Meet Kelly O'Donnell

One of the best things about CrimeCon is getting to meet new experts and investigators in the field of true crime whom we may not have known before. It's awesome in person, but CrimeCon Insiders get to experience this ALL YEAR!

This week, CSI Kelly O'Donnell took over the Insider community. She shared some "Dos and Don'ts" to keep in mind if you encounter a crime scene and tips about how to be a good witness. Luckily, she's sticking around and will continue her expert takeover next week. I had a chance to speak with Kelly, and she's a true crime enthusiast just like us!

CCI: Why did you decide to go into Crime Scene Investigation?

I was originally going to school to be a Paralegal. During my general classes, I took an Introduction to Criminal Justice class and in one of those classes, the instructor played a 911 call of a young mother whose home was being broken into. She was eventually killed. I will never forget the feeling of helplessness and anger I felt. I wanted so badly to help. I went to the admin office that day and changed majors to Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement. Although law enforcement was the main component to my studies, I was very drawn to investigative work. The more I researched where careers in law enforcement could take me, the more I kept coming back to Crime Scene Investigation.

CCI: Tell me about your decision to retire so early and how that affected your path going forward.

My decision to retire was devastating. I had been injured on duty (a traffic accident) and it caused permanent injuries restricting my ability to work as a police officer or Crime Scene Investigator. I LOVED working as a Crime Scene Investigator and am so thankful that I was able to have that time to work in my dream job. Because of my love for all things true crime, I wasn’t ready to leave it just because I had retired.

I was talking with my friend Erin (who is also a true crime junkie) about recent cases. We get so excited about these things and have such passion for it, we wondered if there were others out there like us. I put some feelers out there and sure enough, there were several people in our social circle who loved true crime, too! I started a True Crime Club. We get together once a month to discuss unsolved cases. We have such a great time talking about the cases, getting to know each other and general bonding over true crime. Selfishly, it helps me feel like I am still part of that world.

CCI: Is there anything you wish people better understood about the job?

What we see on a daily basis is sometimes the worst thing anyone could see in a lifetime. It is an incredibly demanding job, not just physically, but mentally as well. Understand that we may want to talk about the case, but we can’t. And when we can, being a good ear is always much appreciated.

CCI: What’s your most memorable case?

My most memorable case was the Eddie Sole homicide. I'll be posting more about that case on the app next week, so stay tuned to see why it stuck with me.

CCI: What’s the best way that citizen detectives can help an investigation?

The best way to help, in my opinion is not letting the cases that you care about go away. Talk to people: the Attorney’s Office, the Police Department, other entities involved in the case. Keep it relevant!

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Kelly's takeover of the CrimeCon Insider app continues this week with more tips and stories from her time as a crime scene investigator. Head over to the community to join in the conversation!