Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum

The Search Warrant That Led Investigators to 16 Children | Angenette Levy

While executing an unrelated search warrant, law enforcement discovered 16 children in an isolated Ohio home, ranging in age from 18-month-old twins to an 18-year-old. Parents Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders face neglect allegations, while Gary Jr. has also been charged with misdemeanor counts of public indecency. All 16 children were taken to the hospital for evaluation after being removed from the home, with several requiring additional treatment. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum talks with Law&Crime correspondent Angenette Levy about the case. Angenette describes the deplorable living conditions inside the home, what school and truancy records reveal about the children’s years away from the classroom, and the medical treatment some required after being removed from the home. She and Sheryl also look at how an entire family could seemingly disappear from public view and what is known about how the household was being supported financially. Angenette closes the episode with a remarkable story of the day she was assigned to cover an active Amber Alert and ended up finding the missing toddler at the center of it. Highlights: (0:00) Sheryl introduces Angenette Levy and explains why she turned to her for the latest on the Ohio case (3:00) Authorities execute a sealed search warrant and unexpectedly find 16 children inside the Ohio home (5:30) What is known about the public indecency charges against Gary Siders Jr. and what remains unclear (8:30) School and truancy records raise questions about the children’s years away from the classroom (12:30) A neighbor recalls seeing children run toward the house and later came to believe the property was vacant (15:00) Reports about the conditions inside the home (17:15) Angenette looks at public benefits, a local diaper bank, and questions how the household was being supported (20:00) The role schools and mandated reporters can play in identifying children at risk (22:45) The children’s medical treatment after being removed from the home (26:00) Angenette shares how she found a missing toddler while covering an Amber Alert (33:00) Where the children are now and the additional support provided through therapeutic foster care 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. --- Angenette Levy is a correspondent and host with Law&Crime Network. She has covered major trials, including Steven Avery, Kyle Rittenhouse, and Derek Chauvin, and was Emmy-nominated in 2015 for a story in which she helped find a missing toddler during an active Amber Alert. 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.

Trafficked at 14 by the Dixie Mafia: Tina Dixon’s Survival Story

In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by human trafficking survivor and advocate Tina Dixon, who ran away as a young teenager before being trafficked through the Dixie Mafia’s network of brothels and organized prostitution across the South. Together, they discuss the grooming, manipulation, violence, and addiction traffickers use to control their victims and how organized trafficking operations adapt to changing technology as recruitment expands through social media and other online platforms. Tina also explains what finally helped her break free after decades of exploitation and why she has made it her mission to help others escape trafficking and rebuild their lives. Highlights: (0:00) Sheryl explains the Dixie Mafia’s ties to human trafficking and the importance of understanding victimology in investigations (2:00) Why investigators distinguish between different forms of commercial sexual exploitation and how those differences shape an investigation (3:45) Tina runs away at 14, arrives on Bourbon Street, and becomes involved with an outlaw motorcycle club (8:30) The differences between a “Cassanova pimp” and a “gorilla pimp” and how traffickers use manipulation before violence (10:15) Inside Louisiana's prostitution “circuit” of roadside bars, gambling rooms, and brothels hidden throughout the bayous (11:45) How traffickers groom children online using social media, emotional manipulation, and false promises (15:00) Childhood abuse, addiction, and the vulnerabilities traffickers intentionally exploit (17:15) Inside a rural brothel: how victims are trained, controlled, and punished (23:15) Why traffickers profit while victims are left with addiction, trauma, and nothing to show for years of exploitation (24:15) How online predators continue using the same grooming tactics to recruit children today (26:45) The confrontation that led to Tina being shot twice (30:00) Why Destiny House, Hookers for Jesus, and EMDR finally succeeded after 17 rehab attempts 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. --- Tina Dixon is the founder and executive director of Queens Arise, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping survivors of human trafficking build independent futures through education, career training, mentorship, and long-term recovery support. After surviving decades of trafficking herself, Tina now helps survivors create lasting stability while advocating for survivor-led solutions. Learn more about Tina and sign up for updates on her upcoming memoir, Going to the Country: https://queensarise.org/tina-dixon/ 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.

The Nancy Guthrie Ransom Note: Real Evidence or a Cruel Hoax?

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. --- 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.

Why Medical Examiners Can’t Rush to Conclusions | Nolan Wells Case with Dr. Priya Banerjee

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. --- 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.

Brad Beeler | The Art of Interrogation and Building Trust

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. --- 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.