In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, talks with guest Bitty Martin, from Hot Springs, Arkansas. The duo discuss the chilling narrative of Cathie Ward, a 13-year-old young girl whose tragic demise in 1966 under suspicious circumstances left an indelible mark on her community. Bitty also speaks on Cathie’s last days, examining the complex backdrop of her family life. They also dissect the sinister role of Frank Davis, the Black Snake Ranch owner, and what led the community to believe he had been involved in Cathie’s death.

Show Notes:

• [0:00] Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum.  
• [0:30] Sheryl shares a childhood story of losing a classmate to death for the first time
• [1:50] Sheryl introduces Bitty Martin to the listeners 
• [3:15] Question: Can you tell the listeners how you got to know Cathie Ward?
• [3:20] Bitty gives a brief background of her childhood friendships
• [5:12] Snake Eyes: Murder in A Southern Town
• [7:48] “Kathy was lost somewhere on the trails. But said they knew she'd be alright when they found her.”
• [9:27] Question: What did Frank Davis tell law enforcement about Cathie Ward?
• [13:20] Question: Can you tell us about Mary Sue Tracy and her daughter Leslie?
• [20:15] Question: Can you tell us how you and your childhood friends made it an annual event to research this case?
• [21:35] Question: The first year you went back to Cathie's gravesite, you took something very significant along with you. Can you tell us about that? 
• [27:35] ​​”Time doesn't take away from friendship, nor does separation.” -T.W
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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.  

You can connect and learn more about Sheryl’s work by visiting the CCIRI website https://coldcasecrimes.org

Social Links:

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