Sunday, January 4, 2015

Domestic Violence: Chief William McCollum's Shooting of Margaret McCollum




Chief William McCollum is on administrative leave for the shooting of his wife.

When this story first broke, John and a few others had posted links to it to which I responded that if the 911 call was released, I would analyze it and we would likely know the truth.

I had hoped that the analysis would reveal a loving relationship and a terrible accident.  As Solomon pointed out, with much knowledge comes sadness.  I imagine more than a few law enforcement officers, especially locally, felt the same way I did.

When GBI released the 911 call, much information was gleaned.

The analysis is found here and it reveals:

1.  He is deceptive about being asleep
2.  He is deceptive about the location of the gun
3.  He conceals responsibility of how the gun got into the bed.

There will likely be a few that will be angry at the analysis, yet the principles of Statement Analysis does not change, whether it is a face to face interview, a 911 call interview, or a written statement.  If there is the intention of communication, analysis can be done.

This showed deception.

Primarily, it shows a very bad relationship at the time of the statement. This "very bad" relationship is extreme; something expected in a personal homicide.

But there is more:

He gives indication of high-mindedness, that is, arrogance.  When taken in context, it is alarming.  He refers to himself as "the Chief of Police", which is correct.  It is his title.

Yet, his wife lay bleeding to death next to him, and she is given no title, nor name, nor does he use the pronoun "my" in relation to her.

He gives some linguistic indications of a control domestic violence abuser; that is, one who becomes threatening when he is not in control of a situation.

He declares, though not asked, that "I am the Chief of Police", yet gives his victim no title of "wife."

He shows linguistic concern about his career, using the word "unfortunate", not to describe a 58 year old woman in pain, bleeding to death, but saves this word for himself.  This is callousness.

A linguistic indicator is just that:  an indication.  It means:  Check for D/V history. It is not proof of D/V.

He also gives linguistic indication that a 3rd party may be involved.  This means:  find out if there is a  3rd party in the marriage.  This could be a major stressor.

Note also something unusual:  he does not use the pronoun "my" in the call.  It is not only absent towards his wife, but towards his gun.
explain

Note also that as law enforcement, the 911 operator has her doubts that he has begun CPR and she doubts he called her immediately, especially as he says "it happened in the middle of the night", rather than just "moments ago."

I think if investigators look carefully, they will find a significant gap of time between the shootings and the 911 call.

D/V and women.

Women under DV relationships are often 'repeat victims' in that they go back to the relationship.  They often will lie and police investigators should expect that Margaret McCollum may try to cover for her husband.

It is very important that she write out a statement, if she is physically able, and that the statement is analyzed.

Here is why:

In a L/E case of Domestic Violence in which the wife was seriously injured in front of the couple's child, the wife wrote out a statement from the hospital, explaining how she broke her bone; that is, in a fall. She was a professional, well educated and wanted to protect her L/E husband.

I was given the written statement for analysis.

I did the analysis before interviewing her, and before interviewing him.  He had more than 19 years in Law Enforcement and was months away from retirement which was a generous benefit that accumulated and grew well over the years.

The deception indicated was used to confront each of them and admissions were obtained.  No one likes being accused of lying.

A Florida blog has reported the following:

*that Margaret McCollum is his second wife, of three, and reunited with him only recently but when she was divorced, she alleged Domestic Violence on his part;

*that another ex wife of his alleged infidelity as the cause of their break up.

It is interesting that there are  linguistic indicators that should tell investigators to explore the possibility of both of these elements.

That it came after New Year's Eve may have something to do with a possible stressor and, perhaps, a very late night, as this call came hours after midnight.

In commenting about the lack of a social introduction, Statement Analysis indicates a very bad relationship at the time of this call.

By calling her, "Margaret" or "Maggie" without her title, and the possessive pronoun "my", I would have concluded trouble in the relationship at the time of the call, but for him to make it through the entire call without these three ("my", "wife", "name"), tells me not only is this a highly volatile situation, but that the subject has an acute need to get himself as far away from her as possible.

Social Introductions in Statement Analysis reflect the reality of the relationship at the time of the statement.  The reason I keep adding "at the time" is because we can have a statement in which an improper or incomplete social introduction is noted in a portion of the statement, but later in the statement, to find the pronoun "my" return, showing an "improvement" in the relationship.

This helps us discern, via context:

Where the subject does not want to be associated with his wife;
where the subject is more comfortable associating with his wife.

This 'change' in relationship is seen in statements that contain arguments.

The extremity of distancing language in this statement suggests domestic homicide.

This is a lot to say, especially since Margaret McCollum's condition has been upgraded, thankfully, from "critical" to "serious" but investigators may find that not only did the subject shoot her in anger, but that he may have only called 911 after a delay, learning that she was going to survive, and grew fearful.  A "delay" could be mere minutes, but that he did not call for help immediate is evident in his language.

What do you make of the subject's belief that he shot her twice, while the GBI is saying she was only shot once?

Was there a misfire?

That he does not call it "my" gun (the word "my" is not heard once in the call.  As pointed out repeatedly, we are possessive creatures by nature, and take ownership of what we believe is ours.  "My wife" is not only expected, but it is expected to be heard a number of times in this call, particularly since the setting is his wife laying on the bed, next to him, bleeding to death.

Law enforcement is often quite possessive of their fire arms, and this is natural.  Not only must they become proficient in its use, but due to the nature of the job, they become attached to it, as it can protect them from serious injury or death.  "My" gun, or "my" weapon or "my" firearm is expected.  It is why I asked, openly, "Was this his wife's gun?" due to the distancing language.  If it is his wife's gun, the distancing language as seen in the absence of the possessive pronoun is not a red flag; it is appropriate.

But if the gun belongs to him and he does not take ownership of it, we have analysis pointed to a domestic homicide attempt.

He distances himself from the gun and he distances himself from the victim.  The gun belongs to him (we later learned from GBI) and the victim is "his" wife.

In the statement, he wants to be associated with neither the gun nor the victim.

This is not good.

Language is the lens of the camera into the perception of the subject's reality.

What one normally takes strong possession of, he runs away from.

He has a reason to run away from possession of his gun and his victim.  This will be the open question that investigators must answer.

Also note in the analysis the exclamation of surprise, as he appears surprised that he is being even questioned.  This element of surprise, as in "gosh!", is also seen in the 911 operator's questions:

She seemed unconvinced that the chief of police exercised First Aid care to his wife;

She seemed surprised that the victim was his wife and seemed to be frustrated at his short replies and the need to have to ask him about her.

Finally, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as well as the District Attorney's office will likely be under pressure in this case.

1.  They have "one of our own" in law enforcement.  Law enforcement is a fraternity of sorts, due to the particular stresses of the job.  This 'membership' extends to wives, as well, as they experience unique stressors that others do not.  Often police express that they are the only ones who "get it", or understand each other.  To go to work, each day, and face not only acute danger, but public perception, is a highly stressful condition.  Suicide statistics and alcoholism statistics bear out this truth.

We find the same 'club' mentality in the law profession, medical profession, and even in the social services (those who investigate child abuse claims, for example, feel that unless one has witnessed first hand, child abusers and their victims, they do not understand the secondary trauma experienced).

It is a natural bonding that takes place, and politically today, it has become even stronger as President Obama and more recently, the mayor of New York, has portrayed law enforcement in a negative, racist light.  Whereas once they were always the "good guys", they are being portrayed as "racist bad guys" by the White House.  This is seen in the Ferguson shooting, where the officer told the truth about the violent criminal he was attacked by.  in spite of the rule of law finding no cause for indictment, the White House will pursue federal charges.

In New York City, arrests are done almost 70%, compared with the same time last year.  This is the result of having painted law enforcement as the bad guys.  Better yet, traffic tickets are down more than 90%, which will hit the politicians in the pocketbooks.  Police in NYC are reporting that they are frightened and demonized and are just trying to survive, rather than protect and serve, after two were executed in response to the Eric Garner death.

Law Enforcement may line up on either side of the equation.

2.  They have someone who, in just a few media reports, is well beloved in the community. This means that they must seek out the truth while feeling pressure from the public.

3.  They have the D/V community watching, who want justice for victims of D/V.

4.  They have the nation watching, as the story went national, and this may become even more acute if the Nancy Grace producers pick it up.

5.  They have their own ethical guidelines to follow, and want the truth.  They must seek to put aside these outside influences and get to the truth.

Lastly, they have the possibility of a Joe Tacopina type attorney grabbing the case for the publicity, who may attempt to turn it into a circus for the sake of seeking 15 minutes before the spotlight.

I don't know if charges will be filed against William McCollum.  I know what the analysis shows, and my confidence in the system is not challenged here, as it is not a case of "maybe" or "perhaps" regarding the incomplete social introduction.

There is extreme distancing in the language of the subject from the victim.  This type of distancing language is fitting for a serious domestic situation, like domestic homicide.

Thankfully, it is not a homicide.

Could Chief McCollum face attempted murder charges?  Or, will he be cleared?

Leave your opinion in the comments section, including the reason for your opinion.

Statement Analysis has revealed a very bad relationship and a deceptive shooter who wants no association with his gun, nor his wife.





27 comments:

John Mc Gowan said...

If he fell asleep with the gun in his hand there should be GRS on his hands, and also if it was intentional.

Why wasn't the safety on ? surely this is rule 101 when dealing with firearms ? It was when i was in the TA (Territorial Army) US version of The National guard.

Is there stippling on his wife's back and or clothes due to how close the gun was when it "accidently" discharged. The more stippling, the closer the gun was when discharged.

Blood spatter analysis will yield more information too. If it was as close up as he says she was, next to him in bed. I would imagine it would be a through and through.

If he rolled over on it when it went off. There should be scorch marks on the bed clothes and on his person. How high up on his wife's back where the entry wounds. I would imagine they would be closer to her side than towards the center, if the gun was flat on the bed.

Where where the spent cartridges found ? The trajectory can tell a lot about where the shots where fired.

Depending on the forensics. I think he will be cleared and ruled as accidental (Good ole boys sticking together). Although, i have faith in S/A, and he is deceptive of the events of that night.

Unknown said...

My take: A troubled relationship turned violent after a long night of drinking, and partying for New Year.

For some reason, the way he describes the bed/went to move the gun scenario, makes me think he was on the bed threatening suicide, and maybe she attempted to take the gun from him...they struggled, and he shot her. (*Which could explain why he was unsure how many times she was hit.)

When I read what he said to the 911 dispatch, and try to envision it, I get the impression he was in control of the gun when it went off. Definitely not that the gun accidentally went off while they were both sleeping as he would like us to believe.

Unknown said...

Full 911 call for reference:

911: Fayette county 911, what’s the address of your emergency?

Chief: 103 Autumn Leaf.

William McCollom photo
Peachtree City Police Department
Peachtree City Police Chief William McCollom
911: What’s going on there?

**At :12…Chief: Uh, gunshot wound…accidental. Need medical asap.

911: OK. Where are you shot at?

Chief: What’s that?

911: Where is the person shot at?

Chief: In the back.

911: Is it a male or female?

Chief: Female.

911: How old is she? How old is she?

Chief: 58

**At :40…911: She’s shot in the back and in the side?

Chief: Yes…and numb in the back. Come on. Let’s get them here.

911: Somebody else is dispatching help. I need to get some more information from you. You said it was an accident?

Chief: Yes.

911: She was shot twice accidental?

Chief: Yes.

**At :58…911: Who shot her?

Chief: Me.

911: How did you shoot her?

Chief: I was…the gun was in the bed. I went to move it…uh, put it to the side and then it went off.

911: Is she awake?

Chief: No. Everybody was sleeping.

911: No, is she awake now?

Chief: Huh?

911: Is she awake now?

Chief: Yes.

911: Is she breathing?

Chief: Yes.

911: And…103 Autumn Leaf. What’s your nearest intersection or street?

Chief: Uh we’re in Center Green (sp?)

**At 1:32…911: Where’s the gun at?

Chief: Uhhh, geez I don’t know. I threw it to the side. It might be in the bed here. I don’t know.

**At 1:43 Chief: You having trouble breathing Dear?

911: Alright, I want you to…you are with her now?

**At 1:50…Chief: What’s that? I’m the Chief of Police. It’s a…the bed, the gun is on the dresser.

**At 1:57…911: OK. You’re the Chief of Police in Peachtree City?

Chief: Yeah, unfortunately. Yes.

911: Alright, is this your wife?

Chief: Yes.

911: OK sir. Um, I do want to ask you some more questions about her health right now. Somebody else has already dispatched help so we’re not delaying that OK?

Chief: OK.

**At 2:25…911: Is that her crying?

Chief: Yes, she’s having trouble breathing now.

911: OK.

**At 2:35…(you hear moaning/crying in background)

911: OK. (more moaning) This just occurred now right before you called.

Chief: Yep..yep and also in the middle of the night.

911: Is there any serious bleeding?

Chief: Well, it’s internal but yes there is.

911: OK, is she completely alert?

Chief: Yes

911: OK

Chief: And you already told me it was the back.

**At 3:03 Chief: She’s starting to have trouble breathing now so it must be internal.

911: OK. Is she on her back?

Chief: She’s laying on her stomach.

911: She’s laying on her stomach. OK. If you see any external bleeding, we’re going to apply direct pressure to that OK? Is she bleeding where you can see it?

Chief: Yes.

911: OK, I want you to get a dry clean cloth and I want you to apply direct pressure to the wound.

Chief: OK.

**At 3:34 (sound of moaning) Chief: Ok

911: Ok I want you to hold the cloth there. Do not lift it to look at it. Just keep applying pressure …

Chief: (hard to understand)

911: Ok. You want them to enter through the front door?

Chief: I don’t care if they come in the side door. It’s fine, I don’t care.

**At 3:59…Chief: aLright, come on guys…get here.

Chief: Yeah, I got the door open for them.

**At 4:11…Chief: Oh my God.

911: What’s your name sir?

Chief: How did this happen?

911: What’s your name sir?

Chief: Will McCollum (need to check spelling)

**At 4:15…911: Were you asleep also sir when it happened?

Chief: Yep, are you alright dear? I know you are not alright. I mean, are you still breathing? Still alert for me?

911: Is there anybody else there with you guys?

Chief: No.

**At 4:37: Chief: Come on. Hurry, hurry, hurry.

911: I hear them in the background. They are coming as fast as they can. Ok?

Chief: I can hear them.

911: Do we have that dry clean cloth on her wound?

Chief: Alright come on guys.

911: You see them sir?

**At 5:30 Chief: Right there on the dresser is the gun.

911: Is there an officer there?

Chief: Jamie is here, yeah.

911: Ok, Chief I’m going to let you go…

Tania Cadogan said...

He told us he went to move it and it went off.
He didn't say he moved it and it went off so we have distancing right there.
Going by his words he hadn't even touched the gun and it went off.

This would lead me to ask why wasn't the safety on as is instinctive to anyone familiar with guns?

How did it get in the bed?

Who put it IN the bed?

Why was the gun IN the bed?

Was their GSR on his hands and clothing?

How did it get there if the gun went off when he WENT to move it?

Whose prints are on the gun and where?

The initial call said he shot her twice, where did the bullets/casings land?

How many bullets are missing?

If only one, why did he initially say he shot her twice?

Was there a misfire?

if so first or second shot?

If not then he has questions to answer as to why there are two bullets missing.
Once could be accidental, twice no.

If he threw the gun away why did he do so given it went off as he WENT to move it?
Throwing it could have caused it to fire again.

Where exactly was she shot?

What was the time gap between the shooting and the 911 call?

Who else was in the house given he told us everybody was sleeping?

What did they do?

Why did he not immediately apply pressure to the wound/render first aid?

I have a problem when he referred to her as dear.
It put to my mind stories where the bad guy is holding the victim hostage or has hurt someone and is confronted by the good guy/LE.
Dear is used patronisingly.

"You are perfectly fine dear aren't you"
When confronted by the good guy/hero/LE and her response is supposed to be yes i am, all is fine,nothing to see, it was a mistake.
This is also seen y LE in domestic violence calls where the abuser tells them all is well and his victim agrees.

To me it was an instant red flag, he was patronising her.

Why would he need to patronise his wife whom he has just shot, possibly (hopefully) fatally.
Did he expect her to say yes?



GetThem said...

Also, dispatch twice asked if his wife was awake and he refused to answer with yes or no. When his first response is everybody was asleep, that's not even true, because he was awake and "went" to move the gun.

YES, he will be definitely be charged because he failed miserably on the 911 call answering questions. Once detectives start questioning him more indepthly, he will fail even worse.

Unknown said...

Chief: "I was…the gun was in the bed. I went to move it…uh, put it to the side and then it went off."

-Here he starts out, "I was", but self edits and changes to the passive, "the gun was". Neither makes sense in his story about the gun going off while they slept since if the gun HAD accidentally gone off, (in their sleep) then the only answer he could possibly give is 'I don't know'.

Instead, he states he intended to move the gun, and his plan for where to place it, which both indicate he was in control of the gun, and also conscious of the danger posed at the time he was handling it.

(*BTW- guns don't fire upon being nudged or fumbled accidentally...most hand guns have a 9-10 lb trigger pull weight.)

Sus said...

A glock does not have an external safety feature. The so-called safety is in the trigger. It won't fire by hitting a surface or being hit, only by pulling back the trigger. He had to have had his finger on the trigger as he "went to move it."

I also am bothered by how he talks to his wife? I agree "dear" sounds patronizing in this scenario. I'm more concerned by how he asks her if she can breathe and if she is alert. He should be able to see and hear if someone is breathing and alert. Yet, he asks aloud. This seems to be staging for the operator. He actually says alert "for me."

I think he was holding his gun on her after an incident of domestic violence. My guess is so that she couldn't leave. I think he may have fallen asleep, nodded off...with his loaded gun in his hand and his finger on the trigger. She may have moved to leave and he shot her, or he woke enough to move his hand "to the side" and pulled the trigger.

Unknown said...

There's so much to highlight, it's hard to decide where to start!

911: Who shot her?

Chief: Me.

-I find this response strange considering the story he is telling. He answers that he shot her without hesitation. If his story were actually true, I would expect a less concise response, because he SHOULD be confused about how/what happened.

-------------

911: Is she awake?

Chief: No. Everybody was sleeping.

- He was asked only about his wife. This question was asked by the dispatcher in an attempt to gauge her condition. His focus is clearly his alibi, as he bypasses answering about her current condition, (which should be his only concern) and instead states that 'everybody' was asleep.

-He uses the word 'everybody', when he is speaking of only himself and his wife. I see this as distancing, and indicative of deception. He can't bring himself to say, 'I was asleep', or even, 'we were asleep'...instead it is spread to the masses, "Everybody was sleeping".

-------------

911: OK. (more moaning) This just occurred now right before you called.

Chief: Yep..yep and also in the middle of the night.

-He answers "yep", to her question, but then adds "and also in the middle of the night". His answer suggests that shots were fired at two separate times, and some time elapsed from when she was injured, and the call was made. This is also supported by his next answer.

------------

911: Is there any serious bleeding?

Chief: Well, it’s internal but yes there is.

-He has had time to determine that she has serious internal bleeding. His answer is unexpected in many ways. I would expect someone who woke to the horror of accidentally shooting their wife, to be horrified at the sight of the blood, and hysterically trying to stop the bleeding and get them help. He doesn't even mention the visible blood, and instead asserts the bleeding is internal in a way that seeks to downplay the significance.

And on it goes! Very disturbing 911 call, and I can only imagine the dispatchers discomfort!

GetThem said...

So, is she alive? I googled it but none of the articles state that she actually died and she was alive during the 911 call. Anyone know?

John Mc Gowan said...

Hospital: Peachtree City police chief's wife recovering

ATLANTA (CBS46) -
The condition of Margaret McCollom, the wife of Peachtree City Police Chief, William McCollom, is improving. On Saturday, the Atlanta Medical Center upgraded her condition from critical to serious.

HIPAA identifies the main difference between those two conditions as a "questionable" state for serious, versus "unfavorable" for critical.

Margaret McCollom was shot by her husband while they slept in their bedroom on New Year's Day. The incident is being investigated as an accident. She was flown by medical helicopter from her home on Autumn Leaf Drive to the hospital in Atlanta.

There were a lot of people in the community who were happy to hear Margaret McCollom's condition is headed in the right direction. Neighbors on her street have been following updates in the news closely.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation released the 911 call where Chief William McCollom said he accidentally shot his wife at about four a.m. The chief is still on administrative leave as experts examine the evidence

http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/27754186/hospital-peachtree-city-police-chiefs-wife-recovering

Sus said...

Get them,
She is alive and upgraded to fair condition today.

Anonymous said...

Excellent statement analysis, Peter. IMO, Chief McCollum could be cleared if his wife will not take a stand against his abuse and deliberate shooting of her. Based on whether she speaks out against his abuse could determine the ultimate decision as to whether he is charged and prosecuted. If she denies that the shooting was deliberate, I'm afraid he will get off scott free. Let's just hope she tells the truth. IMO, he should be kept from visiting her in the hospital and influencing her decision but it's doubtful that he will be.

Further, I believe there is more involved in his past domestic violence episodes, or in some other criminal activity he may have been involved with in the not so distant past. One does not give up a good job with a great income like he had, that he had worked hard for, and go off to Wyoming or some other cold and dreary place to take care of a sick relative for two years, then have to start all over. Instead they keep their good job and help to pay for someone else to care for their sick relative and visit whenever they can.

I think there is more to this story than we have been made privy too. I hope a thorough investigation is made of this disgusting man.

John Mc Gowan said...

Update:

Funeral arrangements set for Shane Montgomery

Snipped:

Verbrugghe said that the Medical Examiner's Office released his godson's body to the family early Sunday afternoon and had ruled his death accidental.


Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/dncrime/Funeral-arrangements-set-for-Shane-Montgomery.html#u7J5rAeADH5LMDFS.99

Droll Skeptic said...

I find the whole notion that a man trained annually in firearms usage and safety would sleep in bed wth---not only a loaded gun---but one with a bullet in the chamber, ridiculous. At best. I live in a home with my wife (no children) and have several loaded firearms within easy reach at all times. We never store them without the safety on, wth a live round in the chamber, or "under the pillow". To do so, would be moronic.

Droll Skeptic said...

Nothing about this shooting as described by soon-to-be ex-chief McCollum passes the straight faced test. I can't help but think of Drew Peterson, when reading about his 3 marriages, and the linguistic hints he gives of being a controlling personality.
I hope Margaret makes a full and speedy recovery, both physically and emotionally.

John Mc Gowan said...

Police chief's wife now in fair condition

Snipped:

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. -- The wife of Peachtree City Police Chief William E. McCollom has been upgraded from serious to fair condition after being shot by her husband Thursday morning.

Investigators won't say where McCollom was injured, or what led up to the shooting, only that it occured in the couple's bedroom.

McCollom has been interviewed by the GBI and is said to be cooperating with the investigation. Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said it's possible that charges could be filed even if the shooting is ruled an accident.

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/peachtree-city/2015/01/01/peachtree-city-police-chief-wife-shot/21148715/

S + K Mum said...

If his wife makes a good recovery and is prepared to speak out about what happened and also any previous domestic violence that may have occurred, then yes, he will be charged. Friends of hers are speaking of her disclosing previous violence so LE will have those statements. I don't see how it could be swept under the carpet.

I think she may have been sleeping when he shot her. She may have no idea that it was her husband until she has recovered and is told.

John Mc Gowan said...

Snipped:

Chief McCollom is cooperating with the investigation. He was questioned by the GBI on Thursday and then went to the hospital to be with his wife. The police department has also been cooperative.

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said it could be a week or more before the GBI report is completed and he decides if the police chief will be charged with a crime.

http://natmonitor.com/2015/01/04/peachtree-city-police-chiefs-wife-upgraded-to-fair-condition-after-being-shot-by-husband/

Droll Skeptic said...

That McCollum's even permitted to "be at the hospital with his wife" bodes poorly for her having pressed charges and/ or he being charged with a crime.

In my opinion, had she indicated that her husband attacked her OR (in lieu of such communication) LE had any intention of charging him with attempted murder--or, even just domestic violence--he'd have been barred from contact with his victim.

Sus said...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/prince-andrew-underage-sex-slave-4915304

This is the only article I can find with quotes from Prince Andrew's accuser. Peter, would you be interested in analyzing her words? I can copy and paste Prince Andrew's and Derchowitz's denials tomorrow. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I tend to agree with you Droll Skeptic. It may only be Monday morning and she was shot on Thursday a.m. in the wee hours, but I believe that if Margaret had any intentions of speaking out against her hubby for shooting her, that is, if she's able to speak; she already would have and he would not be allowed visitation in her room and the GBI would be all over prosecuting him for attempted murder. OR, it could be that since he's in LE, these are old cronies who hears no evil, sees no evil when it involves one of their own.

This could turn out to be another one of those wife abuse cases where the wife stands by her man no matter what he does to her. They just go back and back and back until finally he kills her. They take their beatings, get out of it and go back, get out and go back. Their history repeats itself over and over.

In this case, she even took him back after he had a dalliance with another woman in his office then married her, even though he cost Margaret her job and her home. No telling how many other women he played with during his previous eighteen years with Margaret. Some women will take their man back no matter what he does.

The fact is, there is no record of her ever filing any complaints against him for domestic violence even though she made verbal complaints to her co-workers and possibly others; but unless she made actual written complaints against him, there is no past history of domestic violence.

There's only he said, she said, but eventually they walk out together holding hands and the rest of the world can eat worms and die for all they care, until one day he kills her deader than a door nail. This was nearly that time. Meanwhile the beat goes on. My guess is that he has already gotten away with her attempted murder and she's letting him do it; otherwise, he would not be sitting beside her hospital bed.

John Mc Gowan said...

Snipped:

In spite of the fact that gun’s do not “just go off,” there are numerous examples of mishandling a gun that can lead to its accidental discharge. The notion, however, that a gun was just laying in the bed with the two and at 4 a.m. McCollom decided he should get up and move it, is quite unusual according to anyone who has investigated the “Safe Action” weapon. Everyone agrees the possibility exists.

McCollom, however, admitted he fired twice, not once, which excludes automatic firing. Given the fact that he actually squeezed the trigger twice, it is highly unlikely an accident occurred, but instead of arresting McCollm immediately he was only placed on paid administrative leave until the investigation is finished.

Unlike traditional single and double action pistols, the internal engineering of Glocks make it literally impossible for the firing pin to strike the bullet unless the trigger is depressed, which is another reason the shooting was unlikely an accident.

“We’ll keep an open mind about this…The police department has been incredibly cooperative with them as they gave the facts they need. When we have those facts, we’ll see if it’s appropriate to bring charges”, Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, revealing that apparently some were more ‘equal’ in the eyes of justice than others.

http://newswire.net/newsroom/news/00086895-the-police-chief-accidentally-shot-his-ex-wife-twice.html

sidewalk super said...

ah, Skeptic brings up the correct reference.
This officer even resembles drew peterson.
Newspapers and TV news in the Atlanta area are being remarkably restrained with their reporting.
Where is Nancy Grace?

John Mc Gowan said...

GBI hopes to interview Peachtree City police chief’s wife soon

The GBI has not yet interviewed the wife of Peachtree City’s police chief. But with her improving condition, agents may be able to speak with Margaret McCollom before mid week, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

“We’re going to try to do it maybe today or maybe tomorrow,” GBI spokeswoman Sherry Lang said Monday.

Lang said GBI agents — responsible for investigating police-involved shootings in Georgia — interviewed Chief William McCollom almost immediately after the 4 a.m. New Year’s Day shooting at the couple’s home in Peachtree City.

Lang did not know how long it would take the GBI to complete its work and then turn over its findings to Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard, who will decide if the chief should face criminal charges in his wife’s shooting.

But there is no question as to who shot Margaret McCollom. The chief told the 911 operator that he shot his wife, accidentally.

But some of his answers to the 911 operator also were contradictory; at one point he said the gun discharged when he was moving it from the bed and later he said he and his wife were both asleep when he shot her with his department-issued Glock.

Margaret McCollom could be heard moaning and crying in the background of the recording of the 911 call that was released to the media on Friday.

Margaret McCollom was quickly airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center in critical condition. But by Saturday, her condition had been upgraded to serious. On Sunday it was put at fair.

Chief McCollom is one paid administrative leave while the GBI investigates the shooting.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/gbi-hopes-to-interview-peachtree-city-police-chief/njgSk/

Anonymous said...

He can't name her. He goes to awkward lengths to avoid naming her. He is abusive scum. I wonder if he hopes she lives or dies. I suspect he's so arrogant he wants her alive so he can keep controlling her. He deserves death himself. Abuse of power by armed police is beyond reproach.

Tania Cadogan said...

Here we go, so darn predictable
BBM


The wife of a Georgia police chief says she was asleep when her husband shot her in bed, and that she believes it was an accident.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that Margaret McCollom told investigators Monday that she could provide no information about the shooting but said she believes it was not intentional.

Peachtree City Police Chief William McCollom called for help at 4:17am on New Year's Day, telling the dispatcher he had accidentally shot his sleeping wife in their bed.

Authorities said the shot was fired from the chief's 9 mm Glock handgun, his service weapon.

On the phone with emergency dispatchers, McCollom said his wife had been shot and needed immediate medical assistance.

When the dispatcher asked who shot his wife, McCollom answered: 'Me. The gun was in the bed, I went to move it, and I put it to the side and it went off.'

He went on to say that his wife was having difficulty breathing and appeared to suffer both internal and external bleeding. Margaret can be heard in the background of the call crying.

'Oh my God," the police chief said. 'How the hell did this happen?'

Margaret McCollom was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center where a spokesman on Monday said her condition had been upgraded from critical to fair.

While the incident has been described by the couple as an accident, the McColloms have a tangled romantic history that authorities will likely look into in the course of their investigation.

On Friday, MailOnline revealed that the couple got married in the late 1980s, but divorced in 1999 when they were living in Florida and McCollom was working for the Delray Beach PD.

He went on to re-marry the department's chaplain, a rabbi named Suzanne Carter, who he only officially divorced last year.

It's uncertain when McCollom and Carter's relationship first fell apart, through he did suddenly quit the Delray PD in 2006, taking a $20,000-a-year pay cut to become the chief of police in Tequesta, Florida.

He quit that position in 2010 to move back to his home state of Wyoming to take care of his sick sister. He worked as a general contractor there until he moved back to Georgia in 2012 to take the assistant police chief position at Peachtree City.

McCollom and his first wife Margaret appear to have reconciled by the time he returned to Georgia, since they moved in together around that time - a year before his divorce from Carter was finalized.

McCollom had only been the Peachtree City Police Chief since October.

Lt. Mark Brown, of Peachtree City Police Department told reporters at a New Year's Day press conference that McCollom is 'very well-liked' by those who work under him.

'The department is hurting,' said Brown. 'We're very concerned for his wife and the chief. We're just trying to make sure everything is done correctly as far as the investigation goes.'

According to Mrs McCollom's Facebook, she is licensed practical nurse who used to work in an emergency room.

A neighbor who lives across the street from the McColloms described them as a 'loving couple' who 'do a lot of things together' and that he says he has 'never seen any problems over there', according to Fox.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2897487/Police-chiefs-wife-upgraded-fair-condition-gunshot.html



One thing which bothers me.
If she was asleep as claimed, HOW DOES SHE KNOW IT WAS ACCIDENTAL?

Anonymous said...

"If she was asleep, how does she know it was accidental? Excellent point HobNob!

She doesn't. She is either believing his lie or is covering for him. Ha... This is exactly what I had originally perceived she would do.

Some of these abused partners just won't learn. I guess they want their brains stomped out, or somehow his abuse 'proves' his love for her when he says he's sorry? What is WRONG with them?

Oh well. He's safe again. LE isn't going to do one thing about his attempted murder of Margaret but close the file like they (almost) always do.

I say almost, because even in the case of Peterson, one of their own; they wouldn't have taken a closer look at his second wifes' death, Katherine, had not his third wife Tracy disappeared and questions started being raised, forcing them to investigate. Oh yeah, old Will has hit another home run.

As for his taking a $20K pay cut to take a lesser paying job in some little Podunk town, ain't no way unless he had to make a quick exit out of the job he was in. Ditto for his move to Wyoming to become a general contractor so he could take care of his sick sister. DUH! NO general contracting was going on in Wyoming between 2010 and 2012!

Makes one wonder WHO and what he had been covering up for amongst his good ole buddies in times past, that now he will be absolved of the dirty attempted murder he just tried to do to his own wife? ... hummmm

































































































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