Paul Wagner sits down with Mike King to discuss the Sherry Crandell case

American Nightmares

Gamut Podcast Network

True Crime

4.5 • 10.3K Ratings

🗓️ 23 December 2025

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this bonus episode, Mike King (American Nightmares: Garden of Evil, Season 5 - Coming Feb 3) sits down with investigative journalist Paul Wagner (American Nightmares: Murder in a Safe Place, Season 2) to revisit the Sherry Crandell case — and to unpack the long road that led to justice.

Together, they break down the original investigation, the controversial hospital-wide DNA dragnet, and the relentless efforts of a retired detective who refused to let Sherry’s case fade into obscurity. The conversation also explores how Wagner’s reporting helped keep pressure on the case when leads ran dry and answers seemed impossible.

Most importantly, they examine the 2025 breakthrough that finally identified Edward Barry Watts — also known as Baari Shabazz — as Sherry Crandell’s killer through investigative genetic genealogy. Paul and Mike discuss what this moment means for Sherry’s family, the ethical questions surrounding genetic genealogy, and the growing power of this technology to solve violent crimes once thought unsolvable.

#ProfilingEvil #MurderInASafePlace #AmericanNightmares #SherryCrandell #PrinceGeorgesHospital #CheverlyMaryland #ColdCase #GeneticGenealogy #BaariShabazz #EdwardWatts #BernieNelson #FBI #HospitalMurder #VictimJustice #TrueCrimePodcast #InvestigativeJournalism

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Transcript

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1:23.0	On January 13th, 1998, a 50-year-old nurse named Sherry Crandall was raped and murdered inside of her office at a Prince Georgia's hospital center in Maryland. That's a place that's supposed to be safe. And despite DNA,
1:30.2	fingerprints, and even an eyewitness account, the case went cold for nearly three decades.
1:36.3	Well, today I'm going to be sitting down with investigative journalist Paul Wagner of the
1:40.8	American Nightmares Murder in a Safe Place podcast to walk through the crime,
1:46.2	the controversial DNA dragnet at the hospital, the persistence of a retired police detective,
1:52.6	and how investigative genetic genealogy finally identified Edward Barry Watts.
1:58.1	And he was identified as Sherry's killer in 2025.
	...

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