In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, talks with guest Michael Essligner.

Together, they peel back the layers of the notorious prison, Alcatraz, from its reputation as an impenetrable fortress to the infamous 1962 escape. Sheryl and Michael explore the psychology of Alcatraz inmates and discuss the prison's impact on rehabilitation. With firsthand accounts and meticulous research, they offer a nuanced view of the inmates' ingenuity and the prison's security lapses.

Show Notes:

• [0:00] Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum. Sheryl sets the stage by sharing her childhood fascination with Alcatraz
• [3:40] Sheryl introduces guest Michael Essligner to the listeners 
• [8:40] The History of Alcatraz is addressed through stories 
• [9:40] Heat 
• [10:48] Sheryl and Michael start dissecting the details of the infamous Alcatraz escape
• [12:15] Michael explains the prison's security measures and how they had been relaxed by 1962, hinting at internal issues
• [15:31] The meticulous planning involved in the escape, from obtaining raincoats to other necessary items
• [17:00] Michael details the escape process, from dummy heads to reaching the roof
• [24:40] The benefits of Alcatraz in providing inmates with meaningful skills, challenging conventional views on imprisonment
• [28:22] Question: Can you explain Cell Block B to the listeners? 
• [32:36] Discussion on the prisoners' use of a broken vacuum cleaner motor to create a drill
• [36:53] Question: Can you talk about the accordion and what it was used for? 
• [37:00] Reflections on the enduring mystery surrounding the escape
• [44:44] Question: Michael Eslinger. Did they make it? Did they survive? 
• [45:50] “For every piece of evidence that suggests they died. There's another piece of evidence that comes up that suggests that they lived.”
• [46:54] “There's something addictive about secrets.” -J.E.H 
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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.  

You can connect and learn more about Sheryl’s work by visiting the CCIRI website https://coldcasecrimes.org

Social Links:

• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: @149Zone7
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

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