This is a three-part podcast series dedicated to understanding how serial killers form, and how we can stop them before they strike again. Hosted by award-winning crime scene investigator Sheryl McCollum, each episode features a guest expert who brings unique expertise into the psychology, behavior, and patterns of serial offenders.

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, sits down with Phil Chalmers, a seasoned criminal profiler whose life’s work has taken him face-to-face with some of the most notorious killers in American history. Phil shares what it’s really like to sit across from people like Charles Manson and David Berkowitz, known as the Son of Sam. Today, Sheryl and Phil go deeper than infamous names; it’s about understanding why people kill. Phil breaks down the roots of violent behavior, pointing to patterns like fatherlessness, childhood trauma, and relentless bullying. He also challenges long-held assumptions about what a serial killer looks like, arguing that the modern offender is often far from the stereotypical white male.

Guest Bio and Links:

Phil Chalmers is a 40 year American Criminal Profiler, true crime writer, and host of the Dennis Quaid owned podcast “Where The Bodies Are Buried.” His live trainings are legendary in the law enforcement world, as he trains police officers, the FBI, probation officers, school administrators, and many other professionals. You may have seen Phil on A&E’s Killer Kids, or Fox’s Crime Watch Daily. He has interviewed hundreds of violent killers, including serial killers, school shooters, mass murderers, family annihilators, and spree killers. Names you might know on his interview list include Charles Manson, The Son of Sam, BTK, The Hillside Strangler, The Gainesville Ripper, The Zodiac Copycat, The Smiley Face Killer, and the Amityville Horror Killer.

Listeners can learn more about at Phil Chalmers at his website, on IG @philechalmerprofiler and his podcast - Where The Bodies Are Buried

Resources:

Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer

Serial Killers: The Experience Tour

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
• (0:20) Sheryl introduces guest,  Phil Chalmers to the listeners
• (2:00) Phil gives a brief background of himself and his work
• (3:00) Inside the mind of a serial killer
• (5:00) Twelve myths of serial killers
• (11:00) Bullying and the path to school shootings
• (12:00) 13 reasons kids kill
• (13:30) The number one reason teens kill
• (15:00) Myths in serial killer profiling
• (18:30) Phil discusses reasons he works with serial killers
• (20:30) Background of Amon Pressley
• (23:30) What to look for to connect serial killer cases
• (25:30) The signature vs. MO distinction
• (30:15)  ”The MO changes.” - Phil Chalmers
• Thanks for listening to another episode! If you’re loving the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to Itunes and leave a rating and review!

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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.

Social Links:

• Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Nancy Grace and Sheryl McCollum break down how small forensic details like a balaclava, a knife sheath, and an Amazon purchase, can construct a damning mosaic of guilt. Sheryl emphasizes the importance of visual testimony and the nuanced strategies prosecutors must deploy when sequencing their witnesses. Nancy and Sheryl draw parallels from cases like Casey Anthony, Ted Bundy, and Lori Vallow, showing how digital footprints, careless mistakes, and chilling premeditation can expose even the most calculated crimes. Lastly, the two probe how character witnesses, or the lack thereof, may influence the perception of innocence or guilt.

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome! Nancy and Sheryl introduce this week’s crime roundup
• (0:15) Happy Birthday to host, Sheryl McCollum (actual birthday March 25th)
• (2:00) Updates on Bryan Kohberger case
• (2:25)  ”Don't order your crime doings on Amazon or leave a credit card trail.”
• (3:00) The balaclava evidence and eyewitness testimony
• (8:00) Why the drawing matters
• (15:00) Flashbacks to Lori Vallow and amazon evidence
• (17:00) Casey Anthony’s perjury and misleading evidence
• (24:00) Why the state can’t introduce bad character
• (27:00) Traffic tickets leading to arrests
• (29:00) “ You can't hide your own eyebrows. You can't hide your own DNA. You can't hide your own height. Dylan Mortenson saw him within feet. Those eyebrows, she'll never forget 'em, and the biggest mistake he made was not leaving his DNA on that sheath, was not using his own card, was not using his own debit card, but leaving that witness alive.”
• (29:30) Witness strategy, mistakes, and what comes next

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Nancy Grace is an outspoken, tireless advocate for victims’ rights and one of television's most respected legal analysts. Nancy Grace had a perfect conviction record during her decade as a prosecutor. She is the founder and publisher of CrimeOnline.com, a crime- fighting digital platform that investigates breaking crime news, spreads awareness of missing people and shines a light on cold cases.

In addition, Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, a daily show hosted by Grace, airs on SIRIUS XM’s Triumph Channel 111 and is downloadable as a podcast on all audio platforms - https://www.crimeonline.com/

Connect with Nancy:

X: @nancygrace

Instagram: @thenancygrace

Facebook: @nancygrace

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice.

Connect with Sheryl:

Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

X: @ColdCaseTips

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, sits down with Linda Kenney Baden, a former prosecutor and private defense attorney to dissect the legal intricacies, discrepancies, and various ethical issues surrounding the trial of Karen Read. They cover the problems with evidence collection, the lead investigator's conduct, and the lack of a clear cause of death. Sheryl and Linda also discuss the role of experts in the retrial, what could be expected during the new trial, and the emotional toll on both Read and O'Keefe's families.

On January 29, 2022, Karen Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV during a snow storm. Read's second trial is now set to begin with jury selection on April 1, 2025 after months of additional pretrial hearings following the mistrial.

Guest Bio and Links:

Linda Kenney Baden is a former prosecutor and seasoned criminal defense attorney known for her work on high-profile cases such as Phil Spector, Casey Anthony, and Aaron Hernandez. She is a contributor to Law & Crime and the Huffington Post, and co-hosts coverage on Justice Served TV. She brings decades of legal expertise to the public discourse on justice and ethics in the courtroom.

Listeners can learn more about Linda Kenney Baden at her website, on X @KenneyBaden

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
• (1:15) Sheryl welcomes guest, and former prosecutor Kinda Kenney Baden to Zone 7
• (2:00) Discussion on case coverage and high-profile trials
• (3:30) Analyzing the evidence and prosecution's strategy
• (6:30) Ethical concerns and prosecution tactics
• (13:15) “ I looked at what they did in the first trial, but I was stunned by what they didn't do.” - Sheryl McCollum
• (13:45) Glass evidence and shards that don’t match
• (15:00) Crime scene failures and inconsistencies
• (18:30)  ”As somebody that's been in this business for 42 years, I have never in my life seen a homicide case with a lead detective that didn't go to the scene, doesn't have chain of custody, has a confession that nobody bothered to write down, has glass they can't explain, has an injury they can't explain, has a tail light busted they can't explain.” - Sheryl McCollum
• (19:00) Ethics of prosecutors
• (23:00) Battle of the experts
• (23:30) The Sandra Birchmore case
• (27:00) The Proctor factor - bias and controversy
• (30:30) Hypotheticals and jury considerations
• (36:00) Trial two predictions and new expert strategy
• (40:00) Trial round two - what to expect
• (44:30)  ”40% of homicides go unsolved. You know, that's not a very good record. And also, 95% of convictions come from plea bargains, which is often coerced. It's like we have the worst of both worlds. We don't convict the guilty enough and we coerce the innocent too much.” -Bill Maher
• Thanks for listening to another episode! If you’re loving the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to Itunes and leave a rating and review!

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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.

Social Links:

• Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Nancy and Sheryl discuss the Kohberger case.

Nancy, never short on passion, dives into the Idaho case against Bryan Kohberger, unpacking the disturbing implications of his now-infamous bathroom selfie.

The duo break down the legal strategies around key evidence such as the shower curtain, text messages, and the 911 call, and explains how something as minor as courtroom attire could affect a trial’s outcome.

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome! Nancy and Sheryl introduce this week’s crime roundup
• (0:35) Crime camp experience
• (3:00) Gatorland
• (6:30) Kohberger's selfie - red flags and legal implications
• (11:00) Eyewitness details
• (13:00) Frantic texts and the timeline of fear
• (15:00) Nancy explains legal nuances - hearsay, sequestration, and the jury
• (22:00) “ I wrote nearly every one of my own appeals, because I didn't trust anybody else to care as much as I cared about holding that conviction.”
• (0:00)

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Nancy Grace is an outspoken, tireless advocate for victims’ rights and one of television's most respected legal analysts. Nancy Grace had a perfect conviction record during her decade as a prosecutor. She is the founder and publisher of CrimeOnline.com, a crime- fighting digital platform that investigates breaking crime news, spreads awareness of missing people and shines a light on cold cases.

In addition, Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, a daily show hosted by Grace, airs on SIRIUS XM’s Triumph Channel 111 and is downloadable as a podcast on all audio platforms - https://www.crimeonline.com/

Connect with Nancy:

X: @nancygrace

Instagram: @thenancygrace

Facebook: @nancygrace

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice.

Connect with Sheryl:

Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

X: @ColdCaseTips

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, is joined by Alvin Williams and Francel Evans of the Affirmative Murder Podcast to revisit Sharon Miller’s cold case. Together, they discuss the eerie details of Sharon’s final hours, including a chilling phone call, a mysterious group of men, and a crime so calculated it suggests ties to organized crime or underground activities. The trio also piece together potential motives, overlooked evidence, and theories that could finally bring justice to Sharon’s son, Charles, who has spent decades searching for answers.

On April 28, 1982, Sharon Miller's badly decomposed body was found covered under debris in a secluded area off of Powder Mill Road in Woodlawn, Baltimore County on Januafry 14,1983. Detectives noted that Miller's hands and feet were missing from her body.

Baltimore County Police are urging anyone with details or rumors about the case to come forward. Report tips anonymously through Metro Crime Stoppers or the Baltimore County Police Department’s platforms, including by calling 410-887-3943 or submitting a tip online.

Guest Bio and Links:

Alvin Williams and Francel Evans are the dynamic hosts of the Affirmative Murder Podcast, a true crime and comedy show that sheds light on cases from marginalized communities. With a unique blend of humor, investigative curiosity, and compelling storytelling, they bring fresh perspectives to overlooked and forgotten cases.

Listeners can learn more about Alvin and Francel on their podcast, and on IG @affirmativemurderpod

Resources about Sharon Miller:

Unsolved Homicides: Sharon Miller | Baltimore County Police Department

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
• (1:00) Sheryl introduces  Alvin Williams and Francelle Evans from Affirmative Murder Podcast to Zone 7
• (2:00) “Mac, Mac, Mac, it's a pleasure to be here. I can’t quite put it into words, but every time I talk to you, it feels like a short stack of griddle cakes with a side of the best grits you’ve ever had -  And it makes me so warm and happy.”
• (3:00) The last 24 of Sharon Miller
• (4:00) The chilling phone call the night before Sharon Miller disappeared
• (7:15) The day Sharon went missing
• (10:45) Speculations and theories
• (18:30) The significance of dismemberment - what it tells us about the killer
• (24:00) Theories & speculations - drug connections, intimidation, or personal vendetta
• (30:00) Cause of death is still unknown
• (32:00) Solving the case after 40 years
• (36:30) “If one really wishes to know how justice is administered. One does not question the police, the lawyers, the judges, or the protected class, one goes to the unprotected and listens to their testimony.” -James Baldwin
• Thanks for listening to another episode! If you’re loving the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to Itunes and leave a rating and review!

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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.

Social Links:

• Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On September 15, 2007, investigators responded to a call reporting a body had been found in a secluded area on Hoitt Avenue near Boone Street. When they arrived, they found 24-year-old Jennifer Leeann Law’s body partially burned in an alley. Jennifer was also known as Leeann and Pocahontas on the streets in Knoxville, TN.

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, talks with Ciera Law, the daughter of Jennifer ‘Leenne’ Law aka  Pocahontas, whose tragic and unresolved murder has left lingering questions for 18 years. Ciera recounts the devastating impact of losing her mother and the frustrating pursuit of truth, chilling details emerge - drug ties, a mysterious boyfriend, and overlooked evidence, and a drug dealer named ‘Black’.

Ciera is asking anyone that knows any information to come forward to the Knoxville Police Department at 865-215-7317.

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
• (0:15) Sheryl gives a brief background of Jennifer LeeAnn Law’s case
• (2:00) The night before the murder
• (2:30) Jennifer's addiction and criminal background
• (3:15) Potential suspects and leads
• (8:30) Details of the crime scene
• (11:15) “ I'm one of those people, everything matters. Until you know why it doesn't.”
• (14:30) Resources for potential sex workers to safely give information
• (16:00) Law enforcement’s investigation - missteps and delays
• (23:00) Final thoughts - Ciera’s unwavering fight for justice
• (24:30)  ”Murderers are not monsters. They're men, and that's the most frightening part about them.” -Alice Sebold
• Thanks for listening to another episode! If you’re loving the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to Itunes and leave a rating and review!

---

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.

Social Links:

• Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Nancy Grace and Sheryl McCollum dive straight into a controversial topic by discussing Casey Anthony's a.k.a “tot mom” recent claim of being a victim's advocate.

Nancy Grace passionately recounts the details of three-year-old Caylee Anthony's murder and criticizes Casey Anthony’s post-trial actions. Secondly, Nancy gives updates on the Kohberger case, addressing legal objections, DNA evidence, and defense strategies.

Nancy and Sheryl explain the implications of DNA found under Maddie Mogen’s fingernails and discuss the impact on the investigation.

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome! Nancy and Sheryl introduce this week’s crime roundup
• (0:10) Sherly opens up CRU with news regarding the latest on Casey Anthony
• (3:00) Latest move on Casey Anthony - money grab
• (7:20) “It ain’t slander if it’s true.”
• (9:00) Bryan Kohberger DNA analysis
• (12:00) Understanding DNA degradation in criminal cases
• (22:00) Kohbergers defense to try and exclude evidence and avoid death penalty
• (25:00) Closing thoughts

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Nancy Grace is an outspoken, tireless advocate for victims’ rights and one of television's most respected legal analysts. Nancy Grace had a perfect conviction record during her decade as a prosecutor. She is the founder and publisher of CrimeOnline.com, a crime- fighting digital platform that investigates breaking crime news, spreads awareness of missing people and shines a light on cold cases.

In addition, Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, a daily show hosted by Grace, airs on SIRIUS XM’s Triumph Channel 111 and is downloadable as a podcast on all audio platforms - https://www.crimeonline.com/

Connect with Nancy:

X: @nancygrace

Instagram: @thenancygrace

Facebook: @nancygrace

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice.

Connect with Sheryl:

Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

X: @ColdCaseTips

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.