High-profile cases don’t stay behind the scenes anymore. Lawyers are hired before investigations are complete, advocates and private experts release their own findings, witnesses speak on podcasts, and online accusations spread long before anyone is charged with a crime.

In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes back criminal defense attorney Joshua Schiffer to discuss how that shift is changing the criminal justice system and putting new pressure on prosecutors, investigations, witnesses, families, and potential jurors. Using the Nolan Wells investigation as an example, Sheryl and Joshua talk about outside experts, secondary autopsies, media coverage, death threats, doxing, and what can happen when people outside an investigation become involved before law enforcement has finished its work. They also explain how public statements, podcasts, and social media posts can complicate a case and potentially create reasonable doubt if it eventually reaches court.



Highlights:

(0:00) “Crazy town”: the troubling trend in high-profile cases that brings Joshua Schiffer back to Zone7

(1:00) How lawyers, GoFundMe campaigns, protests, and public pressure can begin before an investigation is complete

(6:00) The personal toll of high-profile cases on prosecutors, public defenders, investigators, and their families

(8:30) From theories accusing Lindsay Clancy’s husband to lawsuits against influencers: where true crime interest crosses into harassment and civil liability

(12:15) The Nolan Wells investigation and the outside force already influencing the case before any criminal charges are filed

(14:30) Private reports, outside experts, nonprofits, and public advocacy: when well-meaning help complicates an active investigation

(18:15) Why following police procedures matters when a defense attorney begins challenging an investigation

(20:00) Hiring a lawyer or remaining silent is a constitutional right, not an admission of guilt

(22:15) No blunt force trauma or signs of a fight: what the secondary autopsy does and does not show

(27:30) Death threats, doxing, disputed audio, and why Sheryl and Joshua question the theory of a violent death

(34:30) How podcasts, books, interviews, and social media posts can introduce reasonable doubt before a case ever reaches trial



Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire.

---

Joshua Schiffer is an Atlanta-based criminal defense attorney and longtime Zone 7 contributor. He represents clients in criminal matters and frequently provides legal analysis on high-profile cases, courtroom strategy, constitutional rights, and the realities of the criminal justice system.



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 four 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 Bridge lynching, 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

X: @ColdCaseTips

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram:@officialzone7podcast

TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum

 

Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold.

High-profile cases don&rsquo;t stay behind the scenes anymore. Lawyers are hired before&nbsp;investigations are complete, advocates and private experts release their own findings,&nbsp;witnesses speak on podcasts, and online accusations spread long before anyone is charged&nbsp;with a crime.
In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes back criminal defense attorney Joshua&nbsp;Schiffer to discuss how that shift is changing the criminal justice system and putting new&nbsp;pressure on prosecutors, investigations, witnesses, families, and potential jurors. Using the&nbsp;Nolan Wells investigation as an example, Sheryl and Joshua talk about outside experts,&nbsp;secondary autopsies, media coverage, death threats, doxing, and what can happen when&nbsp;people outside an investigation become involved before law enforcement has finished its work.&nbsp;They also explain how public statements, podcasts, and social media posts can complicate a&nbsp;case and potentially create reasonable doubt if it eventually reaches court. 
Highlights:
(0:00) &ldquo;Crazy town&rdquo;: the troubling trend in high-profile cases that brings Joshua Schiffer&nbsp;back to Zone7
(1:00) How lawyers, GoFundMe campaigns, protests, and public pressure can begin&nbsp;before an investigation is complete
(6:00) The personal toll of high-profile cases on prosecutors, public defenders,&nbsp;investigators, and their families
(8:30) From theories accusing Lindsay Clancy&rsquo;s husband to lawsuits against influencers:&nbsp;where true crime interest crosses into harassment and civil liability
(12:15) The Nolan Wells investigation and the outside force already influencing the case&nbsp;before any criminal charges are filed
(14:30) Private reports, outside experts, nonprofits, and public advocacy: when&nbsp;well-meaning help complicates an active investigation
(18:15) Why following police procedures matters when a defense attorney begins&nbsp;challenging an investigation
(20:00) Hiring a lawyer or remaining silent is a constitutional right, not an admission of&nbsp;guilt
(22:15) No blunt force trauma or signs of a fight: what the secondary autopsy does and&nbsp;does not show
(27:30) Death threats, doxing, disputed audio, and why Sheryl and Joshua question the&nbsp;theory of a violent death
(34:30) How podcasts, books, interviews, and social media posts can introduce&nbsp;reasonable doubt before a case ever reaches trial 
Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps&nbsp;others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire.
---
Joshua Schiffer is an Atlanta-based criminal defense attorney and longtime Zone 7 contributor.&nbsp;He represents clients in criminal matters and frequently provides legal analysis on high-profile&nbsp;cases, courtroom strategy, constitutional rights, and the realities of the criminal justice system. 
Sheryl &ldquo;Mac&rdquo; McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a metro Atlanta police&nbsp;department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners&nbsp;with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than four decades of experience, she has&nbsp;worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which&nbsp;integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing.
Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur&nbsp;and the Moore&rsquo;s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction&nbsp;into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023. 
Social Links:
Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
X: @ColdCaseTips
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum
&nbsp;
Sheryl&rsquo;s new book,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Swans-Dont-Swim-Sewer-Daughter/dp/B0FWZY5YFP">Swans Don&rsquo;t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint </a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Swans-Dont-Swim-Sewer-Daughter/dp/B0FWZY5YFP">River Killer&rsquo;s Daughter</a>, is available now wherever books are sold.

Work a cold case alongside investigator Sheryl “Mac” McCollum, Director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute. Every week, Sheryl dives into her cold case files alongside accomplished guests to look for clues into unsolved murders, missing people, and more. This ain’t just a podcast but a war room. Sheryl opens her cold case files, her heart and her little black book! You will quickly realize Zone 7 is not a place but a lifestyle!

Work a cold case alongside investigator Sheryl “Mac” McCollum, Director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute. Every week, Sheryl dives into her cold case files alongside accomplished guests to look for clues into unsolved murders, missing people, and more. This ain’t just a podcast but a war room. Sheryl opens her cold case files, her heart and her little black book! You will quickly realize Zone 7 is not a place but a lifestyle!

Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum

When True Crime Gets Too Close to the Case | With Joshua Schiffer

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/36916776-4ec7-4916-9d53-b4d2017e5ec3/transcript