How to Prevent Young People From Falling Victim to Predatory Criminals

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator Sheryl McCollum continues a previous discussion on the topic. She is joined for a Part II conversation by Dr. Katherine Ramsland and Tracy Ullman, two crime experts who have spent years investigating and documenting the case of Elmer Wayne Henley Jr.

Today, they primarily discuss how predators manipulate young people. They explore why adolescents are particularly vulnerable, how predators groom not just individuals but entire communities, and the blurred line between victim and accomplice. Lastly, they share practical advice for parents, teachers, and counselors on recognizing warning signs and protecting young people from falling victim.

Dr. Katherine Ramsland is a professor of forensic psychology at DeSales University. She has written over 70 books and appeared in more than 200 crime documentaries. Her work includes interviews with notorious criminals, including BTK (Dennis Rader).

Tracy Ullman is a documentary producer and director who has worked on numerous true-crime series for Discovery and PBS. She is best known for her work on John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise and her recent book with Dr. Ramsland, The Serial Killer's Apprentice.

Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. joins Zone 7 as a special guest to provide personal insight into his mindset during his time with Corll.

Resources:

Zone 7 Part I The Serial Killer's Apprentice | The Story of Elmer Wayne Henley Jr.

The Serial Killer's Apprentice

How to catch a killer

The Mind of a Murderer: A glimpse into the darkest corners of the human psyche, from a leading forensic psychiatrist

John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise

Show Notes:

(0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
(0:10) Sheryl welcomes back guests, Dr. Katherine Ramsland, Tracy Ullman, and Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. to Zone 7
(1:30) Understanding the adolescent brain
(5:00) Generational relationships in crime reduction
(8:15) Grooming the community
(11:15) The fine line between a victim and an accomplice
(16:00) ”That's the most just in your face and accurate statement I've heard that if every parent that dropped their child off at the scout meeting could be fooled, how could that child not be?”
(17:00) The Superbowl is the largest event for child trafficking to occur
(21:00) Warning signs for parents - what to watch for in at-risk youth
(22:30) “Education is the answer. Understanding is the answer. Involvement is the answer”
(26:00) Final thoughts
(28:00) ”I have to accept that any child, because that's what I was, any child could be manipulated. Given the right buttons were pushed and Dean pushed all my buttons.” -Wayne Helmer Jr.
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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.

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