This week marks a powerful shift on Crime Roundup as Emmy-winning CSI Sheryl “Mac” McCollum welcomes her new cohost: legal heavyweight and courtroom force Joshua Schiffer. In this episode, Sheryl and Joshua unpack the sentencing of Bryan Kohberger, the man behind one of the most gut-wrenching mass murders in recent memory.

Through the lens of law, justice, and most of all, parenthood, they reflect on the strength of the victims' families, the purpose of the court system, and the brutal reality of maximum-security prison. They also examine the legal mechanics behind the plea deal that spared Kohberger the death penalty, the boldness of the Chapin family’s absence, and the lasting impact of survivor statements.

With heart, grit, and powerful legal insight, Sheryl and Joshua hold nothing back in honoring the victims—Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin—and challenging listeners to choose light in the darkest of stories.

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome to the “Schiffa Zone” – Sheryl introduces new cohost Joshua Schiffer
• (1:00) Kohberger’s sentencing through the eyes of parents and legal pros
• (2:30) “Our system hasn’t worked better... We received justice that was fulsome and appropriate.” —Joshua on justice done right
• (4:00) Grief, guilt, and impact: survivor and family statements that shook the courtroom
• (12:30) A look inside maximum-security prison: no peace, no control
• (15:00) “The warden don’t run that place”—violence, silence, and punishment
• (18:00) Justice over vengeance: why the plea deal was the right call
• (23:45) Why the Chapin family’s absence may have been the most powerful message
• (24:15) Final reflections: the power of memory, and the choice to look up

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About the Hosts

Joshua Schiffer is a veteran trial attorney and one of the Southeast’s most respected legal voices. He is a founding partner at ChancoSchiffer P.C., where he has litigated high-stakes criminal, civil rights, and personal injury cases for over two decades. Known for his bold courtroom presence and ability to clearly explain complex legal issues, Schiffer is a frequent media contributor and fearless advocate for accountability.

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. 

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Crime Roundup on your favorite podcast platform and leave a review to help others find the show. Have a case you’d like Sheryl and Joshua to cover? Email coldcase2004@gmail.com, or connect with the hosts on social media:

Sheryl on X at  @ColdCaseTips or Facebook at @sheryl.mccollum

Joshua on X at and Instagram at @lawyerschiff