2025 Conference on Violent Crime: Full Schedule

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8:30am EDT

Operation Ceasefire Update

Thursday May 29, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am EDT

Ceasefire Virginia is a proven approach to address and reduce violent criminal activity among serious and repeat offenders. This initiative aims at reducing violent crime by maintaining strategic and effective partnerships with state and federal agencies, local law enforcement and community leaders throughout the Commonwealth. Critical elements of Ceasefire include addressing the most significant drivers of violence, leveraging technology and analytics, developing and implementing enforcement strategies, and deterring others from engaging in violence through prosecution, public awareness, gang intervention, crime prevention, and community policing.

Speakers

Mark Fero

Programs Director, Office of the Attorney General

Mark Fero currently serves as the Director of Crime Reduction Initiatives in the Executive and Administration Division for the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, where he provides program and financial oversight to federal- and state-funded grant programs. After college, he... Read More →

Thursday May 29, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
Latham ABC

Keynote

9:30am EDT

Nihilistic Violent Extremism and Sadistic Online Exploitation

Thursday May 29, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT

Latham ABC

The increase in nihilistic violent extremism online is an evolving concern in the threat assessment and threat management (TATM) space. In September 2023, the FBI made a public service announcement regarding violent extremist groups targeting and sextorting vulnerable youths online. This presentation will focus on violent extremist groups, their behaviors and goals, commonly noted offender characteristics, and victimology. We will provide a background on these groups and discuss their evolution over time. Lastly, we will present a case study and offer threat assessment, threat management, and investigative considerations.

Speakers

Melissa R. Stormer

FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit

Dr. Melissa Stormer is a Supervisory Special Agent with the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and a Clinical/Forensic Psychologist. She has been an OSI agent for 21 years and has experience working and advising on investigations relating to violent crimes, sex crimes, crimes... Read More →

Thursday May 29, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Latham ABC

Keynote

11:00am EDT

To Catch a Predator

Thursday May 29, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Latham ABC

Richmond’s Fan Neighborhood sits just west of the City’s center and is one of Richmond’s most diverse neighborhoods. The Fan is home to many Virginia Commonwealth University students, young professionals, and families. From 2014 to 2018, a man named Justin Harvey made this community his preying ground, causing many people to feel uneasy. Harvey put fear into many young women, most between 19 and 24 years old, in the one place they should feel the safest: their homes. Both the Richmond Police Department and VCU Police Department worked tirelessly over this timeframe to identify a man who was reported to have committed numerous burglaries, assaults, and rapes. Eventually, in September 2018, detectives from both agencies and prosecutors from the Richmond Commonwealth Attorney’s Office were able to work together to identify and arrest Harvey. Through the diligent work between these three agencies, Harvey was connected to 10 different cases. Come along as detectives and prosecutors detail how the use of technology, cell phone data, and physical evidence earned Harvey over 200 years in the Virginia Department of Corrections.

Speakers

Joshua Boyles

Joshua Boyles has been a prosecutor for 18 years—first in Westmoreland County for five years, then as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond since 2012. He is a member of the office’s Violent Crime Team.

Sarah Heller

City of Richmond Commonwealth Attorney’s Office

Sarah Heller has been a prosecutor in the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for 15 years. She is a supervisor on the Violent Crime Team and provides training to prosecutors and police officers in a variety of programs and schools around the state.

Ben Neifeld

Richmond Police Department

Benjamin Neifeld has been with the Richmond Police Department for 17 years. He has worked in patrol, a Fourth Precinct street crimes unit, Aggravated Assault, and Sex Crimes, and is currently assigned to Homicide.

Lee Olds

Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department

Lee Olds has been with the VCU Police Department for 13 years. The majority of his career has been spent in an investigative role for various types of crime, including narcotics distribution, violent crime, and fraud. He is currently tasked with commanding a patrol platoon... Read More →

Thursday May 29, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Latham ABC

Keynote

1:15pm EDT

First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs: A Case Study on the Link Between Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks

Thursday May 29, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT

Latham ABC

Releasing on April 23, 2025, this behavioral case study examines the background and behavioral history of a gunman who killed 26 people and wounded 22 others in an attack at a church in Texas. In this presentation, the presenter will discuss the attacker's long history of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual violence perpetrated against friends, family members, and others.

Speakers

Josh Ryan

U.S. Secret Service

Dr. Josh Ryan is a Supervisory Social Science Research Specialist with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC), where he conducts research on threat assessment and targeted violence. Dr. Ryan has investigated the background, thinking, and behavior of assassins... Read More →

Thursday May 29, 2025 1:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Latham ABC

Keynote

3:00pm EDT

30 Boyz- Neighborhood Rap to Murder

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT

Duck Pond

This workshop is an in-depth case study of the 30 Boyz Gang. This neighborhood-based street gang started its own rap label, which ultimately contributed to multiple shootings and murders. Attendees will hear about the alliances of the 30 Boyz Street Gang, its use of social media, and how the activities of their rap label resulted in several homicides. Lessons learned in building a successful prosecution, utilization of jail calls, and joint jurisdiction investigations will be discussed.

Speakers

Michael Kiniry

Richmond Police Department

Detective Michael Kiniry has been with Richmond City Police Department for 18 years and has been investigating gangs for over 9 years and over 600 hours in basic and advanced gang training. He is a Board Member with the Virginia Gang Investigators Association. During this time, Detective... Read More →

Brian Kelly

Henrico County Police Department

Detective Brian Kelly has been employed by the Henrico County Police Division since 2015. He is currently a Detective with the Gang Investigative Team in the Criminal Intelligence Section, where he has received multiple trainings on gang characteristics and investigations. Currently serving... Read More →

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Duck Pond

Breakout

3:00pm EDT

DCJS Ceasefire Grantee Check-in

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT

Smithfield

The goal of the workshop is to build a collaborative and comprehensive networking opportunity for our grantees to engage with peers on current and ongoing local initiatives in addressing violent crime. It is our intent to highlight programs that are implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention and enforcement programs based on partnerships among community residents, local government agencies, community-based organizations, and law enforcement.

Speakers

Greg Hopkins

Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services

Greg is the Juvenile Justice Program Coordinator with DCJS. In this role, Greg serves as the state Juvenile Justice Specialist and DMC Coordinator, providing policy guidance and technical assistance for local and state juvenile justice administering agencies. He also coordinates... Read More →

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Smithfield

Breakout

3:00pm EDT

Social Media Investigations

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT

Assembly Hall

Attendees will learn what digital data is available, why the specific data is valuable, what data to seek based on case particulars, and how to write court orders and/or search warrants to obtain the data successfully. The class will discuss how to correctly manage the data received for posterity and discovery requirements and how to exploit the data received for actionable leads and intelligence. Attendees will leave equipped with knowledge and skills, positioning them to better leverage this data in investigations.

Speakers

Scott Kilpatrick

Scott Kilpatrick has been a police officer with the Baltimore County Police Department for over 18 years and a detective for the past 16 years. He spent the early part of his career in the Vice Narcotics Unit, which worked to dismantle drug trafficking organizations. Early on... Read More →

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Assembly Hall

Breakout

3:00pm EDT

The Boyfriend Trafficker

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT

Latham DEF

Human trafficking doesn’t always start with force—it often begins with romance. Traffickers posing as loving partners use psychological manipulation to lure their victims into exploitation. This session will dive into Virginia’s human trafficking laws, explore the grooming and recruitment tactics used by traffickers, and uncover the methods of control that keep victims trapped. We will also examine the trauma victims endure and why compliance is often mistaken for choice. Agent Freeman will provide a case study to show how the illusion of love is often enough to keep a victim compliant and prevent them from leaving the trafficking situation.

Speakers

McKayla Burnett

McKayla Burnett is the State Trafficking Response Coordinator at the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. She is responsible for coordinating statewide efforts to identify and respond to victims of human trafficking. McKayla has worked in victim services since 2015... Read More →

Kathryn Freeman

Kathryn has been with the Virginia State Police since 2016. After graduating from her basic session, she was assigned to Division VII (Northern Virginia), Loudoun County. During her time as a road trooper in 2018, she attended a course called “The Interdiction for the Protection... Read More →

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Latham DEF

Breakout

3:00pm EDT

The Impact of Mass Violence on Individuals and the Community

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT

Solitude

Mass violence events are far more frequent and far more deadly than they have been in previous years. The increase in violence and its substantial media coverage can lead to negative and sometimes long-lasting effects on the survivors and the community at large. In this workshop, we will discuss the psychological, emotional, and practical impacts of mass violence events. We will discuss the risks for long-term trauma and the protective factors that are crucial to personal and community healing and resilience. Finally, we will define and discuss the importance of trauma-informed care and identify local, state, and federal resources that can assist following a traumatic event in your community.

Speakers

Dawn Bush

Crisis Response Training and Outreach Specialist, Department of Criminal Justice Services

The Victims Crisis Assistance and Response Team (VCART) program provides a victim-centered response that is coordinated by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to assist victims following criminal events. The Code of Virginia requires DCJS and the Virginia... Read More →

Julia Fuller-Wilson

State Crisis Response Coordinator, Department of Criminal Justice Services

Julia Fuller-Wilson is the State Victims Crisis Assistance and Response Program Coordinator and the Federal Violence Against Women Program Administrator at the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. She currently manages and coordinates state crisis response efforts to... Read More →

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Solitude

Breakout