It starts with a single message: “I’ve been taken.” Within minutes, panic spreads, officers mobilize, and fear grips an entire community. But what if the whole thing is a lie? In this week's episode of Crime Roundup, Sheryl McCollum and Joshua Schiffer explore the rise of modern hoaxes, from a Florida teen’s fake abduction to the mysterious disappearance of a Cobb County dentist. They expose how a single false story can spiral into chaos and change the lives of everyone it touches.

 

Highlights:
(0:00) Welcome to Crime Roundup with Sheryl McCollum and Joshua Schiffer
(2:00) A 17-year-old's fake kidnapping text, Susan Smith’s lies, and other infamous hoaxes
(6:00) False reports and how they create first responder fatigue
(7:30) Scene vs. Story: vague details, missing specifics, and suspicious Walmart purchases
(11:15) The cost of hoaxes: mobilizing resources and fueling fear
(14:15) Philadelphia's missing person case and signs of authentic urgency
(15:15) Cobb County's missing dentist: social media’s role, cascading lies, and loved one’s involvement
(23:00) Sheryl McCollum: “A lie is as good as a confession.”
(23:45) Parental instincts vs. Truth: the Landry family’s heartbreak
(25:30) Joshua Schiffer: “All lies are burdens. They are rocks in your pockets.”
(29:00) Instincts during real emergencies: how victims respond under threat
(32:15) Closing reflections

 

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 a fearless advocate for accountability.

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 co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. She is the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a national collaboration that advances techniques for solving cold cases and assists families and law enforcement with unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnappings.

 

🎧 Want more from Sheryl?

Catch her every week on the Zone 7 podcast, where she hosts the main series on Wednesdays, Pathology with Dr. Priya on Mondays, and Crime Roundup each Friday alongside Joshua Schiffer.

 

📢 Stay Connected

Subscribe using your favorite podcast platform and leave a review to support the show. Have a case or topic you’d like Sheryl and Joshua to cover?

 Email coldcase2004@gmail.com

 

Follow the Hosts:
Sheryl on X: @ColdCaseTips
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Joshua on X and Instagram: @lawyerschiff

It starts with a single message: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been taken.&rdquo; Within minutes, panic spreads, officers mobilize, and fear grips an entire community. But what if the whole thing is a lie? In this week's episode of Crime Roundup, Sheryl McCollum and Joshua Schiffer explore the rise of modern hoaxes, from a Florida teen&rsquo;s fake abduction to the mysterious disappearance of a Cobb County dentist. They expose how a single false story can spiral into chaos and change the lives of everyone it touches.
&nbsp;
Highlights:
<ul>
<li>(0:00) Welcome to Crime Roundup with Sheryl McCollum and Joshua Schiffer</li>
<li>(2:00) A 17-year-old's fake kidnapping text, Susan Smith&rsquo;s lies, and other infamous hoaxes</li>
<li>(6:00) False reports and how they create first responder fatigue</li>
<li>(7:30) Scene vs. Story: vague details, missing specifics, and suspicious Walmart purchases</li>
<li>(11:15) The cost of hoaxes: mobilizing resources and fueling fear</li>
<li>(14:15) Philadelphia's missing person case and signs of authentic urgency</li>
<li>(15:15) Cobb County's missing dentist: social media&rsquo;s role, cascading lies, and loved one&rsquo;s involvement</li>
<li>(23:00) Sheryl McCollum: &ldquo;A lie is as good as a confession.&rdquo;</li>
<li>(23:45) Parental instincts vs. Truth: the Landry family&rsquo;s heartbreak</li>
<li>(25:30) Joshua Schiffer: &ldquo;All lies are burdens. They are rocks in your pockets.&rdquo;</li>
<li>(29:00) Instincts during real emergencies: how victims respond under threat</li>
<li>(32:15) Closing reflections</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
About the Hosts
Joshua Schiffer is a veteran trial attorney and one of the Southeast&rsquo;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 a fearless advocate for accountability.
Sheryl &ldquo;Mac&rdquo; McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, a forensic and crime scene expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. She is the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a national collaboration that advances techniques for solving cold cases and assists families and law enforcement with unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnappings.
&nbsp;
🎧 Want more from Sheryl?
Catch her every week on the Zone 7 podcast, where she hosts the main series on Wednesdays, Pathology with Dr. Priya on Mondays, and Crime Roundup each Friday alongside Joshua Schiffer.
&nbsp;
📢 Stay Connected
Subscribe using your favorite podcast platform and leave a review to support the show. Have a case or topic you&rsquo;d like Sheryl and Joshua to cover?
&nbsp;Email <a href="mailto:coldcase2004@gmail.com">coldcase2004@gmail.com</a>
&nbsp;
Follow the Hosts:
<ul>
<li>Sheryl on X: <a href="https://x.com/ColdCaseTips">@ColdCaseTips</a></li>
<li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sheryl.mccollum/">@sheryl.mccollum</a></li>
<li>Joshua on X and Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lawyerschiff/">@lawyerschiff</a></li>
</ul>

Work a cold case alongside investigator Sheryl “Mac” McCollum, Director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute. Every week, Sheryl dives into her cold case files alongside accomplished guests to look for clues into unsolved murders, missing people, and more. This ain’t just a podcast but a war room. Sheryl opens her cold case files, her heart and her little black book! You will quickly realize Zone 7 is not a place but a lifestyle!

Work a cold case alongside investigator Sheryl “Mac” McCollum, Director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute. Every week, Sheryl dives into her cold case files alongside accomplished guests to look for clues into unsolved murders, missing people, and more. This ain’t just a podcast but a war room. Sheryl opens her cold case files, her heart and her little black book! You will quickly realize Zone 7 is not a place but a lifestyle!

Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum

Hoax Kidnapping Sparks Chaos: What Really Happened in Florida

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/850d5aba-279f-4699-9cd7-b37d00e9376d/transcript