A Mother’s Relentless Pursuit of Justice: Crystal’s Story by Josephine Wentzel

Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, is joined by Josephine Wentzel, mother of Crystal Mitchell, a young woman tragically murdered in 2016. Josephine shares her heart-wrenching journey to bring Crystal’s killer, Raymond McLeod, to justice. Despite systemic hurdles and relentless heartache, Josephine refused to let Crystal’s case go cold, leading a six-year search across borders. McLeod was captured in the Central American country after the U.S. Marshals Service received a tip that he was teaching English at school in the city of Sonsonate, El Salvador.

Josephine Wentzel is a former law enforcement officer. She became an advocate for justice following the murder of her daughter, Crystal Mitchell. Through years of relentless pursuit and public advocacy, she brought global awareness to Crystal's case, refusing to let her daughter’s killer, Raymond Mcleod, escape justice.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you are not alone, and help is available. Please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org for resources, support, and guidance. Trained advocates are available 24/7 to provide confidential help. Don’t hesitate to reach out—support is just a call away.

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
• (0:10) Sheryl gives a background of today’s episode dedicated to DV awareness month
• (1:20) Sheryl introduces guest, Josephine, Crystal's mother to Zone 7
• (1:30) Background of Crystal Mitchell
• (7:45) Meeting McLeod - the deceptive charm
• (11:30) Josephine shares her premonitions and concerns about Crystal’s safety
• (14:00) The devastating confirmation of Crystal’s death
• (17:45) Taking proactive measures in the search
• (22:00) “When you minimize a Google map, the whole time I pictured that, that whole entire map on my hand, and I said, it's as big as my hand, and I can find every part.”
• (28:40) Jack Donovan… the name Raymond McLeod went by
• (37:30) Upcoming trial and hopes for justice
• (38:30) “I've said it before and I'll say it again. He messed with the wrong mama.” -S.S
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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: [e-mail]
• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

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