Three-year-old Dylan Ehler vanished from his grandmother’s backyard on May 6, 2020.  His grandmother says she turned her back for a few seconds to deal with the family dog. When she turned back around, Dylan was gone. 

Dylan’s rubber boots were discovered six hours after his disappearance, submerged in a creek nearby. Despite a six-day official search and hundreds of volunteer searchers, that's the only evidence found. 

The family, in the meantime, began receiving ransom demands. A photoshopped photo of Dylan looking beaten and bruised was sent with a demand for money. Others followed.  

Joining Nancy Grace Today:
Jason Ehler - Victim's Father 
Ashley Brown - Victim's Mother 
James Shelnutt - 27 years Atlanta Metro Area Major Case Detective, Former S.W.A.T. officer, Attorney, The Shelnutt Law Firm, P.C., www.ShelnuttLawFirm.com, Twitter: @ShelnuttLawFirm
Caryn Stark - NYC Psychologist, www.carynstark.com, Twitter: @carynpsych, Facebook: "Caryn Stark" 

Irv Brandt - Former US Marshals Service International Investigations Branch, Author: "FLYING SOLO: Top of the World" available on Amazon www.irvbrandt.com @JackSoloAuthor
Dave Mack - Crime Online Investigative Journalist

Three-year-old Dylan Ehler vanished from his grandmother&rsquo;s backyard on May 6, 2020.&nbsp; His grandmother says she turned her back for a few seconds to deal with the family dog. When she turned back around, Dylan was gone.&nbsp;
Dylan&rsquo;s rubber boots were discovered six hours after his disappearance, submerged in a creek nearby. Despite a six-day official search and hundreds of volunteer searchers, that's the only evidence found.&nbsp;
The family, in the meantime, began receiving ransom demands. A photoshopped photo of Dylan looking beaten and bruised was sent with a demand for money. Others followed.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Joining Nancy Grace Today:
<ul>
<li>Jason Ehler - Victim's Father&nbsp; Ashley Brown - Victim's Mother&nbsp;</li>
<li>James Shelnutt - 27 years Atlanta Metro Area Major Case Detective, Former S.W.A.T. officer, Attorney, The Shelnutt Law Firm, P.C., www.ShelnuttLawFirm.com, Twitter: @ShelnuttLawFirm</li>
<li>Caryn Stark - NYC Psychologist, www.carynstark.com, Twitter: @carynpsych, Facebook: "Caryn Stark"&nbsp; </li>
<li>Irv Brandt - Former US Marshals Service International Investigations Branch, Author: "FLYING SOLO: Top of the World" available on Amazon www.irvbrandt.com @JackSoloAuthor</li>
<li>Dave Mack - Crime Online Investigative Journalist</li>
</ul>

Nancy Grace dives deep into the day’s most shocking crimes and asks the tough questions in her new daily podcast – Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Nancy Grace had a perfect conviction record during her decade as a prosecutor and used her TV show to find missing people, fugitives on the run and unseen clues. Now, she will use the power of her huge social media following and the immediacy of the internet to deliver daily bombshells!

Theme Music: Audio Network

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Nancy Grace dives deep into the day’s most shocking crimes and asks the tough questions in her new daily podcast – Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Nancy Grace had a perfect conviction record during her decade as a prosecutor and used her TV show to find missing people, fugitives on the run and unseen clues. Now, she will use the power of her huge social media following and the immediacy of the internet to deliver daily bombshells!

Theme Music: Audio Network

3-year-old Dylan Ehler Missing From Grandma's,  Boots Found in Nearby Waterway

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9637d565-36c7-4229-8eae-ae97011999cd/transcript

Nancy Guthrie update: The search has now entered its third week, as the FBI reports that a recovered glove seems to correspond with those seen on the suspect in the doorbell camera footage.

Nancy Guthrie update: The search has now entered its third week, as the FBI reports that a recovered glove seems to correspond with those seen on the suspect in the doorbell camera footage.

Savannah Guthrie’s Tearful Plea to Her Mother’s Kidnappers: “It’s Never Too Late to Do the Right Thing” | Crime Alert 6AM 02.16.26

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/711df3ae-0f25-41a0-93e7-b3f300b4cf5e/transcript

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: coldcase2004@gmail.com

• 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

 

Human trafficking investigations rarely look like abduction stories, and the biggest failures often&nbsp;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&nbsp;Hall of Fame inductee. Together, they clarify what trafficking looks like in the United States,&nbsp;explain why prosecutors and victim advocates belong in the earliest stages of an investigation,&nbsp;and challenge the language and assumptions that can derail a case. Sheryl and Maurice&nbsp;emphasize a victim-first standard: when a child is being bought and sold, the work begins with&nbsp;protection and recovery. 
Highlights:
&bull; (0:00) Sheryl McCollum introduces Maurice Edwards and his career in missing-child and&nbsp;child sex trafficking investigations
&bull; (2:15) Maurice&rsquo;s current role supporting child sex trafficking investigations at the National&nbsp;Center for Missing and Exploited Children
&bull; (3:45) What drew Maurice to trafficking work through missing-child cases and pattern&nbsp;recognition
&bull; (6:45) The first trafficking case, first convictions, and the task force model that followed
&bull; (9:00) Why prosecutors must be embedded early to build cases that survive court
&bull; (11:00) Legal precision at the scene, and why Sheryl insists a teamwork mindset makes&nbsp;cases stronger
&bull; (13:45) Misconceptions that derail trafficking cases and why language shapes how&nbsp; victims are treated
&bull; (18:45) The cases that stay with Maurice: child deaths, coercion, and forced substance&nbsp;abuse tied to exploitation
&bull; (21:25) Carrying the work home: Maurice on emotional boundaries and staying steady in&nbsp;child sex-crime investigations
&bull; (28:30) Technology&rsquo;s role in trafficking and the investigative reality of criminals adapting&nbsp;to new tools
&bull; (32:15) Practical ways the public can support prevention and a victim-first response
&bull; (33:15) The comparison that exposes the double standard in how minors are treated in&nbsp;commercial sex settings
&bull; (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&nbsp;and missing and endangered child recoveries. He is currently a supervisor with the Child Sex&nbsp;Trafficking Team at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, supporting agencies&nbsp;with analytical support, operational planning, training, and investigative awareness. He has&nbsp;received multiple professional honors, including the Polaris Star Award, Florida Intelligence Law&nbsp;Enforcement Officer of the Year, the Frederick Douglass Human Trafficking Award, and 2023&nbsp;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&nbsp;others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire. 
Sheryl &ldquo;Mac&rdquo; 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&nbsp;with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than 4 decades of experience, she has&nbsp;worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which&nbsp;integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing. Her work on high-profile cases,&nbsp;including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore&rsquo;s Ford Bridge&nbsp;lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law&nbsp;Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023. 
Social Links:
&bull; Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
&bull; Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
&bull; Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
&bull; Instagram: @officialzone7podcast 
Preorder Sheryl&rsquo;s upcoming book, Swans Don&rsquo;t Swim in a Sewer: Lessons in Life, Justice, and Joy from a Forensic Scientist, releasing May 2026 from Simon and Schuster.
<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824">https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-</a><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824">McCollum/9798895652824</a>
&nbsp;

Zone 7 Hall of Fame! Maurice Edwards on Fighting Human Trafficking: The Victim-First Approach

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6ef53409-d9e3-450e-830f-b3ec00e59494/transcript

A high-stakes tug-o-war over Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has erupted as the search for the 84-y-o enters its 3rd week. The clash comes as new evidence & ransom notes emerge. Jennifer Gould reports.

A high-stakes tug-o-war over Nancy Guthrie&rsquo;s disappearance has erupted as the search for the 84-y-o enters its 3rd week. The clash comes as new evidence &amp; ransom notes emerge. Jennifer Gould reports.

Forensic Friction: AZ Sheriff Blasts ‘FBI Blockade’ Claims as Hunt for Nancy Guthrie Turns Toxic|RIME ALERT HOURLY UPDATE SAT 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5848fd02-a150-428c-a286-b3ec00e468ad/transcript

3-year-old Dylan Ehler Missing From Grandma's, Boots Found in Nearby Waterway

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