CrimeCon 2026

What happens when the DNA of violent offenders — including suspected serial killers — never makes it into the national database?

In this powerful fireside chat, Bill Thomas and Detective Lindsey Wade (ret.) examine the barriers that allow violent offenders to remain invisible in national databases, the investigative challenges that follow, and the reforms needed to close this gap.

Detective Wade shares how she discovered Ted Bundy’s DNA was not in CODIS more than two decades after his execution — and how her efforts helped lead to its inclusion in 2011. Wade will also discuss her role in advancing Jennifer and Michella’s Law, a Washington State reform allowing DNA from deceased offenders to be entered into CODIS — a change that has already helped solve long-cold cases.

Bill Thomas brings a deeply personal perspective through his decades-long pursuit of answers in the Colonial Parkway Murders, which claimed the life of his sister, Cathy. He’ll discuss the recent identification of a suspect linked through forensic evidence after death -- highlighting the devastating consequences of current legal limitations and the urgent need for reform.

This session offers a rare intersection of investigative insight, victim advocacy, and policy reform — showing how overlooked DNA can mean the difference between a case staying cold and finally being solved.

Join Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack for a LIVE taping of the hit podcast Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan.

Onstage, the two examine cases involving unidentified remains once thought to be beyond resolution — until modern forensic science changed everything. Focusing on cases more than 50 years old, they’ll explore how today’s tools are giving names back to the unidentified, reopening long-abandoned questions, and proving why we should never give up on scientific truth. Because even decades later, there is always hope.

In a world where you never know who you can trust, Nancy Moscatiello and Scott Eldridge know exactly who you can’t. After their record-setting collaboration on Scamanda — Nancy and Scott are back exposing fraudsters, con artists, and the ruthless schemes hiding in plain sight through their new podcast, The Slippery.

Join them for a lively, eye-opening conversation about their incredible access to massive cases, ingenious takedowns, and the stories that will anger, entertain, and educate you about some of the most brazen criminals walking among us.

Join Crime Weekly hosts Stephanie Harlowe and Derrick Levasseur for a powerful live episode featuring Nicole Wasilishin of Papi Killed Mommy. Nicole was just ten years old when her mother was murdered—but even then, she knew something about the story didn’t add up. Years later, she began digging deeper into the case, uncovering details that had long been overlooked and raising questions about what really happened that night. In this deeply personal conversation, Nicole shares her journey to uncover the truth, what it was like growing up in the shadow of a violent crime, and why telling her mother’s story matters now more than ever. Together, they explore the lasting impact of violent crime on families — and the power of storytelling to keep victims’ voices alive.

Ted Binion, heir to one of Las Vegas’ most powerful casino dynasties, was found dead in his home in 1998 — surrounded by drugs, wealth, and secrets. At first glance, it looked like an overdose. But beneath the surface, something didn’t add up.

Join Richard MacLean Smith, host of the smash-hit podcast Unexplained as he takes you deep into one of Las Vegas’s most troubling and enigmatic cases — a story of buried treasure, obsession, betrayal, and a murder conviction that would later be overturned. Who really killed Ted Binion? And why does the truth remain so elusive?

Don’t miss this haunting journey into a case where certainty slips through your fingers — and the deeper you go, the less clear everything becomes…

Join Coffeehouse Crime host Adrian Stewart and editor Callum Jupp, known for their deeply researched storytelling, as they examine the case of Courtney Clenney: an OnlyFans model accused of killing her boyfriend in a volatile relationship marked by repeated conflict, alleged abuse, and escalating violence.

Behind the headlines and carefully curated social media persona lies a far more complex and troubling reality. One that raises difficult questions about power, perception, and what truly happens behind closed doors.

Rather than focusing on verdicts, Adrian and Callum will explore the broader dynamics at play, breaking down the warning signs of domestic violence, how cycles of abuse can intensify over time, and why these situations are so often misunderstood until it’s too late.

This is not just a story about one relationship. It’s a sobering, thought-provoking look at how abuse can exist in plain sight, and why it can happen to anyone, regardless of status, image, or appearance.

Las Vegas is famous for high-stakes gambling, world-class entertainment… and criminally bad decisions.
Join Trevin and Amanda from Live, Laugh, Larceny as they explore the lighter side of true crime with a live, interactive game featuring some of the most ridiculous crimes ever committed in Sin City.

Mckenzie of Dating Detectives goes head-to-head with Aaron of Generation Why as they try to guess the outrageous details behind real Vegas crimes, from failed casino capers to criminals who just wanted to cause a little mischief.

Along the way, Trevin and Amanda share bizarre true crime stories, the audience gets involved helping contestants make their guesses, and attendees get a fun, high-energy break from the darker side of crime.

Take a break from the heavy and get petty. Because fascinating criminals aren’t always masterminds…sometimes they’re just dumb.

The humor comes from criminals making dumb decisions — not from victims or violent crimes.

James “Buffalo Jim” Barrier, whose story was featured on Unsolved Mysteries, was a beloved Las Vegas personality, entrepreneur, and entertainer who was once voted “Las Vegas’ Most Colorful Character.” In the days before his death, Jim publicly told media outlets he believed he was going to be killed. Just two days after his longtime rival, Rick Rizzolo, was released from federal prison, Jim was found dead in a Las Vegas motel - yet his death was ruled accidental.

Despite years of controversy and unanswered questions, more than 18 years later, Buffalo Jim’s family and supporters continue fighting for answers in a case that appears to have never been properly investigated from the very beginning.

This session will be hosted by Haley Gray, a credentialed advocate and podcast researcher and writer, alongside Jim’s daughter, Jennifer Barrier, as they share his story and the ongoing efforts to seek answers.

What happens when someone disappears — leaving behind a trail of clues that leads nowhere?
In this gripping session, Chris On Crime takes audiences inside two haunting Texas disappearances that still demand answers decades later.

On March 10, 2002, 13-year-old Laura Ayala stepped outside her southeast Houston apartment just after 10 p.m. to grab a newspaper for a school project. Minutes later, the newspaper - and the shoes she wore - were found just outside her door — but Laura was gone. Investigators later uncovered her DNA inside a van connected to a violent string of assaults and murders, yet 24 years later there are still no arrests and no resolution.

Fourteen years later, another Texas family would face the same nightmare. In 2016 just north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Typhenie Johnson went downstairs to meet an ex-boyfriend who refused to accept their breakup. She was forced into the trunk of his car and taken away. He was convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to life in prison — but Typhenie has never been found.

In this unforgettable session, Chris on Crime dives deep into the chilling details, evidence, investigative twists, and the voices of families still searching for answers. She’ll discuss the painful pursuit of peace when someone vanishes — and the relentless fight for truth that continues.

It’s one of Oklahoma’s most haunting and notorious disappearance cases.

In July 2013, James Conn Nipp was driving 17-year-old Molly Miller and 22-year-old Colt Haynes through Love County when deputies attempted a stop. With outstanding warrants, Nipp fled - leading police on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash. Nipp ran. Molly and Colt were never seen again.

His claim – Molly and Colt fled into the darkness. For years, families and investigators never believed it. Now - more than a decade later — the truth is finally beginning to surface.

Join Zone 7’s Sheryl “Mac” McCollum, who worked boots on the ground on the case, alongside documentary filmmakers Rob and Cindy Dorfman of Strong Island Films, as they reveal a major breakthrough that just occurred: the remains of Molly Miller and Colt Haynes have just been confirmed.

With confirmed remains, the case enters a whole new phase. Join Mac as she reveals the raw, exclusive details inside this ongoing investigation, including all the hard work of famed FBI agent Maureen O'Connell and other investigators. What story will the bones tell? What story does the crash scene tell? How do the 911 calls reshape the timeline? And were Molly and Colt treated as missing persons or just runaways?

This is a riveting look at a case evolving in real time - and the pursuit of answers that refused to fade.