In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum dives deep into the instrumental role civilians play in solving crimes.
She opens by examining the famous case of the Zodiac Cipher and segues into the tragic cold case of Ernestine Andridge. Sheryl introduces the powerful community of WebSleuths, headed by Tricia Griffith, which has changed the face of online crime investigation.
Griffith shares how WebSleuths has evolved from a small chaotic forum to a well-structured community of over 200,000 members, aiding in investigations of high-profile cases like those of Abraham Shakespeare and Casey Anthony.
The duo then delve into the pros and cons of social media in crime-solving and how online communities are reshaping the landscape of crime investigation.
About the ‘Zone 7’ Host
Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, a forensic and crime scene expert for “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace,” and a CSI for a metro-area Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook, “Cold Case: Pathways to Justice.”
McCollum 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. They come 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.
You can connect and learn more about McCollum’s work by visiting the CCIRI website https://coldcasecrimes.org
Social Links:
- Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
- Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
- Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
