Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum

In this week’s episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum talks with retired FBI special agent Jodene Weber about the parallels in their careers and the many times their paths nearly crossed before they officially met. Jodene reflects on the cases that shaped her years in the FBI, from piecing together the timeline of the Olympic Park bombing through crowd photographs to processing debris at the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks. She shares what investigations of that scale demand from the people working them, and why citizen tips, careful documentation, and keen observation can make all the difference in solving a case.

References & Further Reading:
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede
The Bald-Faced Deception by Jodene Weber
Come From Away

Highlights:
(0:00) Sheryl McCollum welcomes Jodene Weber to Zone 7, and traces the overlaps in their careers
(2:45) How Nancy Drew, Patricia Cornwell, and a love of reading shaped Jodene’s investigative instincts
(4:45) Why strong writing and careful documentation can make or break a case
(8:30) Jodene’s journalism career and FBI recruitment story
(11:45) Jodene recalls joining the Olympic Park bombing investigation
(13:00) How investigators used crowd photos and the Olympic broadcast screen to build a timeline of events
(15:00) NASA image enhancement, suspect details, and the Birmingham bombing tip that helped investigators identify Eric Rudolph
(20:00) Citizen tips, false leads, and the kind of public memory that could help solve the Nancy Guthrie case
(24:00) Sheryl recalls her sister’s diverted flight to Gander, Newfoundland, and the kindness shown to stranded passengers after 9/11
(27:30) Inside the Pentagon response: fire, debris, remains, and aircraft evidence, and the emotional weight at the scene
(33:30) Jodene describes the long shifts and the exhausting rhythm of sorting through the 9/11 aftermath
(35:15) The generosity shown after 9/11 in Gander and by the volunteers who supported recovery teams
(39:30) Ongoing health issues tied to 9/11 exposure and Sheryl’s closing quote

Guest Bio:
Jodene Weber is a retired FBI agent, former journalist, author, and podcast host whose work brings together investigative experience and clear storytelling. She is the author of The Bald-Faced Deception and hosts the true crime podcast Caught In My Web.

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.

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, 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: [email protected]
X: @ColdCaseTips
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum

Preorder Sheryl’s upcoming book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer’s Daughter, releasing May 12, 2026.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes Julie Grant for a special Legend Series conversation about her path from journalism to the courtroom and the commitment to justice that drives her today. As a former prosecutor and Court TV host, Julie discusses her advocacy for domestic violence survivors, explaining how systemic failures, including those seen in the Gabby Petito case, leave victims vulnerable. She also shares her philosophy on justice-centered prosecution, arguing that being a “minister of justice” requires the discernment to hold dangerous predators accountable while offering grace and second chances to those who have simply lost their way.

Highlights:
(0:00) Sheryl McCollum welcomes Julie Grant to Zone 7 and reflects on her impact in true crime media
(2:15) Julie’s background in prosecution, legal journalism, teaching, and victims’ rights advocacy
(9:45) The balance between journalism and law, and the path that took Julie from the newsroom to law school
(13:15) What public service taught Julie about prosecution, law enforcement, and the pursuit of justice
(15:30) The domestic violence cases that stayed with Julie most, her advocacy work, and the realities survivors face after they leave
(22:15) How safety planning can protect victims at the most dangerous point in an abusive relationship
(23:45) The Gabby Petito case, missed warning signs, and the failures that stand out
(25:45) Julie’s philosophy of prosecution, second chances, and why justice is not the same as winning
(29:45) A tragic Georgia case and what it reveals about intent, accountability, and prosecutorial discretion
(32:00) Why future prosecutors need empathy, perspective, and a case-by-case view of justice

Guest Bio:
Julie Grant is a former prosecutor, Court TV host, legal journalist, and law professor at Emory Law School. She has long been an advocate for victims’ rights, including domestic violence prevention, and also serves on the faculty of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy
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.

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, 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: [email protected]
Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
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 12, 2026.
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum talks with forensic DNA expert Suzanna Ryan about how powerful DNA evidence can be and why it is so often misunderstood. They discuss how DNA is analyzed, how touch DNA and mixtures can complicate a case, and how newer tools like genetic genealogy and next-generation sequencing are changing the field. Using the Nancy Guthrie case as an example, Suzanna and Sheryl also explain how private forensic labs can support complex investigations, where their role differs from the FBI, and how CODIS limitations can shape the process.

Highlights:
(0:00) Sheryl McCollum welcomes Suzanna Ryan to Zone 7
(2:30) The four basic steps of DNA analysis and how evidence is processed in the lab
(3:45) The Nancy Guthrie case, private lab testing, and why sending evidence outside the FBI is not a red flag
(7:45) What cell-free DNA is, why the term “touch DNA” can be misleading, and how secondary transfer works
(9:45) DNA mixtures and how multiple contributors can be found on a single piece of evidence
(14:00) Why clothing evidence should always be collected and packaged separately
(15:45) How long seminal fluid can remain detectable and when Y-STR testing becomes useful
(21:00) Why private labs cannot directly access CODIS, how that creates bottlenecks, and legislative changes in the works
(27:30) Genetic genealogy, CODIS, and familial searching
(30:15) The future of DNA analysis, including next-generation sequencing and emerging forensic tools

Guest Bio:
Suzanna Ryan is a forensic serologist and DNA analyst with more than two decades of experience in DNA casework, technical review, and forensic consulting. She is the laboratory director of Pure Gold Forensics and has worked in both private and public forensic laboratories throughout her career. Suzanna has been qualified and testified as an expert in forensic serology and DNA analysis more than 140 times.

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.

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, 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: [email protected]
Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
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 12, 2026.
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s episode of "Zone 7," Sheryl McCollum talks with author and investigative reporter Casey Sherman about the murder of his aunt, Mary Sullivan, long believed to be the final victim of the Boston Strangler, and the lasting impact her murder had on his family.
Casey explains why his family has long questioned the official story, pointing to evidence that, in his view, complicates what many people think they know about the case.
Their conversation touches on DNA analysis, missing confession tapes, and alternate suspects that Casey believes raise serious questions about Albert DeSalvo’s role in the murders.
Guest Bio
Casey Sherman is a New York Times bestselling-author and investigative reporter known for revisiting major crimes and historic tragedies.
He is the author of "A Rose for Mary," which examines the murder of his aunt, Mary Sullivan, and the lingering questions surrounding the Boston Strangler case.
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 case include, in part, The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, and Tupac Shakur. McCollum’s 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
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.
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.

Highlights:
(0:00) Sheryl McCollum opens with the DNA dispute at the center of the Boston Strangler case
(1:30) Sheryl welcomes Casey Sherman and explains why his work has changed how she views the case
(7:15) Casey explains how Mary Sullivan’s murder shaped his family for generations and why his mother never accepted the official story
(9:15) The missing confession tapes and the details that convinced Casey the official story didn’t hold up
(11:30) Missing evidence, stolen case materials, and the long-term damage they can do to a major investigation
(14:00) The DNA evidence Case says pointed to a prime suspect from 1964 and how that lead eventually took him to a golf course in northern New England
(16:30) Why Casey believes the Boston Strangler case was not the work of one man and that similar killings stretched across multiple states
(19:30) How sensational crime coverage in the 1960s may have helped shape false confessions
(21:15) Casey’s theory that George Nassar may have helped feed DeSalvo information and why DeSalvo was never charged with the murders he confessed to
(24:15) Casey on the pressure surrounding the case and why he believes too many important questions are still unanswered
(27:45) F. Lee Bailey’s role in the case and the unlikely friendship that followed years later
(31:30) The importance of revisiting evidence and challenging the accepted story


See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.