Stevie Bates Made It Back to New York. Then She Vanished

In 2012, 19-year-old Stevie Bates vanished after calling her mother from a Greyhound bus during a layover in Pittsburgh; she made it back to New York but never made it home. Eight years later, her skeletal remains were discovered wrapped in a blanket at an abandoned house in Queens, the same property where her boyfriend had reportedly been squatting. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes Stevie’s cousin, Isis Jannierre, to discuss who Stevie was, what her family believed from the beginning, and why the case still raises questions about the timeline, suspect behavior, lost investigative time, lost evidence, and the people who may still know what happened. Highlights: (0:00) Sheryl McCollum opens Zone 7 with Stevie Bates’ 2012 disappearance, her final call home, and the Port Authority sighting that confirmed she made it back to New York (1:15) Isis Jannierre joins Zone 7 to establish Stevie’s victimology through the eyes of her family (2:30) Who Stevie was: a gifted student, creative thinker, devoted daughter, and young woman with aspirations (5:15) Hunter College, Occupy Wall Street, and the independent life Stevie was building before she vanished (6:45) Eight years later, Stevie’s skeletal remains are found wrapped in a blanket at an abandoned property in Glendale, Queens (7:30) Why Stevie’s family never believed she intentionally disappeared (11:45) Decomposition, lost evidence, and the unresolved questions of how Stevie died (12:30) Isis pushes back on the drug-use theory and explains Stevie’s role in Brandon Klosterman’s life (15:30) Stevie’s plan to collect her belongings, the end of the relationship, and the family’s working theory (16:45) Deleted messages, squatting, and behavior that raised questions around Brandon Klosterman (25:00) The location of Stevie’s remains raises new questions about missing crime scenes, lost witnesses, and who may still know the truth (28:30) Sheryl presses for the answers Stevie’s family deserves: a clearer timeline, a confirmed alibi, and an explanation for the deleted messages Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire. Isis Jannierre is the cousin of Stevie Bates and joins Zone 7 to help bring renewed attention to Stevie’s unresolved case and encourage anyone with information to come forward. Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a metro Atlanta police department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than four decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing. Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023. Social Links: Email: [email protected]● X: @ColdCaseTips Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum Instagram: @officialzone7podcast TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.