Although it is a shame that there is still more of an emphasis on the salaciousness of true crime - specifically the most brutal murders; whilst programs on miscarriages of justice have fallen out of vogue as they tend to highlight failures in the judicial system (bent cops, lawyers and judges) rather than the successes of the same system that a lot of this true crime porn extolls.
Excellent post. I appreciate true crime that does not sensationalize the killer's actions and that does keep the victim(s) and the human cost of each crime at the forefront of the discussion. I admire those who work fighting for justice, even as I grieve that their lives have been so impacted by crime.
You're so right, Robin. I, too, attended last weekend's excellent CrimeCon and was deeply moved by the presentations from the families of the murder victims. I was also heartened by the talks given by those who are dedicated to catching the murderers and bringing justice to those families. The ethos of the conference is indeed one of respecting the victims and giving them a voice. I wrote my own most recent true crime book featuring the murder of my own ancestor by serial killer Earle Nelson, and his attacks on at least 43 other women and girls, as a response to the sensational approach taken by other authors who had focused on detailing the gruesome acts of that killer, whilst side-lining and mis-identifying the victims and treating them as mere statistics. See you at CrimeCon 2025.
Although it is a shame that there is still more of an emphasis on the salaciousness of true crime - specifically the most brutal murders; whilst programs on miscarriages of justice have fallen out of vogue as they tend to highlight failures in the judicial system (bent cops, lawyers and judges) rather than the successes of the same system that a lot of this true crime porn extolls.
Excellent post. I appreciate true crime that does not sensationalize the killer's actions and that does keep the victim(s) and the human cost of each crime at the forefront of the discussion. I admire those who work fighting for justice, even as I grieve that their lives have been so impacted by crime.
You're so right, Robin. I, too, attended last weekend's excellent CrimeCon and was deeply moved by the presentations from the families of the murder victims. I was also heartened by the talks given by those who are dedicated to catching the murderers and bringing justice to those families. The ethos of the conference is indeed one of respecting the victims and giving them a voice. I wrote my own most recent true crime book featuring the murder of my own ancestor by serial killer Earle Nelson, and his attacks on at least 43 other women and girls, as a response to the sensational approach taken by other authors who had focused on detailing the gruesome acts of that killer, whilst side-lining and mis-identifying the victims and treating them as mere statistics. See you at CrimeCon 2025.
Absolutely, see you there!