Summer Benton is a veteran homicide detective with the Atlanta Police Department. She has worked in various specialized units, including vice, narcotics, and hostage negotiation, before joining the homicide division in 2009. Benton has been featured on the TV show The First 48 and is known for her meticulous investigative approach and strong relationships within the department. 

Resources:

The First 48   

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, chats with Summer Benton, a highly respected homicide detective with the Atlanta Police Department. Summer shares her process from arriving at a crime scene to solving complex cases, emphasizing the meticulous attention to detail and the importance of teamwork. With a heartfelt tribute to the role of family and community, Summer also discusses her upbringing, the influence of her parents, and her bond with her Labradoodle, Willa, highlighting the human side of police work.

Show Notes:

• [0:00] Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum.  
• [0:10] Sheryl gives a brief introduction of guest, Summer Benton 
• [1:50] Summer details out her investigation process
• [6:30] Terry Porter case is described  
• [12:15] Putting together a case without the victims remains 
• [15:00] The critical role of timelines in solving cases
• [23:00] One special lady in Summer’s Zone 7… her mama 
• [25:00] Solving crimes in the non digital age 
• [31:30] Summer’s dog, Willa, and Work-Life Balance
• [37:20] “Homicide is the major leagues, the center ring, the show. It always has been. It goes beyond academic degrees, specialized training, or book learning, because all the theory in the world means nothing,  if you can't read the street.” -D.S
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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