On Mother’s Day 2020, Susan Morphew vanished from her Colorado home, leaving behind a community full of questions and loved ones searching for answers. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum sits down with retired NYPD Sergeant and cold case expert Joe Giacalone to revisit the investigation, the early red flags, and the clues that continue to raise quesions, from the discovery of Susan’s bicycle to the inconsistencies that complicated the case.

Highlights:

• (0:00) Sheryl opens with the timeline of Susan Morphew’s disappearance and introduces guest Joe Giacalone

• (1:30) The early facts of the case and first warning signs: missing bicycle, disabled surveillance cameras, and a Mother’s Day that went unnoticed

• (2:00) The 911 call from a neighbor and Barry Morphew's arrival at the scene

• (5:45) Inconsistencies in Barry's statements and the odor of chlorine in his hotel room

• (9:30) Digital breadcrumbs: truck data, phone records, and deleted text messages

• (10:30) The tranquilizer dart, the “chipmunk” story, and the forensic evidence found in the Morphew’s dryer

• (16:45) The recovery of Susan's remains and what investigators believe it reveals• (19:00) Barry's behavior raises more questions: his calm demeanor, the sale of Susan's truck, and the discovery of the spy pen that exposed her affair

• (26:00) How public pressure, social media, and speculation can influence a case

• (28:00) Joe closes with a Mark Twain quote that captures what Barry Morphew failed to grasp: “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

Guest Bio:

Joe Giacalone is a retired NYPD Sergeant and former Commanding Officer of the Bronx Cold Case Squad. He serves as an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and is the author of The Criminal Investigative Function: A Guide for New Investigators and The Cold Case Handbook. Giacalone also hosts True Crime with the Sarge and is a frequent media commentator on criminal investigations.

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Preorder Sheryl’s upcoming book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Lessons in Life, Justice, and Joy from a Forensic Scientist, releasing May 2026 from Simon and Schuster.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824

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 4 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, earned her an Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.

Social Links:

Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

Twitter: @ColdCaseTips•

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A photograph can provide documentation but can’t tell the whole story. This week on Pathology with Dr. Priya, a Zone 7 series, Dr. Priya Banerjee joins Sheryl McCollum to share why revisiting a cold-case scene, sometimes decades later, can completely shift an investigation. When she traveled for hours to inspect an identical car tied to a cold case, she discovered details impossible to see on paper. They talk about how vehicles can become part of the forensic story, why the setting itself matters, and how today’s technology can clarify what investigators once assumed. From seat position to power locks, their conversation highlights what’s lost when professionals rely only on reports and what’s gained when they return to the scene.

Highlights

• (0:00) Sheryl welcome listeners and introduces the topic: why visiting a scene is essential in cold-case investigations

• (1:00) Dr. Priya describers visiting a cold-case scene and inspecting an identical car for accuracy

• (2:15) The car as a crime scene: how transport vehicles create multiple evidence locations

• (3:30) How changing car technology, from manual locks to sensors, alters forensic interpretation

• (5:00) What revisitng a scene reveals that photos and reports cannot

• (10:00) Revisiting old neighborhoods and the effects of time, urban change, and memory on case context

• (12:00) Dr. Priya’s methodical process for documenting and photographing scene and how that strengthens her courtroom testimony

• (13:15) Returning submerged and long-missing vehicles and bringing families long-awaited closure

• (14:30) Dr. Priya on method, teamwork, and why working cold cases feels like giving back

• (20:45) Revisiting old files with fresh eyes: how old photos, modern technology, and tools like Othram and NamUs can finally move cold cases forward

About the Hosts

Dr. Priya Banerjee is a board-certified forensic pathologist with extensive experience in death investigation, clinical forensics, and courtroom testimony. A graduate of Johns Hopkins, she served for over a decade as Rhode Island’s state medical examiner and now runs a private forensic pathology practice. Her work includes military deaths, and high-profile investigations. Dr. Priya has also been featured as a forensic expert on platforms such as CrimeOnline and Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. She is a dedicated educator, animal lover, and proud mom.

Website: anchorforensicpathology.com

Twitter/X: @Autopsy_MD

Sheryl McCollum is an Emmy Award–winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, and the Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. She works as a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department and 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 (CCIRI), a nationally recognized nonprofit that brings together universities, law enforcement, and experts to help solve unsolved homicides, missing persons cases, and kidnappings.

Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

Twitter/X: @ColdCaseTips

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

If this episode gave you a new understanding of cold case investigations, share it with a friend and leave a review. Your support helps others discover the science, the stories, and the heart behind Pathology with Dr. Priya | A Zone 7 Series.

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Some moments divide life into a before and after. For Terry Strada, that moment came on the morning of September 11, 2001, when her husband, Tom, called her from the North Tower after the first plane struck. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum speaks with Terry about the phone calls, the hours of not knowing, and the reality of raising their three children in the wake of unimaginable loss. Terry shares how she moved from grief to action by becoming the National Chair of 9/11 Families United and pushing for accountability from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their role in supporting terrorism.

Highlights:

• (0:00) Sheryl welcomes listeners to Zone 7 and introduces guest Terry Strada

• (1:00) Tom leaves for work; three children at home, one just four days old

• (2:45) The phone call from the North Tower: “A plane has hit the building... it’s horrible...”

• (4:45) Realizing the attacks were deliberate

• (6:00) Calls among Cantor Fitzgerald families in the hours of uncertainty

• (7:00) Who Tom was as a husband, father, and leader

• (9:00) How Terry became part of the lawsuit against Saudi Arabia

• (11:30) Evidence trail: funding networks and support teams inside the U.S.

• (15:30) Scotland Yard evidence and what was withheld in the U.S.

• (18:00) The federal ruling that the case may move forward

• (20:00) Saudi influence, LIV Golf, and how it affected 9/11 families• (29:00) Final reflections and closing quote, “Never Forget”

Guest Bio:

Terry Strada became a national voice for 9/11 families after losing her husband, Tom, in the North Tower on September 11, 2001. As National Chair of 9/11 Families United, she has spent more than twenty years advocating for transparency and accountability, working with lawmakers and federal agencies to expose how terrorism is financed and supported.

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

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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 co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. She is the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a national collaboration that advances techniques for solving cold cases and assists families and law enforcement with unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnappings.

Social Links:

• Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips

• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

• Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.