Chance encounter at CrimeCon and a whispered promise shaped family’s role in Idaho student murders case
At a CrimeCon gathering, a forensics executive comforted a grieving mother; the meeting was later described as pivotal by participants at this year’s conference
Kristen Mittelman, a senior executive at the forensic firm Othram, met Stacy Chapin at a CrimeCon event two years ago in Orlando, an encounter Chapin and Mittelman described onstage this year in Denver as a turning point for the family of one of the Idaho student victims.
Chapin, whose son Ethan was killed in the high-profile Idaho case, said she had reluctantly attended the earlier CrimeCon event and was still only "10 months out from losing Ethan" when she took part in a group meeting for families of victims of prominent crimes. "What in the hell am I doing in this room?" she recalled thinking at the time.
At the close of that session, Mittelman approached Chapin, embraced her and whispered a reassurance. "I had to go up to Stacy and say everything was gonna be OK, and I did," Mittelman said onstage at CrimeCon in Denver. Both women recounted the interaction as unexpectedly meaningful despite being strangers at the time.
Mittelman, who represents Othram — a company that provides advanced forensic DNA analysis and investigative genetic genealogy services — told the audience she felt compelled to offer comfort and later to follow up. Chapin described the exchange as a rare moment of personal solace during a period of intense grief and public scrutiny for the families involved in the Idaho student murders.
The two spoke about the meeting before an audience that included other family members affected by violent crimes. Chapin said she had been invited to the earlier CrimeCon and had joined the session at the urging of others. Mittelman said she was motivated by a desire to reassure a grieving parent and to signal that the broader forensic and investigative community cared about the families.
The Idaho student murders, which drew national attention, involved the deaths of multiple students and prompted extensive investigative work. Families of victims have appeared at national conferences to share their experiences and to highlight developments in forensic science and investigative techniques. During this year’s CrimeCon in Denver, organizers staged sessions that brought together families, law enforcement professionals and private-sector forensic experts to discuss advances in cold-case work and post-conviction investigations.
Chapin and Mittelman’s onstage account underscores how informal meetings and professional networks can intersect at public forums. CrimeCon bills itself as a hybrid conference for true-crime fans and criminal-justice professionals, and speakers this year emphasized both the emotional toll on families and the evolving role of forensic technologies in investigations.
Both Chapin and Mittelman framed their interaction as part of a longer narrative that unfolded after their initial meeting, saying the encounter prompted further communication. Neither speaker onstage offered detailed casework specifics during the session, and neither suggested that the exchange alone resolved investigative questions. Their remarks were presented as personal testimony about how connections made at conferences can influence families’ engagement with forensic professionals.
Organizers of CrimeCon said the conference aims to create space for victims’ families to meet experts and for forensic practitioners to share methods and insights. Attendees at this year’s event included relatives of victims, law-enforcement officials, private investigators and industry representatives. Presenters highlighted advances in DNA analysis, digital forensics and investigative genealogy as tools increasingly used in complex investigations.
Chapin’s public remarks at CrimeCon echoed the broader theme of the conference: the human impact of crime and the search for answers through evolving scientific methods. Mittelman’s presence onstage and her description of the whispered reassurance illustrated the intersection of professional expertise and personal support that families of victims often seek when navigating prolonged investigations and public attention.