Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum

In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum takes a closer look at the ransom note released in the Nancy Guthrie case. Based on her decades of crime scene investigation experience, Sheryl examines the message line by line, pointing out the inconsistencies in its wording, timeline, demands, and structure while explaining why she has never believed the case was motivated by money. She’s been saying since day one: it doesn’t add up.

Highlights:
(0:00) Sheryl’s long-held belief that Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance was never about money
(2:30) Why “Hello, Savannah” reads more like a greeting than a demand
(4:30) Timeline problems and contradictory deadlines that raise red flags
(6:30) A “safe drop-off” promise that doesn’t fit real kidnapper behavior
(8:15) Contradictions surrounding negotiation, payment demands, and deadlines
(10:00) The shift from “we” to “me” and why it may matter more than the author intended
(11:45) The watch detail and the stronger proof Sheryl says should have been included
(13:00) Details someone who was actually inside the house should have been able to describe
(14:15) A timeline of the ransom emails, family responses, reward increases, and missed deadlines

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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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 four 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, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and 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: coldcase2004@gmail.com
X: @ColdCaseTips
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum

Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by board-certified forensic pathologist Dr. Priya Banerjee for a conversation about the ongoing investigation into the death of Nolan Wells. Using publicly known facts of the case, Dr. Priya explains how forensic pathologists approach a suspected drowning and why an autopsy is only one part of a death investigation. Together, they discuss why following the evidence, not speculation, is what will bring Nolan’s family the answers they need.

Highlights:
(0:00) Sheryl McCollum introduces Dr. Priya Banerjee to Zone 7 and explains why Nolan Wells’ family deserves facts, not speculation
(3:00) Why forensic pathologists rarely release preliminary autopsy findings before an investigation is complete
(6:00) Reconstructing Nolan Wells’ timeline and why seemingly trivial details can become important evidence
(7:45) What forensic pathologists look for when investigating a possible drowning
(10:15) Water in the lungs, stomach contents, decomposition, and why drowning is never diagnosed by one finding alone
(12:15) When families seek a second autopsy and how independent findings are evaluated
(15:00) The emotional impact conflicting forensic opinions have on grieving families
(18:15) Ruling out foul play: why investigators wait for a complete forensic examination
(20:45) How timelines, witness statements, GPS data, and autopsy findings must support one another
(22:15) The cost of speculation during an active death investigation
(24:00) Pattern recognition and the role of evidence in forensic investigations

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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Dr. Priya Banerjee is a board-certified forensic pathologist with extensive experience in death investigation, clinical forensics, and courtroom testimony. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, she served for more than a decade as an assistant medical examiner for the Rhode Island Office of the State Medical Examiners and leads a private forensic pathology practice. She previously co-hosted Pathology with Dr. Priya, a forensic science series within Zone 7.

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 four 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, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and 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: coldcase2004@gmail.com
X: @ColdCaseTips
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum

Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by retired Secret Service agent and polygraph examiner Brad Beeler to discuss what 25 years of talking with suspects, witnesses, victims, and some of the worst offenders taught him about getting people to open up and tell the truth. Brad covers why trust has to come before truth, the damage one accusatory word can do to a conversation, and how respect gets people to open up faster than pressure ever will. He also shares practical signs that may indicate deception, why sometimes the best thing you can do is stop talking and listen, and how the same principles he relied on in high-stakes investigations can help anyone become a better communicator.

Highlights:
(0:00) Sheryl McCollum introduces retired Secret Service agent Brad Beeler and the moment she saw his commitment to a cold case firsthand
(5:30) Why making people feel heard, respected, and genuinely listened to can change a conversation
(8:00) The worst thing you can call someone when you are trying to get the truth
(10:00) Why Brad aims to listen 80% of the time and what investigators can learn when they stop talking
(15:45) “Create a space where truth feels safe enough to emerge”
(17:45) Why even the worst offenders have to be treated with respect if investigators want answers
(21:30) How Brad evaluates possible deception without relying on a single supposed ‘tell’
(23:15) Turning a story into a yes-or-no question to test whether someone will stand behind what they said
(24:30) Delayed answers, vocal inflection, overly specific responses, and qualifying words that may signal deception
(27:15) Why respect matters more than rapport when you have little in common with someone
(28:30) What protecting foreign dignitaries taught Brad about professional respect across cultural and political divides

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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Brad Beeler is a retired U.S. Secret Service agent and polygraph examiner with 25 years of experience conducting high-stakes interviews and investigations. Named Secret Service Special Agent of the Year, he is also a recipient of the Director’s Service Award and Forensic Hero Award and a former instructor at the National Center for Credibility Assessment. He is the author of Tell me Everything: A Secret Service Agent’s Proven Strategies for Earning Trust, Revealing Truth, and Communicating with Anyone.|

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 four 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, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and 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: coldcase2004@gmail.com
X: @ColdCaseTips
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum

Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by investigative journalist Angeline Hartmann, along with Kevin Verville Sr. and Angelica Ramsey. Together, they revisit the unsolved 1980 kidnapping of newborn Kevin Verville Jr., taken at 17 days old from off-base military housing near Camp Pendleton by a woman posing as a social worker. For more than 45 years, the Verville family has never stopped searching for Kevin, who they believe has no idea he was ever taken. They believe someone listening today could recognize Kevin, help identify the woman responsible, and finally reconnect him with his family.

Watch Kevin’s Story from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20MNq579m3k

Highlights:
(0:00) Sheryl McCollum introduces Angeline Hartmann and the podcast investigation that helped identify six-year-old William DaShawn Hamilton
(5:30) The tip that identified a child John Doe more than 20 years after his remains were found
(9:30) How Angeline brought the kidnapping of Kevin Verville Jr. to Sheryl
(11:00) Kevin Verville Sr. and Angelica Ramsey join the podcast to discuss their missing son and brother, Kevin Verville Jr.
(12:00) A woman posing as a social worker gains the family’s trust through a fake assistance program●
(16:15) Kevin Sr. recalls the ruse that got his wife out of the car moments before the suspect drove away with their newborn
(19:00) The distinctive hand tattoo investigators hope someone will recognize
(22:15) Angelica explains why age progression, DNA databases, and public awareness remain critical to finding Kevin Jr.
(26:15) Why renewed public interest in infant abduction cases could help generate new leads
(27:45) Why investigators believe Kevin Jr. was deliberately targeted
(32:15) How the suspect entered the off-base military housing complex without passing the vehicle checkpoint
(34:15) Angeline and Sheryl confront the victim-blaming Kevin Jr. ’s parents faced after
the abduction
(36:15) Cultural background, small-town trust, and how the suspect exploited the family’s openness
(37:15) Why Kevin Jr. may have grown up under another identity without knowing he was abducted
(39:00) How listeners can share Kevin Jr. ’s age progression and help identify both Kevin Jr. and the woman who took him

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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Angeline Hartmann is the Director of Communication for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and an award-winning investigative journalist. She previously worked with America’s Most Wanted and hosts the Inside Crime with Angeline Hartmann podcast.

Kevin Verville Sr. is the father of Kevin Verville Jr., abducted at 17 days old from off-base military housing near Camp Pendleton on July 1, 1980.
Angelica Ramsey is the sister of Kevin Verville Jr., born after his abduction. She advocates for his case, sharing his age progression image and searching for the brother she has never met.
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 four 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, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and 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.

Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by retired Las Vegas Police Sergeant Jenn Benjamins for a look inside undercover police work. Jenn explains what separates basic surveillance from true deep cover, where officers must build believable identities, speak the language of the street, and think fast enough to avoid being “made.” She discusses prostitution stings, pimp culture, human trafficking, and why undercover work requires a specific kind of officer. Jenn also shares how she now carries that experience into Covert Blue LLC, her law enforcement training company, where she helps prepare officers for undercover operations, investigations, leadership, and the realities of the job.

Highlights:
(0:00) Sheryl McCollum introduces retired Las Vegas Metro Police Sergeant Jenn Benjamins and her 22 years on the force
(1:15) Jenn explains why undercover work can produce some of the strongest evidence in criminal investigations
(2:15) “Doing theater” for suspects and why successful undercover work requires acting, instinct, and total commitment to the role
(4:15) How officers avoid getting “made” while working prostitution and narcotics cases
(8:00) Why only a small percentage of officers may be suited for undercover assignments
(11:15) The importance of knowing street talk, pricing, roles, and expectations during vice investigations
(16:00) Sheryl and Jenn discuss the kind of money that moves through high-end escort work in Las Vegas and why leaving is often more complicated than people assume●
(19:00) Jenn explains the different types of pimps, including Casanova and gorilla pimps, and how violence and gang culture changed the prostitution landscape
(22:30) Major events like the Super Bowl and the World Cup, the “circuit,” and how large
gatherings can bring increased prostitution, trafficking, and related crime into host cities
(29:30) Jenn talks about dressing the part, avoiding entrapment concerns, and building a believable undercover appearance
(35:15) Sheryl honors Jenn’s law enforcement service and her work training future undercover officers through Covert Blue LLC

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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Jenn Benjamins is a retired Las Vegas Metro Police Department sergeant with more than 22 years of experience in patrol, investigations, criminal intelligence, vice, organized crime, and undercover operations. She is the founder of Covert Blue LLC, where she trains law enforcement professionals in undercover work, investigations, leadership, and officer wellness.

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 four 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, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and 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: coldcase2004@gmail.com
X: @ColdCaseTips
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum

Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint
River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.