In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by retired Police Chief Frank Frederickson and Michelle Linn for a case that began with a violent 1988 Cape Cod assault and, years later, became something neither of them could have imagined. Frederickson, then a newly assigned detective, recalls a summer of escalating attacks across Hyannis and Barnstable, Massachusetts, and the unconventional decision to bring Michelle along into the nightclubs to search for the man who attacked her. Michelle shares what finally convinced her to report the assault, how she knew her attacker the instant she saw him, and how one of the most traumatic experiences of her life led to justice, healing, and an unexpected love story.

Highlights:

(0:00) Sheryl McCollum introduces retired Police Chief Frank Frederickson and details his decades of law enforcement service

(1:00) Frank describes the 1988 Cape Cod case and “sets the stage” before cell phones, DNA testing, cameras, and modern investigative tools

(2:00) A young woman is attacked while trying to retrieve a motel key; a passerby intervenes as the attacker tries to drag her across the road

(3:45) Similar assaults begin happening weekly in Barnstable and Hyannis, Massachusetts, growing more violent as the summer goes on

(4:45) Michelle tells Frank she believes she will know the assailant if she sees him again

(7:15) Michelle spots the man outside a Hyannis nightclub

(8:00) Frank describes following the suspect until a liquor store stop gives police a reason to approach him

(11:15) Michelle joins the conversation and shares how she recognized her attacker and what she remembered from the attack

(15:30) Michelle recalls not wanting to report the assault, and the moment her friend convinced her that staying silent could put someone else at risk

(21:30) Frank and Michelle share the unexpected turn their lives took years later

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.

Frank Frederickson is a retired chief of police with more than 45 years in law enforcement, beginning with the Yarmouth Police Department in 1977 and retiring in 2022. He has served as director of government affairs for the Massachusetts Fraternal Order of Police and as executive director of the New England Association of Chiefs of Police.

Michelle Linn is a survivor whose courage helped investigators identify and arrest the man responsible for a series of sexual assaults on Cape Cod in 1988. Her decision to report, stay involved, and trust what she recognized helped bring justice for multiple victims.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by Caroline McCollum and Huck McCollum to talk about the case involving three horses who were stabbed during a barrel racing event at South Point Casino in Las Vegas. Caroline, a longtime horse rider and criminology student, shares her perspective on what it means to compete with and care for these animals, and how the open, trusting culture of barn life can become a vulnerability. Huck, a juvenile court intake officer and former public defender investigator, explains how a case like this may move through the justice system, including mental health evaluations, prior behavior, and the role social media could play. Together, they look at the trauma this leaves on both riders and horses, the security gaps it exposes, and why animal cruelty cases raise concerns about future violence.

Highlights:

(0:00) Sheryl McCollum welcomes Caroline and Huck McCollum to Zone 7 and introduces the Las Vegas horse stabbing case

(1:00) Three horses, Sully, Detail, and Rocket, are stabbed at South Point Casino and police quickly identify a suspect

(3:15) Caroline and Huck bring their own field experience, from horse riding and juvenile court to wildlife forensic training

(4:30) Inside the open, social world of competitive riding and why barn access can create security concerns

(6:15) Caroline weighs in on animal cruelty as a possible red flag for deeper behavioral concerns

(7:30) Huck explains why police withheld the suspect’s name and how being weeks away from turning 18 could affect the case

(8:15) Mental health history, school records, prior behavior, and what juvenile court may examine

(9:45) The “crush theory” and how months of messages may point to fixation before the attack

(13:45) Premeditation, the suspected weapon, and the suspect’s actions after leaving the barn

(16:45) Caroline explains why the placement of the wounds matters and how close the horses came to dying

(19:30) The permanence of social media, including how posts, messages, and saved chats could help investigators understand the suspect’s behavior

(24:45) What this case may change for barn access, event credentials, cameras, and future horse show security

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.

Caroline McCollum is a criminology student, longtime horse rider, and lifelong volunteer with the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute. She has also trained with the Wildlife Forensic Academy in South Africa and volunteers with the Wildlife CSI Academy.

Huck McCollum is a former public defender investigator and current juvenile court intake officer. He has trained with the Wildlife Forensic Academy in South Africa and volunteers with the Wildlife CSI Academy.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.