Fortunately, the rate of unsolved cold cases is slowly declining. Soon, fewer than 30% of major crime cold cases will remain unsolved each year. Still, let a news announcer mention JonBenet Ramsey or Jimmy Hoffa, and people rush to their TVs.
Suppose you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at cracking the code on a real, unsolved murder mystery. In that case, Georgia Writers Museum (GWM) will provide that intriguing opportunity at 7 p.m. Friday, May 2 (doors open at 6:30 p.m.), with the return of its unique Crime & Wine Experience at the downtown Eatonton museum.
For true crime junkies, the GWM Crime & Wine Experience provides a unique opportunity to see and hear objective evidence for real, unsolved crimes. Each attendee effectively becomes a detective under the tutelage of the lead investigator for the evening, Sheryl McCollum.
McCollum is a Law Enforcement Hall of Fame inductee, founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute (CCIRI), and the author of Cold Case: Pathways to Justice.
She is also an Emmy Award-winning crime scene investigator (CSI) from CBS46’s CSI Atlanta, a writer for CrimeOnline, a forensics and crime scene expert for “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace,” and a CSI for the Metro Atlanta Police Department.
McCollum holds a master’s degree in criminal justice with an emphasis on policing and has received the Metro Atlanta Crime Commission Award, Department of Justice Award, and the President’s Innovation Award.
McCollum and CCIRI developed Crime & Wine to help law enforcement and families with unsolved homicide, kidnapping, and missing persons cases.
Members of this one-of-a-kind collection of all-volunteer detectives and crime fighters include everyone from students and stay-at-home mothers to nationally recognized experts in crime investigation, such as profilers, detectives, crime analysts, prosecutors, and crime scene investigators.
At each Crime & Wine Experience, McCollum and her team share their experiences and opinions with the audience, as well as the “murder box” from a real cold-case investigation. Each “murder box” includes the real reports, photographs, and analysis necessary to gain an understanding of each unsolved case presented.
McCollum said she believes each individual brings their own knowledge and perspective to each investigation, often including some that she and her team may not have considered but could produce solid leads for actual cold cases. Following each Crime & Wine Experience, McCollum and her team follow up and report back on any practical leads that may be uncovered during the event.
Previous cases presented to GWM Crime & Wine attendees have resulted in real leads that prompted the arrest of long-hidden murderers who now await trial.
At past Crime & Wine events, McCollum and her investigative team have addressed notable unsolved cases, including those of Natalee Holloway, Amber Hagerman, and Tupac Shakur, among others.
For the return of the Crime & Wine Experience at the Georgia Writers Museum, pre-registration is required online at georgiawritersmuseum.org or call GWM at 706-991-5119.
Tickets are $40 each or $35 each for two or more. Crime & Wine events typically sell out, so order tickets as soon as possible.