The 2016 Indiana Arson That Took Four Young Lives — Remains Unsolved
Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum
iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline
4.4 • 696 Ratings
🗓️ 12 February 2025
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On November 21, 2016, a deadly house fire in Flora, Indiana, claimed the lives of four young sisters; Kerriele McDonald (7), Keyara Phillips (9) Keyana Davis (11), Kionnie Welch (5) who were trapped in their upstairs bedroom as flames engulfed the home. Within a few months of the fire, police had determined the fire was caused by arson. But eight years after the fire, the fire-starter hasn’t been caught.
Guest Bio and Links:
Captain Nicholle Brock is a highly experienced firefighter and paramedic with over 25 years in the Atlanta Fire Department. As an arson expert, active shooter instructor, and forensic fire investigator, she specializes in uncovering the truth behind fire-related crimes. She is also a certified drone pilot and Georgia Emergency Manager, using advanced technology to assist in investigations.
In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, talks with Captain Nicholle Brock, a veteran firefighter with over 25 years of experience, to discuss the heartwrenching 2016 house fire in Indiana that took the lives of four young sisters. Nicholle and Sheryl discuss the investigative missteps, a mother’s fight for justice, and unsettling allegations of corruption. They break down the challenges of fire investigations, the emotional toll on first responders, and why this case remains unresolved while pushing for the answers these girls deserve.
The Indiana State Fire Marshal has offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the fire. If you know anything, call 1-800-382-4628.
Show Notes:
- (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
- (0:10) Sheryl welcomes guest, Nicholle
- (5:00) Background of the Flora Indiana house fire
- (10:00) The evidence surrounding the arson ruling
- (15:00) Inconsistencies in the investigation
- (20:00) The insurance policies on the house
- (23:00) Indiana withholding records
- (28:00) Key pieces of the evidence lost or contaminated?
- (34:20) ”We continue on. We're gonna continue just like we have been. I know it's not what people want to hear. But we're going to continue. And I really believe that one day we will know.” -Doug Carter
- Thanks for listening to another episode! If you’re loving the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to Itunes and leave a rating and review!
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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.
Social Links:
- Email: [email protected]
- Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
- Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Tonight, we have an expert with us, y'all, with over 20 years experience with the Atlanta Fire Department. |
| 0:16.0 | Actually, I think it's more than 25 years experience when I think about it. |
| 0:20.0 | She has obtained the rank of captain. |
| 0:23.4 | She's a paramedic. |
| 0:25.0 | She's an active shooter instructor. |
| 0:27.5 | She's a drone pilot, a ham radio operator, an arson expert, and a Georgia emergency manager. |
| 0:35.5 | She serves as the forensic fire medic for Nancy Grace and the Cold Case Investigative |
| 0:41.6 | Research Institute. |
| 0:43.5 | She and I have worked active cases and cold case scenes together. |
| 0:49.1 | When I tell you, it is a pleasure to welcome Nicole Brock, my buddy, to Zone 7. Oh, I love you, Cheryl. You know |
| 0:59.4 | you, my girl. Oh, honey, we've had a good time. People don't even know. Oh, my God, I'm telling you, |
| 1:05.3 | we have done some incredible things. And I am so looking forward to us continuing on the journey we've been doing. |
| 1:12.6 | We've been on over the last couple of years. It's been amazing. And you know, just having |
| 1:18.3 | somebody at your level with your experience and expertise to break down cases, to make us think |
| 1:25.3 | outside the box. And I just got to tell y'all something. I took |
| 1:30.0 | the smoke diving class at Cobb County Fire Department when I was the law enforcement trainer |
| 1:35.9 | at the DA's office. It was not for me. Mr. Cole, you're a little crazy. Well, you know, that's what I've been told. I've got to describe as |
| 1:49.1 | that. Listen, I knew it wasn't a real fire. I knew I was going to be perfectly safe and still |
| 1:57.7 | had people with me that were going to make sure I got in and out okay. |
| 2:01.7 | Right. |
| 2:02.1 | It was still no fun. |
| 2:04.5 | It started fun when they said, hey, you want to go through the smoke diving class? |
... |
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