CrimeCon Day 2 started earlier and felt much busier. Today, the numbers of attendees were evident by the packed Main Ballroom which is where I found myself for most of the day.
I started off my second day with Paula Woodward in conversation with John Ramsey, the father of murder victim JonBenét Ramsey. Their panel “Searching for Truth: John Ramsey’s Fight for Justice” reviewed what Ramsey and Woodward felt were shortcomings of the police involved in the case over the years as well as evidence that they both feel needs to be retested with more modern DNA science.
Buy Unsolved The JonBenét Ramsey Murder 25 Years LaterWhile the room seemed to be mostly full of supporters of John and Patsy Ramsey, there were still some on attendance who still feel the Ramsey’s were behind the murder of their daughter. These folks made themselves known through loud comments at various times during the panel. Even posting about my presence in the panel garnered some divisive responses. And all throughout the day I heard people on both sides of the aisle discussing their thoughts and feelings about this case. But regardless about who you think did this, there is still a little girl who was murdered, and her case deserves to be solved.
But then again, here at CrimeCon, outside of speakers, creators, exhibitors, and fans, there are also a number of families, friends, and advocates of those who are victims. And those victims have not received the same coverage that the JonBenét Ramsey case has.
The wall of the missing and the lost that is in the main atrium in a heavy reminder that so many people are still searching for justice and for answers. Even as I filled up my water bottle this morning, the advocates for #JusticeforAprilHolt had left a stack of info cards with a QR code for others to take. Powerful reminders that true crime is not just entertainment, but the lived reality for so many people. And those people also deserve justice and answers. That is why I am grateful I had the chance to head back to the exhibit hall for a bit and to go on Instagram Live with Rebekah Howard of the Black and Missing Foundation.
This non-profit looks to close the gap of racial disparities that are so evident in regards to how missing persons of color are investigated and covered in the media. The foundation provides “vital resources and tools for missing person’s families and friends.” The Black and Missing Foundation also seeks to educate the minority community about personal safety. This foundation is playing a key role for so many families in their search for answers. You can find out more about the foundation, donate, get involved, or even report a missing person by visiting their website.
After spending a bit more time in the hall, I headed back to the Main Ballroom to see former U. S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner discuss the Robert Wone case. While Kirschner reviewed the case and the evidence, he ended his panel with a call to action which is a call to action I have heard echoed a few times today, and that is a call for attendees to contact their state representatives to help pass the Homicide Victims Family Rights Act in all 50 states. While this law is a federal law, it has only been adopted by a few states.
According to congress.gov, this bill “establishes a framework for immediate family members of a victim of murder under federal law to request a review of the victim’s case file if the murder was committed more than three years prior, the murder was investigated by a federal law enforcement entity, all probative investigative leads have been exhausted, and no likely perpetrator has been identified.”
To learn more about this act, you can check out the video Kirschner posted to his YouTube channel this morning titled, “The Homicide Victim’s Families’ Rights Act: Help for Families Who Lost a Loved One to Violent Crime”.
On a lighter note, during Kirschner’s panel, I was approached by a service dog named Darryl whose owner said I could pet him. And this certified good boy plunked his beautiful head into my hand for some chin pets. Darryl then looked deep into my eyes and we had a moment. The dogs of CrimeCon could make for a whole other post, but It was a lovely break in the day.
Now for those who follow me on the regular, you know that I do love Dateline, but I wanted to see “Finding Holly: a 20/20 Presentation” with John Quiñones, Cristina Corbin, and Holly Marie. In this panel Quiñones spoke with Corbin and Holly Marie, who was the subject of Corbin’s podcast What About Holly? Holly’s story is a harrowing one that involves murder, religious cults, and the journey of Holly discovering herself and her family. To learn more about this case directly, you can check out her book Finding Baby Holly. You can also listen to What About Holly? wherever you get your podcasts.
After the 20/20 presentation, former Orange County Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphey took the stage in the Main Ballroom today for his panel, “Sadism, Serial Killers, and ‘Bachelor Number One’: Matt Murphy Looks Back at His Conviction of Rodney Alcala.”
This case is one that is familiar to me as it has been covered by a number of true crime outlets, but Murphy is the man who made the case to put Alcala away for his natural life. Murphy shared not only crime-scene photos and evidence, but the stories from the investigation as well as the stories of Alcala’s victims. It was both and engaging and entertaining panel as Matt Murphy is a gifted speaker as well as a talented lawyer. I am looking forward to his memoir, The Book of Murder: A Prosecutor’s Journey Through Love and Death which is available for pre-order below.
Buy The Book of Murder: A Prosecutor’s Journey Through Love and DeathI have learned this trip that it would not be a CrimeCon if attendees didn’t hear from Josh “The Mayor of CrimeCon” Mankiewicz. So “The Mayor” was the final panel of the day in the Main Ballroom. As Mankiewicz took the stage, the packed room broke into cheers and applause. After they settled down, he started off his talk by sharing about the importance of organizations like the Black and Missing Foundation and talked once again about Madison McGhee’s podcast Ice Cold Case.
Mankiewicz then went into some other behind-the-scenes stories from Dateline and his storied career. Being the fantastic mayor he is, left plenty of time for people to ask questions. And ask they did. But during that Q&A time, a truly meaningful moment occurred when an attendee came to the mic to share that her family had been featured in a Dateline story and that the show truly did a wonderful, fair, and careful job with her family’s story. The moment was a truly special one that inspired a thunderous round of applause afterwards.
While Josh Mankiewicz’s panel may not have been as formal as the other panels I have taken in this weekend, it is clear as the mayor, that he knows what his “citizens” want. His humor, experience, compassion, and genuine interest and involvement with the cases he has worked on was evident to everyone in the room. But he is also a man of the people who is not afraid to spend time on the con floor taking photos with fans and spending time with people who approach him. I have no doubt his term as mayor will continue.
After Mankiewicz wrapped, I headed down to the general meet-and-greet areas. While Platinum VIP badge holders had a special meet and greet on Friday, throughout the weekend, many of the speakers have offered general meet and greet for any of the attendees. I caught the end of Matt Murphy’s meet and greet and saw Josh Mankiewicz’s enter into his.
The meet-and-greet area was well-organized and the expectations of what the speakers would and would not do was also clearly shared beforehand. For example, while Mankiewicz would take photos with folks, he was not signing anything. The announcement about this before he came out set a clear expectation for the fans and allowed the line to move smoothly and quickly.
After the programming wrapped for the day, the VIPs headed to a cocktail hour hosted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children before the night’s main VIP event of the CLUE Awards Banquet.
The weekend wraps tomorrow and so I will leave you all here for now. Remember you can follow along with my CrimeCon activities by following me @darcystaniforth on Instagram and on X (Twitter). Read Day Two coverage.
