CrimeCon 2019

CrimeCon 2019 New Orleans

I’m so thankful I attended CrimeCon 2019 with my true crime loving cousins this year. If there is an event created for me, it’s CrimeCon 2019! Keith Morrison, Dirty John, Someone Knows Something, Tenderfoot TV, 48 Hours & more! To say I’m thrilled to recap this weekend for you all is an understatement.

If you ever attend CrimeCon, I highly recommend staying at the hotel hosting the event. This was a game changer for us. We were able to access all the events in less than 5 minutes from our room.

While walking around the hotel, I spot Nancy Grace (amazing & so friendly) Kelly Siegler, Rodie Sanchez, Debra Newell & many more CrimeCon 2019 speakers.

ONE THING AT A TIME AT CRIME CON 2019

Honestly, I treated CrimeCon 2019 like Disneyland. Each day I found one event to focus on. Everything after that is the icing on top of the cake. The truth is, there are so many events happening at the same time, it can be a bit overwhelming and the FOMO is real.

While there is a CrimeCon Insider option to stream all the lectures, I didn’t go for it. I figured I was spending enough money & instead tried to prioritize the events I really wanted to attend and focus on those.

CRIME CON 2019 – FRIDAY

Paul Holes opened CrimeCon 2019 & made sure to state expectations. I love how he brought up the fact there are many victims and victim’s families present at the event. He encouraged everyone to be mindful, respectful & sensitive to the cases. I really appreciated that & it set a positive tone for the event.

My first event of the day is The Art of Interrogation: A Serial Killer Confesses with Jeff Rinek & Marilee Strong. Let me tell you, this topic is INTENSE. Jeff has an entirely different way of interrogation & it helped him get a confession from the killer, Cary Stayner. I left thinking this is going to be a really heavy & emotional weekend.

Next up, is one of my favorites of the weekend: The Black Dahlia: A Case Study with Anne Redding. This case study is so fantastic because Anne brings up many new thoughts. Redding’s timeline is precise & her research is objective. I love this deep dive into one of the most famous cold cases in US history.

I’m not sure if y’all know, but 20/20 is killing it lately. Their Friday night 2-hour formats are so in depth. This panel, 20/20 Presents: Murder in the OC: From Crime Scene to Conviction Speakers with Matt Gutman & OC prosecutor Matt Murphy is informative, enjoyable & gives me a different perspective on many of the cases.

Finally, my cousins & I attend Someone Knows Something: Solving a Mississippi Cold Case Speakers with Thomas Moore & David Ridgen. I love this podcast so much. Having the opportunity to head David & Thomas speak about solving the Mississippi Cold Case is so emotional meaningful. To me, David Ridgen is the best of the best when it comes to investigative journalism. His focus is always on the truth. Listeners know this after hearing him speak for five minutes. To hear that thought reiterated by Thomas Moore is very powerful & their panel is something I’ll likely remember the rest of my life. Read more about my love for this podcast right here.

CRIME CON 2019 – SATURDAY

Come Saturday, I’m Really Into CrimeCon 2019! Now I have an idea how this all works & I’m ready for more.

My first event of the day is Profiling Dirty John: The Real Story with Debra Newell, Terra Newell & Laura Richards. Y’all know I binged the heck out of Dirty John when it first came out. The Bravo series is fabulous too. Basically, this case is so memorable to me because John is hiding in plain sight. He is so close to being caught so many times. Yet, he continues to scam & ruin people’s lives. hearing first-hand accounts from Debra & Terra is really impactful. Laura offers a lot of additional information about stalking that is highly relevant to this case.

Next up is 48 Hours “Death in Dark Water”: An Exclusive Look into the Natalie Wood Death Investigation Speakers with Erin Moriarty & Lana Wood. This case is so intriguing to me. We hear Lana talk about Natalie’s fear of water. The fact that she drowns over Thanksgiving weekend is suspicious at best. 48 Hours is one of my favorite investigative shows & Erin Moriarty is so fantastic. There is no way I’m leaving CrimeCon 2019 without meeting Erin!

CrimeCon 2019 Meet & Greet Erin Moriarty

My highlight of CrimeCon 2019 is meeting the cast of Dateline. I am still swooning over Keith Morison giving me a legitimate hug. Josh & Dennis didn’t seem that into it, but no matter. The room to meet them was packed. I jumped in line as soon as I met Erin & fangirled in line. I am a huge Dateline fan & the chance to tell them what they mean to me is so special & unforgettable.

CRIME CON 2019 – SUNDAY

While over at the CBC Radio booth talking to one of the producers about my love for Someone Knows Something, I met Josh Bloch. He’s the voice & face behind the CBC Radio podcast, Escaping NXIVM: Inside the Unraveling of an Alleged Cult. I know enough about the case to attend the panel & found his discussion with Barbara Bouchey very interesting. I did; however, skip out a little early to catch some of Henry Lee.

Despite only seeing the tail end of Dr. Henry Lee’s: New Concepts in Homicide Investigation, I got a lot out of my time. He is so incredibly brilliant. This is one of those times I cursed the CrimeCon 2019 organizers for putting so many wonderful presenters on at the same time!

My final panel for CrimeCon 2019 is Serial Killers Among Us with John White. Y’all, I LOVED this one. I can listen to John White inform me about serial killers for hours on end. This panel was informative, detailed, engrossing & captivating.

CRIME CON 2019 – WHAT I MISSED

I really wanted to attend the discussion with Billy Jensen and Paul Holes: The Murder Squad. But, the room was full to the brim & I was exhausted. I’m reading/listening to Billy’s book right now & loving it so much. We saw Paul Holes at The DNA of Murder with Paul Holes. This is an interactive panel with a crime scene. Overall, it was really great to see Paul do his thing. This panel is able to give us a further look into this thought process at a crime scene.

My cousin’s attended DNA Detectives: One Thousand Years of Cold Case Investigations Resolved with CeCe Moore. Collectively they rave about it! I wish I attended this panel so I could have geeked out with them.

By now, you know how much I love 48 Hours. I really wish I could have seen the Fatal Crossing discussion with Peter Van Sant. Honestly though, by Sunday afternoon my brain is overloaded & I’m ready to hit the town. The beignets are calling my name.

Also, I love Cold Justice! My cousins attended the panel with Kelly Siegler, Steve Spingola, and Tonya Rider. They loved it & said the Cold Justice panel was one of their favorites from CrimeCon 2018 in Nashville.

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into CrimeCon 2019! Overall, this is a fantastic experience for a true crime lover like me. Next year is in Orlando. Likely, I will skip it because it is so far away, but I will definitely be back for more Crime Con. Read more about Bri’s experience at CrimeCon 2019 here.

CrimeCon 2019 Oxygen true Crime Fanatic Tote