CRIMECON as told by Briana Prieto

Today's Talk About it Tuesdays is a quick wrap-up of my experience at CrimeCon!!!

CrimeCon oh CrimeCon, how you have my heart!!!

What is CrimeCon you ask?

Well, it’s a true crime convention. In a 3 day weekend, you get to experience everything related to true crime. From the most current cases, to discovering interesting scientific methods. All the events are purely educational and phenomenal. There are endless chances to meet speakers, podcasters, and other true crime fanatics.

CrimeCon took place in New Orleans, Louisiana and CrimeCon is actually only 3 years old and ever since the first year, I’ve been attempting to go. I finally got the opportunity to attend this year. I’ve mentioned before, I’m an extremely anxious person. So traveling to another city for a convention was a wee bit intense for me, but nonetheless I made sure I went into the convention with a positive mindset and made sure I had fun, and that I did!

CrimeCon was very organized. The convention was divided by three major rooms. The rooms were massive, with enough space to find somewhere to sit. Each segment was an hour (I swear it wasn’t enough) with 15 minute breaks in between. After each segment, speakers were in a room for fans to get the opportunity to meet them (again, organized!). Podcasters also have live segments throughout the weekend which was awesome to experience. There was also a couple hours each day called ‘Podcast Row Open Hours’, where all of the podcasters were available to meet which was also pretty cool.

Here is how my CrimeCon went:

Day 1-

12pm: My eager self was seated in the ballroom waiting for CrimeCon to begin. Paul Holes was the host of CrimeCon and he welcomed us with a delightful speech to get us pumped for the weekend.

12:30pm: DNA Detectives: One Thousand Years of Cold Case Investigations Recorded with Cece Moore.

This segment was quite fascinating. Cece Moore explained the use of DNA and genealogy in investigations. It’s unbelievable to see how successful these DNA programs have been. As a Genetic Genealogist, Cece Moore developed a DNA technique that has helped solve 37 cases. Cece Moore’s program GEDmatch was responsible for catching the Golden State Killer.

1:45pm: The Black Dahlia: A Cast Study by Anne Redding.

This was one of my favorite segments of the weekend. Anne Redding provided information about this case I had no idea about. The Black Dahlia cold case is one of my favorite cases, I was so wrapped up listening to Anne, that the hour flew by.

3pm: What Happened to Nancy Moyer?

Nancy Moyer’s family and the lead detective were the keynote speakers to this segment. Nancy Moyer vanished in 2009 and hasn’t been seen since. It’s a cold case, and a devastating one.

4:15pm: Martinis & Murder LIVE: Chris Watts Family Tragedy

I have been a ‘Martinis and Murder’ fan since they first started their podcast. With all the true crime podcasts out there, ‘Martinis & Murder’ is still my #1. Right before the segment began, I met Daryn and John, the podcast hosts, and it was the highlight of my weekend. I was shaking for 15 minutes LOL. The Watts family tragedy is a horrendous case. Chris Watts killed his family and tried to play as the grieving widow. He tried to pin the murders on his wife. He was quickly found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.

5:30pm: A Tribute to the Queen of True Crime: Ann Rule.

The keynote speakers for this segment were Sheryl McCollum, Kathy Kleiner Rubin, and Leslie Rule. Ann Rule was a remarkable woman, d and the imprint she left on the true crime genre will never be forgotten. Kathy Kleiner Rubin was a Ted Bundy survivor. I was completely unaware  of who Kathy was. Her story was tragic and she is one badass woman.

6:45pm: Injustice with Nancy Grace

Nancy Grace is my queen. She is intelligent, resilient, and fearless. I loved ending the day with her.

Day 2-

CrimeCon began at 9am and of course, I was there bright eyed and bushy tailed eager to begin the longest day of the weekend.

9am: Crime Stories with Nancy Grave LIVE

Nancy Grace covered the case of the Delphi Murders. A case I was completely unaware of. The Delphi Murders is a heartbreaking case. In 2017, two teenagers were brutally murdered. Police have a video taken from one of the girls phones and composite sketch of the suspect. They have yet to capture the killer. The case is still opened and being investigated.

10:15am: Profiling Dirty John: The Real Story

The Dirty John case has been all over the place, but I have not made myself familiar with the case. I spent the entire hour with my jaw on the floor. I couldn’t believe half the things I was hearing. Debra and Terra Newell are badass survivors.

11:30am: The NYPD Cannibal Cop Case: Conspiracy vs Free Speech

Gil Valle was wrongfully convinced and spent time in prison over his fetishes/fantasies. I live in NYC and I had zero idea about this case. Prior to CrimeCon, I quickly read about the case and was completely misinformed. After listening to Gil Valle speak about his life and what he went through, I was obviously mislead by what I read online.

1:30pm: Cold Justice

Oooooooh I was so excited for this segment. Next to Nancy Grace, Kelly Siegler is an inspiration. The entire Cold Justice crew is. I love binge watching the show. The Cold Justice crew is a team of inspirational people. They make it their mission to solve cold cases that are years old. Their success rate is high and it’s truly impressive.

2:30pm-5:15pm: Break!!!

It was FREEZING inside the hotel so my mom and I headed outside to get some heat & drinks.

5:15pm: Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad

I LOVE this podcast I also LOVE Billy Jensen and Paul Holes. Seeing them live was a treat. They are a great & funny duo. They did a live podcast episode and covered the case of The Jeff Davis 8. This segment was a great way to end day 2.

Day 3-

The shortest and saddest day. The weekend was coming to and end and I couldn’t believe how quickly it went.

9:30am: Escaping NXIVM: Inside the Unraveling of an Alleged Cult

Woah, was I surprised to what I heard. I was pretty familiar with the NXIVM case and had a broad knowledge of it. Barbara Bouchey was a survivor of NXIVM and escaped the alleged cult. She spoke all about her experience and it was terrible what she endured. She is such an intelligent and brave woman. Her story was insane and remarkable.

10:45am: Serial Killers Among Us

This segment RIGHT HERE, it was my favorite one of the entire weekend. John White was so informative and brilliant. He covered the though process of a serial killer, their motives, and what makes a serial killer. My hand was moving so fast across my notepad. There was so much information to digest I couldn’t keep up. John White is a professor in Teas and I want to move out there just to take his class LOL.

1pm: Closing Video

CrimeCon put together a cute 5 minute video thanking attendees and it was so moving, I cried.

CrimeCon was a life changing experience. Being among like minded people with the same passion and interest was momentous. There were so many cases I was uninformed about. I learned a lot from the segments I did visit, and I missed out on so much as well. Being that I’m only one person, I tried to divide my time between panels but it was so difficult when all the speakers did a stunning job. I never felt bored or caught myself daydreaming. I was intrigued and engaged, my noggin was eating up all the information at a rapid pace, it was incredible. I took so many notes and my hand cramped at so many points. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. If you are obsessed with true crime like myself, I recommend going to CrimeCon at least once in a lifetime. You will be shocked to see how many people enjoy it as well. Never once did I feel out of place or “weird” for loving true crime. Even with the development of true crime as a genre, I feel like there is this stigmatism about true crime lovers that were are morbid, dark, weird, and unordinary folks. While part of it is true (LOL we are pretty dark & morbid), we’re just a group of ordinary people who like solving cold cases, informing ourselves with murders, and have a slight obsession with serial killers. I love my true crime community and I’m so happy to have found a convention that caters to our love for it!!! 

Thank you CrimeCon, I’m truly in awe of the amazing work you guys do and I’m excited for the years to come!

In future posts, I will be covering the cases that I saw and also cases that I didn’t get to see. Some cases are: The Black Dahlia Case, Nancy Moyer, Dirty John, The Iceman, Kathy Kleiner & Ted Bundy, The Cannibal Cop Case, and more!!! 

So stay tuned and thank you for reading!!!