Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were a famous American criminal couple who were part of a gang active in the 1930s. They were known for their bank robberies and murders, and their exploits captured the attention of the public during the Great Depression. They were killed in an ambush by police in 1934. 

Guest Bio and Links:

Rhea Leen Linder is the niece of Bonnie Parker and a living “witness” to the aftermath of one of America’s most infamous love stories. She has spent decades speaking publicly about her family’s history, working to correct misconceptions, and fighting to fulfill Bonnie’s dying wish to be buried next to Clyde.

Perry Carver is the owner and curator of the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland, Louisiana. He has preserved the legacy of the outlaws through firsthand artifacts, storytelling, and annual historical festivals that connect fans and family alike.

Visit the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland.

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, talks with Rhea Leen Linder, Bonnie Parker’s niece, and Perry Carver, curator of the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum, for an intimate look at the real story behind America’s most infamous couple. Rhea Leen shares what it was like growing up in Bonnie’s shadow, how it shaped her identity, and why she’s spent years trying to reunite Bonnie and Clyde in death, a wish that’s led to an ongoing legal fight.

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum  
• (0:15) Sheryl introduces guest and niece of Bonny Parker, Rhea Leen Linder
• (1:00) Rhea Leen’s childhood in the shadow of infamy
• (6:00) The meaning behind her name
• (6:30) Sheryl welcomes second guest, Perry Carver to Zone 7
• (14:30) “Being able to die for your man does not fun in the family.”
• (15:30) Code words Bonnie and Clyde used
• (20:00) Misconceptions from the movie: Bonnie and Clyde - Released 1967
• (25:00) FBI surveillance and the watch list Llgacy
• (29:00) The green stamp story
• (33:00) The quest to bury Bonnie and Clyde together 
• (37:00) Legal battle to honor Bonnie’s final wish
• (42:00) Value in preserving true history
• (44:00) Reflections
• (50:00)  ”Someday they'll go down together and they'll bury 'em side by side. To a few it’ll be grief, to some a relief, but it's death for Bonnie and Clyde.”
• 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! 

---

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.