“Because of Gabby...” her mom Nichole Schmidt read through tears on Saturday.

The short excerpt went on to read from the survivor’s point of view that because of Gabby, she never went back inside the house where it turns out her partner had a gun to kill her.

Gabby’s mom added: “She’s a hero, saved so many lives. Even tho she’s not here anymore. She’s a hero.”

The three-day-long conference offers various panels, immersive experiences and the chance to rub elbows with the greatest minds in the true crime genre.

Special guests will speak on a variety of topics including forensics, criminology, victimology, DNA, and more. There are experts leading the sessions who are educated in their field and will provide the latest developments.

Investigators who have cracked decades-old cold cases reveal their secrets about their process. Families of victims and survivors of crime will share their stories, many seeking justice and the support of the true crime community.

The beloved journalist spoke at the panel, Beyond the Headlines: Examining the Aftermath of Carlee Russell’s Fake Disappearance. Curiously, attendees at the event have been referring to Mr Mankiewicz as “CrimeCon’s mayor.”

Ms Russell made headlines across the country after she disappeared on 13 July following a 911 in which she claimed she had seen a toddler walking on the side of an Alabama interstate. But by the time police arrived at the scene, neither Ms Russell nor the toddler were anywhere to be found.

Ms Russell’s story was later debunked by police and she was charged.

Mr Robinson, who graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in archaeology, disappeared on 23 June 2021 after seeming disoriented on a work site and ostensibly driving off into the desert with no explanation.

His behaviour had been slightly off in the weeks before his disappearance but there has been no sign of him since; the geologist’s car was recovered nearly a month after he vanished, along with his phone, wallet, keys and clothes he was last seen wearing.

Mr Robinson’s sister and his father David Robinson have a table at the crime convention and are giving out flyers with information about the missing geologist’s case/

The foundation was created by Gabby’s parents and stepparents, Nichole and Jim Schmidt, and Joe and Tara Petito, to turn the family’s tragedy into purpose.

The purpose is to spread awareness of domestic violence’s warning signs and assist organisations that provide immediate, tangible help to survivors, according to the campaign.

The Gabby Petito Foundation is CrimeCon’s CLUE Award recipient for the event’s Crimefighter of the Year award.

Kerri Rawson confronted her father Dennis Rader also known as BTK, after it was announced that he was being investigated in at least two cases years after he was convicted of 10 murders.

Ms Rawson, who is an advocate for victims and survivors, said she went in calm, then also pushed to talk about his crimes.

She said her father pushed her to talk about the Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger. They also discussed the two cases Rader is being of of, including Cynthia Kinney, who went missing 1976 from a laundromat.

Ms Rawson said she told her father, “I love you but this is out of my hands…”

“If you haven’t done anything wrong, I’ll make sure to do everything I can to protect you. But if you did, I’ll come back and nail you to the wall,” Ms Rawson said. “He’s been playing games for years, with me, and with you...”

Ms Rawson also called out true crime fans in the audience for writing letters to her father.

BTK killer’s daughter Kerri Rawson took the stage on Saturday to talk about her father.

The massive ballroom at the Orlando hotel was packed, with nearly every seat taken.

She recently announced that she’s been working with investigators in various states to help them take a fresh look at cases that could be connected to her father, according to her website.

On the Surviving the Survivor podcast, she said that be confronted her father for the first time in 18 years, visiting him twice in prison.

BTK killer Dennis Rader’s daughter Kerri Rawson is one of the speakers at CrimeCon 2023, which is taking place in Orlando this weekend.

Ms Rawson, a New York Times bestseller author who has previously spoken to The Independent about several high-profile crime cases, opened up about her journey of coming to terms with her father’s crimes and finding purpose in her work.

“18 years ago I didn’t think I would survive the night after being notified my dad was BTK,” Ms Rawson tweeted on Saturday. “9 years ago I started blasting out my heart to the world. Today, I speak with Joel Waldman @PodcastSTS & Laura Ingle @lauraingle about the current cold case investigations into my father.”

Parents of the victims in high-profile cases have come together at CrimeCon, honouring the lives of their loved ones and sharing their journey through the unimaginable tragedies they’ve experienced.

Slain Gabby Petito’s mom Nichole Schmidt and missing Daniel Robinson’s father shared a selfie on Twitter.

Ms Schmidt led efforts to hold Brian Laundrie and his family accountable after her daughter went missing before he was found dead by suicide. Meanwhile, Mr Robinson has advocated for more awareness for his son’s case and continues to do so more than two years after he vanished.

Gabby’s parents, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt, and her step-parents, Tara Petito and Jim Schmidt, took the stage at CrimeCon 2023 for a powerful session about domestic violence, “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” as they took the audience through what they went through since Gabby was killed.

It was Petito’s posts that inspired enormous interest in the case and were seized on by an army of online sleuths who joined the effort to help locate Petito when she was first declared missing. They pored over her Instagram posts, searching for any inconsistencies, clues or possible causes for concern.

While law enforcement was searching for Petito’s boyfriend Brian Laundrie in Florida on 19 September 2021, investigators announced they had located a body believed to be that of Petito in the eastern portion of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The discovery was aided by another travel YouTuber who spotted Petito’s van in a video they had been editing.

“It’s thanks to all of you that we found her,” Nichole Schmidt said on Saturday.