Madison McGhee has traveled roughly 600,000 miles in pursuit of justice for her father, who was killed in 2002. She and many others with slain family members meet and take selfies with true crime fanatics at CrimeCons across the country.
Madison McGhee is stride through the convention center of the Gaylord Opryland inNashville , ducking and evade rooter who are seek out selfies , touch , and a moment to offer condolence for her murder male parent . A sweatshirt that read “ Snitch Ass Daddy ” is draped on her shoulder , pother as she makes a beeline back to her kiosk .
This is her 2d class at CrimeCon , an annualtrue - crimeconvention for fans , experts , and podcasters to lecture all things murder , mystery , and forensics . Madison is at CrimeCon as both a podcaster and an counselor-at-law for her dad , John “ JC ” Cornelius McGhee . The 45 - yr - old was killed in the doorway of his dwelling house in Bridgeport , Ohio , a unmarried gunshot wounding to the head , in the early hours of July 11 , 2002 . Madison was just six twelvemonth previous at the time and living with her female parent , who was separate from JC . The case has rest unresolved for the last 22 geezerhood .
Madison travel from Los Angeles to Nashville for attend the group discussion . Last year , she traveled from LA to Orlando . The two CrimeCon stumble are just a small portion of the traveling she ’s done in the past four year to try and solve her father ’s murder . By the start of 2024 , she had scud up 500,000Delta SkyMilesflying between Los Angeles and Ohio to question police officers , district attorneys , category member , and murder suspect . ( In total , she estimates she ’s traveled just about 600,000 sea mile in service of figure out her dad ’s execution . )
Design by Maitane Romagosa for Thrillist
“ When I started this , I had zero debt , ” McGhee say . “ I ’ve put everything related to the case on credit cards , and now I ’m in $ 100,000 of debt . ”
Madison has set up her John Wilkes Booth and covered it with small printed poster featuring a sum-up of her pa ’s compositor’s case , photograph of the two of them , and link out to the podcast she make , produces , and hosts detailing his death . She also had custom tote bags printed , which read “ Did you kill my pappa ? ” and 500 handmade friendship bracelet with the name of her podcast,“Ice Cold Case . ” It ’s available on all podcast platforms and has been listened to 700,000 time . The first time of year lie of nine sequence , and ended with the fractured pieces of the case she had : who she believed was there when her begetter was kill , how the police failed , and a plea to the public for help .
Madison did n’t even get laid her father was murdered until she was 16 ; she antecedently had been tell he died of a heart attack . At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic , Madison decided to look into the case , which had no movement since a rarified jury had been convene in 2002 . “ The first time I really move to do anything , I drove from Portland , Oregon to my hometown in West Virginia and then up to Ohio because I was frightened to fly , ” Madison think . “ That ’s a 41 - hour drive one style . So I had to block and stay at hotels and break up the trip . I adjoin with the prosecutors , the police detective , and family , all in one head trip because I want to make the most of it because it ’s such a far drive . ”
Madison as a baby with her sister Alyssa, left, mom Glenda Hawley center, and dad JC McGhee, right.|Courtesy of Madison McGhee
As Madison describes in “ Ice Cold Case , ” the law believe that the defendant who was bring before the august jury in 2002 , Daryl Smith , was the man responsible for the murder , and allot to Madison , they all gave up investigating anyone or anything else .
Madison ’s father was n’t a very “ sympathetic dupe ” either . At the time of his death , he was a drug trader and a police informant — what some of the so - called experts at CrimeCon would call “ a gamy risk victim . ” He put down out of school day after 8th grad and sputter with substance abuse . “ That ’s been really heavy to grapple with — that his personal identity is n’t only the reason people do n’t care as much , but potentially the reason that his execution is n’t solved , ” Madison says .
This was part of the reason Madison first turned the probe into a podcast . As a pitch-dark man , JC is underrepresented in this literary genre of storytelling , too , despite the fact that disgraceful men are thedemographic most affected by homicide . The stories that make “ Dateline ” and get their own serialized podcasts are typically about the murder of fair sex and youngster , and very often , white women and children . It ’s only been in recent years that there ’s been a concerted exertion to share stories of slaying victims from a wider regalia of societal , racial , and ethnic setting .
JC McGhee holding a young Madison McGhee.|Courtesy of Madison McGhee
“ A huge , huge , vast intention of my show was to severalize my story through my lens to humanise my dad , ” Madison explains . “ If you could see him as a father , you might manage a little bit more than if I ’m just tell the story of JC McGee . ”
The CrimeCon of It All
On the first daylight of CrimeCon , Madison gives a talking to a elbow room of about 150 people . Her panel is moderated byDatelinehost Josh Mankiewicz . Her anecdotes about her travelling , the consultation she carry on with the police ’s only suspect alone in a subroutine library , and the death threat she ’s received from her own crime syndicate member titillate the bunch . Attendees whisper about her appealingness and strength , laugh at her laugh on the tedious nature of offense - scene paperwork , and place their hands over their heart as she identify the pain of losing her father in such a trigger-happy style .
Afterwards , when Madison is back in her booth , she ’s embraced by fair sex who murmur words of boost . “ I ’m so dismal . That was amazing , ” one aver , clasping Madison ’s hand . Overall , she ’s treated with equal amounts of sympathy , fascination , and reverence .
Others come up and share their own departure — there is no shortage of CrimeCon attendees who have been touched by violent law-breaking themselves . Many , however , are simply excited by Madison ’s association with Mankiewicz . “ I have a vast crush on Josh , ” one woman tell . “ They do n’t really have goodDatelinemerch for him , just a cutout and an ornamentation . So I bought a shirt that just says ‘ I Love Josh . ’ ”
Two shirts for sale at the CrimeCon store.|Photo by Opheli Garcia Lawler for Thrillist
Is it weird to be present a nonstop flow of condolences and selfie requests ? “ Oh yes , ” Madison says , link up her hair back . But she does n’t harbor judgment for the reliable - offense fan who have surrounded her all weekend . “ As someone who used to down true - criminal offense content , inadvertently part of this softheaded story , I think they ’re interesting stories , ” she explains . “ Part of the grounds I made my show in the way that I did was no one would care if it was n’t entertaining , and if it ’s not cumulate an hearing , then what ’s the point ? ”
Still , in between booths from theBlack and escape Foundationandthe Gabby Petito Foundation — which are doing groundbreaking ceremony work advocating for the often - neglect case of marginalized missing people — and podcasts like “ Generation Why ” and “ Once Upon a Crime ” ( two of the original and longest running dependable - crime podcasts ) , there are quite a few booths that verbalize to the more garish , exploitative , and blood - thirsty aspect of the genre .
Case in percentage point : A booth demonstrating tasers , the zapping of which oft punctuates the background noise of the convention center , also sells “ safe ” gear , marketed to the true - crime fans whose constant consumption of stories rivet around treachery and homicide have made them see the world through blood - tinted chalk . One row over is the Cold Cake Files cupcake booth . The actual cupcake do n’t even have a well-defined visual “ murder ” slant — they’re mostly regular old cupcakes , generically topped with icing and sprinkles . The existent entreaty come from the fact that treats are accompanied by a cold case mystery story secret plan customers can solve , like “ Carrot Conspiracy ” and “ Mocha Murder . ”
Madison McGhee talking with a CrimeCon attendee.|Courtesy of Madison McGhee
A short further down , the Court TV booth has a plank asking fan , “ What ’s your true crime obsession ? ” Attendees posted hundreds of Post - It note reply the query . “ All of it ” was written over and over . Other the great unwashed wrote the specific names of well - known dupe like Summer Wells ( a five - year - previous who vanish from her home in Tennessee in 2021 ) and Katelyn Markham ( a 21 - year - old who was killed by her fiance in Ohio in 2011)—or the shorthand to famous case like Delphi ( the murder of young woman Abigail Williams,13 , and Liberty German , 14 , in Indiana ) and the Idaho 4 ( the quadruple homicide of Idaho college students Madison Mogen , Kaylee Goncalves , Xana Kernodle , and Ethan Chapin ) .
take the air through these booths induces a routine of emotional whip . For every five female parent and advocates sharing some news report of horrific departure , there is someone else hawking a “ slaying - theme ” merchandise . The result is a tension between CrimeCon ’s two dueling functions : an entertaining meetup for fans of the true - crime genre and a platform for multitude who need the attention of the public to get judge for their omit and remove loved ones .
Anything Helps
Madison ask the attention of the public for exert pressure on the Belmont County Sheriff ’s Office , which is responsible for her forefather ’s case . She ’s done other things to push for more activity — admit pay for a hoarding in front of the Belmont County District Attorney ’s post — but as anyone who is even remotely intimate with murder in America know , constant insistence on natural law enforcement is take to get anything done . And at Crime Con , these are n’t just passively interested people . The CrimeCon attendees , who pay off upwards of $ 400 for their tickets , do n’t fall apart T - shirts that read “ basically a detective ” for no grounds . When they become invested in a cause , they ’ll ply their own DNA , call and pen emails to law enforcement , institutionalise letter to district attorneys , search public records , and post on societal culture medium .
Which is why there are several other people like Madison also on Podcast Row trying to mug up up public interest in their family member ’s unresolved execution and disappearance .
The family and neighbour of Jason Landry pass out flyers and bracelets that share the details of the 21 - class - old college scholar ’s mysterious disappearance four class ago . The materials with Landry ’s name , eld , and photo are eagerly given to passersby . There ’s a despair from the family in the gesture . Maybe someone in Tennessee , who traveled from Ohio , will make out something about the whereabouts of a missing man from Texas .
The Court TV true crime obsession wall.|Photo by Opheli Garcia Lawler for Thrillist
Meanwhile , Maggie Zingman has spent the last 20 years searching for answer in regards to the rape and murder of her daughter Brittany Phillips , who was killed in her 2d - story flat in Tulsa , Oklahoma in 2004 . As of this yr , Zingman has driven 300,000 mile in the past two decades to 48 states , in machine she has wrap in a bright pink decal that features picture of Bretagne , a earphone number to call for hint , and the parole “ Caravan to overtake a Killer . ”
“ I get email from citizenry in Washington state , in New Hampshire , in Florida , in Southern California , in Arizona , and it ’s just another way to get our story out , ” Zingman aver . At her Crime Con stall , she has a giant sign detail the specifics of her girl ’s end , pamphlets with information , and a bowl of candy , buttons , stickers , and tug bags . It unquestionably work out at last year ’s CrimeCon . “ Half the reason I come back this year is because of all the multitude who showed interest last year , ” Zingman says . “ And it generated result . I always say masses any idea , whatever it is , do n’t think it ’s silly , say me . Sometimes the leads are already ones we ’ve thought of , but sometimes they ’re not . And I send everything to the Tulsa police . ”
Vangie Randall - Shorty ’s son , Zachariah Juwaun Shorty , was get hold pullulate and killed on the Navajo Reservation , four days after he go away from Farmington , New Mexico . He was 23 , and Vangie did n’t experience he was off until she invite a transcript of the death account .
Maggie Zingman at her Crime Con booth, holding a photo of her daughter Brittany Phillips.|Photo by Opheli Garcia Lawler for Thrillist
Since Zachariah ’s murder , Vangie has taken multiple trips to Santa Fe to appeal for more probe , not only for her son , but for other families of miss and murdered indigenous hoi polloi . She spent nearly 12 hours jaunt to attend CrimeCon , where she not only has a booth , but will also be talk at a talk call “ Silent No More : Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives . ”
“ I will do whatever I can to get the story out , ” Shorty says . “ Whatever I can do , I ’ll do it . I will move to get a narration out . ”
Will Traveling to CrimeCon Solve a Case?
Madison is n’t even certain what resolution will mean for her case — it ’s a chorus common from mob member of execution victims whose cases have go unsolved for so long . Unlike the typical structure for true - crime computer programing , the “ solve ” might not result in a lengthy trial or even a article of faith .
“ It ’s weird when multitude ask me what the goal is , ” Madison says . Her eyes are get down to dip a number — midway through the second day of the group discussion , the nonstop interaction , much of it revolve around her father ’s slaying and the associated trauma , is begin to weigh on her . “ It ’s so ever - evolving that it ’s hard to pinpoint what I ’m even doing anymore . Some 24-hour interval , I ’m care , ‘ I do n’t even make out . ’ Some solar day I wake up , and it ’s like , ‘ I just need to solve this case , whatever that looks like , however that is , whatever that intend . If that ’s knowing , if that ’s going through trial , I just want to solve it . ’ ”
If she does solve the case , what will that mean for Madison ? Everyone is asking her — fan of the podcast , Josh Mankiewicz fromDateline , me from Thrillist . At 28 twelvemonth older , a huge portion of her professional experience is sourced from the podcast she ’s made about her beginner ’s murder . She has alienated family member , cry in front of immense audiences , and lost the joy of geographic expedition that defined her before she began this journey .
Vangie Randall-Shorty at her Crime Con booth.|Photo by Opheli Garcia Lawler for Thrilist
“ I love to travel , ” explains Madison . “ I like being on planes . I ’ve been to 38 state . In the kickoff , it was a bit exciting because there was this newness element to it . Now it ’s just exhausting . It ’s like , I ’ve got to get on another flight , I ’ve dumbfound to do this , I have to go here . As before long as I get back , I have to swap over my suitcase and go again . The work you ’re doing is play out in world-wide , but when you ’re live out of a hotel or you ’re not in your own layer , it can really take a toll . ”
A big motion still , when she disclose who bump off her founding father , what else is Madison going to be responsible for ? It ’s a question that visibly gnaws at her . She enquire what she should do about the extra information she ’s uncovered — allegation of degeneracy , systemic failure , questions of answerableness . “ Is there more to this ? ” she wonders during a quiet moment on the first Clarence Day of CrimeCon . “ Do I need to be doing more ? Do I call for to be do up a nonprofit or a fashion to avail other people ? What is the remnant goal ? ”
Madison does n’t get laid . What she has figured out , though , is her wadding turn . She always checks three bags : one filled with her recording geared wheel , another filled with information to pass on out , and the third fill with her wearing apparel , makeup , and other essentials . Because of her high status with Delta , each of them can weigh up to 70 pounds .
Crime Con attendees.|Photo by Opheli Garcia Lawler
But even with all this heavy baggage — in the real and excited sense — Madison does n’t plan on stopping until her forefather ’s murder is solved . And to do that , she ’ll have to make more trips : back to Ohio , to other protagonism and podcast outcome , and to CrimeCon once again next twelvemonth .
