Colt Gray is a 14-year-old student who is the suspect in the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia on September 4, 2024.

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, talks with is joined by Jack Fox, a former media professional turned statement analysis expert, to dissect the language used by a 14-year-old involved in a tragic school shooting in Georgia. Together, they explore the nuances of verbal cues and language that could signal deception, as Jack shares insights into how words can reveal hidden truths. 

Jack Fox is a seasoned statement analysis expert with a background in media. Having transitioned from shaping narratives to unraveling them, Jack has worked with law enforcement, private investigators, and professionals across various industries. He has developed a comprehensive system for analyzing language and identifying deception, which he shares on his channel, Never a Truer Word.

Listeners can learn more about Jack Fox at his website, and on X @truer_word

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum  
• (1:20) Sheryl introduces Jack Fox to Zone 7
• (2:45) Case Study - Colt Gray's School Shooting Incident
• (6:00) Analyzing Colt Gray's Statements
• (7:40) Indicators of Deception in Colt's Words
• (12:00) The Complexity of Lying and Statement Analysis
• (23:30) Detecting Deception in Words
• (24:45) Analysis shifts to Colt’s father, Colin, and his responses
• (31:00) Colin's Relationship with Law Enforcement
• (32:00) Colt's Access to Guns
• (38:00) The Importance of Taking Threats Seriously
• (42:00) “Order is important. Often revealing priority.” -P.H
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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. Sheryl 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 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.  

Social Links:

• Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram: @officialzone7podcast