The Vigilante Sheriff: Inside Victor Hill’s Fall and Rise

Guest Bio and Links:

Victor Hill is the former Sheriff of Clayton County, Georgia, known for his tough-on-crime policies and bold leadership style. Despite facing multiple legal challenges, Hill remains a vocal critic of politicized justice and a passionate advocate for reform within the criminal justice system. He is the author of The Vigilante Sheriff and co-host of a podcast with his brother.

Vigilante Sheriff: The Truth about Corrupt Prosecutors Weaponizing the Legal System

Resources:

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum sits down with Victor Hill, former Sheriff of Clayton County, Georgia, for a powerful and personal Zone 7 episode. They look back on some unforgettable moments from Hill’s career, like a high-stakes bank robbery, and explore how his early love for Batman shaped his approach to justice. Hill opens up about his time as Clayton County Sheriff, the tough decisions he made, the legal battles he fought, and the 18 months he spent in federal prison. Through it all, he found a way to keep learning, keep growing, and keep showing up for people, even from behind prison walls.

Show Notes:

(0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
(0:30) Sheryl welcomes guest, Victor Hill to Zone 7
(1:00) The memorable bank robbery
(2:30) The significance of the Batman challenge coin
(4:30) ”You know, murder is the ultimate theft. It's a theft of which there can be no restitution.”
(7:00) The sheriff's election and assassination of Derwin Brown on Dec. 15, 2000
(12:30) The indictment and media portrayal
(15:00) Indictments, grand juries & lawfare tactics
(21:30) Facing a 37-count RICO indictment
(24:00) Political indictments and election timing
(25:00) Understanding the RICO charges
(29:00) Thoughts on community policing - real talk from the front lines
(34:00) The misunderstanding of officer demeanor & crime control
(40:30) Federal prison - brotherhood, books, and becoming the student
(43:00) “If you send sheep to a lion’s den, they’ll be devoured. If you send a lion - it’s a brotherhood.”
(49:00) “ Save yourself. You don't owe these people anymore. You've given them everything.” -Catwoman, Batman, Dark Knight Rises
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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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