

This is one of the better made-for-TV films based on a true story. William Devane is always convincing as either a good guy or a bad one. He does a great job playing the former, town Sheriff, in this one. I also want to add that I've heard from several people that have worked on films with Devane that he is a really nice guy in person as well (just a note).Netflix has this film in it's database right now and it's listed as 'Victim of Beauty.' I have no idea why names for TV films are so interchanged, but it's irritating. Also, for some strange reason, they have Sally Kellerman on the cover image, who isn't even cast in the film.The movie is pretty entertaining. As with most films of this nature, some details have been changed, but nothing that compromises the story. If the real story interests you, you can find some harrowing commentary from the search participants on the web. Thank you.

Sadly, this TV movie is based on a true story. The problem with some of these dramas ripped from the headlines is that, after you've seen and heard the real family, there's simply no comparison.Thanks to some nice performances, however, this film does a pretty good job of telling the story of a beauty queen who disappears outside of her home and whose family is then tortured by the kidnapper even after the young woman's body is found.The actual shocking details are depicted in the movie - for instance, the poor mother having to keep the killer on the phone, on the day of her daughter's funeral, as the killer asks her if she wants to know how her daughter died. As the real-life mother said in the documentary done on Court TV, "Did I want to talk to him? No. But what choice did I have?" The young woman writes a letter to her family (also depicted in this movie). She states that she is ready to die and requests a closed casket. Though I can't imagine anything more unbearable, in real life, the parents say it has helped provide them with the closure they needed to go on for their lives.Though this film does a decent job, certainly, the focus is on the Jeri Ryan character, the victim's sister. After viewing the Court TV story, one walks away inspired by the courage of the entire family in the face of such torment, and is haunted by the photo of this beautiful, radiant young woman with her entire life ahead of her.In 2006, "What Not to Wear" did makeovers on three past beauty pageant contestants when they brought them back to re-enter the competition. One of the former contestants was a rather perky and annoying blond from the south. I later learned she is the sister on which the Jeri Ryan character is based; her sister was the one killed. I went from thinking this smiling and somewhat cloying older women was a pain to thinking she's one of the most remarkable women I've ever seen.

I am from Lexington South Carolina where this story takes place. The movie is inaccurate by calling it Columbia County because it is not Columbia County it is Lexington County.. Columbia is just the largest city near by. This movie is a true story.. and its funny because it almost happened 20 years ago and it still is talked about and known today.. Kinda scary how things can be shaken up in a small town.