Detective Smith Details Our Case | Tami Jackson’s Murder, Part 2

Part 2. On January 26, 1994, 17-year-old Tami Renee Jackson’s body is discovered. Port Authority workers on Hutchinson Island, near Savannah, Georgia, find Tami; she has been stabbed more than 130 times, is bound, and has been run over by a vehicle. Investigators process evidence at the scene and conduct interviews with potential witnesses, but eventually, the case goes cold.

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator Sheryl McCollum talks with the Savannah Police Cold Case Unit, Detective Tarra Smith, about the details regarding the murder of young Tami Jackson. Detective Smith describes the wooded and remote landscape of Hutchinson Island, discusses how the method of murder and placement of Tami’s body may indicate an organized killing, and lays out the many complexities of Tami’s case, including her relationship with a variety of individuals. Detective Smith vows to work tirelessly and to utilize every available resource, including the advancement of forensic technologies, to identify the person(s) responsible for murdering innocent Tami Jackson.

[0:00] Introduction to Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum 

[1:08] Brief overview of the homicide case involving victim, Tami Jackson

[1:10] Introduction of Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum

[1:36] Victimology: Sheryl reviews Zone 7’s previous episode

[4:14] Introduction of Detective Tarra Smith

[4:53] Description of Hutchinson Island and the crime scene

[9:29] Detective Smith describes how she initially ignores the investigator’s narrative and starts from ground zero with every investigation, regardless of how old the case might be

[10:57] Overkill: the excessive manner in which Tami Jackson is murdered 

[13:46] Detective Smith describes the murder scene and lists the technological limitations of the time

[16:47] How investigators identify the victim

[17:34] With an extensive list of potential suspects, Tami’s case becomes more complicated

[23:07] “Men know when other men are not on the up and up.” -Sheryl McCollum. A witness’ intuition indicates that Tami is in a bad situation

[24:58] Content in Tami’s diary confirms she is an innocent child, full of naivety, searching for love and happiness

[28:17] Examining the evidence, working the narratives, and extensively researching and sifting through the many layers and complexities of Tami’s relationships 

[32:08] Calling on the expertise of others and utilizing new forensic technologies

[36:58] Sheryl concludes the interview with Detective Tarra Smith 

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