Bringing the True Crime content community together to promote compassion, empathy, and respect in content creation & consumption.

Schedule of the Event:

August 18, 2025

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Main Stage Setup (Creators Only)

6:15 PM 7:15 PM Creator/Attendee Mixer
Location: Hotel Bar
Grab a drink, meet your favorite creators, and connect with fellow fans and podcasters to kick off the weekend.

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Creator Reception (Creators Only)
Speaker: True Crime Podcast Festival Leadership
Location: Breakout Room
A gathering for creators (ticket required) to connect, share experiences, and build relationships with others behind the mic

August 19, 2025

8:00 AM-9:00 AM Registration Coffee Vendor Browsing
Location: Main Hall

8:45 AM 9:00 AM Opening Remarks
Speaker: Lanie Hobbs, Co-Founder, TCPF
Location: Breakout Room
Lanie Hobbs, co-founder of TCPF, will kick off with a look ahead to our 2026 vision and an introduction to this year's keynote speaker.

9:00 AM-9:45 AM Opening Keynote
Speaker: Eric Carter-Landin, Co-Founder, Advocacy Con
Location: Breakout Room

10:00 AM-10:45 AM Panel: Research & Recovery
Speaker: Joshua Ash, Somewhere in the Pines
Location: Breakout Room
A panel discussion on the importance of research and how it has opened new avenues to pursue to assist the FBI's ongoing investigations.

10:30 AM-11:30 AM A Conversation on Podcasting as Active Law Enforcement
Speakers: Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartarian, Detectives, City of Elgin
Location: Community Conversation Area
The City of Elgin (IL) Police Department has created a full-time dedicated cold case unit and launched a podcast to cover missing person and homicide cases. Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian will discuss how utilizing podcasting as a medium to reach the public can be useful in cold case homicides.

11:00 AM-11:45 AM Panel: Forensic Psychology-What We're Getting Wrong
Speakers: Charlie Worroll, Crimelines, Dr. Paige Wilcoxson, & Julia Cowley, retired FBI Profiler
Location: Breakout Room.
True Crime podcasts and listeners often delve into psychological issues behind crimes but we don't always get it right. Charlie Worroll will speak with forensic psychologist Dr. Paige Wilcoxson to hear what we get right, what we get wrong, and how we can do better than pop pyschology quips.

11:45 AM - 1:00 PM Extended Break: Lunch, Shopping, Networking

1:00 PM 1:45 PM Live Episode: Crime Writers On
Speakers: Rebecca Lavole, Kevin Flynn, Toby Ball, and Lara Bricke
Location: Breakout Room
"Crime Writers On" is the original true review podcast. Hosts dig into the hottest true crime and mystery shows, podcasts, and pop culture. Then the panel gives their own reviews.

2:00 PM-2:45 PM Panel: Massachusettes Missing & Murdered Speaker: Anngelle Wood, Crime of The Truest Kind
Location: Breakout Room
Bringing awareness of missing and murdered persons cases in Massachusetts.

2:30 PM 3:30 PM A Conversation on the Trials of Karen Read
Speakers: Rebecca Lavole and Mel Barrett
Location: Community Conversation Area
A discussion on the Karen Read trial and coverage.

3:00 PM-3:45 PM VIP Meet & Greet & Vendor Stroll
Location: Ballroom C

3:00 PM-3:45 PM Panel Space: The Conviction of Tommy Ziegler Speaker: Robin Warder, The Trail Went Cold
Location: Breakout Room
Tommy Zeigler has spent 48 years on death row. Now, newly tested DNA evidence could be the key to overturning his conviction and securing his release

4:00 PM 4:45 PM Panel: America Justice-A Conversation on Luigi
Mangione
Speakers: Amanda, Wine and Crime, Shaun, Sins & Survivors, and Kristen, Murder, She Told
Location: Breakout Room
This panel features three true crime creators in a critical conversation about how storytelling shapes public perception of guilt, innocence, and justice. Using the Luigi Mangione case as a lens, we'll explore the responsibility of creators and the biases that mirror the justice system itself.

5:00 PM 5:45 PM Research Roundtable: An Interactive Research Discussion Speakers: Josh Hallmark, Michelle Tooker, Jordan Taylor, and Shana Wilensky
Location: Breakout Room
Join Josh Hallmark and the research team from True Crime Bullish and Studio BOTH/AND for an interactive look at two cases and research methodology. Join in on the discussion, share your theories, and be a member of the research team for this hour-long, interactive investigation.

6:00 PM 6:30 PM Panel: Pepp Talks with Jeanne Pepper Speakers: Jeanne Pepper, Eli Moskowitz
Location: Breakout Room
Jeanne Pepper is the mother of Blaze Bernstein. Join her for a powerful session of how the media has impacted families.

6:30 PM-7:30 PM Trivia with Tooks
Speaker: Michelle Tooker, Author
Location: Breakout Room
Join Michelle Tooker, author and researcher for True Crime ********, for an evening of True Crime Trivia, done ethically. She'll also have copies of her books available for purchase.

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM VIP Only Mixer
Location: Ballroom C

August 20, 2025

9:00 AM-10:00 AM Coffee Chats: Ethics in Storytelling, Audience Q&A
Speaker: Lanie Hobbs, Co-Founder, TCPF
Location: Breakout Room
True crime storytelling carries real-world impact. In this intimate conversation, creators open up about the ethical decisions they face when covering sensitive cases. From centering victims to navigating family input, we'll explore how to tell compelling stories without causing harm.

10:00 AM 11:00 AM Coffee Chats: Behind the Mic, Audience Q&A Speaker: Lanie Hobbs, Co-Founder, TCPF
Location: Breakout Room
Get candid with creators as they share what it's really like behind the mic. From burnout and backlash to unexpected breakthroughs, this coffee chat pulls back the curtain on the personal side of podcasting-and the passion that keeps them going.

Date: August 18-20, 2025

Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Boston North Shore, 50 Ferncroft Rd, Danvers, MA 01923

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