Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum

The Lindsay Clancy trial ended in a mistrial in September 2026 after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the case involving the deaths of her three young children. The case has sparked strong opinions and heated debate, and with another trial potentially ahead, attention is turning to what prosecutors might do differently the second time around. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes former law enforcement officer, domestic violence expert, and on-air crime analyst Claudia King to discuss the prosecution’s strategy during the first trial and what may need to change if the case returns to court. They talk about how witness sequencing impacts the jury, mental health arguments, accountability, and the evidence surrounding the children’s deaths. Sheryl and Claudia also address the public identification of the lone holdout juror, concerns about jury intimidation, and whether sequestering the jury during a second trial could help protect the integrity of the proceedings. Highlights: (0:00) Sheryl introduces Claudia King, former police officer, domestic violence expert, and crime analyst (4:00) Claudia discusses the possibility of a retrial, pending defense motions, and jury selection challenges (8:45) Where prosecutors succeeded in closing arguments and why their focus on Lindsay’s suicide attempt may have hurt the case (11:00) How witness order and testimony can influence a jury● (14:00) Claudia questions the defense’s claims about Lindsay’s efforts to seek mental health treatment (17:00) Mental illness, criminal responsibility, and questions about accountability (20:45) The children’s positions and locations and what they may suggest about the killings (22:00) The holdout juror faces public backlash after his identity becomes known (27:15) Jury selection, outside influence, and the case for sequestration (29:00) Concerns about a defense psychiatric expert’s relationship with Lindsay’s family and potential bias (31:00) Remembering Cora, Dawson, and Callan Clancy, the victims at the heart of the case 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. --- Claudia King is a former police officer, domestic violence expert, survivor advocate, and crime analyst. A domestic violence survivor herself, she uses both her personal and professional experiences to advocate for victims and offer insight into high-profile criminal cases. She also hosts the Strong Enough podcast. 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: [email protected] 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother who had been struggling with serious mental health symptoms after the birth of her third child, admitted to strangling her three young children with exercise bands while her husband was out picking up dinner and medication. She then jumped from a second-story window, survived, and was left paralyzed. Her first trial ended in a mistrial, leaving major questions about what happens next. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes back board-certified forensic pathologist Dr. Priya Banerjee to talk through the Lindsay Clancy case and what the medical evidence can help explain. Dr. Priya describes what the children’s injuries can tell us about how they died and why Lindsay’s mental state that night remains one of the central questions in the case. They also discuss the difficult months leading up to it, from Lindsay’s sleepless nights to changing prescriptions and the challenges of coordinating care across multiple providers, and consider what could change if the case goes to trial again. Highlights: (0:00) Sheryl and Dr. Priya address misinformation surrounding the Lindsay Clancy case and the questions following the mistrial (4:45) Why the repeated ligature strangulation of three children raises difficult medical and psychiatric questions (7:00) The Clancy children and the significance of different exercise bands being used to strangle each child● (8:15) Dr. Priya explains how ligature strangulation causes asphyxia, loss of consciousness, and irreversible brain injury (11:15) Lindsay Clancy’s injuries after jumping from a second-story window and Dr. Priya’s assessment of the suicide attempt (13:30) Postpartum anxiety, hormonal changes, severe sleep deprivation, and why recovery does not follow a simple timeline (17:15) Why psychiatric medications can take weeks to work and the complications of starting, stopping, or changing prescriptions (21:30) How mental illness, multiple providers, telehealth, and incomplete communication can complicate psychiatric care (23:45) Speculation about Patrick Clancy and what the defense stipulated at trial (25:45) What prescription drug monitoring programs can and cannot tell doctors about a patient's medication (29:30) Why another Lindsay Clancy trial could become a battle between psychiatric experts (33:00) The emotional toll that graphic child-death evidence can place on jurors asked to decide a difficult case 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. --- Dr. Priya Banerjee is a board-certified forensic pathologist and former Rhode Island state medical examiner. She previously co-hosted Pathology with Dr. Priya on Zone 7 and uses her forensic experience to help explain complex medical evidence and death investigations. 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: [email protected] 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jabez Spann was 14 years old when he disappeared from Sarasota, Florida, over Labor Day weekend in 2017. It would be two years before his remains were recovered and his death was ruled a homicide. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes back Jabez’s mother, Tawana Spann, and her husband, Joe Spann, to mark nine years since Jabez went missing and renew their call for anyone with information about his murder to come forward. Tawana and Joe discuss the advocacy work they have built out of their grief, including the Jabez Spann Foundation, the Missing Our Voices podcast, and a new initiative called If We Could Speak. Highlights: (0:00) Sheryl opens the episode with a call to action for anyone who knows what happened to Jabez Spann (2:00) Tawana explains the one question she still needs answered about her son’s murder (5:00) How living without answers can become its own kind of prison for families of missing and murdered children (9:00) Why Jabez’s disappearance led Tawana to create resources for other families searching for loved ones (11:45) How Missing Our Voices gives families a place to talk about the people they lost (14:00) Joe Spann introduces the rapid response readiness kit, and the common misconceptions families can face when someone goes missing● (17:00) Why organization during the first 72 hours can help families become more proactive in a missing-person investigation (19:00) How If We Could Speak uses digital avatars to make people stop, listen, and remember the victim (22:30) Jabez’s digital avatar focuses on the life he should have had and the future that was taken from him (24:45) Joe appeals to anyone who has information about Jabez’s murder to do the right thing (27:00) Joe reflects on Tawana’s strength and how she has channeled her grief into helping other families (33:15) Tawana credits her mother, Lucille Tillery, with helping her turn her anger into advocacy for other families 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. --- Tawana Spann is the mother of Jabez Spann and an advocate for families of missing and murdered loved ones. Through the Jabez Spann Foundation, Missing Our Voices podcast, and other initiatives created in her son’s memory, she works to provide families with practical resources, keep their loved one’s stories visible, and give them a place to be heard. Her husband, Joe Spann, works alongside her as a co-advocate through the foundation. Related Episode Who Killed Jabez Spann? | Seeking to Expose a Killer's Secret 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: [email protected] 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.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.