When a judge declared that Rex Heuermann’s trial would begin after Labor Day “come hell or high water,” the Long Island Serial Killer case entered a decisive new phase. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by journalist Laura Ingle for a boots-on-the-ground update of the Long Island Serial Killer investigation. They examine the sweeping defense omnibus motion, the ongoing fight over DNA evidence, and what prosecutors are expected to file ahead of the March 3 and March 17 court dates. They also analyze the arrest of Andrew Dykes in the 1997 murder of Tanya Jackson, known as “Peaches,” and discuss whether that development introduces meaningful reasonable doubt for Heuermann’s defense. From a recovered planning document to burner phones and questions of who knew what, their conversation centers on evidence, legal strategy, and whether this case is headed for trial or moving toward a plea deal.

Highlights:

• (0:00) Sheryl McCollum welcomes Laura Ingle and introduces the latest developments in the Long Island Serial Killer case

• (1:00) The Gilgo Beach timeline: from Shannan Gilbert’s 911 call to the initial body discoveries

• (3:15) Memorial benches along Ocean Parkway and what the geographic landscape reveals about the case

• (5:00) Rex Heuermann’s January 13 court appearance and the 175+ page defense omnibus motion

• (8:00) The DNA battle: mitochondrial testing, genetic genealogy, and the hair evidence tied to Sandra Costilla

• (10:30) Judge’s declaration: trial will begin after Labor Day “come hell or high water”

• (11:15) Andrew Dykes arrested in the 1997 murder of Tanya Denise Jackson

(“Peaches”) and what it could mean for the baby

• (15:45) Why there are still no charges in Tatiana Marie Dykes’ death and why her remains’ proximity to Valerie Mack matters

• (20:30) Why separate mother and child: DNA, dumping-ground logic, and what investigators still cannot place in the timeline

• (22:15) Devices, weapons, and the locked vault: what investigators found and what’s still unknown

• (24:15) The house and the basement: searches, “workshop” claims, and the importance of the location

• (25:00) Planning document and surveillance awareness: traffic cameras, tactics, and intent

• (28:15) The “window” theory: family travel timeline and why prosecutors say they line up

• (29:15) Asa and the divorce question: blindsided or strategic?

• (31:30) How the defense uses the “Peaches” arrest to argue reasonable doubt

• (34:00) Outro: The Ingle Edit and Sheryl’s closing quote

Guest Bio:

Laura Ingle is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and the host of The Ingle Edit, a YouTube series and podcast dedicated to re-examining unsolved cases through on-scene reporting and firsthand interviews. As a longtime network correspondent, she has covered many of America’s most notorious crime stories and continues to champion cold-case investigations.

Learn more about the case and view Laura’s on-scene reporting on The Ingle Edit: www.youtube.com/@TheIngleEdit

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 Bridgelynching, 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