When I first mention CrimeCon to folks, oftentimes they assume that this convention is a pulp magazine come to life, but this con is far from that. Humanity and advocacy are at the heart of this convention and the programming I caught on Day Two were all good reminders of those things.
Hollywood Endings: Celebrity Death Dissections
The first panel of the day I attended was “Hollywood Endings: Celebrity Death Dissections” presented by Nicole Angemi, who has worked in the field of pathology for over 20 years, and she is also an author and host of the Mother Knows Death podcast. During her 60-minute presentation, Angemi took the audience through the difference between causes of death and manners of death, while discussing 16 celebrity deaths. And while the title of her talk may also sound like it came right from a Hollywood rag, her presentation was informative and deeply respectful.
Buy Nicole Angemi’s Anatomy Book: A Catalog of Familiar, Rare, and Unusual PathologiesAlong with discussing these different deaths, Angemi displayed photos from postmortem examinations and autopsies to help the audience better understand what pathologists see in their everyday work. And while there were a few photos from death scenes in her presentation, they did not include the victims.
I also appreciated that Angemi addressed how challenging it can be in the immediate aftermath of a death, especially a celebrity death, to sort out fact from fiction. She used the more recent deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa to really drive this point home.
And while celebrities may have been at the center of this talk, Angemi’s tone and carefully chosen language ensured that their humanity remained at the center.
In Conversation with Dateline’s Josh Mankiewicz & Blayne Alexander
While Josh Mankiewicz is a CrimeCon staple, (he is the “Mayor” after all), this was Blayne Alexander’s first time attending, but the CrimeCon audience welcomed her with open arms during their conversation.
Over the course of their time together on stage, Mankiewicz and Alexander discussed how important representation in media is, especially for marginalized and under-served populations and communities. Mankiewicz recounted how the tides for Dateline changed after the 2005 coverage of Tamika Huston demonstrated that viewers were not only interested in missing white women, but that they were interested and invested in well-told stories.
Both Mankiewicz and Alexander also addressed how important their approach as reporters is when working with the families and friends of the victims who work with them on these stories. Addressing how special it is to be a part of the Dateline team because as journalists, they are allowed to approach each story in their own individual and authentic way, which allows a truer and more genuine connection with their subjects and interviewees.
At the end of the panel, Alexander and Mankiewicz took questions from the audience. While some were lighthearted, others were from the family members of victims who had been covered by different Dateline outlets. But each person was handled with great care and compassion, but then again, I would expect nothing less from these two.
Victim-Impact Statements: In Their Own Words
Last year, I met Madison McGhee of the podcast, Ice Cold Case in which McGhee takes on trying to solve her father J.C. McGhee’s murder. J.C.’s case is a case of being a “lesser dead” in the eyes of law enforcement and it is only through Madison’s work that his case has even been talked about. If you have not listened to Ice Cold Case, I recommend that you do.
As I was leaving the media lounge to head back into panels, I ran into McGhee who asked if I was going to come listen to her read her victim-impact statement. Yes, I told her. I mean, how could I say no to that?
This victim-impact statement session was moderated by Renée Williams who is the CEO of the National Center for Victims of Crime. Before the speakers, Williams gave a little background on each case and then welcomed them to the stage. The first up was Lisa Landry and then her husband, Kent Landry. The Landry’s are the parents of missing person, Jason Landry.
Then came Josh Lank, who is the cousin of Libby German, one of the young victims of the Delphi murders.
And then Madison McGhee finished out this time.
While this was part of the con that anyone could have attended, it was an honor to be in this room. For these family members to come to this space and share some of their most vulnerable feelings and thoughts to a room full of strangers is something that is not lost on me. It was one of the most important sessions of this weekend because these statements are powerful and somber reminders that there are human beings at the heart of these cases and that their loved ones are forever changed by these losses. As Kent Landry so perfectly put it, “Please don’t make our pain your enjoyment.”
The Vanishing of Relisha Rudd: A Cold Case Reexamined by the Black and Missing Foundation, Inc.
After the victim-impact session ended, I headed over to catch the last part of the Black and Missing Foundation’s reexamining of the disappearance of Relisha Rudd where they debuted clips from a new docuseries coming out in October that dives into this cold case from 2014.
While I only caught a short portion of the actual presentation, I was there for the entire Q and A portion, where once again the stories and questions that came from these attendees were important reminders of the people and pain behind the headlines.
Puppy Time with MaxFund Animal Shelter
As someone who spent six years working with students who are survivors of deep trauma, I have learned when I need to take a break and care for myself. So, after such an impactful and emotional morning and afternoon, I knew it was time for a break and what better way than to sit with the most adorable puppies from the MaxFund Animal Shelter, which is a no-kill shelter here in Denver.
Getting time to play with and snuggle both Delulu and Labubu, who, along with their siblings are up for adoption, helped reset my system. I definitely needed that time. Because while I may be a fan of true crime and enjoy getting to cover CrimeCon, being immersed in these stories can take its toll. And as long as I am in the true crime space, I want to ensure that I still feel.
Feel for all of the families and friends whose life will never be the same.
Feel for all of the incredible people who do the work to bring justice to these victims.
Feel for all of those who are still waiting for answers.
Because the moment that this doesn’t affect me, that’s the moment I don’t want to be in this space anymore. So while there was more to see, I knew it was enough for the day.
