Crimecon 2026 Recap

Welcome to Primetime Crime. I'm your host, Kylie. Let's talk right now in true crime, and then together we're going to work on warming up some cold cases. Let's go. Hey, guys, welcome to this week's episode of Primetime Crime. It's Kylie. We have just a couple of real quick right now and true crime things before we get into today's episode, which is a little bit longer because it is my Crime Con twenty twenty six recap, So real quick, just a couple of things to catch up on from the week. They have assigned a new judge to the Murdall trial. Like I said, he is getting a new trial, so they officially have assigned a new judge and it is a woman judge. The financials are not going to be allowed in the new trial, so hopefully that will help speed things along. That was a big part of the last trial and it took up a lot of time. But the judge that is going to be overseeing things seems like she is fair and well respected in South Carolina, so we will continue to stay on top of it. And the other thing I want to talk about, which I don't know what is going on. I feel like we are going back in time. There have been so many convictions overturned in the last six months, between Letitia Stout this murder and then Adam Montgomery, who was convicted of the homicide of his five year old daughter, Harmony Montgomery, out of New Hampshire. His conviction has also been overturned and he has been granted a new trial. So when charges were initially brought against him, he had charges for the homicide and assault and they brought those together, so he was essentially tried on both of those offenses together and he was found guilty. So he had at some point asked to have the murder charge separate from the other counts and that ended up being denied. But now it has. Been determined the courts have made the determination that he did not get a fair trie because of this, so he is going to be getting a new trial. New Hampshire's highest court determined that the murder charge should have been prosecuted separately from the charge of second degree assault. Adam remains convicted of multiple serious felonies arising from Harmony's death. He also has separate firearms offenses that were previously upheld on appeal. His total sentence was forty three point five years for those additional charges. That stands, he is not going to be getting out of prison in the time that all of this is going on. He will remain behind bars. And I am confident, given all that we have in this case against Adam, that another jury will likely also find him guilty and he will go back to also serving the time that correlates with the murder and the assault charges. He was sentenced to forty five years for that, by the way, so he is never going to see the light a day again as it stands right now. I will continue to keep you guys updated on this one, but I just cannot believe that he is getting a new trial. We are redoing all of these trials, and this is why it is so important in the justice system that things go right the first time, because if they don't and there is a new trial, there's a chance that another jury could come up and find these people not guilty, and that is a really scary thought. I don't think that's the case in Adams's case necessarily, or in the murder case at all, but you just never know. So last thing I want to talk about is Lynnett Hooker. She is the woman who went missing in the Bahamas after being on a dinghy boat with her husband when he said allegedly that she fell overboard. And this all happened on April fourth, so she has been missing ever since, and within the last couple of days, the Coastguard has officially ended the search for her in the Bahamas. So where does it go from here? I don't really know what direction they are going to go in. Brian has been under suspicion, of course, of this not being an accident. It is a whole thing. There is a lot to it. My friends Rich and Tina over at Love Mary Cale actually did a bonus episode that goes into the details of Brian and Lynette Hooker and everything that supposedly went down, So please go give that a listen if you want more in depth details. But where it stands right now is they have suspended the search and that is kind of where things are. I don't know where things are going to leave from here, but I will be sure to stay on top of it, and if anything more happens, I will be sure to let you know. At the moment, Brian is not in custody, so that is kind of where we stand. As far as this case goes. So that is it for right now in true crime. If there's anything more breaking, I will be sure to bring it to you asap. As always follow on social media, And if you guys are listening on any platform and you have not left me a five star review, please take a minute to. Go and do that. Now. I know I have a lot more listeners than I have reviews, So if you haven't given me a five star review, please take a minute before this episode starts, and please go and do that on whatever listening platform you are on. I appreciate you, guys, and we are going to get into today's episode. All righty guys, today we are getting into the Crime Con twenty twenty six recap. I have no notes. I am just going to talk about my experience at Crime Con twenty twenty six. This year. It was held at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, so basically the heart of the strip. I had been to Caesar's Palace in February and wasn't super happy about the conference being there because it is so massive there. Also, the food. Options are insanely expensive and not super conducive to somebody who eats gluten free, because who wants to pay twenty eight dollars for a piece of meat on lettuce? Definitely not me, So I wasn't super happy about it. But when we got there. We got there on Thursday, it was about midday, so it wasn't really early morning, but it wasn't late in the evening at this point in time. So we arrived, we checked in. Luckily, my cousin and I were in the Palace Tower, which was literally right off of the convention center, so our walk to the conference was. A minute tops. Some people were on the exact other side of Caesar's and had to walk all of that way to the convention center. So we were lucky at least where our room was, because typically we are the furthest away from the convention center, so luck was on our side this year as far as that goes. So we arrive, we check in. I was angry at that point in time because we hadn't eaten for about twelve hours because Texas time in Las Vegas time, there's a difference there. So we went and grabbed something to eat really quickly, and then came back to the room unpacked, and we went and grabbed our badges and our bags for the weekend. I had the kickoff party that I was going to be going to, so I knew I had to get. Ready for that. So of course, every year crime Con gets bigger, and I'm saying, there are so many people now that are interested in crime Con. When I first went in twenty one, now keep in mind, this was like post pandemic. People were still a little leery about being in big crowds. Crime Con was smaller, and it has grown so much over these last few years. It's wild to me how many people come out every single year for crime Con. I love it so much. So got that, went back to my room and got ready for the kickoff party. My podcast crew primarily did Sandlot. So we all dressed up as a character from. The Sandlot and then we all met up in someone's room I honestly don't even know whose room it was, to take some group photos in all before we headed down to the kickoff party. So we had a great time at the kickoff party. It was nineties theme, and I will say, in my opinion, I love a themed party. I feel like I'm the queen of a themed party. And the music could have been better. They were playing music that wasn't even from the nineties, and I could have made the most bombed playlist. If I had been asked, I would have made the best nineties playlist. They did have a Britney Spears impersonator come and perform near the end of the party. I do fully love a impersonator, so the Britney Spears of it all was kind of fun. I was exhausted, though I do not do well on travel days, I was so jet lagged, I was so tired. I really just wanted to go back to my room and go to sleep, which is exactly what I did. Once the party was semi over, I left a little bit early, not as early as I normally would leave, so you got to give me props on that. But at the kickoff party, I got to hang out with a bunch of my girls, So I'm going to try to go through them one by one as much as I can. I'll do that at the end of. This podcast, so please stay tuned through the whole thing so I can give them all a shout out, and you guys can go and follow them because all of their podcasts and youtubees are amazing and you should be adding them to your weekly rotation for sure. So kickoff party was good, and then crime Con was set to start at noon on Friday, so went and had breakfast because my pro tip of doing the room service does not apply at Caesar's Palace because they charge you thirteen dollars for service fees, which is ridiculous, and then you also have to tip them, and there's a delivery and you end up paying forty dollars for a standard bagel, which is insane behavior. So my cousin and I walked over to the Link Promenade and got breakfast over there. So crime Con started at noon on Friday. And my favorite thing that crime Con does is they always do a recap video. So the last crime Con was September of twenty twenty five, so there hasn't been a ton of time between last crime Con and this crime Con, but they do a recap video of all that has happened in the true crime world since then. And I love watching the video because it really makes you realize how much actually does happen in the true crime world. It is insane that all of this stuff happens. So they showed the video. The first session was with Nancy Grace, who I got to meet and take a selfie with at the kickoff party. I actually, I don't know where I get all of my audacity, but I gave her my phone and I said, can you please take the selfie because I'm really bad at them, which is true. I'm just not great and the lighting in that room is terrible. So yes, I made Nancy take a selfie of us. That's just who I am as a human. She is gracious, she's lovely, She is always so willing to meet and take pics with her fans. So her session on Friday was about the ongoing Nancy Guthrie disappearance, and she said, with all of the resources that have been provided or offered, you would think that Nancy would be found by now, and she just kind of went into the details of everything. I got to sit in the session with sea Era from Unsolved Couple. She lives in Arizona and her and I have spent literally many a nights of texting about Nancy Guthrie and all that is going on surrounding it, because there were a few times that we thought they were going to arrest somebody. They have a suspect attained, and it all turned into nothing. So it was good to be able to sit in on that session with her. And unfortunately the case is still unsolved. Nancy Guthrie has not been found, and we are kind of still at square one with everything. And Nancy Grace put one hundred and ten percent blame on the Pima County Sheriff's Department and Sheriff Chris Nanos. So it was. Interesting and I thought it was a really good way to kick off Crime Con at twenty twenty six. So the next session was moderated by Anne Emerson and it was the session with Blanca, the Murda housekeeper. Now I have been following Murda since the murders happened and then it just unraveled into what it's become. So I was. Really intrigued and wanting to hear from Blanca Simpson. I know that she has written a book, and what I really liked about her session is she was very open, I think, very honest, and very candid. I think a lot of the times in sessions like these where there is a book to sell, they usually are like, well, just read the book, you'll have to buy the book. She didn't never once say anything like that she focused a lot on her friendship with Maggie. She talked a lot about Paul. She humanized them, which I think is so important because unfortunately they've been caught up in the tangled web of murdaw and all of the craziness that comes along with it. And I think that she did a really good job. I thoroughly enjoyed her session. It made me want to buy her book because I think she was open and honest and sincere, and I very much enjoyed her session. And she actually adopted Bubba, who was the Murda's dog, So now she has Bubba, and it does seem in general like she is doing well despite everything that has been going on now with the appeal and him being granted a possible new trial. So it was a good session. If you didn't get a chance to watch it, I do recommend you get Crime HQ and watch that. We are going to talk about all of that at the end. I will give you guys the information on that. All right. So then there was a short little afternoon break, which we love an afternoon break. It was only thirty minutes. And then I spent the next hour in creator row and I got to go and talk to some of my podcasting friends. I also went and talked to Joanne Lowitzer, who is Ali Lowitzer's mom. Ali was the first case I covered on this podcast when I first started. Ali went missing in twenty ten from Spring, Texas at only sixteen years old. So I got to meet Joanne last year. We had communicated via Instagram a few times and then got to meet her last year, and then I was so glad this year that she had a table, so I went over and spend some time chatting with her, which was great. She is so sweet and she's doing everything she can to help bring attention to her daughter's case. It is so so important that everybody knows Ali's face, because unfortunately, locally, it was kind of brushed off that Ali was a runaway, and basically Joanne was told, just let us know when she comes back, alluding to the fact that she left willingly on her own, which I think evidence proves otherwise. Because Ali was making plans. Ali used her cell phone a lotch she was an avid Avid Texter, and there's been no action on her cell phone since she went missing. See my Instagram page for the age progress photo of Ali. I keep it pinned at the top of my Instagram so you can find it very, very easily, So take a look at it. Please take a minute to share it to your social media. You never know who it is could reach and what could happen from one person seeing something and realizing that they might know something about Ali's disappearance. So the next hour, I went to the Crime Weekly live taping that Derek and Stephanie did with Nicki from Poppy Killed Mommy. I got to connect with Nicki last year and cover her mom's case, and it was so full circle to see Nicki on stage with Stephanie and Derek being able to talk about her mom's case and kind of where everything stands today because at this point in time, unless Russell Peterson decides to confess to his role in Stacy's murder, there is not going to be any prosecution that's going to happen. Nicki has tried to keep everything out there. She has put the pressure on law enforcement, but she's unfortunately been met with resistance at every single turn, And I think that's one of the good things about her doing this live taping with Derek and Stephanie because Crime Weekly has quite the following, and I think if nothing else, there is power in numbers, and it will bring more people to Nicky's podcast, and the louder and the more people that come together, maybe law enforcement will feel the need to further investigate and keep going so that way Nicki can get justice for her mom, Stacy. I think that is what is of the utmost importance here is Stacy had her life stolen from her and nothing has been done about it. So that is what Nicki is here to do. And I was so happy to see her on the Crime Weekly stage. She did an amazing job and that interview is out now on the Crime Weekly feed. If you didn't get a chance to attend the session and you want to listen, please go check it out. And then you can follow Nicki on social media and check out her podcast as well, which is called Poppy Killed Mommy, and she does an amazing, amazing job at telling. Her mother's story. So the next session I went to was the Roadblocks investigation with Chris Hansen and Michael Schlepp, and let. Me tell you this one was wild. So Schlepp brought out his laptop and they in real time got onto Roadblocks and showed the audience. How quickly predators individuals that go on Roadblocks. It's not just children, this is a hotbed for predators will initiate a conversation and try to take the conversation. Off of Roadblocks. The very first room that they went in on whatever game it was, the guy or the person said, you have Snapchat. Immediately right away. That was the first message, not even hi, you have Snapchat, question mark. So then they went in another room, and then they went in another room or another game. I don't know how the situation on roadblocks works. I don't understand it and I don't want to, but pretty much immediately after that the account was banned and blocked from Roadblocks. Now this has a lot to do with the fact. That Roadblocks does not like what Michael Schlepp and Chris Hansen are doing bringing attention to the dangers of this platform and how it is not a safe place for children, even though it is geared towards children with all these different types of games and stuff. So they knew that they were going to be speaking in Las Vegas, and I'm sure that they had multiple moderators and such on the site looking for any IP address that was originating from Las Vegas, Nevada, so it was instantly banned live in. Front of us. It was wild. It was very quick that it happened, and I think that that shows you everything that you need to know about Roadblocks and who they are, because they're trying to hide behind this facade of child safety when it is the exact opposite of that. And Michael Schlepp can attest to all of this because he himself was a victim of a predator on roadblocks and when he tried to speak out on it, he was sent a cease and desist by Roadblocks. For trying to speak out on it. Instead of them wanting to have his help to help make roadblocks a safer place for children, they tried to silence him and shut him down and set him a cease and desist. So that to me makes. It very clear where their priorities are and it's not children and their safety. So that was it for Crime Con Day one. It was a great day, great sessions, great time being in Creator Row, going to Creator Studio, listening to the live taping, and I had a big day Saturday because that was the day that I was going to meet Holly Madison, which when my love for pop culture and true crime collides, I am a happy, happy girl. So the next day started at nine am and I went to the session I d the Forces Defining True Crime, and on that panel it was Holly Madison, Beth Chambers, Paulason, Bethcarris, and Simone Boys and they all do their individual shows on the ID channel, and they just talked about their work and how they try to go about things the ethical way, and they had an amazing session. It was very informative, very insightful, and I think it was really well done. And I liked that ID had a presence at Crime Con this year, and I was really happy that they were all involved and they got to have their own panel and their own session, and it was one of my favorites. I'm honestly trying to remember. What I did after that, because the weekend is a bit of al I think I might have left that session and went to the bookstore and the merch store, went to create a row for a little while, and then I went to get in line for the ID meet and greet. Because I knew that I know how to meet and greats work. Now, I get there like an hour before they start, and typically I am close to the frontish of the line, but in line I met two of. The coolest girls, Erica and Rosemary. They were right in front of me, and I was initially talking to Erica because Rosemary hadn't gotten there yet, and I asked her if she listened to podcasts and wanted to tell her about mine, and she actually just started a YouTube channel, and when she told me the name of it, I knew we were going to be besties. It was I Love You Keith Morrison. So go check it out over on YouTube. She is new to the YouTube game, but go check her out. I was stressing the whole time about my picture and like how I wanted to stand and where I wanted to stand, and this is like the things that go on inside my head, except I was verbally saying all of these things. They were so sweet though, because they took pictures of me as I was meeting Holly. I took pictures of them too, but then my phone glitched and it ended up being this whole thing. So I did get some pictures, but not as many as I wanted of them, but they were able to get some of me. The one thing I don't like about the Crime con meet and greets is they do the QR code scan now and then the camera takes your picture, so you only get one picture. And if you know me, you know that I am very particular about my angles and I want more than one because sometimes you blink or you make a weird face, whatever the case may be, they give you one picture. So luckily mine with the crew was good. I got to tell Holly that when I was an insecure teenager back in two thousand and four, two thousand and five, that she really helped me be my own person and realized that having costume theme parties and dressing up is not stupid and to own it, and that is why I am who I am today, where I am obsessed with a theme party. So I got to tell her that, and her being in the true crime space is just even better for me. She's done Lethally Blonde, She's done the Playboy Murders, and I think all of these gals who do this work and ID do a. Really really good job. And I've been a big fan of Beth Karis for as long as I can remember, and Paula's on how can you not so It was a really great experience. Meeting them was great and I thoroughly enjoyed standing in line for as long as I did. It was well well worth it. The next session I went to was moderated by Chris Hansen and it was the Epstein survivors. These speakers were Jena Lisa Jones, Courtney Wilde, and Hailey Robson. And when I tell you, I so enjoyed the session. These three are power houses. The things that they have done to try to bring attention and awareness to all of the crazy shit that happened with Epstein, all of the stuff that's still unraveling, all of the files that still need to be released. They are doing their due diligence to see everything through and they've become this powerhouse and this force. And I really enjoyed their session. I enjoyed their honesty and how vulnerable. And open they were. While it was really insightful, it was also very heartbreaking and sad because you know that these three women who are now grown adults, had this horrific experience when they were younger, in their teenage years, and they are still fighting to get answers and to have all of the files released. And for there to be accountability, and it was just a lot. They won crime Fighters of the Year this year at the CLUE, so they are doing the Lord's work and I do think that they are going to get results because they are refusing to sit down and stay quiet about what happened to them and so many others. They are only a small piece of the puzzle, but they are doing everything they can. So I really really enjoyed that session as well. So after that session, I went and signed up for crime Con twenty twenty seven, which is going to be in Orlando, Florida. Honestly, Orlando is not. One of my favorite places, but I will go anywhere that crime Con goes, so I signed up obviously. So then I kind of just wandered around a little bit, and then I was back in meet and greet because I needed to get a book signed for my friend Asa, So I bought Barbara Butcher's book and went and stood in her and Kelly Siegler's meet and greet line. Now, Kelly is one of my top meets because she is from Houston, and she is fierce and amazing and I just love her. So I was really excited to meet both of them, Barbara two. I got to sit in on her session last year that she did with Cheryl McCollum, and it was so good. So I thoroughly enjoyed meeting both of them. They were both so sweet. I even had Kelly sign the book, even though that's not her book. She was willing to cite it. She signed it at the very back, but she signed it nonetheless, so I know Aisa. Will be happy with that. So they were great. They were very gracious, and again my picture came out well, which I was happy with. You just never know, but the lighting in there is so weird, and the lighting on my picture is so much different than all of my other pictures from the day. But it came out good nonetheless. So that was it. On Saturday, Saturday at crime Con is the longest day. I was very exhausted. After the day was over, went and got dinner, and then I laid in my bed because I was exhausted and I needed to recharge because Sunday was also going to be a long day. Crime Con ends at about two to three o'clock on Sunday. There is an extra event on Sunday for the crime GEQ members. If you want to attend. I chose not to because I needed to rest because I was going to be going to the Friends Experience and I know how I am, and I know I need to rest and recharge or else I do not function. So Sunday started at nine a m. And I'll be honest, I spent the majority of Sunday in creator Row talking to everybody I could talk to. I got to spend some time talking to Miss doctor Maggie, who I adore. Her daughter was murdered in two thousand and four, her daughter Britney, and I got the pleasure of meeting her at Crime Con last year, and then I was able to cover Britney's case on my podcast. And I just love Maggie. She is so sweet and I'm so glad that she has a table every year so she is able to share Britney's story with everybody. That comes by and speaks with her. And I was also so glad that her and Joeanne Lowitzer were right next to each other. They had tables right next door to one another, and they are both amazing women who are both seeking justice for their daughters. And I think that that is a really powerful thing. So when it came to sessions on Sunday. There was really only, I want to say, one that I went to because I was busy in creator row. But my cousin went to the Las Vegas Mandalay based shooting session, which was actually two parts. There was part one and part two, so it was two hours total, and she said it was amazing. She said it was her favorite session by far. She learned so much. Law enforcement that were actually on scene that day were there presenting, and she said they started everything off one by one, going through each of the victim's photos on the screen and you could have heard a pin drop in there because everybody was silent. So that is definitely one session and I am going to be catching on Crime HQ because I have got to see it. The last session of the day that I went to, and one of the last sessions of the day was titled Ethics, Advocacy and Accountability with Christy and Steve, who are the parents of Kaylee, one of the Idaho four victims, and Andy Kahn and Renee Williams were also in that session. Andy is known for all of his victim advocacy and work that he does with crime stoppers. He is ten out of ten amazing, and I really enjoyed him in the session. So what they were. Speaking on is, as people who consume true crime, what can we do to help push the narrative of being ethical and advocating for victims. So Steve and Christy brought up the crime scene photos that were based sickly leaked or released without the family's knowledge. The first batch they had no idea that they were coming out, and then the second batch they got about a twenty minute notice before they were released. That stuff can be so triggering. For these living victims, the family members that remain to try to pick up the pieces, that stuff can really set them back. And then you have them out on the internet. People are reposting them, sharing them. Everybody has comments, everybody has theories, everybody has speculation. It can just be really dangerous and the internet can be a really. Bad place for stuff like that. So the whole session was about that, And then wouldn't you know, a couple days later after the session, the autopsy reports were released and I saw multiple people reposting them. And I'll be honest, until I was in the true crime space on this side of things, somebody that has a podcast and creates. I think I was blind and oblivious to it as well. But it's all about learning and education, and I think that's one thing that crime Con has done for me is I have learned how to approach things in an ethical way and how to make sure that I'm being fair and accurate and not doing anything to harm the families of the victims that are still fighting every single day for their loved one and their loved one's case. Okay, so now I want to go into the party of the episode where I shout everybody out. All of my lovely friends that I got to spend time with this weekend and their podcasts or YouTube channels. I'm going to shout them all out. So I want to start with Chris on crime because she did a session at crime. Con and it was amazing. We were all sitting in the second row cheering her on, and she did a session where she highlighted three cases that desperately need our attention. She told us the story. Of Sadie Darlene Butler, who was killed on June ninth of twenty twelve in Houston, Texas. She also told us about the unsolved missing person's case of Tiffany Johnson, who vanished in twenty sixteen outside of Fort Worth, And last but not least, the disappearance of Laura Ayala on. March tenth of two thousand and two. She was only thirteen years old when she disappeared and literal steps away from her front door when she was taken. These stories were compelling. I think I cried the whole time because Chris's story delivery and passion that she has for what she does really comes through in her work. And I spoke with her about coming on the podcast to share those stories, and we are going to be making that happen very soon. It was so nice to meet her. We both live outside of the. Houston area, so it was nice to finally meet even though we are literal neighbors just about I mean, Houston's big but it was great to meet her, and I can't wait to have her on the podcast and share her with you because. She is amazing. Next up is Sierra from the Unsolved Couple podcast. It was our first time meeting. I call her one of my true crime BFFs. We have, I guess been online friends for maybe a little over a year. I'm not quite sure. I honestly don't even remember how we officially met online, but somehow or another we became friends. She was brought into the group and now she's one of us. And like I said, it was amazing to attend the Nancy Guthrie session with her after we had spent many a nights up late texting about all of the Nancy stuff. So she was great and I cannot wait to see her and hopefully her husband and co host Ben in Orlando next year. For Crime Con twenty twenty seven, I got to meet Tiff Klein from True Crime with Tip Kleine, and it was such a large convention. I guess the convention center was huge. We're going to talk about that in a minute. So I only ran into her twice. The second time was just to snap a quick picture because I knew I needed to grab a picture with her before. I went on my way. Because I swear I did not see many people all weekend. It was really hard to track people down unless you had a meeting spot, so I was so happy to meet her. She's already done a crime Con recap on her podcast, so if you haven't checked her out, please go do that and her Crime Con recap was great and I love listening to crime con recaps. I wish every podcaster would do a crime con recap, But go over and check her out. Next is my girl Danny with Danny after Dark on YouTube. But she is the first official interview that I ever did on YouTube and she does. Lives all the time. I don't know how she does it, but her content is amazing. She also does a book club, so please go check her out. She is over on YouTube da n I after Dark. Check her out and tell her I sent you. Next up is Courtney from Forensic Tales. I got to meet her last year. It was so good seeing her again and her husband. He was there with her all weekend, helping hold down the fort, hold down the booth, and be her right hand man, which we love. We love a supportive husband. Courtney also has the podcast Find My Killer, which is one of her newer projects where she focuses on unsolved cases. So if you like the unsolved. Part of it all, go check out Find My Killer and also check out her other podcast, Forensic Tales. It was so good to see her and I cannot wait to see her in Orlando. Everyone that I see I can't wait to see again in Orlando. That's going to be a blanket statement. Next up is going to be Stephanie from Wicked Ever After, my sweet Canadian and friend who I love so so much. Always so good to see her. She is such a light in life and I just love and adore her. She's one of my first friends in the true crime podcasting world. Her and Jewels were my first two friends in the true crime podcasting world. So she will always have a super special place in my heart. Next up is Jewels. Speaking of super special place in my heart, Jewels has so many projects I can't even begin to name all of them. She is one half of Fireeyes Media. She has Secrets beyond the Sacramento River, she has missing in Hushtown. She has her own weekly podcast, your host Jules. She truly does it all. And I wouldn't know any of these people that I've gotten the chance to meet if it wasn't for her, because her and I connected over the Kalana Turner case when all of that was going down in twenty twenty three, and we've been friends ever since. We've been close ever since, and she is my soul sister without a doubt. And then we have my other soul sisters, like Mother, like Murder, Rachel and Heather. I cannot say enough good things about these girls. They are fierce advocates, they are protectors. They also have a lot of projects. They have their own podcasts, and then they are very involved with Hope Putin, who I'm going to speak of next, and the Voices Against Philicide. They also co produce the second season of Missing in Hush Town. And they are just generally great humans and I love and adore them both, and I could just talk about them all day long because they're amazing. Next up, I want to talk about Hope Putin. Like I said, she at a table this year for Voices against Philicide. She brought her book with her and was selling copies of that. She autographed my book for me. She's doing amazing things spreading awareness what phylicide is because a lot of people don't know the term, and she is doing everything she can to help save children and honor her children, Alec and Lydia. And I am so. Proud to know her, and I loved getting to spend a little bit of time this weekend with her. I'd stopped by her booth a few. Times to check in see how things were going, and it just seemed like she had a good weekend and it was very impactful, which. Is what it is all about. Next up is my friend from Cold and Untold, Amanda Denise. I actually just pre ordered her book. She focuses on unsolved cases out of North Carolina, and I was so glad to meet her and get to spend a little bit of time with her, even though we are all so busy in our different directions. Being able to see people in passing and chat real quick and take a quick selfie was really all I needed this weekend, just to be able to hang with these people that I've talked to online for so long and get to connect with them in person. Because that's really what it's all about. Next up is Kadra from Perplexity a miss podcast. I got to meet her very briefly last year because again it's a busy weekend, so you were literally like ships passing in the night. But I got to spend a little bit of time with her at the kickoff party and then seeing her in passing going. From session to session. We took a few selfies with Alicia, who I'm going to speak on next and Cadra is just a badass. I love her. I typically don't cuss on this podcast, but I will for Cadra. I love her. She is so sweet. Her podcast is so fun. I love listening to it if you want to break from the true crime of it all all the time. Her podcast is a great one to listen to because she mixes it up and put some other content in there that is just so interesting and intriguing. So love her. Go give her a follow. All right. Alicia my other lovely Canadian friend. It was my first time meeting her and she is just as lovely in a person as I expected. She is the host of Really Twisted podcast and it was so great to meet her and get to spend some time with her. I'm going to talk about our experience going to the Friend's Experience at the end of this episode, because Alicia was kind of my inspiration for putting that little event together because I knew she was a huge Friends fan and would absolutely love it, and that ended up being one of the highlights of my trip, was ending with the Friends Experience. We're going to talk about that a little bit, but I couldn't talk about Alicia without talking about the Friends experience because I think it completed her life and I don't take that lightly that I was. A part in that, all right. Next up are my girls Weird two Crime Gina and Amber. They had a table this year, and I loved seeing every time I went over to the table they were busy. And I also have to shout out their husbands because their husbands also were amazing and so helpful to them all weekend. Corey and Patrick, they were always at that table. They were hyping their girls up and that is what we love to see. But it was also my first time meeting them, and they are both just such amazing humans. Genuine They do what they do for the right reasons and I think that really comes through in their podcast. And I love. Getting to meet them and spend time with them, and I was so happy that they were able to achieve their goal of having a table, because in the true crime world, as an indie podcaster, it is a really big deal to be on creator row at Crime Con. It is huge. It propels these cases that we all cover on our podcasts forward and you get to meet so many new people. So I am really so happy for and proud of both of them for all of their hard work and getting all of the accolades that they so very much deserve. I also got to meet Holly of Crime with Holly, one of my favorite podcasts. She is local to Vegas, so it was given that she was going to be there, and it was so great to meet her. I also spent my weekend talking about how I wanted to meet Holly Madison, but I also wanted to fangirl over Holly too because she is also a great Holly, and meeting both Hollies this weekend really really made my life complete. And hopefully I get to see Holly again sooner rather than later. I tend to go to Vegas a lot, so hopefully we can link up between now and next crime Con, and hopefully she can come to next crime Con. I'm going to cross my fingers. I also got to meet my friends Lacey and Nick from the Casewalker Chronicles. It was their first crime Con and our first time meeting. I knew that I had to try to link up with them because I've been talking to Lacey online for months. I've been religiously listening to their podcast, and they're amazing. I love getting to chat with them, and. I hope that they are going to be a crime cont next year, and our podcasts are going to continue to grow and get better and better, and maybe one day we'll all have tables in creator row. That is the manifestation. So I loved meeting them. If you don't follow their podcast, please go give it a follow. It is the Case Walker. Chronicles on Instagram and you can also find it wherever you get your podcasts. I also got to meet Jack and Tracy from The Franzac Files. They were honestly my first legit interview that I did when I interviewed them for my podcast. They have an amazing podcast. Jackstory is amazing and there is so much more that they are uncovering day by day. If you guys. Aren't listening to the Franzac Files podcast, you need to be because this is literally playing out in real time and they are digging and finding things that the FBI didn't even bother to try to find. They are amazing. Their team is great. I love their podcast and they're so nice, and they are also of the mindset of it takes a village to help solve these unsolved cases and bring attention to the missing children. Because Jack is still looking to locate his missing twin sister, Jail Rosenthal. So their podcast, like I said, is great, please go give it a follow. And every Tuesday I'm on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what is going to be coming out next. I also got to show Josh Makowitz my shirt that I made for him, which is a whole long story going back starting in twenty twenty three. It's like a three year inside joke that I have with Josh Makowitz, and I think it's amazing. Josh is great. I love him. He's always a crime con. He is known as the Mayor of crime Con and he's just one of the best. He's very easily accessible, He's always so nice, and for some reason, he remembers every time I remind him of this running inside joke that we have for three years. So love Josh. I also got to meet and take a picture with Paul Holes at the kickoff party, and he was just as nice as I had expected him to be. I see him every year, but I've never gone up to him before. I don't even know why, but this year he was right there, so I said, you know what, I'm going to go say? Hi, and I got my picture with him, even though the lighting in that room is terrible, but it was still nice to meet. And talk to him. And we talked a little bit about authream because I live not far from authream, and anytime Authream's involved, it's always a good conversation because authoram is doing amazing, amazing things. So one thing I did want to talk about that was in creator row that I had not heard of is something called Courtroom Critters, So I'm going to read this. This is from the Crime con book. Courtroom Critters provide elite therapy dogs to individuals who have experienced trauma, crime, or tragedy. These highly trained dogs offer comfort, companionship, and emotional support to people navigating some of life's most difficult moments. Their therapy dogs also escort victims, survivors, and witnesses into courtrooms, helping individuals feel safer, calmer, and more empowered as they share their stories. These specially trained dogs hold a title of Certified Courtroom Canine and play an important role in supporting both children and adults through the legal process. Beyond the courtroom, these compassionate canines bring comfort and connection to hospital schools, universities, businesses, conventions, and community events, offering moments of relief, healing and joy wherever they go. Courtroom Critters, certified therapy dogs will be on site throughout the weekend at crime Con twenty twenty six. If you need a quiet moment, emotional support, or simply a comforting visit between sessions, keep an eye out for them walking befloor or stop by their booth in the expo hall. And when I tell you, I'm obsessed with these courtroom critters, Hufflepuff is probably my favorite dog of all time. He is so cute, and I want to say the other one that was with him was named Charlotte. There was a lot of dogs this weekend. Hufflepuff just he was great. I saw him, I think I saw him Thursday getting my packet. And then there was one morning, my cousin and I and his people they had him in a him and his sister or Charlotte I think her name is Charlotte in a cart and my cousin and I helped carry them up the stairs, which was quite the moment because they were in this big cart and they're two pretty. Large dogs and girl power. The four of us carried them up the stairs, so that's what it's all about. I also got to see Gigi from Pretty Liza Alibis. She is simply one of my favorites. If you guys don't listen to her, please go give her a follow. She stays on top of all things going on right now as far as trials go, and if there's a trial that she's following, she will do daily recaps. She's amazing, not just as a podcaster but as a human. I just think she is one. Of the best, and I love getting to see her every year. So now we are going to get into post Crime Con festivities. I typically will not schedule myself for anything post Crime Con because I'm usually exhausted. This year was no different, except I did plan the Friends Experience because I felt like we all needed to do that to kind of unwind from Crime Con. So I've been to the Friends Experience two other times, so this time was my third time, and I bought the photo package because why wouldn't I. We had such a good time at the Friends Experience. I don't know what it is, but being there it's so nostalgic. It really puts you back into the nineties, which I am all about because I would love to go back to the ninety and just live my life all over again with the knowledge I have now. So the friends experience was great. There was a group of us that went. Some people had to leave and go home early so they couldn't come with, but we still had a really, really good time. Oh going back to Crime Con, I went and saw the guys from True Crime Garage and I told them when I first met them in twenty one in Austin that my friend Natasha is the one that was ranting and raving about them and how she had to meet them. And I didn't really know what a podcast was at that point in time, but I told them now I get the hype. And then the captain made a video for Natasha that I sent to her, and I basically told Natasha, you have to come next year, Orlando, twenty twenty seven. It is on. So let's talk a little bit about the venue. I have mixed feelings about it, and I kind of probably touched on this a little in the beginning. I wasn't super pum about for me, at least the lack of food options. They didn't really have anything that was super easy, grab and go, not super duper expensive. And I know Vegas as a whole is expensive, but I'm not going to pay thirty five dollars for a fast food chicken sandwich. It's just not going to happen. But that's really Caesar's Palace, and it's really Vegas as a whole. It's anytime you stay on the strip, that's what you're gonna get. The conference center was very big. Everything was spread out. It was like a floor and a half, a floor and then another floor. The map was really confusing. It took me a good day and a half to really figure out where I was going. I couldn't find anything. I was constantly asking for directions, constantly being turned around. It was a hot mess. I will say the volunteers were great and so helpful. Anytime I got lost, they were always willing to help and appoint me in the right direction. Now, on the other hand, I've been to crime in the past that were in a super small venue and everything was very confined, and going between sessions was very congested and crowded. I don't really know which I prefer, because I don't like crowds and congestion, but it was also a very widespread layout, and I know a lot of people that have some accessibility issues really had a hard time navigating. And I think that's really just more on Caesar's. I don't think I saw an elevator the whole time I was there. Not saying that they don't have them, I know that they do, but I think it was just a really hard area to navigate if you had any accessibility issues. And like I said, that's just on Caesar's as a whole, and I think it was just some people liked it, some people didn't. I think it was very widespread. That is the reason I think I didn't see people all weekend unless I happened to catch people in the Creator Row area. But I did hear that's location is going to be a lot more comparable to what they've had in the past, meaning everything is going to be semi localized and it's not going to be super widespread. I will say in Caesar's there's a bakery downstairs. It's the one that has the milk and cookies shot cups that are down there, and they have gluten free stuff. When I was there in February, I got a gluten free raspberry chocolate soufle a situation, which was divine. And this time my cousin said that they had this. Double layer triple layer cake situation, and I knew I had to have it. It was fifteen dollars for that slice of cake, and I got a nice coffee because why wouldn't I? And I think it was like twenty five dollars for the whole thing, but you know what, it's vacation, That's what it's all about. And it was gluten free, which makes me also very very happy because we don't have. Stuff like that here. We don't have fancy bakery that have all of these like specialty gluten free traits. They exist, but you really have to seek them out, whereas this way, I just went downstairs and I bought it and then I ate it in my room for breakfast, because again, why wouldn't I. So I will say, in general, I think Vegas as a whole does really good as far as gluten free goes. There is a lot of options. There just wasn't a lot of options in Caesar's. For me personally, I'm also not a super fancy schmancy meal person. I am more of like a bar food kind of person. But I don't know why. I'm including all of this. I just felt the need to talk about the gluten free Kka, which was divine. So anyways, that is my crime Con at twenty twenty six recap. I am super looking forward to Orlando next year in twenty twenty seven. I wish it wasn't so far away. I get the logistics and the need for it to be so far away because they only had about nine months between last crime Con and this crime Con. So with this May to September break, it's going to give them a lot more time to organize the event, which I'm sure is so hard. One thing I'll say about crime Con, I'm never going to complain about anything crime Con related because I love crime Con. They're on top of their stuff. The sessions start on time, they end on time. The logistics of everything flow so well, and it's something I've noticed since I've been going in twenty one. They never miss a beat. They are always consistent and they stay on trap and I know that that. Takes a lot of work. Especially this is a large convention, so there is a lot of people coming and going. There's a lot of moving parts and crime Con does an impeccable job at managing all of it. Props to them, so thank you guys so much for listening to my crime Con recap episode. I will be making another one in September. Of next year, and I will see you guys next week for a brand new unsolved case. And I hope you have a great weekend. Bye do I confused? Sept