CrimeCon 2018 Special Report: How Angela Bellah Stopped the Music City Killer

  • By Website Editor
  • •
  • 23 May, 2018
If you thought the CrimeCon 2018 weekend murder mystery game was going to be easy to crack, you probably quickly realized you were mistaken. One thing is clear: CrimeCon producers do not underestimate the sleuthing skills of our attendees. To those of you who hit me up for hints on Twitter, I must apologize for letting you down; I asked the CC producers not to tell me anything about the murder mystery so I could try to solve it myself. Turns out I'm a terrible investigator and was no help to you guys at all. 
If you thought the CrimeCon 2018 weekend murder mystery game was going to be easy to crack, you probably quickly realized you were mistaken. One thing is clear: CrimeCon producers do not underestimate the sleuthing skills of our attendees. To those of you who hit me up for hints on Twitter, I must apologize for letting you down; I asked the CC producers not to tell me anything about the murder mystery so I could try to solve it myself. Turns out I'm a terrible investigator and was no help to you guys at all. 
Many of you have sent exasperated tweets and posts to learn the solution to the mystery, so I caught up with CrimeCon 2018 Super Sleuth Angela Bellah (who won two VIP tickets to CC19 in New Orleans for her efforts!) to learn how she and her daughter finally cracked the case.
Angela Bellah and her daughter Whitney accept the CrimeCon 2018 Super Sleuth award.
CCI: Everyone got the same Nashville Times newspaper and first puzzle (See Figure A) at check-in. So where’d you start?

AB: We were so excited to play this game. When we started studying the first challenge, we thought it had something to do with the numbers in the paragraphs, but finally noticed the numbers spelled out in the first row of the columns, and that gave us what we needed to move on. [Informant's Note: The numbers in the sentences were all red herrings. The key was to read vertically and, if you used the killer’s “X” symbol as the final letter, you got: ONE-THREE-DOUBLE SEVEN-SIX]
Figure A
CCI: Okay, so that got you into the voicemail, which pointed you to the CrimeCon app and the “Fat Lady” clue and allowed you to enter your room number so that you’d get the overnight clue under your door. I thought that puzzle was REALLY hard, how’d you solve it?
The direction puzzle (See Figure B) was very difficult and took a while. At first we thought we had to have a word with the same meaning as the words in red. We finally realized that there was an initial of the directions in each word, then it was a little longer before we figured out we had to use the red words in the puzzle and put the two letters of the directions in the red boxes. Then from there we got to the next website from the killer.
Figure B
The next puzzles were not too hard, we figured them out pretty fast. And this is what gave us the best clues for the end.

CCI: Was there a big "AHA!" moment when you knew you had it figured out?

On the last puzzle we knew “plaque” wasn’t in the riddle by accident. So Sunday morning on our way to our first breakout we walked around looking for a plaque thinking the victim’s name would be on the plaque. However, my daughter realized the trash cans also had advertisement that had the word “commitment” on them. [Informant's Note: The solution to the word find puzzle included the phrase "commitment will soon help you narrow my targets. . ." See Figure C.)
Figure C
So then we figured the plaque would be by a set of trash cans. We didn't find it on our way in but we spotted a plaque above a set of trash cans by the entrance of the conference on our way out. The final “AHA!” moment was when we realized the number on the trash cans upside down said “SHIELD BILL.” (Figure D)  There was only one speaker named Bill that weekend so we knew it had to be him.  [Informant's Note: Throughout the mystery the killer wrote HELLO in upside down numbers, ultimately leading sleuths to realize that the phone number by the trash cans was really a word if you turned it upside down.]
Figure D
After we figured out it was Bill, the whole riddle made sense: “Don’t set the alarm” (the fire alarm was right next to it); “your choices down to two” (waste & recycle); the plaque; “commitment.”

CCI: I wasted a lot of time focusing on pieces of evidence that turned out to be red herrings. Did anything throw you off or make you wonder if you were on the right track?

A couple things threw us off:

We kept thinking the newspaper had more meaning to it. I think my husband, daughter and I read through that thing a hundred times thinking we would find something. We were looking for a pattern in the past victims’ names or initials.
When we finally got the code to the website and got to the portion where it asked for the victim’s name, we saw “There’s your trouble” italicized. That sent us looking through the Dixie Chicks song lyrics to see if there was a bigger meaning. There just happened to be a “John” in the lyrics but it didn’t feel right. That was when we realized we weren’t on the right track.
When we found the trash cans on the last day, there just happened to be a big piece of tape on the back, so we thought maybe the name was written on a piece of paper and someone had beat us to it. To make things worse, before we read the number upside down we called & texted it just to find out it was Mexico number. We thought it might have been actually been placed there by the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

CCi: Did you work with anyone to solve it?
My daughter Whitney and I were in this together, she got some of it first and I got the others, with a little help from my husband. We were willing to miss a breakout to solve the mystery, so he let us handle it.

CCI: Last year we had several people knocking on random hotel room doors in the middle of the night. Do you have any amusing stories from your investigation to tell future generations of CrimeCon Super Sleuths?

We kept waiting for the clue to come under the door in the middle of the night. And I’m sure we at least looked funny hanging out by the trash cans for half an hour.

CCI: How was your overall experience at CrimeCon?
It was phenomenal! We cannot wait to go back next year!
===
Don't miss the ENTIRE SOLUTION to the Music City Killer game!  Thanks to all citizen sleuths who joined forces to keep our CrimeCon 2018 speakers safe and sound!

CrimeCon UK heads to Manchester!

By David Jones • November 28, 2024
Breaking News! CrimeCon UK is coming to Manchester in 2025!

CrimeCon London 2025

By David Jones - Brand Manager • September 30, 2024

CrimeCon Returns to London on 7th and 8th June 2025: A Must-Attend Event for True Crime Enthusiasts

Exciting news for true crime aficionados – CrimeCon is making its much-anticipated return to London on 7th and 8th June 2025! As the biggest UK event for those with a passion for the true crime genre, this is an unmissable opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of crime, justice, and investigation, all set in the heart of the UK capital.

CrimeCon UK has built a reputation as the ultimate true crime experience, where enthusiasts, experts, educators and professionals come together to explore high-profile cases, delve into forensic science, and hear from those at the forefront of criminal investigation. 2025 promises to be the best event yet - being more captivating than ever before.

What to Expect at CrimeCon 2025

Building on the enormous success of past years, CrimeCon London 2025 will once again offer attendees exclusive access to leading criminal experts, investigative journalists, detectives, and true crime content creators. With a packed schedule of live panels, interactive discussions, and real-life case studies, this year's event is guaranteed to leave attendees with insights into some of the most talked-about cases and topical true crime themes. Not only this, CrimeCon UK puts victims and advocacy for justice at the heart of the event - making sure that CrimeCon is a platform for every story that needs to be told.

Here's a glimpse of what awaits attendees at CrimeCon 2025:

  • Exclusive Interviews and Case Debriefs: Hear directly from those involved in some of the UK’s most intriguing and infamous criminal cases, hearing from those that were directly impacted by criminality.
  • Meet Your Favorite True Crime Content Creators: The digital world has revolutionised the true crime genre, and CrimeCon will be bringing top content creators together to discuss their platforms, methods, and deep dives into unsolved mysteries.
  • Interactive Exhibits and Forensic Workshops: Put your sleuthing skills to the test as you take part in immersive activities, which have, in the past, included forensic analysis and criminal profiling.
  • Q&A Sessions with Experts: Get the chance to ask burning questions to investigators, criminologists, and legal professionals.

Who Should Attend?

Whether you're a die-hard true crime fan, a criminal justice professional, or just someone curious about the world of crime-solving, CrimeCon is perfect for you. The event brings together a diverse community of people who share a passion for exploring the darker side of humanity while discussing critical issues of justice and victim advocacy.

For those already familiar with popular crime podcasts, books, and documentaries, this is your chance to engage with the experts and learn more about the complexities behind these stories. CrimeCon offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals in a friendly, inclusive atmosphere.

Secure Your Spot

Tickets for CrimeCon London 2025 are expected to sell out fast, so be sure to grab yours soon. Various ticket packages are be available, offering different levels of access, from basic admission to VIP and Platinum experiences, where you can enjoy perks such as exclusive sessions with speakers, early access to certain events and enhanced event benefits. 

To find out more and to book your tickets, click here. Don't miss out on being part of the most thrilling true crime event of the year!

PUBLIC VOTE - OPEN NOW

By David Jones • February 5, 2024

Now is your chance to ensure your favourite true crime content from 2023 is recognised in the TCAs!

VIEWERS' CHOICE:  Whether it's your favourite series, documentary film or influencer - make sure you submit your thoughts on your favourite on-screen true crime content today! Remember - only content released in 2023 is eligible and will be counted.

LISTENERS' CHOICE:   All True Crime podcasts (that released content that is available in the UK during 2023) are eligible to be nominated so be sure that your go-to true crime podcast is recognised!

READERS' CHOICE:   Which true crime book caught your attention in 2023? As long as it was first published last year then it's eligible to be nominated, so cast your vote today!

Voting is now open and closes on 31st March 2024.  Those with the most votes will be recognised and awarded at the True Crime Awards which is scheduled to take place on 25th April 2024.

VOTE NOW!

The Big Scottish Book Club

By daviduk • October 18, 2023
THE BIG SCOTTISH BOOK CLUB
SERIES 5 EPISODE 2
AVAILABLE NOW

Damian Barr is joined by Shetland and Vera author Ann Cleeves to discuss her new novel, The Raging Storm. Lauren Lyle, star of the series Karen Pirie, reveals how she brings the Val McDermid character to life, and, on the 30th anniversary of Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh talks about the ITV crime series and his latest novel, The Long Knives. True crime podcasters (and our very own Nancy Baughen)  rate Truman Capote classic In Cold Blood, and crime readers at the Shetland Noir Festival in Lerwick recommend their favourite reads.

If you'd like to catch up and watch this incredible episode of The Big Scottish Book Club, click here. 
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