CrimeCon Blog

The crimeHQ Podcast Club (NEW!)

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 16:37:07 GMT

We're always searching for the next podcast to binge and we know you are too so we're starting something new over on crimeHQ: The crimeHQ Podcast Club. Think of it like a traditional book club but for podcasts. Together, we'll all listen to a new podcast over 1-2 months (this will vary depending on pod length). We'll have all episodes posted in crimeHQ. Feel free to go at your own pace but after you listen to an episode, head to the bottom of that episode page to leave your thoughts and comments so we can all discuss together. Subsequently, we'll all meet for a special live event and Q&A (or 2!) in crimeHQ with the podcast host and maybe some surprise guests directly involved in the podcast.

What you'll get from the crimeHQ Podcast Club
You'll get a few great benefits from participating:

Your new favorite podcast (maybe!) Sometimes listening to something outside of your comfort zone and not what you would typically choose is the best way to find a new favorite.
Access to exclusive content. We're partnering with podcast hosts to bring you exclusive content from the pod.
Meeting new people. crimeHQ members are as excited as you are to dive into the episodes so don't be shy about chatting and discussing along the way.

CRIMEHQ PODCAST CLUB SELECTION (NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2023):

THE BAKERSFIELD THREE

Not a crimeHQ Member yet? Join now and get your first 3 days completely free to explore everything on the platform with NO restrictions. JOIN HERE →

Unraveling True Crime: Dive Deeper with TV One True Crime Mondays

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 22:19:17 GMT

For the passionate true crime fan, it isn’t just about knowing what happened —it’s about understanding why. Every Monday TV One goes beyond the headlines to get to the WHY behind the crime. From police brutality to stories of Black love and revenge, TV One is committed to telling our stories, our way! “Payback” is all about vengeance, revealing the motives behind the crimes. “Fatal Attraction” explores when love’s embrace morphs into a deadly grip, while “Sins of The City” unmasks the crimes that have rocked cities across the country. “For My Man” tells the stories of women who committed crimes for love. And in “ATL Homicide,” Detectives David Quinn and Vince Velazquez share their most challenging cases, highlighting the profound human impact of crime.

TV One at CrimeCon

Join us this September for a live experience of “True Crime Mondays” at CrimeCon. Swing by the TV One booth to meet the minds behind “ATL Homicide” –Detectives David Quinn and Vince Velazquez. Feeling bold? Take out lie detector challenge.

Stay Connected

For fresh updates and exclusive behind-the-scenes insights, subscribe to our newsletter at www.TVOne.TV/TrueCrime.

CrimeCon is better with crimeHQ!

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:16:05 GMT

Check out all of the exclusive perks for crimeHQ members at CrimeCon 2023 Orlando!

EXCLUSIVE SESSION

CrimeCon is over for everyone but crimeHQ members with a bonus session at 3:15pm on Sunday in Breakout One: "Unraveling the Past: Applying Forensic Genetic Genealogy Towards Solving Violent Crimes & Identifying Human Remains, Presented by Othram and DNASolves." In the ever-evolving landscape of forensic science, genetic genealogy has emerged as a powerful tool for identifying human remains and suspects of violent crimes. This session will delve into the intriguing intersections of genetics and genealogy, and its transformative role in the world of law enforcement.

In this engaging and interactive finale to CrimeCon weekend, crimeHQ members will have the opportunity to apply their newfound knowledge and detective skills to solve a hypothetical case. Using online tools and resources, coupled with their laptops or iPads, they will collaborate in small teams to crack the case. Each team will analyze genetic data, scour historical records, and follow digital breadcrumbs to uncover the truth. This hands-on experience will provide a glimpse into the challenges and rewards of modern-day forensic genetic genealogy.

By the end of this workshop, participants will not only appreciate the pivotal role of genetics and genealogy in forensic investigations, but they'll also gain a deeper understanding of the ethical and privacy considerations that accompany this groundbreaking field. Science meets sleuthing and the result is closure to cold cases and justice for the victims and their families.

VIDEO ARCHIVES

The only way to catch up on everything you missed at CrimeCon is with crimeHQ! Members get on-demand video access to all major sessions from CC23 plus archives of all past events (over 225 hours!)

MEMBERSHIP PIN

Pick up your crimeHQ membership pin at registration. You'll need to have your membership pin attached to your lanyard to get into the exclusive crimeHQ session on Sunday! If you don't get your pin at registration, you can always stop by the Help Desk or crimeHQ table to pick it up. Note: If you are a VIP badge holder and registering in your lounge, you will need to pick up your crimeHQ membership pin from the Help Desk at any point throughout the weekend.

FAST TRACK REGISTRATION

Picking up your CrimeCon badge is easy when you get to skip the lines. CrimeHQ members have a dedicated registration line so you don't have to worry about waiting with the crowds. Note: The fast track registration line is only available during the Friday morning registration period in Meet & Greet Rooms 1+2.

24/7 ACCESS TO THE ONLINE PLATFORM

Live virtual events, Book Club, the Binge List of must watch/listen to content, discussion boards and so much more.

BOOK CLUB BONUS

The next crimeHQ Book Club selection is Phase Line Green: The Talladega Hostage Event by Author James McGee and he'll be at CrimeCon 2023! Check out his session and book signing details HERE and don't forget to pick up a copy of Phase Line Green in the CrimeCon 2023 bookstore!

Not a crimeHQ Member yet? SIGN UP HERE AND GET YOUR FIRST 3 DAYS FREE!

Last minute gifts for any true crime fan (NO SHIPPING NECESSARY!)

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 17:28:52 GMT

FOR THE ONE WHO DESERVES A VACATION:

Send them on CrimeCruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, sailing from Miami to Cozumel joined by Dr. Henry Lee, Paul Holes, CeCe Moore, Alina Burroughs and Sheryl McCollum! CrimeCruise takes the best of CrimeCon —world-class speakers, workshops, and fun—and pairs it with a more relaxing schedule. While aboard, they'll enjoy plenty of the incredible true crime programming we're known for, but also have time to enjoy everything this remarkable ship has to offer!

BUY NOW →

FOR THE TRUE CRIME OBSESSED:

Our annual CrimeCon event welcomes the most diehard true crime fans from all over the globe. Attendees will mingle with dozens of true crime tv personalities, renowned law enforcement experts, and their favorite true crime podcasters - and they'll leave with a ton of new true crime friends! CrimeCon 2023 will take place September 23-24 in Orlando, FL. BONUS: Get a FREE CrimeCon 2023 Orlando shirt when you register anytime between now and December 31st!

BUY NOW →

FOR THE WORLD TRAVELER:

Send them to London for the ultimate true crime weekend with over 50 hours of true crime content! CrimeCon London takes place June 10-11, 2023 at Tower Bridge, Leonardo Royal Hotel & Spa!

BUY NOW →

A YEAR-ROUND GIFT THEY'RE SURE TO LOVE:

crimeHQ is our online community of passionate true crime fans, experts, and creators. Members get instant access to live virtual events plus over 225 hours of sessions from CrimeCon 2017-2022. Subscribers also receive admission to the Cold Case Club, Book Club, CrimeCon event perks, ticket discounts, and access to the best online true crime community in the world! A crimeHQ membership makes the perfect gift itself or as an add-on to any event registration. BONUS: Get them a membership now and they can join the annual crimeHQ Holiday Happy Hour event on 12/28 and (virtually) meet the community!

BUY NOW →

Your chance to meet Ryan Phillippe, Paul Holes, Chris Hansen & SO much more

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 15:39:25 GMT

These are just a few of the unique, unbuyable experiences we’re putting up for auction to benefit an amazing organization: National Center for Victims of Crime this Black Friday during CrimeCon Give Back-A-Thon

BLACK FRIDAY | 11.25.22 | 8PM ET

Thanksgiving is almost here, and with it comes the other date we give thanks for — Black Friday. Still full of turkey and stuffing, we can start shopping for the December holidays in earnest. But this year, instead of (or, hey, maybe in addition to — let's be honest) filling your online shopping cart or hitting the big box stores, try shopping for some truly unique experiences that also help others.

The CrimeCon team has partnered with Oxygen to bring you a completely new and unique streaming event full of incredible experiences you can't find anywhere else. And best of all, the tax-deductible purchases benefit the National Center for Victims of Crime. The amazing nonprofit organization helps crime victims and families rebuild their lives and advocates for victims' rights.

At 8pm ET on Friday, CrimeCon offers a free streaming event, CrimeCon Give Back-A-Thon , with exclusive programming for true crime enthusiasts, as well as a live auction featuring incredible opportunities. Even if you are all shopped out, come through for the guest appearances: Kelly Siegler of "Cold Justice," former FBI profiler and icon Candice DeLong, the legendary Chris Hanson, and more!

These once-in-a-lifetime experiences will be available for you:

Kickstart Your Own Podcast Package. You will have a two-hour creative consultation with Jessica Noll, investigative journalist, writer, and producer of such pods as "Culpable," "Bardstown," and "Dateline's Missing in America." The package also includes all post-production of the trailer for your very own podcast.
Launch Your Own Podcast Package. This includes a four-hour creative consultation with Dennis Cooper, host, writer, and producer of "Culpable." You'll also get full post-production of your trailer and first episode. If you have more material ready to go, you can score post-production of five additional episodes at a 50% discount. Once your show is ready to go, CrimeCon will promote your podcast using our social channels and email list.
CrimeCruise VIP Trip for Two. You'll get two VIP badges for CrimeCruise 2023, sailing from Miami to Cozumel. You'll stay in a Balcony Stateroom with all dining room meals included. In addition, you and your guest will enjoy a shore excursion to Cozumel and a dinner with CrimeCruise staff and CrimeCon fave Paul Holes!
Go on a sting with Chris Hansen. This is the real thing! You'll be behind the scenes on "Take Down"—attend pre-production meetings, work as a production assistant, and be side-by-side with Chris and the team as they work with law enforcement to take down a child predator.

Real Life CSI Tour. This is a private tour of Othram's forensics lab where you'll learn the details of published solved cases and get a sneak peek at emerging forensic tech. Then you'll share a private dinner with the Othram executive team!
Private profiling session with Jim Clemente . Need we say more? You'll have a 1-on-1 with the retired FBI profiler and CrimeCon fave!
Meet Paul Holes at CrimeCon. A private 30-minute meet & greet with the true crime legend! You can chat, take pictures, and you'll also go home with a signed copy of "Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases."
Work a Cold Case With Sheryl McCollum. Ride shotgun with "Mac" and take a deep dive into one of her most challenging cases. You'll work a full day with access to the case file, take meetings with forensic and investigative experts, and even visit a crime scene. Hawaiian shirts optional!
Spend the day with Matt Murphy. Spend a day in the life with one of the most experienced attorneys of our time, former Orange County homicide prosecutor Matt Murphy.

Spend the Day With Dr. Henry Lee. You'll spend the day with one of the world's foremost forensic scientists at the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science at the University of New Haven.
Facetime With Nancy Grace. What would you talk to Nancy Grace about? You'll have a private Facetime conversation with the icon.
Zoom With Ryan Phillippe. The famous actor, producer, and writer is known for such titles as "Catch Hell," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "The Lincoln Lawyer," and true crime story "American Murderer." He's also involved with The Innocence Project and was awarded the 2016 "Advocate for Justice" award. Additionally, he is an advocate in support of military and veteran caregivers.
Zoom With Candice DeLong. You'll have a 30-minute Zoom chat with the retired FBI Criminal Profiler, best-selling author, and popular true crime TV host.

In addition to this mind-blowing auction, there will also be a raffle at $20 per entry with a randomly selected winner chosen at the end of the Black Friday streaming event. Buy as many entries as you want to win the Ultimate VIP CrimeCon Vacation. You and a guest will attend CrimeCon 2023 as a VIP (including unprecedented access to the backstage Speakers Lounge), have three nights of accommodation at the Orlando World Center Marriott, 2 Universal Parks tickets, and Oxygen and Dateline swag!

The Give Back-A-Thon starts at 8pm ET on November 25 and can be viewed here . The auction will remain open for bidding through Tuesday, November 29. Watch, bid, and help us give back!

RSVP HERE FOR CRIMECON GIVE BACK-A-THON →

Join crimeHQ's Cold Case Club

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 20:08:07 GMT

crimeHQ Cold Case Club: Who Killed Tanya Frazier?

About The Case

In the summer of 1994, 14-year-old Tanya Fraizer left her Seattle middle school summer course, telling friends she was heading to work at a nearby soup kitchen. After leaving the campus, she disappeared. One week later her body was found in an isolated area in a wealthy Seattle neighborhood. She'd been stabbed to death and sexually assaulted.

From day one of the case, private investigators Rose and Bob Winquist took on the case with a passion and fierce dedication that has stuck with them nearly 30 years later. Despite DNA evidence found at the autopsy, the case remains unsolved. Within the last 27 years, Rose and Bob have interviewed dozens of people, combed through Tanya's journals and notes, and retraced Tanya's steps the day she went missing countless times. They believe this case is absolutely solvable, and maintain it just has not gotten the attention it deserves.

The crimeHQ Cold Case Club will meet weekly over the next several weeks. Members will have access to Rose and Bob's entire case file, Tanya's autopsy report, and crime scene photos.

What Happens in the Club?

The crimeHQ Cold Case Club will meet weekly over the next several weeks via Zoom. Members will have access to Rose and Bob's entire case file, Tanya's autopsy report, and crime scene photos. If you're unable to join live each Tuesday, you can watch the video recording and event recap of each session the following day. Members will hear from and interact with experts, investigators, and the people connected to the case. We encourage everyone to share their theories, findings and questions.

Schedule of Events

*MORE WILL BE ADDED THROUGH JULY & AUGUST*

Who Killed Tanya ?

Tuesday, 6/14 at 7p ET

Members were introduced to our case moderators, Rose and Bob Winquist, who provided an introduction to Tanya's case and explained what they hope to achieve with the club. Members were also introduced to Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hudson, a data analyst and victim advocate. Lizzie shared a data model she has been building and encouraged everyone to help contribute and maintain the spreadsheet.

My Everything

Tuesday, 6/21 at 7p ET

While most 14-year-old girls want to spend as much time as they can with friends, Tanya wanted to spend her time with her baby sister Teara. The two were incredibly close, which is why Teara and their mother knew the minute Tanya didn’t come home that something was horribly wrong. In this session we meet Tanya’s sister Teara and her mother Theresa as they share what Tanya meant to them, their thoughts on the case, and their efforts to keep the investigation alive.

Not Quite a Crime Scene

Tuesday, 6/28 at 7p ET

Investigators believe the area where Tanya’s body was found is not where she was killed. Leaving them only with a “dumpsite” and no crime scene. In this session we meet with retired homicide investigator, Kathy Decker, who solved numerous murders in Washington State, many involving “dumpsites.” Kathy explains the significance of a dumpsite and what it can tell us about the killer. Kathy also explains the challenges of working without a crime scene, and ways investigators can try to work around it.

Sharp Force Injuries

Tuesday, 7/12 at 7p ET

In this session, we dive into Tanya’s autopsy report with renowned death investigator and host of the “Body Bags” podcast, Joseph Scott Morgan. Joe will walk us through the report’s key findings and what the “dumpsite” photos reveal.

Join the Cold Case Club to help us investigate Who Killed Tanya Frazier →

THE TRUE CRIME FILE

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 17:30:00 GMT

THE TRUE CRIME FILE: Serial Killers, Famous Kidnappings, Great Cons, Survivors & Their Stories, Forensics, Oddities & Absurdities, Quotes & Quizzes compiled by Kim Daly is a content-packed mini-encyclopedia for newcomers and aficionados alike that delivers more than 200 stories of murder, mayhem, and survival. Our favorite part? Daly gets to the heart of true crime while remaining respectful of the victims—meaning all the stories are told with an emphasis on awareness, victim advocacy, and social justice.

The True Crime File is perfect for those just beginning to explore the thrilling vagaries of true crime and also provides a new lens for fans who have been delving into the subject for years.

For a teaser, read our Q&A with Kim Daly, who wrote and compiled The True Crime File

Q: Can you elaborate on why The True Crime File is described as “not your average crime book?”

A: The focus is much broader than the average crime book. There are more than 200 crimes, facts, and quizzes that cover a survey of everything true crime—from stalking, kidnapping, and murder to heists, forensics, and famous uprisings and beyond and in between.

Q: Can you tell us more about your background and how it informed the tone and content of The True Crime File?

A: I have a background in trauma studies, victim’s advocacy, and conscious language. I wanted The True Crime File to reflect this—trauma-informed, victim-focused true crime content delivered in as sensitive and respectful a tone as possible. There’s always a risk of exploitation when telling stories of violent crime or even crimes of desperation, but I think avoiding sensationalism mitigates that risk.

Q: Do you have a favorite entry from the book or a story that’s stayed with you for a long time?

A: I have a lot of favorites. I like the story of musician Gram Parsons, whose friends stole his corpse with the intention of fulfilling his dying wish of being cremated and having his ashes spread in Joshua Tree National Park. To say they bungled it is a massive understatement. The story gives me such a visceral feeling of a specific time—the early 1970s—and place and how mythologized and romanticized the very real and tragic consequences of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll.

One that’s stayed with me for a long time is the mysterious death of Keith Warren, a Maryland teenager who was found hanged in July 1986, just a month before he was supposed to start college. I remember seeing the story on a rerun Unsolved Mysteries in the early aughts and the chilling sense of disbelief that police insisted he died by suicide.

Q: Did you discover anything new or surprising while writing the book?

A: Writing and compiling the book was basically just a prolonged discovery of new and surprising things. I really can’t even narrow it down.

Q: Are there any personal anecdotes on why you chose to include specific stories?

A: I lived just half a dozen houses down from the senior center where Louise Paciarello was murdered in 2007. I remember driving past the scene on my way to work the following morning. I had never seen anything like it—her apartment was incinerated, leaving behind a charred void. I was working at a local newspaper, so I was able to follow the story very closely as it unfolded. The neighborhood always struck me as strange—in an otherwise residential area, there were two churches, a monastery, an overgrown abandoned elementary school, and a cemetery within a block radius. And then a murder.

Q: What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

A: I hope it scratches whatever true crime itch a reader might have!

Kim Daly writes about pop culture, true crime, and mystery when not working as copy chief at Workman Publishing. She holds a master’s degree in English with a focus on trauma studies and previously worked as a rape crisis counselor. She lives across from the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.New Paragraph

Demanding the Truth for the Missing Children of Tuam

Mon, 16 May 2022 15:32:44 GMT

Between 1925 to 1961 in Ireland, unwed expectant mothers in County Galway were banished to a mother and baby home to give birth. Operated by the Bon Secours Sisters, a religious order of Catholic nuns, the workhouse was home to thousands of unmarried pregnant women who had brought perceived shame upon their families — a place to hide them away until they gave birth. Many women were kept in the workhouse well after they gave birth, forced to nurse other children but never allowed to be alone with their own. Soon after birth, most babies were adopted out of the home, often without their mothers’ consent.

Mother and baby homes were not uncommon in Ireland at the time, but the Bon Secours held a dark secret: almost 800 dead children, aged from 35 fetal weeks to several years old, were presumably “buried” in a septic tank on the home grounds. And there they remained during the 36 years the home operated. The horror remained undisturbed until a young boy fell into the pit while playing with a friend in 1971. Local authorities examined the mass grave, chalked it up to “unbaptised babies lost to the famine,” and covered the macabre tomb with a concrete slab.

The site was forgotten until local historian Catherine Corless, researching the Tuam community, found herself perplexed at the staggering number of death certificates from the Bon Secours home, but a disturbing lack of burial records. In 2012, Corless published an article about her findings and later discovered the names of the almost 800 children who died in the home and were likely in the horrific mass grave.

CrimeCon 2022 welcomed two Bon Secours survivors, Michael Byrne and Kathy Bellise, to the stage to share their stories as they have fought to learn the truth — not only about why the dead children were so cruelly discarded, but about their own histories. Moderated by Angeline Hartmann, Director of Communications at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Michael and Kathy were joined onstage by Kathy’s husband Andrew and virtually by Tanya Stephan, director of the Topic Original documentary series The Missing Children.

Kathy Bellise was born in the home in 1956 and lived there until she was adopted (she believes) in 1959. “I was adopted to America,” says Kathy. “I wasn’t fully adopted for almost two years because my [birth] mother wouldn’t sign the adoption papers. We don’t know officially whether or not she finally signed the papers or [the home] signed the papers,” she says, referencing the unacknowledged truth that the home often forged signatures of mothers who desperately wanted to keep their children.

Many of the babies born, Kathy says, were simply removed from their mother’s arms and adopted out of the home while the mother worked. Kathy’s mother, like many, was forced to leave the home without her child one year after giving birth.

“A big adoption machine is what it was,” says Michael, “starting from the government and the Catholic church. Then in the States, the airlines were involved, and the US embassy was involved in issuing visas.” Money, he says, changed hands at every turn.

Tanya Stephan agrees. “Money is definitely a part of this story. Michael and Kathy have incredible documentation to show that money was part of the transaction that involved their adoptive parents paying to the nuns and the Catholic agencies in America who were helping with this process.”

A clip from the Topic Original documentary series The Missing Children shows receipts for £50 that Kathy’s adoptive father sent to the home in 1957 “in regards to the adoption of [Kathy].” It’s a receipt, we learn, for money paid simply to receive a photo of their soon-to-be daughter. More letters show references to generous donations for “gifts” and “fees.” Altogether, Kathy’s family estimates they paid the home and the Catholic church $5,000 to adopt her — a figure equal to her father’s annual salary.

“I was one of the lucky ones,” says Kathy. Although she was due to go home to America with her adoptive father on Christmas Day, she could not leave the country because she had the measles. “That’s what most of the babies in the home died from. I was lucky because I was adopted and I was taken care of.”

Beyond the atrocities that, to this day, lie buried in the tomb at the site in Tuam, Michael says adoptees from the home are fighting for their rights to obtain information about their past. “Adoptees cannot get their original birth certificate,” he says. “They go in to get a passport in Ireland and it’s stamped on it: ‘adoptee.’ It’s like we’re second class people,” he says, choking back tears.

The mass grave that still remains at the site of the home contains hundreds of children who allegedly died of measles, whooping cough, and other highly curable diseases, in addition to neglect and malnutrition; records show that the infant death rate at Bon Secours was double that of other homes. “The home was given [assistance] from the state to make sure they [the children] were fed and taken care of,” says Kathy’s husband Andrew, “but they weren’t.”

“The Catholic cemetery was right around the corner,” says Kathy. “They wouldn’t bury them there. They just threw them away. People want to say it didn’t happen, but it happened.” The nuns from the home, however, were given the dignity of a proper Catholic burial in that same cemetery just a stone’s throw from the mass grave.

Response from local and national governments in Ireland has been slow. The authorities, Tanya says, are not treating the site like a crime scene. “Imagine finding a disused sewer system like this in your back garden,” she says. “The police would be there immediately, it would have been cordoned off, it would have been excavated, and people would be prosecuted. It’s difficult to imagine how this system of hundreds of children’s remains is still there, and nothing has been done.”

“In June [2022], they’re supposed to start forensic excavations,” says Andrew. However, those close to the case are accustomed to bait-and-switch tactics that have seen several false starts in government action at the site. “There was a mini excavation [in 2016] in which they said, more or less, that they might do further excavations depending on what they find,” says Hartmann. Authorities took no further action at that time. “They said in 2021 that they would excavate then, but it never happened,” Tanya adds.

In 2021, the Bon Secours organization finally admitted in a written statement that neglect occurred at the mother and baby home during its operation and donated €2.5 million to the estimated €12 million cost of excavating the site. However, they stopped short of apologizing or admitting responsibility for the treatment of the mothers and children who suffered in the home during almost 40 years in operation.

To Michael, Kathy, Andrew, and Tanya, the lack of movement on the site has been maddening, and it’s difficult to keep hopelessness at bay. However, they have now brought the story to a CrimeCon stage in front of hundreds of justice-minded true crime enthusiasts whose first question is always “What can we do to help?”

“Ireland thinks nobody else knows about this,” says Michael. “We need to let them know this is not a secret. We all know what happened.” As Americans, Tanya says, the best thing we can do is to talk about the story and lobby our federal representatives to put pressure on Ireland to investigate the site and the Bon Secours organization for what is, but hasn’t been classified, a crime. “A crime is a crime,” says Hartmann to applause from the CrimeCon audience.

“We’re also still fighting for our rights as adoptees,” says Kathy. “We can’t get information about ourselves, our parents, or our health history. They keep saying ‘It’s sealed for 30 years,’ then it’s another 30 years. This is all on paper somewhere and we should know.”

One of the easiest ways to help is to watch the Topic Original documentary series The Missing Children and recommend it to friends. Many people have no idea these atrocities happened and are still happening. Learning about what happened at Tuam will arm viewers with the information necessary to take action. “The authorities treat this as a can that’s kicked down the road again and again,” says Tanya.

Over the years, we have seen what can happen when hundreds of like-minded people come together to pursue justice and apply political pressure to act on criminal and social issues. With the missing children of Tuam’s story now in the hearts of hundreds of action-oriented true crime enthusiasts, Michael, Andrew, Kathy and Tanya hold hopes that an investigation will move forward to bring answers and justice for 800 forgotten children.

Visit www.crimeHQ.com to watch the CrimeCon 2022 Session Topic Presents: Demanding the Truth for the Missing Children of Tuam .

Start your 7-day free trial and get 50% off a 1-year subscription of Topic HERE .

CrimeCon 2022 Recap

Fri, 06 May 2022 19:59:19 GMT

As the world heals from a devastating pandemic, CrimeCon is back in a BIG way — record-setting crowds, packed-house sessions, and more to offer than ever before. The event ran the gamut of emotions, with high-fiving highs and gut-wrenching lows, belly laughs and ugly-cries. Through it all, the spirit of this convention held strong: advocacy, education, and bottomless compassion for the victims and their families.

In 2017, we were thrilled to have 800 people at our first event in Indianapolis. This year, the smallest breakout room alone held twice that many as we welcomed approximately 5,000 true crime fans, creators, experts, speakers and more to Las Vegas.

There’s a special power in the room when you gather that many people who want to do good things. Watching this event grow to this size, simply because enough people are invested in that simple and right idea, is an incredible honor.

While hot-ticket sessions like Dateline 24/7: What’s Next for the True Crime Original and JonBenét: Dispelling 25 Years of Myths were the largest events of the weekend, CrimeCon 2022 sessions presented a massive array of topics and ideas:

Advocacy : Sessions that brought attention to overlooked cases, called for compassion in the true crime community, or raised awareness about the rights of victims and families
Science : New advancements in scientific investigative methods and in-depth looks at how science changed the game in high-profile cases
Practical Tips : Sessions that delivered specific, actionable advice attendees can put into everyday practice to keep themselves and their loved ones safe

ADVOCACY

The most common question during CrimeCon Q&As: “What can we do to help?” We love the spirit of our audience and their determination to make a difference, and oftentimes the answer is simply to spread the word and lead with compassion.

A Father's Fight: David Robinson's Search for His Missing Son Daniel

David Robinson; Moderated by Kate Winkler Dawson

Many people show up to CrimeCon for the high-profile cases they’ve followed for years, and that’s a great way to learn more about cases that have been widely investigated. However, CrimeCon also features less well-known, more recent cases that deserve more attention than they’ve received in the media. One such case is that of Daniel Robinson.

In June 2021, 24-year-old geologist Daniel Robinson disappeared after leaving a worksite in the Arizona desert. A month later, his vehicle was found wrecked in a twenty-foot ravine in a remote part of the Sanora desert about three miles from the worksite. No trace of Daniel has ever been found. His father David took the stage to tell the CrimeCon audience about the case and his personal efforts to find his son.

Ever since the moment David left his home across the country and began driving to the Arizona desert, fielding calls and taking tips along the way, he has not let up in his efforts to work alongside law enforcement to find answers for his son — and he has no plans to quit anytime soon: “In the military, we never left a battle buddy behind. As a father, I can’t leave my battle buddy behind, either.” David asked the audience to spread the word about his son’s case and to share the website PleaseHelpFindDaniel.com .

Watch "A Father's Fight: David Robinson's Search for His Missing Son Daniel" on crimeHQ →

Sister Strong: Fighting Back Against the Dark Corners of the Internet

Julie Murray, Kelsi German, Sarah Turney; Moderated by Renee Williams

Many CrimeCon attendees come for the star power — the Datelines, the Chris Hansens — but they stay for the everyday heroes touched by horrible tragedies who somehow come out swinging. CrimeCon 2022 saw three such heroes join forces to show the audience how far a little compassion can go for surviving families of lost loved ones.

Julie Murray (sister of missing UMass student Maura Murray); Kelsi German (sister of Delphi murder victim Liberty German); and Sarah Turney (sister of missing/presumed murdered Alissa Turney) teamed up for a powerful session that highlighted their pursuit of answers for their loved ones but also shone a light on the harrowing journey it has taken them through. Flashes of screenshots, nasty messages from heinous online trolls, and troubling social media comments flashed across the stage as the three “sisters of” recounted the re-victimization and abuse they’ve endured during the simple act of trying to bring their loved ones justice.

“If you’re hearing me say ‘Go out and attack someone on behalf of my sister,’ then you’re not listening to me,” said Julie Murray. Kelsi German defended her right to feel her emotions while also working to find her sister’s killer: “I am allowed to be angry at my sister, because we didn’t have secrets” she said, wishing that Libby had told her she’d been interacting with a stranger online who is now a suspect in her murder. It’s a comment that online trolls cruelly insist implicates Kelsi in her sister’s murder.

Watch "Sister Strong: Fighting Back Against the Dark Corners of the Internet" on crimeHQ →

The Complexity of Grief & Trauma in the Public Eye

Kim Goldman

When Kim Goldman’s beloved brother Ron Goldman was killed alongside Nicole Brown Simpson in 1994, her family was thrust into a national spotlight to grieve under unimaginable circumstances: a nationally televised, embittered trial and intense harassment and scrutiny. Almost 28 years later, Goldman admits that the wounds are still as raw as the first day. Alternatively breaking into tears and cracking impeccably timed jokes, Goldman acknowledged the complexity of trauma and the confusion that families and survivors experience: that she can cry and laugh in the same breath or that she can acknowledge that she’s a victim even though she doesn’t feel like one.

“My friend Kelsi German said earlier that she doesn’t like it when people say “I’m sorry for your loss.” I don’t like it, either,” said Goldman. “And I don’t know why.” Upon learning there were other trauma survivors in the audience, Goldman offered a possible alternative: “Just ask what people need. When I’m grieving, I don’t want to be touched,” she admits, recounting that her acutely affectionate fiancé has sweetly adapted to her inherent need for space when grieving. “Some people may just want to sit in silence with someone who loves them. And that’s okay.”

Watch "The Complexity of Grief and Trauma in the Public Eye" on crimeHQ →

SCIENCE

In one of his Netflix specials, comedian John Mulaney performs a bit about old-school 1940s detective work:

As we know today, that old-school detective now works hand-in-hand with modern scientific advancements and tools that find answers in the tiniest of clues. Many sessions at CrimeCon 2022 gave audience members a fascinating look into how these tools are used. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts:

Bringing Them Home: Behind the Scenes with DNA Doe Project

Margaret Press, Kevin Lord and Cairenn Binder

Following a captivating session about their work and the results they’ve garnered so far, CrimeCon attendees were encouraged to visit the DNA Doe Project booth in the exhibit hall and learn how to upload their 23andMe or Ancestry DNA results to GEDMatch. In doing so, attendees revealed hundreds of new matches to unidentified Jane Does that will give genetic genealogy investigators new hints to help give names to victims who deserve answers and justice. Seeing our justice-minded audience create hundreds of new tips on-site during the event is one of the most amazing things to happen at CrimeCon.

Watch "Bringing Them Home: Behind the Scenes with the DNA Doe Project" on crimeHQ →

Investigative Genetic Genealogy: The Secrets Behind the Magic

Barbara Rae-Venter

We all know that genetic genealogy investigation led to the downfall of Golden State Killer Joseph James DeAngelo. Many of us know it was clandestinely collected from his car door handle while he shopped at Hobby Lobby and matched against his family tree DNA. But did you know that the arrest of the Golden State Killer came down to one factor: his eye color?

After scouring through the genetic family tree and comparing samples to those collected at crime scenes, it was Joseph James DeAngelo’s blue eyes that finally identified him as the Golden State Killer and landed him behind bars after 40 years on the run. Barbara Rae-Venter, who worked closely with CrimeCon fan-favorite Paul Holes on the genetic investigation, rattled off the number of decades spent investigating the Golden State Killer’s crime sprees, the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent, the hundreds of suspects identified, thousands of hours of surveillance in the GSK case — and th en contrasted that with a few hundred dollars and the short list of suspects she and her genetics team narrowed down in just a matter of weeks.

Watch "Investigative Genetic Genealogy: The Secrets Behind the Magic" on crimeHQ →

Justice Through Genomics: Help Families Get the Answers They Deserve

Paul Holes and David Mittelman

When Detective Paul Holes joined the investigation of the 1974 cold case homicide of 17-year-old Carla Walker, he was elated to find a large DNA sample in evidence. More than 10 nanograms — a more than sufficient sample to test. “The case was as good as solved,” said Holes. When the results were returned, his heart sank: “Entire sample consumed during testing. No matches found.”

But then there came a pandemic that gave Paul a lot of time to think. He thought about a much worse DNA sample found on her dress. He reached out to Dave Mittelman at Othram, Inc., specializing in forensic genealogy to resolve unsolved murders, disappearances, and identification of unidentified decedents or murder victims. Using a miniscule amount of the already-tiny sample, Othram was able to determine a full genealogical profile and nail the perp.

Othram, Inc. founder David Mittelman took the stage to talk about the fascinating work his company does: “Our facility is purpose-built and designed for only one purpose: to dissect even the most trace quantities of evidence and follow all the processes you’d expect all the way into the court system.” Read that last part again: all the way into the court system .

“Identifying the killer is great,” said Mittelman, “but you’ve gotta be able to prosecute them, too.” Flashes of three newspaper covers appear on screen: one from 1974 announcing Carla Walker’s death; one from 2020 showing the arrest of 77-year old Glen Samuel McCurley for her murder; and one from 2021 in which McCurley pled guilty, knowing that the DNA evidence was more than enough to convict him of her brutal murder. Just as importantly, Carla’s boyfriend Rodney, who lived under a cloud of suspicion for more than fifty years, was officially cleared.

To the people in the room, and the people in the case files on David Mittelman’s desk, this is the work of angels. From a miniscule sample, otherwise unusable for investigative purposes, Othram, Inc. can sequence a genome to identify a killer, give names to unidentified victims, or close long-frozen cases. “There are hundreds of thousands of unsolved cases,” said Mittelman. “I didn’t know that when I came into the forensics field. You hear about a case that hasn’t been solved, then there’s a new case, and that one kind of gets put out of memory. But not for their families.”

Watch "Justice Through Genomics: Help Families Get the Answers They Deserve" on crimeHQ →

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR LIFE

The overwhelming majority of the CrimeCon audience are female, and women make up most of the true crime entertainment market. Why is it? We may never know, but it could have something to do with the fact that women are trained and conditioned from a young age to be wary, to look over their shoulders, and to protect themselves in a world where th ey’re perceived as easy targets. To that end, many attendees come to CrimeCon to learn practical tips they can implement to protect themselves and their loved ones long after they leave the event. Here’s a look at a few things we learned at CrimeCon 2022:

Manipulation of the Mind: Have You Been There or Done That?

Dr. Kimberlie Massnick

Have you ever done something completely out of character for someone else and then wondered “Why did I do that?” It’s possible, says Dr. Kimberlie Massnick, you were manipulated into such action. After years spent corresponding with incarcerated violent offenders as part of her research into criminal behavior, Dr. Massnick has identified many ways that the heinous killers have tried to coerce her into falling under their control — and it turns out they are the same tactics used in controlling and manipulative relationships. If you’ve identified any of these red flags in your current or fledgling relationships, she says, it’s time to take action:

Intense emotional connection: Are things moving too fast?
Lie-and-Deny: Did you catch them in a clear lie? Did they deny it?
Moving the goalpost: Do they keep wanting more and more from you every time you “give in”?
Social inequities: Do they try to undermine your social status, gender, or economic situation to create self-doubt?

Watch "Manipulation of the Mind: Have You Been There or Done That?" on crimeHQ →

Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins; Presented by Oxygen

Faith Jenkins and Stephanie Gomulka

If we had to distill this session down to one sentence, it would be “Do your due diligence.” Oxygen presenter Faith Jenkins hammered home the point time and again: “When you meet someone online, look at their profiles. See what they think is funny. See what they value. See what they take pride in.”

Watch "Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins; Presented by Oxygen" on crimeHQ →

The 911 Experience

Brandon Hall

If you’re lucky, you’ll never have to call 911 with a life-or-death emergency. If you’re extraordinarily lucky, you’ll never have to answer a 911 call for a life-or-death emergency. Dispatcher Brandon Hall took to the CrimeCon 2022 stage to demonstrate how difficult, yet how important, it is to get every detail necessary to render appropriate aid from the receiving end of a 911 call: locations, behaviors, descriptions, circumstances, relevant vs. irrelevant information, and much more. His tips: if and when you call, be calm, clear and concise; ask the dispatcher what they need; and be patient — the dispatcher is working to get you help even if it doesn’t seem like it.

To drive the point home, Hall invited a lucky (or not-so-lucky) CrimeCon attendee to the stage to take a mock 911 call and attempt to collect the relevant details necessary to dispatch assistance. Although the call was relatively low urgency - a shop owner calling about a disruptive customer - the volunteer attendee showed how incredibly difficult it was to determine what information she needed and how to accurately capture it under such extreme pressure.

Watch "The 911 Experience" on crimeHQ →

Best Session to Rewatch on crimeHQ

crimeHQ Presents: AMA with John Ramsey

John Ramsey and Paula Woodward

Every year, while CrimeCon attendees leave for home on Sunday, crimeHQ members are treated to a special members-only session — and it’s always one for the books. This year, crimeHQ members were joined by JonBenét Ramsey’s father John Ramsey and Paula Woodward, author of Unsolved: The JonBenét Ramsey Murder 25 Years Later.

A true AMA (ask me anything), crimeHQ members were invited to line up at the microphones and ask any question they had about JonBenét, her murder, the investigation, or the Ramsey family’s experience. True to form, crimeHQ members didn’t hold back or shy away from tough questions, but they presented them with the professionalism and genuine investigative interest we’ve come to expect out of our most dedicated attendees.

In front of a packed room, John Ramsey patiently answered questions about how he remembers his daughter, what he would have done differently, and what the media got wrong. One painful moment came when John admitted that, although Patsy Ramsey supported JonBenét’s interest in beauty pageants as a way to spend time with JonBenét because Patsy knew her life would be cut short by breast cancer, John regrets allowing his daughter to become so exposed to possible predators.

Learn More about the Justice for JonBenét Ramsey Petition →

NOTE: crimeHQ is where you can watch ALL session videos from CrimeCon 2022, plus all past events!

Watch "AMA with John Ramsey" on crimeHQ →

Cutest at the Con

Before offering a fascinating look at how forensic scientists rely on logical deduction to make crucial determinations in crime scene investigation, legendary forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee surprised his wife, Xiaping Jiang with a trip to Death Valley National Park.

Watch "Logic & Lessons with Henry Lee" on crimeHQ →

CrimeCon: After Hours

At CrimeCon, some of the most amazing things happen after sessions have wrapped up for the day. Attendees head to the hotel restaurants and bars and run into their favorite podcasters; they hit the streets in search of local entertainment and meet other attendees who become friends; or they join one of the many after-hours CrimeCon events that take place all weekend long.

The CLUE Awards

This year, CrimeCon VIPs had the distinct honor of attending the inaugural CLUE Awards , the only awards show dedicated to recognizing excellence in true crime entertainment. CrimeCon VIP attendees enjoyed a plated dinner and open bar as th e ever-dapper legal analyst Dan Abrams hosted the event and introduced nominees before CrimeSonics’s Dan Brown Jr. wowed the crowd with a jaw-dropping performance of skill well beyond the “scary true crime documentary music” that has earned him FIVE Emmy awards. Rounding out the evening, the inspiring ladies from Black and Missing Foundation, Inc. took home the top award, Crimefighter of the Year, for their 14 years of tireless work finding answers for more than 400 missing and murdered minority victims with a speech that brought the most stoic audience members to tears.

Making Merry at the Mob Museum

After a long, jam-packed weekend of heavy, emotionally charged programming, CrimeCon attendees want to kick back and enjoy some much-needed moments of levity. This year, attendees flooded the Las Vegas Mob Museum to enjoy live music, dancing, hors d'oeuvres, and private tours of the museum that included artifacts such as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre wall, handwritten notes from Al Capone’s tax evasion trial, and the chair from Nevada’s first gas chamber, used in the state’s first execution: a member of the Tong organized crime family.

The best part? Meyer Lansky II, grandson of mafioso Meyer Lansky, was on hand to show attendees around the museum, which includes many of his own grandfather’s belongings. Lansky, Sr. was close friends with infamous mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and helped finance The Flamingo hotel. The two are largely credited with building the foundation for Las Vegas to grow to the “Sin City” entertainment mecca it is today.

Overall

Every year, the CrimeCon team strives to deliver something new and inspiring for our attendees. And every year, it’s the attendees who inspire us . You show up, year after year, to listen, learn, and advocate for victims and families. You share hugs and offer words of support to people you’ve never heard of while you celebrate the big names we all know and love. No matter how much work we put into it, every year it’s our audience that makes this event great. And every year, you’re the reason we can’t wait to do it again.

Choose your own CrimeCon 2022 adventure!

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 20:50:07 GMT

CrimeCon Las Vegas is almost here and we couldn't be more excited! At any given point during the long weekend, we have experts giving talks; exciting meet and greets; special VIP workshops, dinners, and cocktail hours; and of course the hosts of your favorite audio shows on Podcast Row! So we're here to help you choose your own CrimeCon adventure.

Get your coffee and don't be late showing up on Friday, as our very first block includes the options of legendary homicide detective Fil Waters, an informative presentation by the ground-breaking DNA Doe Project, a panel discussion featuring "The Real Killer" podcast, and a live taping of Nancy Grace's podcast!

Friday afternoon at 2:20pm, investigative podcast fans will have to choose between attending a presentation with Sarah Turney, Kelsi German, Julie Murray and Renee Williams on Fighting Back Against the Dark Corners of the Internet, and one with Bob Ruff of "Truth & Justice" with guests George Jared and Jim Clemente talking about the West Memphis 3. If podcasts aren't your thing, talk show host Steve Wilkos is also presenting, and there are meet-and-greets with Barbara Rae-Venter and Susan Constantine at the same time!

Friday night, you can wrap things up by partying with CrimeCon fave Paul Holes to celebrate the release of his book! But if you're not up for a party, you can choose to attend the "We Know You're Lying" workshop instead. Whichever you choose, make sure to get a good night's sleep as the exciting sessions start early at 9:10am Saturday morning.

Set your alarm, or you might miss Chris Anderson and Fatima Sliva of "Reasonable Doubt", or a live podcast taping of "Cults, Crimes & Cabernet." And if you're one of our VIP ticket holders, you also have the option to participate in the "Don't F**k With Our Workshop"!

After lunch, at 3:40pm, try to make the maddening decision of choosing from these options: the beloved Sheryl "Mac" McCollum with Meyer Lansky II; a Katherine Ramsland book signing; a Paul Holes meet-and-greet, "Dateline," and more!

At 6pm, you might want to see David Robinson speak on his powerful and inspiring efforts to find his missing son, and learn how you can help. Or you could attend a demonstration of the M-Vac, so powerful for DNA testing, or come to the "Up & Vanished" meet & greet.

Saturday night we're hosting a special event for our VIPs only: a dinner and the first ever CLUE Awards! You might be getting tired after all this (also, uh, Vegas!), but our sessions start early Sunday morning, so get to that buffet on time!

At 8:40am, crimeHQ members can see our own Kelly McLear with Melissa McCarty ("Killer Genes" pod) and Dave Stanton; forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht; or attorney Anne Bremner with Rose Winquist and Evan Bariault.

As the incredible options continue throughout the day, just do your best! No one can attend everything, and you may need a nap or wine break at some point, so just do your best. As one crimeHQ member said about all the options, "It's so painful! But, what a great PAIN!"

If you've been watching "The Thing About Pam," you probably won't want to miss Russ Faria with Joel Schwartz at 10:50am. But the same time slot also offers retired detective Ashton Packe or former FBI special agent Katherine Schweit. Also, anyone interested in the "Night Stalker" might choose to instead meet and greet with the legendary homicide detective Gil Carrillo!

Sunday at 2pm there is an extra special event just for members of crimeHQ: An "Ask Me Anything" with John Ramsey , father of slain child Jon Benét Ramsey. If for some reason you haven't joined crimeHQ yet, you can use this time to spend time on Podcast Row or at the merch booth!

Once all of the sessions have ended on Sunday, the fun isn't over yet! Don't forget about the CrimeCon After Party at 7pm at the Mob Museum! This will be a great time to hang out with guests and other attendees without the pressure of feeling like you might be missing another event. And don't forget, you'll be in Las Vegas, so have some fun!

While we love bringing you a ton of the best true crime speakers and events as possible, we do understand that it can be a challenge. Since many of the events happen concurrently, you'll end up missing some exciting options. One of our crimeHQ members expressed this well, saying, "Trying to decide which events to attend live is always bittersweet because I inevitably miss somebody I really want to see. Always thankful you guys record them and put them here!"

No matter which events you choose to attend in person, all crimeHQ members will be able to catch up later on archived videos of the events they missed! And if you're not joining us at CrimeCon in person, Livestream Access will still let you watch and participate, from the comfort of your own home. You'll even be able to participate in the guest meet-and-greets and speaker Q&As. Whether we'll be seeing you in Las Vegas or you're tuning in from the couch, we can't wait to share this incredible weekend of events with you!

JOIN CRIMEHQ →

SEE THE CRIMECON 2022 SCHEDULE →

Listen to Crimes and Consequences for your weekly dose of true crime!

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 11:45:03 GMT

Listen to Crimes and Consequences for your weekly dose of true crime!

Explore the gripping details of true crime murders presented to you by two attorneys, Talia and Tonya, who use their sarcasm and wit to plow through the horrors of these brutal crimes. Court and police records are heavily relied on to ensure the accuracy of each episode. Listen to Crimes and Consequence s for your weekly dose of true crime.

SUNY Canton - Investigate Your Passion!

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 02:44:55 GMT

Have you ever wondered how you could turn your passion into a career? The first step is to complete a degree in the discipline and at SUNY Canton--they offer a 4-year Bachelor of Science in Forensic Criminology program that is fully online! SUNY Canton's Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence & Cybersecurity also offers degrees in Criminal Investigation (forensic science), Crime Analysis, Cybersecurity and many more.

If you aren’t ready for a full degree you can complete the Death Investigation micro credential, which involves the completion of the “Medico-Legal Investigation of Death” course and then either “Cold Case Investigations” or “Violent Crime Analysis.”

For more information, visit: canton.edu/crimecon

Investigate your passion with courses on Profiling, Sex Offenders, Serial Murderers & their Victims, Medico-Legal Investigation of Death, Violent Crime Analysis & Cold Case Investigations!

This post is sponsored by SUNY Canton.

4 Things To Do in Las Vegas

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 20:51:59 GMT

It would be a crime for thousands of true crime enthusiasts to descend on a city built on a foundation of organized crime and miss the many attractions that will set their morbid little hearts aflutter. If three jam-packed days of true crime programming at CrimeCon 2022 isn’t enough (it never is), we’ve compiled a list of four spooky, crime-y places within 15 minutes of Paris & Bally’s for your convenience.

♦ Zak Bagan’s The Haunted Museum

This macabre museum, opened by Ghost Adventures’s own Zak Bagans, may feature mostly paranormal exhibits, there are many items that make this attraction a must-see for true crime fans. Visitors get up close and personal with a cauldon belonging to Ed Gein; Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s “suicide van”; and -- wait for it -- a painting made from a portion of Charles Manson’s cremated remains.

Hours: 10a - 8p
Travel time (from CC): 10-15 minutes by car
Ticket price: $42-$73

♥ St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall

Perhaps the most infamous event in mob history, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre left seven members of George “Bugs” Moran’s North Side Gang dead, allegedly at the in absentia command of famed mob boss Al Capone. The brick wall where the men were lined up before the bloody execution-style slaughter now resides in The Mob Museum, but if you ask me, the historical significance of the artifact warrants its own inclusion in this list.

Hours: 9a - 9p
Travel time (from CC): 13-15 minutes by car
Ticket price: $29.95-$44.95

♠ Escapology Escape Rooms

Put your detective skills to the test with the Vegas Escapology escape rooms. Not your average escape room, Escapology offers puzzle-packed rooms with various themes that will resonate with true crime fans, such as the Murder on the Orient Express room; Scooby-Doo and the Castle Adventure; and the Mansion Murder. Each game is a private game, meaning only the people in your party will participate in the game and you won’t be locked in with a group of strangers.

Hours: 10a-12a
Travel time (from CC): 12-15 minutes by car
Ticket price: $38.99-$43.99 per person

♣ Real Bodies at Bally’s

For the forensic fanatics among us, there’s a lot to be learned at the Real Bodies exhibit -- and it’s right in our backyard at Bally’s. The sometimes controversial exhibit displays the inner workings of real bodies, meticulously preserved for educational purposes. The exhibit includes a new section examining how COVID-19 affects various parts of the body.

Hours: 10a - 8p (last entry at 7p)
Travel time: On-site in Bally’s
Ticket price: $29.50 in advance; $33 at the door

Only Murders in the Building

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 18:54:39 GMT

Like millions of true crime fans, we are living for Only Murders in the Building on Hulu. A hilarious murder-mystery about three strangers (Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in a case. Steve Martin and Martin Short are, of course, national treasures, and Selena Gomez shines as the mysterious Mabel Mora.

If we're being honest, we knew that this show was going to be great as soon as they showed up at CrimeCon Austin this past June with an incredible photobooth experience for attendees.

Gomez has been on a press tour to promote the show and it's been fun to watch her talk about her personal experience at one of our events. While we love hearing Selena’s rave reviews about her CrimeCon experience, it’s important to note that Selena and her mother attended our CrowdSolve event in Chicago, not our annual CrimeCon convention. If you’re a true crime fan (or a Selena Gomez fan) here to learn more about CrimeCon, read on to understand the key differences.

CrimeCon vs. CrowdSolve

CrimeCon is a large, weekend-long annual event in a traditional “convention” format with an exhibit hall, podcast row and multiple programming tracks and speakers broken up into approximately one-hour time slots. Attendees learn about a wide range of topics like forensics and investigative techniques while also getting an in-depth looks at cases, enjoying meet & greets with guests and experts, and attending live podcast and YouTube recordings and demonstrations. Read more about the CrimeCon format and watch some past session clips.

Conversely, when Selena attended CrowdSolve , she and her mother joined hundreds of other attendees who came together to help make a difference in one c o l d c a s e . At CrowdSolve, Selena had access to the full, unredacted case file of an open case out of Ohio. In teams, our CrowdSolvers reviewed interview transcripts, witness statements, crime scene photos, and autopsy reports. Each team spoke with the victim’s family members and the original investigators and had a crash course in several investigative concepts they used to examine the facts of the case.

We loved having Selena and her mom with us at CrowdSolve; they focused, took notes, helped their team, and really leaned in to help a grieving family get answers. While Selena joked with Seth Meyers that the event ended without "cracking the case," the truth is that the leads and ideas generated that weekend have fueled the department working the case as well as overall interest in it from the community and local media.

While we currently do not currently have future dates planned for CrowdSolve, we very much hope that Selena, Mandy and all the true crime fans out there (Martin Short and Steve Martin, that includes you, too!) join us for our next annual CrimeCon convention, April 29-May 1 in Las Vegas!

Want to know more? Read a recap of CrimeCon 2021 here and check out over 175 hours of CrimeCon session video at crimeHQ.com !

The Binge List by crimeHQ

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 19:22:11 GMT

A sneak peek at what's on The Binge List this month. J oin the crimeHQ community for access to the full list!

One of those most underrated features of crimeHQ is The Binge List. The official crimeHQ Binge List is a carefully curated and constantly updated list of upcoming true crime & thriller/mystery documentaries, series, podcasts and books.

Here's a peek at some of the new releases coming up this month. Join the crimeHQ community for access to our full directory!

WATCH

(8/25) John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer (Netflix) - Idolized medium João Teixeira de Faria rises to fame before horrifying abuse is revealed by survivors, prosecutors and the press. Through exclusive footage and interviews from all sides of the case, this series dives deep into the "John of God" scandal.

(8/25) The Program: Prison Detox (Discovery+) - Shot during the COVID-19 pandemic, the series follows the 14th class of the inventive program designed to help drug felons, that have been in jail multiple times, turn their lives around.

(8/25) Clickbait (Netflix) - In this thriller series, eight different points of view provide tantalizing clues to the perpetrator of a gruesome crime fueled by social media.

(8/26) Monster In The Shadows (Peacock) - This new docuseries explores the disappearance of 19-year-old Brittney Wood and reveals a tangled web of family secrets including an alleged sex-trafficking ring that goes back decades.

(8/31) Only Murders In The Building (Hulu) - The comedy surrounds three strangers who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a murder occurs in their NYC apartment building, they are forced to work together to figure out what happened.

(8/31) Untold: Crime and Penalties (Netflix) - For the fourth installment of Untold, viewers are introduced to the notoriously violent Danbury Trashers, a now-defunct United Hockey League team that was bought by a mobster and ran by his 17-year-old son.

READ

(8/24) Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? (Albatross Funnybooks) - Harold Schechter teams with graphic novelist Eric Powell to bring you the tale of one of the most notoriously deranged serial killers in American history, Ed Gein.

(8/31) A Slow Fire Burning: A Novel by Paula Hawkins - When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him.

Weekly CrimeConversations in crimeHQ

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 22:44:28 GMT

True crime covers so many fascinating topics--and for every topic there's an expert. For the past few months, crimeHQ has been hosting weekly “CrimeConversations” — live virtual events where members can interact with different experts in the genre.

Here’s some of the guests who have joined us for CrimeConversations in the past few weeks. To take part in weekly CrimeConversations, head over to crimeHQ and start your free trial!

Patty Tackett | Cold Case Detective | August 11

Patty Tackett has been with the Dayton, Ohio Police Department for 31 years and has worked cold cases as a Detective since 2005. Detective Tackett has been at the helm of some of Ohio’s most notorious cases such as the murder of Tina Ivery and the widely publicized missing persons case of Niqui McCown.

What crimeHQ members thought of the event: "The deceptive tells she provided were all useful and I look forward to testing them out when dealing with kids, first dates, and with co-workers."

Phil Chalmers | Counter Homicide Trainer and Criminal Profiler | August 4

Phil Chalmers is a homicide trainer, who has interviewed hundreds of teen killers, school shooters, mass murderers and serial killers. He has been studying killers and culture for 35 years. In the last few years, Phil has turned his attention to serial murder and is now on track to interview and interact with more serial killers than anyone in US history.

What crimeHQ members thought of the event: “What a great program! As the mother of a teenage boy, this was valuable information. I worry about the other teenagers that my son will be exposed to in high school.”

Traci Brown | Body Language of Deception Detection | July 28

TIME Magazine named Traci Brown, CSP one of the Nation’s Top Deception Detection Experts! Traci is trained in the body language of deception detection right alongside our country’s top law enforcement. Traci taught crimeHQ members about the lie, fraud and identity theft detection skills she’s used to get to the truth in billion dollar business deals, crimes and politics.

What crimeHQ members thought of the event: “Traci Brown is fantastic! This was such a good session! I learned so many interesting ways to spot a lie. Thanks for sharing some of your tips and tricks with us, Traci!”

Join crimeHQ now and get your first 3 days completely free to explore everything on the platform with NO restrictions. With 175+ hours of on demand content, tons of special events, and so many cases and topics to join the conversation about, we know you'll be a crimeHQ member for a very long time.

CrimeCon 2021 Recap

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 21:24:27 GMT

Hey all, CrimeCon Informant here with a quick recap of CrimeCon 2021. It’s been two years since we saw our CrimeCon family, and the reunion was as bittersweet as it was inspiring. For many, this was the first time in over a year that we’ve left our homes, shown our faces, or hugged old and new friends -- and it was a privilege to witness it (and to be on the receiving end of so many hugs!).

CC Mayor Josh Mankiewicz opened CrimeCon 2021 from his home, loaning all CC attendees his "Mayor of CrimeCon" title for the weekend. Any seasoned CrimeCon veteran will attest that the weekend is full of tears and grief, but also full of laughter and hope. Every year, thousands of CrimeCon attendees learn about new cold cases, technological advancements, and come face-to-face with the families of victims looking for justice.

Here's a quick look at some of the biggest moments from CrimeCon 2021...

Most Emotional Sessions

Confronting OJ Simpson: A Candid Conversation with Kim Goldman

Speaker: Kim Goldman

I sat in the front row of the main ballroom Saturday afternoon and overheard the kind of conversation one can only hear at CrimeCon: “It’s been so nice not having to explain to anyone who Ron Goldman is,” said one Partner in CrimeCon to another. “Agreed,” came the response from beside her. “My kids don’t even know who O.J. Simpson is.” I turned to speak to them and learned that the two women had come to CrimeCon solo but had become fast friends. I will never grow bored of hearing about new CrimeCon pals.

The lights dimmed and photos of Ron Goldman flashed across the screens as audio from Ron’s answering machine filled the room. Five excruciating minutes of messages changed from “Hey buddy, you’re late!” to “I just wanted to hear your voice again” as friends and family learned Ron had been brutally murdered while defending his friend Nicole Brown from the heinous attacker who killed them both in 1995.

Ron’s beloved sister and best friend Kim Goldman took the stage (to a standing ovation) with tears in her eyes, tension in her shoulders, and a hand full of tissues to deliver one of the most raw and emotionally painful presentations in CrimeCon history. Peppered with lighthearted jokes to break the tension, Goldman’s story brought the crowd to tears (“All I had was my father and my brother; we were three peas in a pod, the Three Musketeers”) and cheers (“[Ron’s killer] is a disgusting piece of s***.”)

Why Take the Kids?: A Closer Look at the Disappearance of Susan Cox Powell and the Murder of Her Two Sons

Speakers: Anne Bremner & Evan Bariault

Equally heartbreaking was the audio of a 911 call placed by a social worker outside the home of Josh Powell just moments before he murdered his sons Charlie and Braden. Powell was under suspicion in the disappearance and suspected murder of his wife Susan Cox Powell, a devastating case for even the most desensitized true crime enthusiast. Legendary attorney Anne Bremner and trial lawyer Evan Bariault listened intently from the stage as audio they must have dissected hundreds of times brought them both to tears yet again.

Evan Bariault, part of the trial team that secured a $115 million verdict against the State of Washington surrounding the deaths of Charlie and Braden Powell, went on to describe the state of the home during the investigation as evidence photos flashed across the jumbotron screens. Josh Powell had attempted to kill the young boys with a hatchet before setting fire to the home, eventually resulting in a devastating explosion. “The autopsy later found--” Bariault’s voice broke and he stopped to choke back tears, “-- that there was evidence of smoke inhalation in the boy’s lungs, so they were alive when Josh Powell sat down on top of a gasoline can and set the house ablaze.”

But even in the most desperate moments, there is room for triumph. Bariault explained that the Powell family attempted to inter Josh Powell alongside the murdered boys -- but a local organization raised thousands of dollars to buy all of the burial plots surrounding the boys’ gravesite to prevent this from happening. Applause and cheers of approval filled the room.

Most Inspiring Session

Surviving Castro: How a Lost Decade Created a Fierce Advocate

Speakers: Chief John Majoy, Gina DeJesus and Sylvia Colon

Year after year, CrimeCon welcomes victims and survivors of some of the most horrendous cases (such as the Delphi families, Kathy Kleinert Rubin, and the GSK Sister Survivors). Inevitably, these sessions begin with an air of sorrow and sympathy, but the audience leaves with an energized sense of hope.

When Gina DeJesus took the stage, there was no sorrow, no pity -- she stood in front of hundreds of people with an omnipresent shy but sincere smile to talk about the ways she and her family are giving back to the community of Cleveland, Ohio after she spent nine years as a captive to sexual sadist and predictable coward Ariel Castro. Together with her cousin Sylvia Colon, Gina founded The Cleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults and now works every day to help families who endured similar trauma.

During her captivity, Castro gave DeJesus a flyer - which he had received directly from Gina’s mother as she desperately searched for her missing daughter. Gina asked her captor if she could keep it. “I wanted it because it was the last thing my mother had touched,” she explained.

Police Chief John Majoy, joining Gina onstage, asked if Castro gave her the flyer in an attempt to manipulate her or bring her down. “If that’s what he thought he was doing,” DeJesus responded quietly but with immense strength in her voice, “then he was wrong.” Once again, cheers and applause filled the room, pushing away the sadness that once hung so heavily in the air.

If the audience hadn’t already been ready to run through a wall for Gina, CrimeCoun Founder Kevin Balfe joined Dr. Bill Smock to surprise everyone on stage by telling them that CrimeCon would be matching the first $5,000 of Foundation donations during the event. Dr. Smock also donated a beautiful Police Surgeon tapestry to whomever gave the most. That moment really summarized what CrimeCon is all about: leveraging the power of this community to change lives.

Most Huggable Speaker

Gil Carrillo

One of the best parts about CrimeCon - and we hear this a lot - is that it’s an opportunity to celebrate the heroes of true crime, the investigators, rather than to glorify the heinous perpetrators that have ruined so many lives. One of the heroes who joined us at CrimeCon 2021 was Gil Carrillo, the rookie cop who went out on a limb to connect a series of murders in the Los Angeles area in the mid-1980s that led to the arrest of the infamous “Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez.

Carrillo was kind enough to host two powerful sessions during CC21. First, he gave the general CC21 audience a behind-the-scenes look at the popular binge-worthy Netflix series The Night Stalker, and also treated our crimeHQ subscribers to a small, exclusive Q&A session on Sunday afternoon as everyone else made their way home.

One crimeHQ member asked Carrillo to speak of the most memorable moments of the investigation and he told a story of Ramirez’s youngest victim, just nine years old at the time of the attack. Though shy and scared, investigators needed the young girl to talk about her encounter. After a thoughtful moment, she whispered in her mother’s ear. “She says she’ll talk to you,” her mother said, pointing to Carrillo, “because you remind her of her teddy bear.”

Indeed, Carrillo reminds us all of our teddy bears, representing all things good in the world, fighting the evil that lurks among us to keep us safe in the dark.

New Favorite Podcast

Fruit Loops Pod: Serial Killers of Color

As a true crime enthusiast, I am always on the lookout for new podcasts to fill the empty void in my heart in between CrimeCon events. During Podcast Row open hours, I found myself drawn to the booth of Wendy and Beth of Fruit Loops Podcast , a pod focusing on serial killers of color. Wendy and Beth took time to speak with every attendee who stopped by their booth, to dispel the myths that most of us believe about serial killers, namely that most are white, American men.

Indeed, Wendy and Beth can offer over 120 Fruit Loops episodes about serial killers of color from countries around the world that most true crime enthusiasts have never heard of -- and I am hooked. It’s like I’ve discovered true crime all over again. The cherry on top: Wendy and Beth are two of the strongest and smartest women in true crime; they take no prisoners in setting straight the pervasive assumptions we all make and they offer insightful commentary about these obscure cases that will definitely leave new listeners intrigued (and educated).

Most Populated Session

Don’t F**k With Cats: Behind the Hunt for an Internet Killer

Speakers: Deanna Thompson (“Baudi Moovan”) and John Green

We knew this session would be standing-room only (and we had a LOT of space in the room!). Just before the COVID-19 lockdown that canceled 2020, Netflix’s Don’t F**k with Cats took the true crime world by storm. Following the work of online amateur sleuths Deanna Thompson (screen name Baudi Moovan) and John Green (screen name John Green), DFWC illustrated the power of the amateur sleuth as the duo worked together with a trusted group of friends to track down notorious kitten-killer-turned-murderer Luka Magnotta.

Citizen detectives everywhere saw a little bit of themselves in Deanna and John. During this packed-house session, the two related behind-the-scenes anecdotes (Did you know their interviews were filmed in a very sketchy AirBnb with no air conditioning? In the middle of summer?) and shared their biggest challenges and frustrations (Try convincing a detective in another country to investigate a guy you think might live in their city and did something bad on the internet.) “We were laughed off the phone more than once,” they explained.

Deanna and John also answered some of the most frequently asked questions about the investigation and the docuseries itself. “Why did Deanna cry over a kitten but not Jun Lin?” asked one. Deanna took a breath before she began her answer. “I do cry over Jun Lin. I came to learn about the kind of person he was; he was so kind and funny and loving and I cry for him all the time.” She went on to explain that exhaustion and clever editing also played a part in how she came across on screen. She choked back tears, and when Baudi Moovan cries, we all cry. Fortunately, John brought the comedic relief and kept the questions rolling as the bins filled with discarded Kleenex.

BONUS: Did you know that Deanna and John had the help of a third citizen detective during their hunt for Magnotta? German expat Muervet Douglas - extremely camera shy and adorably small enough to fit in one’s pocket - declined to appear on camera in the docuseries, but joined Deanna and John for a second session dedicated to their new venture, The Animal Beta Project . “Muervet was instrumental in finding Magnotta,” explained Deanna. It took enormous courage for Muervet to take the stage, but she offered crucial insight for amateur investigators. “What should we do when we see something like this (animal abuse) happening online?” asked one audience member. Muervet took a deep breath - and then advised everyone else to do the same. “First thing - take a breath, take a chill pill. Keep your emotions out of it and look for evidence, focus on what you can use to find them and stop it.”

Best Session to Put Into Action

Practical Tactical (VIP)

Speakers: Spencer Coursen & Jason Hanson

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire: How to Know When Someone is Lying

Speaker: Mark McClish

When it comes to real-life, practical tips that CrimeCon attendees learn every year, there are two categories: the ones you hope you never have to use, and the ones you can’t wait to use.

While ex-CIA officer Jason Hanson and security guru Spencer Coursen offered VIP attendees tips from their combined 1,500 years (dog years) of expertise to keep oneself safe in a wide array of scary situations, statement analysis expert Mark McClish helped the audience learn how to spot deception from a mile away. “I hope I never have to use my shoelaces to break out of zip ties,” I overheard in McClish’s session. “But I can’t wait for the next time my kids try to lie to me.”

The biggest takeaways from both of these hands-on sessions:

Practical Tactical: “You must be willing to participate in your own safety.” - Spencer Coursen

Liar Liar Pants on Fire: “If they invoke the name of God, your ears should perk up.” - Mark McClish

Biggest COVID Inspired Change

Sometimes a unique challenge requires a very creative solution. So how do you give attendees the opportunity to meet with speakers while maintaining a safe social distance? With a little imagination, some inspiration from Zoom, a couple green screens, and just a sprinkle of tech magic. Mix it all together and you have #CRIMECAM

Now let's all hope we never have to do things this way again or take anymore Zoom calls this year.

The Session We Hope We Won't Ever Have To Do Again

Delphi Murders: Who Killed Abby and Libby?

Speakers: Kelsi German, Becky Patty, Tara German and Susan Hendricks

CrimeCon has followed this heartbreaking case since its first event in nearby Indianapolis the year the girls were killed and we will not give up until justice has been served. This year we were joined by family members Kelsi German, Tara German and Becky Patty along with HLN’s Susan Hendricks to go inside this unsolved double murder.

Will this finally be the year? We hope.

The Best Way to Make Up For Not Making it to Austin

Just because Mayor Mank and Dateline couldn't physically be in Austin, their presence was certainly felt (and seen!) throughout the weekend -- from life-size cutouts that created a memorable photo op to meet and greets via Zoom. We appreciate the creativity so much that we'll let their absence slide this year.

Overall

Boiled down to one word, I would describe CrimeCon 2021 as inspiring. Every session, every conversation, every speaker left an air of inspiration behind. Setting aside the programming itself, for many attendees, this was the first time they had left their hometowns in over a year; the first time they could take off their masks and see others smile; the first time they could hug the friends they made at CrimeCons past.

When the final session ended on Sunday, hundreds of attendees poured out of rooms with smiles, a renewed sense of energy and commitment to justice, and an aura of walking out of those rooms a different person than when they walked in. I stood in the main hallway and just observed the smiles, tears, hugs and high fives as attendees made their way home.

After two years of starts, stops, planning, re-organizing, and adapting to the changing environment, I joined the rest of the CrimeCon staff in packing up our office, exhausted but elated as we shared our favorite moments from the weekend. Over aching feet, through sleep-deprived speech and emotional overload, we all said it at least once: “I cannot wait for next year .”

How to build your CrimeCon schedule

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 05:00:36 GMT

By now we hope you already checked out the epic CC Schedule we've put together. When it comes to planning a CrimeCon experience, everybody seems to have their own system. We've seen your social posts with your highlighted paper schedules, post-it notes on the wall, and lots of coin-flipping while building your schedules. However, if you're looking for an easy way to plan your CC21 weekend, it doesn't get any easier than our scheduling platform, aptly named Sched. Here's an easy step-by-step intro to help get your schedule started!

REMINDER: UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED ALL SESSIONS ARE OPEN SEATING. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAKE A PERSONAL SCHEDULE FOR YOUR OWN PRIVATE USE, BUT THESE ARE NOT RESERVATIONS AND ARE NOT REQUIRED.

★ STEP 1 - CREATE A SCHED ACCOUNT AND LOG IN

Head to https://crimecon2021.sched.com to log in to Sched. If you haven't used Sched before, you'll need to create an account first, but don't worry; it's easy and free!

★ STEP 2 - EXPLORE THE SCHEDULE

Click the "Schedule" dropdown to explore the schedule in different formats. The "Simple" format is our favorite because it's, well, simple. The "Expanded" format shows session descriptions for each session, and the "Grid" view provides an overview of each time slot at a glance.

★ STEP 3 - USING THE LEGEND & FILTERS

At the right hand side of the screen, you'll find a handy color-coded legend that indicates the format of each session (i.e., "Meet & Greet," "VIP only," and so on). Click any color to see sessions in that category or click "Filter By Date" to see only sessions on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

★ STEP 4 - BUILD YOUR SCHEDULE

Ready to add sessions to your daily schedule? Great! Find the sessions you want and simply click the button to add it to your Sched!
NOTE: Sched is only a planning tool. Adding sessions to your Sched does not reserve a spot in the session.

★ STEP 5 - VIEW, DOWNLOAD, OR PRINT YOUR SCHEDULE

Finished selecting your sessions? Head to the upper right corner of your screen, click the profile image, and select "My Sched." You'll see a daily schedule with your selected sessions. From there, you can view, print, email, or download your schedule. Want to change sessions? No problem! Just head back to Schedule view and select the new session you want.

MAKE YOUR OWN CRIMECON SCHEDULE →

Choose Your Own CrimeCon Adventure

Mon, 24 May 2021 14:30:56 GMT

CrimeCon Austin is heating up, with new guest announcements and available tickets announced practically daily! And with all this excitement comes some angst as well — we hear you. As one crimeHQ member said , "OMG, the first draft of the schedule is out...already I'm torn in what I want to do (a good problem to have)."

At any given point during the long weekend, we have experts giving talks; exciting meet and greets; special VIP workshops, dinners, and cocktail hours; and of course the hosts of your favorite audio shows on Podcast Row!

Just look at 5:45pm on Saturday. As one crimeHQ member posted , "Already conflicted with the schedule... Delphi murders and Kim Goldman at the same time!" Maybe she didn't notice that there is also a live taping of the "Crime Stories With Nancy Grace" podcast, as well as Chris Hansen and Mark McClish meet and greets going on then, too?

And at 10:15am on Sunday, you could attend the powerful panel " Chasing Cosby: The Downfall of America's Dad ," get insight into Omar Mateen at " Red Flags: The Pulse Nightclub Shooting ," or sit in on a live taping of Stephanie Harlowe and Derrick Levasseur's podcast "Crime Weekly."

We know it's tough. We want to bring as much incredible talent and entertainment to each event as possible, but no one can do it all. That's one of the most exciting elements of our new platform, crimeHQ . You can relax and opt to attend whichever event or panel is most appealing at the time, without stressing out too much about what you're missing, as it will all be available on demand.

Maybe at 12:10pm on Friday, you'd honestly be more interested in hearing journalist George Jared and private investigator Jennifer Bucholtz discuss the still-developing case of Rebekah Gould's murder . But, all your true crime junkie girlfriends are set on going as a group to see the legendary John White share his knowledge on catching psychopathic serial killers. What to do?

Of course, it'd be awesome if somehow we could do it all, but there's just too much going on. Also, from personal experience, sometimes, after so much excitement, a hotel room nap is really necessary! Whether you have to skip something you wish you could have attended because of a conflicting event or even some self-care (or a rejuvenating glass of wine at the hotel bar) you can totally relax knowing that you can catch up on what you missed anytime you want on crimeHQ . And even pause, rewind, and rewatch as much as you want!

If the whole weekend has flown by and you haven't yet had a chance to explore Podcast Row, maybe you'll choose to do that at 11:30 on Sunday morning instead of going to the discussion with Kerri Rawson , author, survivor, and the daughter of Dennis Rader, the "BTK" serial killer. If that's what you pick, you'll be able to come to crimeHQ anytime and hear how Rawson picked up the pieces of her life after learning that her father is a sadistic serial killer.

Most importantly, we want you to be able to have fun, get informed, make connections, be energized, and have an amazing weekend, without worrying too much about what you're missing on the other stages.

Whether you're joining us in person in Austin or via a Virtual Access Pass , we can't wait to see you!

CHECK OUT THE CRIMECON 2021 SCHEDULE →

Your Virtual Access Pass to CrimeCon 2021 Austin

Fri, 14 May 2021 23:53:07 GMT

Rest assured that you can still take part in the FULL slate of weekend events (even from home)!

It's crazy to think it's been two years since we've been able to gather in person. We are beyond grateful CrimeCon Austin is actually happening, June 4-6, and that we'll be able to see so many members of our community in person.

We also realize and accept that not everyone is ready or able to travel. So this year we are going to meet everyone where they are, even if that's still at home. Rest assured that you can still take part in the full slate of weekend events!

While nothing can replace the real connections made by like-minded people at an event like CrimeCon, the Virtual Access Pass provides the next best thing at a lower price. Additionally, if your true crime besties are all vaccinated or in your pandemic pod, you can gather together and join in on the same computer or device, sharing the cost — leaving you more for your wine budget!

The Virtual event will be just like the real thing, with multiple simultaneous stages and breakout rooms. You'll be able to participate in live chats alongside all the speakers, join Q&As, and even have meet and greets with speakers, podcasters, and world-class experts. You can still enjoy the whole weekend of outrageously cool, informative, fun, and emotional events, and, as always, help in any way we can to close cases, find the missing, and fight injustice.

There are too many amazing guests to list all of them, but the roster includes Kim Goldman, Chris Hansen, the "Don't F*ck With Cats" citizen detectives, Gina DeJesus, Meaghan Good, and Kerri Rawson. And of course we all love Podcast Row! Meet the hosts of popular shows "Die-alogue," "Voices for Justice," "True Crime All the Time," "True Crime Garage," and so many more! See the full guestlist here.

Here are the deets for the Virtual Access Pass options:

Standard: $159
Gives access to the full weekend of all CrimeCon Austin programming except for the VIP-only events. We're offering discounts on Standard virtual passes for students, teachers, law enforcement, healthcare workers, and military personnel. Just contact us for info before you book.

VIP: $399
Provides live access to the Gold VIP-only programming happening in Austin, including a deep-dive cold case workshop. In addition, our VIP ticket swag bag will be shipped right to your home! You'll also be assigned a dedicated VIP email concierge to assist with planning your session schedule, tech questions or issues, and anything else to help you craft your perfect virtual weekend experience. Any of you who enjoyed CrimeCon "House Arrest" will remember how fun the Mystery Mingle was. We're bringing it back for Austin! Other VIP pass holders and even some mystery guests will cycle through and pop up on your screen via webcam during a set time. It's not quite a meetup at the hotel bar, but it still offers you the chance to make new connections, chat with old friends, and maybe have a one-on-one with one of your big name heroes!

SIGN UP NOW →

5 Cases We Believe Will Be Solved in 2021

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 23:51:03 GMT

2020 certainly held a number of surprises for the true crime community. While there are thousands of cold cases out there, recent developments and ongoing investigations in these cases may reach resolution by the end of the year.

The Delphi Murders
Even the most casual true crime fans are likely familiar with the 2017 murders of Abigail Williams (13) and Liberty German (14) in Delphi, Indiana. Although the Indiana State Police have released two composite sketches, a photo, a brief video clip, and an audio recording of the suspect taken from Liberty’s cell phone, their killer remains at large.

What is going on at Fort Hood?
The April 2020 disappearance and murder of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen brought national attention to the most populated US Army post. The murder also shone light on several other disappearances, murders, or suicides at the Kileen, Texas post and further exposed the underlying culture of sexual harassment and assault in the military.

The Zodiac Killer
Although the notorious Zodiac Killer is ubiquitous in the true crime community, very few held out hope that the unidentified killer would ever be caught or brought to justice. That is, however, until December 2020, when three men solved the Zodiac 340 cypher, renewing hope among amateur and professional investigators alike that the solution could lead to a break in the long-frozen cold case.

The Disappearance of Karlie Guse
While the 2018 disappearance of Karlie Guse from Chalfant Valley, California received little national news coverage, the baffling case continues to generate “spirited” discussion on discussion boards. The 17-year-old was last seen walking the main road in the wee hours following a bad trip after consuming unknown drugs at a party that evening. With her family has been splintered by accusations, blame-shifting, and name-calling, Karlie remains missing two years after wandering into the desert near her central California home.

The deaths of Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow . Unless you’ve been quarantining under a large rock, you are likely familiar with the crazy-making, head-scratching case of “cult mom” Lori Vallow and her husband Chad Di aybell. The 13-year-old Tylee and 7-year-old J.J. mysteriously disappeared shortly after a trip to Yellowstone National Park. Their bodies were later found buried on Chad Daybell’s property.

4 Last-Minute Gifts with NO SHIPPING NEEDED

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 20:34:21 GMT

Still not sure what to give the true crime fan on your list? Don't panic! We've got you covered with four shipping-free options!

CrimeCon 2021 Virtual Access Passes are HERE!

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 00:29:57 GMT

Full immersion in multiple concurrent sessions, speakers, and events, real-time chats with other attendees, moderated live chat Q&As, live polls, quizzes, and interactive experiences, virtual Podcast Row and live podcast recordings and MORE!

2020 True Crime Holiday Gift Guide

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 23:47:23 GMT

CrimeCon 2020: House Arrest Superlatives

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 22:05:21 GMT

Most Popular Stage Session: The Case That Haunts Me with Paul Holes

Paul Holes took House Arrest attendees into the mysterious murder of Emmon Bodfish, a reclusive business owner and investment banker formerly known as Margaret Bodfish. During House Arrest, Paul revealed crime scene photos, analysis of blood splatter patterns, and diary excerpts from Bodfish himself before a LIVE Q&A.

Most Popular Podcast Studio Session: Victimology

The host of Victimology , Melissa Lee is joined by fellow podcaster Melanie Peterson of Mask of Sanity podcast. Together, they discuss "Familicide" which is the killing of multiple family members, most commonly the homicide of an intimate partner and at least one child.

Biggest Tearjerker Session

Bad Medicine: Prescription for Crime

Dan Schneider, "The Pharmacist" and Charlotte Bismuth led an emotional discussion and Q&A on America's raging opioid epidemic. The stage chat during this session was filled with comments from viewers who experienced the devastating effects firsthand.

Runner Up: The Art of Interrogation with Fil Waters

Expert Interrogator Fil Waters dissected an interrogation tape during his House Arrest session. No one was prepared for the emotions and chills that came with the session, especially at the end where Fil and a detective hold hands with the suspect and pray for him. The chat was filled with comments like "I have tears running down my face" and "Reality check: sobbing".

Sleeper Session: How We Die: Debunking the Myths About Strangulation Deaths with Dr. Bill Smock

Although Dr. Bill Smock may not have been a "high-profile" personality that attendees watched for hours on television, he definitely stole the show at House Arrest with his presentation on strangulation. His session included demonstrations and a live Q&A.

Best Virtual Background: Mark McClish

If you told us that Statement Analysis and deception expert Mark McClish rented out a library to host his House Arrest presentation in, we would have believed you. His session, Chris Watts: Breaking Down the Lies, was equally as fascinating as it was visually pleasing!

Runner Up: Dr. Michael Baden & Linda Kenney Baden

Attendees could not stop raving about the room that husband and wife duo Dr. Michael Baden & Linda Kenney Baden presented from. As if the House Arrest logo, flowers and dog pillows in the background weren't enough -- cue the Baby Yoda!

Best Attendee Set Up: @kateplusnico on Instagram

We asked attendees to share photos of their House Arrest setup and hashtag #CCHouseArrest. This one Instagram user absolutely blew it out of the water! Bonus points for the pup.

If you missed CrimeCon: House Arrest, you can view all the sessions on demand with a CrimeCon Insider Subscription!

Become a CrimeCon Insider & Watch!

5 Binge-Worthy True Crime Holiday Specials

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 03:41:37 GMT

Snow, ice, pandemic quarantine -- there are many reasons why a true crime fan may find themselves stuck inside with not a lot to do this holiday season. Fortunately, some of our favorites from around the internet have pulled together plenty of binge-fodder to get you through the season!

Oxygen 's Unsolved Mysteries Marathons
Tuesdays, 12p - 12a ET

Get your true crime fix every Tuesday with Oxygen’s 12-hour Unsolved Mysteries marathons. The marathons will feature “mysterious crimes and paranormal experiences, many of which remain unsolved.”

Dateline NBC ’s Two-Hour Specials
Fridays 9/8c

Can we ever get enough of Dateline NBC ? No, no we can’t. The best part about this new run of two-hour specials ? It lasts until SUMMER 2021!

CrimeCon Insider : Video from Every CrimeCon Ever -- past and future
On demand

CrimeCon: Insider puts the viewer inside the action of every CrimeCon event ever, including our most recent event, the smash-hit virtual event CrimeCon: House Arrest !

MurderMurder News : 8 True Crime Movies to Watch for a Spooky Holiday
On demand

Aurora and Angelina compiled this handy list of the creepiest true crime/thriller holiday movies that includes plenty of new and classic flicks!

Total Film: 20 best true crime podcasts to kill your free time
On demand

A diverse curation of new and long-established pods to drown out the holiday family drama!

DID WE MISS YOUR FAVES? Let us know and we'll add it to our list!

Black Friday Just Got a Lot Brighter

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 20:54:05 GMT

Shopping for the true crime fiend on your list? Trying to drop a hint to a loved one? Explore deals on CrimeCon merchandise, gift cards, and Insider subscriptions until 12/2!

Calling all armchair detectives: You're hired.

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 18:32:08 GMT

Famed CSI Sheryl "Mac" McCollum invites citizen detectives to tackle a real-life cold case during CrimeCon: House Arrest

Occasionally, we meet people with a seemingly endless capacity for compassion and patience with the most vulnerable among us. Sheryl McCollum is one of those people, and those who attend her Wine & Crime session during CrimeCon: House Arrest presented by Oxygen will witness the power of that compassion firsthand.

What’s Wine & Crime, you ask? “This event is tailor-made for true crime junkies,” says Sheryl (“Mac” to her friends, which includes you!). “We’ll treat you just like we would any rookie police officer or rookie detective in the war room of the homicide unit.”

The details of the case have, by necessity, been shrouded in mystery. That’s because participants are about to lend their amateur investigation skills to a real cold case. While our knowledge of the case at this point may be limited, there’s one thing Sheryl can tell us now: “ Anyone can solve a case,” she says, “so it’s important that everyone who attends this session really tries.”

Here’s a brief rundown of what we do know:

The case includes many twists & turns. “There are twists, there are turns, then there are tornadoes,” says Mac. “This case is a double tornado. Just when we think we have it figured out, a new twist comes in.”
There’s a distinct format to the event , and for good reason:
- First, Mac will give participants an overview of the case and provide all available assets. Participants will have access to police reports, statements, and other documents. “They’ll receive the same thing I’d give to a room full of cops,” Mac says.
- Next, news correspondent Karyn Greer will talk about the case as it appeared in the news, the community dynamic, the rumors that circulated about the case, and how the case is perceived today.
- Karyn will turn over the stage to the police Sergeant overseeing the case. He’ll talk about the investigation up to this point, different tactics investigators have used, who they’ve ruled out (if anyone), where the case stands today, and more.
- The Sergeant will then welcome the victim’s sister to the stage so that participants can get to know the victim -- who she was as a person, her life circumstances and behaviors, what she liked and disliked, and more.

This session is NOT entertainment -- and Mac intends to keep it that way. “This is a real victim, a real family that’s grieving, and these are real people we’re welcoming into the investigation,” she says.

That being said, Mac is excited to welcome Wine & Crime participants to the case, she says. Why can’t we know more about the case beforehand? Mac has a good answer to that question:

“I’ve been around long enough to know that the average CrimeCon attendee is smart ,” she says with strong emphasis. “They don’t just sit at home and watch a true crime show, they watch the show and have it virtually solved halfway through. If we were to give participants the case details now, those who have already registered would have a head start on those who haven’t signed up yet. We want everyone to start from the same place.”

However, Mac says she doesn’t necessarily expect to end the Wine & Crime session with a clear suspect. “The goal of this workshop is not to solve the case and hand a name to the Sergeant. We want to move the case,” she clarifies. “We’re looking for lots of different perspectives in hopes that the participants will see something that the investigators haven’t seen.”

Having previously hosted three Wine & Crime workshops for CrimeCon alone, and dozens more for other organizations, Mac knows firsthand the investigative power of the average citizen. “The slightest idea, something an average citizen may not even think is important, can crack a case wide open.”

“The biggest thing to keep in mind,” she says with an edge in her voice that says she is serious , “is that this family needs you. CrimeCon needs you. The victim and the investigators need you . Without something new, this case could stay frozen in time.”

Ready to join the force? Register for CrimeCon: House Arrest with a Standard+ or Platinum VIP pass (and scope out all the additional Platinum perks, including a hands-on workshop with Dr. Henry Lee, a sweet swag bag, and more!)

Best of British True Crime Podcasts 2020 from CrimeCon UK

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 18:37:42 GMT

The biggest pods you won't want to miss in London June 12-13, 2021

Crimecasts, as they are affectionately known amongst fans, allow listeners to delve into cases, form their own theories, and sometimes even help to solve cases in real-time. From the investigative ‘True Crime Investigators’ to profiling your neighbours with ‘They Walk Among Us’ there’s something out there for every True Crime fanatic, and this list compiles some of CrimeCon UK’s favourites for 2020.

Unsolved or solved, creepy or lighthearted, every episode of these crimecasts will have any self-confessed ‘crime junkie’ on the edge of their seat for hours on end.

Inside Crime+Investigation

The truth is worth pursuing, and with Inside Crime+Investigation you can hear from the people that make the shows, features and podcasts at Crime+Investigation!

It’s likely that you will have heard of Murdertown, Cold Case Files or World’s Toughest Prison on your quest to find a True Crime TV show to watch, and this intriguing podcast will take you behind the scenes to meet the team that work within and on show.

They Walk Among Us

Have you ever wondered who you’re living next door to? The title of this podcast alone is enough to leave you terrified. This award-winning podcast is a catalogue of true crimes that are all close to home, putting Old Blighty under a new light.

UK True Crime Podcast

If you like true crime but are not so keen on giving yourself night terrors, this podcast gives you all the info with none of the heart palpitations. With episodes of the UK True Crime Podcast are not so dark, but just as engaging as others in this genre. This is the epitome of easy listening, sometimes a rarity in such thrilling content.

Drunk Women Solving Crime

With a name requiring far less detective instincts than the tasks with which Hannah George, Catie Wilkins and Taylor Glenn are confronted, this self-explanatory podcast boasts of both the elevated senses and extraordinary humour which drunken detective dilly-dallying produces. Grab a drink and join in or simply spectate their hilarious antics.

True Crime Investigators

Married couple, John and Sally, are former UK Police Detectives. The True Crime Investigators UK podcast is an insightful and informative review of criminal cases and procedure. John & Sally base the podcast around discussions and interviews with suspects, witnesses, police officers and experts.

And finally brand new from the UK…

The Shattered Window

Eileen from CrimeLapse and Emily from Morbidology are launching a new podcast The Shattered Window on the 23rd of November.

Over three decades ago, a 7-year-old girl vanished from her bedroom in the middle of the night while everybody else was soundly asleep. For a parent knowing that someone could sneak into their child's bedroom completely undetected is a thought that you would never want to cross your mind, let alone have it happen and it's even more terrifying for a parent to think that they could be suspected. This investigative true crime podcast series dissects a case that has puzzled the minds of those who know it and those that have tried to solve it. Compiled using thousands of pages of files, trial transcripts and archives as well as interviews with those involved and source audio, this is The Shattered Window.

If any of these podcasts are your new found favourites, you can meet them on Podcast Row at CrimeCon UK in London, Spring 2021.

Your House Arrest Guide to Podcast Row

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 21:33:45 GMT

Just because CrimeCon is going virtual, doesn't mean we're skipping Podcast Row! Check out all of the incredible podcasts you'll be able to check out at CrimeCon: House Arrest on November 21st!

Crawlspace

Crawlspace is a true crime show from the team behind Missing Maura Murray. Tim Pilleri and Lance Reenstierna continue their deep dives into missing persons cases, murders, robberies, and other mysteries. We also host one-off episodes with authors, criminologists, and media personalities.

Crime After Crime

Crime After Crime is a monthly podcast where two true crime YouTubers, Danelle Hallan and John Lordan, challenge each other to tell the best story about a true crime related topic. Listeners voting online will determine the winner. New episodes premiere on the first of each month.

Criminal Conduct

Criminal Conduct is an investigative true-crime podcast series hosted by John Taylor and Javier Leiva. In season 1, the hosts look into the death of Michelle O'Connell, picking up the investigation where the murdered sleuth, Eli Washtock, left off.

Criminology

Hosts Mike Morford and Mike Ferguson of Criminology tackle some of the most mysterious and puzzling cases in true crime, whether it’s entire seasons about the Zodiac or Golden State Killers or single episodes about cases you may not have heard of. They often include victims, survivors, investigators, and experts to help explore these mysteries.

DIE-ALOGUE

DIE-ALOGUE: a true crime conversation, is a weekly true crime podcast, hosted by Rebekah Sebastian. Each week, Rebekah interviews fascinating people connected to true crime in unique ways. Think field experts, advocates, veteran journalists, podcasters, and players from within the criminal justice system. Together they will attempt to answer the WHY of true crime- as opposed to the WHO/ WHERE /WHAT/WHEN. Let’s Kill the Small Talk + Start a DIE-ALOGUE.

Direct Appeal

For the last 13 years, Melanie McGuire has been serving a life sentence for the murder and dismemberment of her husband, whose body was found in three suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay. Melanie proclaims her innocence to this day, but nearly out of options in the courts, she shares her version of events in this podcast and appeals directly to the public for help. With Melanie’s full cooperation, two Criminologists, Dr. Meghan Sacks, and Dr. Amy Shlosberg, will examine the evidence, consult independent experts and interview Melanie (from prison), her family, her friends, witnesses and experts on both sides of the trial.

Evidence Locker

Evidence Locker covers crime stories from across the globe. Each week they explore a crime in a different country as a stand-alone episode. The content is an eclectic collection of criminal cases; scripted and hosted by a single narrator. Evidence Locker is produced in Australia by two expats: Host, Noel Vinson hails from Southern California and Creator/Producer Sonya Lowe from South Africa.

FBI Retired Case File Review

Jerri Williams is a retired FBI agent and author on a mission to show the public who the FBI is and what the FBI does by conducting interviews with retired FBI agents about their most intriguing and high-profiled cases, reviewing how the FBI is portrayed in books, TV, and movies, and recommending crime fiction and dramas.

Foul Play

On 18 March 1999, Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog were arrested, and later convicted, of multiple murders in and around the Linden area of California. The pair are known as the Speed Freak Killers and their reign of terror spanned for 15 years from 1984 to 1999. This series focuses on the estimated 60 victims, and their families, along with the investigations surrounding the cases. Why did two best friends evolve from hunting animals to hunting humans? How did two serial killers get away with potentially dozens of murders for more than a decade? Hosted by Investigative Crime Journalist Shane Waters & Wendy Cee

Gray Hughes Investigates

A YouTube channel dedicated to cold case and missing person investigations.

Hottest Hell Presents

An investigative journalist and a parapsychologist go head-to-head in this irreverent competition to captivate other spooky nerds like themselves. With each episode, hosts Kimberly and Edward are given a different topic to research. Both receive one week to dive into archives and historical essays to find the TRUE crime, paranormal event, or utterly strange occurrence which best fits their assigned theme. The pair take turns presenting their stories to a panel of reluctant guest judges for feedback, but ultimately it’s the listeners who pick which terrifying, tragic, or totally bizarre true story will be crowned victorious.

Inside Crime

INSIDE CRIME takes you behind the scenes and beyond the headlines. You’ll hear candid conversations with every day people whose lives have been impacted by crime. Host Angeline Hartmann delivers fresh and honest perspective from law enforcement, victims’ families, and survivors about their unique experiences inside crime.

Killer Queens

We’ve taken our shared love of true crime (Bill Kurtis, Cold Case Files, Snapped) and the 90’s (Spice Girls, Clueless, Friends quotes, Lisa Frank stickers) and combined them to make a light true-crime podcast with killer 90’s references. We want you to feel like you’re sitting around a table with your best friends talking about your favorite cases. We don’t investigate- we just recap the cases and say out loud what you’ve always been thinking.

Martinis & Murder

Hosts Daryn Carp and John Thrasher chat about creepy crimes and mysterious murders while Matt the Bartender mixes up martinis! From new episodes of cases you've never heard before, to cases you thought you knew really well, to interviews with the biggest and most recognizable names in true crime, Martinis & Murder has a little of everything for the ultimate true crime fan.

Military Murder

Military Murder Podcast covers a different genre of true crime -- crimes committed by military members, veterans or their family members. Join Margot every Monday to dig into fresh cases.

Missing Maura Murray

Maura was a 21-year-old student in February of 2004 when she inexplicably drove three hours from her dorm in Amherst, Massachusetts to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and vanished. At around 7:30pm her vehicle was involved in a single car, non life threatening accident at a hairpin turn on dark & desolate Route 112. She has not been seen or heard from since. Now two filmmakers set out to find answers on this mystery by diving deep into Maura's life, the region in which she went missing, and the online world of citizen detectives.

Murderish

MURDERISH is a true crime podcast that delves into true stories of murder, disappearances and other creepy events. Also featured on the podcast are in-depth interviews with high-profile people in the true crime community. This podcast will take you on a deep-dive journey through interesting cases, beginning the date of the crime and ending with the courtroom verdict. If you are fascinated by true crime, and all that embodies the genre, this podcast will appeal to you. Listening to this podcast doesn't make you a murderer, it just means you're murder-ish.

MurderMurder News

MurderMurder News is the true crime community for the latest news, memes, tv reviews, book reviews, podcast suggestions, and all things spooky! Our goal is to provide a safe space in which to chat about all things true crime while connecting with fellow MNNsters around the world!

Noir True Crime Files

A true crime podcast dedicated to covering criminal cases in the Black community.

Once Upon a Crime

Once Upon a Crime is a true crime podcast that researches the crime, criminals and victims to discover the “why” behind some infamous crimes as well as fascinating lesser known cases. Presented in a storytelling style, host Esther Ludlow takes you into the lesser known details of each case to present “the story behind the story” you won’t hear anywhere else. Each month a new true crime topic is covered - kidnappings, mass murders, tragic deaths of musical icons, killer kids and deadly duos are just some of the fascinating crimes detailed on Once Upon a Crime.

Serial Killer Brains

SkB is a true crime podcast through which I metaphorically dissect the serial killer’s brain. Are you fascinated by the macabre? Oddly obsessed with serial killers? Have you contemplated what it is that leads to the unspeakable depravity exhibited by serial killers like Ed Kemper, Jeffrey Dahmer, Anthony Sowell, or Danny Rolling? Serial killers captivate us, the horror they wreak fascinates us for we want to understand why they do what they do. Serial killers make us question humanity.

Shattered Souls: A Forensic Detective's Diary

In Shattered Souls: A Forensic Detective’s Diary , veteran forensic investigator Karen Smith opens her detailed and poignant journals from her 11 years as a forensic detective in Jacksonville, Florida. She speaks of trudging through muddy swamps, dangling over crime scenes from a firetruck ladder, and the tremendous emotional toll that the horror of these crimes wreaks on the investigators tasked with solving them.

Karen talks about the nightmares, the emotional and often physical pain, the scares, and the breath-holding, white-knuckle moments from the most haunting cases of her career. They’re victims you’ve probably never heard of, but they’re victims that she can never forget, and their stories - and the shattered souls of loved ones they left behind - are at the heart of every episode.

Sinisterhood

Dallas based comedians and friends, Christie Wallace and Heather McKinney, focus on a different true crime, cult, or creepy topic each week "and chat all things sinister in this funny and well-researched podcast." (Marie Claire, 2020)

The Minds of Madness

Ordinary people who do unthinkable things… Based out of Toronto, ON Canada, The Minds of Madness is a True Crime Podcast that examines the most disturbing criminal minds and the impact violent crimes have on survivors of homicide.

The Philosophy of Crime

Are killers born or are they made? Does everyone have the capacity to commit murder? Why is true crime so popular today? The Philosophy of Crime tackles the biggest questions about unsolved mysteries by looking to classical philosophy for answers. Hosted by award-winning journalist, James Renner, author of True Crime Addict.

The Trail Went Cold

The Trail Went Cold is a weekly true crime podcast which explores baffling unsolved mysteries and cold cases. On each episode, host Robin Warder examines a new murder or missing persons case, tackling a wide variety of mysteries from different countries and time periods. After sharing all the details about each case, Robin offers his own personal analysis and theories about what happened.

Trace Evidence

Steven Pacheco hates unanswered questions. Driven by an urgent “need to know,” Pacheco examines a new unsolved case each week on Trace Evidence. Pacheco’s dedication to the facts is evident each week as he presents all verifiable evidence before discussing the theories surrounding the case (and sometimes interjecting his own). As much as Pacheco wants to find answers, he doesn’t set out to solve the cases he discusses each week. Instead, he seeks to keep the details of the case in the public eye in hopes that someday the answers reveal themselves.

True Crime XS

True Crime XS is a true crime podcast about the aftermath of a serial killer’s suicide and stories as they arise in an investigation into where his potential victims remains may be found.

Verified

In the second season of Verified, Host Natasha Del Toro and the Verified team again ask tough questions about whom we trust and why. This time, they’re investigating whether a group of women developed ovarian cancer from dusting their bodies with Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder—an iconic brand associated with innocence and comfort since the 1800s. One woman's mysterious illness snowballs into thousands of court cases, claiming that baby powder is to blame for their cancer. Verified: Dust Up is the story of a trusted brand’s fight to convince consumers and regulators that baby powder is safe while minimizing the work of the scientists who claim it is not. Verified follows this decades-long journey to ask: Could a product so many of us have in our medicine cabinets be putting us at risk?

Victimology

Victimology: the study of the victims of crime and the psychological effects on them of their experience. Join criminal psychology student, Melissa Lee, as she utilizes her platform to share information about cases new and old, fresh and cold. Victimology is based on facts and is conversational.

Voices for Justice

Voices for Justice is hosted by Sarah Turney. It features the story of missing teen and Sarah's sister, Alissa Turney. Alissa went missing from Phoenix, Arizona in 2001 when she was 17 years old. The only person of interest in Alissa's case is her and Sarah's father. This podcast gives a never before seen and extremely intimate look into the strange circumstances leading up to Alissa's disappearance. Sarah will be reviewing 30+ years of video and audio records, 3000 pages of case record from the nearly 20 year police investigation, and current efforts being made to get justice for Alissa.

What Did You Do?!

What Did You Do?! is a true crime podcast bridging comedy, crime, and wild but informative conversation. Hosts, Charneil and Dee, laugh and cringe while examining some of the most shocking cases from a mental health and social work perspective.

Who Killed…?

Who Killed...? began as a series to bring attention to the Amy Mihaljevic case. During the research, it was clear there are a lot of families who need answers so the podcast has evolved into taking a deep dive into the details of other cases. Hopefully, by providing a voice for the voiceless will help lead to some resolution for all the parties involved in these tragedies.

Women & Crime

As criminologists, we study females who have been victims of crime, those who have committed crimes, and those involved in the criminal justice system through their work. Women & Crime tells the stories of these women, but also looks at the causes of female crime, and victimization.

Women & Crime will cover cases in which women have been wrongfully convicted and exonerated, and use a criminologist lens to look at how women are treated in the criminal justice system. Some of these women you may have heard of but we promise to also bring you cases of women whose names will be new to you. Regardless of the type of case, we will cover a new story involving women and crime each episode.

We're cookin' up 2 new sessions with Dateline!

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 22:45:17 GMT

Josh Mankiewicz, honorary Mayor of CrimeCon, will join true crime superfan and food guru Lisa Lillien (a.k.a. Hungry Girl ) to whip up two fun, easy, and good-for-you recipes. Along the way, Lisa will ask Josh all of the things she's wanted to know about Dateline.

Want to follow along with Lisa and Josh on their true crime culinary adventure? Add the ingredients from these recipes to your shopping list!

Have a question for Josh you'd like Lisa to ask him in between chopping and peeling? Send it to us here and we'll be sure she gets it!

We're also excited to announce that The Man With the Golden Voice is working on a NEW true crime podcast -- and he's joining us at CrimeCon: House Arrest to give us the scoop! Better yet, Keith will be joined by longtime friend and fellow Dateline correspondent Josh Mankiewicz (that's right, a DOUBLE SHOT of Mayor Mank!) to dish on the new podcast and engage in plenty of that Mank/Morrison witty banter we've all come to know and love.

So, what's the new podcast? We're going to wait and let Keith tell you, because nobody can do it better or more baritone than The Man himself. But if you're a fan of Keith's first podcast serial The Thing About Pam , it's safe to say that you can �� not �� miss �� this �� session!

How to Experience CrimeCon: House Arrest for Under $30

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 21:03:45 GMT

(Yes, we budgeted for the wine.)

To say this year has been challenging is a radical understatement. Heading into the holiday season, we all need opportunities to reconnect, spend time together, and - perhaps most of all - have a little fun! That’s why we’re bringing our first full-day virtual event, CrimeCon: House Arrest , to life for true crime fans everywhere on November 21 -- and here’s how you can enjoy an entire day of fun, learning, laughter, and all-new true crime content for just $30.

1. Assemble your accomplices. The best memories are the ones we make with our partners in crime, and with a pandemic bringing some serious cabin fever this year, you probably haven’t seen near enough of your PICs. Call up 2-3 of your besties and split the cost of a live access pass .

Cost: $22.25 per person

2. Stay safe! Find a free COVID-19 testing center near you and make sure your crew is COVID-free! Many drive-thru testing centers are quick, easy, and deliver timely results.

Cost: $0

3. Pick up a bottle of wine. For an event like House Arrest, you can’t go wrong with 19 Crimes . Most bottles cost about $10 on average, and with the help of a free app , each bottle tells the story of a convict sentenced to exile in the early penal colony of Australia.

Cost: 3 bottles @ $10 each = $30/4 people = $7.50 per person

4. Enjoy the irony of kicking your cabin fever with an event named House Arrest!

That’s it! Total cost = $29.75 for 8 hours of unfettered frivolity with your favorite true crime heroes, live demonstrations, Q&As, merch, and even Podcast Row!

CrimeCon: House Arrest is the vacation you didn’t get to take this year - at a fraction of the cost. See the current guest lineup here and stay tuned for weekly updates; we have some BIG surprises in store for House Arrest viewers!

Ready to light this candle? Register now !

New True Crime Podcasts To Check Out This July

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 20:55:47 GMT

Murder in Hollywoodland

This real life Murder Mystery is one of the most iconic “whodunnit” cases of the 20th century that will leave you guessing and second guessing who killed William Desmond Taylor for weeks to come. Murder in Hollywoodland premieres June 17th.

Hope in the Darkness: The Josh Holt Story

American Josh Holt and his Venezuelan wife-to-be Thamy fell in love from three thousand miles apart. Just two weeks after their wedding, there was a knock at their door. In the middle of the night, police from the government of Nicolás Maduro burst into their home and took them captive. Their dream relationship turned into a nightmare.

It Was Simple: The Betty Broderick Story

Even people who weren’t alive 30 years ago know and care about the case of Betty Broderick, the La Jolla, Calif., woman who seemed to have everything in the world going for her, until her husband decided to leave. Even though Betty and Dan Broderick split up, they stayed locked together in a way, pushing each other’s buttons, until there were two bodies and one killer.

The Lost Kids

Hosted by journalist Josh Bloch (“Uncover: Escaping NXIVM” podcast), “ The Lost Kids ” begins with the story of missing teen Daniel Yuen , whose behavioral problems led his parents to seek out psychiatrists, then enroll him in a CEDU school, according to ABC News . That therapeutic boarding school and behavior modification program in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California was the last place Yuen, who vanished in 2004 when he was 16, was seen. But what begins as an investigation into one missing teen soon expands into an expose of the profitable “troubled teen” industry, which received a considerable boost from endorsements by politicians and features on daytime talk shows.

Mobbed Up: The Fight For Las Vegas

Mobbed Up: The Fight for Las Vegas is a new true-crime narrative podcast series from the Las Vegas Review-Journal in partnership with The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. The 11-part series chronicles the rise and fall of organized crime in Las Vegas through the voices of those who lived it: ex-mobsters, law enforcement officials, politicians and journalists.

Selena: A Star Dies in Texas
SELENA: A STAR DIES IN TEXAS chronicles the incredible life, senseless murder, and enduring legacy of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Known to the world as “Selena”, the Tejano superstar’s meteoric rise and tragic death left millions of fans heartbroken. With access to an extraordinary archive of rare and never-before-heard audio from TEGNA’s network of TV newsrooms across Texas, VAULT Studios, the network behind Bardstown and The Officer’s Wife captures the entire story of a superstar, a superfan, and the shocking murder that ended the life of a bright young star.

Have you launched a new true crime podcast recently or have one in the works?
Let us know here and we'll include it in our monthly feature!

DNA Detectives: CeCe Moore on the extinction of serial killers

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 01:18:48 GMT

Editor's note: This article originally appeared in our CrimeCon 2019 program dated June 7, 2019.

DNA dominated the headlines in the year following the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo as the “Golden State Killer” after it was reported that a site called GEDmatch had helped investigators identify DeAngelo using familial DNA. Since then, scarcely a week has passed without reports that another long-standing cold case had been solved using this method.

It’s an exploding field but if there is a common denominator between many of the cases, it just might be CeCe Moore, a genetic genealogist at Parabon NanoLabs, a forensic consulting firm, who has now helped solve 37 cases. “By the time CrimeCon rolls around, that number should be over fifty,” Moore says with a hint of pride. And those are just the cold cases, she reminds us. “We’re currently working on three active law enforcement investigations as well.”

The growing popularity of at-home DNA tests has meant more than 18 million people have submitted their saliva for analysis to sites like 23andme, Ancestry, and FamilyTreeDNA. While these sites include privacy clauses that are supposed to ensure the user’s data is not shared with anyone else, GEDmatch is an open-source DNA database drawing information from the other three sites. GEDmatch users must acknowledge that their data is being used on an open-source platform that can show familial connections between all three databases. To catch DeAngelo, for example, investigators used GEDmatch to identify a distant relative and then worked backward through their family tree to narrow the list of suspects down until only DeAngelo remained.

“At CrimeCon 2019 I’ll talk about what effect this new process will have on society,” says Moore. One effect is obvious: an increase in the number of suspects who are caught before they can do more harm. “We’ll be able to stop repeat offenders in their tracks,” Moore says.

Do these powerful new tools mean the extinction of serial killers is on the horizon? “I believe it is,” says Moore. “Some offenders will be more difficult to identify and not every case will have DNA evidence. But I believe we’ll see the end of the classic serial killer profile.”

True Crime Quarantine Boredom Busters

Fri, 15 May 2020 09:37:11 GMT

Quarantine drags on and on. You've seen all the true crime documentaries, read all the books, and listened to all the podcasts.

Or so you thought.

Our FREE streaming event CrimeCon @ Home is now available on demand! Grab some popcorn and check out the can't-look-away action that includes:

"Whoooa"-inducing forensic demonstrations from Karen Smith;
Updates from key figures you'll recognize from Don't F**k With Cats, The Keepers, Abducted in Plain Sight, and The Staircase;
Much-needed belly laughs from one of the most entertaining true crime podcasts on the air;
Oxygen's Martinis & Murder podcast take on one of the most ruthless serial killers in modern memory!

But wait! Think that's all we have to offer? No way! Peep the fun, engaging true crime entertainment options below, available ONLY at CrimeCon.com !

CrimeCon @ Home is a FREE on-demand streaming event featuring all of the emotion and educational value you love about CrimeCon from the comfort and safety of your home.

Since life is a little stressful for everyone at the moment, the event features plenty of content designed to brighten your day. CrimeCon @ Home is completely free, we do ask viewers to join us in supporting the First Responders Children's Foundation . The foundation has provided over $2,000,000 in funding to first responders and their families during the COVID-19 crisis. To date, we have raised over $4,500 for first responder families.

Oh, and the best news? CrimeCon 2020 is STILL on the books for Oct. 30 - Nov. 1 in Orlando!

See CrimeCon @ Home FREE on demand now here .

What comes to mind when you hear the word “forensics”? For many, the word evokes images of sterile labs and white coats. The reality, however, is quite different.

We've teamed up with Penguin Random House to bring you the CrimeCon Insider Book Club !

Each month, we'll select a tantalizing, edge-of-your-seat page-turner to feature in the book club and hope you'll join us in our monthly discussions. Each monthly discussion will include a live virtual meeting or Q&A with the author.

The Book Club takes place inside our CrimeCon app and is FREE for all users. This month, we've selected the suspense-filled thriller The Herd by Andrea Bartz. Andrea will join the book club on Thursday, May 28 for an in-depth look at the book.

Click here to learn more about the CrimeCon Insider Book Club.

Tired of the same ol' documentaries, rehashing the same cases over and over again? You're in luck! CrimeCon Insiders enjoy access to over 80 hours of session video footage from every CrimeCon event -- past and future! You'll also have exclusive access to livestreamed sessions during CrimeCon 2020. CrimeCon Insiders also receive:

Priority access to discount tickets for ALL CrimeCon events. Tickets sell out fast but you’ll always get first access.
Fast track registration and merch lines, an exclusive membership pin and session.
Full access to the true crime forum where members participate in discussions, post original content, take quizzes and more.
The latest true crime news, merchandise discounts, a CrimeCon emoji keyboard, rewards and giveaways.

Learn more about CrimeCon Insider here .

CrimeCon @ Home to benefit the First Responders Children's Foundation

Wed, 06 May 2020 01:43:07 GMT

The COVID-19 healthcare crisis has put our frontline workers and first responders squarely in the spotlight. In a time of unprecedented need, an entire nation turned their eyes to the unsung heroes among us and they have answered the call. Now it’s your turn to help them.

We are beyond honored to partner with the First Responders Children’s Foundation to raise funds for first responder families who are struggling during the tremendous demands the COVD-19 pandemic has placed on their loved ones. Created in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City, the Foundation aimed to help the 800 children that lost a first responder parent in the World Trade Center disaster.

Its mission is to provide financial support to both children who have lost a parent in the line of duty as well as families enduring significant financial hardships due to tragic circumstances. First Responders Children’s Foundation also supports, promotes, and facilitates educational activities and programs created and operated by law enforcement and firefighting organizations whose purpose is to benefit children or the community at large.

Since September 11, the Foundation continues to provide financial support to first responders and their families in the wake of tragic circumstances, as well as support to public safety agencies. For purposes of the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Grant, the Foundation has expanded its outreach of first responders to include medical personnel. Further, the Foundation has used its strong relationships with public safety agencies to create distribution channels for needed PPE and other supplies.

During the COVID-19 crisis, 1stRCF has:

Received over 3,000 grant applications (as of 5/5/20), receiving upwards to 400 a day.
Awarded over $2 million in Emergency Relief Grants.
Provided over 11,000 hotel rooms to firefighters to help prevent the spread of the virus from first responders to their families at home.
Distributed over 170,000 surgical grade masks to first responder agencies.
Paid for 16 funerals of first responders

Currently, the Foundation is preparing to supply substantial amounts of hand sanitizer to first responders -- and tens of thousands of toys to help comfort their children while they’re away.

That’s where YOU come in, true crime fans.

During our free streaming event, CrimeCon @ Home , we’ll ask viewers to join us in supporting 1stRCF so they can continue the incredible and critical work during the COVID-19 outbreak. Where does your money go? Glad you asked!

“We put money and resources directly into the hands of first responders and their families,” says 1stRCF Major Gifts Officer Sarah Greene. She explains that in addition to grants, PPE, and other supplies, 1stRCF uses donated funds to provide scholarships to children whose first responder parent has died or become permanently disabled.

Greene says it’s also important to understand why first responder families are experiencing such hardship during these unprecedented circumstances. Many have lost their day jobs and still show up to volunteer and help their communities. As an example, she explains that eighty percent of firefighters are volunteers, and many have lost their full-time jobs and now are asked to work overtime.

If a spouse has lost their job and healthcare coverage, they face potential for major medical expenses since the entire family now faces an increased risk of exposure to the virus.

In addition, because childcare facilities are limited or entirely closed, first responder families must find alternative childcare which presents an incredible financial burden.

“I think people are beginning to realize the overwhelming need for support for our first responders” says Greene. “These people are there for us every day. They are willing to die for us. We’re all safe at home, but they suit up and go to work. Many of them have to go into neighborhoods and areas where they’re not liked very much, but regardless, they’re going out there to protect us.”

CrimeCon @ Home takes place this Saturday, May 9 from 4:00-6:00pm ET. The FREE virtual event, which will stream live on Facebook, Instagram, and more, will be jam-packed with fun, fresh true crime content -- but you don’t have to wait until Saturday to support our first responder heroes! Click here or text CRIMECON to 76278 to give now.

The New Crime Scene: Don't F*ck With Cats Joins CC20 Lineup

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 04:53:54 GMT

The trio of citizen detectives discuss their new project and life since the hit Netflix series

In late 2019, Netflix shook the true crime community with its acclaimed docuseries Don’t F*ck With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer . If the title alone caused a stir, then the show itself caused a hurricane. As one reviewer put it, “Come for the title, stay for the crazy.”

The content is, indeed, crazy and difficult to watch. The docuseries covers the case of aspiring model Luka Magnotta. The Canadian man anonymously uploaded a graphic video in which he - I’ll spare you the heart-wrenching details - kills a kitten. Over the next two years, Magnotta continued to upload similar videos showing an ever-escalating pattern of violence toward animals. The videos caught the attention of internet sleuths across the globe and soon a dedicated group came together in an attempt to identify and track down the kitten killer before he escalated to murder.

The leaders of the group (and de facto stars of the docuseries) were Deanna Thompson (who used the screen name Baudi Moovan during their investigation for privacy purposes) and John Green (pseudonym). Their collective dedication and resourcefulness (honestly, you have to watch the doc to believe some of the ways they found clues in the videos) in identifying Magnotta and bringing him to justice plays out over the course of the three-part series. Along the way, they met German expatriate Muervet Douglas, a fellow citizen detective also following the case. “We brought Muervet into the group,” says Thompson, “which is huge because we were very strict about who we brought into our circle.”

It is a stunning and inspiring display of the power of the citizen detective and the vast amount of the information at their fingertips. The group tracked Magnotta to Toronto, then to Montreal. They notified authorities in both cities, but investigators were either limited by protocol or an ability to take the report seriously.

“The detective we worked with in Toronto was initially more interested in trying to figure out who I was instead of the person posting the videos,” says Green. Although that detective eventually came to understand the gravity of the situation, authorities in Montreal were less welcoming. “We notified them that Magnotta was in Montreal just weeks before the murder,” says Green.

You read that right: murder.

In May 2012, Magnotta uploaded a stomach-churning video of his brutal murder and dismemberment of Chinese exchange student Jun Lin. Magnotta was eventually apprehended in Berlin and extradited to Canada, where he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

It’s cold comfort for Thompson, Green, and Douglas. “In Toronto, we had the support of law enforcement, but Montreal was a different story,” laments Thompson. “We wondered if we should fly there and talk to them in person. This was three months before murder and we knew it was coming.” Green expresses the same frustration. “All we wanted them to do was knock on his door, even just to do a welfare check,” he says. “Maybe it would have shaken him up or scared him to the point that he abandoned his plan to kill.

Although they were relieved to see Magnotta face justice, Douglas recognized the unique opportunity the trio had created. “We realized that we were pretty good at this kind of work,” she says. Together they created the Animal Beta Project . Their website describes the mission and purpose of the organization:

"We seek out individuals that have harmed an animal where the act or aftermath was captured digitally. We search for abusers and turn over evidence to the proper authorities in the correct jurisdiction. We have a very specific set of criteria when we are looking for cases. We do not have “boots on the ground” and unfortunately are no help to animals where there is no digital evidence to be seen. We do not take donations, or charge any money for investigations."

Since its inception, the ABP has investigated dozens of cases of animal abuse across the globe. Most notably, the group assisted in solving a case in Houston, TX which involved “crush fetish” videos submitted to the site. “These videos involve animal abuse, but there are underlying tones of child abuse, violence, mutilation, and other criminal activity,” explains Thompson.

As any good citizen sleuth knows, animal cruelty is a hallmark of violent offenders, and the group wanted to stop the perpetrators before they moved on to human targets. “Muervet identified the producers within 48 hours,” Thompson says proudly. The crush video producers were eventually convicted and sentenced. “It was a landmark case,” Thompson says. “It was the first federal conviction of a crush case.”

Green predicts a rise in similar cases in the future. “The internet is the new crime scene,” he says. “We’re seeing Facebook Live videos in which people are murdered, recordings of animal abuse and other acts of violence. These videos become crime scenes that provide critical information to investigators.”

However, they are careful to set clear and firm boundaries about their activities. “We don’t investigate,” says Green. “We identify the perpetrators, collect all the information we can, and turn it over to the authorities.” Over time, they have honed the process into an effective art form. Green explains, “We call the jurisdiction, tell them who we are, and ask for a contact. Then we send a one-page PDF with a summary of the information we’ve collected and usually within about an hour we receive a call from the investigators.”

CrimeCon 2020

We have two different sessions planned with the group at CrimeCon 2020.

The first session will focus on the Netflix series and Magnotta case. “[It] will basically cover the stuff that was left out of the docuseries,” explains Thompson. “We will present some critical evidence and plenty of behind-the-scenes information. If Netflix had used all the content we filmed, they would have needed 36 episodes.”

In their second session, Thompson, Douglas, and Green will focus on their work with the Animal Beta Project. The trio will be joined by a criminal behavior analyst to talk about the bigger picture of animal abuse and its implications for violence against humans. “If there’s evidence that an offender is beating their dog, it’s very likely that they’re also beating their children or spouse,” explains Douglas. “It’s hard but necessary to talk about in order to shine a light on these warning signs.” We hope to help educate thousands of new people about the warning signs and also provide some practical advice if they ever become aware of this happening with someone they know.

While they’re not setting out to create a global army of digital detectives, the group will issue a thought-provoking call to action: “If you come across one of these videos, don’t report it to the site administrators,” Green advises. It sounds counterintuitive, but remember that the videos are key pieces of evidence that could lead to a killer. “Our knee-jerk reaction is to report it and have it taken away so we don’t have to see it, but once it’s gone, it’s of no use to investigators. Leave the video and notify authorities instead.”

What You Don't Know About Serial Killers

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 01:37:09 GMT

Forget what you think you know about serial killers. Dr. Sasha Reid will set the record straight at CrimeCon 2020.

Dr. Sasha Reid’s resume would make the highest overachiever feel inadequate. Her bio speaks for itself: interdisciplinary social science researcher and a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of Calgary. She recently finished her PhD at the University of Toronto in Developmental Psychology and Human Development, with a dissertation focused on the developmental origin of serial killers. Her academic background also includes two master’s degrees, in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies and Applied Psychology and Human Development.

Let me summarize that for you: she’s a genius and she studies serial killers. Here’s the best part: she’s going to share some surprising things she’s learned about serial offenders with CrimeCon 2020 attendees. Let’s get to know Dr. Reid:

CCI: How did you come to pursue this line of research?
SR: During my Master’s program I studied psychopathy and how psychopathic traits develop. You can really only read about so many psychopaths before you run into a serial killer. I’ve always been fascinated by crime, deviant behavior, abnormal psychology. I wanted to understand more about how those traits develop.

CCI: What’s something that has surprised you in the course of your research?
SR: I was surprised to learn that external risk factors don’t actually predict or explain why violators do what they do. It’s easy to say “Oh, they had a bad childhood” or say they’re a monster and leave it at that. It’s a common misconception that there’s a clear connection between childhood abuse and psychopathy. During my PhD. research, I wanted to see which external factors could accurately predict the development of psychopathic traits and none of them would.

CCI: What factors do contribute to that development?
SR: It’s a combination of thought process and experience. It’s about what they think and how they see the world and how they interpret the things that happen around them. They believe the world is the way they see it, then when any experience that doesn’t fit that image comes along, they’re not equipped to handle it. Circumstances and situations become distorted and overwhelming and resort to violence as a way to deal with it.

CCI: You’ve created a database of serial killers and risk factors. How is the database used?
SR: There are actually two separate databases but they can be used in tandem. One is a databank serial killer that I studied for 7-8 years to understand their development and factors in their lives that might determine their criminal trajectory. We looked at how their criminal behaviors advanced and escalated. Who are they offending? Did their victimology or MO change? Did they begin using different weapons? It helps us better understand who they are and looking at aggregate data may help build more accurate criminal profiles.

The second database contains information about missing persons in Canada. Canadian law enforcement tracks every single missing and murdered in the country. We can look at the data and see trends over time and in different geographic areas. It is used to study the landscape of victimology as it changes over time.

CCI: What can we expect from your CC20 session?
SR: Attendees will learn about how a serial killer’s thought processes can contribute to criminal violence and influence their victimology. In most cases we know what happened to the victim but never why it happened. It’s important to understand that. It’s called phenomenology -- the study of how to go inside the mind of another person and their consciousness. We’re looking at not just one person but dozens of people at the same time to draw a general understanding of their world and how they’re experiencing it. The audience will also learn a little about the history of how we’ve (mistakenly) conceptualized serial killers and why our current perceptions of them are problematic.

Billy Jensen Brings Bear Brook to CrimeCon 2020

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 22:24:26 GMT

The citizen super-sleuth will be joined by amateur investigator Becky Heath in Orlando

Billy Jensen likes to stay busy. A CrimeCon mainstay since our first event, Jensen will join us in Orlando for his fourth consecutive CrimeCon appearance -- and he has a lot to talk about.

“First, we’ll be doing a live presentation of our podcast The First Degree,” he says. The podcast, which he hosts with Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter, explores cases through the eyes of survivors and other players one degree removed from the case.

Jensen, who began his career as an investigative journalist, has successfully evolved into an actual investigator, working alongside LEO legends like Paul Holes, with whom he hosts The Murder Squad podcast. (Told you he likes to stay busy.) The citizen super-sleuth will also take the CrimeCon stage to demonstrate the power of the “armchair detective.” This time, though, he’s bringing backup.

“We’ll be talking about the Bear Brook murders,” he explains. The paperback version of Jensen’s book Chase Darkness With Me which will be available at CrimeCon, will include a new chapter with details about the recent developments concerning the bodies found in the barrels in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, NH. Three of the four victims were recently identified by librarian and amateur investigator Becky Heath, who will join Jensen at CrimeCon 2020.

“Becky identified these victims just with diligent web investigation,” says Jensen. “We’ll talk through step-by-step how she connected the dots and identified the victims.” But don’t expect to leave the session without homework: “We’ll ask attendees to go out and do whatever they can to help us identify the fourth victim,” he says.

The session, he promises, will be a true celebration of the citizen detective. “The people who come to CrimeCon, they’re not passive observers,” he says. “They want to do something, they want to get their hands dirty and help out. This session will give them a chance to do that.”

No Good Liars

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 19:12:28 GMT

Statement Analysis expert Mark McClish will help CC20 attendees find the fibbers among them

Mark McClish knows you’re lying -- not necessarily by what you say, but by what you don’t say. “The most common form of deception is omission,” says McClish. “Every word has a definition. Most of the time, people will give a truthful statement, but will leave something out that they don’t want us to know.”

The “us” in that statement could refer to McClish’s colleagues in the U.S. Marshals Office, where he spent 24 years tracking down federal and state fugitives. It could refer to his students at the U.S. Marshals Service Training Academy located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center where he taught interviewing techniques for nine years. Then again, “us” could mean Advanced Interviewing Concepts , the company McClish founded in 2009 to provide interview skills training and assist investigators in analyzing statements. In October 2019, “us” could have been the 300 citizen detectives who attended CrowdSolve Seattle where McClish gave a crash course in deception detection.

And this May, “us” will mean “CrimeCon 2020 attendees.” McClish will take the stage in Orlando to tell attendees some secrets of the trade he helped establish when he literally wrote the book(s) about how to recognize deceptive statements. “What attendees will learn is how to be a good listener,” McClish explains. Many of us tend to assume that the best way to get the truth out of a subject is to pepper them with aggressive, prying questions. However, McClish explains that, given enough time, a liar will always reveal their secrets to a well-trained ear.

“People will always word their statements based on their complete knowledge,” he says. “The statements they provide will be true, but the words they use will give away a lie.” He tells the story of a police officer who was accused of planting pipe bombs and then claiming to find them, seeking the publicity and recognition associated with such a conquest. But something in the officer’s statement stood out: “He said ‘recovered’ instead of ‘discovered’,” McClish explains. “Some people say it’s cop talk, but ‘recovered’ means he placed the bombs and then went back to get them later. ‘Discovered’ means he happened to find them.” (For the record, McClish was correct and the officer admitted to the misguided deceit.)

So what, if anything, makes someone a good liar?

“There are no good liars, there are only bad listeners,” McClish insists. Remember: most lies are lies of omission. “Some are better at it than others, but so-called good liars will give short answers. They won’t volunteer information, but a good interviewer will realize what is happening and recognize that the subject is being deceptive.”

For decades, psychologists and researchers have identified nonverbal communication as one of the best indicators of deception, but McClish says that more law enforcement agencies and training centers are placing greater emphasis on linguistic analysis. “I, myself, teach about 50 classes to law enforcement agencies across the country every year,” he says. “The techniques are becoming more prominent.”

Even if attendees don’t leave McClish’s session with all the fib-busting power he has accumulated in 30 years, they will at least leave armed with enough info to recognize when they’re being lied to. In advance of his session, he offers one particularly handy warning: “If they invoke the name of God, your ears should perk up.”

Dead Men Tell Tales: The Science of the Scene

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 19:12:24 GMT

Forensics veteran Alina Burroughs Joins CC20

Alina Burroughs has one wish for the criminal justice community.

“I wish the public, the jury, and the media all had one hundred percent of the information,” she says. “As a crime scene investigator, we see ninety percent of the case. Only a small portion of that makes it to court or to the media, then the public forms an opinion based on fifty percent of that.” Overall, she says, she wishes juries were more educated on what to look for in homicide evidence rather than relying on scientists and legal jargon to tell the story. “Understanding those things can be critical in keeping killers off the street.”

She should know. Burroughs was one of the first CSIs to investigate the disappearance of Caylee Anthony, including Casey Anthony’s white Saturn. She also spent eleven days on her hands and knees at the site where Caylee Anthony’s body was found, sifting through soil, mud, and foliage to help find justice for Caylee -- justice that would never come.

Jurors from the case have spoken out on the verdict, stating that prosecutors in the case simply weren’t able to prove how little Caylee died. Anthony’s defense team, led by Jose Baez, zeroed in on the lack of a conclusive cause of death to convince the jury that Caylee’s death had been a tragic accident -- and it worked.

“As we saw with this case, cause of death can make or break a case,” says Burroughs.

Burroughs, now an engineer with FARO Technologies, will return for her second CrimeCon to explain how CSIs and other investigators analyze forensic evidence to reconstruct the events surrounding a victim’s death. “Specifically,” she explains, “we’ll be looking at patterns.”

In the session, attendees will learn how to identify different types of wounds - sharp force vs. blunt force trauma, gunshots, abrasions, etc. - and will focus especially on analyzing blood spatter patterns. “Blood spatter can sometimes tell the entire story of a person’s death,” Burroughs says. “The patterns read like a book when you know what you’re looking for.”

And when attendees walk out of Burroughs’s session at CrimeCon 2020 in Orlando, they will. “The next time you’re watching your favorite murder show, you’ll know a little more about how to read a crime scene and what information the investigator gains from these patterns. From what a cast-off pattern looks like to what kind of weapon was used and how people moved through the scene,” she promises. “We’ll look at photos of different patterns and learn the difference between swipes, wipes, transfers, high-velocity vs. low-velocity impact, and directionality.”

Burroughs, who teaches these concepts and new advancements in crime scene technology to law enforcement agencies across the country, hopes that this information will help attendees develop a slightly more well-trained eye. “Bring your notepad,” she instructs. “It will be graphic, but it will be worth it.”

A Witness to Love: Kim Goldman on Grief and Making a Difference Through Action

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 17:39:06 GMT

Kim Goldman knows a lot about grief. When her brother Ron was murdered in Brentwood, CA while trying to defend his friend Nicole Brown from a brutal attack in 1995, Goldman’s world was thrown into a tailspin. Her grief was splashed across every television screen in America during the “Trial of the Century,” where Goldman and her father Fred sat every day during a grueling nine months of proceedings. Twenty-five years later, on the anniversary of his death, she launched the acclaimed Wondery podcast Confronting: O.J. Simpson .

“I didn’t go into the project thinking of it as a method of grieving,” Goldman says, “because I grieve him every day. I wanted to take back control of a narrative that had impacted me but had always unfolded around me.”

Over the years, Goldman recognized that Ron and Nicole’s deaths and the emotionally violent trial that followed had affected a large population of those close to the case.

“My father and I have had many opportunities to speak out over the years, but we were always editorialized,” she explains. “I wanted a platform where we could get our story out in our own words, but along the way I found comfort in connecting with others who had been so negatively affected.”

She mentions Jill Shively, the Brentwood resident who witnessed the defendant in Ron and Nicole’s murder trial driving erratically on the night of the murders, but who was never called to testify in court. She mentions Kato Kaelin, the lovable surfer-dude witness who lived in the defendant’s guest house and faced ridicule in the courtroom and the media. She mentions Chris Darden, the co-prosecutor who lost his own brother to AIDS during the trial. “Kato thought my father and I hated him,” Goldman says with compassionate regret.

The podcast follows Goldman as she catches up with Shively, Darden, and Kaelin as well as prosecutor Marcia Clark and a juror who faced accusations of racial bias after rendering a not guilty verdict. “Reconnecting with these people gave me comfort and I was able to give them comfort, too. It was cathartic in a different way than I thought it would be.”

As the podcast series winds down, Goldman finds herself in the company of grief counselor David Kessler. This particular episode stands out with the eye-opening advice Kessler offers Goldman: “Don’t hide your grief. Grief is a witness to love.”

“Grief is inconsistent and volatile and unpredictable,” Goldman says. “I grieve Ron every day in some way.” What she misses the most about her brother - her best friend and closest confidant - was the future that they were working toward before his brutal death.

“It was just me, Ron, and my Dad,” Goldman says. “Ron and I were always close and wanted to live in the same neighborhood, raise our kids to play together. I was studying to be a child psychologist and Ron wanted to open a restaurant,” she laments, the mournful memory clear in her voice.

That trajectory crashed off course with Ron’s death. While devastating, Goldman has used the tragic loss to build a life dedicated to honoring her brother through service. Today, Goldman runs a nonprofit that provides free mental health support to teenagers. She has worked with children with disabilities and autism, advocated for victims’ rights, and is involved in countless community outreach programs.

“I want to live my life with integrity and grace and the selflessness that Ron showed in his final moments,” Goldman says. “It’s what he would have done; it’s what he would have wanted; and it’s why I’m here.”

Goldman will bring that mission to the stage at CrimeCon 2020, where she will help the audience get to know her brother -- and hopefully gain a new perspective. “I’m fascinated with the fascination with true crime,” she says with a small laugh. “I want to show attendees what happens when they stop watching, when the cameras stop rolling.”

Though there will certainly be tears, attendees shouldn’t expect only a tear-jerking story of tragedy and grief. “I’m a big believer in action and takeaways,” she says with a renewed conviction in her voice. “For so long my father and I thought we couldn’t make a difference, when we just didn’t know how. But everyone can take action and make a difference, whether it’s voting in local elections, getting involved in their communities. Start small, find your voice, find a movement and go for it.”

Profiling a Perpetrator

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 14:07:56 GMT

It's a question we hear quite often: "What's the difference between CrowdSolve and CrimeCon?" There are many, but the main difference is that CrowdSolve includes a large educational component led by some of the most renowned experts in the country. One of those experts is forensic psychologist Dr. Casey Jordan.

Dr. Casey Jordan is a criminologist, behavior analyst, and attorney with 30 years of experience in investigative profiling and violent crime analysis. She is a professor of Justice & Law Administration at Western Connecticut State University and conducts qualitative research on violent crime and criminal behavior systems by interviewing hundreds of inmates and self-reported offenders. She is an expert on serial killing, mass murder, school shootings, sex crimes, domestic violence, criminal law, and the insanity defense. Case studies and research findings have resulted in more than 2000 media appearances and multiple publications, and she has served as an expert witness or legal counsel in many high-profile trials.

Dr. Jordan took some time to speak with me about what she has in store for CrowdSolve Chicago Investigators.

CCI: What’s your favorite part about what you do?

Dr. Jordan: There's nothing fun or glamorous about studying the origins of crime, especially interviewing the criminals responsible for horrific murder and sexual assault--but the ANSWERS that we get through careful data-mining is critical to investigating unsolved cases. The silver lining is that criminologists and behavioral analysts don't just isolate variables about the criminals to create profiles, we also learn a lot of details about their thought process in choosing victims; these details help bring important answers to the victims and --in the case of homicide--to their families.

As a criminologist, my first priority is always getting answers for families. Closure may not always be possible, but we have a lot to learn from the suffering of others. Catching a criminal is important, extremely important--but even when that doesn't happen, we can use what we learn to help PREVENT similar crimes in the future. Isolating the variables that lead to a crime, whether it is the background of the culprit or the precipitating factors relating the victim, invariably helps us understand the "perfect storm" of variables that leads to the crime happening. The favorite part of what I do is breaking it down to a paradigm that sheds light on a crime, but also getting answers that can bring some level of peace or understanding to victims and their families. Even if we don't solve a crime, victims and their loved ones find comfort in knowing that we uncover might actually prevent a similar crime from happening again to someone else.

CCI: What can CrowdSolve attendees expect from your session?

Dr. Jordan: ALL ideas are welcome. We start with brainstorming, and I'll ask pointed questions to try to separate intuitive or "gut" feelings about the case from what we know through data analytics of variables from similar cases. We will work together to isolate what we know fro fact, what we don't know and has yet to be discovered, and separate out any dead-ends or black-holes in the investigation that can never be known. While I can impart some specific techniques of how we organize, flow-chart, and use logic to build a grid of possible explanations that would fill some gaps in this case, attendees will also understand how complicated crime-solving is, and appreciate how and why all the team-members on a case need to work together, without hubris or territorial prerogative, in order to uncover answers that lead us closer to the truth about what happened to Kurt Sova.

CCI: What’s something you think they’ll be surprised to learn?

Dr. Jordan: Most Investigators might be surprised to learn that, as a team, we depend on the comprehensive case files for our foundation of information, BUT we need to operate from a stance of complete neutrality as we approach what we know. We need to consider that the "known" information might be faulty, biased, incomplete, or just downright inaccurate. In 1981, DNA technology was in its infancy and, forensic evidence processing was often subject to human error; even the most well-intentioned players could make mistakes. Attendees will learn that by suspending their own presuppositions, using deductive reasoning instead of outmoded assumptions, we best position ourselves to provide fresh possibilities for what actually happened to Kurt.

CCI: How difficult is it to put together a profile in a case like this where we’re not sure there was an actual offender?

Dr. Jordan: The most important kick-off question is whether we think this death was natural, accidental, suicide, homicide, or unable to be determined. We have to profile Kurt Sova as a deceased individual to gain insight to each possibility, and consider his lifestyle, his inner circle of friends and family, his health and habits, and then the documented evidence, in order to best consider each alternative. When considering HOMICIDE as a possible manner of death, we can then look at the facts as we know them and start working off hypothetical scenarios that work in consonance with the forensic evidence and autopsy information.

We CAN build a profile of an unsub who might be most likely to be responsible for taking Kurt's life, but given that we are unsure of the cause of death and location of death, a profile of an actual offender will be predicted based on known homicides with like characteristics. It isn't ideal, but it IS possible. The key is that a possible offender profile will also have to be considered in tandem with alternative scenarios for what happened to Kurt Sova, and attendees need to understand that we might get closer to the truth, even hypothesize the exact scenario as it truly happened, but still accept that --short of a confession by an actual culprit--our theories may never culminate in a provable answer.

In His Own Words: Kevin Sova Tells the Story of Life Without His Brother Kurt

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 21:54:05 GMT

Mom and Dad had four boys in five years. Kurt was the youngest. All four of us shared the same bedroom. We had a triple-decker bunk with a fold-out bed at the bottom. We would always fight for who was going to go where. The last brother in would have to sleep on whatever was left. Kurt was usually the last one in because he was the smallest.

Kurt was our little comedian. We’d call him Mouse when he was little because he would make a squeaking sound that made people laugh. His mannerisms were funny and he loved to tease and push people’s buttons just to get a chuckle out of them. He loved to make people happy. He had this incredible sense of humor and we’d seen enough crying and pain, so when we’d get together we’d all just laugh at him.

We grew up fast. We lived in a neighborhood that was very diverse, and like most cities, it evolved over time. After a while a lot of people moved out to the suburbs and the lower-income people were left behind. Eventually the racial tensions escalated we had to learn how to run fast or fight because we’d get beaten up. We brothers learned early on to take care of ourselves and each other. We protected Kurt the most, of course, because he was the youngest. We just knew how to take care of each other. We could beat each other up all day, but if someone else tried to hurt one of us, we wouldn’t stand for it.

My parents felt like they just waited too long to move out of there. It got to the point where we couldn’t sell the house. We stuck around. We were finally burned out of the neighborhood. When I was 15, we were visiting our grandparents and someone broke into our house and set it on fire.

We moved out of there and into the town where my parents lived for the rest of their lives. I was going into high school. Kurt was in elementary school. We were less fearful for our lives. We all easily made friends there. Life was beginning to get good again. We didn’t have a lot of money but we did a lot of things together as a family. We went camping often and Kurt loved to fish. I loved to hunt with my Dad.

Kurt, at the time, wasn’t allowed to venture out very far but he had two friends who lived on our street. His two buddies, Jon Miller and Danny Washington, lived within walking distance. We called them the Three Musketeers; they were always together. They used to try to hang around with us older boys but of course we wanted to do our own thing without the youngsters tagging along.

We would go out to our farm and ride horses, play with the pigs and chickens. We loved it but the inner city kids never understood the joy of getting dirty like that. It was good recreation. Or we’d go sit outside the airport and watch planes come in. We’d go to drive-in movies or watch my Dad race stock cars. Things that kids today don’t know or understand, but it was great. There was always something we could find to fill our days.

When he left that October to go to the party on a Friday, it wasn’t out of the ordinary. He was 17 that year. He was starting to do things on his own like we all did. He’d have a beer with us or smoke a joint occasionally but it wasn’t really his thing. His scene was more along the lines of being outdoors, going fishing with Danny and Jon.

When he didn’t come home Friday night, I don’t think anyone really realized it. Our home at the time was a Depression-era single-family home that had been converted into a two-family duplex which was pretty common then. The four boys lived in the upstairs apartment, so he’d come in and go up and go to bed and it wasn’t uncommon not to see him until the next morning.

The following morning when we woke up and saw that Kurt hadn’t come home, that also wasn’t something we thought was out of the ordinary -- until we talked to Danny. Then we talked to Jon. He wasn’t with either of them. When we realized nobody had seen him, panic started to set in. We exhausted every avenue we had and Mom finally contacted the police department but they wouldn’t take a missing person report until Sunday.

Because of my Mom’s investigative nature, we found out about the party and where it was. We showed up at the house and the people who lived there denied ever having a party, although they later admitted that they did have a party but Kurt wasn’t there. Then they later said that he was there. There were so many lies and different stories coming from the house where the party was held, we knew something wasn’t right.

We organized search parties with our family, Kurt’s friends, and all the boys’ friends. The phone was ringing off the wall. The panic intensified. We exhausted everything we knew to do and Mom was a mess. We were just waiting for the next day when we’d find hm. We were just waiting for little smiley Kurt to come through the door.

While the search parties were out one day, we got a call. They were bringing a body up from the gulley not far from where the party had taken place. We were all heartbroken. We knew it was Kurt. Mom and Dad had to go to the coroner’s office to identify him. It was hard to believe that it was real. Even now, almost forty years later, I want to think it’s a dream -- and then I wake up into the nightmare.

Life started to fall apart after that. We had to deal with the funeral home. We had to go to the cemetery and pick out lots for him and Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad were never the same. Us boys, we adjusted the best we could. Myself and my brothers Kenny and Keith all had our vices and addictions because when something like that happens and don’t have the resources for counseling or support groups, you deal with it however you can. It takes control of your life.

Mom went to her grave not knowing what happened. Kurt was gone for five days. He was dead for 24-36 hours. There are 72 hours we’ve never been able to fill in. People have different theories and stories and thoughts. Could it have been something as simple as he made a terrible decision and maybe it was an accident? I guess it’s a possibility. But if that’s the case, young people drink too much and get sick all the time. Why didn’t anyone call the family or take him to the hospital? There are so many different theories and they’re all possible and we didn’t know what to believe.

When we lose family and friends and loved ones, we should know why. It’s not always the reason we want; in the case of my Dad, you almost pray for the dear Lord to come in and take them off the Earth because they’re in so much pain and so sick. But Kurt. . . his life was just beginning. Mom lived through burying Kurt, burying my Dad, burying my brother Keith, then she died of an aneurysm. Then Kenny passed away from a drug overdose.

But with Kurt’s case, what if someone could have done something different? What if someone could have helped him? My little brother is gone and I don’t know why he’s dead. If it was an accident, what about the poor kids who made a terrible decision to leave him there and have had to live with this their whole life? I’d want to be able to put my arm around someone and say “It wasn’t your fault. I forgive you.” Or what if he was murdered? I’d want to see justice.

Mom blamed herself until the day she died. Kurt’s circle of friends was broadening and we didn’t know many of them at that point. Everyone was living their own life. Mom and Dad were working, the older boys were out of the home most of the time. We owned some property outside of town and Mom said we should have built a home and moved out there.

Thirty-eight years later, I got a call out of the blue: “Mr. Sova, this is Chief Majoy with the Newburgh Heights Police Department.” I thought he was contacting me about something my brother Kenny had done because he was always in and out of trouble. But he wanted to talk about Kurt. We had a short conversation. I wanted to get off the phone. I wasn’t ready to deal with it. My wife convinced me to give him a chance.

I told him later that I would come in and talk to him and he told me about CrowdSolve. He had done his homework on it and was confident it could help. I left his office very optimistic. It brought up feelings about Kurt that I had stuffed away for years. It showed me that they were serious about trying to help his case.

When my brother Kenny died, he was dead inside our family home for ten days. I wanted to set the whole house on fire. There was nothing in the house I wanted anything to do with. Kenny had sold everything he could get his hands on, but among the mess, in Mom’s old closet, I found boxes and boxes of documents, news clippings, and notes that Mom had kept on Kurt’s case. I took those and left the rest of it to the dope dealers and copper salvagers.

Two and a half years later, when I went to meet with Chief Majoy, I took some of the boxes with me. His eyes lit up like he had just hit the lottery. I told him to take it all. I felt like I was getting energy from my Mom above and that all she had done had finally paid off.

I wish right now that my Mom was sitting here instead of me. She’s the one who deserves to be treated the way CrowdSolve and Chief Majoy are treating me. She never let go. Eventually everyone gave up on her. Kurt died in Newburgh. We lived in Cleveland. There was always conflict between the two jurisdictions. Nobody wanted to talk about it. I told her so many times “Mom, give it up, nobody cares about this anymore. Nobody cares about Kurt.”

Now I know that hundreds of people - complete strangers - have it in their heart to do something. It’s a way to do these things in the future. These people are nothing but optimistic about their ability to help and you can see it in their eyes that they want to help a total stranger’s family. How do you not encourage that?

When I get to see her again, I’m going to tell Mom “I was wrong, Mom. People still care. They’ve cared all along.”

Meet your CrowdSolve Chief Investigator

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 18:23:22 GMT

Art Roderick will be your host and guide during your CrowdSolve experience

Art’s career in law enforcement spans almost 40 years. He served 25 of those years in the U.S. Marshals, retiring in 2008 as Assistant Director for Investigations, Senior Executive Service (SES), and formerly, as the Chief of Staff.

Upon retiring from the U. S. Marshals, Art served as Deputy Director for Operations for the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice.

From June of 2015 through December of 2018, Art became a familiar face to millions as CNN’s on-air Law Enforcement Analyst. Prior to CNN, he spent seven years as the Law Enforcement Policy Advisor and Deputy Assistant Director assigned to Washington, D.C. Operations with Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC). He represented the FLETC Director as liaison to DHS Headquarters, Congress, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and was the International Liaison for DHS to the National Security Staff, Department of Justice and other federal agencies.

During the course of his long and distinguished career, Art has appeared on numerous law enforcement programs including multiple episodes of “America’s Most Wanted” & “Unsolved Mysteries”. In 2015, Art executive produced and starred in The History Channel’s award-nominated Special “Alcatraz; Search for the Truth” and its follow-up Special “Alcatraz; The Lost Evidence” in 2018. Most recently, Art executive produced and starred in NBC/Oxygen Network’s highly rated 6-part investigative series “The Disappearance of Maura Murray” and continues to work with many networks including Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, and the Travel Channel. Currently, Art has a slate of highly anticipated projects in development for television, film and digital streaming media.

Prior to his distinguished career in federal law enforcement, Art was a local police officer in Massachusetts after serving in the U.S. Army as a Military Policeman. He is a native of Provincetown, Massachusetts and worked in the family business as a commercial fisherman during his high school and college years.

Voices for Justice podcast creator Sarah Turney Joins CrimeCon 2020 Podcast Row

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:12:02 GMT

At CCHQ, we basically have one job: bring our attendees the speakers, podcasts, and programming they want to see. Over the past year, one name has consistently dominated the results of every survey and social media poll: Voices for Justice podcast creator Sarah Turney.

Turney’s 17-year-old step-sister Alissa Turney disappeared from her Phoenix in 2001. The case saw little progress until 2008 when Alissa’s stepfather Michael Turney was taken into custody after refusing to comply with the police.

Although she initially denied that her father had anything to do with Alissa’s disappearance, she soon came to believe that Michael murdered Alissa. Ever since, Sarah has spoken out against her father and has very effectively used her platform to implore Maricopa County and Phoenix authorities to prosecute her father.

Sarah took some time to chat with me about Alissa, her first CrimeCon appearance, and what the future holds for her and the podcast.

CCI: How did you come up with the idea for Voices for Justice and bring it to life?

ST: I had been playing around with the idea of starting my own podcast for some time. I actually never intended on telling Alissa's story on Voices for Justice. The goal was to help other people like me, someone spearheading a movement towards justice of some kind, whether that be a missing person, wrongful death, wrongful conviction, etc. I just wanted to give others a platform to gain traction in the cases that they’re actively fighting for.

But after discussing my idea with many friends and other creators I was encouraged to tell Alissa's story first and, for the first time ever, in my own words. So I requested the records for Alissa's case for the first time and began going through home videos, old letters, etc. After reading over 3000 pages of case records and watching hundreds of hours of home videos, I realized that there was so much of Alissa's story that had never been told. So I compiled all of the research I had done into a 174-page timeline of the case that I began turning into episodes.

CCI: You have one of the strongest and most engaged followings that I’ve seen in the true crime community and you’re SO good at inspiring them to action. Is that something you sat out to build or did it happen organically?

ST: When the police told me in 2017 that they were not going to prosecute this case any longer and that my best chance was to get media exposure, I honestly didn't know what to do. I created the Justice for Alissa social media accounts and I started reaching out to local news and national news outlets but they didn't really have any interest in running the story.

So I began reaching out to content creators on YouTube and true crime podcasts. I found that they were so much more willing and open to discussing Alissa's case. As I began receiving messages and comments about the case I was, and still am, so grateful for each and every interaction. I made it a point to respond to every message, comment, or question about Alissa. The fact that they cared enough to not only consume content related to her case but to then reach out to me and offer to help was overwhelming in the best way.

So really, nothing about my approach was strategic and absolutely happened organically. But before I knew it, I had this amazing community that coined themselves Alissa's Army and they are a huge driving force behind this movement. When I say I love them, I really mean it. I don't have a ton of support from family so seeing people who never met Alissa fighting so hard for her means the world to me.

CCI: How do you think podcasters can use the platform to responsibly affect change?

ST: A huge part of Voices for Justice is not only asking people to listen to Alissa's story but to get involved with the case. Podcasters have an incredible opportunity to affect change within these cases. I love seeing creators include a call to action within telling the story. Whether it's raising funds for billboards, private investigators, legal fees etc., contacting decision makers, or just sharing the story, it makes a huge difference in the lives of people affected by these cases. What I think is so special about the true crime community is not only people being interested in these stories but wanting to actively fight for them. But they need to know where to start and the podcaster can make the difference between allowing their audience to just consume their content or asking them to help with these cases.

CCI: What’s coming up in the future for you, the case, and VFJ?

ST: This case changes by the day, but the future is looking bright. I am so fortunate to have a plethora of opportunities to further expand Alissa's Army and tell her story through other mediums. My goal is to have a book and documentary or docu-series about Alissa by 2022. Because although Voices for Justice can be excruciatingly detailed at times, there is still so much of this story that just doesn't make the cut. Voices for Justice will continue past Alissa's story and move on to feature other cases that also need justice.

I want to specialize in helping friends or family members seeking justice get to the next level with their case. My big dream is to create a non profit that can help others navigate the justice system and the media to affect positive change within their chosen case. There is no handbook for how to do something like this and I learned a lot of it the hard way. So after getting justice for Alissa, I fully intend on paying it forward and helping as many people and cases as I can.

CCI: What are you most looking forward to at CrimeCon 2020?

ST: Literally everything. I love seeing the panels and presentations as well as meeting with other creators. But honestly, my favorite part of CrimeCon last year was meeting so many people that care about Alissa's case. I spend so much time interacting with Alissa's Army online but meeting them in person is so different and routinely brings me to tears. Going from literally begging people to cover Alissa's case to having people approach me knowing her story is unreal and I will never ever get tired of it. I cannot wait for CrimeCon 2020 to interact with all of those who helped get Alissa's story to where it is today.

Inside the Vortex: The Pursuit of Justice in High Profile Cases

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 22:07:44 GMT

Dr. Michael Baden & Linda Kenney Baden join the CC20 lineup

Dr. Michael Baden is no stranger to headlines. The veteran Medical Examiner has investigated a staggering number of high-profile cases: the death of funnyman John Belushi; civil rights leaders Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King, Jr.; the grisly slaying of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman; and perhaps the most high-profile murder in modern American history: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

“I headed up the Forensic Pathology Panel for the House Select Committee on Assassinations,” Dr. Baden says casually. “There are a lot of old-timers still around with a lot of theories about the assassination.” Dr. Baden is soft-spoken but assertive, a no-nonsense kind of guy.

Dr. Baden, who many know from his prior work on the HBO series Autopsy, is now a forensic science contributor for FOX News and works regularly with the Innocence Project. He has also worked at the behest of human rights groups and private citizens to investigate deaths around the world, most recently the death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

What you may not know is that Dr. Baden’s wife, Linda Kenney Baden, also packs a powerful legal punch, and you’ve probably seen her in action. A perfect complement to her soft-spoken counterpart, Mrs. Baden is vivacious and animated -- and she’s demonstrably thrilled to join the CrimeCon lineup. “My executive producer, Cathy, loves CrimeCon. She’s been trying to get me to go with her for almost two years,” says Mrs. Baden. “She doesn’t know yet that not only am I going this year, but that I’ll be presenting with Michael.” (Informant’s note: Now she knows! Hi, Cathy!)

Mrs. Baden began her career as Assistant Prosecutor for the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office where she was the lead attorney assigned to the Sex Crimes Investigative Unit. Her work now focuses on criminal defense cases that involve forensic discrepancies and cutting edge social issues like LGBTQ discrimination and civil rights violations. Mrs. Baden, too, does not shy away from headline-grabbing cases: she has served on the defense teams of Jayson Williams, Phil Spector, Michael Skakel, Aaron Hernandez, Casey Anthony, and socialite Gigi Jordan. She also serves as a host on Dan Abrams’s Law & Crime Network and has appeared on countless networks as a legal commentator.

Together, Dr. & Mrs. Baden will put their combined 80+ years of experience under the microscope as they reveal what what it’s like to work some of the most highly-publicized and controversial cases in recent memory. " A forensic investigator has to stay strong in the law and resist being pulled into the surrounding emotional vortex of public opinion, competing interests, and the media," says Dr. Baden. "We have to keep our heads straight while everyone else is losing theirs."

The increasing and overwhelming public interest in criminal cases and trial watching is a double-edged sword, says Dr. Baden, noting that while public interest can make the pursuit of justice more difficult, it’s also a powerful tool for correcting injustice itself. “I worked the Attica Correctional Facility Uprising in 1971,” he explains, referring to the infamous rebellion in which 43 people died when prisoners rioted to protest inadequate healthcare, food, and living conditions. “Forty years ago nobody cared about prisoners dying. Now we see the conditions at [Mississippi State Penitentiary] and people care. They call out for change.”

The Badens will be scheduled as part of the main programming lineup for CrimeCon Orlando (May 1-3, 2020). All levels of badgeholders will have access to this session.

Would you take a polygraph? Should you?

Tue, 14 Jan 2020 18:37:44 GMT

Veteran polygraph examiner Jay Cherry joins the CrowdSolve lineup

Imagine, if you will, a scenario: your next door neighbor is murdered. You had dinner at their house the night before and may have been the last person to see them alive, but you did not commit the crime. Would you take a polygraph?

Many true crime fans have strong opinions on polygraphs. Some believe polygraphs aren’t admissible in court so they’re useless. Others believe taking a polygraph can only help make your case if you are truly innocent. True Crime Garage’s Captain has famously said several times “If you pass a polygraph, people will say ‘Big deal, anyone can pass a polygraph.’ If you fail, even if it’s not admissible, people automatically assume you’re guilty.”

All of these beliefs and attitudes are true. But they’re also false. Polygraph examiner Jay Cherry explains that the myths and misconceptions we believe about polygraph exams are often founded in nothing more than police procedural television shows and outdated movie tropes.

“It’s a myth that polygraph results are not admissible in court,” Cherry says. “They are admissible in some states. In other states they’re admissible if both the prosecution and defense agree to enter them into evidence. Mostly, polygraphs are used as an investigative tool to narrow down the pool of viable suspects. If someone passes a polygraph, investigators will certainly move them down the list of possibilities, but won’t take them off entirely.”

Cherry owns and operates Eagle Eye Polygraph, LLC out of Batavia, IL along with his wife Kathleen, but he earned his investigative bona fides as an FBI agent. He retired from the FBI as a Special Agent after 21 years of service. During the last eight years of his career, he trained at the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI), which is now known as the National Center for Credibility Assessment (NCCA).

Cherry will join the lineup of renowned experts who will speak at CrowdSolve in Chicago, IL this February. He will give attendees a crash course in polygraph administration and interpretation. He will also dispel many polygraph myths to assist attendees as they re-investigate the mysterious 1981 death of 17-year-old Kurt Sova from Newburgh Heights, OH. After his presentation, CrowdSolve Investigators (attendees) will put their new knowledge to the test as they review polygraph results from a person of interest in the Sova case.

“Maybe the biggest myth is that sociopaths can beat a polygraph because they don’t experience emotions the way others do,” explains Cherry. “They still have physiological reactions. They know they’re lying, they just don’t care about the results or the overall outcome.”

This touches on another surprising aspect of polygraph examination: the job is almost entirely based on psychology rather than statement interpretation. On top of that, the examiner must know how to use anticountermeasures (how to foil subjects who try to beat the test), interrogation techniques, and physiology.

Of course, CrowdSolve Investigators can’t squeeze decades of training and experience into one afternoon, but Cherry will provide a foundation of knowledge that will help attendees know what to look for when examining the polygraph results from the Sova case file. “We’ll start with the basics,” he says. “I’ll address some of the myths. We’ll talk a bit about the instruments used and the physiological activity that we monitor. Then I’ll show some charts as examples and talk about how to interpret the results.”

The Other People: Fiction for the non-fiction obsessed

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 22:19:51 GMT

As your friendly neighborhood CrimeCon Informant, one of my jobs is to alert true crime enthusiasts to new shows, podcasts, and books that make your morbid little hearts burst with joy -- and sometimes we need to switch up our true crime obsession with some fictional mysteries. For that purpose, Ballantine author C.J. Tudor's new book The Other People is *chef's kiss.*

In The Other People , Tudor offers up something for everyone: there's a mystery to solve, plenty of nail-biting suspense, and even a touch of the paranormal. The book follows protagonist Gabe as he drives home one night, stuck behind a rusty old car. He sees a little girl’s face appear in its rear window and she mouths one word: " Daddy!" . Gabe recognizes the girl as his five-year-old daughter, Izzy, but the car disappears. Three years later, Gabe spends his days and nights traveling up and down the highway, searching for the car that took his daughter, refusing to give up hope, even though most people believe she’s dead.

I recently had a chance to speak with the UK-based author and discovered that she has a lot in common with the average true crime enthusiast: a tendency to fall (or plunge willingly) down rabbit holes, a tinge of ever-present suspicion, and a natural urge to solve puzzles.

CCI: Where did the inspiration for the book come from?

CJT: We were driving back from visiting relatives and found ourselves stuck in traffic on the M1 [motorway in England]. A long line of cars crawling through roadworks. It was late and we’d been stuck behind this same car for miles; a beaten-up old car with loads of faded stickers around the rear window. I found myself wondering, what would happen if a face appeared in the rear window? What if it was someone in trouble, being kidnapped? Then I started thinking, what if it was someone I knew? And then my mind tumbled down the darkest rabbit hole: what if it was my own child, being driven away in a strange car when she should be tucked up in bed at home?

CCI: What elements from real-life crime stories do you pull together to create a fiction work that appeals to the true crime obsessed?

CJT: I don’t draw on any specific real-life crime stories, but I’m always very interested in normal people caught in extraordinary situations – what would we do, how far would we go if really pushed? My own darkest fear would be losing my little girl. I think it’s the same for every parent. We know that terrible tragedies happen and yet we cling on to this belief that somehow our family is special and protected, it will never happen to us. Bad things only ever happen to other people. But all it take is one twist of fate and any of us could be the other people.

CCI: What was your biggest challenge in writing The Other People ?

CJT: Tying all the different strands together. At one point I wasn’t convinced I could make it all work! Different characters, viewpoints and a hint of the supernatural. Yeah, it was a headache! Plus, as the action takes place up and down a motorway, I had to make sure that all my characters could realistically get from one place to another in the time I needed them too. I know far more than is healthy about motorway service stations now!

CCI: There’s a bit of a supernatural element to the subplot involving a character named Alice. How do you introduce those elements and still keep it believable?

CJT: Most crime novels require some suspension of disbelief but when you’re adding in a supernatural element, you obviously have to work even harder to keep it believable! I think the most important thing is the characters – if people believe in and care about the characters, they want to take that ride with them. Also, don’t cheat the reader – don’t make the twists and reveals reliant upon the supernatural aspect. And finally, get your reality right. If the mundane stuff is convincing, then people will be more willing to believe the unbelievable!

What ties the book together for me, as a true crime buff, is the description Tudor offers of the titular Other People:

We are people just like you. People to whom terrible things have happened. We’ve found solace not in forgiveness or forgetting. But in helping each other find justice.

The Other People hits bookshelves on January 28. Click here to pre-order your copy and lose yourself in the mystery and intrigue of The Other People .

4 Concepts to Understand Before CrowdSolve Chicago

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 20:14:19 GMT

Let us be clear: CrowdSolve Investigators will, for all intents and purposes, become rookie detectives for the full three days of the event. The experts and detectives on site to provide guidance will treat Investigators as peers. In short, we know the Investigators who signed up for CrowdSolve know their stuff and they’re coming to Chicago ready to get down to business.

CrowdSolve includes a significant education component. Investigators will spend part of the day in intensive educational sessions to learn about investigative concepts relevant to the Kurt Sova case. To get a head start on the basics, Investigators may wish to begin researching these four concepts:

Victimology is exactly what it sounds like: the study of victims and the circumstances that contributed to the offense committed against them. Victimology also examines the connections between the offender and the victim and understand why the victim was targeted.

At its core, victimology focuses on the factors in the victim's lifestyle that may have contributed to their death. To be clear, victimology is not victim blaming. Rather, we will seek to understand how the circumstances around Kurt's death and how they may have attracted a potential killer or contributed to his demise.

Resources:
Victimology overview - West Virginia State University
Introduction to Victimology - Sage Publications
Victimology - Trusty ol’ Wikipedia

Language is an important tool in criminal investigations. The way suspects and witnesses explain their stories can tell a keen-eared investigator more than the words themselves. As CrowdSolve Investigators examine the statements given by the witnesses and persons of interest in the Kurt Sova case, it is important to know the small nuances that may indicate deception.

Resources:
Solving Crimes Through Language - Dr. Natalie Schilling, Professor of Linguistics
Analysis of Statements in Famous Cases - Mark McClish (Rabbit hole warning!)
Statement Analysis: What Do Suspects’ Words Really Reveal? - Susan H. Adams, M.A.

We don’t expect you to become certified crime scene technicians before February 21. Still, getting an overview of the basic procedures will put you ahead of the curve in understanding the Kurt Sova crime scene. In our recent sit-down , Chief Majoy said “Could the ME have been mistaken [about time of death] in 1981? Possibly, but even if that’s the case, it doesn’t explain where Kurt was for five days or how he died and ended up in plain sight in a ravine that was searched thoroughly just two days before he was found.” The scene where Kurt's body was found is particularly important in this case as it is the only source of any physical evidence. There are also aspects of the scene that closely resemble crime scenes from two other local deaths. As CrowdSolve Investigators, a basic understanding of crime scene analysis will prove invaluable as we review photos of the scene.

Resources:
Crime Scene Investigation - National Institute of Standards and Technology
Discover Forensics - Future Learn (For the really dedicated! Future Learn offers two weeks of free courses in crime scene and forensic analysis)
A Simplified Guide to Forensic Investigation - Forensics Simplified

Behavioral profiling is a relatively new tool in the investigator’s arsenal. The concept was developed in the early 1970s by famed FBI profiler John Douglas and Agent Robert Ressler. Profiling seeks to understand why the perpetrator committed a crime in an attempt to identify their habits, behaviors, and motives. The profile is then used to narrow the suspect pool to the most likely culprits.

Profiling is not a perfect science and is not without its critics. Given the infinite spectrum of human behaviors and motives, it is nearly impossible to accurately predict one person’s behavior. Still, profiling remains a useful tool in focusing an investigation - and preventing investigators from getting tunnel vision in cases with few suspects such as the Kurt Sova case.

Resources:
Forensics: Profiling the Perpetrator - Dummies.com
FBI Method of Profiling: The 5 Phases - Wikipedia
Does Criminal Profiling Work? - Psychology Today

Can YOU help solve the mysterious death of Kurt Sova?

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 18:21:49 GMT

Police Chief John Majoy weighs in on the value of citizen detectives in solving Kurt Sova's unexplained death

When the concept of CrowdSolve first emerged, a small number of people responded with skepticism and concern. Newburgh Heights Police Chief John Majoy was not one of them. “Any good administrator will not turn down free help as long as it meets confidentiality and procedural requirements, which I’m confident this event does,” he says. “If it helps us steer closer to closing this case, mission accomplished.”

CrowdSolve offers everyday citizens and armchair detectives the opportunity to do just that. CrowdSolve participants will have access to the unredacted case files plus a bevy of law enforcement experts and the victim’s family to aid their three-day investigation.

The case is the mysterious death of 17-year-old Kurt Sova , who was found in a Newburgh Heights ravine in 1981. He had been missing for five days, yet the medical examiner placed his time of death within 24-36 hours. Kurt was wearing one shoe; the other was found in a nearby rock pile. His blood alcohol content was just .11 percent - enough to cause intoxication but not enough to kill a generally healthy teenage boy. The medical examiner was unable to establish a clear cause of death, labeling it as “instantaneous physiological death.”

Chief Majoy has spent thirty years in various positions in law enforcement and became Newburgh Heights Police Chief six years ago. He is also a professor of Criminal Justice at Tiffin University, where he earned three degrees. Tiffin is known and respected for its excellent Criminal Justice program.

In 2018, Tiffin University professor Mike Lewis approached Chief Majoy to discuss the Kurt Sova case. “Professor Lewis thought the case was still solvable and asked if he could assemble a group of students to re-examine it,” says Chief Majoy. Professor Lewis and the Newburgh Heights PD have been combing through the case and fielding tips, but like any good administrator, he wasn’t about to turn down the help of hundreds of CrowdSolve Investigators with new perspectives and a passion for justice. We recently spoke with Chief Majoy about the CrowdSolve event and his hopes for the ultimate outcome.

CCI: Why did you choose the Kurt Sova case to bring to CrowdSolve?

CJM: We’ve been working on and discussing the Kurt Sova case with the Tiffin University program for the better part of a year. With the limited resources we have, we’re not able to devote 40 hours a week to the case, so having the Tiffin group and CrowdSolve look at it is great. We also met with the medical examiner about a year ago. He agreed to help us take another look at things.

Our goal was to have a formal kickoff, so on December 3, 2019, we held a press conference . We had all four major news stations, the Plain Dealer, and news radio channels in attendance. It blew the case open in that Kurt Sova was back in the public consciousness.

The following day I was contacted by the Marshal’s office in Cleveland and they introduced me to [retired U.S. Marshal and CrowdSolve Chief Investigator] Art Roderick . Art invited us to CrowdSolve, explained the concept, and asked if there was a particular case we needed help with.

CCI: How has your department approached the the Kurt Sova case now that it's been reopened?

CJM: We needed to pick up where the initial investigation left off. The initial investigation was not as detailed as it should have been and not handled as well as it should have been. The time is right; two persons of interest in the case have already passed away. Public memory is fading. We’re turning over every stone possible. The good news is that we don’t have to wait on medical reports or lab reports, so it’s all on us to start talking to people and shake something loose.

We reached out to Kurt’s only surviving family, his brother Kevin Sova, and asked if we could have a conversation. He didn’t hesitate to help and was able to produce a couple of documents that his mother had kept over the years. She'd kept copious notes and logged a lot of details.

We started slow with it and we build up momentum each time we’re able to put a piece of the puzzle together. Today, Professor Lewis at Tiffin gets credit for recognizing that the case is solvable and starting the conversation again. Most of time I’ve spent on it is outside of work hours, and many of my officers are doing the same thing and taking assignments off-hours.

CCI: Any concerns about opening up the Kurt Sova case file to a group of civilians?

CJM: I didn’t say yes right away. I did my homework and have no concerns about confidentiality. When I spoke with Art, I felt very comfortable with the process. A person of his accolades and experience in Marshal’s office - who spoke highly of him - boded well with me. Participants must sign an NDA and the CrowdSolve organizers tightly control the information. If I had an ounce of reservation, we wouldn’t be doing this.

CCI: What has the history of the investigation looked like? What has moved it forward or held it back?

CJM: There’s no other way to put it: this investigation wasn’t handled well in 1981. I can’t change that, but I can try to make it better now. The detective who handled the case in 1981 went to prison on prescription fraud and civil liberties violations. The former chief’s career ended on a less than favorable note.

I’m not sure how the case ended up with the Sheriff’s Dept. I assume Kurt’s mother Dorothy Sova was persistent enough to get their attention and I’m glad she did. This office did a decent investigation in 1989 but unfortunately reached an impasse. The case sat dormant until 2018 when we had the conversation with Tiffin University.

CCI: In your opinion, what are the factors that make the case solvable?

CJM: Someone knows something. Perhaps it’s been eating away at someone. I believe someone put Kurt’s body in that ravine and more than one person knows who it was.

The Kurt Sova case also shares a couple of commonalities with the case of Eugene Kvet . For example, Kvet was found deceased with only one shoe on. Coincidence? Hard to say. Also, the death of Lisa Combs, whose body was found in an adjacent county, stirred up some names that also came up when we were investigating the Kurt Sova and Eugene Kvet cases. There could be some substance to it.

CCI: What outcomes will make CrowdSolve a success for your department?

CJM: I hope CrowdSolve Investigators can take a comprehensive look at the case and perhaps offer a new perspective that proves helpful in getting closure for Kurt Sova’s family. I’ve researched the case thoroughly and there has to be one piece of information that will break the camel’s back. Just one piece of the puzzle could make all the difference.

Kurt didn’t leave home, disappear for five days, and die from a .11% blood alcohol content, only for the medical examiner to place his time of death within 24-36 hours. Could the ME have been mistaken in 1981? Possibly, but even if that’s the case, it doesn’t explain where Kurt was for five days or how he died and ended up in plain sight in a ravine that was searched thoroughly just two days before he was found.

Only a small number of police investigators have seen the full, unredacted Kurt Sova case file. Your perspective could be the missing piece needed to solve his mysterious death. Click here to learn more about CrowdSolve and register to help find answer for Kurt's remaining family.

What happened to Kurt Sova?

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 02:28:30 GMT

Introducing our feature case for CrowdSolve 2020

We're excited to announce that in partnership with Newburgh Heights, Ohio police department, CrowdSolve 2020 participants will investigate the mysterious death of 17-year-old Kurt Sova. In the next few weeks we will bring you interviews with Newburgh Heights PD Chief John Majoy, Kurt's brother Kevin Sova, and the expert investigators joining us at CrowdSolve in Chicago February 21-23.

KURT SOVA CASE OVERVIEW

Kurt Sova lived with his parents in Newburgh Heights, Ohio just outside of Cleveland. Kurt was the youngest of four and by all accounts a well-behaved and responsible high school student. On Friday, October 23, 1981, Kurt met up with a friend to attend a Halloween party nearby. He never returned home.

On Saturday morning, Kurt’s mother Dorothy called his friends while his father Ken searched the neighborhood. Turning up empty, his parents called police to report him missing on Sunday morning. Dorothy contacted Debbie Sams, whom she had been told hosted the Halloween party Kurt attended on Friday night. However, Debbie responded that she had not seen Kurt and had not thrown a Halloween party that night. However, a pizza delivery man claimed that he had made a delivery to the party at the time in question. When confronted with the delivery man’s claims, Debbie Sams admitted that she had hosted the party and that Kurt was in attendance and had been drinking Everclear, which was out of character for Kurt.

Kurt’s friend claimed to have taken him outside for some fresh air and ducked back inside to grab Kurt’s jacket. When he returned, Kurt had vanished. Debbie’s inconsistent accounts caused Kurt’s parents to suspect foul play.

Three days after he was reported missing, three boys discovered Kurt’s body in a ravine on Harvard Street 500 yards from the duplex where the party was held. Police found no evidence of assault except a few minor scrapes and bruises. He was barefoot; his left shoe was found nearby but his right shoe was never located.

The cause of Kurt’s death has never been determined. Officials eventually ruled out foul play, concluding that his death was accidental or due to natural causes. Kurt’s family does not accept this conclusion. While the coroner placed time of death at 24-36 hours, Kurt had been missing for five days. Furthermore, Ken reported that he had searched the ravine on Monday and Kurt’s body was not present at that time.

Kurt's parents and two brothers are now deceased, survived only by his brother Kevin. In November of 2019, Newburgh Heights Police Department announced they were partnering with Tiffin University to take another look into Kurt's case.

Kurt’s case was highlighted in the November 23, 1988 episode of Unsolved Mysteries and featured in a four-part webseries by Exit 9 .

True Crime Gifts That Aren't Mugs With Ted Bundy on Them

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 17:41:51 GMT

Can your BFF lose an entire day binge-watching Snapped ?

Does your ride-or-die drop random facts about a forensic investigation or serial killer trials at inappropriate times?

Whether you’re a true crime fan yourself or know someone who is, finding the perfect gift for the morbidly obsessed can be challenging. There’s no shortage of tacky and tasteless true crime gifts online, but if you’re looking for something that doesn’t involve blood spatter or cringe-inducing slogans, we’ve got you covered.

Hunt A Killer

Subscription memberships are having a major moment, but makeup samples and bougie recipes aren’t really your partner in crime’s thing. Hunt A Killer is a monthly subscription box that invites players to become the detective by solving a mystery over the course of six boxes. Each box contains a collection of (fictional) documents, witness statements, evidence, and clues that players piece together to solve the mystery. Hunt A Killer is a fantastic group activity as well, so gather all of your accomplices and solve the Hunt A Killer mystery together. It’s also a great way for your loved one to brush up on their sleuthing skills before our next CrowdSolve event in February!

CrimeCon Gift Card or Tickets
CrimeCon is, if we do say so ourselves, the ultimate true crime event where fans come together for a weekend of learning, entertainment, and getting up close and personal with their favorite true crime personalities. Whether they have never attended CrimeCon or they’re a “Threepeat Offender”, your citizen detective friend is sure to light up when they open their beautifully packaged CrimeCon gift this holiday season (prepare yourself for semi-violent tackle hugs). If your loved one is already registered for CrimeCon , hook them up with a year of CrimeCon Insider access instead!

Self-Defense Course

Your partner in crime has watched thousands of hours of documentaries and crime shows. They may think they can outsmart or defend themselves against an attacker, but it’s easy to freeze up when confronted with the reality of an attack. A self-defense course can give them the knowledge and confidence they need to fight off any baddie. There are several online self-defense courses if your true crime comrade prefers to learn at their own pace.

(Tasteful) True Crime Merchandise

As we mentioned, much of the true crime merchandise available online features images of serial killers or tacky chalk outlines. If you’re looking for a tangible gift, check out the CrimeCon shop for t-shirts, tanks, mugs, and more - including our ever-popular Basically A Detective hoodie. Also check out the Oxygen network online shop for merch featuring your pal’s favorite true crime shows.

Patreon Membership

If your podcast-binging buddy isn’t into “stuff,” sign them up for a Patreon subscription to their favorite podcast. Patreon is a crowdfunding site specifically for content creators. Podcast fans who contribute each month receive access to early access to weekly episodes, fun merchandise, and bonus episodes. Best of all, Patreon offers many different subscription levels, so it’s perfect for any budget.

Still need ideas? Check out our CrimeCon holiday page here .

CrowdSolve Seattle Event Recap

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 18:14:05 GMT

Hundreds of citizens joined forces with trained investigators to find answers in two cold cases. Here's what happened.

When the idea for CrowdSolve began to take shape, we knew it would be a much different event from our regular annual CrimeCon convention. Rather than rotating between distinct sessions from hour to hour, CrowdSolve participants would focus on one real-life cold case with crash courses in key investigative fundamentals. The days would be longer and more intense with one clear goal: to find answers for the grieving families of Nancy Moyer and Karen Bodine.

We quickly learned exactly how differently this event would go at Thursday night badge pick-up and registration. After verifying their registration and issuing their badge, I directed attendees to the Fifth Ave. banquet room for our opening night reception. A surprising number of attendees asked, “Oh, is that mandatory? May I just pick up the case file and go read in my room?”

That’s when I knew this crowd was not messing around.

Still, there are worse things than free food and a well-stocked bar,. Most attendees seemed to enjoy the reception before filing into the Grand Ballroom. CrowdSolve Chief Investigator and host Art Roderick kicked off the weekend with an appearance by Oxygen’s powerhouse investigative journalist Stephanie Bauer as she introduced their new web series Searching For . Attendees were treated to a pleasant surprise: an advance premiere screening of episode one, which features Nancy Moyer’s baffling disappearance.

The evening’s main event, Hide & Seek : Behind the Scenes , brought the podcast’s host James Baysinger, Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Detective Mickey Hamilton, Nancy’s ex-husband Bill and daughter Sam Moyer, and Tenino Mayor Wayne Fournier. Hide & Seek podcast dedicated its first season to Nancy’s disappearance and Baysinger worked alongside each of the people onstage during the production process.

The session revealed some of the scariest - and most amusing - situations Baysinger found himself in while recording the show. It was surprising to learn how much old fashioned pavement-pounding Baysinger did to find new information about Nancy's disappearance. We as podcast consumers can often overlook the truly difficult and time-consuming work that podcasters do to deliver their product, but this behind-the-scenes glimpse gave CrowdSolve attendees a unique new perspective about their favorite pods.

As attendees filed out the doors after the session, nearly all of them inquired again about when they could get started reading and working.

“We consider CrowdSolve attendees to be our fellow investigators,” Det. Hamilton said in a previous interview. When attendees walked through the doors on day two, they became CrowdSolve Investigators. Since rookie detectives have a lot to learn, we began by hearing from three prominent experts in various investigative disciplines: perpetrator profiling with Dr. Maurice Godwin, an in-depth analysis of the Eric Roberts confession with statement analysis expert Mark McClish, and a detailed examination of the timeline with Art Roderick and Det. Hamilton.

“This is a lot to absorb before lunch,” I heard one Investigator whisper to her partner. I grinned, because I knew Roderick was about to drop a bombshell as he introduced the next session.

“We’re supposed to talk about persons of interest now,” Roderick said. “We’re going to talk about one in particular.” He then welcomed Aaron Huntley, the POI everyone loves to hate, to the stage to a chorus of hesitant but respectful applause. Huntley was a polarizing and charismatic character who appeared on the Hide & Seek podcast to explain his sexual relationship with Nancy Moyer. Huntley, to his credit, was composed and confident, facing down tough questions from Roderick, Baysinger, and CrowdSolve Investigators.

After lunch, the real work began.

Investigators broke into three groups and retreated to separate rooms to complete breakout work in the areas of perpetrator profiling, statement analysis, and the timeline of Nancy’s disappearance.

Armed with the crash course knowledge they had just learned from our renowned experts, the groups narrowed down their lists of POIs based on the perpetrator profile and witness statements from the unsealed case files. The groups reconvened to share their findings with Det. Hamilton, who will incorporate their recommendations into the open investigation.

The highlight of the Moyer investigation was observing the strength and composure with which Nancy’s ex-husband Bill and 19-year-old daughter Sam carried themselves. With 300 strangers asking difficult questions about their loved one - from her sexual partners to potential drug use - Bill and Sam answered anything asked of them with poise and grace.

“It’s hard,” said Sam when I chatted with her. “But it’s all to help find her, so it’s worth it.” She shared some memories of her mother with me, such as the tattoo of pink flowers Nancy had on her hip - and the matching tattoo Sam has to honor her mother.

I’m proud to say I made it back to my room that evening before bursting into tears.

At the end of Day Two, we officially switched gears from the Nancy Moyer disappearance to the unsolved homicide of Karen Bodine with a reception for Karen’s family. Many Investigators didn’t linger long this time, though - the Karen Bodine case packets (in a swanky file folder courtesy of Oxygen ) were waiting outside the reception for Investigators to read overnight.

Day Three welcomed bleary-eyed but energetic Investigators to their longest day yet - nearly ten solid hours of 101s, group work, and rotations. Statement analysis expert Mark McClish returned to give Investigators a crash course in deceptive language; crime scene analyst Karen Smith taught the fundamentals of crime scene investigation; and Snohomish County Medical Examiner Chelsea Warneke explained how autopsies are conducted and what the ME looks for in terms of evidence.

"One thing I didn't expect and I appreciate so much is how accessible all of the experts are," an Investigator said to me during a break. "They genuinely want to hear our opinions and thoughts no matter how 'ridiculous' it may be. It's great to know we're being taken seriously."

This is something we pride ourselves on during our annual CrimeCon event, as well. Unlike a typical fan convention, CrimeCon attendees are able to rub elbows with their favorite speakers and podcasters. The best conversations are had after hours at the hotel bar or while sharing a table during the annual VIP dinner.

Let it never be said that these Investigators didn’t earn their lunch each day. Just before breaking for lunch, Karen Bodine’s children Taylor, Karlee, and Tanner joined Art Roderick on stage to share their memories about their mother with the crowd.

All three wear their hearts on their sleeves in different ways: Taylor is soft-spoken but persistent, Karlee is direct and determined that people remember her mother as more than a victim, Tanner is quiet but articulate.

It was a powerful experience. Many Investigators had never met or had a conversation with a victim's family. Some Investigators lined up to ask questions. Some just offered hugs as the Bodines made their way through the room. There was barely a dry eye in the house as Investigators departed for lunch.

When they returned, Investigators again broke into their groups to rotate through sessions to analyze the Bodine crime scene with Karen Smith, better understand the manner of death with Dr. Bill Smock, head of the Training Institute for Strangulation Prevention, and to create a perpetrator profile with Dr. Maurice Godwin. After these whirlwind sessions - which contained extremely sensitive and difficult case material never seen by the public- the groups created a timeline of events leading up to the discovery of Karen’s body before calling it a day.

The day wasn’t finished for VIP badgeholders, though. The VIP dinner kicked off at 8:00, welcoming VIP badgeholders to share a dinner table with the experts and families. They were treated to a surprise appearance by Christopher Barbour, a forensic sketch artist with a twist - he claims to receive information about the suspects in a case intuitively, with little to no knowledge of the case beforehand. His sketches have helped open leads in cold cases and more than a few high-profile cases such as the murder of Skylar Neese by her teenage best friends.

Provided with only a picture of Nancy and Karen, Barbour sketched the men he believed to be the perpetrator in each case in front of the VIP audience before comparing them to known POIs. While many in the audience believed they found a match in the Nancy Moyer case, the sketch of Karen Bodine’s killer was not immediately recognizable. (Note: While Karen's family and dinner attendees were able to view the sketches, for confidentiality reasons, we have not released them to the public.)

Day Four began promptly at 9:00 am as groups worked to narrow down the list of POIs who had the motive, means, and opportunity to kill Karen Bodine. One group got a frustrating glimpse into the detective life when they discovered a page missing from their case packet. Further investigation revealed that the page has been missing from the TCSO file for quite some time. “Welcome to life as a cold case investigator,” joked Karen Smith as she broke the bad news to the group.

"I truly learned what goes on at the detective's desk," said CrowdSolve Investigator Amanda A. "It seems so easy to solve a case when you're watching a 2-hour documentary from your couch and you don't see the huge amount of work and frustration that goes on behind the scenes."

As groups provided their reports to Det. Hamilton, the twisted and tangled nature of the case became evident: there is no shortage of suspects and witnesses, but the few who did talk to detectives provided unverifiable information. Still, the groups were able to identify two witnesses as possible “weak links” who probably had more information and may crack if re-interviewed now, 12 years after Karen’s death.

With MMOs complete, groups again broke into separate rooms to begin their final reports. "This is why we're here," one group leader cheered, recognizing the waning energy level of her cohorts. "This is where the rubber meets the road, people. Let's get to work!"

It was exactly the boost the group needed to power through the home stretch. With the help of professional facilitators, the groups began to identify the specific questions that should be answered and actions to be taken to move the case forward.

These actions and questions became tangible, workable ideas and recommendations that TCSO should take to breathe new life into the case, such as re-testing evidence for DNA using the new-to-market MVAC machine, re-interviewing key witnesses, and offering a reward for information, even testing soil compositions found on Karen's body.

The groups lined up to issue their marching orders to a gracious and appreciative Det. Hamilton at the end of a long, life-altering weekend. As we wrapped the event, I felt like I knew almost everyone in the crowd. New friends exchanged hugs and phone numbers (or Snapchats or however people communicate these days). Diehard fans lined up to speak to the experts with just one more question or theory.

It looked and felt like the ending of an annual CrimeCon, celebratory and happily exhausted. While Investigators know that Karen and Nancy’s killer is still out there, there was a sense of triumph in the air. CrowdSolve Investigators delivered dozens of new leads that Det. Hamilton is investigating. They learned valuable information about the investigative process that challenged their assumptions about how cases are solved. "I'll never watch CSI the same way again," I overheard as Investigators filed out of the room (P.S. - Sorry to ruin that for you!)

Most importantly, CrowdSolve Investigators have generated movement in two cases that were frozen in time for too long. As the case moves forward, Investigators will receive updates from Det. Hamilton and TCSO. Team CrimeCon has budgeted for new DNA testing and other procedures and will continue to collaborate with Thurston County Sheriff’s Office as those needs arise.

I overheard Karlee Bodine tell Det. Hamilton “At the end of the day, our family has more answers now than we did.” That’s what we set out to do: deliver answers to families who have spent more than a decade without knowing what happened to their loved ones.

Three hundred people walked into the room four days prior hoping to find the people who killed Nancy Moyer and Karen Bodine - yet knowing they likely wouldn’t. They showed up anyway. They worked to exhaustion. And given half a chance, I believe every single person in that room would do it again.

CrowdSolve Investigator's Survival Guide

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 17:32:44 GMT

Everything you need to know to get ready for CrowdSolve

Greetings, CrowdSolve Investigators! CrowdSolve is upon us, and we've seen your burning questions in the CrowdSolve Seattle Investigator's Forum (must be a current registrant and must have signed the NDA to join). Here's everything you need to know about where to go and what to do when you arrive in Seattle:

Q: I haven't received the non-disclosure agreement. Do I need to sign it before I can participate in CrowdSolve?
A: Yes. All participants must sign the NDA before they can proceed into the event. If you haven't received the NDA via email, please check your junk and spam folders for an email from DocuSign. You may also sign the NDA in person when you pick up your badge.

Q: What can we bring into sessions with us?
A: Note pads, pens, laptops, and bags are permitted in the room. You may bring your cell phone but note that cell phone usage may be restricted in some sessions to protect confidential information contained in the case files. Please note that WiFi and cell data may be limited or very slow and attendees should not count on connecting while they are in meetings.

Q: When do we get the rest of the case files?
A: You'll receive key parts of the Nancy Moyer case file during your breakout session on Friday. You’ll receive key documents from the Bodine case file beginning at the Friday evening reception and continuing throughout the weekend. Our experts and organizers have put a lot of time into figuring out how best to parse out the most important information without creating any biases.

Q: Can I still reserve a room at the hotel?
A: The hotel has offered a limited number of rooms for which they'll honor our group rate of $199. Please contact Briana Hamill at the Westin to inquire about availability.

Q: What time can I pick up my badge and see what group I'm in?
A: The registration desk will open at 4:00pm on Thursday. Standard badge holders may check in at the registration desk on the 4th floor. Gold VIP and Platinum VIP holders may check in at their respective lounges on the 3rd floor.

Q: If I'm attending with my partner in crime, will we be in the same group?
A: Yes! You can either let us know who you're attending with in the CrowdSolve Investigator's Forum ; fill out this quick Google form ; or let us know when you check in at registration.

Q: Will lunch be available?
A: We've partnered with the hotel to provide a buffet lunch each day for those who hold pre-purchased lunch tickets . This will allow our Investigators to stay on-site, avoid massive lines at the hotel eateries, and continue to review the case files through lunch if you wish. You can find more information here .

Q: What's the best way to get from the airport to the hotel?
A: Our local CrowdSolve Investigators recommend taking the Link light rail from SeaTac airport to Westlake station. Westlake to Westin Seattle is a 5 minute walk. The Link light rail costs about $2-3. If you've found a carpool buddy in the Investigator's Forum, please be sure meet in a safe area. Uber or Lyft fares are estimated around $30-45 one way.

Q: Is there a dress code?
A: Casual and comfortable is the name of the game during these long days of investigating! We simply request that you avoid dress that may be insensitive to the victims' families who will be in attendance. (Consider whether your "The husband did it" t-shirt may send the wrong message to Bill Moyer, for example.)

Q: What time will we end on Sunday?
A: Expect to end around 4:00pm Sunday. In addition to the on-site facilitated work all attendees will also receive an individual “Case Analysis Report” (CAR) by email after the event. So, even if you need to leave early, rest assured that your thoughts will be heard and taken into account for the final report.

Q: I have more questions, comments, or just want to discuss the cases with my fellow Investigators. Where is the best place to do that?
A: Definitely the CrowdSolve Seattle Investigator's Forum on Facebook. We've seen terrific discussion from local attendees describing the way the cases were covered and discussed in the area, thoughtful insights into the initial Karen Bodine police report, and many friendships have already formed in the group!

5 Concepts to Understand Before CrowdSolve

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 17:17:19 GMT

Know the basics of these investigative tactics to get ahead of the curve

“We consider CrowdSolve attendees to be our fellow investigators.” — Det. Mickey Hamilton

Let us be clear: CrowdSolve Investigators will, for all intents and purposes, become rookie detectives for the four days of the event. The experts and detectives on site to provide guidance will treat Investigators as peers. In short, we know the Investigators who signed up for CrowdSolve know their stuff and they’re coming to Seattle ready to get down to business.

CrowdSolve includes a significant education component. Investigators will spend part of the day in intensive educational sessions to learn about investigative concepts relevant to the Nancy Moyer and Karen Bodine cases. To get a head start on the basics, Investigators may wish to begin researching these five concepts:

Victimology is exactly what it sounds like: the study of victims and the circumstances that contributed to the offense committed against them. Victimology also examines the connections between the offender and the victim and understand why the victim was targeted.

Nancy Moyer and Karen Bodine both led very different lifestyles that may have contributed to their deaths. To be clear, victimology is not victim blaming. Rather, we will seek to understand how the circumstances around each victim’s death and how they may have attracted the killers to the victims.

Resources:
Victimology overview - West Virginia State University
Introduction to Victimology - Sage Publications
Victimology - Trusty ol’ Wikipedia

Language is an important tool in criminal investigations. The way suspects and witnesses explain their stories can tell a keen-eared investigator more than the words themselves. As CrowdSolve Investigators examine the statements given by Eric Lee Roberts when he confessed to killing Nancy Moyer (and when he subsequently recanted that confession), it’s important to know what to look for to determine if the statement is true or false. Similarly, as we examine witness interviews in the case of Karen Bodine, you’ll find that several people can recall the same event in very different ways depending on the words they use.

Resources:
Solving Crimes Through Language - Dr. Natalie Schilling, Professor of Linguistics
Analysis of Statements in Famous Cases - Mark McClish (Rabbit hole warning!)
Statement Analysis: What Do Suspects’ Words Really Reveal? - Susan H. Adams, M.A.

We don’t expect you to become certified crime scene technicians before October 17. Still, getting an overview of the basic procedures will put you ahead of the curve in understanding the Karen Bodine crime scene. In our recent sit-down, Det. Hamilton said “The way Karen was killed, the way she was displayed, and the way she was found -- it was all very strange.” There are pieces of evidence collected from the scene that may be red herrings and there are pieces that may be the smoking gun (so to speak).

Resources:
Crime Scene Investigation - National Institute of Standards and Technology
Discover Forensics - Future Learn (For the really dedicated! Future Learn offers two weeks of free courses in crime scene and forensic analysis)
A Simplified Guide to Forensic Investigation - Forensics Simplified

Behavioral profiling is a relatively new tool in the investigator’s arsenal. The concept was developed in the early 1970s by famed FBI profiler John Douglas and Agent Robert Ressler. Profiling seeks to understand why the perpetrator committed a crime in an attempt to identify their habits, behaviors, and motives. The profile is then used to narrow the suspect pool to the most likely culprits.

Profiling is not a perfect science and is not without its critics. Given the infinite spectrum of human behaviors and motives, it is nearly impossible to accurately predict one person’s behavior. Still, profiling remains a useful tool in focusing an investigation with a wide range of suspects such as the Karen Bodine case.

Resources:
Forensics: Profiling the Perpetrator - Dummies.com
FBI Method of Profiling: The 5 Phases - Wikipedia
Does Criminal Profiling Work? - Psychology Today

Karen Bodine’s body was discovered with a ligature around her neck and there is reason to suspect Nancy Moyer may have been strangled to death as well. While this is not an easy topic to research, understanding the processes that occur within the body as a victim is strangled to death may be helpful when examining the case files on-site in Seattle.

Resources:
What it Feels Like to Be Strangled - Ranker (Not an easy or enjoyable read, but includes fairly accurate information)
Facts Non-Fatal Strangulation Victims Need to Know - Alaska.gov
Death by Strangulation - Dr. Dean Hawley, Indiana University

5 Reasons Seattle is the Girls Getaway You Need

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 17:55:23 GMT

Have some wine, investigate a crime, the fun never ends.

One thing we love about CrimeCon every year: seeing so many mothers and daughters, sisters, and best friends spending time together and meeting their true crime heroes. As our first CrimeCon: CrowdSolve event draws nearer, we hope to see that tradition continue in Seattle - and it turns out there are many reasons why Seattle makes an excellent location for a girls’ getaway trip!

CrowdSolve . Obviously, CrowdSolve is the biggest thing going on in Seattle in October (according to the research we did ourselves). You and your partner in crime can roll up your sleeves, dive into the real, unredacted case files for two Seattle-area cold cases, and help real-life investigators find answers for two families who have waited too long for justice.
Wine, wine, and more wine. While Napa hogs the spotlight for wine-centric girls getaways, Seattle and its surrounding areas boast dozens of idyllic wineries. There are several winery resorts to lure you in for a few days of sipping and relaxing by the pool or choose one of dozens of local wineries for some sweet day drinking before heading back to the city.
Dispensaries. If you’re looking for something a little stronger than wine, visit any of Seattle’s cannabis dispensaries. Since Washington became the first state to legalize recreational cannabis use in 2012, a wide range of dispensaries have opened. You can also find cannabis spas and even cannabis-infused wines from some of the aforementioned wineries.
Weekend events. This weekend is your time to yourself, away from the kids and demands of adult life - and there are plenty of events taking place in and around Seattle that will let you live it up! Check out the adults-only BounceFest , dance to The Who and Liam Gallagher or Hozier , and check out the Zoo Booze & Bites event during your stay in Seattle. You can also catch the Baltimore Ravens take on the Seattle Seahawks or a Mozart Requiem at the Seattle Symphony .
See the weird side of Seattle. True crime fans tend to like things that are a little out of the ordinary. Check out the Seattle Underground Tour to get a glimpse into Seattle’s history (and maybe do a little ghost hunting!) and snap a selfie with a local icon: the Fremont Troll .

5 Ways to Prepare for CrowdSolve

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 17:29:34 GMT

What you can do right now to kick off your CrowdSolve experience

As our inaugural CrowdSolve event draws near, we want to help CrowdSolve Investigators (that’s you!) prepare so they can arrive in Seattle ready to hit the ground running. Since CrowdSolve is a brand-new event that has never been done before, it’s helpful for us to think through it, too.

Each Friday between now and October 17 we’ll publish a list of five tips, concepts, or resources that will help CrowdSolve Investigators know what to expect in Seattle and how to get the most of the CrowdSolve experience. First up: some time-saving housekeeping tasks and recommendations.

Book your hotel room . If you haven’t yet, reserve your room before they’re gone! The last day to reserve your room at the Westin Seattle at our discounted group rate is this coming Thursday, September 26 . Staying at the host hotel will elevate your CrowdSolve experience in surprising ways: you’ll run into your fellow Investigators and law enforcement experts in the hallways and restaurants and chat about theories; Save the energy you would’ve spent commuting to the hotel for a long day of investigating; and save money on Uber, taxis, or parking. (Plus, have you seen the place?! It’s beautiful!)

Sign the non-disclosure agreement ahead of time. Because CrowdSolve Investigators will review two active cases - the disappearance of Nancy Moyer and the murder of Karen Bodine - confidentiality is our number one priority. All CrowdSolve Investigators must sign an NDA before receiving their badge at registration. We encourage you to complete the NDA ahead of time and save yourself some time at the registration table on-site in Seattle. We’ll send instructions about how to do that in the next couple of weeks.

Join the official CrowdSolve Investigators Forum . You should have received an email at your registered email address inviting you to join the discussion group on Facebook. This is a closed group only for Seattle CrowdSolve Investigators. The Investigators Forum will be a goldmine of information before and during CrowdSolve. You’ll be able to ask questions about the cases, chat with the experts, and meet your fellow Investigators. After the event, we will post updates as Thurston County Sheriff’s Office pursues the ideas and leads you provide.

Get to know the victims. We think TCSO Detective Mickey Hamilton said it best : “Get to know Karen Bodine and Nancy Moyer. Absorb everything you can. Read all the publicly available information and everything you can in the case files.” There is very little coverage of Karen’s case in the media but we will parse out non-confidential parts of the case file over the next few weeks (with the approval of TCSO). In the meantime, catch up on the binge-able Hide & Seek podcast with James Baysinger to learn more about Nancy’s case.

Get in the mindset of an Investigator. Let us warn you: there are images and descriptions in the case files that are not easy to see. We’ve said from the early planning stages that CrowdSolve is not a “murder mystery game” but the full weight of that statement hit home as Karen’s and Nancy’s terribly sad narratives took shape in the case files. The good news: there is a lot of material in both cases and we’re almost positive our keen-eyed CrowdSolvers will spot even a tiny lead that may crack either case.

CrowdSolve: "We consider attendees to be our fellow investigators."

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 14:19:50 GMT

Thurston County Detective Mickey Hamilton Weighs in On CrowdSolve

CrimeCon: CrowdSolve is an event that brings together hundreds of everyday citizen detectives, law enforcement, and investigative experts to re-examine two stagnant cold cases. From October 17-20 CrowdSolve participants will have access to the full un-redacted case files related to the investigations of Nancy Moyer and Karen Bodine as they attempt to turn over new leads and learn the fundamentals of criminal investigation.

When Detective Mickey Hamilton moved from Flagstaff, Arizona to Olympia, Washington in 2013 to escape the oppressive heat, he had no way of knowing that he would soon find himself deeply involved in the first major collaboration between private citizens and professional investigators.

As a detective with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, Detective Hamilton will help lead CrowdSolve participants as they investigate the cold cases of Nancy Moyer and Karen Bodine. For the past few weeks, Det. Hamilton’s department has been busy scanning page after page of the massive Bodine case file, which will be available in its entirety to CrowdSolve participants. It’s an unprecedented move and one that, it seems, Det. Hamilton is approaching with an open mind and cautious optimism.

We recently sat down with Det. Hamilton to get his thoughts on this unique event and his hopes for the outcome.

CC: Why did you sign on to participate in CrowdSolve?

MH: The idea was proposed to me by my supervisor. I didn’t mind, so I said “sure.” The more I got involved, the more I understood why we’re doing this. It’s a really interesting concept. These are cold cases and several detectives have already tried the best they could to solve them. If we can’t solve them and they’re just sitting in a box for ten or twelve years, why not broaden our scope and let fresh eyes take a look at them?

It’s especially beneficial to have people from a wide range of disciplines: I’m not a scientist, so I’m not going to think like a scientist. Someone with that background could interpret evidence in ways that I can’t. If people can take a look at these cases and see things we didn’t, it could help us finally get resolution for these families. It seems to be having positive effects already, so hopefully that will continue to be the case.

CC: Positive effects like the recent Eric Roberts confession in the Nancy Moyer case?

MH: Yes, absolutely. Regardless of whether he’s guilty or not, having the [Hide & Seek] podcast looking into the Moyer case plus the news that CrowdSolve was coming to town generated enough pressure to make him come forward. It generated many workable leads in a 10-year-old case where we’ve had no movement for years. Even if he’s not our guy, just having the word out about this event created movement in the case and that’s important.

CC: We brought Nancy Moyer’s case to Thurston County and asked if we could pursue it, but when we needed to come up with another case, Karen Bodine was one TCSO brought forward. What was it about Karen’s case that compelled you to bring it to our attention?

MH: Everyone in town talked about how strange Karen’s case was. The way she was killed, the way she was displayed, the way she was discovered - it was all very strange. The lead investigator at the time was a highly respected and accomplished detective, so it stuck out for the fact that even he couldn’t solve it. Karen’s murder was so cold and heartless. It struck a nerve with a lot of investigators.

Karen’s case is similar to Nancy’s in that we have a handful of good suspects and any of them could be our guy. That’s not typical in homicide cases. The running joke in the true crime world is “the husband did it,” but these cases aren’t that simple.

CC: What factors have prevented investigators from solving Karen’s case over the years?

MH: The roadblock is her lifestyle. Without giving away too much, she was surrounded by people who just won’t talk to the cops. On top of that, there were several people who had a motive. Time is good for these cases, though. Time passes, relationships change, people get out of the lifestyle and may be more likely to come forward.

CC: Do you have any concerns about opening up the case to a group of citizens?

MH: I’m not too concerned about it because the way the CrimeCon producers have organized it, everything will be consolidated into workable ideas. It’s not just hundreds of people throwing their opinions at the wall.

My concern is about leaks. Again, this has never been done before so we’re all going through this trying to figure out how it should work. Attendees will have signed non-disclosure agreements so there can be criminal and civil repercussions if those are violated, but worst of all, leaks will hurt the investigation and the families.

For the purposes of this event, we consider attendees to be our fellow investigators. The people coming to this event understand the gravity of the work we will be doing. We’ve put our trust in our fellow investigators and we have to trust them to do the right thing. We believe that the investigators coming to CrowdSolve have the victims’ best interest at heart.

CC: What is your biggest hope for CrowdSolve?

MH: I just want to see the needle move in the right direction. Of course we all want to solve the cases but if we get any leads at all, it will be worth it. Even if we find something that doesn’t help us solve them right now, a new detective may come along and be able to run with it. We’ll take it. Anything that can help bring resolution to these families is well worth the effort put in by us, the investigators, and the organizers.

CC: What advice would you give to your fellow CrowdSolve investigators before they arrive in Seattle?

MH: Get to know Karen Bodine and Nancy Moye r . Absorb everything you can. Read all the publicly available information and everything you can in the case files. It’s not an easy task; in the Karen Bodine case alone we have about 800 pages of reports and 600 photos. It’s a lot of material in a short amount of time, but the people coming to this event are the ones who are ready to dig in and do the work.

7 Ways to be a Good Citizen Detective

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 14:53:10 GMT

The world's first internet sleuth on the DOs and DONTs of armchair investigating

In today's world we can no longer discount the value of citizen detectives. Here are just a few examples of cases from recent memory successfully solved by tips from amateur investigators:

In 2009, a group of dedicated Redditors pieced together information to implicate a suspect in the murder of lottery winner Abraham Shakespeare just eight months earlier.
In 2015, online sleuths uncovered information in the Grateful Doe case that later confirmed the unidentified car accident victim as 19-year-old Jason Callahan, missing from Myrtle Beach, SC for 20 years.
Perennial CrimeCon fan-favorite Billy Jensen has successfully built a career from his amateur investigations.

CrimeCon: CrowdSolve is an event that seeks to put the best citizen detectives to work. What we discovered in the planning stages is that there’s no employee handbook for this. We don’t know exactly what makes a “good” citizen detective.

This lack of definition has led to some notable follies that have given online sleuths a bad reputation - the kind of follies we must avoid at CrowdSolve. What better person to consult to establish proper online sleuthing behavior than the original citizen detective himself, Todd Matthews?

Matthews rose to fame in the true crime world when he successfully identified the “ Tent Girl ” cold case victim as Barbara Ann Hackman Taylor . Matthews’s father-in-law discovered her remains in 1968, almost 20 years before Matthews took up the case in 1987 as a matter of curiosity. Matthews used records he found online to compare missing person’s reports and police records until he found a victim that met Tent Girl’s description.

“It was the wild, wild West of the internet,” Matthews says. “There was no Google, no 'online sleuths’ back then.” As a pioneer in the coming age of true crime obsession, Matthews admits he made mistakes. Here are some ways Matthews says citizen detectives can be most effective and helpful for law enforcement:

Don’t make unsolicited contact with anyone involved in the case. Listeners of The Murder Squad will recognize this rule as one of host Billy Jensen and Paul Holes’s own: Don’t go real-life. “I contacted the victim’s family myself and I shouldn’t have done that,” he confesses. Contacting the victims, families, or suspects in an open case could jeopardize an active investigation, drive away potential witnesses, or re-victimize those affected by the case. (CCI note: Plus, it’s tacky.)

Narrow your focus. To find actionable information that law enforcement can use, it’s helpful to home in on specific aspects of the case. For example, if an unidentified victim has a distinctive feature such as a tattoo, focus your attention on finding that feature as you look through missing persons cases. “Don’t just take a wild guess and say ‘I think this unidentified victim is this person,’” Matthews says. “If you say ‘Here are three cases I found that may have similar markings,’ police can move on that information.”

Go low tech. Scrolling through microfilm at the library may sound old-fashioned with the wealth of information available online, but don’t underestimate low-tech resources, says Matthew. “It is a time-consuming task but I have found cases in old newspapers that police didn’t even know were still open. Just because it’s not online doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.” Speaking of which. . .

Volunteer your time. Being a good citizen detective doesn’t mean you have to sit at your computer all day. “There are so many files and records that aren’t digitized,” says Matthews. “Contact your local libraries or law enforcement divisions and ask if you can help scan files, transcribe tapes, or whatever they need.” Don’t be offended if you’re turned away; due to chain of custody issues, some branches may be hesitant to give a civilian access to files.

Don’t expect credit. “Many times when someone submits a tip, law enforcement already knows that information. They might not be able to divulge that to you at that time,” explains Matthews. If you’re in it for the credit, he says, you’re in it for the wrong reason. “The Doe Network is all about the victims,” Matthews says. “If you genuinely want to help victims and help families get justice, that goes a long way towards being a good citizen detective.”

Respect the process. What should a good citizen detective do with the information they uncover? “Contact law enforcement immediately,” Matthews emphasizes. Every piece of information and evidence must follow the chain of custody in order to be admissible in court. (Note: Investigators will be present at CrowdSolve to ensure any new information participants find follows the proper chain of custody.)

Advocate, advocate, advocate. One of the best things a good citizen detective can do, says Matthews, is to advocate for legislation reform. For example, Matthews notes that there are currently only eight states legally obligated to enter missing and unidentified persons into the NamUS database. “Call and write to your representatives and advocate for this kind of legislation. The more resources to help law enforcement - and the public - close these cases, the better.”

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Are YOU a good citizen detective? If so, we’ll need your help at CrowdSolve! Click here to learn more or register.

CrowdSolve: Can we Find Justice for Karen Bodine?

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 17:43:40 GMT

Introducing our CrowdSolve featured case

Meet Karen Bodine. Karen was a vivacious, fun-loving friend who always greeted people with a smile. She had three children and lived in Olympia, Washington her entire life. On January 22, 2007 Karen’s body was found fifteen feet off a country road in nearby Rochester, WA. She was discovered lying on her back with her head resting on an abandoned car seat. Investigators found no outward evidence of trauma but noted “suspicious markings” on Karen’s body.

The case has baffled investigators for twelve years. The details are curious. Yet a quick Google search turns up only a smattering of vague articles published in the days and weeks after her death.

After recent developments in our initial selected case - the disappearance of Nancy Moyer - limited the amount of information CrowdSolvers could examine, we needed a case for CrimeCon: CrowdSolve participants to investigate. Karen Bodine's case needed attention.

“We selected this case specifically because it didn’t get the attention some bigger cases get,” says retired U.S. Marshal Art Roderick. “Twelve years later, there’s still a victim that deserves justice.” Roderick will serve as Chief CrowdSolve Investigator and guide participants through the case during the four-day event this October 17-20. The case is solvable, Roderick says, it just needs even a tiny break.

“The case has bounced around between 4-5 detectives over the years,” he explains. “Things happen; witnesses move away, investigators come and go.” It’s understandable - circumstances change - but also frustrating for Karen’s family and loved ones. Karen’s case also weighs heavily on the minds of the investigators who have worked it. “It strikes a nerve,” Roderick says. “When you ask about a case that sticks out in their minds, Karen Bodine is always the one. There’s nowhere to go and it’s frustrating.”

Despite the dry spell of new leads, Roderick says there is plenty of material in the Karen Bodine case file for CrowdSolve participants to digest. CrowdSolvers will have access to the full, unredacted case file during their participation. “There are phone records, crime scene photos, police reports, statements, and so much more. We even know about 5-6 people who aren’t quite persons of interest at this point but who are definitely on the radar.”

CrowdSolve participants will work alongside real-world investigators to uncover new leads that will help the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office move forward on Karen’s case. “We hope to have every detective who worked the case over the past twelve years present at CrowdSolve to assist,” Roderick says. The panel of investigators will also be joined by TCSO Detective Mickey Hamilton and a lineup of crime scene investigators, forensics experts, profilers, and more exerts to assist in the investigation.

Members of Karen’s family will also be on site to answer questions, but also to help participants get to know Karen as a person. “Her children are extremely happy to have people talking about their mother’s case again,” says Roderick. “Their goal is to keep it front-of-mind for investigators and the community and for people to remember Karen as a person instead of a victim.”

6 Things You Need to Know About CrowdSolve

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 16:09:25 GMT

It's a murder mystery, but it's no game.

For two years CrimeCon attendees have asked for a weekend-long event to dive deep into one case. It’s a good idea, so we took it a step further. CrimeCon: CrowdSolve attendees will have a chance not only to re-examine a case, but to actually help solve it. CrowdSolve is a new, completely immersive experience that is heavy on education and activism. It differs from our annual CrimeCon convention in a bunch of ways so here are a few things to know before CrowdSolve rolls into Seattle from October 17-20:

Two cases for the price of one. Many months ago, CrimeCon producers selected the baffling 2009 disappearance of a young mother, Nancy Moyer, to investigate at CrowdSolve. Recent developments in the case (great news!) mean that investigators are now much more limited in what they can share with us. To fulfill our commitment to the Moyer family and also provide CrowdSolvers with the best experience, we will spend Friday assisting the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office on the Moyer case, with the rest of the weekend dedicated to our new featured case (more info coming soon!) See more details in our official statement . (We're also making a HUGE announcement about our featured case this Wednesday, August 28 at 2:00pm ET . Check the blog and our social media pages for details!)
It’s not a game. If you’re looking for a 3-day murder mystery game, CrowdSolve is not it. CrowdSolvers will learn investigative concepts from world-class experts and the apply them directly to the case. Attendees may comb through long-overlooked records, analyze witness statements, walk through a crime scene reconstruction, and develop theories that will ultimately go back to the investigating agency. Come ready to work!
Attendees will have accomplices. CrowdSolvers will be assigned to working groups so that the experience is extremely intimate and hands-on. It sounds cheesy to say, but every year at CrimeCon we see many people meet as strangers and leave as partners in crime. Since attendees will work closely with other CrowdSolvers and investigators, we expect (and hope!) to see many more friendships blossom in Seattle.
The work matters. The cases are real. The victims are real. Their families suffer real trauma...and they’re at the end of the line. CrowdSolve may be the Hail Mary pass that they need to crack their loved one’s case.
Sensitivity and discretion are important. CrowdSolve attendees will have access to files never seen by the public - and it’s unlikely that they’re filled with puppies and unicorns. The ideas and theories we generate may someday become publicly visible. “The families will have to live with what we put out there for the rest of their lives,” says James Baysinger (host of the Hide & Seek podcast that covers the Moyer case). CrowdSolvers are likely to be required to sign confidentiality agreements to maintain the integrity of the event and the investigation.
For the best experience, stay at the Westin Seattle . Staying at the host hotel:

Eliminates time spent driving, parking, walking, or waiting for an Uber, which eats into your limited time at CrowdSolve. Hotel guests simply roll out, get ready, and BAM! - they’re right in the middle of the action as soon as they walk out the door.
Provides more opportunities to bump into experts and speakers. This means more chances to vet your theories, ask questions, and get to know your fellow CrowdSolvers.
Means that when you crash, you can crash. These will be long days. The afternoon slump is real. Hotel guests can sneak away to their room for a power nap (just come back relaxed, refreshed, and ready to solve a mystery!)

Click here to reserve your hotel room for CrimeCon: CrowdSolve

Q&A with James Baysinger

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 20:43:20 GMT

Host of the "Hide and Seek" podcast sets expectations for CrimeCon: CrowdSolve

Our inaugural CrimeCon: CrowdSolve event is a response to the instinct in all true crime fans to pursue justice -- and also a response to the hundreds of you who asked for a weekend-long event to come together with fellow citizen detectives and make a real difference in a real case.

We initially planned to introduce only one case at CrowdSolve. However, with the recent developments in that case - the 2009 disappearance of Nancy Moyer - we’re unsure what will happen by mid-October as it relates to the testing of new items and other aspects of the investigation. So while we will be introducing a new featured case for attendees to work through during the weekend, we want to honor our commitment to Nancy’s family by spending some time focused on her case, as well. We aren’t sure exactly what that will look like yet, but we’re working with Hide & Seek podcast host James Baysinger and the Thurston County Sheriff’s Department to determine how we can best help.

Baysinger dedicated the first season of Hide & Seek to Nancy’s case and will join us onsite in Seattle. He sat down with us to answer a few questions about Nancy Moyer and what he hopes a dedicated group of citizen detectives can accomplish at CrowdSolve.

CCI: How are you adjusting to the increased attention since the arrest of Eric Roberts?
JB: I haven’t really adjusted that much as far as how I’ve handled my podcast. I’ve continued to focus in on Eric and looking over the information I knew about him. I sat down with him and interviewed him. The increased attention is a good thing, but with him recanting, it puts us in a pickle because we have to wait to see whether or not we’ll get to go to court from a DNA perspective. I’ve tried to stay true to myself as a podcaster.

CCI: Why were you drawn to Nancy’s case?
JB: Proximity was one of the key things. When I was picking a case I wanted to investigate, I wanted it to be relatively close so that I could go to the places and meet with individuals and persons of interest and talk to people that were involved. So once I narrowed my search down to Washington State, Nancy’s case was one that was very intriguing because it was very bizarre how she went missing. I looked over lots of cases, but with Nancy’s what really stuck out to me was that she had two daughters that were nine and eleven years old when she went missing. Just thinking that these two girls have grown up without their mom now for over half their lives -- not only that, but having no idea what happened to their mom. I have a child myself, so that struck a chord with me. It hit me right at the heart thinking ‘what if my son had to grow up without his mom or myself?’ That’s why I took the case.

CCI: Her family will be at CrowdSolve, correct?
JB: Her ex-husband Bill and her daughter Sam will be at CrowdSolve. Nancy’s other daughter, Amanda (Mandy), has chosen to process this whole experience with her mom disappearing in a different way. Early on during the podcast, in trying to put this all together, Sam - at first - was willing to have a conversation. When she asked “What’s the name of your podcast?” and I told her I didn’t have one yet, she kind of said, “Okay, well, I’m going to hold off on this interview” just because I don’t think she knew exactly how far I was willing to take it and we hadn’t established trust yet. But once momentum started to pick up, she reached back out. Just like any kind of relationship, it took time to build that trust. It has grown organically. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been difficult conversations at difficult times, but they know my reasons and motives for doing this. They almost feel like extended family now.

CCI: How did you build that trust in this kind of tragically unique environment?
JB: I’m an insurance agent by trade, so I have experience working with people and managing relationships. But I also didn’t go in day one with a microphone. I really wanted to get to know them as individuals, what’s happened since Nancy’s disappearance, and how they feel about the project. Yes, I do often have to talk to them about sensitive subjects, but my promise to them has always been that if I have information that has nothing to do with Nancy’s disappearance, I’m not going to put it on my podcast. I know that they’ll have to live with what I put out there forever. I always check in if there’s sensitive information that I have.

CCI: What do you hope to see happen at CrowdSolve?
JB: The whole purpose of this event kind of lines up with why I started: to get lots of people and eyes looking at and bringing more attention to the case. I want to get all of these people in a room combing through details. It only takes one person to catch something. My perception of information is colored by my life experience, but someone else will look at it from a different perspective. There’s a lot of information to go over and digest, so even if we don’t walk out of CrowdSolve with a new POI, I hope we walk away with a lot more information than we have when we walk in.

CCI: What’s the most important thing for a CrowdSolve attendee to know?
JB: Remember that these are real people who have had to deal with a very real heartbreak. These girls didn’t have their mom at their first homecoming dance, their first date, their graduation. We have a tendency to become desensitized. I would urge all attendees to be respectful of the family and investigators. Be courteous, offer opinions, but be sensitive.

CCI: What do you think happened to Nancy?
JB: I’ve never answered that question because I want to be mindful about getting tunnel vision. I try to stay away from zoning in on someone because you can miss important information that maybe doesn’t support that conclusion. I believe Nancy and Roberts had some kind of relationship. I believe he hasn’t been completely honest about what he did, if he’s responsible. I think her house is a big issue; his confession doesn’t explain why her house was left in the condition that it was. I’m going to let Thurston County do their job as far as testing the evidence.

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YOU can make a difference in Nancy's case at CrimeCon: CrowdSolve . Tickets for the event are limited and hotel rooms are filling up quickly as the date approaches! Click here to register.

4 Small Self-Defense Weapons That Pack a Punch

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 12:51:27 GMT

You may not know it, but you already have one item on this list.

Until I was carjacked two years ago, I always thought I was prepared to defend myself if necessary. Since then, I’ve become more paranoi-- er, I mean, proactive about my own safety. For example: I no longer walk my dog without pepper spray in hand and since the recent rash of Uber-related abductions, I began carrying this small window breaker. I recently spoke with Damsel in Defense ’s Nancy Abercrombie (CC19 attendees will recognize her as Damsel Ninja Nancy) about portable, easy-to-use products that men and women alike can keep on hand to ensure their safety.

Alert Whistles

“I always advise people to take products that are appropriate for where they’re going,” Nancy says. For example, when traveling by plane, it’s important to have TSA-compliant self-defense products to take along. The Leaf Me Alone and Pearl of Wisdom pendant whistles are Nancy’s favorites, but any good alert whistle should be durable, accessible, and deafening to a would-be attacker.

Tactical Pens

Cleverly disguised as ink pens (and many are actually functional pens, though decoys do exist), tactical pens are inconspicuous and handy self-defense weapons. “If you have a job that requires you to meet with clients or people you’ve never met before, tactical pens are a great weapon,” says Nancy. Many tac pens, she says, have different features. “Ours includes a combined strobe light and flashlight, a striking tool, and a jagged tip. In the event of an attack, one would rake the jagged tip across the attacker’s face or skin to inflict injury but also to collect DNA.” An added bonus: while there exists no official policy regarding tac pens, “I’ve never had one of these confiscated by TSA,” Nancy says.

INFORMANT'S TIP: (Keep reading and learn how you could win a free tactical pen from Nancy's arsenal!)

Stun Guns

Many people have mixed feelings about stun guns due to their limited striking distance and how easily attackers can steal and use them against their victim. However, Nancy explains that not all stun guns are created equal. “The stun gun comes equipped with a flashlight,” she says. “If you’re walking in the dark and make a habit of using the flashlight (instead of say, the light from your phone), then you already have the stun gun in hand if you need it.” The gun can also be a deterrent. “If you see someone approaching and hit the button, they’ll see the electricity and realize that you’re not the easiest victim of the night and hopefully move on.” Best of all, even if an attacker wrestles the stun gun away, they can’t use it on their victim. The stun gun includes a wrist cord attached to a pin that disables the stun gun if removed.

Yourself

At the end of the day, says Nancy, the best weapon in our self-defense arsenal is good old-fashioned intuition, situational awareness, and courage. “When you get butterflies in your stomach and when things just feel “off,” that’s your intuition telling you something,” she says emphatically. “If someone approaches you and you get that feeling, speak up! Be aggressive and show them you’re prepared to defend yourself; scream “I have this weapon and I will use it.”

Defending yourself is also the best way to protect your children. “When your kids see you taking care of yourself, they learn to take care of themselves. I realized recently that the way I’ve set up my kitchen makes no sense at all, but I did it because it’s the way my mother arranged hers. That kind of generational influence is what will make us all safer.”

Want to stay safe AND also stay informed about the latest CrimeCon news and events? Click here and enter your email address and you’ll be entered to win a To Whom it May Concern Tactical Defense Pen from Damsel Ninja Nancy herself! Enter between now and 11:59pm on August 16, 2019. We will inform the winner via email by 11:59pm on August 24, 2019.

EVENT UPDATE: CrowdSolve Seattle

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 18:49:03 GMT

The solve must go on!

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks since news broke that Eric Lee Roberts, a former neighbor of Nancy Moyer’s confessed (before then recanting) to killing her ten years ago. (Roberts was initially charged with second-degree murder but all charges were subsequently dropped and, as of this writing, Roberts is no longer being held .)

When Nancy’s daughter, Sam, mentioned CrowdSolve , along with the tremendous Hide & Seek podcast , as one of the reasons why Roberts may have confessed, there were lots of gasps around the office. We are beyond elated that a long cold case has potentially experienced a major breakthrough. That outcome, and the justice and closure it would bring to Nancy’s family, is the entire reason why we developed the CrowdSolve format in the first place.

But, as far as the event itself goes, this development presented a unique problem: can you still CrowdSolve a case if someone is under arrest?

We have stayed in close contact with the Thurston County Sheriff’s office, as well as other key people with inside knowledge of the case. The reality is that no one knows what will happen between now and mid-October as it relates to the testing of items recovered from the suspect’s residence, as well as other aspects of the investigation. Therefore, after much debate, we’ve made three key decisions:

First, we will honor our commitment to the Moyer family and to the investigators by featuring the Moyer case for the first part of the event. We do not yet know if this will mean “behind the scenes” panels into how it was solved, or if it will mean rolling up our sleeves and diving into the case file to help police—but, either way, we will spend what is sure to be a fascinating day immersed in the Moyer case. Nancy's daughter Sam, her ex-husband, Bill, as well as James Baysinger (host of Hide & Seek) , and Det. Mickey Hamilton from the Thurston County Sheriff's Office will all be on hand.

Second, because of the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Moyer case we have decided to select a new featured case for the weekend. We’ll have more information on the specific case chosen very soon, but it’s one where we know we can do a lot of good for a very deserving family.

Finally , to accommodate these changes we will be starting the event earlier than originally planned. Beginning Thursday night (10/17) and running through Friday we'll focus on the Moyer case, and then from Friday evening (at our original start time) through the rest of the weekend we'll move to the new featured case.

Here’s a quick look at the event will flow. Please continue to keep in mind that this is the real world, not made-for-TV, so things may continue to evolve based on breaking news or case developments. We are, however, mindful of travel bookings and other logistics and will do our best to stick to this schedule.

Housekeeping Notes:

We urge you to stay at the Westin where the event will be held and to book your room now using our private link for our group rate. We can only support these smaller CrowdSolve events if attendees stay with us. The atmosphere at the hotel with all of us there is incredible and cannot be replicated. The conversations that take place in bars and restaurants outside of the daytime working groups will be instrumental to making progress on our case.
Please help us spread the word! Tell your friends, family, and Facebook groups about this event! If you have at least 5 people to refer please let us know so we can provide you with a code and reward you should they decide to join.

CrimeCon Statement Regarding Updates in the Nancy Moyer Case

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 17:11:17 GMT

We are closely following the recent developments in the Nancy Moyer case. We pray that this leads to the closure and justice the Moyer family has deserved for so long.

The intent of our CrowdSolve event has always been to help solve a case, whether that meant by finding new direct evidence, or by helping contribute to an atmosphere where others with information would finally step forward. If that is what’s happened here then we have never been happier to change an event.

For those registered please be patient as we wait to see what these developments bring. If we believe that our resources and attention are no longer needed for this case then we will select a new one for the Seattle event. Unfortunately, there are no shortage of families who deserve justice.

CrimeCon 2019 Event Recap

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 00:02:57 GMT

CrimeCon 2019 was one for the record books! We were thrilled to welcome over 3,600 people to the Hilton Riverside New Orleans for a weekend of learning from renowned experts, meeting other true crime fans, and cuddling with K9 search dogs. We heard from victims and their families; advocates and exonerees; and a guest lineup with a combined 900-plus years of experience (not a typo - 900 years) .

For three CrimeCon years now it’s been a distinct honor to get to know you and interact with you through social media and email. I’ve seen many comments asking “How are you posting from every session at the same time?!” The answer lies in my pedometer. At some point during the weekend I actually heard it whimper “Why are you doing this to me?”

Here’s a look at CrimeCon 2019 through my eyes:

I’m not a morning person but I sprung out of bed at 7:00a (by which I mean I “only hit snooze once”) and checked my call sheet to see what the day held.

8:00 - In an earlier email I had promised the viewers at home silly pics of Carl Marino all weekend. While I was stationed at the business center to print my call sheet for the day I surreptitiously snapped a pic of Carl Marino waiting for the elevator. Mission underway.

8:15 - While you were all lining up at the entrance (yes, at EIGHT FIFTEEN AY EM), I was sneakily hiding hundreds of these cards around the meeting space. In fact, I did this every morning of the con and, from what I could tell, none of you noticed. CrimeCon 101: Situational Awareness. Sigh.

8:45 - Made a preliminary pass through the Exhibit Hall and Podcast Row as vendors and podcasters were gearing up for a busy day. I spent some time speaking to Damsel in Defense Nancy Abercrombie, who, if you didn’t meet her, is the nicest person on the planet who can still likely kick your butt. Her self-defense children’s books were hot items!

9:30 - My partner in crime brought me beignets from Cafe du Monde. Four of them. Who eats four beignets? (Answer: Me. I do. Over the course of the day. Still cleaning the powdered sugar out of my backpack.)

11:45 - Ah, the best part of my job: backstage access. After a few minutes convincing the production team that I legitimately work here, I ducked backstage to get a quick IG Stories interview with our heartthrob host, Mr. Paul Holes. Then, with the ballroom packed and ready to kick off CrimeCon 2019, Mr. Holes took the stage to a standing ovation. And with that, my day really began.

12:30 - Let the record reflect that almost a month before CC19, on May 9, 2019 at 1:29pm ET, in our CC staff group chat, I made this prediction:

So I was not surprised when I arrived at Jeff’s session in Breakout 2 only for security to tell me the room was at capacity. Still, I had a job to do, so I managed to squeeze in the door at the front of the room. The room was not “at capacity.” It was shoulder-to-shoulder, hip-to-hip -- we were really lovin’ each other in there. It was the Woodstock of CrimeCon 2019, and for good reason.

Rinek has made a name for himself as the nicest badass in the FBI. He famously obtained a confession from serial killer Cary Stayner in 1999 with his unique, empathy-based interrogation technique. Rinek discussed his experience working the Stayner case but began with an adorable caveat: “If you’re looking for “macho,” you won’t find it here.”

12:45 - After a few moments, I squeezed out the door, exhaled, and skipped down to check out the action on Podcast Row. I ran into one Mr. Billy Jensen and we talked about what he loves about CrimeCon in this video that I cut off too soon because I thought he was finished:

I snapped silly Carl Marino pic #2 and then headed to the Grand Ballroom to catch a few minutes of CeCe Moore’s session “DNA Detectives: One Thousand Years of Cold Cases Resolved.” She described how she felt as she watched the familial DNA techniques she developed to help adoptees find their birth parents become a powerful tool law enforcement could use to solve murders: “I never imagined in a million years that those techniques that I had developed for one purpose would end up being used to arrest violent criminals like the Golden State Killer. So, of course, my life changed dramatically.”

1:35 - In between sessions I took a lap through Podcast Row and caught this epic challenge between True Crime Garage’s Captain and Truth and Justice’s Bob Ruff. I do not know the outcome of this duel, but if you witnessed it, I would love to know more:

1:45 - Made it back to the ballroom in time to snag a decent seat for David Rudolf’s “Behind The Staircase.” He’s a compelling speaker and he captured the undivided attention of the audience. In my opinion, he captured the main point of his presentation in one quote: “Innocent people do get arrested, they do get convicted, and they do go to prison. And I can’t imagine anything worse in the entire world.” You could feel the chill wash across the audience.

2:00 - Desperately tried to elbow my way into the first K9 demonstration with Professional K9 Solutions. No luck. Fortunately, there were two more sessions scheduled.

2:05 - Snapped this pic of Dateline’s Josh Mankiewicz in full Mank Mode with fans.

2:10 - I found my way back to Breakout 1 for the marvelous Anne Redding’s session about the Black Dahlia. In one slide she described the murder of Elizabeth Smart as “evil” and defended the choice: “Don’t be put off by the word ‘evil.’ This is a word that’s misunderstood and overused. When you remove the supernatural and superstitious elements, a lot of people smarter than I am have recognized that this word is important in our language,” she explained. She went on to give the definition that scholars have attributed to the word in the context of criminal investigation: “‘Evils’ are unnecessary, grievous, and intolerable harms produced by culpable wrongdoing.”

3:00 - I made a beeline for the Grand Ballroom to catch the beginning of “The Case Against Adnan Syed: Still Not Free.” Rabia Chaudry, Susan Simpson, and Dr. Marcia Chatelin discussed life behind the scenes of the hit HBO series and touched on what’s next for Adnan: “It’s absolutely not over,” Chaudry said to an uproar of applause.

3:30 - Oxygen’s Murder for Hire has become a staple in my television viewing schedule so I was excited to slip into this session. Victim Meghan Verikas took center stage along with Javier Duran, the detective who busted Verikas’s baddie ex-husband when he tried to have her killed. Verikas described feeling sick as she saw the footage of her ex ordering the hit, but showed her enormous strength when she explained why she was the last witness to take the stand during his trial: “I wanted the final day. I wanted his last day in court to be about me.”

3:45 - I’m SUPER excited about CrimeCon: Crowdsolve in Seattle this October, so I caught the tail end of "What Happened to Nancy Moyer?" with James Baysinger, Art Roderick, Maurice Godwin, Det. Mickey Hamilton (who is the active detective on the case) and Sam (Nancy’s daughter) and Bill (Nancy’s ex-husband) Moyer. The disappearance of Nancy Moyer will be the focus of our fall Crowdsolve event where attendees will work with police and experts to help thaw out this cold case.

4:15 - Learned what factors make someone vulnerable to becoming a violent offender with Kelly Wellman’s intriguing session featuring Richard Kuklinski:

4:30 - The fashionable Larry Pollard made me question my assumptions about the controversial “Owl Theory” from the Michael Peterson case.

4:45 - I simply had to lay eyes on the legendary Matt Murphy in “20/20 Presents Murder in the OC: From Crime Scene to Conviction.” I was lucky enough to catch Murphy’s explanation of California killer Daniel Wozniak’s twisted scheme to murder and rob two people, intending to use the stolen money to pay for his wedding. Murphy prosecuted the case and Wozniak now sits in a cell on California’s death row.

5:00 - FINALLY got a spot in the K9 demonstration just in time to see search dog Kiki being a very good girl (and getting some belly scritches):

5:10 - Oxygen’s Martinis & Murder podcast covered the Chris Watts case during their live recording. Unfortunately, I missed most of the Chris Watts discussion (blame the dogs), but I did catch a great moment during the Q&A when a fan asked about their motivations and goals for the podcast. Daryn replied “Knowing that the stories we tell are raising awareness of these cases is the reason we do this.” Rock on, Daryn, John, and Matt the Bartender!

5:30 - I took a break to plan my next move. I was just sitting on a bench on the second floor, minding my own business. Conspicuously alone. When an attendee approached me and quietly said “Excuse me, may I ask you a question?” I said “Certainly!” (because I’m all about customer experience) and I braced to tell this sweet lady the location of any room in the hotel. Instead she asked “Are you the CCI?”

I blanked. “What’s a CCI?”

“Are you the CrimeCon Informant?”

It only took three CrimeCons for one of you to find me out. I blushed from head to toe and revealed my identity, but the kind lady has pinky promised not to blow my cover.

RAPID ROUND:
5:40 - Stopped by the Jury Experience to catch a rousing live stage performance based on a real trial. Oxygen’s Loni Coombs was insanely good as the moderator and the juries that “deliberated” in our mock courtroom had some robust debates.

5:50 - Stopped to take a pic of some very happy ladies with Billy Jensen.

6:00 - Decided to detour through Podcast Row on my way to Sheryl McCollum’s session and boy am I glad I did. If I’d walked past I wouldn’t have caught this priceless moment with Generation Why ’s Justin and the Nicest Guy in True Crime , Robin Warder:

6:15 - Squeezed into Sheryl McCollum’s “A Tribute to Ann Rule” to witness her fabulous footwear and experience pin-drop silence as Ted Bundy survivor Kathy Kleiner Rubin told the harrowing story of his attack on the Chi Omega sorority house.

6:30 - I did not bring tissues to “48 Hours: Guilty Until Proven Innocent,” and that was a mistake. Darryl Pinkins described his reaction to the news that new DNA techniques may free him from prison -- or could keep him there for life. “I said bring on the test,” he said with conviction. He and fellow presenter Roosevelt Glenn were both exonerated by DNA evidence and released from death row.

6:45 - I could listen to Tom Lange’s session every day and never get sick of it. As you’ll learn later, the O.J. Simpson investigation served as my introduction to true crime and I have an enormous amount of respect for Mr. Lange. He showed the audience the sheer volume of evidence that wasn’t admissible in the Simpson trial and defended the integrity of his fellow LAPD investigators (except Fuhrman, natch). Lange’s passion and energy really came through when he spoke of his late partner Phil Vanatter.

7:00 - Couldn’t miss “Injustice! with Nancy Grace.” Her signature Southern drawl and colloquialisms were in full effect, but a somber pall hung over the room as she described the lingering effects of the wrongful convictions and other injustices she’s witnessed in the criminal justice system.

7:30 - I felt sooo grown up as I walked to the Dateline NBC cocktail hour and mingle at an offsite restaurant. After convincing security (again) that “I work here! That’s my boss, over there, talking to Keith Morrison!” I made it into the bar. I then unlocked a lifetime achievement: I witnessed Keith Morrison go from vertical to lean IN THE WILD. I snapped a selfie with Keith, then John Mankiewicz and I launched an unofficial campaign to officially name him “Mayor of CrimeCon.” I made a new friend (I’m so sorry new friend, I’m terrible with names, but you were great!), ate two coconut shrimp, and accidentally left the restaurant holding my glass of red wine. But hey, it’s New Orleans.

10:30pm - CrimeCon team meeting. We discussed what went right, what went wrong, what we could do better on Saturday, and ate lots of cold tacos (they were delicious).

Not gonna lie: this was a looong day, guys. I laughed; I cried. It was better than Hamilton .

9:00 - No way I would miss Dr. Kimberlie Massnick’s presentation “Dialogue with a Deviant: the Final 29 Days.” I followed her journey as she spent the past year conversing with Florida death row inmate Bobby Joe Long and knew that her presentation would make the audience laugh, cry, and think. She shared the strange letters, riddled with doodles and odd requests, that she had received from Long, and spoke of her conflicting emotions when she learned that the governor had signed his death warrant with an execution date of May 23.

9:30 - HLN’s Death Row Stories presented the emotional account of exonerated death row inmate Nathson Fields and illustrated the flawed and fallible nature of the justice system. Tears filled Nathson’s eyes as he said “Innocent people who get caught up in the system could lose their lives.” Pin drop silence.

9:45 - Full disclosure: being caught in an active shooting is one of my biggest fears. So I lurked outside the room until the Q&A portion began in retired U.S. Marshall Art Roderick and Columbine survivor Crystal Miller’s session “Active Shooter Situations: It Can Happen to You.” Because I’m a grown baby. I walked in just as Miller was recounting a conversation she had with a survivor of the Sandy Hook shooting: “He said that when the shooter shot the adults in the room, he knew it was normal: adults shoot adults. But when he turned the gun on the children he knew something was different and he had to hide.”

10:15 - Observed Nancy Grace in her natural habitat: grilling Joe Scott Morgan and her panel of experts as they discussed the Delphi murders:

10:30 - Stopped by “Profiling Dirty John” to find an absolutely packed house in the massive ballroom. On discussing her relationship with sleazy con man John Meehan, Debra Newell explained how she fell for Meehan: “I fall, and I fall hard. I don’t see red flags; I see a parade.”

10:35 - Oh, my stars. I was not prepared for when I walked into “The Man Behind the Badge with Rodie Sanchez” to find Sanchez on stage beginning to remove his shirt while his lovely wife delivered his favorite beverage to the stage. The audience went wild, and while Sanchez ultimately left his uncharacteristically formal button-down shirt on, but untucked, he looked comfortable. The disheveled look did not diminish the power of the moment when he introduced us to the victim that still haunts him: Eugenie Boisfontaine.

10:45 - Coolest. Session. Ever. Former CSI Alina Burroughs was among the first investigators on the Caylee Anthony case. She discussed the limitations of current CSI technology when it comes to making a jury understand the details of the scene. “During my testimony,” she said, “I looked over and a juror was asleep. We owe them more. We owe them a way to make the scene make sense.” Burroughs then demonstrated the amazing 3D crime scene scanning technology available through FARO with a simulated flyover of a real crime scene.

RAPID ROUND:
11:30 - NYPD “Cannibal Cop” Gil Valle spoke to a crowd with obvious mixed feelings about his culpability and criminal intent. I will note that the crowd was ultimately very respectful in their questions and largely open-minded to what Valle had to say. Applause to you, crowd!

11:40 - Bumped into Rodie Sanchez on the way to his meet & greet, drink in hand. Thanked him for the crawfish etouffee recipe he sent me and got a big hug (he’s a hugger! Who knew?!)

11:45 - Safe to say Lana Wood is not convinced by Robert Wagner’s version of the events surrounding the death of her sister, actress Natalie Wood. Not one bit. Lana’s strength and dedication to bringing real resolution to her sister’s case was apparent as she discussed the mysterious details of her sister’s death with CBS’s Erin Moriarty.

12:30 - Caught the Q&A portion of “True Crime Podcast Power Hour”, and it was very much a spiritual atmosphere in the room. The mutual squee-ing among AP Bio actress and true crime pod fan Lyric Lewis, plus the True Crime Obsessed and Crime Junkie hosts, was adorable and contagious. It’s so fun to see people enjoy each other’s company as much as this group did onstage.

12:45 - While y’all got a lunch break I found out that Max was back and wandering around Podcast Row. Here’s how that went:

1:30 - Steve Spingola can’t stay in his seat. The Cold Justice crew was characteristically enthusiastic during this high-energy session. Asked what it’s like to be on camera, Siegler explained how she approaches the local law enforcement to prepare them for the added element. “I tell the local law enforcement that the day one is always the most awkward day because we’re used to it, but they have mics and cameras on them while they’re trying to lay out the case in a way we can understand. I fully believe that the reason this [Cold Justice] concept works is that for seven working days, that Sheriff or Chief has allowed two detectives to work nothing but this case with us. In the real world, cops don’t have the luxury of doing that.”

1:45 - I beat feet over to the Grand Ballroom to catch some witty banter between the Dateline correspondents. Did I catch it? Yes. Did I record it? No, because my phone died at the exact wrong moment. But I also heard the emotional moment when Josh Mankiewicz described covering a case in which his personal friend was involved. I don’t think we give the hosts enough credit for the emotional toll it must take to explore the worst that humanity has to offer. Hats off, Dateline crew. We appreciate you and all true crime hosts.

2:00 - I missed journalist Abby Ellin’s “ Duped: Why We Love Liars, Imposters, and Scammers,” and from what I hear, I’m really sad that I did. She’s a firecracker, and all reports indicate that her session, which was moderated by the lovely Ellen Killoran from CrimeOnline.com was full of laughter, packed with information, and her strength was on full display. This is one I can’t wait to watch on-demand on CrimeCon Insider .

2:45 - Oxygen’s “The DNA of Murder with Paul Holes” was one of the most well-constructed sessions I’ve seen in three years of CrimeCon sessions. I was impressed that Oxygen managed to pack SO MUCH information into the mock crime scene that Holes used to explain how he investigates crimes. Holes explains complicated investigation concepts in easy-to-understand terms and is very personable & easygoing (which helped a lot when my phone went off in the first row during a moment of total silence. Sorry, Paul!)

4:00 - Oh, man. This is the session I’d been waiting for. Let me tell you about my love for Chris Darden. Twenty-five years ago I watched him and the indelible Marcia Clark put the punches to OJ Simpson on television nearly every day. It sparked my interest in true crime. Twenty-five years later I’m working in my dream job and it’s partly due to the inspiring work they did during an obviously challenging (to put it mildly) trial.

This was a session everyone is still talking about. Darden’s characteristic energy and emotion were on full display, and amped up to about an eleven as he took the stage (looking super snazzy, if I may say). He kicked off his session with some good-natured humor: “When they told me there was a group of people with this interest in. . . um. . . murder? I said ‘I gotta see this. I gotta meet these people. These are my people.”

Darden applauded the attendees’ effort to understand crime, investigation, and the criminal justice system before sharing a sweet moment with Tom Lange, his friend and a former detective in the Simpson case, from stage.

Darden gleefully threw shade at members of Simpson’s so-called “Dream Team” before shifting gears to focus on victims Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. “Imagine what they could have accomplished in these last 25 years,” he pondered.

After the powerful session I caught up with Mr. Darden and forgot that I’m a professional for a moment. All that stuff about why I love Chris Darden? Yeah, that fell out of my mouth in a torrential fangirl downpour as he signed a book for me. Somehow I hadn’t terrified him enough to make him sprint toward the door and he willingly took a few seconds to tell me about his first CrimeCon experience:

5:45-ish - I ran back to my room to grab a beignet and a Dr. Pepper when a text came across my phone from one of my confidential informants in the Murder Squad session: “BILLY AND PAUL NEED BOURBON.”

Look, don’t threaten me with a good time. My Darden-induced high was still running strong, and I’m from Kentucky; if someone asks for bourbon, they get bourbon. I took that dare and sent two glasses of the bar’s finest Woodford Reserve to Billy and Paul on stage. I didn’t see them for the rest of the night, but I bet they had a hell of a time wherever they were. Someone later sent me this picture of a very happy-looking Paul Holes:

6:30pm - With preparations for the VIP cocktail hour and dinner well underway, I turned my attention to helping my teammates on the CrimeCon crew distribute dinner tickets, field questions, and make the VIP experience a success.

I let out an involuntary “Oh noooo…” as CrimeCon Threepeat Offender Candace (who gave me permission to use her name) took the stage with mentalist Jason Suran. (You know how, in Harry Potter, every time there’s trouble at Hogwarts, it always involves Harry, Ron, and Hermione? Same concept: every time there’s a potentially embarrassing event at CrimeCon, it usually involves Candace and her sister, and odds are 10:1 that they've been drinking since 2:00.) Suran blew the audience away by accurately guessing intimate information about Candace before summoning Paul Holes to the stage and guessing his phone’s lock code.

10:30pm - CrimeCon staff team meeting to discuss what a rousing success Day 2 had been, but also to painstakingly go person by person to talk about the complaints and compliments they’d heard from all of you. During this meeting it hit me again how lucky I am to work with this small team of smart and dedicated people who believe in the power of this event.

11:45pm - Took a lap through the Spirits bar and ran into Rodie Sanchez, who took my face in his hands, smushed my cheeks together and told me I’m beautiful so I could have ended the night right there and died happily. Instead I ventured on and met Larry Pollard and his wife, plus Justin and Aaron of Generation Why, and Art Roderick. I also stumbled upon Candace, her sister, and Jason Suran from the VIP dinner. Suran wowed our small group with tricks that I honestly cannot explain, and brought me to tears with a cold reading (I know it’s not real, but I WAS TIRED AND EMOTIONAL, OKAY?)

For three CrimeCons now, Sunday morning has brought mixed feelings. My feet and my aging knees are glad it’s almost over. My thumbs are swollen and achy from posting and typing on my phone. My brain is numb. But I scroll through Twitter and Instagram and see attendees’ posts -- how much fun you’re having, how much you’re learning, and what you’re looking forward to today, and it gets me on my feet, gets my head in the game, and I rally.

9:30 - And what better way to rally than by welcoming an actual legend to the Grand Ballroom? Just before Dr. Henry Lee took the stage to speak, I took a peek backstage to introduce myself. “We spoke on the phone a few months ago for your CrimeConfidential feature,” I bumbled. I could tell he had no idea who I was, but he was gracious enough to snap a quick selfie with me before going onstage.

From my previous interactions with him I knew that Dr. Lee has a great sense of humor and it was on full display in the first half of his presentation. With his typical good nature, he discussed the changes he’s seen over fifty years in forensic science and touched on the changes he sees coming in the future. He peppered his presentation by handing autographed photos to audience members who answered questions, displayed enthusiasm, or who even just caught his eye.

10:15 - I dragged myself away from Dr. Lee’s amazing presentation (another I’ll be rewatching on CrimeCon Insider) to catch the Q&A portion of “Escaping NXIVM” with former member Barbara Bouchey and Uncover: Escaping NXIVM host Josh Bloch. Bouchey is one of the strongest women I’ve met and she did not back down from a question about why people were attracted to the cult in the first place. “Please understand: 17,000 people came through NXIVM,” she said. “16,000 of those wouldn’t tell you they joined a cult. Many people did get positive results from it, then moved on. But there was a small circle of women whom [NXIVM leader Keith] Raniere would boundary-test to see if they were susceptible to entering this inner circle.”

10:45 - Waiting for Dr. John White’s session “Serial Killers Among Us” to begin, I sat near this adorable couple and couldn’t help but snap a pic. We had a wonderful conversation about how positive and supportive the CrimeCon environment is and it pumped me up for the rest of the day! Thank you, ladies!

Dr. White is a doll. He’s one of those speakers you want to invite to Thanksgiving dinner. He began his session in typical lighthearted manner, but the content turned dark very quickly. Dr. White explained the many different types of serial killers who live among us. “Sexual sadists are the most unspeakable, horrible people because they prolong your life so they can hear your screams.” Not a sound in the (packed) room except for the collective shudder that ran through the audience.

12:00 - I admit I was nervous walking into Crystal Miller’s session “Columbine: Marked for Life.” I was nervous because the Columbine shooting happened near the beginning of my true crime “phase” (as my mother still calls it), and it was the first time I remember feeling unsafe at school. It affected me deeply, and I kept newspaper clippings (pre-internet, people!) in a folder looking for a definitive answer not to “Why did this happen?” but “Can this happen to me?”

Miller is a phenomenal speaker. Half the room probably choked up as soon as she said “Good afternoon.” She set the stage immediately with a series of news clips from the days following the shooting, including clips of herself, crying and trembling as a reporter held a microphone to her tear-covered face.

She described the events of the day in chilling detail; you definitely understood that she has lived that day over and over again for twenty years. She divulged that, on the morning of the shooting, she convinced her friend Seth to join her in the library to study for a test. “It was my fault we were in the library that day,” she said, and a lump formed in my throat. She described the pings and blasts and screams and crying that she heard when the shooters unleashed a hail of bullets in the library that day. She and her friend took cover under a desk. “Seth pulled me toward him and said ‘Crystal, I want you to know that I will take a bullet for you.’”

I wish I could tell you what happened after that, but I can’t. The lump in my throat and the pall in the air threatened to suffocate me and I had to leave the ballroom.

After the closing video (more tears) I sneaked into the CrimeCon Insider-only closed session, “Chase Darkness with Me” with the ever-stoic Billy Jensen. I arrived just in time for a truly pleasant surprise as Dr. Henry Lee took a couple of minutes to join Jensen on stage to share some of his experiences (and more jokes, obviously!) with Insiders.

Jensen took Insiders through the steps he took to leverage social media to find the killer of Marques Gaines in 2016. If you’ve heard him speak, you know his intensity can reverberate through a room like a tuning fork, and the audience was acutely tuned in. With a captivating mix of conviction, humor, and a few of his signature F-bombs, Jensen gave CrimeCon Insiders a phenomenal session that was definitely worth sticking around to see.

And just like that, CrimeCon 2019 was over. I took a seat on the first floor to catch my breath and took in my surroundings. I saw people heading home, hugging the new friends they had made. I saw people like me who sit on the couch and watch our “stories” on TV sharing ideas with the very experts we watch. I looked to my right to see Billy Jensen, now chatting with a fan, taking her ideas seriously, and offering legitimate information to help her better understand the topic at hand. I saw victims and survivors offer hugs to the attendees they’ve inspired. It was Dateline and Unsolved Mysteries and 20/20 and 48 Hours and Oxygen all wrapped into one -- and we were inside of it.

“This is unreal,” I said to my partner in crime. “Look around; we’re all living in a dream that none of us knew existed two years ago. And the best part is that we get to do it all again next year.”

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Now you know what I thought of CrimeCon 2019. We want to hear from you , too! Don’t forget to visit crimecon2019.sched.com and leave feedback on each session you attended (just click into the session and then look for the “Feedback Survey” link. Your feedback is an essential part of building the programming, content, and list of speakers that you want to see in Orlando!

CrimeCon 2019 VIP Dinner

Tue, 28 May 2019 21:07:49 GMT

You’re a true crime fan through and through. You’ve watched countless hours of police interviews and interrogations; you may have attended Steven David Lampley’s session How to Catch a Liar at CC18 or CrimeCon: On The Run; you may not be a trained detective, but you can spy a lie from a mile away.

Except. . . what if you can’t? Entertainer Jason Suran has spent much of his life mastering the skills of illusion -- but this is no magic show. Instead, Suran combines these skills with his expertise in the psychology of deception to demystify those who would pull the wool over your eyes, from charismatic criminals to psychic detectives. At Saturday’s VIP cocktail and dinner event, Suran will put these concepts into action to demonstrate not only how these fantastic feats are performed, but how to protect yourself from them.

Though he’s a self-proclaimed skeptic, Suran is willing to give liars the benefit of the doubt. “I start from the premise that everybody wants to tell the truth,” Suran says. “Even the most practiced liar wants to tell the truth because it’s less work. So the game becomes ‘how do I make it as easy as possible for this person to tell me what I need to know’.” Still, there are those who use the same psychological concepts to take advantage of others.

“I want people to understand the danger of being taken in by a practiced cold-reader. ,” Suran continues. “Psychics and mediums who use these concepts for personal gain often derail police investigations and risk further traumatizing families and victims. Two stories, in particular, spring to mind: In 2003 and 2004, respectively, famed psychic Sylvia Browne informed the parents of missing children Shawn Hornbeck and Amanda Berry that their children were dead. In reality, both children had been abducted and held captive for years. Hornbeck escaped his captors and returned to his family in 2007. By the time Berry escaped, her mother had died, still believing that her daughter was dead.

These cases reinforce the main idea that Suran hopes to drive home during his Saturday performance. “These illusions are effective because we don’t understand them,” he explains. “We see psychics on television and wonder how they knew Grandpa’s middle name or how they knew where a body was buried, but the truth is that there are some very reliable and effective ways they could have uncovered that information. In my show, we’ll examine the methodology that helps them do that and look at what makes us so susceptible to deception in the first place”

Suran promises a highly interactive session with plenty of opportunities to get involved. “There will be lots of audience participation and I may need some victims. Er ... volunteers,” he warns. Fortunately, the evening kicks off at 7:00pm with a cocktail reception to ease those stage fright jitters.

Survivor: Terra's Story

Wed, 15 May 2019 00:41:33 GMT

Terra Newell on surviving a brutal attack and living with PTSD

While Terra Newell is rightfully hailed as the heroine of the Dirty John saga, it’s easy to overlook the fact that she’s also one of the many victims left in John Meehan’s wake. Terra saw through Meehan’s carefully curated facade and repeatedly encouraged her mother to leave him. In August 2016, after stalking Terra for weeks, Meehan attacked her with a knife in a parking garage.

Terra wasn’t going down without a fight. She managed to kick the knife away from Meehan, then grabbed it and turned it on him. “I just started stabbing,” she says. “I knew if he got back up, he was going to kill me.” Meehan died as a result of his injuries in hospital four days later.

“People are surprised to learn that I defended myself,” Terra remarks. One can understand why: Terra stands 5’2”, with a petite frame and long blonde hair, nails perfectly manicured. However, one conversation with Terra will tell you she’s not the Orange County, California stereotype that springs to mind. She’s strong and unapologetically self-assured, especially when speaking about her struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder in the years since the attack. “We don’t talk enough about PTSD for women. The image that immediately springs to mind is that of a wounded soldier or law enforcement officer,” she says. “The truth is that trauma affects everyone, and for different reasons.”

Terra will spend some time at CrimeCon 2019 talking about her experience with PTSD and how we may begin to think differently about women as victims -- starting with the word itself. “Women are so often seen and treated as victims that we think we have to behave like victims,” she explains. “I think we should change that vocabulary and call them “survivors” instead. Just because you’ve experienced trauma doesn’t mean you have to cower in your house in fear. Treatment is there, and it can help you take back your life.”

Fifty Years of Forensics

Mon, 06 May 2019 21:24:45 GMT

Dr. Henry Lee on Fifty Years of Progress and Finding Love Again at 82

Forensic scientists usually don’t ascend to star status, but Dr. Henry Lee has become a household name -- at least in the homes of true crime enthusiasts. Dr. Lee has been a fixture in true crime news and entertainment, featured in The Staircase, Forensic Files, The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey , and in his own series: Trace Evidence: The Case Files of Dr. Henry Lee. He has lent nearly fifty years of forensic expertise to recognizable cases such as the death of Caylee Anthony, the trial of O.J. Simpson , the death of Laci Peterson, and the September 11 terrorist attacks. He has authored or co -authored over 40 books on forensic science, crime scene investigation, and crime scene reconstruction.

Although his expert testimony sometimes clashes with popular opinion, one cannot deny Dr. Lee the respect his findings deserve in the face of 50 years of experience. Throughout the decades, Dr. Lee has observed remarkable changes -- including the rise of media involvement in court proceedings. “We don’t know the case,” he says. “We only know what is in the media. When you sit in the room or in the jury box, you see all of the evidence not accounted for in the media.”

The corruption of the information we receive is colored even further by the way we receive it. “You have one story, and the way one channel reports it may be very different from the way another reports it.”

There is, perhaps, no case more infamous for its media coverage than the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial. But while the case was a veritable media circus, it was also hugely influential in changing investigative procedure. Dr. Lee gave testimony for the defense that certain pieces of evidence from the crime scene had not been processed properly or had been overlooked entirely. “The case set the national standard for crime scene investigation,” Dr. Lee explains. “In a double homicide, there should have been crime scene video. There shouldn’t have been anything overlooked. Evidence should not have been taken home by detectives. None of this says the defendant is guilty or innocent, but the evidence was not reliable.”

Ultimately, Dr. Lee hopes to be remembered for more than his work on the Simpson trial. He currently only investigates cold cases in which everyday people need help finding missing loved ones or bringing closure to cold case murders. “These are the cases dear to my heart,” he says.

Dr. Lee tells the story of a 72-year-old senior citizen, her disabled 42-year-old son, and her 8-year-old granddaughter, all three murdered in one weekend. “Nobody cares,” he says sadly. “So we want to help these people who otherwise wouldn’t have a chance to find answers.”

The problematic investigative procedures of days gone by often interfere with this honorable effort, though. “Before 1998, nobody wore gloves,” he explains. “ Police didn’t wear gloves, then take a piece of evidence to a lab tech, who didn’t wear gloves. The prosecutor examines it without gloves. Maybe they take it to trial and the defense attorney and jury handle it without gloves. Now we try to retest and find trace DNA that’s unreliable.”

It is heartwarming to know that after fifty years of service, Dr. Lee is able to devote himself to work that obviously brings him much fulfilment and joy -- and that joy spills over into his personal life, as well. “When my wife [Margaret] passed away two years ago, we had been married 57 years,” he says. “Her departure affected me very much and I missed her tremendously.” What he didn’t know, though, was that Margaret had planned ahead. “I learned that when her health began to deteriorate, she told her best friend that if she passed, she would send an angel to come and take care of me.” As luck would have it, one arrived. In December 2018, at 80 years old, Dr. Lee married entrepreneur Jiang Xiaping in a small ceremony in Connecticut.

“People asked me “Why remarry?” Life is short. Having a partner to walk with you and share your happiness is important. You can’t withdraw from the world.”

====

Dr. Lee says that he loves to travel with his new wife! She will accompany him to CrimeCon 2019 in New Orleans, where he will take the stage to reflect on a career spanning half a century. Come prepared with questions for the audience Q&A and your phone for the meet & greet immediately following his session!

"Nobody Could Tell"

Fri, 03 May 2019 21:50:56 GMT

Profiler John White on the murderer that keeps coming back to haunt him

It takes a special person to share the stage with true crime fan-favorite Jim Clemente, but at CrimeCon 2018, John White, Ph.D did exactly that. The soft-spoken but good-humored White shared stories from their days as criminal profilers, but White’s experience extends well beyond the realm of criminal profiling.

After working as an investigator sergeant in Dallas, White worked in Internal Affairs before moving to the Psychology Services Department. The work inspired him to pursue his Ph.D in psychology and he is now a professor of Psychology at Stockton University in New Jersey. He also maintains a private neuropsychology practice evaluating and treating sex offenders. Through his work, White has compiled a database of over 500 serial killers with 164 distinct variables. Safe to say that he has come face-to-face with many of the worst humanity has to offer. There is one perp from his past, though, that he can’t get out of his head.

During his time on stage at CrimeCon 2018, we discovered that White is a good storyteller, so we think this story is best told by him:

I was working as an investigator with the Dallas Police Department and we received a call with an unknown cause of death. We arrived on scene and found a deceased young woman. We had just arrived and as we were standing over the young woman, her boyfriend (let’s call him Jay) arrived home. He was distraught, inconsolable, and my heart broke for him.

We took Jay to the station to get a statement from him. He gave a full report and was cooperative and his emotions seemed genuine. We were preparing to let him go when he turned and said “You fools . I’m the one who killed her. And I’ve killed a lot more.”

I was astounded that nobody could tell we had been sitting in a room with a cold-blooded killer. It came to light that he had killed thirteen women and none of us knew. I began to wonder how a man like that could kill so easily -- and fool so many people. These were the days of Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, the outliers. But there was Jay, a normal guy going about his day who happened to have killed thirteen women. The experience lit a fire inside; I wanted to learn more about people like him. People who could commit such heinous acts against their fellow human beings and then breeze through society without remorse or conscience. I would go on to think about Jay often throughout my career.

My work leading the Fugitive and Special Investigations unit in Dallas led me to investigate a surprisingly large number of sex crimes. When I left the police department and began teaching , I was able to conduct formal research into the phenomenon of serial killers. I combined what knowledge I had gained about sex crimes and serial killers together and it was through that lens that I began my research . at Stockton University.

Today, I evaluate and treat sex offenders as a forensic psychologist. I study them and work to find the best ways to rehabilitate each individual offender. It is not lost on me that while all sex offenders are not serial killers, nearly all serial killers committed one or more sexual crimes at some point in their lives. By the time my patients come to me, they are entrenched in their trajectory. In twenty years, I haven’t treated a patient who went on to become a serial killer.

Still, during group sessions, I look around the room and I think about Jay. These men look and sound normal. They look like your next-door neighbor or the pastor at your church. I’m less trusting now than I was when I encountered Jay. I wonder if any of my patients have the capability to move on, to escalate and become a serial killer. After decades of research, will I know this time?

I like to think I will, but decades of research says I probably won’t.

=====
Dr. White’s session with Jim Clemente was wildly popular with attendees. Dr. White will take the stage solo at CrimeCon 2019. He’ll dive deeper into how he identifies potential violent offenders and how profiling helps to prevent them from acting on their violent impulses. Don’t miss what’s sure to be a jaw-dropping, fascinating look at the way killers behave.

Rodie Sanchez on Retirement, Eugenie, & Keeping a Promise

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 17:57:37 GMT

Once Detective Rodie Sanchez starts talking, you’ll hope he never stops. If my delightful conversation with him is any indication, he’s happy to oblige. The retired Iberville Parish, LA detective is an old-school, shoe-leather cop who looks like he could strike terror into the hearts of criminals, but face-to-face he comes off as a loveable softie. Sanchez landed a spot in the hearts of true crime fans during his appearance in Discovery’s Killing Fields . He’s kept a low profile since his departure from the show, due in part to his battle with cancer.

“Life is good,” Sanchez says in a distinctive Cajun drawl. “Cancer is in remission, but I have to stay on top of my appointments and go see my doctors. I’m officially retired,” he promises, before rattling off a list of activities that sound a lot like work: Benefit work for police officers; search and rescue work; fielding calls and emails from grieving families trying to find missing loved ones. “I try to help out as much as I can.”

In his “retirement,” Sanchez has also continued looking into the case that haunts him: the 1997 death of LSU student Eugenie Boisfontaine , though he admits he hasn’t made much progress. He talks about Eugenie almost as if he’s talking to himself, his voice softer and more pensive. “If I don’t work Eugenie’s case, nobody will,” he says. “They say never to make a promise in law enforcement, but I promised her mother that I’d find who killed her daughter.”

Eugenie’s mother died recently, convinced that a serial killer had murdered her daughter. “The last time I spoke to her, she didn’t know me,” Sanchez recalls. Though he had remained close with Eugenie’s mother over the years, she suffered from dementia before her death. “I wanted to tell her that the killer she suspected had been ruled out, but her mind was gone. She thought her daughter’s murder had been solved. I let her believe it.”

Will he still try to keep his promise? Sanchez will talk about Eugenie at CrimeCon 2019, he’s wary of divulging too many details. “I’m trying to get her case reopened,” he explains, “so I don’t want to say anything that could jeopardize that investigation.” His voice drops again: “I think about the life she could have had versus the life she did have and it pulls at my heart. She was a lost person. If I don’t care about her, nobody ever will.”

Still, Sanchez insists he’s taking it easy these days. “I’m a fanatic for antique cars. I tinker with cars, go to car shows, take care of my chickens and goats. I’ve been approached by some of my previous producers to discuss some new projects.”

So much for retirement.

=====

Find out what’s next for Rodie Sanchez during his session at CrimeCon 2019 !

The Last Bastion of Hope

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 23:23:20 GMT

Inside the Cold Case Unit with Joe Giacalone

If all goes according to plan, investigators collect evidence, interview witnesses, catch the bad guy, and close the case. All too often, though, leads dry up and the case file lands in the cold case unit.

That’s when Joe Giacalone gets to work.

As Commanding Officer (ret.) of the Bronx Cold Case Unit, Giacalone investigated thousands of long-frozen homicides and missing persons cases - and there’s no shortage of files to choose from. Nearly one-third of murder cases are never solved , and hundreds of thousands of people are reported missing in the U.S. each year. That means Giacolone’s work is quite literally never finished.

“There are two ways to select a cold case to re-investigate,” he says. “First, we can open the files and look for cases with high solvability factors.” These factors, he explains, include examples such as untested DNA evidence, items that may be tested for latent fingerprints, or lab reports that may not have been properly submitted. “The second way we select a case is when a family member asks for our help.” Friends and family are a wealth of information and help us understand the victimology, which is really where we need to start from in cold case investigation.”

While every case is unique and requires a different investigative approach, Giacolone says one thing remained the same in every investigation. “We treat every case as if it just happened today instead of years or even decades earlier. Previous investigators may have made mistakes or drawn incorrect conclusions and we want to avoid falling into those same traps.”

During his time on stage, Giacalone will show the audience the realities of cold case investigation. “It’s not like television where they can solve a thirty-year-old case in 45 minutes including commercials from one strand of hair,” he emphasizes (surprising nobody in this community). Along the way, he’ll also show the audience how they can best help investigators. “The cold case unit is the last bastion of hope for many victims of injustice,” Giacalone says. “Many times, we rely on the public to help us find answers and bring closure to grieving families.”

Everybody lies. . .

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 23:18:41 GMT

. . .and Steven David Lampley can teach you how to catch them

The average person tells about four significant lies per day. Steven David Lampley can spot nearly all of them, and now he’s coming to Chicago’s Thalia Hall to share his secrets - as many as he can. “Police academy didn’t teach me any of this,” he says. “I learned on my own. While interviewing witnesses or suspects, I paid attention to their mannerisms and body language and my own intuition.”

CrimeCon: On The Run brings together three of the most popular speakers from CrimeCon 2018. Lampley will join crime scene reconstructionist Karen Smith and cold case investigator Joe Giacalone . Together, the three will take the audience through the entire lifecycle of an investigation. “In theory, once Karen investigates the crime scene, then I come in and interview the witnesses, victims, and suspects,” says Lampley.

It is somewhat easy to learn the basics of deception detection. A simple Google search reveals no shortage of video quizzes challenging viewers to identify mannerisms and indicators of deception, but Lampley says identifying the lie is half the battle. “You also need to understand how to assess the lie,” he explains. “Two different people can say “I didn’t kill him” and you can tell one is lying versus the other based on how you assess them. That’s the part that’s difficult to teach, especially in an hour.”

Lampley packs a lot of information into that hour, though. He’ll begin with a simple test: watch the video and spot the lies. “From there, we’ll talk about the indicators of deception, microexpressions, and the different types of lies.” At the end of Lampley’s presentation, the audience will watch the same video test again to see how much they’ve learned.

One easy and practical way to implement the new skills you’ll learn from Lampley’s talk: practice catching your kids when they’re fibbing. “We start lying as infants; babies cry to get whatever it is that they want,” says Lampley. “Young kids are easy. They look down when they lie.” By the teen years, though, they’ve learned a lot: “Be suspicious any time your teenager gives you way more detail than you asked for. The longer, more elaborate the story, the more likely they’re lying. They’re trying to convince, not convey information.”

How to Eat an Elephant

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 23:02:29 GMT

Reconstructing a crime scene one bite at a time with Karen Smith

If there’s one thing to learn from Karen Smith, it’s that crime scene reconstruction is not for everyone. Her keen attention to minute detail has earned Smith a stellar reputation in the industry. “In one case, the medical examiner discovered a strange bruising pattern on the victim’s scalp and they needed to know what caused it,” she explains. “Looking around the crime scene, I finally discovered the corner of a bedpost that matched the bruising. The victim had hit her head on the bedpost when she fell.”

Consider the laser-like focus one must possess to survey the chaos of a a violent crime scene and make such an obscure connection. As a crime scene reconstructionist, Smith does it every day. She’ll take the stage at CrimeCon: On the Run to demonstrate the painstaking task of reconstructing the sequence of events in a real-life murder case.

“This particular case was messed up from the get-go,” says Smith. Acting on the misguided advice of a veteran investigator, two rookie CSIs unwittingly jeopardized evidence at the scene. Realizing they were out of their depth, the team again called for reinforcements. “I ended up working for three or four days to recreate the crime scene.”

Smith goes on to describe how the gruesome scene told investigators the story of the crime, which the audience will hear about in detail. “It’s like eating an elephant,” she says. “You just have to take it one bite at a time. The evidence leads us down a path. If you break it down into small chunks, you can see patterns emerge.”

Smith will be joined at CrimeCon: On The Run by deception detection expert Steven David Lampley and Bronx Cold Case Unit investigator Joe Giacalone . Together, the three will take the audience through the major milestones in the lifecycle of an investigation: from the crime scene to the interrogation room to the cold case files.

“In the end, the audience will come away understanding how all these different teams work together to investigate cases,” Smith explains. Oh, one more thing to keep in mind: if anyone on the team misses anything, the perpetrator could walk free. “It’s a lot of pressure. If you’re not terrified, you’re not doing it right.”

The Best of CrimeCon Insider

Mon, 26 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The CrimeCon Insider is where you can experience the thrill of CrimeCon all year —where true crime conversation and learning never stops. From virtual events like deep-dives into cases and topics to exclusive expert takeovers, partner giveaways, on-demand video content and more. Here are some of our favorite Insider events from the last 6 months.

1. Dateline NBC Prize Package Giveaway

NBC's Dateline has been providing captivating true crime programming for over thirty years, so it's no mystery why the Dateline panel was one of the most popular sessions at CrimeCon 2018. Insiders had a chance to win a Dateline prize package including autographs from the cast, a mug, a blanket, a tote bag, a hoodie and more.

2. Cold Cases with Sheryl McCollum Expert Takeover

True crime enthusiasts don't agree on everything... except that we all love Sheryl “Mac” McCollum. We were honored to have Mac join the CrimeCon Insider community as our first Expert Takeover. Mac shared stories of her work with the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute and took us on a deep dive into two cold cases she and her students are currently investigating.

3. Expert Takeover with Alina Burroughs on Casey Anthony & Investigating Crime Scenes

One of the best things about CrimeCon is the opportunity to meet and hear from experts from the cases that capture our attention - and rarely does a case capture more attention than that of Caylee Anthony. Former CSI Alina Burroughs worked as lead forensic investigator on the case. During her Expert Takeover, Burroughs shared stories of her experience, from processing Casey Anthony's white Saturn to the meticulous work of recovering Caylee's remains.

4. Autographed Programs Giveaway

CrimeCon Insiders used their CrimeCoins to enter to win signed programs from CrimeCon 2017 in Indianapolis and CrimeCon 2018 in Nashville. The programs included signatures from fan favorites like Erin Moriarty, Paul Holes, Carl Marino, Nancy Grace, Kelly Siegler, Jim Clemente & Aphrodite Jones.

5. Live Q&A with the CrimeCon Producers

We know that CrimeCon fans and attendees have questions. So we gave Insiders the chance to chat directly with CrimeCon producers to ask whatever they wanted, talk about cases, and make suggestions for future CrimeCon programming.

6. Nancy Grace Signed Book Giveaway

Prosecuting powerhouse Nancy Grace has been a loyal friend of CrimeCon since the beginning. Soon after the launch of the CrimeCon Insider app and community, Insiders cashed in their CrimeCoins for a chance to win a signed copy of Nancy's latest book Objection!, a behind the scenes look at cases like Scott Peterson, Martha Stewart, and Kobe Bryant.

7. Jessica Chambers Deep Dive from Legal Analyst Beth Karas

Legal Analyst Beth Karas took Insiders on a deep dive into the still unsolved horrifying murder of Jessica Chambers. We looked at every detail of the case, leading up to the live premiere of Oxygen's new limited series “Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers.” If you missed the premiere, you could catch-up right on your CrimeCon app and even watch episode 2 a week before the live premiere.

8. Medical Toxicology with Dr. Leslie Dye Expert Takeover

CrimeCon gives true crime enthusiasts a chance to learn new information and investigative techniques, often from experts who may not be as high-profile as the Nancy Graces or Jim Clemente’s -- experts like Leslie Dye. Dr. Dye took over the Insider community to drop some serious knowledge about medical toxicology, poisons, and the role it all plays in true crime investigations.

9. Crime Conversations with Kim Massnick

Learn all about criminology and victimology in this Insider exclusive interview with CrimeCon attendee and Criminal Justice Professor, Kimberlie Massnick. She discusses her unique approach to teaching and the real-life cases she's investigated in the classroom. Through her stories she explains how we can better understand and empathize with the fear victims experience at the hands of their abusers and killers. You don’t want to miss this gripping story.

10. Oxygen’s Cold Justice Gift Pack Giveaway

Oxygen's Cold Justice is a hit and host Kelly Siegler is a perennial CrimeCon crowd-pleaser. To celebrate the launch of the newest season, CrimeCon Insiders had the opportunity to cash in some CrimeCoins for a chance to win a Cold Justice gift pack from Oxygen, including a wine glass, t-shirt, mug, and more autographed by Kelly Siegler!

Top 10 from CrimeCon 2018

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Ten of the highest-rated sessions and experiences according to survey results and attendee feedback…

1.The Golden State Killer Panel: The Golden State Killer eluded authorities for over four decades, conducting a one-man crime wave that spanned twelve years, eleven counties, hundreds of burglaries, dozens of home invasions and sexual assaults, and thirteen murders. Now the phantom has a name: Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. Survivors and victim family members reunite to tell their stories and fill us in on what's happened in the last year pertaining to the case. The conversation was led & moderated by Billy Jensen and Paul Haynes, who helped finish Michelle McNamara's book on the Golden State Killer, I'll Be Gone in the Dark.

2. Reconstruction & A Lesson in Reciprocity: Have you ever wondered what goes into a full homicide scene reconstruction and how the investigators actually figure out what happened? Retired case detective Karen Smith goes step-by-step through a murder and shows how bloodstain pattern analysis, bullet trajectory reconstruction, blunt-force trauma, and the medical examiner’s conclusions all came together to tell the horrible truth behind one of Jacksonville Florida’s most heinous homicides.

3. Don’t Watch Alone: 26 years of Dateline: Dateline’s Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Keith Morrison and Dennis Murphy go behind-the-scenes of the longest-running primetime series in history, currently in its 26th season. Ben Mankiewicz, host of primetime Turner Classic Movies, moderates.

4. The P.I. Experience: Renowned Private Investigator Sheila Wysocki joins 10 other world-class PI's in taking you through a real-life murder investigation from her current portfolio. From the crime scene to witness statements to dealing with law enforcement, you become a part of an active investigation as you try to help Sheila provide the victim's family with answers.

5. Nancy Grace: Lady Justice is Calling!: If you saw Nancy's ballroom presentation at CrimeCon 2017 you know it was full of energy, emotion, and honesty and was one of the true highlights of the weekend for many people. This year was no different as Nancy reminded us that we're ultimately responsible for protecting ourselves, our families, and our communities from the bad guys.

6. Delphi Murders - The Families Speak: HLN's Ashleigh Banfield moderates an emotional discussion with family members of two young girls who were murdered in Delphi, Indiana in early 2017. Read more about the case history HERE.

7. XG Interrogation Experience: Developed in conjunction with XG Productions this experience tests all of your preconceived notions about how witnesses answer questions about crimes.

8. Profiling Serial Killers: Jim Clemente, FBI Profiler & John White, PhD Forensic Neuro-Psychologist take you deeper into the dark minds and psyches of serial killers than you’ve ever gone before. Learn everything there is to know about how they got away with their horrendous, unspeakable acts, their motivations and their eventual demise. This is not a session for the timid or weak at heart… but if you want to know the whole truth about serial killers, famous and obscure, so that you and your loved ones never become victims, this is the session for you.

9. How to Catch a Liar: People lie an average of 4 times a day. In "How to Catch a Liar", you’ll not only learn some of the techniques and indicators police detectives look for when determining if someone is lying, you'll be put to the test to identify them yourself! Lampley, who is a former friend of serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer, covers topics such as Base Shift, Verbal/Physical Disconnects, Allusion v. Evasion, and a whole lot more!

10. “Cold Justice” Panel by Oxygen: In this panel, the “Cold Justice” team – Kelly Siegler, Johnny Bonds, Tonya Rider and Steve Spingola go behind the tape and talk about the cases they will never forget, what drives them to uncover the truth and how circumstantial evidence is not a dirty word. “Cold Justice” follows veteran prosecutor Kelly Siegler who partners with seasoned detectives to dig into murder cases that have lingered for years without justice. Together with local law enforcement from across the country, the “Cold Justice” team has successfully helped generate approximately 34 arrests and 18 convictions.

From Siegler’s successful track record in the courtroom and Bonds’ interrogation techniques, to Rider’ experience as a detective on sexual assault cases and Spingola’s work on the Dahmer case, they each bring their own perspective and experience to these unsolved cases as they reinvestigate to help solve these tragic homicides. The session will also include a sneak peek at the new season of “Cold Justice,” returning this summer to Oxygen.

WATCH FULL SESSIONS FROM CRIMECON 2018 WITH THE CRIMECON INSIDER SUBSCRIPTION.

Laura Pettler Has the Coolest Job(s)

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 19:28:00 GMT

Dr. Laura Pettler has quickly become a CrimeCon favorite (I mean, she has those cool forensic toys!). We’ve been honored to have her take over the CrimeCon Insider app to introduce us to her webseries Notorious and share some of the captivating stories that we’ve come to expect from her. Naturally, I was in full geek mode when we had a chance to chat about her work, the takeover, and what’s coming up next.

CCI: We’ve seen an explosion of cases solved with DNA this year. What do you think the future of DNA will be as an investigative tool?

I think DNA as an investigative tool will far surpass even what we thought was possible. With the apprehension of the Golden State Killer, we are beginning to see an increase in cold cases being solved using the most advanced technology available today including innovative ways of using DNA Ancestral Databases and familial DNA. Touch DNA is also becoming more common and as I have always opined, DNA in general is more likely on firearms and triggers of firearms than a fingerprint on a trigger.

CCI: Tell us a little about the Cold Case Accountability Act and how readers can get involved.

The Cold Case Accountability Act was created by Sheryl McCollum of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, Laura Pettler & Associates and myself, and Leigh Egan from CrimeOnline.com. It was written by law enforcement professionals for law enforcement professionals, victims, and families. The major premise of the Act is for all of us as a country to take responsibility for the American Cold Case Epidemic proactively by implementing a multifaceted system that includes dedicating new and substantial funding to law enforcement agencies nationwide for cold case management and investigation, cold case investigator and prosecutor education, training, and certification, standardized annual cold case accountability, investigative plan, and status reports, annual family updates, outside agency case review, and private sector resources and case review upon a case reaching chronological milestones. The goal is to make sure physical evidence is checked on and accounted for every 12 months, for investigative agencies to have the money for training, case management, and investigation, for families to be included in the non-confidential aspects of the investigation, such as annual updates, and ultimately for victims of all cold cases: murder, sexual assaults, kidnappings, robberies, etc. to have justice. You can sign the petition at www.change.org if you're interested.

CCI: Your webseries is awesome. Do you have plans to do more in that format in the future?

Thank you! We do. LPA has partnered with Infield Media and Promotion who has their own film crew. We intend to begin a new crowdfunded webseries in 2019. The new webseries will feature cold cases throughout the United States.

CCI: The MVAC demo at CC18 was BANANAS cool. What cool tech will you bring to NOLA??

Thank you! The "M-VAC", short for The Microbial Vacuum is the best DNA collection tool that has ever been invented in my opinion. LPA was the first in North Carolina to bring the technology to our state and we are the only private sector Death Investigation firm to own an M-VAC. In August we launched our partnership with the newest and most innovative DNA Laboratory in the country and we now offer in partnership with them 2-day turn around on DNA samples. So you never know, maybe we will sample a case on the first day of CrimeCon NOLA and reveal the results on the third day! Planning is in the works...

Along with the M-VAC, our Laser Bullet Trajectory Demonstrations are a CrimeCon favorite, we expect to do another case in NOLA featuring how to use the Kaleidoscope System as well.

Meet Kelly O'Donnell

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 01:25:00 GMT

One of the best things about CrimeCon is getting to meet new experts and investigators in the field of true crime whom we may not have known before. It's awesome in person, but CrimeCon Insiders get to experience this ALL YEAR!

This week, CSI Kelly O'Donnell took over the Insider community. She shared some "Dos and Don'ts" to keep in mind if you encounter a crime scene and tips about how to be a good witness . Luckily, she's sticking around and will continue her expert takeover next week. I had a chance to speak with Kelly, and she's a true crime enthusiast just like us!

CCI: Why did you decide to go into Crime Scene Investigation?

I was originally going to school to be a Paralegal. During my general classes, I took an Introduction to Criminal Justice class and in one of those classes, the instructor played a 911 call of a young mother whose home was being broken into. She was eventually killed. I will never forget the feeling of helplessness and anger I felt. I wanted so badly to help. I went to the admin office that day and changed majors to Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement. Although law enforcement was the main component to my studies, I was very drawn to investigative work. The more I researched where careers in law enforcement could take me, the more I kept coming back to Crime Scene Investigation.

CCI: Tell me about your decision to retire so early and how that affected your path going forward.

My decision to retire was devastating. I had been injured on duty (a traffic accident) and it caused permanent injuries restricting my ability to work as a police officer or Crime Scene Investigator. I LOVED working as a Crime Scene Investigator and am so thankful that I was able to have that time to work in my dream job. Because of my love for all things true crime, I wasn’t ready to leave it just because I had retired.

I was talking with my friend Erin (who is also a true crime junkie) about recent cases. We get so excited about these things and have such passion for it, we wondered if there were others out there like us. I put some feelers out there and sure enough, there were several people in our social circle who loved true crime, too! I started a True Crime Club. We get together once a month to discuss unsolved cases. We have such a great time talking about the cases, getting to know each other and general bonding over true crime. Selfishly, it helps me feel like I am still part of that world.

CCI: Is there anything you wish people better understood about the job?

What we see on a daily basis is sometimes the worst thing anyone could see in a lifetime. It is an incredibly demanding job, not just physically, but mentally as well. Understand that we may want to talk about the case, but we can’t. And when we can, being a good ear is always much appreciated.

CCI: What’s your most memorable case?

My most memorable case was the Eddie Sole homicide. I'll be posting more about that case on the app next week, so stay tuned to see why it stuck with me.

CCI: What’s the best way that citizen detectives can help an investigation?

The best way to help, in my opinion is not letting the cases that you care about go away. Talk to people: the Attorney’s Office, the Police Department, other entities involved in the case. Keep it relevant!

===

Kelly's takeover of the CrimeCon Insider app continues this week with more tips and stories from her time as a crime scene investigator. Head over to the community to join in the conversation!

CSI Alina Burroughs: Caylee Anthony and the Future of Forensic Technology

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 16:55:00 GMT

Alina Burroughs has one wish in regards to the criminal justice system.

She should know. Alina was one of the first CSIs to investigate the disappearance of Caylee Anthony, including Casey Anthony’s white Saturn. “The only way to tell if a body had decomposed in that car would be to have a bunch of CSIs show up and smell it. Every one of us knew that the smell was not pizza or trash.”

Such is the glitter and glamor of the life of a CSI. While we talk, Alina also tells of the eleven days she spent on hands and knees with a hand trowel and pruning shears searching for Caylee’s remains. Ten to twelve-hour days during which she’d stop only to wolf down lunch brought to the scene. A trip to the hospital to treat an allergic reaction to the unavoidable poison ivy.

On my worst day, I can’t imagine how exhausting this job must be, or how angry the investigators must have been when Caylee’s death was not met with the justice it deserved.

“I don’t know if anything would have changed the verdict,” Alina considers. “I thought it was pretty cut and dried. For the defense to suggest that Caylee had drowned was a brilliant red herring. They knew that with a skeletal remains case, there was no way to prove that she drowned. Dirty but brilliant.”

Another tactic Casey Anthony’s defense attorney Jose Baez employed was to attack the new scientific techniques used in the case as “junk science.” That doesn’t sit well with Alina.

“Every new technology has been attacked as junk science. But forensic technology is one of the fastest-growing industries right now. It used to be that we needed a vial full of blood to find any useful information from it, but now we can find DNA information from microscopic samples. As technology continues to evolve, we’re going to be able to find more information with less evidence.”

Alina is working towards that goal right now, actually. Having retired from crime scene investigation, she joined FARO Technologies three years ago. There, she worked to develop laser technology that scans and maps crime scenes. The information is then used to create a 3D map of the crime scene with measurements accurate within a millimeter.

“Now I get to travel around the country teaching different law enforcement agencies how to use this technology,” she says excitedly. “It saves time, it saves lives, and it presents one hundred percent of the evidence at the scene.” And that was her wish from the beginning.

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Head to the CrimeCon Inside r app to learn more about Alina’s experience on the Caylee Anthony case, the Pulse Nightclub shooting, and some lighthearted stories about the strange life of a CSI.

CrimeCon 2018 Special Report: How Angela Bellah Stopped the Music City Killer

Wed, 23 May 2018 17:08:00 GMT

If you thought the CrimeCon 2018 weekend murder mystery game was going to be easy to crack, you probably quickly realized you were mistaken. One thing is clear: CrimeCon producers do not underestimate the sleuthing skills of our attendees. To those of you who hit me up for hints on Twitter, I must apologize for letting you down; I asked the CC producers not to tell me anything about the murder mystery so I could try to solve it myself. Turns out I'm a terrible investigator and was no help to you guys at all.

If you thought the CrimeCon 2018 weekend murder mystery game was going to be easy to crack, you probably quickly realized you were mistaken. One thing is clear: CrimeCon producers do not underestimate the sleuthing skills of our attendees. To those of you who hit me up for hints on Twitter, I must apologize for letting you down; I asked the CC producers not to tell me anything about the murder mystery so I could try to solve it myself. Turns out I'm a terrible investigator and was no help to you guys at all.

Many of you have sent exasperated tweets and posts to learn the solution to the mystery, so I caught up with CrimeCon 2018 Super Sleuth Angela Bellah (who won two VIP tickets to CC19 in New Orleans for her efforts!) to learn how she and her daughter finally cracked the case.

Angela Bellah and her daughter Whitney accept the CrimeCon 2018 Super Sleuth award.

CCI: Everyone got the same Nashville Times newspaper and first puzzle (See Figure A) at check-in. So where’d you start?

AB: We were so excited to play this game. When we started studying the first challenge, we thought it had something to do with the numbers in the paragraphs, but finally noticed the numbers spelled out in the first row of the columns, and that gave us what we needed to move on. [Informant's Note: The numbers in the sentences were all red herrings. The key was to read vertically and, if you used the killer’s “X” symbol as the final letter, you got: ONE-THREE-DOUBLE SEVEN-SIX]

CCI: Okay, so that got you into the voicemail, which pointed you to the CrimeCon app and the “Fat Lady” clue and allowed you to enter your room number so that you’d get the overnight clue under your door. I thought that puzzle was REALLY hard, how’d you solve it?

The direction puzzle (See Figure B) was very difficult and took a while. At first we thought we had to have a word with the same meaning as the words in red. We finally realized that there was an initial of the directions in each word, then it was a little longer before we figured out we had to use the red words in the puzzle and put the two letters of the directions in the red boxes. Then from there we got to the next website from the killer.

The next puzzles were not too hard, we figured them out pretty fast. And this is what gave us the best clues for the end.

CCI: Was there a big "AHA!" moment when you knew you had it figured out?

On the last puzzle we knew “plaque” wasn’t in the riddle by accident. So Sunday morning on our way to our first breakout we walked around looking for a plaque thinking the victim’s name would be on the plaque. However, my daughter realized the trash cans also had advertisement that had the word “commitment” on them. [Informant's Note: The solution to the word find puzzle included the phrase "commitment will soon help you narrow my targets. . ." See Figure C.)

So then we figured the plaque would be by a set of trash cans. We didn't find it on our way in but we spotted a plaque above a set of trash cans by the entrance of the conference on our way out. The final “AHA!” moment was when we realized the number on the trash cans upside down said “SHIELD BILL.” (Figure D) There was only one speaker named Bill that weekend so we knew it had to be him. [Informant's Note: Throughout the mystery the killer wrote HELLO in upside down numbers, ultimately leading sleuths to realize that the phone number by the trash cans was really a word if you turned it upside down.]

After we figured out it was Bill, the whole riddle made sense: “Don’t set the alarm” (the fire alarm was right next to it); “your choices down to two” (waste & recycle); the plaque; “commitment.”

CCI: I wasted a lot of time focusing on pieces of evidence that turned out to be red herrings. Did anything throw you off or make you wonder if you were on the right track?

A couple things threw us off:

We kept thinking the newspaper had more meaning to it. I think my husband, daughter and I read through that thing a hundred times thinking we would find something. We were looking for a pattern in the past victims’ names or initials.

When we finally got the code to the website and got to the portion where it asked for the victim’s name, we saw “There’s your trouble” italicized. That sent us looking through the Dixie Chicks song lyrics to see if there was a bigger meaning. There just happened to be a “John” in the lyrics but it didn’t feel right. That was when we realized we weren’t on the right track.

When we found the trash cans on the last day, there just happened to be a big piece of tape on the back, so we thought maybe the name was written on a piece of paper and someone had beat us to it. To make things worse, before we read the number upside down we called & texted it just to find out it was Mexico number. We thought it might have been actually been placed there by the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

CCi: Did you work with anyone to solve it?

My daughter Whitney and I were in this together, she got some of it first and I got the others, with a little help from my husband. We were willing to miss a breakout to solve the mystery, so he let us handle it.

CCI: Last year we had several people knocking on random hotel room doors in the middle of the night. Do you have any amusing stories from your investigation to tell future generations of CrimeCon Super Sleuths?

We kept waiting for the clue to come under the door in the middle of the night. And I’m sure we at least looked funny hanging out by the trash cans for half an hour.

CCI: How was your overall experience at CrimeCon?

It was phenomenal! We cannot wait to go back next year!
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Don't miss the ENTIRE SOLUTION to the Music City Killer game! Thanks to all citizen sleuths who joined forces to keep our CrimeCon 2018 speakers safe and sound!

CrimeCon 2018: Event Recap

Wed, 09 May 2018 21:30:00 GMT

When CrimeCon 2017 wrapped up in Indianapolis last year, many of you tweeted to ask me “How will they ever top this?”

This past weekend, many of you found out. Not only did attendance more than DOUBLE at this year’s event, the programming, content, and speakers were top-notch. We learned new information about infamous cases, heard from victims and survivors of the BUSTED Golden State Killer, and got an inside glimpse at the newest crime-fighting technologies on the market. So when it came time to recap an event jam-packed with so much must-know information, the only thing I could think to do was to give you the most superlative moments from the entire weekend.

Most Emotional Moment

Hearing Debbi Domingo describe the last bitter conversation she had with her mother Cheri before she was killed by the Golden State Killer. During a live recording of Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Debbi and her “sister survivors” Jane Carson-Sandler, Michelle Cruz, and Margaret Wardlow recounted their horrific encounters with the Golden State Killer and the emotional aftermath he left in his wake. You may listen to the live recording here (though you’d better grab the tissues first).

Speaker You Most Wanted to Hug

Many of us knew Dianne Lake as the youngest member of the Manson Family before taking a seat at her session. Likewise, many of us probably thought we knew her story. But none of the books we’ve read or documentaries we’ve watched could have compared to the moment when Dianne’s voice cracked as she shared the story of her “rescue” from the cult at the hands of police: “I told them, ‘My name is Dianne Lake. I’m sixteen years old and I just want my mommy.’”

Most Quotable Session

Thinking Sideways Podcast always clocks some enjoyable but reverent humor during their episodes. A sense of humor is important in this line of work, especially given the dark subject matter in which we’re immersed every day. During their time in the Podcast Studio, Steve, Devin, and Joe covered the Ade Family Murders. I won’t spoil the details of the case or episode for you, but instead will leave you with a couple of my favorite quotes:

Most Victorious Moment

Every Golden State Killer session. First, there was the beginning of the session formerly known as “A Deep Dive into the Golden State Killer Case.” Paul Hayes opened the session on Friday afternoon: “Originally, this session was titled “A Deep Dive into the Golden State Killer Case.” But then there was a development. And we changed it:"

Cue standing ovation number one.

Following that, Paul and his co-host Billy Jensen welcomed hero detective and GSK investigator Paul Holes to the stage, followed by survivors Jane Carson-Sandler and Margaret Wardlow, and surviving family members Debbi Domingo and Michelle Cruz. Margaret, the youngest GSK victim at just thirteen years old, recalled her refusal to give in to fear: “I had been reading about this guy for weeks, I was obsessed with the case. So when he came for me, I knew that what he wanted most of all was to see the fear in me, and I refused to give it to him. If I could say anything to him right now, I would say “I wasn’t scared of you then, I haven’t been scared of you the entire time you’ve been at large, and I’m not scared of you now.”

Cue standing ovation number five.

Scariest Session

Kimberlie Massnick’s Sensory Experience. This session put us (as much as possible, without incurring a lawsuit) in the shoes of the victims of the vile serial killer John Gerard Schaefer. Using the provided blindfolds and restraints, we were forced into some very uncomfortable positions in a very uncomfortably warm room while forced to listen to a very uncomfortable letter Schaefer wrote describing the very uncomfortable things he did to his victims. The letter took about five minutes to read, during which we held our restrained hands above our heads as his victims were made to do. Halfway through, most of us had dropped our hands from exhaustion. Professor Massnick was quick to remind us that Schaefer’s victims had no such choice. It was a harrowing, eye-opening experience that helped us all keep the victims and their experience front-of-mind during the remainder of our time at CrimeCon -- and hopefully forever.

Most Stomach-Turning Moment

There were several, but perhaps the worst came during Laura Richards’s session, Murder in Slow Motion. Near the beginning of her session about the fifteen high-risk factors associated with domestic abuse and stalking, Laura played a video including 911 calls, newspaper clippings, and horrifying photos of domestic abuse victims and perpetrators that had hundreds of people in the room squirming in their seats. More than a handful of people tweeted that they had to leave the room despite the trigger warning Laura included at the beginning of her presentation.

Most Emotional Victim Tribute

On the 25th anniversary of their deaths, Truth & Justice Podcast host Bob Ruff paid homage to the West Memphis Three victims Stevie, Christopher, and Michael. Rather than focus on the perpetrators (regardless of who any of us believe that to be), Bob broke hundreds of hearts with a tear-jerking slideshow of photos and tidbits about each victim. Stevie loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Christopher was energetic and still believed in the Easter Bunny; Michael was obsessed with Cub Scouts and was wearing his uniform when he disappeared. These intimate details left a pall in the room. We honored their memories with a moment of heavy silence, then Bob focused on dispelling some common misconceptions about the case.

BONUS: Scene-Stealer

GSK investigator Paul Holes. The handsome hero set many hearts a-flutter and stole the show at every session and every room he entered. Poor fella couldn't take five steps without being swarmed by adoring fans and peppered with questions. And he took it all in stride. We were beyond thrilled that Paul could join us at CrimeCon 2018 and wish him a peaceful retirement (though somehow I doubt he's the type to languish on his laurels).

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Every session at CrimeCon 2018 was superlative. I wish that I could have attended them all or include them all here. Alas, if you’re just DYING to know what you missed, my best advice is to download the official CrimeCon app or join the Online Community to sign up for our Insider subscription. The Insider subscription gives you access to 35 hours of CC18 programming -- nearly the ENTIRE event! -- AND new original content throughout the year. We’ll upload video chats, AMAs, live Q&As with speakers and guests, and more all year long.

CrimeCon 2018: Day Two

Sun, 06 May 2018 01:17:00 GMT

Today I asked you to post something new that you’ve learned at CrimeCon 2018. Here’s what I learned: CrimeCon should be at LEAST a week long. It is so difficult to choose between many equally-captivating sessions; everyone has just begun to get their bearings and find their way around the hotel; and many new friendships have started to blossom -- just in time for CC18 to wrap up tomorrow. I’m already sad to see you all go. But, some amazing things happened today!

West Memphis Three

Bob Ruff’s Truth and Justice Podcast has spent its fifth season exploring the West Memphis Three. Admittedly, West Memphis Three is not a case I’ve kept up on; crimes involving children are quite emotionally taxing for me. It appears that the same rings true for Bob Ruff.

Today, on the 25th anniversary of their deaths, Bob began with an emotional tribute to the three young victims. Stevie loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Christopher was energetic and still believed in the Easter Bunny; Michael was obsessed with Cub Scouts and was wearing his uniform when he disappeared. These intimate details left a pall in the room. We honored their memories with a moment of heavy silence, then it was time to dispel some common misconceptions about the case:

In reality, the victims were found just yards away from an active apartment complex -- and police didn’t interview any residents in the building closest to the scene. Rather than playing together all day, Christopher was unaccounted for 45 minutes at one point after school

He later arrived at Stevie’s house looking for his friends, but they had already left to ride bikes and play, so he hung out and watched Muppet Babies with Stevie’s mother. There are zero credible sightings of the boys from 4:00-4:30.

Knowing so little about the case, I’m glad that I waited to begin researching it until after Bob’s session. As I’ve learned more about it today, the clarity he provided on the essential details has been invaluable.

The Sensory Experience

John Gerard Schaefer lived just doors away from Kim Massnick in Florida at the time that he was committing horrific, sadistic crimes in the area. The former cop kidnapped and murdered a confirmed two victims, but he’s suspected of more than thirty similar crimes. Many of us came into the Sensory Experience unfamiliar with his crimes, but we now know much, much more about him than we ever wanted to know. His proximity to Kim’s home made him an obvious choice as a subject in the hands-on curriculum that plays heavily into her educational philosophy.

We all sympathize with victims, but fortunately, very few of us really understand what they’ve endured. Kim Massnick set out to change that with this session. Though the session was peppered with her signature lighthearted humor, it took a dark turn as the audience donned hand restraints and blindfolds.

To represent what Schaefer’s victims endured, participants held their hands above their heads while a volunteer read part of a letter that Schaefer had written for a book. The letter took roughly 4-5 minutes to read and provided truly horrific details about his M.O. and disturbing insight into the mind of a deranged killer. Halfway through the letter, many participants had conceded defeat and lowered their hands.

Schaefer’s victims didn’t have that choice. While we were loosely “bound” and blindfolded in a comfortable, semi-air conditioned room, his victims were tied so tightly that they lost circulation in their hands, tied to a tree in a hot, dank, foul-smelling swamp while Schaefer performed the cruel rituals he described in his letter. It was an emotional, moving, and wholly effective simulation that made one thing clear: even if we think we know what victims endure, we can never truly know without living the nightmare ourselves.

How to Catch a Liar

Steven David Lampley called this session “How to Catch a Liar.” I’m not sure what it says about me, but what I heard in the session was “How to Be a Better One.” We learned about the different kinds of lies, like benign lies (“No, that dress looks great on you!”) and ego-driven aggrandizement lies (consider every ‘I was a hero’ story you’ve ever heard), and how to spot them. Here are some disturbing facts we learned:

Steven played three short videos in which he demonstrated a staggering number of deception indicators. Just to name a few:

It’s a comfort to know how to spot a fibber, and handy to know what not to do next time your boss asks why you’re late.

Situational Awareness

Choosing between Darren Kavinoky and Mike Dowd’s situational awareness session and the Dateline panel was difficult. In the end, I surmised that the Dateline fanatics would share enough info and pics to cover that one, and as we learned recently, I need a little help with situational awareness.

Basically, Darren and Mike really want you to stay alive. We learned what to do in three potentially like active shooters and behind-the-wheel danger.

In the event of an active shooter, Darren and Mike offered these tips:

Another place danger can occur is behind the wheel of your car. When you pull onto your street, take stock of your surroundings; if someone is lurking nearby whom you don’t recognize or you see something suspicious, keep driving. Circle the block or run an errand and return to your home later. If (like me) you are a victim of a carjacking at gunpoint, give up everything. Give them the keys to your car and anything else they ask for. Remain calm and make an attempt to humanize yourself to stay alive. Alert authorities after they’ve fled the scene.

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I wish I could make it to every session, but your pics and posts from #CrimeCon help tell the stories I can’t be there to tell. Thank you for sharing your insights and experience with your partners in crime.

As of this writing, the VIP cocktail hour is wrapping up at the world-famous Wildhorse Saloon and CrimeCon: Unplugged is ready to begin. I’m heading back to the Saloon now, so I’ll see you there, but you won’t see me (despite your best efforts) .

CrimeCon 2018: Day One

Sat, 05 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The Keepers Workshop

This is CrimeCon, and we do nothing halfway. So it makes sense that CrimeCon (unofficially) began with an intensive examination of one of the biggest cases of the past year: the murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik.

Fans of The Keepers recognize Gemma Hoskins as a hero. The amateur investigator has never given up her mission to find the person who killed Sister Cathy. She has also never revealed who she thought that person was -- until today.

As The Keepers episode “The Suspects” played on-screen, audience members used a simple tool -- a classic t-chart -- to weigh the evidence against each suspect. It sounds easy, but these suspects are slippery; just when you think you have one nailed down, there’s evidence that seems to clear him.

Finally, we learned that Gemma suspects Bill Schmidt while Shane believes Sister Cathy was killed by Edgar Davidson. Until now, they had kept their suspicions to themselves to avoid coloring one anothers’ investigations with groupthink or confirmation bias, which demonstrates their tremendous dedication to finding Sister Cathy’s killer.

Dianne Lake: Member of the Family

Dianne Lake was 14 years old when she became the youngest member of the Manson Family. Personally, I was always curious about how a young teenage girl lands in a cult in the middle of the desert; now I know. Dianne’s story was simultaneously riveting, sad, and inspiring. I was astonished at her bravery and strength as she revealed the harrowing story of her disrupted childhood and took us through emotional images of her time on Spahn Ranch.

The Golden State Killer Panel with Paul Haynes and Billy Jensen

“The title of this session used to be “GSK: A Deep Dive,” and we were going to roll up our sleeves and dig through the evidence in this case” said Paul Haynes as he opened the session. “But there was a development. And we changed it.”

The screen read simply: “CAUGHT.” First came the goosebumps, then came the thunderous applause.

Paul Holes was weeks from retiring without solving the case he vowed to solve before retirement. That was when Joseph James DeAngelo landed on his radar as a potential suspect for the Golden State Killer. The day before he was due to leave the force, he drove to DeAngelo’s house and considered doing what he’s always done: knock on the door, talk to the suspect, and nonchalantly request a DNA sample.

But he didn’t. Admittedly, after 40 plus years on the case, he drove away jaded. But he knows now that he made the right decision. He passed on the information to his successor, and weeks later, Joseph James DeAngelo was in custody. Still, it’s clear that without Paul’s hard work over four decades, the brutal killer would still be loose.

Billy, Paul Haynes, and Paul Holes welcomed GSK victims Jane Carson-Sandler, Margaret Wardlow, and Debbi Domingo (whose mother was killed by GSK in 1979). If you attended the GSK panel at CrimeCon 2017, you’ll remember the anxious and heavy atmosphere, how the air was sucked out of the room when the survivors took the stage. This year, the room was full of hope and celebration.

The Colonial Parkway Murders

One of my favorite things about CrimeCon is the focus on the victims and survivors. Sure, we all know the perpetrators and the horrible things that they do. But we’re privileged and honored to be joined by brave survivors and families of victims -- like Joyce Call Canada and Bill Thomas.

Joyce’s brother and Bill’s sister were both killed by the Colonial Parkway Murderer. They joined investigator Maureen O’Connell and author Blaine Pardoe to share their heartbreaking stories. It’s frustrating to learn that law enforcement authorities have blocked the families’ repeated requests to investigate new evidence in their loved ones’ murders. Still, on the heels of a massive victory like the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, it was hope and positive focus that filled the room, not despair.

Profiling Murder in Slow Motion

As true crime consumers, some of us are desensitized to the horror of the crimes we learn about. It’s an odd interest and often we acknowledge it with a casual or joking manner, maybe in a further attempt to distance ourselves from the terror.

Laura Richards has a knack for making it impossible to do that. At the beginning of her session, Laura played a video that featured 911 calls, television reports, news clippings, and graphic photos of domestic violence victims. It was the longest five minutes of the day. An audible gasp erupted from the crowd.

Laura revealed several of the fifteen high-risk indicators that a domestic abuser may escalate to murder and shared jaw-dropping stories of domestic violence and stalking that turned my stomach. We learned that fifty percent of abusers who threaten death will follow through; every day in the US, three women are killed by abusers or stalkers. This is one of the biggest failures in the justice system, and the work Laura is doing with Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service is making massive strides to change that.

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What a way to kick off CrimeCon! Once again, I’ve seen messages of joy, support and respectful discourse. CrimeCon is a world-class event thanks to YOU. Rest up, sleuths; there’s more work to do tomorrow.

Mike Morford on the Golden State Killer: the interview I was happy to conduct again

Thu, 03 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

When news broke that authorities had apprehended Golden State Killer Joseph James DeAngelo, two things crossed my mind: 1) this is AMAZING and 2) we're gonna have work to do. I first spoke with Criminology Podcast host Mike Morford about the GSK case just a couple of weeks before the case broke, and the news rendered that interview obsolete in the most wonderful way. Mike graciously agreed to speak with me again, this time about his thoughts on the new developments.

CCI: How did you learn of Joseph James DeAngelo's arrest?

I first learned of DeAngelo’s arrest from a couple of sources just after he was taken into custody around dinner pacific time. It seemed surreal.

CCI: What were your first thoughts?

Although we all have waited so long for it to happen, and many of us thought it would happen sooner rather than later, I was still in shock. I messaged back and forth with a few people and got a call from one of the relatives of the murder victims that night, and we all just couldn’t believe it.

CCI: What part do you think Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark played?

I think McNamara and her book helped raise awareness, but in the end it was good old fashioned police work and emerging DNA technologies that solved the case.

CCI: What do you think we'll see at trial (if there is one)?

I don’t know if there will be a trial. If there is, I’d like to travel from NJ to be there for at least a part of it. Trial or not, I just want to see him admit to what he did -- ALL of it. But since he’s always been the ultimate coward so I have a hard time believing he will ever own up to what he did.

CCI: What comes next?

I wish I could say for me that it was rest, but for people like myself obsessed with this case, we will be trying to connect the dots, and all the victims into the foreseeable future, and I’ll be working to bring the news as it comes to people on my podcast, Criminology.

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Safe to say that the GSK sessions will be packed this year! You may want to arrive to the Deep Dive and Panel Discussion early if you want a seat.

Gemma Hoskins & Shane Waters: The Keepers Workshop

Tue, 01 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

At CrimeCon 2018 Gemma Hoskins (amateur investigator) and Shane Waters (Out of the Shadows podcast) will lead you through a session in which you’ll roll up your sleeves as Gemma Hoskins (the lead citizen investigator) leads you through an analysis of suspects and leads, including new information since the doc aired. Other than Gemma’s tendency to refer to Shane as “Shawn,” you wouldn’t know from this conversation that these two have never met in person. Our conversation was full of laughter and easy conversation. This tells me that the Friday morning The Keepers Workshop is going to be one you won’t want to miss.

CC: Tell me about the Keepers Workshop.

GH: The workshop will last 2.5 hours and will be entirely hands-on. We’ll show an episode from The Keepers (“The Suspects”) and audience members will have a template with which to analyze whether the suspects in the episode are guilty or innocent. We’ll ask you to consider motives, clues, and physical evidence from the episode. After that, we’ll have the audience members debrief with people around them to discuss who they think killed Sister Cathy.

Shawn and I both have--

SW: Who’s Shawn?

GH: *laughing* We’ve never actually met, but I do know his name, I promise! Anyway, we both have a suspect who we think killed Sister Cathy, but neither of us know who the other has identified. After the audience debrief, we’ll return to the stage and reveal our suspects to the audience and to each other for the first time.

Who will the workshop appeal to the most?

SW: This will be a hands-on session and the audience will be engaged during the entire 2.5 hours. It will appeal to most true crime enthusiasts, especially those who love a conspiracy theory. The question is whether Cathy was murdered because she knew of the abuse going on at the school. We find out in the series that she learned about the abuse just prior to her murder.

A lot of people who are into behavioral analysis will notice that the way she was murdered seemed very personal.

GH: And women. Our director Ryan White really champions women. We know that the women of The Keepers gave many women the courage to come out against abuse with their stories.

SW: You remember Ryan’s name but not mine.

What are you most looking forward to at CrimeCon?

GH: Meeting and learning each others’ names, obviously. But I’m addicted to true crime. This is very personal to me, and I have a thirst for finding the truth about what happened to people. I believe that this is why I’m here; I’m not religious anymore, but I think if I can use what resources to have to find the truth, that’s my purpose on Earth.

SW: I was there last year at Podcast Row. I’m looking forward to is meeting people who have listened to my podcast but also have seen The Keepers. It’s a story that sad to hear but important to hear at the same time, and I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s take on it. Although, I’m worried that people will think I’m Gemma’s bodyguard. I’m 6’9”. Imagine Hagrid from Harry Potter.

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The Netflix original documentary The Keepers explored the unsolved murder of Sister Cathy Cesnick as well as allegations of a sexual abuse cover-up at the school she attended. In this interactive workshop experience, you'll first watch Episode 5 ("The Suspects") of the doc. Afterward, you'll roll up your sleeves as Gemma Hoskins (the lead citizen investigator) leads you through an analysis of suspects and leads, including new information since the doc aired.

This workshop requires a separate ticket . Seating is limited. Free for GOLD VIPs (pre-registration required).

3 Sessions for Justice System Junkies

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

I credit Marcia Clark with my true crime fascination. I was an impressionable young(ish) girl growing up in the Midwest when my entire family gathered around the television to watch her sock it out with the Scheme Team during the OJ Simpson trial. It kicked off what would be a lifelong interest in the justice system and legal process. I wish I’d had the fortitude to go through law school, but I’m happy admiring the work of prosecutors, defense attorneys, and investigators from afar. Which is why I’m looking forward to these sessions at CrimeCon 2018!

Watching Johnnie Cochran’s dramatic courtroom displays was captivating. He made it look easy, even fun at times. But if you think being a defense attorney is all glamour and glory, think again.

In this session, veteran criminal defense attorney Sara Azari presents an eye-opening look into the real life of a defense attorney. On television, we see trials decided with a shocking piece of proof that comes in the last second, or a flashy finish to the jury. In reality, it is all about the grind -- which starts at 3:30. In the morning. A.M. Every day. One of many reasons why this was not the job for me.

Sara's passion and dedication to defending her clients is palpable. As she discusses some of her most colorful cases and the bizarre, exciting, and challenging aspects of her day. Come prepared with questions! Sara will also have some questions for you, too -- and if you answer correctly, you might win one of several fabulous prizes!

Last year, we were joined by “happily disbarred” defense attorney Kirk Nurmi , who defended convicted murderer Jodi Arias. Now, we’ll hear the other side of the story from the prosecutor who helped put her behind bars for life.

Juan Martinez is a Maricopa County prosecutor and is counted amongst the top death-penalty prosecutors in Arizona. His intense, hard-hitting courtroom manner made the trial one of the most dramatic and intense in recent memory. Trial watchers won’t soon forget the grueling eighteen days he spent cross-examining the flippant defendant.

Martinez will also host a meet-and-greet where he will sign copies of his bestselling book Conviction: The Untold Story of Putting Jodi Arias Behind Bars .

When Ryan Ferguson was convicted of murder in 2005, CBS News and 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty asked the one question nobody else was asking: "Is it possible that co-defendant Charles Erickson falsely confessed to murder when he implicated Ferguson?"

Prosecutor Kevin Crane shrugged off the question at the time, but Moriarty's tireless investigative efforts over the next decade resulted in Ferguson walking free when his accuser admitted to lying on the stand.

Ferguson credits Moriarty and 48 Hours for his freedom--and CrimeCon attendees will get to see the two of them reunite onstage to share their experience. The session, "Journalism and Justice: The Ten-Year Battle to Clear Ryan Ferguson's Name," is sure to be a jaw-dropping, white-knuckle ride through the tangled flaws of the justice system and the ever-increasing importance of journalism in the pursuit of justice.

3 Sessions for Cold Case Collectors

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

As a true crime enthusiast, there’s nothing more heart-wrenching than a cold case. The denial of justice for the perpetrators and cruel lack of closure for grieving families is brutal. I believe that our interest in true crime partially stems from the empathy we feel for these families; we all want to solve a case and help victims, survivors, and loved ones heal. If you’re glued to Cold Justice or Cold Case Files , these are the CrimeCon 2018 sessions you won’t want to miss.

During his time with the Bronx Cold Case Homicide Unit, Joe Giacalone conducted and supervised hundreds of investigations into unsolved murders and missing persons cases. Safe to say he knows a thing or two about how to crack cold cases.

“Cases remain open for a reason,” Giacalone says. “Something happened along the way to derail the investigation. It could have been a human error or overlooked evidence. Or maybe the technology to analyze some piece of evidence didn’t exist at the time the crime occurred.”

It’s a sad reality that many cold cases will remain unsolved indefinitely. Giacalone has made a career out of identifying which ones can be solved–a skill he will share with attendees during his session at this year’s CrimeCon.

“I’ll break down the solvability factors that we use to select which cold cases to pursue. Those factors could be anything from how thorough the case files are, our ability to interact with the family or key players in the case, and what evidence is available and can be tested with new technology. Many people ask why investigators don’t direct resources to certain cases, and this session will help explain why.”

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of a cold case investigation and learn how cases are chosen, what makes a case solvable, and how new interpretation of evidence can break open a case. This is a must-see for forensic enthusiasts and cold case buffs alike.

From 1986 to 1989, four young couples were killed in a series of lover's lane slayings near scenic Williamsburg, Virginia that came to be called the Colonial Parkway Murders. Their killer has not yet been identified or brought to justice.

If you attended the Golden State Killer panel at CrimeCon 2017, you’ll likely remember how the air seemed to be sucked out of the room when the killer’s fifth victim, Jane Carson-Sandler, took the stage. It’s always poignant and humbling when survivors and loved ones of victims share their stories, and we’re honored to be joined by Joyce Call Canada and Bill Thomas for this session. Joyce’s brother Keith and Bill’s sister Cathleen were both killed by the Colonial Parkway killer. For thirty years, both have been searching for answers and advocating for victims across the country.

For 25 years, Maureen O’Connell was a Special Agent with the FBI specializing in forensics, gangs, and cartel-level narcotics. She served on the FBI’s Evidence Response Team and investigated hundreds of bombings, murders, missing persons, kidnappings and acts of terrorism. Her family tree boasts a long history of public service with law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel dating back almost 100 years.

Blaine Pardoe is an award-winning New York Times Bestselling author of true crime, science fiction, business management and military history books. Recently, he collaborated with his daughter to publish A Special Kind of Evil , about the Colonial Parkway Murders.

Rarely do we see a panel discussion bursting with this kind of expertise. Bill and Joyce have lived through the firsthand horror brought on by this heinous killer. O’Connell and Pardoe have spent years immersed in his madness.

Three words: bring the tissues.

If you’re drawn to cold cases, especially missing persons, it’s likely that I don’t need to introduce Maura Murray to you at all. But just in case… Maura’s 2004 disappearance from Route 112 in Haverhill, New Hampshire following a single-car accident has baffled law enforcement agencies and armchair detectives for fourteen years. With scant evidence to go on, several disparate schools of thought have emerged with varying theories about her fate. Maura’s case was recently featured in a compelling Oxygen docuseries featuring journalist Maggie Freleng and investigator Art Roderick .

Crawlspace Podcast hosts Tim Pilleri and Lance Reenstierna will debut their long-awaited documentary Finding Maura Murray at CrimeCon 2018. The documentary explores the obsession and societal impact surrounding Maura's disappearance, which has resonated powerfully and continues to impact the lives of people all over the world.

Maggie Freleng, James Renner , Tim Pilleri and Lance Reenstierna will also host a discussion panel alongside this screening (which takes place on what would be Maura's 36th birthday). They'll discuss their experience with the case and any updates that came out of their participation in Oxygen's docuseries The Disappearance of Maura Murray . Despite my best efforts to catch an early glimpse of the documentary, I know as much as you do, and I know exactly where I’ll be at 7:15 pm on Friday, May 4.

3 Sessions for Behavioral Profiling Buffs

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

As I mentioned previously , I’m most fascinated by the human behavioral element of crime. The human brain is very nearly a perfectly-functioning machine, but when it goes wrong, it goes really wrong. Many experts and investigators believe that studying the behaviors of offenders before, during, and after they’ve committed a crime may be the key to preventing crime altogether. If you’re drawn to cases like OJ Simpson’s or Ted Bundy’s, in which the suspect’s behavior seems to betray their crimes after the fact, these three sessions should factor into your CrimeCon 2018 schedule.

Homicide prevention. It sounds like the core of a dystopian, futuristic Tom Cruise movie (because it is ), but Laura Richards has dedicated much of her life to making it a reality. Richards has spent twenty-plus years studying the behaviors of stalkers and domestic abusers. In that time, she created the Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service , which has helped more than 2,000 victims of stalking and domestic abuse in the U.K., and has been instrumental in lobbying for defined stalking and harassment legislation.

But it’s Richards’s DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking, and Harassment) risk assessment model that’s helping investigators identify high-risk factors that may indicate a serial perpetrator is escalating -- and stop them before it’s too late. Richards uses the DASH model to train law enforcement personnel in recognizing when a domestic abuse or stalking victim is in danger of losing his or her life at the hands of their abuser. In this session, you’ll learn 35 behaviors, traits, and characteristics that put DASH victims at risk and how to protect yourself and your loved ones from a horrific fate.

On average, people lie four times a day. If you’re still bitter (not that I am) that Lie to Me was abruptly canceled, you’ll want to make room in your CrimeCon schedule for Stephen Lampley’s session “How to Catch a Liar.” (Hint: it takes much more than three spotty seasons of Tim Roth tilting his head at a suspect like a German Shepherd puppy.)

In "How to Catch a Liar,” you’ll not only learn some of the techniques and indicators that investigators look for to determine whether a suspect is lying, you'll put those techniques and your own instincts to the test to see if you can find the fibber.

Lampley, who is a former friend of serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer, spent twenty-one years as a police officer and detective investigating SVU sex crimes undercover. He was the arresting officer of The Clairemont Killer (Cleophus Prince Jr.), a case featured on America's Most Wanted . In this session, Lampley will cover concepts like base shift, verbal/physical disconnects, and allusion versus evasion that will help fine-tune your BS detector.

If you’re excited about behavioral profiling, you’re probably excited about Jim Clemente. The former FBI profiler, New York City prosecutor, Criminal Minds writer/producer, CrimeCon emcee and fox killer was instrumental in building the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit before his retirement. Since then, he’s become a fixture on a multitude of true crime television series, specials, and podcasts.

For this session at CrimeCon 2018, Clemente joins forces with John H. White, Ph.D. As an investigator sergeant in the Internal Affairs Division of the Dallas Police Department, White investigated numerous police officer shootings and was assigned to the Psychological Services Office and the Fugitive and Special Investigations Unit. White is currently a Professor of Psychology at Stockton University in Pomona, New Jersey, where he has developed a database of over 500 serial killers tracking 164 behavioral risk factors and variables.

Clemente and White will take you deeper into the dark minds and psyches of serial killers than you’ve ever gone before. Steel yourself to learn how they got away with horrendous, unspeakable acts, their motivations, and what led to their eventual demise. I’ve been told that this is not a session for the timid or weak at heart. The information in this session may help you protect yourself and your loved ones from becoming the victim of a killer, yes. But you may also begin to notice some disturbing behaviors in your friends and coworkers (seriously, stop clipping your fingernails at your desk. It’s weird).

3 Sessions for Forensics Fanatics

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Readers, I’ve spent a lot of time talking to you and other true crime enthusiasts. As we’ve chewed over our theories and hot-button cases, I’ve observed an interesting phenomenon: many of you (myself included) tend to favor certain aspects of the true crime genre. There are self-proclaimed forensic nerds, fascinated with evidence analysis. Others are drawn to behavioral profiling or the justice system itself.

With that in mind, I’ve gathered some information that may help you decide which sessions to attend at CrimeCon 2018 based on your area of interest. We’ll start with the Forensics Fanatics, but if you’re a Behavioral Buff , Cold Case Collector , or Justice System Junkie , stay tuned to learn which CrimeCon 2018 sessions you simply cannot miss.

Often, true crime fans think of DNA as the fulcrum on the scale of justice; it can put bad guys behind bars and it can exonerate the wrongfully-convicted. However, for as much faith as we put in DNA evidence, we still don’t fully understand it. It’s known to prosecutors as “the CSI effect,” drawing upon crime procedural tropes that depict DNA analysis as infallible, immediate, and conclusive. But if you think you know all there is to know about DNA, consider this: could you explain a basic process, such as how investigators gather DNA evidence?

At her CrimeCon 2018 Live DNA Collection Demonstration, Dr. Laura Pettler will join forces with Sheryl “Mac” McCollum to showcase a revolutionary new DNA collection tool called the M-Vac. Dr. Pettler likens it to a carpet shampooer: “Investigators use the M-Vac tool to saturate a piece of evidence with a solution, then any DNA evidence is sucked into a filter,” she says. “The great thing about the M-Vac is that it can go anywhere -- from the crime scene to the crime lab.”

Dr. Pettler and McCollum will recreate a real-life crime scene (an area in which they both have extensive experience), and use the M-Vac to extract DNA from evidence present at the scene. “We’ll collect and process evidence right in front of the audience,” Pettler says. “It’s an open and unsolved case, so while we can’t discuss specifics, you’ll get to see us collect actual evidence that could be used to solve the crime.”

If that weren’t cool enough, I’ve also learned that there are only 100 M-Vac units in the United States, and Laura Pettler and Associates is the only private sector organization to use one. Prepare for full-scale forensic freak meltdown.

Every crime scene tells a story. Every knocked-over lamp or broken window holds clues to the identity and modus operandi of a perpetrator. While DNA is often key to identifying a suspect, DNA evidence alone doesn’t tell us exactly what happened at a crime scene. That’s where Detective (ret.) Karen Smith comes in.

As a detective with the Jacksonville, Florida Sheriff’s office, Smith investigated 20,000 cases, including hundreds of deaths and homicides. After her retirement, Smith created Bare Bones Consulting , an independent company offering crime scene and cold case analysis, bloodstain pattern analysis, and crime scene reconstruction services.

At this session, Smith will take you step-by-step through a meticulously-reconstructed crime scene and show you how blood spatter analysis, bullet trajectory reconstruction, and a medical examiner’s conclusions all came together to tell the horrible truth behind one of Jacksonville, Florida’s most heinous homicides.

As much as I love forensics, I’m a behavioral buff at heart. I’m fascinated by the behavioral human element and abnormal psychology at work in the minds of criminal offenders. I’m also a writer, so I love words. That’s why I’m excited for this session, which combines all of these: words, human behavior, and forensic analysis.

Like many of you, I spend a lot of my free time reading manifestos from infamous perpetrators (don’t deny it). I suspect it’s oddly comforting to read the words of a madman and realize that we’re relatively normal in comparison. But when you dig deeper into the writings of killers like the Unabomber , Elliot Rodger , or Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris , you’ll find that the words they choose and the context in which they use them reveal even more about their twisted minds than we know.

Bomb threats, ransom notes, diaries, even social media posts can provide forensic linguistic evidence that’s crucial to solving a crime. In this session, forensic linguist and professor Dr. Natalie Schilling will reveal how language researchers use their expertise to help investigators build profiles and solve crimes.

Dr. Schilling, well-known for her contributions to the investigation of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, will open your eyes to concepts that can help you better understand the language of killers: author/speaker profiling, voice identification, and authorship attribution, to name a few. Best of all, you’ll get to test your new-found skills in a hands-on linguistic analysis activity. After this session, you’ll never look at words the same way again (see what I did there?).

CrimeCon Dos and Don'ts

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Updated for CrimeCon 2019!

CrimeCon is a unique opportunity to meet your favorite true crime personalities and go inside high-profile investigations. It’s an action-packed weekend, and like any other event, there are some things we encourage and some things we don’t. Whether you’re a CrimeCon newbie or a seasoned attendee (i.e., you attended last year), here are a few dos and don’ts to get the most out of your CrimeCon experience.

Learn something new.

CrimeCon is the perfect place to learn about a new case to obsess over, find new podcasts to listen to, or fine-tune your citizen detective skills. Immersive sessions are a particularly good place to expand your true crime horizons. Learn what happens in a real investigation with Sheila Wysocki’s PI Experience and learn how to investigate a crime scene with Houston Forensics Science Center's Forensics 101 .

Be respectful of different theories and opinions.

The best thing about CrimeCon is the respectful discourse and positivity that you all brought to the table. Too many times in the true crime community we see combative bickering and arguing that doesn’t benefit the victims or the case at the center of discussion. I’m excited to see that wonderful dynamic continue at CrimeCon 2019.

Stop by our sponsor’s booth.

CrimeCon is thrilled to have the support of Oxygen . Following their flawlessly-executed rebranding into the new network for crime, they’ve given us some of the most thoroughly-researched and well-produced true crime programming available. Stop by their booth, get hooked on a new series, and say thanks for helping to make CrimeCon happen!

Make others jealous.

Use #CrimeCon on all social platforms to share your photos and insights. I’ll be feverishly updating our Instagram Stories with helpful info, live videos, and silly pictures of Carl Marino all weekend, so that's best place to see the action. I'll also be active on Twitter to field questions and provide witty commentary.

Bring a sweater.

It's boiling hot and stupid-humid in New Orleans (but it's raining, so it helps?). The average temperature inside most convention spaces is, based on my experience, about 3 degrees. Bring a sweater or light jacket in case you end up sitting beneath the air vents. If you forget, don’t worry! You can purchase an awesome CrimeCon hoodie at our merch booth to stay cozy!

Clear your May 2020 schedule.

I hear that HQ will be announcing the city choice for 2020 just before we begin CrimeCon 2019 and that tickets will go on sale for 2018 attendees first. The dates for 2020 are May 1-3, so mark your calendar!

Don’t come dressed as your favorite serial killer/TV personality/investigator.

As much as I enjoy rocking my Agent Scully look, CrimeCon is not a cosplay event. We strive to create a respectful and welcoming environment with education at its core. Many survivors and families of victims will be in attendance, and we want to be respectful of their experience. Besides, homicidal maniacs look just like everyone else, so just come as you are. Problem solved.

Don’t steal stuff from mock crime scenes.

While the respectful discourse was the best part of CrimeCon 2017, the worst part was when some STOLE A PIECE OF EVIDENCE FROM THE MURDER MYSTERY CRIME SCENE HOW DARE YOU WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU?!

Okay, I feel better. But really, just don’t steal stuff from demonstrations, displays, or mock crime scenes. Stealing is, after all, a CRIME. Fortunately, one dedicated guest was still able to solve the weekend murder mystery in Indianapolis, so your evil plan didn’t work, Stickyfingers McGrabbyhands.

Don’t plan to spend evenings in your room.

There's always something going on at CrimeCon. Check the UNOFFICIAL CrimeCon Fan Page on Facebook; attendees post excellent intel about podcaster meetups and other fun stuff going on outside of con hours.

Don’t be afraid to fly solo.

I have exactly one friend who shares my enthusiasm for true crime, so I know it can be a lonely indulgence. If you can’t rally your squad to accompany you to CrimeCon 2019, you can confidently show up solo and walk away on Sunday with a dozen new friends.

Don’t take photos if a speaker so requests.

It’s tempting to break out the phone to snap a few pics of your favorite speakers in action at CrimeCon. However, photography is allowed at the discretion of the speaker. If a speaker prefers that the audience does not take photos, they will make an announcement at the beginning of the session. Please be mindful and respectful of their wishes.

The "Deadly Skills" You'll Learn at CrimeCon 2018

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Like many of you, my rigid television schedule is dominated by true crime shows: Oxygen specials, Dateline reruns, whatever Netflix recommends because I watched The Keepers . I haven’t spent all that time immersed in murder and mysteries without learning a little about how to avoid becoming the victim of a crime.

But on January 3, 2018, it completely failed me.

Arriving home after a particularly difficult day, I opened my car door, reached for my bags, and turned to find a gun in my face. In a blur, three men had taken my purse, my brand-new laptop, and my car, leaving me standing alone in the middle of a dark, empty street. The encounter took less than fifteen seconds.

Luckily, they weren’t very smart criminals (if they had been, they would’ve stolen a nicer car) and I was able to help authorities track them down using the locator on my cell phone (#basicallyadetective). I’m pleased to report that they’re currently awaiting trial in the local county lockup.

What haunted me about this experience was not coming face-to-face with a loaded gun. It wasn’t the feeling of powerlessness. It was that I knew better . I opened my car door before I was ready to exit. I didn’t survey my surroundings. I didn’t have a plan.

At CrimeCon 2018, criminal attorney and journalist Darren Kavinoky and former law enforcement agent Mike Dowd will help you avoid the same fate at CrimeCon 2018. Together, they’ll present a session previewing a new show produced by Kavinoky entitled Deadly Skills: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics to Stay Alive .

“We’ll be looking at many real-life scenarios that have, sadly, dominated the headlines recently,” says Darren. “Mass shootings, school shooting scenarios, even driving your car into a body of water or road rage incidents. We’ll give people real-life takeaways to help them survive and keep their families alive in these worst-case experiences.”

Attendees will get to watch some of these situations play out live on stage, Darren says.

“When applicable, I’ll be playing the part of the attacker. Mike, with his years of experience in law enforcement and intelligence -- and owing to the fact that he’s the more buff, rugged, and handsome of the two of us -- will demonstrate how to defend yourself or prevent the situation altogether.”

And Mike has plenty of experience in these situations. His resume is peppered with acronyms: DoD, CIA, NSA, DIA, DOJ and US Army Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Throughout his years of service, Mike developed expertise in a broad range of disciplines, including regional expertise, man hunting, geolocation, cellular infrastructure and tracking, wireless engineering, human intelligence and elicitation, surveillance and surveillance detection.

“Recently, I was waiting for a flight and the airport was suddenly shut down because someone had discovered a suspicious package,” Mike recalls. “Nobody was sure what to do. It’s a massive airport, there’s no evacuation plan, and we were essentially sitting there waiting for a bomb to explode.”

Mike’s decades of training kicked in immediately. “I identified an empty jetway leading outside, so I advised my group to head that way if something did happen. It’s a matter of being aware of your surroundings. Where are the emergency escapes and egress points that get people outside, on the ground, and as far away from the building as possible? Who’s leading your family or your group out? You’ve gotta have a plan.”

Darren has a similar experience: “I was in a hotel. It was 7:00 in the morning when the fire alarm went off. I high-tailed it to the nearest emergency exit, but I was awestruck that nobody else evacuated. Nobody moved. Fire, tornado, and disaster alarms are now so commonplace that they’ve become like car alarms. Nobody thinks “Oh no, someone’s stealing that car outside.” They think “Who’s the jerk with the annoying car alarm?”

It’s easy to believe that these situations are rare and that we’ll never need to be prepared to fight for our lives or safety. But the truth is, these worst-case scenarios happen to many people every single day.

During their session, you may have a chance to practice some survival tactics for yourself. Darren and Mike will encourage plenty of audience participation. Attendees may relate their own close calls and harrowing experiences to understand what they should have done to prevent becoming a victim. Darren and Mike will also pull volunteers from the crowd to demonstrate some of the concepts and maneuvers they cover.

I thought I was an impossible victim. It took less than fifteen seconds to prove me wrong. Make some room in your schedule for this potentially life-saving session to arm yourself with the Deadly Skills you need to avoid the same fate.

5 Questions with True Crime auth-- I mean Podcaster James Renner

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

After finishing his book True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray , James Renner planned to leave true crime behind for a while.

It doesn’t seem to be going well.

Renner’s new true crime podcast The Philosophy of Crime debuts on May 1 -- and just days later, he’ll appear on Podcast Row at CrimeCon 2018. Additionally, he’ll join Tim Pilleri, Lance Reenstierna, and Maggie Freleng for a panel discussion and Q&A session about the Maura Murray case.

But, true to form, Renner is also pumping out new novels and short stories, as well as continuing work on his documentary about Byron Preiss’s book The Secret: A Treasure Hunt . Somehow, he found time to answer a few questions just for CrimeCon readers.

CCI: What can we expect from you at CrimeCon?

JR: I'm willing to talk theories about the Maura Murray case and the Amy Mihaljevic murder if anyone wants to compare notes. I've got books for sale for anyone who wants a signed copy of True Crime Addict . I hope to grab a brew with The Captain and Tennille from True Crime Garage. And I might prank order some pizzas for Nancy Grace's room. Mostly, I'll be hanging out on Podcast Row and judging people with quiet derision.

CCI: What’s the lowdown on your new podcast?

JR: The Philosophy of Crime delves into the big questions behind our obsession: are killers born or made? Does everyone have the capacity for murder? How should the news cover crime? You're going to learn some stuff, you're going to get scared, and you're going to laugh at inappropriate things because we live in a world that makes no sense. I'm having a lot of fun. The entire first season will be released the week of CrimeCon.

CCI: How do you come up with like six new book ideas a week? What’s your process?

JR: I've got a dry-erase board in my writing room with ideas on it that I've had going back to fifth grade, probably. Once I'm done writing one, I cross it out and move on to the next. I'm think I'm very lucky to have met a couple agents who believe in me and continue to get my stuff published. I'm a very slow writer, though. I average about three pages a day but I write every day, 365 days a year.

CCI: What’s been your weirdest (or best) fan encounter?

JR: Hmm. I'd have to say my favorite encounter is with the wonderful woman from a book club in Mentor (Ohio) who made me a pillowcase with my name embroidered on it as a present. I take it with me on road trips so hotels feel like home.

CCI: When we spoke last year , you were searching for the hidden treasures of Byron Preiss. Why haven’t you found any of the keys yet? Are you even trying?

JR: Because Byron Preiss was a crazy genius who worked on a level we only aspire to reach. My documentary about my search for the twelve keys he buried around the country - The Secret of Byron Preiss - comes out later this year. If you're interested in treasure hunting you should track down a copy of his book, The Secret. Inside are paintings and poems that contain clues that lead to the places he buried the keys. If you find one you can turn it in for a real gem worth about $1,000. There are still ten out there somewhere.

I think I know where the Boston one is and hope to dig it up soon. But I'm nervous walking around Boston parks with a backpack and a shovel these days.

James will join Tim, Lance, and Maggie for a panel discussion following the debut of Tim & Lance's new documentary about the disappearance of Maura Murray. Be among the FIRST to see the long-awaited film and ask your questions at CrimeCon 2018.

Don't Call it Cold: The Delphi Murders

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

It’s been over a year since 13-year-old Abigail (Abby) Williams and 14-year-old Liberty (Libby) German were murdered while enjoying an unseasonably warm day in their small hometown of Delphi, Indiana. After school on February 13, 2017, the two friends were dropped off to hike the Delphi Historic Trails in Carroll County, Indiana.

Twenty-four hours later, their bodies were discovered not far from the Monon High Bridge, where Libby’s had uploaded the last picture taken of her friend to Snapchat. Despite trail cam footage, eyewitness descriptions, and the relentless efforts of dozens of investigators from multiple jurisdictions, their killer remains at large.

It’s a story that’s all too familiar to true crime enthusiasts: a small, closely-knit town shaken to its core; innocent lives ripped away too soon; a dedicated but thin-spread local police force chasing thousands of leads. With no luck.

In the past year, investigators have released a trail cam photo and composite sketch of the primary suspect, as well as a related voice recording (which Libby heroically captured on her cell phone), and have investigated various possible suspects with no arrests. We also know that multiple DNA samples have been recovered from the scene. With no suspect yet in custody despite the seemingly large volume of evidence, it’s tempting to say the case has gone cold.

But Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter disagrees.

“I’ve said all along, as long as I’m in this role and breathing, we’re not leaving the City of Delphi in Carroll County, Indiana, we’re just not,” Carter told The Indy Channel in a recent interview .

As we see in many cases, it’s also easy to assume that the investigators are small-town, shoe-leather police officers, inexperienced and ill-equipped to deal with the magnitude of such a heinous crime. These things don’t happen here , they always say.

But this investigation is a joint effort between Delphi Police, Carroll County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, and the FBI, along with thousands of websleuths, volunteers, and experts. And, despite the compelling evidence that has been released, if you ask me, it’s the information we don’t know that’s a testament to the top-notch police work that’s going on behind the scenes.

We don’t know how the girls were killed or what kind of weapon, if any, was used. We don’t know if the girls were sexually assaulted. We don’t know the killer’s motive or whether the attack was premeditated. We do, however, know the police have additional audio evidence that they have not released.

When law enforcement officers withhold important information such as this, there’s a reason, and that reason is often to weed out the attention-seekers -- the crazies who come forward to “confess” in a desperate attempt to garner a few minutes of infamy. Often, it’s also because those details are crucial to creating an accurate profile of the killer to zero in on persons of interest.

Although investigators are playing this, by necessity, close to the chest, their clear dedication to and fervor for finding Abby and Libby’s killer gives me confidence that the status of the investigation has not changed.

But something else hasn’t changed, either: the sheer grief, horror, and pain of Abby and Libby’s families. And yet, Abby’s grandparents, Diane and Eric, recently left a tear-jerking note at police headquarters expressing their gratitude and support for the investigators and their efforts.

Libby’s grandparents, Mike and Becky Patty, along with Abby’s mother Anna Williams, will join HLN host Ashleigh Banfield for an intensive session at CrimeCon 2018. It’s sure to be an emotional hour covering what we know so far and status of the case, but will keep Abby and Libby front-of-mind, never losing focus on their positive spirits and heroic efforts in their final moments.*

Call the case “challenging.” Call it “emotional.” Call it “quiet.”

Just don’t call it cold.

===

*As this is an active investigation, panel and participants are subject to change or cancellation based on case developments or breaking news.

Billy Jensen on Michelle McNamara: "We Were Partners in Crime Solving"

Sat, 17 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Billy Jensen is nothing if not persistent.

His own website gives us a glimpse of this: I will keep going. Punch me. Spear me. Cut my face open. I will keep going.

He is equating his investigative philosophy with the way he plays hockey. And it rings true.

So when he and Michelle McNamara finished presenting their SXSW panel entitled “Solving Murders with Social Media” in 2014, he immediately began planning new projects to tackle with his friend. In the past, they’d also joined forces to host a TV show/podcast called Shadowpulp Radio Hour and various other projects.

“We were partners in crime solving,” he says of McNamara, a true crime enthusiast, author, and blogger. “After the SXSW panel, I kept hounding her to finish her book, because I had a list of new projects I wanted to start working on with her. Every month or so, we’d have lunch and I’d ask her how close she was to shipping it.”

“The book” was a re-investigation of the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker murderer who terrorized the West coast in the seventies and eighties. In order to give him a more recognizable identity, McNamara renamed him “The Golden State Killer. ”

The new moniker stuck.

Michelle never finished the book. Her sudden and unexpected death in 2016 shook the true crime community to its core and shattered her family and friends, including her husband, comedian Patton Oswalt and their daughter Alice. After her death, Jensen called Oswalt and vowed to help finish the book. Oswalt, Jensen, and Michelle’s researcher Paul Haynes, worked for a year and her book, I’ll be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer debuted at number one on the bestseller list in February 2018.

“She had worked so hard on it. I couldn’t let it go undone,” Jensen says. “It’s a testament to what a terrific and thorough writer she was that we were able to pick up where she left off; the book was pretty damn perfect.”

Still, it wasn’t easy.

“Michelle didn’t write it in a linear fashion. She wrote chapter by chapter. We all got together, came up with a structure, then inserted some literary ligaments to pull the chapters together. Then we began covering some of the things she hadn’t covered, using her notes and emails to fill in the gaps.”

It evokes imagery of the classic investigative writer: walls covered in photos, maps, newspaper clippings. Connections represented by thin, red twine. It seems the reality wasn’t far off.

“Michelle had given us the strings she had been weaving to tie all this together,” Jensen continues. “All these strings that could lead us out of the maze of this case and potentially help solve these crimes.”

The crimes were horrific. The Golden State Killer raped fifty women in Northern California in the mid-late seventies and went on to murder twelve people across Southern California in a killing spree that lasted until 1986. Despite volumes of evidence, including DNA and compelling eyewitness testimony, the killer remains unidentified.

Jensen and Haynes will lead a discussion panel about Michelle’s investigation and the case at CrimeCon 2018. Joining him are GSK survivor Jane Carson-Sandler, Debbi Domingo, whose mother was murdered by the GSK in 1981, and Michelle Cruz, whose sister was murdered by the unknown assailant in 1986. The three survivors presented an emotional session about their experiences at CrimeCon 2017 in Indianapolis.

Will this year’s panel be just as gripping? It sounds like it.

“We’ll talk about Michelle and her process,” Jensen promises, “how she conducted her investigation and how we were able to put the pieces together. Then we’ll talk about the current investigation and you’ll see how close it is to being solved.”

And there’s even a chance that you, Citizen Detectives, can help bring the brutal killer to justice.

Jensen and Haynes will also host an intensive session taking a deep dive into the evidence and facts surrounding the case.

“We’ll look at what we feel are the strongest [leads], weeding out the probable red herrings,” Jensen explains with a palpable excitement in his voice. “We’ll talk DNA, geographic profiling, and stick to the facts. This session is for people who want to roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty, and catch this guy.”

Certainly, the publication of McNamara’s book must feel like a milestone. It’s an impressive feat, to pick up another author’s work and carry it across the finish line. Does it mean his work on the case is finished?

“Definitely not,” Jensen affirms with a conviction his fans will recognize. “We’re not stopping. We’ll keep going until he’s identified.”

I believe him, because Billy Jensen is nothing if not persistent.

5 (and a Half) Questions with Jim Clemente

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We're proud to call Jim Clemente a friend of CrimeCon. His enthusiasm, humor, and fierce devotion to victims and families have made him a force of nature in the criminal justice system. If last year was any indication, we're in for a treat as Jim and his team return to host CrimeCon 2018 in Nashville. Jim - nicest guy in the world - took some time to give me a glimpse into what we can look forward to this year, what's wrong in the justice system, and to follow up on an intriguing story we heard in Indianapolis.

CCI: What can we expect from you at CrimeCon?

JC: I’m excited to be back at the show again with my production company X-G Productions . Like last year, we’ll have a number of different speakers in the main keynotes and breakout sessions. We’ll be on Podcast Row and hosting a number of meet-and-greets again. It is great to get a chance in the meet-and-greets to talk to the fans face-to-face. We’ll also be doing a very special VIP event that’s still under wraps and conducting another large-scale immersive experience like last year’s Interrogation Experience.

CCI: I’ve heard you speak a couple of times about the flaws of the jury process and other “kinks” in the justice system. What do you think is the biggest failure in the justice system right now?

JC: Individual failures. It takes every single person along the line in the justice system to be moral, stand-up people, to do their jobs and do them right, and to make sure they don’t put blinders on and pre-judge a victim or determine the outcome without looking at the evidence. The biggest failure in the justice system is that it’s run by humans and we’re not always right. The worst consequence of that is when we wrongfully convict people. There are hundreds of people on death row that have been wrongfully convicted because of errors in human judgement or process, and that’s a travesty.

CCI: Happier topics now: How’d you get so funny?

JC: There’s a lot of need for humor when you’re focusing on a job where you’re dealing with the worst things that people do to each other.

CCI: What’s your weirdest/best fan encounter?

JC : I have one of each, and both were at CrimeCon 2017 in Indianapolis.

Weirdest: one of my colleagues overheard three women saying that their major goal was to sleep with me at CrimeCon.

CCI: Wow. That’s a pretty lofty goal.

JC: Yeah, not the reason I come to CrimeCon, but it was certainly interesting.

My best fan encounter was a young woman who said I inspired her to apply to the FBI and she had just started an internship at the FBI when I met her. It’s a good feeling to know we’re inspiring the next generation of leaders in justice.

CCI: What do you consider your biggest success?

JC: During my time with the FBI, my team and I saved a six-year-old boy who had been abducted. All odds were stacked against us, but he’s alive today because of the work my team did, and that’s a great feeling.

CCI: BONUS QUESTION. Something I’ve wondered since we heard about this at CrimeCon 2017: why did you kill a fox?

JC: He started it.

====

Don't miss Jim's contagious energy and jaw-dropping storytelling in Nashville! R egister now for CrimeCon 2018. Hurry - tickets are going fast!

Laura Richards: "Be an advocate for the victims"

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT

I wanted to begin this article with a sentence summarizing Laura Richards’s degrees, titles, and accomplishments, but quickly discovered I couldn’t do that without crafting the longest run-on sentence in history. So let’s just say this: Laura Richards has been busy .

“A friend told me I need more puppies and unicorns in my life,” she says in a lovely British accent that many of you will recognize from Real Crime Profile podcast. “That there’s too much sadness and violence and horror.”

Indeed, she has seen some of the worst that humanity has to offer in her work as a criminal behavio(u)ral analyst and advocate for domestic violence and stalking victims. One case, in particular, haunts her and influenced the direction of her work over the years.

In 2005, a beauty consultant named Clare Bernal was gunned down by her stalker inside a London Harvey Nichols department store. Due to his obsessive and harassing behavior, her killer had been twice arrested and dismissed from his job, where he met and worked with Bernal.

Clare had reported him to the police before her death but law enforcement officials didn’t understand the danger she faced. It’s one of the most maddening aspects of her case - and many, many others.

“I’ve been in rooms full of law enforcement officers and have asked “Why wouldn’t you take a report of domestic violence or stalking seriously?” Inevitably, it’s because domestic abuse and stalking are not seen as serious crime. Yet two women are murdered a week in the UK by an ex partner and three women a day in the US are murdered by stalkers.”

Victims must be taken seriously and believed, Richards says. It’s a trend she hopes is beginning to change in the wake of the #MeToo movement and the recent outcry against sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood. But it’s not a Hollywood problem, she says. “We need both non-abusive men and women coming forward to put a stop to this behavior.”

Because it affects all of us, not just men. We speak briefly about the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The shooter had been reported to the police dozens of times for domestic abuse. Had these reports been taken seriously, seventeen children would still be alive. For Richards, it’s an eerie reminder of another miscarriage of justice.

“I had to look at Clare Bernal’s mother in the whites of the eyes and tell her, “We should have done more to protect your daughter,” Richards says.

The heaviness in her voice nearly drags the phone out of my hand. It must be cold comfort, but that event inspired massive legislation reform and the UK’s first national stalking advocacy service, Paladin, which has assisted more than 2,000 stalking victims so far. Richards spearheaded the domestic violence law reform campaign in the UK which led to the offense of coercive control - a first in the world - and she hopes the US will follow suit. She is also leading a nationwide charge to create a registry for serial domestic abusers and stalkers similar to the national sex offender registry. It’s critical, she says, to preventing deaths like Clare Bernal’s in the future. The focus must be on the perpetrators, she says - they are the ones who must be tracked and monitored.

Again, she’s been busy.

Given that she’s not that much older than I am, I begin to question what I’ve been doing with my life while she’s been out changing the world. I’m just a confidential informant lurking around dark corners and listening for gossip around CCHQ. But Richards reminds me that there’s a way for me - and other true crime enthusiasts - can make a difference, too.

“Get involved,” she urges. “You’re already an enthusiast. Be an advocate, too. Volunteer at a local domestic violence shelter or another victim advocacy organization.”

But perhaps the best thing we can do as enthusiasts and advocates is to educate ourselves, she says. And focus on the victims.

“Educate yourselves on the warning signs of domestic violence or abuse, take stalking behavior seriously, don’t judge or blame the victims - these are the most dangerous of cases - and you might be the vital lifeline as a mother, father, sister, best friend or son.”

And, it turns out, one way we can educate ourselves is to attend her session(s) at CrimeCon 2018.

“At CrimeCon, I’ll be talking about how to prevent murders in slow motion (as I call them) and how to spot the warning signs, as well as introducing a new show and a new case that Jim Clemente and I have been re-examining” she says. “I’m looking forward to meeting CrimeCon guests and speaking with fans and viewers to help raise awareness and ensure the victim’s voice does not get lost.”

Spoken like a true victim advocate and champion.

Also, her new puppy arrives March 9.

CrimeCon 2018 Guest Roundup - Happy New Year Edition

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT

It's time to say goodbye to 2017. For many, this year can't end quickly enough. But I like to look at the positives: 2017 brought us the first convention for true crime enthusiasts; brought resolution to the murders of Tara Grinstead , Suzanne Nauman , and J ames Byron Haakenson ; and saw significant progress in the disappearances of Maura Murray and Natalee Holloway .

Unfortunately, there's no shortage of work to be done to bring justice and closure to the victims and families of crime. Fortunately for you, some of the most renowned and dedicated people doing that work have agreed to join us at CrimeCon 2018 in Nashville! Let's take a quick look at our initial guest lineup.

(Psst! I've been overhearing a LOT of stuff around HQ, and I can confirm that we'll have plenty of guest announcements in the coming weeks. Some really exciting stuff happening; looks like 2018 is gonna be a great year!)

(Psst again! Registration prices increase as soon as the ball drops on December 31! Register now for the lowest rate.)

Aaron Rasmussen Reveals How He Solved the Murder of Anna Talley at CrimeCon 2017

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

So, it’s been six weeks and I’m still scratching my head over the murder mystery that we all tackled at CrimeCon. With varying degrees of success, we investigated a crime scene, collected all the information we could, and confused several hotel staffers in our efforts to find the person who killed Dr. Anna Talley.

But Aaron Rasmussen was the first one who solved the mystery that stumped some of the most experienced amateur sleuths in the room.

When we announced that Aaron had solved the mystery and would receive two Gold VIP passes to CrimeCon 2018, the most frequently rage-tweeted question I received was “How in the world??” Which was exactly what I said, myself. I even attended CrimeCon with a friend who worked in the justice system for nearly a decade, and we couldn’t figure it out.

So I’m happy to bring you this exclusive interview with Aaron so we can all get answers to that very question.

CCI: What was your initial impression of the experience when you walked through the crime scene?

It was fun to have a special mystery to solve at CrimeCon. I loved that when we asked how we were supposed to submit our guess for the murderer the person ushering us through said, “If you figure it out, you will just know.” I liked the staging of the room and all the little details added, like Anna’s bracelet sitting on the nightstand. Everything could have been a clue, but, as I discovered, not everything was!

CCI: Enough small talk -- how'd you solve it?

I figured out right away that Margo Short was a complete psychopath, as evidenced by the fact that she worked at Time Warner, the only place someone like that would be happy. Kidding aside, my method was to just start eliminating the suspects based on their alibis.

There were a few suspects that clearly couldn’t have committed murder, like the husband and nanny, because they were in a different state. So I was able to eliminate them fairly quickly. That helped me not overthink certain clues or go down any rabbit holes.

As we got a few more clues as CrimeCon wore on, many of the suspects could be eliminated based on their whereabouts and timing, such as when Ruth, the technician whose badge was at the scene, ordered room service at the same time the murder occurred.

CCI: What was your “Aha!” moment or the piece of evidence that clinched it for you?

I suspected Margo Short committed the murder, but I was certain I was correct when we got the manila envelope of evidence that showed she suffered sleeping issues and had to take medication. I noticed that Harold, the original killer, had the same issue, which made it obvious she was the copycat killer, especially since she had no other alibi, like the other suspects that I had struck from my list.

CCI: What was the most confusing piece of evidence (or most confusing aspect of the game/process overall)?

I was most confused by the feather left at the crime scene. I joked to my friend that Anna was having an affair with Ruth Hixon, the technician. I noticed that someone else had the same thought in one of the CrimeCon emails! I also wondered if the feather had something to do with the interior decorator since it wasn’t far from her business card. It was a great red herring that spun some wheels. I also wasn’t 100 percent on if Anna’s editor could have done it. He actually did, if I remember correctly, have a brief window of opportunity in his schedule, but I eventually just eliminated him because the evidence against Margo was much stronger.

CCI: Did you work with anyone else to figure it out?

I worked with my friend, who came with me to CrimeCon, but we had differing opinions on who the killer was when we only had a few possible suspects left. Also, she wanted to wait to see if her theory would be better proved through more evidence on Sunday, which never came. I didn’t want to wait that long, and I’m glad I didn’t!

CCI: Do you have any funny/sad/scary stories from your investigation? My sources report that a few people got some shade for knocking on the wrong hotel doors.

Luckily, we figured out the right door to go to, but we did worry and joked with another person who arrived after us but before we rang the buzzer. I did like coming up with strange theories with my friend like Ruth and Anne were having an affair and liked feather play. Overall, going over the clues and finding new evidence and connections was a fun way to unwind after a long day at CrimeCon.

Informant’s note: It was at this point I realized we’ll be seeing Aaron at every CrimeCon until the end of the world. And that is awesome.

CCI: How did you have TIME to solve it? Did you do it in the timeslot where lunch should’ve been?

I was fairly certain I knew who the killer was after reading the papers slid under our door on the second day, but I didn’t have the time to send in my response. By the time I compiled my answers I figured somebody else must have beat me to it, because to me it was obvious who did it. My only hope was that everyone else was too busy to take time to work out the answer and send it in. I saw some people the last morning going over the evidence and that gave me some hope.

CCI: What was your favorite/the best part of the game?

I loved when we had to figure out things beyond the crime scene walk-through. Like the trick to obtain the password to gain access to the website with the list of suspects, looking for the mystery hotel room door, and when we had new clues delivered to our room and waiting for us when we woke up (that threw off my friend’s game, because she wanted to wait to see if we got more clues the second night or third morning). I love puzzles, and putting together all the clues and moving pieces was great!

----

If you're up for the challenge, we may bring the murder mystery game back for CrimeCon 2018 . But that's not the best part: early-bird registration prices are still in effect! Early registration gets you the best prices and nearly a year of anticipation until we convene in Nashville, TN May 4-6 to bust some crime and learn more about the cases that keep us awake at night. Like the murderer lingering on your patio. At this very moment.

The best place to get up-to-date information and breaking CrimeCon developments is our CrimeCon Insider email list . Sign up for the occasional email with promos, important dates, speaker and guest announcements, and more inside information from CrimeCon HQ.

Field Report: CrimeCon 2017 Recap

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

First, let me tell you how awesome you all are.

During a tweetchat a few weeks ago, someone asked me a curveball question: “Is there anything you don’t want to see at CrimeCon?” The only thing I didn’t want to see was disrespectful discourse and combative negativity between people who may disagree with each other or with the speakers and their presentations. As a true crime fan, you’re likely aware that we tend to defend our theories with… let’s call it “enthusiasm.” It can lead to some contentious moments.

I’m beyond proud to announce that I observed none of this at CrimeCon. To be sure, there were some polarizing true crime figureheads in the lineup. Yet, for the most part, every question asked of the speakers was well-reasoned and contributed positively to the conversation. Debates were friendly. Conversations were productive. Even your tweets and Instagram posts were welcoming and nearly devoid of negativity.

That’s how you made CrimeCon a world-class event. And I thank you sincerely. You made my little morbid heart flutter all weekend.

CrimeCon may be finished for now, but I’m still walking on air. I’ve taken some time to let the magnitude of this event sink in and, to be honest, I’m not sure how Team CrimeCon is going to top themselves in 2018, but I cannot wait to see what happens when they do.

Day One of the convention officially kicked off with a characteristically rousing introduction from X-G Production’s Jim Clemente (following a lengthy session on the Steven Avery case from Ken Kratz and Tom Fassbender that was more than many of us expected. Lots of changed minds in that room, it seemed). And somehow the day ended with Ken Kratz doing his best ballerina/breakdance in the Murder Mystery Dinner at the instruction of Carl Marino. #OnlyAtCrimeCon, I guess.

Day Two began bright and early for the VIPs with a crash course in self-defense from Leah Severson of The Bulletproof Mission. As true crime fans, we’re all a little jumpy, right? But now that we know what to do if we’re attacked, we can walk a little more confidently down all those dark alleys we frequent. The day wrapped up with a cocktail hour featuring plenty of facetime with the likes of Nancy Grace, Kirk Nurmi, Josh Mankiewicz, and tons of podcasters.

Which brings us to Day Three. The saddest of all days because it was the end of CrimeCon.

There’s not much I can say about the interrogation experience without spoilers, except that it’s not what you’re expecting. So here’s a frustratingly vague review.

X-G Productions are aces at creating unique and transformative experiences. They have a knack for teaching you things in ways that surprise you (sometimes in a wonderful way, sometimes in a terrifying way). X-G Production’s Tim Clemente introduced the session in the maximum-enthusiasm style that must run in the Clemente bloodline.

Following a couple of heart-pounding moments, the session became significantly more intense than we’d thought it would be. It tested our stamina and observation skills and made us rethink the reliability of eyewitness testimony. If the organizers are able to bring this session back in Nashville next year I urge you in the strongest possible terms not to miss it.

Sheryl McCollum’s Wine & Crime gave us a chance to help solve a real-life murder case under investigation by Mac’s Cold Case Investigative Research Institute . Participants reviewed every piece of evidence (and there was plenty of it!) and leant their ideas to seasoned investigators. The coolest part: CCIRI will put all of our suggestions into action in an attempt to bring the case to resolution. How cool is it that we may have legitimately solved a cold case at CrimeCon?!

The CrimeCon award for Most Quotable Session goes to defense attorney legend F. Lee Bailey. Bailey delivered a courtroom-worthy impassioned address about the effect mainstream media has had on court proceedings as high-profile cases become reality television. He knows a little bit about this subject since he defended a little case in 1995 that a few news outlets picked up here and there. OJ something… can’t put my finger on it. It’ll come to me.

Bailey’s presentation was peppered with some of the most creative humor I’ve heard. Just a couple of his best lines:

“He has more important things to worry about than a dwarf behind a big desk.” (I honestly don’t remember the context of this one because it caught me so off guard, but wow.)

“The thing I hate most about being 84 years old is that Darth Vader is waiting just over the hill. I’m gonna outrun that sonofabitch as long as I can.”

Fair enough, Mr. Bailey.

Next, Thinking Sideways teamed up with Websleuths’s Tricia Griffith, crime author Cathy Scott , and Defrosting Cold Cases blogger Alice de Sturler to give us a new moniker: Citizen Detectives. “Armchair Detective” is now officially retired, so sayeth the CrimeCon Informant. This panel of some of the most well-informed amateurs in the biz reminded us of the merits of our work and fired us up to keep contributing. Griffith summed it up best, I think:

“One hundred amateurs have one hundred perspectives to look at evidence with. Investigators have as many perspectives as they have investigators. Amateurs solve crimes, too. We can still help.” Applause, Tricia.

Finally, CrimeCon came to a close with another energetic address from Jim Clemente. He sent us on our way with fond memories, new friends, and a renewed passion for the pursuit of justice.

He sent us on our way on Cloud 9.

He sent us on our way as slightly different people than we were on Friday.

He sent us on our way until CrimeCon 2018! Passes go on sale Monday, June 19 at 10:00 am, so join us in lovely Nashville, Tennessee at the Gaylord Opryland Hote l, May 4-6 for more of the best speakers, guests, podcasters, and citizen detectives that the world has to offer.

You thought I was getting all sentimental there for a minute, didn’t you?

CrimeCon 2017 Daily Recap: Day Two

Sun, 11 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

If you thought CrimeCon couldn’t get better, guess what? The overwhelmingly positive and supportive feedback I saw today elevated CrimeCon from a true crime convention to a world-class meeting of minds dedicated to truth and justice. The overwhelming theme of the day supported that vision with real-life accounts driving home the reason we’re all here:
Justice for victims and their families.

Hope you didn’t pick a fight with any of the VIPs today, because they started the day off bright and early at 8:00 am with a crash course in self defense with The Bulletproof Mission’s Leah Severson. We all know prevention is better than a cure, and Severson helped us all become a little more prepared to avoid becoming a victim.

I was not prepared to break out the tissues before 10:00 am, but then I found myself in the Golden State Killer/East Area Rapist session where survivors and families of victims recounted their experience with the deranged killer. There was not a dry eye in the room as survivor Jane Carson-Sandler recounted her vivid memory of the day she and her three-year-old child were attacked by the Golden State Killer. Follow that with the poignant stories of Michelle Cruz and Debbi Domingo, who lost loved ones to GSK, and sniffles filled the entire room.

TEAR-JERKING LINE
“What I remember is the yellow tape. That damn yellow tape that screams “Don’t go inside!”” -- Debbi Domingo

Because that wasn’t heart-wrenching enough, Jim Clemente and Francey Hakes hosted another tear-jerking session with their live production of Best Case/Worst Case featuring the harrowing stories of Jim Clemente and Bobby Chacon’s experience witnessing and responding to the devasation at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The room was pin-drop quiet as Jim recounted the moment he began sifting through rubble and his subsequent battle with lymphoma.

HEART-TWISTING IMAGERY OF THE DAY
Bobby Chacon describing his experience when watching the first plane hit the WTC -- from another United Airlines flight. The terror that the normally gruff Chacon expressed left a lump in my throat that’s usually reserved for kitten videos.

It’s always a good time when James Renner sits in with Tim Pilleri and Lance Reeinstierna to volley their opposing opinions about what happened to UMass student Maura Murray. The live episode recorded today delivered the widely-anticipated friendly banter we've come to expect from the trio.

CURIOSITY PIQUED MOMENT
“We’ve seen some of the new Maura Murray series, and it’s better than Making a Murderer.” Sign. Me. Up.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so self conscious as I was sitting in the front row tweeting while former Jodi Arias defense attorney Kirk Nurmi (and his fabulous head of hair) laid bare the disrupting effects - good and bad - that social media has had upon the modern justice system. The ubiquitous platforms that provide an outlet for thousands of different also have earth-moving implications for the jury selection process.

LOL-WORTHY MOMENT
“He became known as the Spokane Spanker.” -- Kirk Nurmi

Which reminds me…

The Jury Experience. I’ve never been called to jury duty, but when I am, I like to imagine it will be as engaging and fascinating as this session. After hearing witness testimony and opening/closing arguments inspired by a real-life murder trial, our jury deliberated and rendered a unanimous verdict. The case seemed cut-and-dried, airtight, and all the solid cliches we’ve come to know and love. But the audible collective gasp when Beth Karas revealed the real-life verdict reached right into my heart and twisted it around its fist.

BEST FIRST IMPRESSION AWARD
Walking into the jury experience and coming face-to-face with the elaborate courtroom set that served as the mock trial backdrop. Impressed doesn’t begin to describe it.

On a parting note, let me tell you this story: in the course of my normal super-top-secret undercover conversations, one of you asked what my favorite part of CrimeCon has been. Let me say with no reservations that my favorite part has been how respectful, supportive, and engaging all of you have been. Even in sessions about controversial topics. Even in the face of true crime figures you don’t agree with. You’ve been a shining example to all true crime enthusiasts.

It’s bittersweet to think that CrimeCon 2017 is coming to an end tomorrow. But I’ll rest easy tonight - as should you - having witness the caliber of skill and character we have in the world working toward justice and resolution for victims and families.

CrimeCon 2017 Daily Recap: Day One

Sat, 10 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s not often that I run out of words. Yet I’m struggling to describe the first day of CrimeCon. I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun, learned so much, or met so many amazing, passionate people, and I’m overcome with amazement. I’m so grateful to be here. I’ve had a beautiful time meeting you all, and it’s only. the. first. day.

The day began with a whopper - an intensive 3.5-hour dive into the unseen evidence that led to Steven Avery’s conviction. Former FBI forensic investigator Bobby Chacon opened the session with a gentle reminder: we’re all here for the same reason - because we’re passionate about justice for victims. Considering the details portrayed in Making a Murderer and the polarizing and passionate opinions of its viewers, the packed audience was respectful and insightful during the presentation that explored some of the gruesome details left out of the Netflix docuseries juggernaut.

OVERHEARD

“I walked in convinced. I walked out convinced. I won’t say of what either time.”
“Why wasn’t that in the series?!”
“I don’t know what to think now.”

If we all weren’t fired up enough from that mind-bending session, former FBI profiler and jack-of-pretty-much-every-trade in the world Jim Clemente kicked off the official welcome address with the enthusiasm and animation that we’ve all come to expect from him. We learned about his newest venture, X-G Productions (as in “ex g-men.” Get it?!) and their mission to accurately portray law enforcement and investigations on our favorite shows like Criminal Minds and CSI (and Lie to Me, if you’re a fan from the olden days. Wish they hadn’t canceled that so quickly).

WARMEST, FUZZIEST MOMENT

“You’re part of an historic event. Nobody else can ever say they were part of the first convention for true crime fans.”

Next, Indianapolis Police Department Detective Toth (funny, adorable, and engaging, BTW) and his team of homicide crime scene investigators took us through a mock crime scene based on a real-life homicide right here in Indianapolis. This team investigates at least one homicide per day here in Indianapolis, and you could tell that they operate like a well-oiled machine. We saw the stuff they don’t show you on TV: hundreds of photos, detailed measurements, obsessive detail and machine-like coordination and teamwork among the team of investigators.

EYE-OPENING MOMENT

The luminol demonstration. It makes you wonder how much blood we’re really hanging out with on a day to day basis. Hey, sleep well, by the way!

Hotel guests and VIP badge holders have some work to do in their downtime this weekend. It turns out a featured CrimeCon speaker was MURDERED just YESTERDAY right here in the JW Marriott Indianapolis. It’s our job to bring her killer to justice. We had a chance to examine the grisly crime scene and photograph the evidence (using the techniques we learned in the CSI: Indianapolis session). Guys, this is a tough one. The only thing I know for sure is that the room service receipt must mean something.

A few weeks ago, I overheard the CrimeCon team say that they think this mystery may go unsolved all weekend. I accepted that challenge with a firm “harumph!” but I gotta tell you, so far, I’m stumped. If you have any insights on this one, find me (I’m the one you’ve never seen before).

MOST HEAD-SCRATCHING CLUE

The feather. What? Keep an eye out for a large duck, I guess? Help?

If you’re a podcast junkie (just mainline ‘em to me at this point), then Thinking Sideways is probably on your Must-Listen-Every-Week list. What I love about Sideways is:

Joe
They cover all manner of mysteries, not just unsolved crimes
Devin
Steve
Ostensibly
Chupacabra

The chance to see them produce a live episode was eye-opening. This whole time, I thought they’d probably edited together their content, cutting out all the times when Steve veers off topic or Joe starts talking about the two weeks he spent in Tortuga or Itcheegoomee. But nope. They are seriously just. that. good. In this live episode, they discussed an Indiana mystery that’s been plaguing us Hoosiers for years (no spoilers. Watch for it to drop soon!)

CLASSIC SIDEWAYS MOMENT

CHUPPIE!

Next, the ever-entertaining Jim Clemente gave us an intimate look at the real life of an investigator. Sure, what we see on Criminal Minds and NCIS is interesting and entertaining, but its resemblance to real life is minimal. Jim took us inside his work as an undercover agent investigating everything from drug trafficking to gang violence (and admitted to some pretty snappy early-70s fashion choices).

THE MOMENT I CAN'T FORGET

Jim killed a fox once. His coworkers still haven't let him live it down. Bring it up every chance you get.

Unless you were an overworked medical resident or lived on a hippie commune circa 2002, you know about the unthinkable death that beautiful mother-to-be Laci Peterson suffered at the hands of her all-American, dapper husband Scott just before Christmas. True crime author, correspondent, and television host Aphrodite Jones gave us her unique insight into the mind of this despicable killer (now serving time on San Quentin’s death row) and the callous disregard he displayed for his beautiful wife and their unborn child, Connor.

QUOTABLE LINE

“Scott Peterson was a twerp.” Amen, Ms. Jones.

Folks. I’ve been to some murder mystery dinners in my day (hey… I’m a nerd. So are you. Don’t judge.) But I have never laughed as hard as this at any of them. Or met so many funny, friendly, and outgoing people. Or fallen under such heavy suspicion in my life. Red Herring Games produced a top-notch experience here hitting on all the things that set our crime-solving nerd heart aflame: murder, mystery, gore, humor, elaborate dance moves, hilarious nicknames. The mystery dinner was produced by The Dinner Detective , purveyor of brilliant and hilarious murder mystery dinners (and now you know why!), and I’m positive not one person in that dinner had a terrible time.

BEST MOMENT OF THE ENTIRE CONVENTION SO FAR, PROBABLY

Carl Marino and Ken Kratz as witnesses reenacting the murder in slightly modified fashion that includes pirouetting, the worm (or the slug, to be fair), and just, man, what a good sport Ken Kratz turned out to be.

You know what? Tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll regain the power of the full vocabulary my overpriced education earned me. But right now, all I can say is. . . thank you, fellow nerds. I encountered not one ounce of negativity, disrespect, or intolerance today that can so often be found in the polarizing communities we frequent. And I appreciate you. And I appreciate the investigators and LEOs that keep us safe from the killers who still manage to capture our attention. After all, it’s people like you who ultimately keep us safe from the very real monsters under our beds.

Not that there are monsters under your bed. It’s a very nice hotel.

I’m checking just in case.

Nancy Grace: Amateur Crimebusters, 24-hour Social Media, and How Crimes are Solved

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Nancy Grace is an unstoppable force. But recently she met an immovable object and found herself in surgery to repair an injury resulting from a torn ACL. But from the recent conversation we shared on a crisp Spring morning just days after her surgery, I can confidently report, though, that she has no intention of slowing down.

“It doesn’t bother me at all,” she says of her knee. Most crimewatchers can identify her powerful voice from a single syllable, but this morning there’s merely a hint of the indignant tension we’re accustomed to hearing. There are many adjectives in that voice, and I’ll spend the entirety of our conversation trying to identify them all.

With her relentless schedule, a little rest may have been good for her. Since her departure from HLN, she has attacked new projects with characteristic conviction. Her new podcast, Crime Stories with Nancy Grace , quickly became a staple in the true crime genre, and she recently launched a new crime-watching website: CrimeOnline.com .

“I’ve always wanted to have my own website for crime news and tips,” she explains. Her network contracts ruled it out, so when Grace left HLN, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. “The site showcases horrific crimes, hardcore criminals, and ways to stop them. I’m just so proud of the site and it means a lot to me.”

For good reason. Crime Stories has taken a fast hold on the true crime community, breathing new life into cases like the widely-ignored disappearance of military veteran Chase Massner . Meanwhile, CrimeOnline.com spotlights crimes even we websleuths may have overlooked, and they’re doing it with dizzying speed.

“We start at 8:15 every morning to pick the day’s stories. We’re committed to being timely and responsive,” Grace emphasizes.

That agility paid off when news that Elizabeth Thomas , a 15-year-old Tennessee high school student, disappeared with her 50-year-old teacher Tad Cummins. With thousands of unconfirmed sightings and conflicting reports zipping across social media, Crime Stories became the most reliable source of information, especially when Thomas’s lawyer Jason Whatley joined as a recurring contributor.

Crime Stories kept floodlights on Cummins’s 39-day, nationwide cat-and-mouse chase right up to the day Cummins and Elizabeth were found destitute in a remote Northern California cabin. Grace credits social media with Elizabeth’s safe return.

“She was saved by a man in the middle of nowhere!” she exclaims, the first hint of her signature… indignation? Incredulity? Optimism? “A man cut off from the world called in a tip that solved a kidnapping because someone saw Cummins on social media and showed it to him,” Grace recaps with... awe? Shock? Excitement?

With the rise of social media and dozens of ‘crowdsleuthing’ platforms, amateur crimebusters became more available, attentive, and sophisticated in their methods. Many people are dubious about the value of that trend.

Nancy Grace? She is not.

“The input of crimebusters, amateur and professional, is what solves cases,” she says with emphatic conviction punctuating each word. “Law enforcement brought Elizabeth Thomas home because people like you have their backs.”

It’s that public engagement, she says, that created the demand for an event like CrimeCon.

“People want to reconcile the normalcy of the people they see with the horrors they see them commit,” she explains. “So when they see something they can’t reconcile, there’s a compulsion to solve the mystery and make sense of it.”

(As far as what we can expect from her CrimeCon keynote address, she promises only “Lots of interaction and a lot of boot stompin’” in characteristic frankness. To be fair, did we expect anything less?)

Grace’s vision for Crime Online is to see it grow into a platform inviting ordinary wannabe detectives like you and me to crowdsource information that helps resolve cases. She reminds me that everyone has a stake in justice.

“Crime touches everyone,” she softens, more… contemplative? Melancholy? “You don’t have to be poor, or a minority, or educated or uneducated; it’s an equal opportunity offender. One pull of a trigger can change everything.”

The raw emotion that rattles her born-and-raised Georgia timbre betrays the tragedy pinned under it. Grace was nineteen years old when her fiance Keith was gunned down in his vehicle. She cites his murder as the impetus that compelled her to a career in the justice system. She’s not shy to speak about the horror that followed Keith’s death, but one can tell that it never gets easier.

“Human life - my own and anyone I interacted with - meant nothing to me after that,” she admits. “I wanted to know why. But it doesn’t matter why. What matters is that it happened. What matters is what we’re willing to do about it. That’s what pulled me back.”

So she became an attorney. Then a prosecutor. Then a broadcaster. Wherever she can best do the work she’s called to do, that’s where she goes. And though her judgments are sometimes... let’s say “impassioned” and her fervor unstoppable, they bring along a razor-sharp eye and keen insight.

That’s not to say that passion and fervor haven’t garnered negative attention along the way, but of the things she has time to care about, the haters don’t rank.

“I hope I’ve done good work,” Grace says with sincerity (that one is easy to pinpoint). “My detractors don’t think so, but if I took every mean thing people have said about me to heart, I couldn’t do my job. Nobody could. No dream would ever come true, no task would be finished because we’re afraid of opinions.”

Tragedy. Horror. Injustice. Vitriol. One can imagine that decades in the cold shadow of humanity’s cruelty might deaden what hadn’t already frozen over. Joy. Hope. Optimism. Empathy. The first things to go when darkness smothers day.

“If I think about it too much, it’s the devil on my back,” Grace begins. “If I didn’t have the twins…” She lets the thought fall away with an audible shudder before stillness spills into the space between words. “They are my real joy. They help me look past the evil I see in the world.”

She switches gears and singsongs through adorable twins-related anecdotes: pre-dawn cuddle time; the art of arranging stuffed animals; field trips; soccer practice. Oh, and the omnipresent and admittedly obsessive urge to protect them from what horrors bubble to the surface even still.

“I’m not a helicopter mom, I’m a straightjacket mom,” she admits, officially ousting William Shatner as arguably the most self-aware public figure in the developed world. She goes on to explain the origin of her knee injury, which involves climbing over a fence to keep an eye on her daughter’s soccer practice while she jogged.

“My superhero cape did not unfurl.”

In all fairness, it probably needed a break, too.

CrimeCon Experience Series: 29 Minutes to Live

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Sometime last year, a new form of entertainment quietly slipped into cities across the country: interactive problem-solving experiences. It was arguably the only good thing to come out of the year that took David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Prince, and Muhammad Ali from us. Not that I’m bitter.

“Interactive problem-solving” sounds very boring unless you know the morbid twist: that you could find yourself handcuffed to a wall, desperately looking for ways to break free and escape the room. Or you could be thrust into a bank heist and find yourself trying to make your getaway before the police arrive. And normally you have to do all of this in under an hour.

But at CrimeCon, you have 29 minutes.

In the 29 Minutes to Live Escape Room experience, you’ll join a group of seven other individuals in a locked room filled with mysterious clues: possibly cryptic notes, scribbles on walls, and other seemingly useless and random pieces of information. And there, hidden away, is a bomb. And your time is ticking away.

You know all those keen observational and deductive reasoning skills you’ve picked up from Criminal Minds, CSI, or The X-Files? (Yes, I know, but it’s back now so it counts.) Those times when you’ve picked up on clues before the characters have? Or when you’ve missed clues that were rather obvious?

This is the time to put all of that insight into action. Look around, find the clues, and get crackin’. Because you and your group have 29 minutes to defuse the bomb before your family has to go down to the morgue to ID your charred, mangled body.

Not really. But you will have an excellent excuse to watch more investigative fiction television!

What you’ll learn:

How to evaluate your surroundings to determine what’s a clue and what isn’t
Staying calm in the face of death
How to work well with people you may not know
How to defuse a bomb
No, really, don’t try that at home. Or anywhere.

Sessions available:

Friday, 1:00-7:00p
Saturday, 9:00a-7:00p
Sunday, 9:00a-1:00p

CrimeCon Experience Series: The Interrogation Room

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

This session is mandatory .

Okay, it’s not really, but it is one session you should definitely try to fit into your schedule. There will be audience participation, interactive activities, and live demonstrations. Of what? You’ll have to show up and see.

When we see police interrogating suspects on our favorite tv shows, we sort of know what to expect: the large two-way mirror; the cold metal table under a blinding, bare light in an otherwise poorly-lit room; the screams that can only be the results of broken pinkies.

But it probably comes as no surprise to us diehards that real-life police interrogations are not exactly like this. We’ve seen security footage from real witness and suspect interrogations and know they can look quite normal and calm. Sometimes they even look easy. They rarely are.

Many of us believe that we’re smart enough that we wouldn’t crumble under pressure. But are we? Really? When you’re in questioning with the police, you’re dealing with the pros. They’ve spent years perfecting the techniques that draw out the crucial information they need, whether you know you’re giving it to them or not.

In the Interrogation Experience , you’ll witness a live interrogation exhibiting the most effective and high-pressure ways that law enforcement gets perps to spill the details. The best part of this session is that it will be performed and led by real-life profiler Jim Clemente and his crew from X-G Productions (psst! They’re the team the consults on Criminal Minds!).

How long do you think you would last before you cracked? Show up and find out!

What you’ll learn:

Different types of interrogation techniques
How to "read between the lines" of the interrogators' questions
The pressure and stress of an interrogation

Sessions available:

Sunday, 9:30-10:45
Sunday, 11:30a-12:45p

CrimeCon Experience Series: Jury Selection

Wed, 31 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Every prosecutor will tell you that trials are usually won or lost in jury selection. Every true crime buff has opinions about the cases that capture their attention. And we’ve all felt the outrage of an obviously unjust verdict . It’s easy to believe that we, ourselves, would have rendered the “correct” judgment in embattled and high-profile cases. But only twelve people know what happens behind the doors of deliberations.

In the CrimeCon Jury Experience , you’ll have a chance to put your ruling-rendering instincts to the test. You’ll discover the critical importance of selecting the best jurors for the case, the nuances of “reasonable doubt,” and the weight of the prosecution’s burden of proof.

Let me describe the setting for your jury experience: it’s a courtroom. No, really. The room is decked out exactly like a courtroom from your legal procedural show favorites. The massive courtroom set will put you right into the mindset of a prospective juror.

After breaking into nice, jury-sized groups, complete with a designated foreperson, the trial begins. In-character actors (they’re really good, too, guys) will present the evidence, call witnesses, and make arguments drawn from a real-life murder trial.

After hearing arguments from the prosecution and defense, your jury group will deliberate and render a verdict. But the real fun comes when we all see if your jury’s verdict matches all of the others. And what about the original trial--did you rule the same way the original jury did?

After the trial, Beth Karas (Editor-at-Large, LawNewz ), will talk to jury members about the case and their verdict and lead a conversation about the real-life inspiration for the case everyone just heard.

The best news is that this is a high capacity event, so there should be room for everyone who wants to participate!

What you’ll learn:

How jury constitution affects the way evidence is heard and evaluated;
The role that the prosecution’s burden of proof plays in jury deliberations;
The sliding scale of reasonable doubt;
How hard it is to get 12 people to agree to anything.

Sessions available:

Saturday, 9:00-10:45
Saturday, 12:00-1:45
Saturday, 3:00-4:45

3 Tips for Choosing Your CrimeCon Sessions

Mon, 29 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

NOTE: If you're reading this in preparation for CrimeCon 2018, please note that the sessions and speakers referenced below pertain to CrimeCon 2017 in Indianapolis, but the handy-dandy tips will still help you set your schedule. Check the full schedule here and tweet me with questions!

"There's so much going on! How am I supposed to choose between all of these sessions?!"

I feel your pain. Having been unsuccessful at my attempts to time travel or master astral projection, I'm resigned to choosing only one session at a time, too.

It took me a few drafts to keep my FOMO to a minimum and I still change my mind on some selections every couple of days. But since many, many, many of you have asked, here's how I'm approaching it. This may help you settle on a game plan for CrimeCon.

1. Think about what you want to get out of CrimeCon. When you first heard about CrimeCon, what excited you the most? What was your first "I hope they have ______!" reaction? Who did you hope to meet? What did you want to learn?

Did you want to try your hand at investigative techniques? Then don't miss sessions like CSI: Indianapolis , C rime Scene Reconstruction , or Wine & Crime (Gold VIP).

Want to find a new case to obsess over? Check out sessions similar to the Long Island Serial Killer with A&E's Rachel Mills, Josh Zeman, and Ellen Killoran; Cathy Scott's panel with survivors and families of Golden State Serial Killer ; or The Mannina Files with homicide detective Christine Mannina.

Want to meet your favorite true crime personalities? Check out the meet and greets with Josh Mankiewicz , Nancy Grace , Aphrodite Jones , Jim Clemente , or Erin Moriarty. Don't forget to stop by Podcast Row to meet your favorite true crime podcasters.

When in doubt, my advice is to look for things you're interested in but don't know much about. It'll come in handy for the criminal investigation career you're gonna want to pursue after CrimeCon.

2. Be flexible. I have my preferred sessions and backup sessions ready to go. Some sessions will be packed to fire code capacity. Not saying I wouldn't walk through fire to get to some of these sessions, but I'd rather just have a second choice in mind. Less burny, more learny.

Additionally, many sessions and the Jury Experience, Escape Room, and Interrogation Experience are offered multiple times over the course of the weekend. If you simply can't choose between two, look for another time slot when you could attend.

3. Don't feel like you have to fill every hour. The CrimeCon team has done a great job at packing a lot of opportunities into relatively short days (compared to the 14-hours-per-day conferences of my former corporate life). But with SO much action and SO much to see and do, these will still be long days. Build in some time to take a break in the VIP lounge or grab something to eat from one of the terrific JW Marriott Indianapolis restaurants . Or to grab a disco nap in your room. Of course, you can always bring some Red Bull or grab a coffee to power through the pain.

There's a LOT to do at CrimeCon. If you simply can't manage to squeeze everything you want into your schedule, keep an eye on our Instagram and Twitter pages. We'll post images, updates, insights, and interesting info from most sessions.

Hope this helps! If you'd like more information to help make your decisions, tweet me and I'll use my super-double-top-secret intel to help you decide.

Alice de Sturler Chips Away at Long-Forgotten Cold Cases

Fri, 26 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Many of us are attending CrimeCon because we share the same passion for the pursuit of justice, we want to keep the memories of victims alive, and we want to keep unsolved crimes in the spotlight until they’re solved. But if you ask me, the underlying factor that gives momentum to that fascination is mystery. When cases go cold and seem impenetrable and unsolvable, it’s human nature to try to solve the mystery.

Alice de Sturler is a non-practicing lawyer and human rights activist who investigates cold cases and wrongful convictions. Her blog Defrosting Cold Cases is one of the most comprehensive collections of information about missing persons, unsolved crimes, and other cold cases.

She will join us at CrimeCon for a panel discussing citizen detectives with Thinking Sideways Podcast and Websleuths’s Tricia Griffith . This is where I usually tell you we talked about what guests can expect from her session at CrimeCon, but Alice is intriguingly secretive about it. I got more session information out of Nancy Grace (coming soon) than I did from Alice. Which makes me want to catch the panel even more.

CCI: You earned your law degree but chose not to practice. Was it always your intention to investigate cold cases and assist other attorneys or investigators with them?

I started out as a human rights defender for Amnesty International Switzerland. Part of my duties involved American capital punishment cases. That work together with my curiosity for “Why do people do this?” did eventually lead me down this path.

CCI: When did your interest in cold cases and crime in general begin?

Studying criminal law and criminology deepened my interest in human behaviour, but I cannot pinpoint it to a time period. When I started working on the capital punishment case of William Thomas Zeigler with Amnesty in the 1990s, I started to ask myself what I would do if this was an unsolvable case. Later I had the opportunity to work with police departments on their cold cases. That’s where the idea formed to start a blog.

CCI: What’s your process for selecting cold cases to research or feature?

I receive many emails or social media posts from victims’ families who suggest their loved one’s case for my blog. They all go on my to-do list in the order in which I receive them. I check to see if there’s a wealth of information on the web or not because I like to give attention to cases from the pre-DNA era that have no web presence at all. But even then, the key factor remains whether I have something to add. That’s what my readers come for and specifically ask: “What do you think happened?” Every month I feature the “ Case of the Month .” As I am in Indiana in June, the Cold Case of the Month for June will be from Indiana.

CCI: How do you handle cases with little to no evidence or leads to go on?

I try to find as much as I can in the public domain, email the victim’s family or friends who suggested the case, check comments below articles, check in books, footnotes, etc. Often I ask family members to send me some memories so at least, we can make a memorial post. If there really isn’t anything else known about the case I summarize it and honestly tell my readers that this is all I have. If something new surfaces in the future I will update those posts.

CCI: Curious about your opinion on the Abby Williams and Libby German murders. Some say it’s gone cold already. Do you think that’s one you’ll research?

There is a lot going on with forensics and the authorities understandably hold back. It isn’t cold. Whether I will blog about it? Not sure.

CCI: What advice would you give to armchair detectives who are passionate about solving these cases?

Welcome to Cold Cases 101. Three tips:

#1: Be brutally honest with yourself. If you are in this to crack the case in 45 minutes flat or you want fame and glory, forget it. Do something else.

#2: Find out what works for you. You cannot cover all cold cases from every country. Earth is a big planet so set limits as to location, which type of crimes (homicide, the missing, the unidentified, or wrongful convictions), time periods, and so on.

3#: Find the medium that fits your comfort level. Not everyone is camera-ready and not everyone can put their train of thought on paper. And that is okay; we are all different. Only when you are comfortable with your blog, vlog, podcast, forum, etc. will you be able to dig deep and come up with unique content. That is your contribution. Your take on the matter.

CCI: What do you have in store for us at CrimeCon?

If I tell you will not come to my panel session on Sunday!

Alice will discuss the merits of citizen detectives at a joint panel with Team Sideways and Websleuths's Tricia Griffith . Sunday day passes are still available if you'd like to catch the session!

Up & Vanished's Payne Lindsey: What Happened to Tara?

kbalfe@redseatventures.com (Kevin Balfe) — Mon, 22 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Since I’ve been sharing intel with you, my partners in crime, I’ve spoken to some of the most recognizable figures in true crime, and it has been exceptionally cool. My mission is to bring you exclusive information from some of the most prominent investigators, authors, and podcasters. I’ve executed that mission with a determined focus to deliver something new and exciting to our readers. And to suppress my urge to jump around the room scream-giggling with every interview. Until I get off the phone.

But when Payne Lindsey answered the phone for our conversation, I was starstruck. Full-on sweaty palms, clumsy stammering, shrill pitch starstruck.

I was nervous because as you know, I’m a podcast junkie, and Payne Lindsey has - perhaps inadvertently - reached the pinnacle of true crime podcasting with season one of Up and Vanished . He has achieved the thing that nearly every true crime enthusiast dreams of doing.

“Of course I wanted to solve it,” Payne says. “I didn’t think it was impossible, but I thought it was unrealistic. It didn’t deter me from trying any harder.”

He’s talking about the mysterious disappearance of beloved high school teacher Tara Grinstead . Tara’s disappearance from her Ocilla, Georgia home in 2005 sent shock waves through the tiny town. Residents demanded answers and justice for Tara and her family.

But none would come. Almost immediately, Tara’s case went cold, flash-frozen and suspended in permafrost. After twelve years with no new evidence, no leads, no eyewitnesses, the perpetrator who took Tara must have been confident that he had gotten away with it.

But he didn’t know that one day in 2015, an Atlanta documentary filmmaker decided to investigate the case, to find Tara. He didn’t know that his days as a free man began ticking away at that moment.

“I just wanted to stir things up,” says Payne. “I wanted to put a spotlight on the community and pressure people to talk. I thought maybe in doing that some truth would come out.”

Spoiler alert: Mission. Definitely. Accomplished.

In small towns, there’s rarely much to do except talk. And Payne’s almost constant presence in sleepy Ocilla, Georgia certainly set people talking. They talked about Payne, they talked about the podcast, but most importantly, they began talking about Tara’s disappearance again. Payne’s investigation reignited a fervor that lay dormant for twelve years.

Consider things stirred.

Payne published twelve well-researched, impeccably-produced episodes of Up and Vanished before that stir grew into a vortex of new information.

Shortly after his twelfth episode, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested a man named Ryan Alexander Duke for the disappearance and murder of Tara Grinstead. Duke’s arrest was the result of an anonymous tip and led to substantial probable cause to serve a warrant. In an interim that could be clocked with an egg timer, Duke implicated an accomplice with the serendipitous name of Bo Dukes . No relation.

Still, there had been false leads in the past. Payne suppressed the urge to celebrate and, with great effort, remained skeptical. Until he arrived in Ocilla the day the news broke.

“The first place I went was the police station.” The memory lends a faint excitement to his voice. “I saw [Ocilla Police Chief] Billy Hancock sitting outside. I asked, “Is it good news?” and he nodded, smiled, and just said, “Yes.” That’s when I let myself believe it.”

As it tends to do in high-profile cold cases, that good news spread like whatever thing is faster than wildfire. And Payne was right in the middle of it. Life after the Duke/ses has been slightly different than life before.

“It’s been crazy. It’s been intense. It’s been a roller-coaster ride,” he answers with what sounds like part bewilderment and part well-earned pride. “There’s all this new information, and we’re sorting through what we know and what we don’t know about the arrests and all the new information the GBI has provided.”

By this point, the threadbare veil of professionalism that I manage to maintain most some of the time had melted away. So I stumbled through a question that, according to the audio, went something like this: “I was impressed with the uh. . . speed? and agility with which you switched gears when the news broke, and you moved from kind of. . .investigating the case to, uh. . . to. . . I mean, from investigating it to actually covering it as news broke.” I apparently forgot to ask an actual question, but Payne is pretty intuitive.

“It’s been a frantic time and a very active investigation for the GBI,” he answers my non-question about how he so quickly transitioned between roles. That’s what I meant to say. Transition.

“So it’s been frantic for me, too. The day before the arrest, it seemed like I was the only person reporting on or looking into the case. Then I became one of hundreds. I had to be ahead of the curve and be the first to get information, scrap some things I was looking into that weren’t so important, and completely change up what I was doing. I was constantly updating the podcast with the new information but also had to seek out and research or verify that information. It’s been a wild ride trying to stay on top of things and make sense of what happened to Tara.”

What happened to Tara?

That’s been the question plaguing Ocilla for twelve years. How did a beloved beauty queen-turned-beloved high school teacher disappear from her well-known home, in a tiny town, with neighbors just feet away, without anyone in such a small town hearing, seeing, or knowing anything? That question is the reason why, when Payne was researching cases to feature on his new podcast, Tara’s was the one he was most drawn to.

“It just amazed me that no one knew what happened,” he recalls. “Under the (very weird) circumstances, it felt impossible that nobody in this tiny town knew what happened for over a decade. That was the drive for me to take a look at it myself and see if I could find anything that may have been overlooked that would breathe some life back into it.”

(Informant’s note: Every time he says his motivations were to “stir things up” or “breathe new life” or “get people talking,” it’s a battle with my brain not to shout “You did it!” and throw confetti in the air.)

So he had goals. Some more achievable than others. But he knew what he wanted to do.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” he begins after a brief pause. He pulls words into thoughtful consideration before committing to a response, which is something that likely helped him make inroads with Ocilla residents.

“Everyone sets out to solve these things. I was no different, but I was realistic. I’m not a LEO or an investigator; I don’t know everything about how to do this. But what I did know was that I could stir things up. [confetti!] I wanted to put a spotlight on the community and pressure people to talk. [confetti!] I thought that maybe in doing that, some truth would emerge. I think I accomplished what I set out to do and that feels good. ”

Throughout his investigation, Payne met what I assume would be the entire population of Ocilla and made plenty of new friends. One of the first people he met was Dr. Maurice Godwin, a forensic investigator from North Carolina whom the Grinstead family hired to examine the case independently. Godwin became a friend to Payne and regularly appears on Up and Vanished to provide new insights into the case.

That doesn’t mean that Payne didn’t ruffle some feathers.

“I’m not one to take “no” for an answer if I can help it,” he says with conviction. “One of my goals was to remain respectful throughout the process, but plenty of doors were slammed in my face. Many people, I think, wanted just to leave it alone or thought it was futile.”

But everything changed when Duke and Dukes were taken into custody.

“At first, everyone was happy,” Payne says of the atmosphere in Ocilla after the arrests. “They were excited to have some answers for the first time in years. The community was hurting for a long time, and they were relieved to get some answers.”

But as with every case, the atmosphere was far from jubilant.

“At the same time, it was heartbreaking because we knew for sure that Tara wasn’t coming home. There was always the small chance that she had left on her own, was living somewhere and was happy. A lot of people didn’t believe that was the case, but they were never able to rule it out. When the news broke, it crushed that tiny little sliver of hope. So they wanted answers. Then with the gag order, the answers just stopped coming.”

Soon after the arrest, a judge issued a gag order that prevented nearly everyone from speaking about what they knew. After a resounding outcry from residents and true crime enthusiasts following the case, the judge amended the gag order to apply to only law enforcement, the suspects, and a select few individuals. But it still brought the flow of information to grinding halt.

“If they’re worried about speculation or rumors, the gag order only perpetuates that,” Payne explains, a little frustrated. “It prevents people from knowing the facts, so they make up their own. In my opinion, it’s having a negative effect on the town and the case. But that community is tenacious, and I’m confident they’ll be persistent in demanding answers about what happened to Tara.”

As the gag order has kept new information from making its way to the people of Ocilla, the case might as well have frozen over again. So it’s difficult to tell what’s next for the case. Payne has made an informed guess, though.

“The GBI will try to convict Ryan Duke and wrap this up as quickly as possible without a lot of media circus. It would be in their best interest to get a guilty plea* and wrap it up as seamlessly as possible. So if we want the truth about what happened to Tara, it’s up to me, you, the public, true crime fans, even the podcast to demand those answers. We’re not going to count on the police to tell us that. So we need to be persistent and make sure we get the whole story about what happened to Tara.”

Speaking of the podcast, I’m curious to know how Payne has evaluated the role it played in Tara’s case. His response is characteristically well-considered.

“It became a special medium for people to discuss the case, listen to it together, and talk about their theories. From what I could tell, after the case went cold, people just kind of stopped discussing it.

“The podcast recreated the atmosphere, and it began to feel again like it must have felt immediately after Tara’s disappearance: everywhere you go, someone is talking about it. So if you’re holding a secret, it becomes more and more difficult, especially when the alleged killer and his accomplice are still living there. So it created a pressure cooker environment that eventually blew open.”

Still, he understands the reality of it-- that what had once been random pieces of this puzzle fell together seamlessly because the circumstances were right. And maybe because of a little luck.

“There’s no science to it. There's no way to recreate it. But if you go into it with a goal and good intentions, good things can happen.”

So what’s next? Can Payne Lindsey ever top this? Rest assured that he can, and plans to.

“We’re putting together a documentary series based on the story and Up and Vanished,” he begins with a deep breath that tells me there’s a lot of information coming my way.

“We’re also looking ahead to season two of the podcast where we want to tackle another unsolved disappearance. We’re sorting through hundreds of emails people have sent us with suggestions and, unfortunately, there’s no shortage. It’s important that we pick the right case, go into it the right way, and give it our all again. Attempt to create that atmosphere again. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t.”

(Informant’s note: I pressed him for details on his shortlist of cases, so he compromised and divulged two names. I can’t say what they are, but I can say you should make it a priority to tune into season two of Up and Vanished .)

Another thing that comes next for Payne: CrimeCon . Throughout our conversation, he’s maintained a respectful stoicism that slips away now that we've gravitated to a new topic. His voice perks up at the chance to discuss his upcoming session.

“I’m excited about CrimeCon! I’m looking forward to meeting listeners, seeing other podcasters whom I admire, finding out what Nancy Grace is like in person,” he ends with a slight, but not disrespectful, chuckle.

I’m most excited about what he says next.

“I’m also conducting a seminar of sorts in which I explain how I produce episodes of the podcast. Which is kind of cool because I’ve never really broken it down to explain it, so I’m learning right along with the audience. I’m trying to make it a fun presentation about what goes into making an episode. We’ll also be recording a live episode so be sure to be there.”

My pockets are already stuffed with confetti.

*Since our interview, Ryan Alexander Duke has issued a plea of not guilty for the murder of Tara Grinstead. His attorney has requested full discovery of the GBI case file. The file is the largest in GBI history, which means that the discovery process of copying, compiling, reviewing, and interpreting everything in it could take months or even years. But Tara’s family and the people of Ocilla have waited twelve years for justice. I would hazard a guess that they’d be willing to wait a little longer if that’s what it takes to get it.

Ken Kratz on Why His Book Isn't the "Other Side" of Making a Murderer

Fri, 12 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

“If I were the State, I would welcome the opportunity to re-try Steven Avery because there is so much evidence that we didn’t even use because we didn’t have to in order to prove his guilt.” -Former Calumet County, WI District Attorney Ken Kratz

If you haven’t seen the acclaimed 10-part documentary series Making a Murderer yet (hey, guys! Nice to see you both!), allow me to set some expectations: it will take approximately five minutes before you want to hug exoneree, Steven Avery. You’ll be rooting for him to win his $35 million lawsuit against the law enforcement agency that wrongfully imprisoned him for eighteen grueling years. And then you’ll get angry. And angrier. And angrier, until you’re convinced that Avery is the victim of a police cover-up intended to frame him for the murder of freelance photographer Theresa Halbach (whose name, unfortunately, became forever linked with and often overshadowed by the circus-like fervor surrounding the case).

The documentary series portrays Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz as the de facto antagonist in this story -- and does it very effectively. But Kratz stands by the guilty verdict and seeks to set the record straight with his book Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery . Kratz gave me a preview of what to expect from his book and his intensive four-hour examination of the State’s evidence against Steven Avery at CrimeCon .

CCI: Tell me about some of the differences between Making a Murderer and the trial that you discuss in your book, presumably the other side of the narrative?

KK: What I present in the book is the original narrative. This is what the jury heard -- in two different trials. People who followed the case before MAM will recognize this narrative. Until MAM engaged in some deceptive editing, this was not as controversial a case as it was made to seem. So when you say “the other side” I kinda chuckle at that because “the other side” was presented 10-11 years ago. The docuseries is the real “other side.”

CCI: What would say to those people who have based their judgment on the docuseries and are somewhat resistant to other possibilities? How would you ask the skeptics to come hear your side of the story at CrimeCon?

KK: I would want them to understand, if they are open minded enough, that they saw exactly what the filmmakers wanted them to see and that is such an important point here. If I had ten years to create a narrative, I could make you believe whatever I wanted to, also. They engaged in things like splicing answers which are unheard of in legitimate documentary filmmaking.

Not only does the book illustrate that deception for those who think it’s important that we do that, but we will also be able to chronicle the investigation preparation and presentation of the case. It’s very compelling and interesting to see the series of facts that we presented.

We certainly have almost irrefutable physical evidence that the jury considered that establishes Avery’s guilt. Although not Brendan Dassey ’s guilt, which is a much more complex case and is compelling for different reasons in and of itself.

The book discusses the behind the scenes part of the story that wasn’t portrayed in MAM. There are things that have never been disclosed, and it’s important stuff. If you’re a fan of MAM or true crime, I would think that having the lead investigator and prosecutor walk you through Day 1 all the way through the sentencing would be very sought after, but I don’t have a good sense of what the “skeptics” expect. There are people that don't believe the prosecution’s case, even though we got the guilty verdict. The prosecution deserves an opportunity to present their case.

CCI: Can you tell me a little about your decision to write the book? Was there a specific moment or any one catalyst that made you decide that you needed to set the record straight despite your departure from prosecution?

KK: When MAM was released on December 18, I immediately went public to say “This is wrong. This is not the way it happened; this is not the information the jury had; this advocacy piece is not a documentary.”

I realized around February of 2016 that it didn't matter. That I could say that all day long that it wasn't going to change the narrative, it wasn't going to change the opinions of that many people. Nineteen million watched it within the first 35 days, and forty million total. That's a lot of minds to change.

But I wanted to set the record straight out of respect for the victim, Theresa Halbach, and her family. And also for the integrity of the investigative process itself. The docuseries presents the prosecution and investigators as crooked or corrupt, but the fact is that none of those things happened in this case. The filmmakers ruined those officers’ reputation without a shred of evidence that tied either of them to any wrongdoing. That’s why I decided to write the book.

I didn’t know anything about writing books; I’m a trial lawyer. But I found an agent and a publisher and began writing the story of the case. From that perspective, it was rather easy to write. I believe the real story and the real narrative will highlight all the distortions that the filmmakers put forth. It's a pretty easy read. We’re just saying “Here's the case and here's how MAM lied to you folks.”

CCI: What is the most surprising thing you think readers will learn from the book?

KK: The prosecution was completely excluded from the docuseries. I have a laundry list of evidence that the jury saw that was omitted from MAM. When you ask somebody at the conclusion of watching that docuseries if Steven Avery is innocent or guilty, they all say Avery is not guilty. Which is their original response, but when you consider all the things excluded from the docuseries, you’ll be amazed. All evidence pointed to Steven Avery’s guilt. Because the filmmakers didn’t have an explanation for those things, they simply left them out.

I keep going back to this body of people who, if they know they have not been shown everything and if they know what they've been shown has been doctored or altered, how can they still believe that Avery is innocent? I don’t understand the willingness to set common sense aside to that extent, where people would believe some vast conspiracy rather than all the evidence supporting the jury’s verdict. Maybe I’m living in a bubble or don't appreciate the power that a docuseries can have over the general public’s opinion. If told all the facts that weren't in there, I can’t see people still believing Steven Avery is innocent.

CCI: Scenario: Steven Avery is exonerated on irrefutable evidence and walks free. What’s your reaction?

KK: I wouldn’t have a reaction. I’m not a DA anymore. I’m not involved in the case. I don’t have any official involvement in the case. I’m like everybody else at this point. I watch both Avery and Dassey, consider what the conclusions are, whether they are going to come up with evidence to be retested.

Avery’s ability to get a new trial is a really hard sell. He lost all the appeals throughout the appellate process. He lost appeals on new evidence on the ineffectiveness of his attorneys. Everything that has been raised has been rejected by the appellate courts. Other than new evidence, which is particularly difficult to find, especially the kind that will warrant a new trial, it’s unlikely to happen. Avery will stay right where he is. Even if one piece of evidence grants Avery a new trial, understand that with the bones, the blood, the bullet, the key, and the SUV on the property and the statements he made, he’s unlikely to be exonerated. There is still a lot of evidence that points to his guilt.

If one little piece of evidence gets Avery a new trial, if I were the State, I would welcome the opportunity to re-try Steven Avery because there is so much evidence that we didn’t even use because we didn’t have to in order to prove his guilt. We didn’t use mitochondrial DNA matches or other forensic evidence that we had because it was unnecessary. We didn’t use all the jail calls in which Avery made admissions to his family. So part of that was strategic and is still available to submit in case he gets a new trial.

CCI: With, as you mentioned, no official involvement in the case, what drives your efforts to address the public perception?

KK: I wouldn’t have written the book if it weren't for MAM. I could have done it at any point over the last ten years and did not. It wasn’t until this flip on the narrative and flip of public perception that I was required to stand up to do that. I was the only one who stood up in December. No law enforcement officer said anything at that point, and even now only Fassbender has come out. Everyone has remained quiet hoping it goes away. They don’t want to subject themselves to the same kind of criticism that I get.

The reaction people have to me is because I’m just saying what really happened in the case. It’s abusive, and it’s a death trap. This kind of animosity towards a DA from eleven years ago who was just doing his job is unprecedented. I can't remember of any public official or any prosecutor be so resoundingly criticized for having won a case. Having convicted someone of a really grisly murder. So I think that is unique to this case but also scared off any law enforcement officer or anyone else who wanted to stand up and support the verdict.

CCI: Your book seems to be a “final word” type thing. Does the book, in conjunction with the upcoming intensive CrimeCon session mark the end to your involvement in the Avery narrative? The end to the Avery story in general?

KK: No. I doubt it. The Dassey case is still next, and there will be a Dassey book. Whether I do it or somebody else does it because there are just too many issues on false confessions and that whole side of the case, which as I said, was very compelling stuff. It's different from the Avery part of it, and that's gotta be done. Lastly, will my book serve as a basis for its own docuseries or movie. Something that can reach many more people than Making a Murderer.

Ken Kratz and Thomas Fassbender will host an intensive, comprehensive, 3.5 hour overview of the Avery case at CrimeCon. Space for this session is limited and will be offered first to Gold VIPs. Space permitting it will then open to all registrants. if you’re interested in attending, keep an eye out for an email in coming weeks to reserve your spot and plan your schedule.

Jim Clemente's Mission to Bring Authenticity to Criminal Minds

Thu, 11 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

One of my favorite things about writing as the CrimeCon Informant is the anonymity. But I can afford to give you a scant few details about me for the sake of one post:

If I see a turtle crossing the road, I stop and move him so he doesn’t splat. When I take risks, I never know whether I’m being brave or stupid. I still have the same couch from my first post-college apartment, and I apparently have no idea how to fill my water bottle without dropping at least one ice cube. It’s possible I don’t have everything quite “together.”

What I can do quite well is read people. So squaring off against a legit former FBI behavioral profiler? QUITE high on my list of fun things to do.

I’m not a professional journalist, but I’ve learned to look for one particular thing in when interviewing someone: the outlying attribute. The saturated habit far beyond the standard deviation that makes this person irresistibly intriguing -- and often, there’s my angle.

But Jim Clemente’s life, personality, possibly even his entire genetic makeup, seem to lie outside the deviation. Jim Clemente isn’t a guy who retires to a beach somewhere to watch time tick by. Since his retirement from the FBI in 2009, Clemente has:

Started an entertainment media production company with his brother Tim
Continued to consult on select investigations
Worked with Criminal Minds producers to turn the show into one of the realest, grittiest, and most accurate representations of criminal investigating on television
Taught and lectured around the world.

“Is that it?” you ask. Not even close. He’s also:

A novelist currently in progress on his second volume following an FBI investigator (who bears a strong resemblance to himself. . .)
Works as on-air talent for numerous true crime shows
Begun creating a series of specials that will provide an exhaustive look at all evidence in high-profile cases in the same style as The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey
Oh, and he hosts two podcasts .

So that he’s taking the time to attend CrimeCon is a treat. He’s looking forward to it, as well.

“I’m excited that they’re taking it very seriously,” he says as CrimeCon has come together as a large-scale event with an impressive lineup of speakers covering a range of experiences rather than sitting in a room hearing a lecture. “The event is about real crime experiences. That is so much more exciting and educational than just talking about fiction based true crime shows. The fact that they want CrimeCon to have a foundation in real law enforcement processes and real prosecution, real crime. . . I can’t wait to be there.”

His enthusiasm makes me want to shadowbox my way up the nearest flight of stairs. Getting pumped to get to June and see some REAL CRIME. Gonna catch some bad guys and solve some mysteries and national news will hail us as star amateur investi --

“We may emcee a couple of sessions.”

Record scratch. This is new and exciting, and now I have to know more.

The “we” to which Jim refers is X-G Productions, an entertainment and media firm he and his brother Tim created in 2008. They were both working on shows in LA and had sold a couple of pilots, including Washington Field and Killer Profile , after Jim’s retirement from the FBI in 2009.

But -- and I know this is hard to believe -- it turns out that working in television is a little bit different from working for the FBI. I suspect it’s the “real bad-guys-with-real-bullets” vs. “fake-bad-guys-with-fake-bullets,” thing most likely. But there’s also the “knowing-what-you’re-doing.”

“So my brother Tim and I are watching these shows and scratching our heads,” he explains. “Both of us spent years in actual investigating and bad-guy catching, so we were perplexed at how poorly most shows portrayed the job. And how often they were doing it. It was the same wrong story over and over.”

They’re G-men; they know an opportunity when they see one. Together, Clemente and his brother Tim created X-G Productions to function as a “hub” for other shows and creative talent who shared their enthusiasm for authenticity in the genre.

“There are so many intriguing and rich stories out there,” Clemente says with a hint of frustration, “real life is way more interesting than rehashing the same fictional situations over and over again.”

It also helped him discover a solution to a problem he didn’t realize he had.

“Over the course of twelve years in the Behavioral Analysis Unit, I must have rattled off these statistics over a million times: Forty percent of kids who are abducted and killed are killed in the first hour after their abduction. Seventy-five percent in the first three hours. Ninety-nine percent in twenty-four .” And he’s right; he recites them so effortlessly that I suspect those may have been his first words as a baby. And during his twelve years in the BAU, he estimates those words reached about 60,000 people.

“But to see it in Criminal Minds . . .” he goes on as he seems to drop gears into a more serious mode. “The first time when I saw Dr. Reid walk into a scene, there was a green screen with an image of several kids playing in a playground. Then they begin to fade away and disappear.

“Suddenly, half are gone. Then some more. Then more, and eventually there’s one kid left on a swing. Then the swing is swinging empty.”

For the first time, his voice slips and my giddy fangirl demeanor follows it. “For all the times and all the people to whom I’d lectured those stats, seeing that played out on the screen like that. . . it was the first time that it made the hair on my neck stand up. I reacted so much more viscerally and I finally “got it.””

But the goosebumps gave way to something else: “I realized that 18 million people saw what happened at that moment, and it was accurate. Twelve years speaking to thousands upon thousands of law enforcement officers, investigators, students, even victims, and I don’t know that it ever sank in. And yet here, they were able to tell that message better than I ever had, and to many more people, in a matter of two minutes.”

That experience called to Clemente, and he spent some time freelance writing and consulting on other crime procedurals to infuse more authenticity into the medium. But when X-G Productions came around, it served to bring more than television shows.

“We want to corner the market on authentic crime and military entertainment. But we’re looking at all sides of the equation: not just true crime and documentary series’ but scripted series,’ digital entertainment, even podcasts,” he rattles off. “The future of entertainment is not going to be limited to one method of delivery. This “hub” model will allow the consumer to choose how they want to consume entertainment. We’ll put our shows and materials out in all forms, and they can decide how to consume it. But it will always be authenticity-driven.”

Lawyer. Prosecutor. Profiler. Entertainment consultant. Writer. Producer. Actor. Businessman.

I can’t help but notice that it’s an odd path. He’s not “climbing the ladder” so much as he’s climbing a lattice. Darting to the left, then to the right, wherever he can learn something new. Then he crawls along a tree limb and into the neighbor’s yard except the neighbor lives two states away. How does a guy with decades of law enforcement experience in dozen-ish specialties end up as an author and television producer?

Sheer determination, it seems. “My family has a lot of prolific writers in it, especially on my mother’s side. My uncle Jimmy wrote several books; my uncle Peter was a speechwriter for President Kennedy. [cue eyebrow raise] So I think it was always in my blood,” Clemente explains.

However, Celemente struggled with dyslexia for many years. “So I thought all these people around me who could put words together in a book were gods. I never thought I would be able to do it.”

But he did. He explains that he was, in a way, fortunate to be officially diagnosed later than most -- a junior in college. Once he identified the problem, he set forth a plan to fix it; he worked with professionals to undergo intense exercises and treatments, rewiring his brain until the day he read a 250-page legal brief by himself. Then he went to law school.

“That was a huge deal for me. Going to law school, then becoming a lawyer were things I thought I’d never do.”

Then in 1994, he wrote his first screenplay and sold it to CBS.

When the time came to cast Criminal Minds , Mandy Patinkin wanted to begin by talking to people who worked in the field. So he made the trip to Quantico. But after several hours speaking with agents and not finding the inspiration he needed, Patinkin asked: “Isn’t there someone here with a personality?”

There was only Clemente, and he answered the call. Although home recovering after treatment for Lymphoma (he and many others developed the disease after serving as first responders during 9/11), Clemente made an impression on Patinkin and the rest, as they say, is police procedural history.

And he does, indeed, have personality in spades. This barely feels like an interview and I’ve long abandoned my questions just to have a conversation with Jim and see where it goes.

The longer we talk, the more I begin to realize that almost every time Clemente speaks, the word “victim” is there in some capacity. It’s there in his voice and likely his blood; he’s still on the same mission he was as a lawyer. A prosecutor. A profiler. And luckily for us, he’s bringing some of that to CrimeCon.

In the Behind Criminal Minds experience , Clemente will demonstrate the realities of investigation compared to how it’s often portrayed in the entertainment industry. We’ll have a chance to see what he sees as an investigator and profiler and put our observational skills up against his (gulp!).

Most of all with this session, Clemente seeks to educate: “I want people to come out of it knowing a little bit more about how to avoid becoming a victim in real-life scenarios. I want them to know that perpetrators don’t look or act a certain way like they are accustomed to seeing on television. I want to let everyone ask their questions and get something useful out of the session.”

Clemente will also host a live, interactive recording of his true crime podcast Real Crime Profile as well as let listeners dive into his new podcast venture named Best Case/Worst Case which will feature expert guests from all law enforcement disciplines.

“With Real Crime Profile, we aim to give the victims a voice again,” Clemente weighs in. “Their voice was stolen from them. They still have stories to tell -- they’ll tell us what we can learn from their deaths so we can make an inch more progress toward catching the perpetrator and preventing it from happening again.”

With Best Case/Worst Case, we will pull the curtain back on what it’s like to be a law enforcement officer or prosecutor. We want to show how these cases affect the professionals who do this kind of work day in and day out.

We soon descend into the rabbit holes of well-known cases like JonBenet Ramsey (“In the BAU, it was the crimes with child victims that got under my skin”) and Meredith Kercher, which comes with strained exclamation marks at the end of each statement (“The real tragedy is that the victim didn’t get justice because of political smoke and mirrors! The real killer gets out on day passes now!”).

It takes me a moment to place the name “Meredith Kercher,” although he’s pinned it as the case he can talk about all day if I let him, and I will.

My brain is buffering as he continues: “ Who did Meredith Kercher kill? What did she do? I know that name .” He breaks my silent panic with one clipped sentence before continuing his impassioned summary:

“You may know Meredith Kercher’s case as the “Amanda Knox” case.”

Aha! Yes, I do. I know that one! I feel disproportionately smug until I realize that I knew the acquitted suspect’s name, her boyfriend’s name. The perpetrator’s name. The judge’s name.

But Jim knew the victim’s.

And suddenly, I’ve found my angle.

Jim will host a number of can't-miss session s at CrimeCon -- including a Q&A and meet and greet experience. Register now to join me as I stare in awe during every session.

Welcome Presenting Sponsor Oxygen

Wed, 10 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

You could call them an accomplice.

Over the last year, you've watched CrimeCon grow from an optimistic first-time concept into an impressive and exciting event drawing in some of the biggest names in true crime. Now we'd like to welcome another one.

We're pleased to announce that Oxygen has joined CrimeCon as our first presenting sponsor! Oxygen has transfixed armchair detectives with true crime favorites like Snapped , and starting this summer, they will become the new network for crime fans.

Oxygen’s bringing Cold Justice ’s Kelly Siegler to talk about her new season coming to Oxygen in July with an exclusive screening and Q&A only at CrimeCon. As partners, we’re working together to add experiences that will make CrimeCon an event that people won’t want to stop talking about.

Register now to be part of the conversation.

A Day in the Life of a CrimeCon VIP

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The sun breaks through the window of your beautiful room at the JW Marriott Indianapolis hotel. It’s CrimeCon time! Maybe you’re not accustomed to rise-and-shine at 7:30, but there are mysteries to solve, and true crime celebs to meet, and sleeping in is not an option.

Questions buzz through your head as you go about your morning routine.

Coffee. How am I going to squeeze into my schedule all the cool stuff I want to see and do?

Shower. What is this Wine & Crime event about?

Clothes. Who is the CrimeCon Informant and will I be able to spot her in the crowd?

(Probably not. I’m a true-crime-nerd-writer-ninja. But if you do, you win a prize. Maybe. Or not. It won’t be a big prize. Like a sticker. I dunno. I’ll work on the details.--CCI)

Now it's time to get the day started.

8:30 - You grab some breakfast in one of the hotel’s fine restaurants and then head to registration. You skip the line and go directly to the VIP check-in table to get your shiny CrimeCon credentials.

9:00 - Your day begins with a whopper. Out of pure curiosity, you check out The Steven Avery Experience with Making a Murderer prosecutor Ken Kratz. This is a long one; nearly four hours, so you grab another cup of coffee on your way.

12:30 - The convention officially kicks off with a welcome address from (a yet-to-be-announced speaker. Top names are still playing rock-paper-scissors for the honor. --CCI) . You’re pumped up and excited to see what the day holds.

1:00 - You visit the crime scene walkthrough . Since you’re staying at the JW Marriott, you’ll participate in a murder mystery game exclusively for hotel guests over the course of the weekend. This experience will help you solve it.

2:00 - Time to head on over to the Carl Marino meet and greet , trying to control your fangirling/fanboying.

2:30 - Whew! You’re ready for a break, so you head to the VIP lounge to relax for a moment and indulge in another cup of coffee. You’re gonna need the energy!

3:00 - You know that you can always sharpen your amateur detective skills, so you attend Cold Case Research 101 and take a seat in the VIP-reserved seating area. Your host is Atlanta CSI Sheryl McCollum is head of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute . She and her team have made progress on cold cases like Natalee Holloway, the Boston Strangler, and Chandra Levy.

4:00 - Former FBI Supervisory Special Agent and criminal profiler Jim Clemente is now a writer and co-producer of one of your favorite true crime shows, Criminal Minds , so you can’t miss this session. You’ll hear his white-knuckle stories of high-speed chases through New York City and fascinating mysteries from “skid row” to the White House. You’ll have tons of questions for the Q&A.

5:00 - Of course you’ve read her entire bibliography, so you take your VIP-reserved seat in Aphrodite Jones’s session to hear the secrets behind Scott Peterson’s arrest for the brutal and heinous murder of his wife, Laci, and her unborn child Connor. She’ll also talk about the behind-the-scenes antics of Peterson’s high-profile attorneys.

5:30 - It’s Wine & Crime time! Sheryl McCollum returns to host this incredible Gold VIP event. She passes out packets containing every piece of evidence the CCIRI has gathered on a real-life cold case. You pour a glass of wine and examine the evidence. Your brain hamster is running full-speed on his little wheel. You have a theory, so you discuss it with one of the three experts in the room. Together, they have over 100 years of investigative experience, and it’s all at your disposal. (Psst! If you can’t make this one, there’s another session tomorrow and a Bloody Brunch on Sunday).

6:00 - If you didn’t get to see Jim Clemente earlier, you can now! Hang out with Jim for a live episode of his well-researched and informative podcast Real Crime Profile .

7:00 - Getting a little peckish? It’s time for dinner. The VIP murder mystery dinner will introduce you to some colorful characters (and maybe some high-profile CrimeCon guests) as you try to determine whodunit in a town where a killer could be lurking anywhere. (If you’re not hungry yet, there’s an 8:00 seating for this experience, too.)

8:00 - It’s been a long day and you rallied like a rockstar. You’re tired, but it’s the best kind of tired -- the kind that means you learned something new and you met new people. When you return to your room, you find a new clue in the ongoing murder mystery game. You puzzle over it while you wind down and begin to form a theory.

But it’s time for sleep because you have a full day again tomorrow. You’ll learn the basics of self-defense and how Generation Why produces their episodes before heading over to a live recording of Up And Vanished with Payne Lindsey. Stop to see the Midwest Search Dogs in action and grab a cuddle with Garmin . Catch another live recording -- Crime Stories with the always-entertaining Nancy Grace. After another action-packed day, you’ll relax and unwind at the VIP cocktail hour (open bar!). And possibly rub elbows with some big names in crime.

Sleep well, VIPs. I’ll see you at CrimeCon -- but you won’t see me. Probably.

--CrimeCon Informant

Tim & Lance: What Surprised Us Most in Our Maura Murray Investigation

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

If you’re even casually interested in true crime, chances are good that you’ve heard the name Maura Murray . Maura’s 2004 disappearance from Route 112 in Haverhill, New Hampshire following a single-car accident has baffled law enforcement agencies and armchair detectives ever since.

In 2013, documentary filmmakers Tim Pilleri and Lance Reenstierna sought to understand the reasons why Maura’s disappearance has held our attention for more than thirteen years. Two years later, they launched the Missing Maura Murray podcast to accompany the documentary already in progress. As an avid listener of the podcast since its first episode, I was eager to speak with Tim and Lance about the twists and turns they’ve encountered along the way.

Informant’s Note: If you heard the recent MMM podcast episode with guest James Renner , it may be easy to misinterpret a few of Tim and Lance’s comments below. For the sake of context, I can report that our conversation was lighthearted and filled with laughter (these guys are hilarious, it turns out), and at no point did I sense any ill will toward Renner.

CrimeCon Informant: You guys will face off against James Renner to debate the facts of Maura Murray’s disappearance at CrimeCon. Is your recent episode with him a preview of what we can expect from that discussion?

Lance: I’m sure it’s a decent indication of how it will go! I’ll wear my mouthpiece! Our goal with that episode was to bring him back and ask some tough questions that we hadn’t asked before and to hold him accountable for some of his claims. We’d had him on four times before and hadn’t held his feet to the fire. As he began to depart from the Maura Murray case, we felt it was important to do that.

Tim: We weren’t going in to pick a fight. There’s a lot of information that he puts out there in his blog and book that we needed him to answer for. Where did he get the information he presented? Why did he come to the conclusions he did when several factors are pointing in different directions? He has always appreciated the seriousness of the case and respected the need to be held accountable. We’re still friendly.

CCI: Tell me what inspired you to dive into the Brianna Maitland disappearance. What are your goals in regards to the case and the Crawlspace podcast ?

Lance: Given the proximity between where Maura and Brianna both went missing, it seemed like a natural next step. Many fans asked us to cover it. The decision was easy because we think it’s very, very close to being solved. Many theories are circulating that Brianna's disappearance and Maura’s may be connected. We want to make sure that’s not a road people should go down and spend a lot of energy pursuing.

Tim: Even before we did the Brianna Maitland episodes on the Maura Murray podcast, some of the investigators from Brianna’s case contacted us about it. So we wanted to commit one episode of the Maura Murray podcast to examining the similarities between the two cases. We ended up doing two. In that same timeframe, we were planning to launch a new podcast following an entirely different case, but due to the interest and proximity, it made sense to switch gears and focus on Brianna Maitland.

Lance: As far as our goals, we’re not planning a separate documentary as we have in Maura’s case. We’d love to help solve it, of course. But it’s a bit presumptuous and naive to go into something like this thinking that we’ll crack something that law enforcement hasn’t been able to solve in thirteen years. The family has asked us to keep raising awareness, so that’s what we’re focusing on. We want to keep the case alive, keep Brianna’s memory alive, then we’ll work backward from there. If good things happen and there’s closure from that, it’s a definite win for us.

CCI: What’s the next step for the Missing Maura Murray podcast?

[Slightly awkward pause]

Lance: Um. . . Good question!

Tim: I mean, we have some emails to read in a few days. . .

Lance: We hit a point in the podcast (a couple of times) where we didn’t know where to go next. So we followed what leads came to us. That information would naturally lead us in different directions.

Tim: Leads tend to come in waves. We’ll go two or three weeks, maybe a month, wondering what to do next, but something always comes up. It’s a rollercoaster that always seems to throw something our way.

Lance: That being said, we have a good idea of what we’re working towards with the podcast right now. The next big step is finishing the documentary that we began back in 2013.

CCI: Speaking of which, what is the status of the documentary? Any chance we’ll get a sneak peek at CrimeCon?

Tim: If we were invited to give you guys a sneak peek, it’s possible we may have something to show, but it won’t be finished. Right now, we’re close to wrapping up filming unless there’s a huge break in the case. We’re going into the serious editing phase. We’d like to have it finished by late 2017. We're hoping to do some filming at CrimeCon that would be part of the film’s ending.

Lance: At some point or another, we realized that we had enough footage to make a 90-100 minute documentary, but it would still be incomplete. We knew there were things about to happen that we would be responsible for including. So we decided to hang onto everything we had, follow what came in, and let it come to an end naturally. CrimeCon feels like a good stopping point.

CCI: During your investigation into Maura’s disappearance, what has surprised you the most?

[Several “hmm”s and the sound of thinking]

Lance: So many things surprised us about this case. It’s not that I’m having trouble coming up with anything, it’s that I’m having trouble deciding which one.

Tim: One thing would be the number of people we’ve talked to. On the one hand, it seems like we’ve spoken with a lot of people, especially considering nobody wanted to talk to us.

Lance: There were many more people we wanted to hear from to who didn't want to talk, which is very odd. Another surprising thing: the number of individuals who came out of the woodwork and proved to be a bit crazy.

Tim: Well, let’s say “eccentric.”

CCI: There’s a degree of confrontation in the Maura Murray community that doesn’t seem to appear in other, similar cases. Have you gained any insight into why that may be?

Tim: It’s an odd case, and people love to come up with their theories about what happened. When someone puts in the effort to learn about this case and figure out what’s real and what’s relevant, it makes them want to fight for that theory that they’ve created. And once they have that theory, they’ll find a way to make any clues, facts, or new information about the case fit their desired narrative. It’s easy to get so emotionally invested that you’re personally offended if someone challenges your point of view.

Lance: What makes that offense and hostility worse are the instigators. Once people get locked onto a theory and want to defend it, there’s an entire audience of individuals waiting to attack it. Some people don’t realize that it’s happening to them; Tim and I didn’t even realize it was happening to us. We thought we were defending ourselves and the situation, but we learned that this is just what trolls do. They just provoke and destroy.

CCI: Anything else you want readers to know about what to expect at CrimeCon?

Lance: My chin is a lot more pronounced in person than it is on the webcam.

Tim: More importantly, there will be more to Crawlspace. By the time we get to CrimeCon, we’ll be broadcasting our second case and teasing our third. There’ll be a lot more to talk about than Brianna and Maura.

Lance: And my chin.

In addition to their joint pane l with James Renner, Tim and Lance will set up shop on Podcast Row at CrimeCon. Come meet them , hang out, and discuss your Maura Murray or Brianna Maitland theories with the experts.

The Crime Book Q&A with Author Cathy Scott

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Informant's Note: You can enter to win a free copy of The Crime Book! Click here to enter the CrimeCon-exclusive sweepstakes . Get your entry in before midnight on April 13th and watch for the winner to be announced on April 14th!

If you're a true crime nerd and earnest bibliophile like I am, your bookshelf has probably raised a few eyebrows. Some people collect Nicholas Sparks romances, we collect serial killer memoirs and true crime mysteries. Not good, not bad, just different.

I'm a big fan of the Big Ideas, Simply Explained series, an anthology of books that explain the basics (and more than a few details) about a breadth of topics from politics to philosophy to art history. So when I heard DK Books was adding a volume on crime, I was thrilled. When I heard it would be written in collaboration with best-selling true crime author and investigative journalist Cathy Scott , I may have nearly fainted. Cathy was kind enough to answer some questions about the upcoming edition called The Crime Book .

CC Informant: This looks like the world’s most comprehensive collection of true crime stories, and it excites me because it also includes a lot of info about the science and psychology behind criminal behavior. I would imagine that you’ve absorbed a ton of knowledge about the inner workings of the criminal mind during your career. Is there a particular investigation or experience that you called upon to inform those contributions to the book?

Cathy Scott: When it came to Irish grave robbers Burke and Hare , the psychopathy and intent of their criminal behavior definitely came into play as I wrote their story. Simply put, their crimes are just plain creepy, and the cold-hearted killings they committed that were motivated by one thing—greed—illustrate the uncaring single-mindedness with these particular criminals. Setting aside the lives and families they damaged because of their deadly acts, it’s a fascinating study into what drives people to kill not once, but several times.

CCI: With a compendium of this size and this thorough, is there anything that didn’t make it into the book that you wish had?

Cathy Scott: I can’t think of one crime that’s not represented in The Crime Book . It runs the gamut—from nonviolent cons to gangland-style criminals, to white-collar offenders—with a complete representation starting with the first known homicide committed against a Neanderthal man. Simply put, you can’t make this stuff up.

CCI: I’ve been writing about crime for much less time than you have and sometimes I need a mental break. Were there any parts of the book (or specific cases from your work) that were difficult to get through?

Cathy Scott: As a crime writer, I’ve covered a variety of misdeeds for more than two decades and have been to more homicide scenes than I care to count. And while I don’t think we should ever get used to writing about crime and the perpetrators, some touch me more than others, especially when it comes to writing about children and teenagers. The Green River Killer and the untold number of girls whose lives he took away, struck me as particularly brutal, as well as the crimes committed against a dozen girls by Fred and Rose West . While writing those stories, I occasionally stopped for a few minutes to listen to the birds outside my window and or took my dogs for short walks, just to clear my mind.

CCI: Which cases get under your skin the most in general?

Cathy Scott: Unsolved murders where the evidence seems to be there but the crimes are not prosecuted bother me the most, as with the murder of hip-hop rapper Tupac Shakur . I consider the victims to be underdogs. It’s the reason I’ve written about Shakur’s case for 20 years. Senseless crimes, and not necessarily violent ones, such as illegal drug sales, are also blights on society. So, I’ve always felt it important, as an author and while I was a newspaper reporter, to inform the public about what’s going on in their own communities. As the saying goes, an informed public is vital in a free society.

CCI: What’s something in (or about) the book that true crime enthusiasts may be surprised to learn?

Cathy Scott: The variety of crimes across the world and throughout the ages offers readers fresh perspectives with striking detail about notorious lawlessness, from petty to capital crimes, from the sale of the Roman Empire to the James Gang in the Wild West. What stands out the most for me with the stories in this book is how so many of the criminals got away with their crimes for an untold number of years. Also, the crimes detailed in this book have such diversity that there is something for everyone.

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Copies of The Crime Book will be available for purchase at CrimeCon , or you may pre-order the book via Amazon prior to its May 2 premiere date. And don't forget to enter to win a free copy in the CrimeCon-exclusive sweepstakes here !

James Renner Looks Back on His True Crime Career (and Ahead to Less Morbid Mysteries)

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

James Renner will eat a hat at CrimeCon.

For both of you who haven’t heard the recent Missing Maura Murray podcast episode optimistically titled “Wrangling Renner,” let me fill you in:

After receiving criticism that MMM showrunners Tim Pilleri and Lance Reenstierna had thrown Renner softballs during his previous appearances and facing Renner’s departure from the genre, they invited him back to answer the tough questions their listeners demanded.

One of those questions involved Renner’s skepticism of Karen McNamara’s (known to some as Witness A) eyewitness account that placed Haverhill PD police SUV 001 nose-to-nose with Maura’s Saturn at the scene of the February 9, 2004 accident from which Maura disappeared. To many, this eyewitness testimony lends credibility to a widespread theory that goes like this: Haverhill police conspired to murder Maura, dispose of her body, and engage in a cover-up that has lasted more than thirteen years. Why? To hide the fact that the driver of 001 -- Haverhill Chief of Police Jeffrey Williams -- was driving the cruiser while intoxicated.

During the episode, Renner asserted that McNamara’s memory had been influenced by former private investigator John Smith during his work on the case. So confident was Renner that he declared he would “eat a hat” if presented with proof that McNamara’s original statement provided the same information as the account she gave after meeting with Smith. Within a week, an April 2005 email surfaced in which McNamara provides an early account to investigating officers.

If you ask me, the details in the email still don't demonstrate a consistent version of events. For his part, Renner still seems unconvinced as well. But he is a man of his word.

“I don’t know how I’m gonna do it, but I will eat a hat,” he says with a determined grin that reads much more ‘amused’ than ‘embarrassed’ as he hints that there may be Fruit Roll-Ups involved. “And I’ll do it at CrimeCon.”

Now that's a session that’ll draw crowds.

Readers, we’ve been getting along swimmingly since I joined CCHQ, so I’ll be honest with you: while James Renner has his detractors, I am not one of them. Still, it would be difficult to write about Renner without acknowledging that his aggressive investigative methods and sometimes sensational interpretation of evidence have made him a polarizing figure in the true crime community.

Renner wasn’t scared to ruffle some feathers during his exhaustive five-year investigation into Maura’s disappearance. As evidence of this, many will point to Renner’s now-archived blog detailing his search for answers in Maura’s case. At one time, the blog contained eyewitness accounts of Maura’s involvement in some decidedly salacious activities on campus and still houses documents related to her 2003 arrest for credit card fraud.

Renner also faced accusations that his book was a tasteless money-grab with intent to profit from Maura’s tragic disappearance, especially in light of Fred Murray’s public opposition to the book (which began before Renner had even written a word). During his investigation, Renner didn’t hesitate to make public any new information he discovered-- even if it cast suspicion on the Murrays themselves.

Taking these things into account, I consider whether there’s a room at the JW Marriott Indianapolis large enough to hold everyone who may show up to see Renner eat his symbolic (if delicious) hat. Perhaps it's a fitting display for what's possibly his final act as a true crime figure.

Following the release of his book True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray in May of 2016, Renner began to cleave himself from the genre that had been his beat since his days at Cleveland Scene . There, he brought new attention to the unsolved 1989 murder of ten-year-old Amy Mihaljevic from Bay Village, Ohio. Thus began a long career in true crime that would eventually take a toll on Renner.

“I first noticed it when I was in the grocery store scrutinizing the cart of the guy next to me,” he explains. “He’s shopping alone, but he has enough food for four or five people. The Ariel Castro story had just broken, so I found myself wondering who he’s feeding with all that food: his family? Or the three people he has trapped in his basement? Of course, it’s likely his family, but that was no longer my default setting. That’s when I realized the job had gotten in my head.”

Further evidence of this appears in his book. True Crime Addict paints an honest and raw portrait of Renner arguably at his worst: driving drunk, flirting with drug use, and landing in jail after angering a judge in a hot-headed display of defiance.

To me, the book felt like an ending, like Renner knew when he punctuated the last sentence that this would be his exit from true crime. While he denies this was the case, he does acknowledge that the events in the book were indicators that it was time for him to step away.

“I think getting arrested for contempt of court is what initially made me realize that I probably shouldn’t be doing this anymore,” he admits with a self-deprecating chuckle. “That event plus things like Alden Olson’s videos (one of which included pictures of Renner’s children) illustrated that it was time to take a break from true crime for a while. Now I’m trying to reprogram my brain not to jump at every sound.”

It seems to be a positive change. I wouldn’t recognize the James Renner from True Crime Addict if he walked in and sat down beside the man in front of me (“I’m getting into Buddhism,” this one says, gesturing vaguely in the direction of a nearby temple). So how did he become so obsessed in the first place? Indeed, how do any of us?

“I think it takes a slight obsessive-compulsive personality,” he theorizes. “Some people pull into the driveway but won’t get out of the car until “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” finishes playing on the radio because if they don’t listen all the way through, it’ll get stuck in their head.”

Oddly enough, I think I know where he’s going with this.

“It’s the same with true crime. You see these cases with their disparate details and loose ends, and it’s discordant. It’s missing something, so it gets stuck in your head and there’s an overwhelming compulsion to find the ends and solve the puzzle.”

Renner seems like a guy who constantly needs to channel that energy toward a particular goal, and I’m interested to see what he’s doing with it in his post-Maura life.

His face brightens as he describes the new mystery he’s setting out to solve-- and there are no unsolved murders or mysterious disappearances in sight.

Instead, he’ll tackle the mystery of Byron Preiss’s 1982 book The Secret: A Treasure Hunt . He explains that the book’s cryptic riddles and mind-bending images hold clues to the locations of twelve keys hidden throughout North America. Upon the book’s release, intrepid readers who solved the clues and discovered a key were invited to turn it into Byron Preiss himself in exchange for a valuable gemstone (possibly worth up to $10,000).

Renner’s fascination with The Secret began when he discovered the book in the Bedford Library at eight years old. Assuming that all twelve keys would surface before he would be old enough to pursue them, he resigned himself to his fate and prepared to watch the keys roll in one by one.

Only they didn’t. Thirty-five years after The Secret hit shelves, only two keys have been recovered. Preiss died suddenly in 2005, and although his wife still honors the commitment her husband made in the book, she’s had no occasion to do so; the last key was discovered in 2004.

“I just want to find one more,” Renner says of his goals for this new venture. “I think I’ve found where the Boston key is, but I haven’t been able to attempt a retrieval yet. I’m pretty sure I know where the New Orleans key should be. . .” he trails off, the silent conclusion to his thought lost somewhere between Boston and the Big Easy.

The search will be the subject of his next book, and a documentary following his efforts will premiere at film festivals later this year. But the adventure doesn’t end there. Renner hopes to resurrect the mystery and capture the same sense of wonder for a new generation. Many key rightsholders are on board.

“I’m putting together a proposal to write an authorized sequel to Byron Preiss’s book,” he says. “Twelve new paintings, twelve new poems, and twelve new keys. The original artist’s son is creating the new paintings. Byron Preiss’s daughters will help write parts of it. So it’s really about the legacy of the book.”

He pauses and then continues with a boyish grin, “But I’m most excited about the journey I’ll get to share with my son.”

In True Crime Addict , Renner gave us a glimpse into the early years of his often-strained relationship with his young son, Casey. It seems that while Renner’s relationship with true crime flickered out, his relationship with Casey began to shine brighter. Now he’s making plans to travel the country with his son at his side to bury twelve new secret keys.

And because he’s not busy enough, Renner is working on a screenplay for a television adaptation of his novel The Man From Primrose Lane , currently in development with Fox. He’s also finishing a sequel to Primrose Lane , which will serve as the basis for season two of the television show.

Renner’s enthusiasm for his new trajectory is evident. But big transitions like this fascinate me, so I’m curious: as he closes the door on true crime, which played quite a large part of his life, what are his thoughts? How close did he come to what he wanted to accomplish?

“When I started, I had this idea that we could create something online where people could go and discuss unsolved cases. That it would become what the writer’s room was in an old newspaper office; somewhere everyone could gather and discuss ideas. I wanted to create a place online where people could see the evidence and have respectful discussions about it. That didn’t happen. I don’t know if we’re there yet. So that part of my vision failed.

“But I’m happy knowing that my work helped close at least one case,” he continues with a comfortable confidence.

He tells the story of a young girl named Tina Harmon, abducted from Preston, Ohio in the early eighties. The two men charged with her disappearance were later exonerated, leaving the case open and frozen solid.

Because he had written about Tina’s case during his time at Cleveland Scene , Tina’s family approached Renner desperately searching for help to find some answers in Tina’s case. Renner began by calling a press conference to get Tina’s case back in the public eye. Then he helped Tina’s family submit a request for the prosecutor to re-test Tina’s clothing for evidence.

When the prosecutor’s office denied the request citing prohibitive expense, Renner offered to raise the required funds ($300) himself.

The slightly-embarrassed prosecutor relented and ordered the tests, which revealed conclusive evidence that Tina’s killer was a death row inmate who had recently been executed for an unrelated murder.

“It would still be an open and unsolved case if not for three hundred dollars,” Renner muses.

So with excitement for his new projects radiating off him in waves and his eagerness to leave behind true crime apparent, what attracted him to CrimeCon? I confess that it reads a bit “last hurrah.”

“I definitely see it as a last hurrah,” he confirms. “I’m also looking forward to meeting some of the people I’ve only known through comments to my blog and online forums. I tend to do much better face-to-face than I do arguing on Reddit. It’s an opportunity to meet new groups of people and share my story and thoughts with them, as well.”

Will he ever return to true crime? He takes his time and considers his response carefully.

“It would be interesting to see what would happen if Maura Murray turned up one day,” he begins with cautious optimism filling the space between each word. “I’d like to hear Maura’s side of the story. Other than that, I’d wait until my kids are grown. So I’m looking at fourteen years from now.”

For someone who has good reasons to put the true crime beat in his rear view, I can still see it tug at him as he twirls his coffee cup between his hands. He’s contemplating.

“I’ll tell you this,” he breaks with a spark (nearly imperceptible, but it's there). “If the Original Night Stalker case is still unsolved in fifteen years, that’s the one I’m going for. It’s the last big unsolved case, and it’s totally solvable.”

I'll take that as a "yes."

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Copies of True Crime Addict will be available for purchase at CrimeCon. James Renner, Tim Pilleri, and Lance Reenstierna will also host a discussion panel covering Maura Murray's disappearance. If the "Wrangling Renner" episode is any indication, it will be a lively debate. Register now and bring the popcorn!

Websleuths's Tricia Griffith Has Some Advice for Amateur Detectives

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

When it comes to amateur investigators, some of the world's most dedicated ones can often be found on Websleuths. Websleuths is an organized and tightly moderated forum where true crime enthusiasts flex their investigative muscles and lend their insights to move the needle on unsolved crimes, cold cases, and missing persons cases. As a semi-active participant on Websleuths, I was thrilled to get some time with forum owner Tricia Griffith to find out how we can use those skills to make a difference in these cases.

CC Informant: How did Websleuths grow into this kind of living organism we've seen it become today?

Tricia: It was as big a surprise to me as it was to anyone else. When I purchased the forum in 2004, it was a very small forum and it was a snake pit. It was very hostile. But it had two good forums: JonBenet Ramsey and Laci Peterson. So I knew it had potential. The second day I owned it, I banned over 100 people who weren’t positively contributing to the conversation. People weren’t happy. But it helped a bit.

Then we decided in 2008 that we were going to change the rules. We no longer tolerated name-calling, directly insulting each other, or anything that wasn’t a productive contribution. They had to stick to the topic. It was a big change and at that time I banned another 28 people. There was another uproar and many people thought we were going to fail, that all the good participants would leave. Instead, what started to happen was that many people began to come out of the woodwork to say “Thank you, I haven’t felt comfortable participating and I really wanted to post,” and that’s when Websleuths exploded.

At the same time, the Casey Anthony case was unfolding. The timing couldn’t have been better, because people needed a place to pour their ideas and their emotions about the case. They came to Websleuths, I believe, because of how closely we had begun monitoring everything and trying to keep everything on a very civil level.

CC Informant: We’ve seen a lot of value come from crowdsourcing these cases, as we've seen with Jason Callahan and Tammy Jo Alexander. We’ve also seen incidents like the misguided Reddit witch hunt for the wrong suspect after the Boston Marathon bombing. What advice would you give to amateur investigators to make sure things like that don’t happen again?

Tricia: It still happens to this day. We’re discussing the Abigail Williams and Liberty German case right now. People wanted to discuss a person that many people were discussing on Facebook, but who hadn’t been named as a suspect. We had to remove a lot of posts and time out a few people.

My advice is this: remember that you don’t have all the information that law enforcement officers have. We have the info that the media has. If you’re going to do this, work with the information you have, and do NOT point fingers at any specific person. If you’ve discovered something you think is big enough to warrant investigation, we encourage you to send it to the police.

However, I beg you, do not keep sending stuff over and over again. Not only does it overload them, but it makes Websleuths a nuisance instead of an asset. They don’t want to deal with us because we’re overloading them and possibly taking up resources they could use to pursue other viable tips. Use common sense, and don’t buy into rumors. Only use the facts at hand. And there are plenty of facts out there. In the Abby and Libby case, people have been posting maps and measurements, all kinds of details. The stuff they’ve done with just what they have is amazing. But people can get overly enthusiastic because they’re trying to do something good. They’re emotionally invested.

CC Informant: If someone finds something that’s very significant, do you have a process for handling that?

Tricia: We encourage members to send a message to moderators or to me directly if they find something they think is pretty significant. We do have that happen fairly often. Usually, it’s something that they’ve come up with based on information that we don’t allow to be posted on Websleuths. We won’t allow it to be posted, but we’ll advise them to cut it down and make it concise, and send it to the police. Then don’t bug ‘em. It can be difficult to resist following up because we don’t know if what our members send ever turns up leads because the police either can’t or won’t tell us. It’s a very slippery slope that we’re on, and crowdsleuthing in general, is still working out some of the bugs.

CC Informant: What is your relationship with law enforcement?

Tricia: Depends on which law enforcement agency you ask at what time. Most of them don’t like us, I admit. I battle it every day. They don't know who we really are or what we’re doing. They think we’re Reddit leading a witch hunt for the wrong suspect and letting rumors run wild. It’s just the opposite. We do have good relationships with some LEAs who have used information from us. I feel for the police investigating the Abby and Libby case because I can’t imagine how hard they’re getting slammed. The Facebook pages about this case are out of control with wild speculation and vitriol. My goal is to get law enforcement to understand that Websleuths is a huge resource that is absolutely free and we’re just sitting here waiting to help. They’ll pay to bring in psychics before they’ll ask amateurs for free help.

We do have some positive relationships out there. We had a detective call from a small office in Nebraska. He had a 20-year cold case he wanted help with. It was a body found on a trail, a male who had been murdered. That’s all he knew. The only physical evidence he had was an old t-shirt that the victim was wearing with an unfamiliar emblem on it. He’d been trying to find information about where the shirt was made, where the emblem was from, or anything that may result in a lead. He turned it over to us and our members solved it.

One of our members was on vacation when we posted it. She came home, saw the post, and went to Etsy. She found the vintage t-shirt on Etsy, and within 24 hours had found out everything about it. She found out when and where it was made, where you could buy it, who owned the factory-- everything. It worked exactly how it’s supposed to work.

That’s the thing we’re good at; if there’s evidence that you’re stumped on, let us look at it and help you. If they work with us, we can help them. Not in all areas; we can’t track people or look at evidence under a forensic microscope or even necessarily solve anything in its entirety. But when you have thousands of people looking at something, you have thousands of different backgrounds - from professionals to military to homebound men and women, even - from all over the world. That’s a massive collective of knowledge that the LEOs may not have access to with the resources at their disposal.

CC Informant: Have you made any inroads to improving those relationships?

Tricia: When a big case comes up on the forum, I contact the investigating agencies for two reasons: to let them know the case is hot on our radar and to offer any assistance we can. It’s hard to get a response. I’ve been trying to get in touch with Abby’s and Libby’s investigators because I know they’re having a hard time with people sending in thousands of tips that may not have a legitimate basis. I’d like to talk to them about what they would tell us NOT to do on that case, and maybe we could get the message out there, at least. The one thing I never want to do is bug law enforcement or detract from their investigations.

CC Informant: What do you hope Websleuths will become or lead to in the future?

Tricia: I would love for Websleuths to be the go-to place for law enforcement when they need extra eyes. I’m not talking about looking for a suspect. We don’t have that capability. But what we have is the capability to find out where a t-shirt is made or to find information about pieces of evidence that they’ve hit a dead end with. We just want to step in and help where we can. We’re not leading the investigation, but we’re here to help if and when they’re stumped.

CC Informant: What can we expect from you at CrimeCon?

Tricia: I hope to demonstrate exactly how Websleuths can make a difference. Since a large part of what our members do involves missing persons, I also want to draw some attention to that. Many of them are lost and forgotten. They matter. People still love them. Whether they’re a three-star General, or transient, regardless of their position in life, they still matter. I often get emails from people who say “I was googling my missing loved one’s case and found a thread on Websleuths about them. Thank you, because I didn’t think anyone cared anymore.”

And the same is true on Websleuths, too. Every opinion and every piece of knowledge is equally important because any one of them can crack a case in an instant. I want everyone to understand that they can be a part of this and that their knowledge has value.

I’d also like to take an opportunity to recognize all of our volunteers and moderators. We couldn’t do any of the work that we do without those dedicated people to help keep conversations focused and information moving. They’re the backbone of Websleuths and we welcome anyone interested at CrimeCon to join or become a moderator. We want to make Websleuths the best in the world, and we’d love for dedicated true crime fans to be a part of that.

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Don't miss Tricia at CrimeCon! Register now to learn more about how to take your websleuthing game to the next level.

Generation Why Podcast's Aaron Shares What Bothers Him the Most

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

If I asked you to list your favorite true crime or unsolved mysteries podcasts, I’d bet even money that Generation Why would rank in your top five. Co-hosts Aaron and Justin began the podcast in 2012 by sharing their own insights into cold cases and other mysteries. Five years and 223 episodes later, they have emerged as a fan favorite in the true crime genre, with thousands of downloads each week.

I was lucky enough to speak with Aaron of Aaron-and-Justin fame and talk theories, how to build a podcast, and what really bothers him about many of the cases we're all familiar with.

CC Informant: Let’s start with an easy one. What’s your process for selecting topics?
Aaron: We have a lot of topics just top of mind, from our own interest in these cases. We also take on listener suggestions. But when we decide to cover one, we need to make sure that there’s enough information about the case to cover. Sometimes we get suggestions and it’s a story of someone who went missing, but there are only a few known details. It’s hard to fill an episode when there’s so little confirmed. We steer more towards the cases that have tons of evidence but still remain a bit of a mystery.

CCI: Which cases have captured your attention the most?
Aaron: There are a couple that I have spent a lot of time investigating: the Ira Yarmolenko case, Darlie Routier , and JonBenet Ramsey . They captured my attention because each has its own twist, in a way. Ira Yarmolenko, I almost believe, committed suicide yet two men were charged with her murder. She gave away many of her things the day of her death, and she had three different ligatures around her neck. She didn’t show any evidence of violence on her body.

In the case of Darlie Routier, two of her children had been murdered brutally while she was sleeping in the room with them. Routier claimed that an intruder broke into the home and attacked both her and her children.

What bothers me is that it’s very straightforward that she murdered her kids, but there’s still an enormous amount of support and sympathy for her. We hear it all the time: “Oh, a mother couldn’t do that to her child.” The fact is, there have been many, many mothers who have, indeed, murdered their children.

There’s a similar sentiment in the JonBenet Ramsey case. We don’t know who killed JonBenet, but there’s a huge group of people who insist that it couldn’t have been her parents or her sibling just because “they wouldn’t do something like that.” I’m not saying JonBenet was killed by her parents or sibling, but we know that some parents and some siblings absolutely do kill.

It bothers me because so many people insist that obvious and convicted murderers are innocent while there are actually innocent people in prison who are met with skepticism and rebuttal at every turn.

CCI: Are there any cases that you won’t do?
Aaron: A few for various reasons. I came very close to covering the West Memphis 3 again. I really wanted to tackle it again. My co-host doesn’t want to cover it and I ultimately decided against it because I’ve come to the middle in that case. I don’t necessarily believe the suspects are innocent, but I’m not believing they’re guilty. I’ve begun to see them as “possible” suspects. It can be a polarizing case, and I think covering it again would just ignite some controversy I’d rather avoid. Also, this case has been covered so much, and there are many cases that haven’t received nearly as much exposure and we hope to have an impact on that.

Also, cases like the Somerton Man in Australia, for example. So many people have covered it, I’m not sure what we could say that everybody doesn’t already know.

CCI: You responded to some feedback in a Reddit post stating that you could improve the consistency and structure of your episodes, to which you agreed. What have you seen change since then?
Aaron: The structure kind of keeps cycling back and forth. We started with just a discussion show, then we needed to add in some storytelling. Then we were able to work out a consistent structure. Now, I think, we’re finding a balance between the three. The episodes now have a certain format: summarize at the beginning, make sure we’re giving the relevant details like important dates and locations, and then we follow a loose outline to guide the discussion along.

CCI: What can we expect from GenWhy at CrimeCon?
Aaron: We’re looking forward to a lot of interaction with fans and guests. We thrive on that interaction. We’ve been trying to get some funds together to do some more meetups with fans. This gives us a great meetup location that’s not far from Chicago, where we get a large number of requests from listeners. We’re hoping to see many of those listeners there, and we just want to hang out with like-minded people and talk about these cases that fascinate us.

CCI: Where do you think that fascination comes from?
Aaron: True crime has almost become a new genre. I can say I’m a true crime fan in the same way I say I’m a horror fan, and in a way they’re similar. I think there’s just something about the concept of knowing how to get out alive. It’s kind of like we’re using this platform to figure out how to survive. People who are into this genre think about their surroundings while walking to the car at night, or they take note when they see some suspicious activity outside their house. Being exposed to this material is possibly one more way of trying to figure out how to survive in this world.

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Aaron and Justin will be looking for people to hang out with at CrimeCon to talk theories and mysteries. Go ahead and register so they won't get lonely!

REPORT: The 5 Coolest Things I've Learned about CrimeCon (So Far)

Sun, 12 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

CrimeCon is already one of the most exciting events of the year. As the nation’s first convention for true crime fans, it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience for all who attend. After lurking in the shadows of CrimeCon Headquarters for several weeks now, I've learned at least five things that I just can’t wait any longer to share with you. Total true crime geek meltdown in 3. . . 2. . . 1 . . .

The Puzzling 3-Day Mystery Game

If you’re staying at the JW Marriott Indianapolis hotel during CrimeCon, you’re in for a treat! Not only is the hotel itself amazing , but CrimeCon attendees staying there will be able to participate in a fun mystery-solving adventure. I’m still sniffing around CCHQ for more details about this, but I can report that the game will span the entire duration of CrimeCon and is being developed in conjunction with Red Herring Games , purveyor of murder mystery dinners and themed interactive events across the country. Clues may show up anywhere, but only those staying at the JW Marriott will be invited to help solve the mystery, and space is limited.

Informant’s Note: Our group rate with the JW Marriott will expire in the weeks ahead. Don’t miss your chance to get in on the fun: click here to book your room for the lowest rate.

Wine & Crime

I recently pressed CSI Sheryl McCollum to spill some details about the VIP-only experience that includes all of my favorite things: cold cases, wine, good people, and the pursuit of justice. *Cue inspiring orchestral crescendo here*

Of everything I’ve learned while sneaking around headquarters, Wine & Crime may be the event that I’m most looking forward to at CrimeCon. It’s exciting because we -- just normal, regular ol’ armchair detectives like you and me -- will get our hands on the evidence of a real cold case. And we’ll have a chance to help solve it. Check out my conversation with Sheryl McCollum here for all the juicy details (ha! Wine pun!).

Be the Jury

There are a couple of reasons why I accepted the mission of the CrimeCon Informant. One was because, well, obviously, I’m a borderline-obsessed true crime enthusiast. The other was because I’ve been impressed time and again with the producers’ dedication to showing different sides of many stories. That dedication has manifested in several ways. Not only are the producers giving airtime to decidedly controversial figures whose stories (good or bad) have been drowned out by public opinion, they’re giving us an opportunity to experience the legal process from some perspectives that we may not have considered.

In The Jury Experience session, you’ll become a member of a jury and hear an abbreviated presentation based on a real case. After deliberations, you’ll hand down your verdict and learn whether you reached the same conclusion as the real-life jury who heard the case. How cool is that?! I’ve never been called for jury duty, but until that day comes, I’m just going to assume it’ll be as fun as this session.

The Lead Investigator Experience

Don’t think you’d fare well as a juror? Try on another hat! In the Lead Investigator Experience, you’ll make your way through a meticulously-staged crime scene. You’ll sort through a scene where anything may be a clue that will lead you to the perpetrator. From the information I’ve gathered, you’ll need to bring your investigating A-game to this one. It won’t be easy!

Payne Lindsey

Okay, confession time: I’m a podcast junkie. Thinking Sideways , Generation Why , Missing Maura Murray , True Crime Garage , the whole gang; if I’m in my car, that’s what’s coming out of my speakers. Sometimes I create errands to run just so I can get in a few minutes of podcast time. And while I’m delightfully giddy at the idea of hanging out with Team Sideways, the one bringing the really good stuff is Payne Lindsey of Up and Vanished .

If you haven’t obsessively analyzed every minute of his podcast like I have, allow me to explain. Payne Lindsey created Up and Vanished with the intent to investigate one cold case per season. He began with the disappearance of beauty queen & history teacher Tara Grinstead , who vanished from her Ocilla, Georgia home in 2005. Her case went cold almost immediately and remained so for twelve years. Until Payne Lindsey came along.

Payne hit the streets of Ocilla to see what he could dig up. He produced twelve episodes of Up and Vanished before the pressure of his investigation helped crack through the frozen tundra surrounding Tara’s case. On February 23, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced that they had arrested a suspect in Tara’s disappearance based on information from an anonymous tipster. The suspect confessed, and a week later, the GBI brought his named accomplice into custody, as well.

This is the pinnacle for every true crime podcaster and enthusiast. Using the resources at his disposal, Payne sat out to simply put pressure on the case and stir up some new leads. In doing so, he helped crack a case in six months that had investigators stumped for twelve years.

Whew . That’s a heavy credential. Payne will likely be one of the only amateur investigators at CrimeCon who can claim it. I am beyond excited to watch the events of this case unfold and to hear Payne speak of this incredible experience during CrimeCon.

Can you see now why I couldn’t keep this stuff to myself anymore? There’s so much to see and experience, just in these five small pieces of CrimeCon! One last Informant’s tip for you: if you’re not registered yet, stop reading this and go register and reserve your room now. With fewer than 100 days until CrimeCon, we're filling up fast.

--CC Informant

BONUS: The JW Marriott Hotel

I can’t believe I almost forgot this. Have you guys seen this place ?? This isn’t the conference room at the Days Inn, guys. I’m an unapologetic hotel snob, and this hotel exceeds even my highest expectations. The JW Marriott is stunningly beautiful and ranked #5 on Conde Nast Traveler’s list of the best hotels in the U.S. It is 33 stories of pure luxury, boasting one of the largest hotel ballrooms in the world, and I can’t wait to see what the CrimeCon team fills it with! Whatever it is, I’ll be there lurking somewhere in the crowd. Will you?

Former Defense Attorney Kirk Nurmi Adds a Unique Perspective to CrimeCon

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Anyone who describes himself as “happily disbarred” is someone I want to have a conversation with. Former defense attorney Kirk Nurmi took his leave from the profession following his embattled experience defending accused murderer Jodi Arias. Arias admitted to stabbing and shooting her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in his Mesa, Arizona home in 2008. Arias claimed she killed Alexander in self-defense. The case captured the attention of hundreds of thousands of people, myself included.

That being said, once the guilty verdict was handed down at the second trial, the case fell off my radar. So when I sat down to do some research before speaking to Mr. Nurmi, I was pleased to learn that he’s moved on from a very public case that must have been one of the most challenging of his career.

When I spoke to him, Nurmi was enjoying a beautiful sunny day on the veranda of his Arizona home with his beloved chihuahua nearby. There was an ease in his voice that was almost unrecognizable from that of the impassioned defense attorney whom millions watched defend a client that he, himself, could barely pretend to like. It makes me wonder: if Jodi Arias had never come into his life, would Nurmi still describe himself as “happily disbarred,” or would he have continued in his chosen profession?

He considers his words carefully before replying.

“I really don’t know,” he admits. “I absolutely still enjoy the law as a concept, I like discussing and learning about the law. I enjoy the intellectual pursuit. But I don’t miss the work.”

One can hardly blame him. From pretrial to final verdict, the case dragged on for an exhausting five years. During that time, Nurmi attempted to recuse himself from Arias's defense more than once, citing his client’s unreasonable demands and refusal to cooperate with the legal process. For her part, Arias seemed more than agreeable to it, as well, but the judge denied the change in representation.

“Once I had a sense of where this case was going, I was willing to give up the job, simply to get away from Ms. Arias,” Nurmi divulged in his tell-all book Trapped with Ms. Arias , published in 2015. “And when I could not get away, I realized that I was truly trapped in her case, which also meant I was trapped with her,” Nurmi wrote.

His book goes on to cite what Nurmi describes as Arias’s “deeply disturbed” behavior during the course of the trial as another reason why he sought to leave her defense team.

By the time the trial was over, it was no secret that there was no love lost between Nurmi and his client. Many commentators and legal peers maligned his endeavor to write the book, but Nurmi stands by his decision.

“I thought it was a proportionate and ethical response to her criticisms of my performance while defending her, and the defamation she spread once it was over,” Nurmi explains with that same lilt of contentment in his voice. “This case may be the one from my career that most people remember, but it doesn’t overshadow the other good work that I’ve done for my clients in the past. They know that I worked hard for them and if this case obscures that for outside observers, that doesn’t concern me.”

With the rise of social media running parallel to the timeline of the trial, Nurmi was among the first generation of defense attorneys to experience the wrath of an inflamed public as they watched the events unfold. Undoubtedly, those platforms most made his already difficult job even harder. But he seems to take it in stride as we discuss whether social media is a more positive or negative influence in cases like that of Jodi Arias.

“I don’t know that it’s one any more than the other,” he considers. “People have a right to know what’s happening in the courtroom, and maybe it helps create a better understanding of the process itself.” On the other hand, sometimes it throws a wrench in that process. “As these trials become more of a reality TV staple, there are implications for jury selection, witness credibility, and the purity of the process as a whole.”

Those who stayed glued to their televisions during the embattled trial may sneer at Nurmi’s decidedly content and comfortable demeanor. They may -- and do -- publicly accuse him of defending an admitted murderer or demonstrating indifference or insensitivity to the slain Alexander’s family. He hopes to dispel that image during his time at CrimeCon .

“I look forward to bringing a perspective to the discussion that’s often overlooked,” he says. “Many times, defense attorneys are ridiculed and despised or they’re seen as colluding with their client. People think that by defending them, we condone their actions or deny their guilt. It was clear that Ms. Arias killed Mr. Alexander. My job wasn’t to prove that she didn’t. My job was to represent for her the Constitutional rights that we all enjoy in this country, including accused criminals. That’s the job I did, and I did it successfully.”

With that job finished, Nurmi has turned a significant corner in his life. He dropped 75 pounds and was diagnosed with Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in late 2015. Now in remission, healthier, and happier, he enjoys his quiet life as an author and professional speaker. But he isn’t ready to rest on his laurels yet.

“Sometime in the future, I’d like to work with people who are experiencing what I experienced. There’s a lot of burnout and dissatisfaction in the legal profession. If I can help others deal with that and find happiness -- on the job or not -- then that’s something I’d like to do.”

Maybe old habits die hard. Or maybe, like Kirk Nurmi, they just evolve.

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Kirk Nurmi will discuss his extensive experience at CrimeCon, including his representation of Jodi Arias. Register now to be part of what's sure to be a lively and informative discussion at CrimeCon 2017.

CSI Sheryl McCollum Dishes about Wine & Crime at CrimeCon

Sun, 26 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Sheryl McCollum is remarkably upbeat for someone who has spent most of her life surrounded by tragedy. There’s something reminiscent of the comforts of home underlying her thick Georgia accent. Within five minutes of sitting down together, I get the feeling she would invite me home and cook dinner for me if she thought I was hungry. That feeling, I would learn, stems from an almost superhuman capacity for compassion.

Sheryl (Mac, to her friends) began her career over 25 years ago at the Rape Crisis Center of Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. Since then, she’s worked with the Department of Corrections, the office of Secretary of State, the FBI, and served as coordinator of the statewide response to the 1996 bombing of the Atlanta Olympic Games. Today she’s a CSI with Metro Atlanta PD. Somewhere along the way (2004, to be exact), she founded the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute (CCIRI), an organization staffed by student and expert volunteers dedicated to finding new evidence in cases that have been frozen in time.

I’m exhausted simply summarizing how much work she has done to find justice for victims. So it’s remarkable that she has the energy to host extracurricular events like the Wine & Crime and Bloody Brunch sessions we can look forward to at CrimeCon .

These sessions have, so far, been shrouded in mystery. Participants must sign a non-disclosure agreement, and cell phones are not allowed. No tweeting, no texting; nothing leaves the room. That’s because we’re about to lend our amateur investigation skills to a real cold case.

“This event is tailor-made for true crime junkies,” Sheryl says. “We’ll treat you just like we would any rookie police officer or rookie detective in the war room of the homicide unit.”

I am instantly hooked. This is the holy grail for CSI fans everywhere.

“I’m giving you exactly what we know about a case that we’re working on. I’m holding nothing back. You’ll get the autopsy reports, the crime scene photographs, witness statements-- anything that we have, you will have. Then you go to work.”

Best of all, we may get to see the results of our efforts.

“When we get back from CrimeCon, we’re going to put every suggestion you give us into action,” Sheryl continues. “If you’ve ever watched your favorite shows and said “Why didn’t they talk to this guy? Why didn’t they do it this way or that way?”, now is your chance to put those instincts to work. We’ll post updates if and when your theories turn up anything on the case.”

Participants in this event may not realize how lucky they are. In the room with us will be world-renowned experts Kelly Ayres (forensics), Dwayne Thompson (homicide), and Cindy Hatfield (criminal profiler). That’s nearly 100 years of combined experience at our disposal to help us find new ways to look at this mystery. It’s enough to make even the most casual true crime enthusiast giddy.

And there’s wine! But even the wine has a role to play in this event.

“We wanted to reinvent the ‘wanted’ poster,” explains Sheryl. “People just don’t walk up to light poles and look at missing person posters anymore. They get lost among signs for garage sales or missing cats. So we put actual victims on the label of these wine bottles with a synopsis of their case.” (These are available for purchase from Benefit Wines any time you want to get tipsy and solve a crime. One hundred percent of the proceeds are deployed directly to investigating the case on the label.)

So, is there an expectation that we’ll actually come up with something that will solve the case featured at Wine & Crime? It certainly wouldn’t be the strangest thing Sheryl has ever seen.

“A student volunteer recently helped find a potential witness in a cold case using a mobile app,” she explains with a new level of excitement. “We wanted to re-interview the victim’s landlord, but nobody could find him at first. Within two days, a student at Chatham University found him using an app called Stud or Dud.”

Stud or Dud is an app created to provide the user with basic background information about potential romantic partners. The app itself may sound a little sleazy at first, but we didn’t spend all this time obsessed with true crime without learning that people aren’t always what they seem, did we?

This brand of technology-driven investigative methodology is the beginning of a trend Sheryl sees more and more in her work with CCIRI. It’s a double-edged sword, she explains.

“Two things are about to happen. One, the next generation of investigators will be able to do things beyond anything we can understand right now. Even your smartphone recognizes your fingerprint now. Eventually, we’ll be able to take prints and run them right on a phone or tablet and get results instantly. Crime scene photos, measurements, witness statements-- everything we gather on a case is about to go mobile. We can even use drones to document crime scenes, and it’s great to be able to view that from anywhere.”

But, as is always the case, convenience comes at a cost. In every industry, as operations become more automated and technology-driven, the human element decreases in kind.

“The second thing,” she warns, “is that something will be lost. There’s no substitute for seeing a crime scene with your own eyes. Let’s say you have a victim found in a wooded area. What’s on the other side of that woods? Is it a subdivision? Is it a brothel? Is it a church? It matters. Your suspect pool is going to depend on that answer because that suspect felt comfortable enough to go to that spot. And a video isn’t going to show you that. Technology is great, but sometimes you still have to get your hands in the dirt. Sometimes you just need a pencil and a piece of paper.”

She’s already seeing the effects of the Digital Age as new generations enter the field.

“We have students who are extraordinarily bright and great with the technology, but they can’t talk to people. And that means people aren’t going to talk to them. There are still pockets of the population that aren’t at all tech-savvy. They’re not going to log onto the internet to submit a tip, they aren’t going to call the police to tell them they saw something. You have to knock on their door and talk to them.”

Sheryl is exceptionally easy to talk to, and it occurs to me that this may have been a factor in her outstanding success as an investigator. Again, it’s her immeasurable ability to care about people which lends itself to this task, and I can tell she cares about every family that has approached CCIRI with their loved one’s unsolved case. With thousands of cold cases out there and a staff of unpaid student volunteers, how could one possibly decide which cases to take?

Initially, CCIRI only worked one case per year. Over the course of time, experienced juniors and seniors began assisting underclassmen to help them learn from the case. This freed up enough time for Sheryl to begin taking on more requests, and today they’re re-investigating five cases simultaneously.

“We used to take cases based on an area of study for the students. We looked at Natalee Holloway because it’s a water crime scene, we took Chandra Levy because it’s a forensic anthropology case. But as we became established and gained legitimacy, families began coming to us with cases and we try to address them all eventually.”

And how’s that working out? Pretty well, it seems.

To date, CCIRI has achieved some degree of success on every case they’ve re-investigated. Every case. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they were all solved.

But any progress on a cold case, Sheryl notes, is indeed a success. “Whether that success means that laws were changed as a result of something we found, a new witness came forward that hadn’t been interviewed before, or a suspect finally agreed to a polygraph, it’s still a win.”

She attributes that success to the overwhelming generosity of the experts and volunteers at CCIRI.

“Some of these people could make so much money teaching or working in the field instead of volunteering for us, but they come and give everything they have to help these families. Some of them travel across the country and back to do the work. They don’t sleep, they’re not home for dinner, and they’re doing it because they genuinely want to make a difference. Are they going to solve every single one? No. But they care about every single one.”

I’m willing to bet they learned that from her.

--CC Informant

5 Essential Tools for the Armchair Detective

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Like many of you, I haven’t spent the past mumblemumble years immersed in true crime stories without picking up a few investigative tips. Let me be clear: I won’t insult the time and resources that real-life investigators have committed to their craft by claiming that I have any real clue what I’m doing. But the online true crime community has stirred up some handy tools to assist in their amateur sleuthing, and sometimes, it makes a difference. I poked around some forums and did some research to find the five essential tools any amateur investigator should keep in their arsenal.

National Unidentified and Missing Persons System (NamUs)

NamUs is an indispensable online database of missing persons and unidentified bodies. It contains information about the circumstances in which an unidentified victim was discovered, including descriptions and pictures, if possible, of clothing, appearance, and other notable pieces of evidence.

Recently, NamUs factored into the case of Jason Callahan , a 20-year-old man missing since 1995. When a new facial reconstruction of an unidentified body was released, online sleuths noted the resemblance to Callahan’s NamUs profile and alerted authorities. Roughly a year later, DNA confirmed that the unclaimed body was, indeed, that of Jason Callahan.

Of course, for the morbidly curious, you can simply get lost in a rabbit hole by searching for the missing people in your area.

Websleuths

If there’s a comprehensive database of all cold cases, Websleuths is it. Every case you’ve heard of (and plenty that you haven’t) has a related Websleuths forum. The serious, diehard investigators and true crime junkies collaborate to look at cases from new angles and sift through long-forgotten or overlooked evidence to find new leads. Occasionally, law enforcement agencies even turn to the massive forum for assistance. If you’re not active on Websleuths already, it can be a bit intimidating to get started. Forum participants may be amateurs, but they’re the most serious amateurs on the internet. Check out the FAQ and forum rules to get started, and don’t be afraid to jump into the conversation. Everyone starts somewhere, and most commenters understand that.

Reddit’s Unresolved Mysteries

In the same vein as Websleuths, Reddit’s Unresolved Mysteries subreddit offers a wealth of information and secondary sources for many cases, cold and otherwise. While Reddit’s history with amateur investigation has had some hiccups , the subreddit is a great place to find new perspectives that you may not have considered. Reddit is less strictly moderated than Websleuths, so I recommend having or growing a thick skin before participating, but it’s mostly a supportive environment of like-minded people.

Google Maps

It’s one thing to read about the cases that fascinate us, but sometimes visiting the scene of the crime helps put many case details into much clearer context. If you’re as entrenched in true crime as I am, that would add up to a large travel bill. That’s where Google Maps comes in. Many investigators, documentary filmmakers and podcasters use the street view feature to get an idea of spatial relationships and other crime scene details. And sometimes, the Google car even catches baddies in the act !

Freedom of Information Act Requests

For the super-serious armchair detective ready to invest some time and effort, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests can often provide firsthand accounts of case details. FOIA makes many (not all!) documents and records available from public agencies all the way to the Executive Branch. FOIA requests may turn up overlooked police records for prematurely cleared suspects, witness interviews, and many other documents related to an investigation. Sometimes, even one missed statement in an obscure document can mean the difference between a dead end and a hot lead.

Not all true crime fans are interested in getting deeply involved, but these tools may come in handy during CrimeCon ! You’ll have an opportunity to review some real case evidence and contribute your ideas. So brush up on those case details and bring your investigating A-game to CrimeCon!

--CC Informant

Devin of Thinking Sideways on Coming Out of Hiding & What's Next for TS

Sat, 18 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

One of the coolest things about CrimeCon is that we’ll have a chance to get up close and personal with our favorite true crime authors and podcasters . That is what initially sparked my own interest in CrimeCon and, if the Reddit and forum posts I’ve seen pop up are any indication, it’s a major factor for many of you.

That’s why it’s such a thrill to bring you CrimeCon-exclusive interviews with some of the upcoming guests. Recently, I spoke with Devin from Thinking Sideways to find out what we can look forward to at CrimeCon and the future of the remarkable podcast she shares with longtime friends Steve and Joe.

CC Informant: The three of you have remained somewhat famously anonymous. Why are you coming out of obscurity now?

Devin: When we first started, we were nervous to open our public lives to the internet. The internet can be a scary place. Even despite our efforts, we’ve had incidents; about eight months ago, someone tweeted a pic of my parents’ house. That’s the drive behind staying anonymous.

At the same time, we had a growing base of really great fans and we wanted to get some face time with them. So when we learned about CrimeCon, it sounded like a great, supportive space to kind of unveil Team Sideways (although we did jokingly consider renting a booth and then just never being there). It just sounded so cool that we couldn’t turn down the offer. We’re all feeling more confident with it, and we’re hoping that, being surrounded by like-minded people, nobody will have ill intent. We’re also at a point in our show and our lives where, if our identities were revealed, it wouldn’t necessarily be the end of the world. Plus, we’ve finally come to terms with the fact that we’re not some clandestine government operatives that Snowden is about to crack any day now or something.

CCI: You recently picked up sponsors. Has that changed the way that you produce the podcast?

Not really. It has changed the process a bit in that we have to consciously take a break, but it hasn’t significantly altered, say, what kind of content we can produce or anything. The reception and support from our fans has been great, with very little backlash. Plus, we always strive to be accessible to everyone; we don’t swear, we give warnings when the content is about to get a little gnarly, and that’s made a difference in our ability to work with a wide variety of advertisers.

CCI: When did you realize the podcast had taken off way more than you ever expected it to?

It was surprising when we realized it. It was right when Serial came out and we’d been doing this show for a year and a half and all of a sudden there was this explosion. There was a Mashable article with a list of podcast recommendations for people going through Serial withdrawals, and we were featured on it.

Overnight, we went from about 2,000 downloads per episode to almost 300,000. Now we’re on track for 1.7 million this month, and we’re laughing at the time when we really thought we’d really made it at 1,000 downloads. It was just something we were doing as friends, and now it’s grown to this size. It keeps us on our toes; when we had a small crowd, it was easier to maybe get lazy with the research, let some technical glitches go, and just not have to worry about being as good as we are now.

CCI: What do you hope it will lead to? What’s the future of Thinking Sideways?

I don’t know, that’s a good question. We’ve been kind of dancing around that subject a while. We’re all at very different points in our lives. Steve just got married. I’m in a serious relationship. Joe is a perpetual bachelor. And also, we have these generational factors-- there are several years of age difference between the three of us. But we all care about each other a lot, and if doing the podcast ever came between that. . . No, really, we’re planning to do it forever.

CCI: How do you each prepare for an episode?

We each have our process. We’ve worked over the years to make sure we’re doing the same thing on a fundamental level because it’s what works best. We have shared docs and spreadsheets, we keep to deadlines. Then before we record, we post our outlines for each other to look over.

But when researching, we all have our own methods. Joe loves to call police stations to get information when he can, and he’ll go on Google maps and poke around these places we're talking about. I tend to dig more into online forums, going back through pages and pages of comments looking for something super obscure that may offer a new angle or theory we don’t know. I use the Wayback Machine a lot. And Steve likes to buy books-- I’m talking 20 books at a time and then he reads and reads and reads. He has more stories in his backlog than any of us because he’s constantly soaking up all this information.

CCI: What are some “third rail” cases that you just won't do?

There are a few. The big one is JonBenet Ramsey. Johnny Gosch has been a big request since the Netflix special came out. When push comes to shove, the cases we won’t do are the ones where we just don’t feel like we have anything else to contribute. We enjoy doing this because we like to dig in, look at what’s out there, develop our own theories and talk it out. Some cases have just reached maximum talk-it-outedness. Things like the Netflix documentary are terrific because they’ve brought a lot of new attention to cases like Johnny Gosch’s, but they have paid, professional researchers and massive amounts of resources. They actually CAN dig into primary resources and maybe turn up some new evidence. We can’t top that, so we want to stick to what we do best.

CC: Okay, last question: can I get a Team Sideways group hug at CrimeCon?

Yeah, duh. You just have to find us first. No, really, we’ll be there. Probably.

_____

You could be among the first people to meet Team Sideways in person! Register for CrimeCon to come face to face with your favorite true crime podcasters and writers.

Meet the CrimeCon Informant

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

HELLO, TRUE CRIME ADDICTS! I’M YOUR CONFIDENTIAL CRIMECON INFORMANT; WELCOME TO MY BLOG.

I’m here to unlock the mysteries of CrimeCon. To take you behind the scenes and be your conduit to the convention producers and to everything they’re working on for the ultimate true crime weekend.

And from what I’ve seen so far. . . wow! We are all in for quite a treat.

CrimeCon producers brought me in and gave me full access to everything they’re working on so that I can be your eyes and ears. I’m slinking around behind the scenes to bring you regular updates on guests, podcasts, breakout sessions, a murder mystery dinner, exclusive VIP experiences-- everything you need to know before your CrimeCon weekend. I’m also going to take a closer look at some well-known (and not-so-well-known) cases featured at CrimeCon, and interviewing a number of the special guests to find out what they’re planning.

So, who am I, exactly? I'm an expertly-trained government operative with experience in clandestine surveillance and-- nah. . . Actually, I’m just a true crime nerd who was lucky enough to have been handed over the CrimeCon keys.

In real life, I’m a Websleuth and an armchair detective active on virtually every true crime subreddit and Topix forum. My DVR is full of Dateline specials and Snapped episodes. My bookshelf is stuffed with dog-eared books with morbid titles that have raised the eyebrows of many of my visitors. I’m simply a true crime fan with inside access, and I’m sharing what I learn with you!

You’ll see me pop up on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , as well as here on the blog from time to time. But you don’t have to seek me out! Sign up to receive free CrimeCon Informant updates delivered directly to your inbox.

Stay informed, and I’ll see you at CrimeCon! (But you won’t see me!)

-CC Informant

Meet the Coolest Canines in Crime

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Informant’s Note: Because I know you’re dying to ask, yes, you may pet Garmin at CrimeCon (unless she’s working)!

It all started when Michael Sarvich watched the Disney classic The Fox and the Hound as a child. Dismayed to learn that he could not, in fact, keep a fox for a pet, he set a simple goal: when he was grown up, he would get a bloodhound dog instead.

And that’s exactly what he did. Seven years ago, Michael brought home Sophie, a bloodhound puppy, and fulfilled his lifelong dream. To keep the energetic puppy busy and entertained, Michael decided to train her as a tracking dog. After all, it’s what she was born to do. But Michael never thought Sophie would search for more than his own kids in the backyard.

After Sophie’s first day of training, her trainers excitedly informed Michael that she had extraordinary potential as a search and rescue dog. “She had demonstrated commands on her first day that took older dogs months to master," says Michael. Sophie, indeed, became a certified search and rescue dog and worked until her passing at three years old due to a kidney complication.

Today, Michael and his adopted bloodhound Garmin work with the Midwest Search Dogs group to train and deploy highly skilled search and rescue dogs. I was lucky enough to sit down with him recently to learn some more about the heroic (and perfectly smoochable!) dogs coming to meet us at CrimeCon.

Name: Takota

Breed: Australian Shepherd

Certifications: Live area search; Human remains detection; Water remains detection

Takota (Kota for short) is a workaholic. He’s certified in nearly every function of search and rescue, and he loves his job. After the 2011 tornado that wrecked havoc on the town of Joplin, MO, Kota answered the call of duty. Arriving with his handler, MWSD President Chelsea Gill, Kota worked 12-15 hour shifts for four days, alerting authorities to victims and survivors trapped in the devastation and rubble. After more than ten years on the job, Kota is approaching retirement. I’d say he’s earned it.

Name: Nikhya

Breed: Australian Shepherd

In Training: Live area search; Human remains detection

Nikhya is Kota’s roommate and will replace Kota as the de facto team captain after Kota’s retirement. At two years old, Nikhya is still in puppy mode, but is quickly learning the ropes and continues to work toward certifications in other SAR disciplines. Nikhya is currently in training for live search and human remains detection.

Name: Lambeau

Breed: Labrador Retriever

Certifications: Live area search

In Training: Human remains detection

Lambeau is the quintessential lab. He’s highly energetic, has an extremely high activity drive, and will do absolutely anything for food. He’s affectionate, loyal, and loves to cuddle. But when it’s time to train or work, Lambeau is in the zone. His off-the-charts energy manifests in a remarkable dedication to the job. Lambeau is currently in training for human remains detection.

Name: Garmin

Breed: Bloodhound

Certifications: Tracking/Trailing

Garmin is a poster-perfect bloodhound. If you saw her in a movie, she’d be the classic police K9 hound, dashing through the prison gates in hot pursuit of an escaped baddie. Garmin (so named, I presume, because she knows exactly where she’s going), began training at two months old, and five years later, she’s an expert tracking dog. When she’s not working, however, Garmin is stubborn-- sometimes the only way to get her attention is to open a cheese wrapper within earshot.

What can we expect at CrimeCon?

These dogs have serious skills, and Michael is eager to show them off. I think it’s safe to say we’ll see Garmin and her friends showcase their supercanine strengths. Michael told me that Kota once found a single human tooth in a football field in under three minutes, so maybe we’ll get to see her chase down some obscure artifact hidden in some random storage cabinet of the JW Marriott.

If you’re a true crime nerd and a bleeding-heart animal lover like I am, you will NOT want to miss this session! Click here to register for CrimeCon and catch these extraordinary dogs in action!