True crime has evolved from niche reporting into one of the most powerful storytelling genres of our time. Blending real-life mystery, psychology, and justice, it captivates millions across podcasts, documentaries, and live events. What began as late-night pulp has become a global movement, part entertainment, part activism, and part reckoning with the systems that shape our lives.
CrimeCon, the genre’s flagship convention, launched in Indianapolis in 2017 with just 800 attendees. Since then, it has grown into a multi-city phenomenon, with stops in Las Vegas, Nashville, London, and now Denver, where CrimeCon 2025 welcomed over 7,000 true crime enthusiasts, creators, and experts. The event offers more than panels and meet-and-greets, it is a space where justice, storytelling, and community converge.
In Indonesia, true crime has surged in popularity, especially among younger urban audiences. TikTok creators dissect infamous cases like the ☕ Cyanide Coffee Murder, where Wayan Mirna Salihin died after sipping iced coffee in a Jakarta café, leading to the televised conviction of Jessica Kumala Wongso. YouTube channels and Reddit threads revisit the chilling 🧒 Baekuni child predator case, and podcasts such as True Crimes of Asia explore everything from vigilante justice to mass sorcery killings, blending folklore, legal drama, and social critique.
This fandom is not just passive, it is participatory. Indonesian viewers analyze CCTV footage, question forensic inconsistencies, and debate courtroom strategy. Jakarta’s own true crime creators now rival international voices, turning local tragedies into national conversations about justice, media ethics, and institutional accountability.
At CrimeCon 2025, these themes came to life. From the explosive Donna Adelson verdict, guilty on all counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation, to the heartbreaking baby Emmanuel case in California, the event reminded us that true crime is not just entertainment, it is a mirror reflecting society’s deepest questions about truth, power, and justice.