Dateline NBC Talking Dateline: Conversations at CrimeCon Part 2
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Sep 2, 2026 
Josh Mankiewicz, a longtime investigative journalist and true-crime correspondent, joins Ellison Barber at CrimeCon. He discusses grief without closure, families transforming loss into advocacy, and the persistence behind breakthroughs in the Kristin Smart case. They examine how stalking can escalate into murder, the need to modernize laws, revisiting cases after verdicts, and Bill Hader’s memorable impression.
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Why Murder Survivors Rarely Find Closure
- Murder does not create closure; it permanently divides survivors’ lives into before and after.
- Its effects ripple across generations, such as parents forbidding sleepaway camp because it echoes a relative’s killing.
How Tori’s Mother Turned Grief Into Advocacy
- Some families transform devastating loss into sustained advocacy and support for others.
- Tori Vienneau’s mother became California’s Victim Advocate of the Year and now helps families struggling after violent loss.
The Podcast That Helped Move Kristen Smart’s Case
- The Smart family continued searching for Kristen Smart’s remains after her murderer’s conviction.
- Sheriff’s persistence and Chris Lambert’s podcast showed how law enforcement can benefit from credible information from unconventional sources.