PNW True Crime Fest rallies a spooky, thoughtful community

The convention welcomed true crime and horror-adjacent folks who relish in morbid stories and cautionary tales.

Over the second weekend of October, murder and mystery reigned under one roof at the PNW True Crime Fest in Auburn.

At Green River College from Oct. 8-9, vendors, podcast hosts, authors, police officers, app developers and true crime enthusiasts came together for the small convention.

Spread out over the two days were intriguing and informational events, which included playing interactive Foul Play Games, panels on writing true crime, a personal safety presentation from the Seattle Police Department and self defense classes.

“I have a huge paranoia of being murdered,” said Devon Abejo, when asked what draws her to the true crime genre and to the convention that weekend.

Holly, a vendor at the Sablewood Paper Company booth, said safety plays a factor into her interest as well.

“Staying safe and just morbid curiosity,” she said. “I get really interested in the stories and how they can be solved.”

One of the most engrossing booths at the convention was for CrimeDoor, an interactive app that allows users to find true crime stories of the past and present in any area they are in. The app uses GPS location to pinpoint crime scenes that unlock stories and primary source articles.

Live true crime podcast recordings were a popular event at the festival, where guests could hear about true crime stories relevant to the Pacific Northwest.

“Ghosts-n-Heauxs” with hosts Danielle and Zee recorded an episode called “The Green River Killer” about the beyond-infamous serial killer Gary Ridgway, who was convicted of 49 murders in western Washington, but confessed to at least 71.

Other podcast recordings included “Disturbing Interests” going over the 1993 murder of Mia Zapata, lead singer of the Seattle punk band The Gits, as well as “What Happens In The Woods” focusing on teen runaways in the Pacific Northwest and “The Jungle” homeless encampment in Seattle.

There were also several presentations on the main stage throughout the weekend, highlighting various issues and stories related to true crime.

One podcast called “L.A. Not So Confidential,” with hosts and psychologists Dr. Shiloh and Dr. Scott, discussed the origins and incoherent ideology of incels.

Another presentation was from private investigator and New York Times bestselling author Steve Hodel, who talked about his book “Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder.”

Throughout the weekend, there was a determined emphasis on telling the stories of the victims of these true crime stories and not focusing on the murderers and perpetrators of these crimes, a persistent criticism of the true crime genre.

“It’s interesting,” said Colleen Moore of Tacoma. “There’s a lot of unsolved crime that goes unnoticed. This community helps push forward those stories.”

Though the Sunday opening presentation, “Spirited Away: The Missing and Murdered Indigenous of North America,” was canceled, other speakers and podcast hosts focused on telling the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

One podcast was “Murder Murder News,” hosted by Canadians Angelina and Aurora, who recorded an episode about the mysterious 2014 death of Misty Upham, a Hollywood actress and Blackfeet woman whose body was found in Auburn 11 days after she had gone missing.

During the podcast recording, statistics were cited to provide context to Upham’s story, like murder being the third-leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women from the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI).

According to that same UIHI study, Seattle has the highest number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls of American cities based on available data, with Tacoma being in the top ten.

The Pacific Northwest is no stranger to true crime, as it is home to some of the country’s most notorious serial killers. So, a true crime convention focused on the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in Washington and Oregon made for a compelling experience.

The PNW True Crime Fest allowed space for serious discussions that bordered on depressing and the macabre, along with informative entertainment and impressive local vendors. Enamel pins, stickers, crystals, jewelry, t-shirts and even dog cookies were for sale that invoked spooky themes and items perfect for the Halloween season.

While true crime has its fair share of backlash, the crowd and the participants at this year’s True Crime Fest proved to be empathetic, thoughtful and inquisitive; a satisfying elixir amongst a sea of murder, mystery and the macabre.

Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing
Vendors from all over the Pacific Northwest, like Sablewood Paper Company, were invited to the festival to sell their True Crime adjacent items.

Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing Vendors from all over the Pacific Northwest, like Sablewood Paper Company, were invited to the festival to sell their True Crime adjacent items.

Along with vendor booths that showcase Pacific Northwest cryptids, spooky nostalgia, podcast merchandise and witchcraft items, true crime-related wares were on display with everything from pencils printed with murder statistics and homemade dog cookies. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing

Along with vendor booths that showcase Pacific Northwest cryptids, spooky nostalgia, podcast merchandise and witchcraft items, true crime-related wares were on display with everything from pencils printed with murder statistics and homemade dog cookies. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing

Some vendors, like Emerald Outpost (pictured) or She And The Moon, sold metaphysical and spiritual items like crystals, sage sticks and jewelry. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing

Some vendors, like Emerald Outpost (pictured) or She And The Moon, sold metaphysical and spiritual items like crystals, sage sticks and jewelry. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing

Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing
Co-hosts Jess and Brice of “What Happens In The Woods” recorded a live podcast episode about “The Jungle”, a homeless encampment in Seattle.

Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing Co-hosts Jess and Brice of “What Happens In The Woods” recorded a live podcast episode about “The Jungle”, a homeless encampment in Seattle.

A guest is shown how to use augmented reality to explore the CrimeDoor app, a “definitive mobile true crime platform” that allows people to learn about and explore the sites and stories of true crime cases. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing

A guest is shown how to use augmented reality to explore the CrimeDoor app, a “definitive mobile true crime platform” that allows people to learn about and explore the sites and stories of true crime cases. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing

The Murder Murder News podcast, hosted by Angelina (left) and Aurora, recorded a live episode about the mysterious death of Misty Upham, an indigenous actor who died in Auburn, Washington in 2014. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing

The Murder Murder News podcast, hosted by Angelina (left) and Aurora, recorded a live episode about the mysterious death of Misty Upham, an indigenous actor who died in Auburn, Washington in 2014. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing