Solving the West Georgia Murder of Gwendolyn Moore | Chief Clay Bryant Part 1

On the morning of August 3rd, 1970, Gwendolyn Moore was hoisted out of a dry well just outside of Hogansville, Georgia. Chief Officer Buddy Bryant was at the scene along with then-fifteen-year-old, Clay Bryant. The case was deemed an accident… until thirty years later.

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, talks with Clay Bryant. Clay has been recognized as one of the most prolific cold case investigators in the United States. Sheryl and Clay discuss Clay's childhood, growing up in the front seat of his father's police car, and following his footsteps into law enforcement. Clay discusses how old politics can get in the way of solving a case, and how he solved the cold case of Gwendolyn Moore; one of the longest-standing spousal abuse cases Clay has ever seen. Clay also discusses the importance of new technology for solving crimes, and the undeniable value of needing officers to be a part of the community.  

Show Notes: 

[0:00] Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum. Sheryl gives an introduction of Criminal Investigator, Clay Bryant to the listeners

[5:55] “Even the worst people have some good in them and the best people have some bad in them.”

[6:01] Question: Clay, can you tell us about your dad, Chief Buddy Bryant?

[10:05] In 1970, Gwendolyn Moore was found on the morning of Aug 3rd in a well adjacent to the house she had lived in…

[13:29] “This was the longest-standing case of spousal abuse I’ve ever seen.”

[16:51] Murder in Coweta County

[25:14] Question: Can you tell us how you started connecting the dots toward prosecution for the murder of Gwendolyn? 

[33:36] Lo and behold, we had our case

[37:07] Solving the West Georgia Murder of Gwendolyn Moore: A Cry From the Well By Clay Bryant 

[39:57] “He said ‘the downfall of policing was the day they put air conditioning in the patrol car.’ I looked at him, I said, daddy, ‘you've lost your mind. What are you talking about?’ He said, son, ‘that day... it became comfortable to isolate yourself from the people that you need most to be in contact with and to serve.”

[41:29] “When you enter a crime scene, don't focus on things. Take in the whole location. Sit there, smell, and taste the air. Then, let your subconscious do the math and go with your gut feeling.”

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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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