Serial Killers, Mass Murderers, and Criminal Profiling with Former FBI Agent Julia Cowley

Julia Cowley is a retired FBI agent and profiler. She spent 22 years in the FBI investigating violent crime, including serial killings and sex offenses, white-collar crime, public corruption, and civil rights. She was also a member of the FBI’s Evidence Response Team. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a Master’s in Forensic Science. She now hosts "The Consult," a true crime podcast focusing on behavioral analysis.

Listeners can learn more about Julia at her podcast https://www.truecrimeconsult.com/, on X @jcow1969, and on IG @theconsultpod

Resources:

The Consult is a true crime podcast that examines behavior exhibited before, during, and after the commission of a criminal act.

The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit - Part 1 

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, sits down with Julia Cowley to discuss her extensive background in forensic science and behavioral analysis, from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), where she specialized in profiling violent criminals. She shares her experience working on the Golden State Killer case and the Waleeka case. Julia also highlights the importance of victimology, crime scene analysis, and teamwork in solving complex cases.

Show Notes:

• [0:00] Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum.  
• [1:20] Sheryl introduces guest, Julia Cowley to the listeners 
• [3:10] Question: Do you have a particular area that draws you in? Do you gravitate towards something within a case file first, whether it's photographs, reports, or witness statements?
• [6:20] Question: So you worked on the Golden State Killer, but you knew that case as the East Area Rapist… can you tell us about that case? 
• [7:00] Deep dive into the Golden State Killer case
• [11:30] Key aspects in crime scene analysis 
• [18:30] The impact of community and teamwork in solving cases
• [25:30] The importance of collaboration
• [30:10] “Your analysis is only as good as the information that you're given. And if something really critical is left out, it could change what you're seeing.”
• [32:40] Overview of the Waleeka case 
• [40:00] The significance of victimology in profiling
• [46:30] Kevin Sweat's confession 
• [52:00] Hosting The Consult podcast
• [52:30] The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit - Part 1 
• [1:00:00] “Lesson learned, everyone is a potential suspect. And don't let looks or behavior fool you.” -J.D
• Thanks for listening to another episode! If you love 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, a 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: @ColdCaseTips
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

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