Sarah Cailean


A former police officer with a decade of service in federal and municipal law enforcement agencies, Sarah also served as co-creator, executive producer, and host of the four-part docu-series Hell in the Heartland: What Happened to Ashley and Lauria on HLN. She is a correspondent for HLN and contributes regularly to programming and investigative specials, as a consultant on breaking or ongoing cases in the news. Sarah is currently investigating a 25-year-old cold case homicide out of Mobile, Alabama, and is producing a documentary series in partnership with Ark Media following that active investigation. Sarah is also a consulting committee member of the American Investigative Society of Cold Cases (AISOCC). Sarah presented at Crime Con in New Orleans in 2019, and will return as a presenter for the Orlando Crime Con in May of 2020, giving a new lecture on the reemerging prevalence of domestic violence portrayal in true crime. In addition to these, Sarah hosts a series of true crime lectures at a number of locations throughout the city of Philadelphia.

Sarah Cailean began her law enforcement career in 1998 as an agent for the National Park Service. In 2001 she transitioned to municipal/state level policing, and trained at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy. An alumna of Tiffin University, she studied both Criminal Justice Administration and Criminal Behavior, with a specialization in serial sexual predators and serial killers. Her master's thesis work involves the escalation of sociopathic predatory behavior and training patrol-level officers and small department detectives to recognize these behavior patterns more effectively. During her time as a commissioned officer, she became certified as an instructor for the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, teaching new officers areas that include Domestic Violence Response, Dynamic Building Searches, and Firearms Training. Cailean holds additional certification for advanced training in Urban Defensive Rifle Tactics, and Advanced Vehicle Crash Investigation. While working at the Groveport (OH) Police Department, Sarah served as a key member of an investigative task force with a focus on online sexual predators that target juveniles. The bureau's work over a one year period netted dozens of online predators and boasted a 100% conviction rate at its conclusion. She also has an extensive background in the performing arts. Sarah lives in Philadelphia with her family, and a house full of pets-- most importantly, an amazing Corgi named George. 

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