Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

It's been four years since father of three, Eric Richins, died from a fentanyl overdose. We now know his ingestion of the drug was planned by his wife Kori. Afterwards, she wrote a children’s book about grief, with her children, to help them cope. Kouri Richins' book isn't the only thing she's written.
There's a six-page handwritten letter, "the walk the dog letter." Prosecutors say that in the letter, Richins is instructing he family how to lie about what happened the night her husband died.
It's called the "walk the dog letter," since that phrase is written in big letters on the top. In it, Richins makes the claim that her husband Eric was addicted to drugs, that he would make frequent trips to Mexico to get pills, and that his death was an accidental overdose. The letter was written to Richins' mother, and it reportedly tells her to instruct Richins' brother to make the connection to Mexico and drugs
The jury deliberated just under three hours before convicting Richins of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, forgery and two counts of insurance fraud.
What happened to the Richins children?
Joining Nancy Grace Today:
Donna Kelly– Former Utah Senior Deputy District Attorney and Attorney for Crime Victims Legal Clinic; Helped form the Utah County Sex Crimes Task Force
Dr. Bethany Marshall – Psychoanalyst (Beverly Hills, CA); Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall; Twitter: @DrBethanyLive
Justin Boardman – Retired Detective, West Valley City Police Department Special Victim’s Unit, Boardman Training & Consulting
Dr. William Morrone – Toxicologist, Chief Medical Examiner, Bay County Michigan; Author: “American Narcan: Naloxone & Heroin-Fentanyl Associated Mortality”
Elaine Aradillas - Senior Crime Reporter at the Messenger; Twitter: @elaineja, Instagram: @the_elaineja
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In this week’s episode of "Zone 7," retired NYPD detective Mike Alcazar joins Sheryl McCollum to talk about what hostage negotiation looks like when a scene is tense, the stakes are high, and one wrong move can change everything.
Drawing on decades in law enforcement, Mike discusses the Nancy Guthrie case, explains how negotiators read people in real time, and highlights the importance of patience, trust, and teamwork.
He also shares stories from the field and looks back on the path that took him from undercover work to hostage negotiation and, later, to the recovery efforts after 9/11.
Highlights:
(0:00) Sheryl McCollum welcomes retired NYPD detective Mike Alcazar to Zone 7
(1:00) Mike’s first reaction to the Nancy Guthrie case and why it struck him as unusual from the beginning
(4:15) Information negotiators look for first: behavior, history, and possible mental-state concerns
(9:00) The challenge of deciding when family can help and when they may make a crisis worse
(13:30) Tension between negotiation and tactical response, and how one decision can undo hours of progress
(19:30) How Mike became a negotiator and what the training process was like
(23:00) A Brooklyn barricade, drone technology, and the friend who helped bring the situation to a peaceful end
(29:45) Why voice, personality, and appearance can shape who a subject chooses to trust
(31:15) How a sandwich from the bodega helped resolve a case
(32:45) Mike looks back on becoming a detective and how 9/11 changed the course of his career
(35:15) Ground Zero, recovery efforts, and the emotional toll officers carried after 9/11

Guest Bio
Mike Alcazar is a retired NYPD detective with more than 30 years of service in law enforcement. During his time with the department, he worked undercover in vice, served as a hostage negotiator, and handled organized crime investigations.
Mike took part in recovery efforts following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and now serves as an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
About the Host
Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a Metro Atlanta Police Department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide.
With more than 4 decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing.
Her work on high-profile cases include, in part, The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, and Tupac Shakur. Her work on the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.
Social Links:
Email: [email protected]
X: @zone7squad
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
Preorder Sheryl’s upcoming book, "Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Lessons in Life, Justice, and Joy from a Forensic Scientist," releasing May 2026 from Simon and Schuster.
Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire.

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Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert
Here's Sydney Silvagni with some of our top stories this week:
Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”
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Only twelve days after Rebecca Haro reports her son's kidnapping and claims she was knocked out in a parking lot while changing the 15-month-old's diaper, both parents of Emmanuel Haro faced murder charges. Rebecca Haro faces a preliminary hearing May 29. Prosecutors have told the court they’re ready to present their evidence. Emmanuel's mother has plead not guilty and is still being held on $1 million bail.
Father Jake Haro pleaded guilty last year to second‑degree murder and related charges. He’s now serving a sentence of 25 years to life.
Emmanuel’s remains still haven’t been found.
Joining Nancy Grace today:
Philip Dubé - Former Court-Appointed Counsel, Los Angeles County Public Defenders: Criminal & Constitutional Law, Forensics & Mental Health Advocacy, X: PhilipCDube, IG: PhilipDube, YouTube: PhilipDube3922
Dr. John Delatorre - Licensed psychologist and mediator, specializing in forensic psychology, psychological consultant to Project Absents: a non-profit organization that searches for missing persons, resolutionfcs.com, Twitter, IG, and TikTok: @drjohndelatorre
Steve Fischer - Missing Persons Private Investigator, Search & Rescue Specialist, & Owner of Search Investigations, website: search investigations.org, Facebook: SearchInvestigations, X: @SF_Investigates
Alli Neal - Co-Founder, Revved Up Kids, fighting to protect kids from sexual abuse and trafficking, revvedupkids.org, instagram, Facebook & Twitter: @RevvedUpKids
Dr. Eric Eason - Board Certified Forensic Pathologist, consultant, Instagram: @eric_a_eason, Facebook: Eric August Eason, LinkedIn: Eric Eason, MD
Katy Forrester - Assistant Exclusives Editor at The U.S. Sun, covering true crime and showbiz, website: www.the-sun.com, X: @katyshowbix
Dave Mack - Crime Stories Investigative Reporter
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Just weeks after a judge said says Rex Heuerman "will go to trial come hell or high water," the accused serial killer pleads guilty to all seven murders for which he's charged, and an additional murder. Now we are learning details of what police found on Heuermann's phones. Yes, multiple phones. Rex Heuermann used a series of burner phones to lure sex workers, contacting them hundreds of times over two years, according to court documents. These "untraceable" phones, along with his personal phone, traced to a "tight cluster" of cell towers near his Massapequa Park home, linking him to the victims and taunting calls made to family members.
Police arrested the prominent New York architect in connection with murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. The 8th victim, 34-year-old Karen Vergata, was last heard from on Valentine's Day 1996. Her legs and feet were found the same year on Fire Island. Her skull was found fifteen years later near Tobay Beach in Nassau County.
The women's remains were found along Gilgo Beach in Long Island within 500 feet of each other. The first four victims, dubbed the Gilgo Four, were found wrapped in burlap. Heuermann, originally claimed his innocent.
Asa Ellerup, his estranged wife, filed for divorce six days after his arrest and then signed a deal worth at least 1 million dollars to take part in a documentary series.
Joining Nancy Grace today:
Caryn Stark - Forensic Psychologist, renowned TV and Radio trauma expert and consultant, www.carynstark.com, Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice
Mike Gould - Former Nassau County (NY) lieutenant and Founding member of the New York Police Department (NYPD) K-9 unit. He's led several investigations into serial killers, including the Gilgo Beach killer on Long Island. Former National Guardsman and has worked on secret service detail for two presidents
Joseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, "Blood Beneath My Feet", Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan", Instagram @JoScottForensic
Josh Zeman - Investigative Journalist and Documentary Film Director. Director of "The Killing Season," Host of the podcast: "Sinister with Josh Zeman," Website: Sinisterpod.com Insta: @Joshzeman, X: @Siniterpod, TikTik: @Sinisterwithjoshzeman FB: @Sinisterpodcast YT@Sinisterpodcastjz
Dave Mack - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'

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