Brian Killacky, Retired Chicago Police Sgt. 

Brian Killacky is a consultant with the Amber Alert Technical Assistance Program. He is an expert in the field of investigating unresolved child homicides, long term missing and unidentified human remains. Previously, he was a detective with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) for 27 years specializing initially in the investigation of cases involving child sexual exploitation. Upon retirement, Brian worked for the Cook County States Attorney Office where he was an Investigator in the Cold Murder Unit and a supervisor in the Complex Homicide Unit. Brian was one of two presenters at the very first Dallas Crimes Against Children Conference. This speaker is sponsored by the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC).

Silvia Pettem, Author and Historian

Silvia Pettem is an author, writer, and historical researcher specializing in true crime as well as local history and genealogy. Pettem’s research-heavy process and style are also often utilized in the realm of cold cases. In her New York Times bestseller work, Someone’s Daughter: In Search of Justice for Jane Doe, Pettem investigates the murder of an unidentified woman found in Boulder Canyon in 1954. Published in 2009, the book is the culmination of over a decade of research into the identity of the woman and her likely killer. Further developments in the case after the book’s publication led to a successful identification of Jane Doe.

Keaton Strong, Lieutenant Bel-Ridge Police Department

Keaton Strong has been in the Law Enforcement Field for over 18 years, 10 of which have been with the St. Louis City Metropolitan Police Department. He has specialized in Missing and Exploited Children to include Amber Alert/School Resources, in the Intelligence Division (Human Trafficking and Birth Rights) and in the Human Trafficking Unit/Juvenile Gang Crimes. In 2017, Investigator Strong was appointed to the AntiHuman Trafficking Enforcement Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.

Tom Martin, Retired New York State Police

Tom Martin is a nationally recognized speaker who has instructed at numerous forensic training seminars across the United States, including the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, The National Institute of Justice Annual Conferences and Technology Fairs, and the Smithsonian Institute. Tom is a faculty member of the National College of District Attorneys and a former instructor for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, (IACP).

Melissa Gregory, Regional Program Specialist NamUs

Melissa Gregory formerly served as the Case Analysis Unit (CAU) Supervisor for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Prior to joining NCMEC, Ms. Gregory worked with a corporate law firm in Denver, Colorado and interned with the Denver Police Department's Crime Analysis Unit, Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and coroner's office. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor's Degree in criminal justice with a minor in psychology, and she holds a Master's Degree in criminal investigative psychology.

Staca Shahan, Executive Director of the Case Analysis Division for NCMEC

Staca Shehan joined the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 1999 and is the Executive Director of the Case Analysis Division. She is responsible for policy decisions and overall operations within the Division including oversight of the Child Sex Trafficking Team and Sex Offender Tracking Team. In this role, she helps create and manage the division’s budget; conducts print, radio and television interviews about issues relating to child sex trafficking, noncompliant registered sex offenders, internet crimes against children, and attempted abductions of children; and provides training sessions and presentations to the public, private industry, other nonprofit organizations and law enforcement agencies.