Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum

When 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home, investigators were quickly faced with blood evidence and ransom claims that did not align with standard abduction patterns.
In this episode of "Zone 7," Sheryl McCollum, retired NYPD homicide detectives Dan Murphy and Tom Smith, and forensic pathologist Dr. Priya Banerjee assess why blood at the scene, a prolonged presence inside the home, and Nancy’s medical vulnerabilities undermine the ransom narrative.
The panel also examines investigative decisions and evidence handling that may shape accountability.
For those looking to stay informed as the situation develops, additional coverage and updates can be found on "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace."
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.


Guest Bios
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, she served for over a decade as Rhode Island’s state medical examiner and now runs a private forensic pathology practice.
Dan Murphy is a retired NYPD Detective-Sergeant with extensive experience in homicide, major case investigations, and counterterrorism. During his career, he served in units including the Major Case Squad and the FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force. Since retiring from law enforcement, Dan has served as Chief Security officer for U.S. Bancorp, co-authored, "Workplace Safety: Establishing an Effective Violence Prevention Program," and co-hosts the podcast, "Gold Shields."
Tom Smith is a retired NYPD detective and 2024 National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame inductee. Over 30 years of service, he worked in patrol, narcotics, and robbery investigations and spent 17 years working with the FBI/NYPD on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, including an overseas deployment to Afghanistan. Tom co-hosts the podcast "Gold Shields," lectures on criminal justice and terrorism, and provides investigative commentary for national media outlets.
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, 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: @149Zone7
• 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.
Highlights:
• (0:00) Sheryl McCollum welcomes listeners, introduces the Nancy Guthrie case, and brings in Dan Murphy, Tom Smith, and Dr. Priya Banerjee
• (1:30) Savannah Guthrie’s early silence and why not using her platform immediately raised concern
• (2:15) Blood at the scene, smashed cameras, and why this should have been treated as an abduction from the start
• (4:15) Interior crime scenes, early release, and how evidence integrity can be compromised
• (4:45) Dr. Priya Banerjee on age, blood thinners, cardiac disease, and stress-related death
• (7:15) The 41-minute timeline inside the home and why it defies kidnapping patterns
• (8:30) Delayed ransom demands, media involvement, and why the timing doesn’t track
• (12:15) Lights left on inside the house and behavior inconsistent with covert abduction
• (13:30) Bitcoin ransom logic and why mixed-payment demands raise red flags
• (14:15) A robbery-gone-wrong scenario and what happens if the victim recognizes the offenders
• (16:15) Chronic pain, medication dependency, and why prolonged captivity is medically unlikely
• (19:00) Family video statements, proof-of-life questions, and linguistics shifts investigators notice
• (21:00) Reactionary law enforcement activity and repeated returns to the scene
• (24:30) Pacemakers, Apple Watch connectivity, and what technology may still reveal
• (28:30) Leadership optics, media interference, and the impact of active investigations
• (36:45) Reward amounts, chain of custody concerns, and courtroom implications
• (41:30) Final thoughts from the panel on recovery efforts, investigative outlook, accountability, and why Sheryl believes it was never about the money


https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824


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An active investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has left the public with a timeline, a Tesla, and an extensive list of unanswered questions.
In this episode of "Zone 7," Sheryl McCollum is joined by journalist Lauren Conlin to review what has been said publicly about Celeste’s initial classification as a runaway, her connections to older individuals, and why the continued absence of a named person of interest raises concern.
They also turn to the arrest of actor/director Timothy Busfield and discuss what can and cannot be concluded from selective “evidence” releases, how credibility gets weaponized in public, and why child abuse allegations demand careful, methodical evaluation rather than internet verdicts.
Guest Bio
Lauren Conlin is a New York-based journalist covering true crime and high-profile investigations. She contributes reporting to Los Angeles Magazine, hosts investigative podcasts, and appears as a legal and crime commentator on platforms including Court TV, Fox News, and "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace."
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 includes, in part, the Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, 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]
• Twitter: @149zone7
• 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.
Highlights:
• (0:00) Sheryl McCollum opens the episode on the death of Celeste Hernandez and why the case is “driving her crazy”
• (1:30) Lauren Conlin’s case status framing: no official person of interest, grand jury activity, and what “imminent indictment” does and does not mean
• (3:00) Celeste’s runaway classification, age, and how early labels can shape urgency, resources, and risk
• (7:15) Behavior after the discovery: canceled tour, transferred home ownership, legal strategy, and public silence

• (10:00) Publicity economics: spikes in streams/downloads and the reality of scandal- driven attention
• (15:15) Homicide indicator vs. Evidentiary barriers when decomposition complicates cause-of-death determinations
• (17:45) Tesla cameras, event data, and why Sheryl expects a digital trail around movement and access
• (21:45) Why runaway youth are at elevated risk and how dependency becomes leverage for exploitation
• (27:00) Timothy Busfield: prior allegations and the optics of how he presented himself
• (29:15) The alleged history patterns, witness context, and credibility disputes around the parents
• (33:00) “Tickling to me does not absolve you from being a pervert.”
• (36:00) Predatory access: why being near adults does not guarantee safety and how abuse can occur quickly and covertly
• (39:15) Sheryl and Lauren address recantation, selective interview clips, and why child abuse cases require restraint, context, and patience before judgment

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In broad daylight on October 19, 2025, thieves dressed as construction workers targeted the Louvre and vanished with $100 million in royal jewels in about eight minutes.
In this episode of "Zone 7," Sheryl McCollum is joined by former jewel thief Bryan Sobolewski to lay out exactly how a heist like this gets pulled off, what mistakes crews make when the clock is ticking, and why modern forensics can turn a “perfect” job into an evidence trail.
Sobolewski then shares his own history, the losses, and long-term consequences, and why he now speaks publicly to warn others away from choosing a life of crime.
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.
Guest Bio:
Bryan Sobolewski is a former jewel thief who speaks publicly about robbery methods, prevention, and the real-world consequences of criminal conviction. He has appeared on Fox's reality series "The Snake," and on "America's Most Wanted."
Sobolewski is also a comedian and personal trainer, and previously hosted the "Family Jewels" podcast and authored the book "Family Jewels."
About the Host
Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for the 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.
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: @149zone7
• 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.

Highlights:
• (0:00) Sheryl McCollum recounts the Louvre entry point, the freight truck with extended ladder, missing jewels, and why “construction work” is the perfect disguise in a crowded tourist environment
• (2:45) Sheryl brings in former jewel thief Bryan Sobolewski to talk about the heist
• (4:45) The ladder truck problem: sourcing it, driving it, and the traceability thieves cannot erase
• (7:15) The moped getaway and why Paris geography favors two wheels
• (8:15) Uninsured jewels and what security should have anticipated
• (10:00) How fast cases move when the thieves leave obvious evidence behind
• (12:15) Flight attempts, the hired-crew theory, and how the organizer can remain invisible
• (16:15) DNA, fingerprints, and trace evidence
• (19:15) The gear left behind and why serial numbers and rentals make a heist crew traceable
• (24:00) Bryan’s New England backdrop, mob proximity, and “street rules”
• (27:45) Bryan recounts his father and brother dying on the same night and the questions he is left to live with
• (30:15) Why display cases are harder to break than people think, and how reinforced glass slows thieves down
• (40:30) Bryan reflects on the long-term cost of crime, what accountability looks like after prison,



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The LAPD’s most famous cold case, the Black Dahlia, has haunted headlines for generations, and a renewed wave of speculation now argues she was killed by the same person who later called himself the Zodiac.
In this episode of "Zone 7," Sheryl McCollum is joined by forensic pathologist Dr. Priya Banerjee and forensic psychologist Dr. Joni Johnston to put that theory to the test.
They argue Elizabeth Short’s murder reads as intimate and rage-driven, marked by postmortem mutilation and staging, while the Zodiac attacks appear cold and more mission-oriented, closer to an execution than a personal assault.
They also clarify the difference between modus operandi and psychological signature, explain why signatures do not just “cool off” over decades, and urge civilians and investigators alike to test assumptions, scrutinize claims, and bring in smarter minds when the facts demand it.

Guest Bios:
Dr. Priya Banerjee is a board-certified forensic pathologist with extensive experience in death investigation, clinical forensics, and courtroom testimony. A John’s Hopkins graduate, she served for over a decade as Rhode Island’s state medical examiner and now leads a private forensic pathology practice.
Dr. Joni Johnston is a forensic psychologist, private investigator, and crime writer. Her work includes prison and parole settings, court-related forensic services, workplace misconduct investigations, parole evaluations for mentally disordered offenders, and expert testimony in criminal and civil cases.
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, 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:
X: @149Zone7
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
Email: [email protected]
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 frames the Black Dahlia and Zodiac question, and why “same killer” theories require disciplined testing
• (1:15) The Zodiac’s moniker, symbols, and ciphers as behavioral evidence through public messaging
• (2:45) Dr. Joni Johnston on why the Black Dahlia reads as personal, targeted violence rather than opportunistic killing
• (4:15) Modus operandi versus signature behavior, and where true crime narratives often blur the line
• (5:45) Antemortem versus postmortem behavior, and how that distinction changes scene interpretation
• (7:00) Why signature tends to remain stable over time, even when method or opportunity shifts
• (8:00) What autopsy findings and scene details can suggest about intent
• (15:00) Facial carving as humiliation, defacement, and control, and what that suggests about motive
• (18:15) Tattoo removal and insertion framed as symbolic degradation
• (20:15) Escalation narratives and control needs, testing patterns against a “same offender” theory
• (27:00) BTK comparison, and why taunting and offender messaging are not unique identifiers
• (31:45) Timeline gaps and intent differences as evidence against a single-offender theory
• (33:00) Closing quote and final takeaway on evidence, teamwork, and disciplined disagreement


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Human trafficking investigations rarely look like abduction stories, and the biggest failures often start with a single mistake: mislabeling the victim. In this Hall of Fame Series installment of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by Maurice Edwards, a 2023 National Law Enforcement Officer Hall of Fame inductee. Together, they clarify what trafficking looks like in the United States, explain why prosecutors and victim advocates belong in the earliest stages of an investigation, and challenge the language and assumptions that can derail a case. Sheryl and Maurice emphasize a victim-first standard: when a child is being bought and sold, the work begins with protection and recovery.

Highlights:
• (0:00) Sheryl McCollum introduces Maurice Edwards and his career in missing-child and child sex trafficking investigations
• (2:15) Maurice’s current role supporting child sex trafficking investigations at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• (3:45) What drew Maurice to trafficking work through missing-child cases and pattern recognition
• (6:45) The first trafficking case, first convictions, and the task force model that followed
• (9:00) Why prosecutors must be embedded early to build cases that survive court
• (11:00) Legal precision at the scene, and why Sheryl insists a teamwork mindset makes cases stronger
• (13:45) Misconceptions that derail trafficking cases and why language shapes how victims are treated
• (18:45) The cases that stay with Maurice: child deaths, coercion, and forced substance abuse tied to exploitation
• (21:25) Carrying the work home: Maurice on emotional boundaries and staying steady in child sex-crime investigations
• (28:30) Technology’s role in trafficking and the investigative reality of criminals adapting to new tools
• (32:15) Practical ways the public can support prevention and a victim-first response
• (33:15) The comparison that exposes the double standard in how minors are treated in commercial sex settings
• (38:00) Closing reflections on service, humility, and credit not being the goal

Guest Bio:
Maurice Edwards is a law enforcement leader specializing in child sex-trafficking investigations and missing and endangered child recoveries. He is currently a supervisor with the Child Sex Trafficking Team at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, supporting agencies with analytical support, operational planning, training, and investigative awareness. He has received multiple professional honors, including the Polaris Star Award, Florida Intelligence Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, the Frederick Douglass Human Trafficking Award, and 2023 induction into the National Law Enforcement Officer Hall of Fame.

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 2026 from Simon and Schuster.
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.