The Long Road to Justice/ Reopening Cold Cases The Role of Yolanda McClary in Identifying the Jane Doe

Cold Red Podcast

Chris McMullen, a former police officer, shares his experiences in law enforcement, including his time with the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bucks County Sheriff's Department. He discusses his transition from a small beach town to a large city, the challenges of going through police academies, and the differences between working in a big city department and a smaller department. Chris also talks about his early career as a detective and shares a notable case he worked on. Overall, he reflects on his passion for law enforcement and the satisfaction he found in solving cases. Chris McMullen discusses his experience working on cold cases and the challenges he faced in solving them. He shares the story of the Rowan case, a 1984 murder that remained unsolved for 13 years until he reopened it and eventually got a conviction. He also talks about another cold case involving skeletal remains found in 1988 and how he was able to identify the victim as Jeanette Tamby. Additionally, he discusses the connection between Victor Palaeologus, a serial killer in Los Angeles, and a Jane Doe case in Ben Salem. In this final part of the conversation, Chris discusses how he was able to get the funds and resources to conduct investigative genetic genealogy and upload the DNA profile of the Jane Doe into public databases. He shares the story of how he was contacted by Yolanda McClary, a retired crime scene investigator, who helped him build the family tree and ultimately identify the Jane Doe as Lisa Todd. Chris also talks about his nonprofit organization, Cold Case Initiative, which raises money to offset the cost of forensic testing for unsolved cases. He mentions the success they've had in identifying a John Doe and their ongoing work on three other cases. The conversation ends with a discussion about Chris's acting career and his experiences as a stand-in for Alec Baldwin and appearances in TV shows and movies.