At CrimeCon true crime obsessives come face-to-face with real loss

ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSheila FlynnLas Vegas, NevadaCrimeCon and RenownedPhotosThe clamour of the crowd is constant in a Las Vegas convention hall. Podcasters rub shoulders with prosecutors, and attendees - wearing T-shirts emblazoned with slogans like "True Crime And Wine" or "I'm Only Here For An Alibi" - carry conference-provided bags stamped with "unsolved crime is a choice". Amongst rows of booths, one woman stands apart, staring stoically ahead as people pass by pictures of her murdered daughter. They are all here for CrimeCon, an annual gathering of true-crime enthusiasts, content creators, investigators, advocates, survivors and victims' relatives. But for many - including stoic mom Dr Maggie Zingman - their reasons for being here are deeply personal. In 2004, the trauma psychologist's daughter, Brittany Phillips, was murdered, and her case has never been solved. Zingman has refused to give up her search for answers, making more than two-dozen trips across the country in a wrapped pink and purple vehicle loudly telling the world about her child's case. CrimeCon is one of her stops. Zingman recognises the event's inherent contradictions, as it tries to build an audience - and turn a profit - from real-life tragedies. "It's a balance," Zingman says. "I wouldn't get 8,000 people learning about my story if it wasn't here." For more than a decade, America has been gripped by a true crime obsession. Experts point to game-changing podcasts like 2014's Serial and docuseries like The Jinx and Making a Murderer, which both came out in 2015, as early examples that helped fuel the craze. And CrimeCon has grown alongside the true-crime genre. The inaugural event in 2017 drew just 800, but attendance jumped to 2,400 the following year, according to co-founder Kevin Balfe. This year, 6,500 people attended, with some paying more than $1,600 for a VIP experience. But as the genre has grown, so has the criticism. Many note how much of the content has focused on the perpetrators - not the victims - of the crimes, and the inherent exploitation that comes from profiting from other people's misfortune. It is a fine line to walk, and those who have been coming to CrimeCon for years say the event endeavours to do things right. Wearing T-shirts proclaiming "Victim exploitation does not equal victim advocacy", the parents of Gabby Petito have their own booth to promote their foundation, which supports missing persons cases and domestic violence prevention. Their daughter made national headlines when she was murdered by her boyfriend during a cross-country van trip, sparking a nationwide manhunt. "From the first year that we came here, we saw a lot of growth in terms of who's going to come," says Petito's father, Joe, who first attended in 2023, noting how groups like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Black and Missing Foundation use CrimeCon to raise awareness for their advocacy. The event, Petito says, does "a really good job of toeing the line... for pushing the advocacy side and not the exploitative side of victims and their families and loved ones". According to event co-founder Balfe: "Over the years, we've had people who show up expecting this to be serial-killer this and that, and they just realise quickly this event's not for them. "And we ultimately have curated an audience of people who, I think, really care." Just steps from an arch welcoming attendees to CrimeCon 2026, there is a wall plastered with missing persons posters and a sign emblazoned with "8 Simple Rules for Being an ETHICAL True Crime Fanatic". About a five-minute walk away, though, there is a merch store selling CrimeCon-branded gifts, shot glasses and $80 sweatshirts. Employees bark in the hallways, urging attendees to sign up for next year or join the CrimeCon Cruise. Some have really leaned into the theme. One woman wears skin-tight crime-scene-tape leggings, while a pair of best friends proudly show off their crime-scene-tape homemade bags - complete with blood-spatter fabric lining. The overwhelmingly female crowd race to grab selfies with hosts and TV personalities, including Nancy Grace, here to offer up theories on Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. Others line up for meet-and-greets with the parents of Kaylee Goncalves, the University of Idaho student killed by Bryan Kohberger. Some have even paid extra to attend the Clue Awards, a ceremony to celebrate the best in true-crime content. This year's Crimefighter of the Year award goes to three Jeffrey Epstein survivors and their associated non-profit organisation. Many attendees come for the "intrigue," says Ruth-Ann Labrecque, 52, who travelled from Maine for her sixth Crime Con with her aunt, Roberta Randall, 67. They had both been introduced to true crime as children by Labrecque's grandmother - Randall's mother - and are lining up Friday morning for early entry to the merch store after already spending an estimated $3,000 each on the

At CrimeCon true crime obsessives come face-to-face with real loss

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