I don’t know what is about true crime that I find so fascinating but I do. From murder stories to missing person cases I am always reading/watching/listening to things about these topics. I never really knew that podcasts about true crime existed until a bit over a year ago someone introduced me to My Favorite Murder. I was immediately hooked and that send me down the podcast rabbit hole of all things true crime. I’ve talked about this on Instagram a bit so I thought I would share my favorites + I asked my audience to share their faves as well so I’ll add those to the bottom! To find these, just search the names in whatever app you use to listen to podcasts!
MUST BINGE RIGHT NOW:
These are the podcasts that were so good I binged all the back episodes in a week or two so I could get caught up and listen in real time when they come out!
UP AND VANISHED: I LOVE LOVE LOVE loved this podcast. The first season is about the disappearance of Tara Grinstead (the pageant queen/teacher from Georgia) and is downright FASCINATING. Payne, the host, has the voice of an angel and this is my favorite one to listen to before bed. Season 2 is about the disappearance of Kristal Anne Reisinger, it’s just as fascinating.
MY FAVORITE MURDER: Does this one really need an explanation? I feel like anyone in the true crime realm has heard of it. If not, it’s two hilarious women who discuss murders. There is a lot of comedy up in here but they’re respectful to the victims and their families of course.
HELL AND GONE: This is one that I just started bingeing and couldn’t stop until I was done. This is a private investigator who goes back to her hometown in the Arkansas Ozarks to investigate the brutal murder of Rebekah Gould. She does such an awesome job discussing this case that I was HOOKED.
MISSING MAURA MURRAY: If I had to pick one podcast to listen to and never listen to another again it would be this one. It dives into the disappearance of Maura Murray. It’s fascinating and frustrating. She just vanished. I highly recommend this one.
DIRTY JOHN: Crazy. That’s the only thing I have to describe this one. Dirty John is based on the life of John Meehan, a con artist and sociopath. It’s since been turned into a mini-series on Bravo that is equally as crazy.
I GOT THE HELL OUT: This isn’t really a true crime in the sense of murder BUT I feel like it still fits in this realm. It’s two women who are discussing the ones time in a cult. From what she experienced to how she got out. If you like cult stuff. This is for you.
WITHOUT WARNING: I am currently in the middle of bingeing this one and can not stop. Lauren Agee attended Wakefest in Smithville, TN with some friends. On the last day without warning Lauren’s life was gone in an instant. Join Professional Investigator Sheila Wysocki as she takes back the curtain to go behind the scenes of an investigation. You decide who is telling the truth, who isn’t, what happened to the evidence, and what happened with the police investigation. See what Lauren’s mom, Sherry Smith has to do in order to speak for her daughter. Was it murder or a tragic accident, you decide. True Crime in real time.
CRAWLSPACE: Crawlspace is a true crime podcast from the guys who brought you Missing Maura Murray. Lance and Tim continue to dive as deep as possible into missing persons cases, murders, robberies, and family mysteries; while filming a documentary about their quest. Current cases: Brianna Maitland’s 2004 disappearance The 1918 unsolved murder of William Dean The John Giuca wrongful conviction case The Vanishing Men of Boston.
JUICING THE PEOPLE: Juicing The People v. O.J. Simpson – The talk show that juices the events surrounding the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Every week hosts Adam Papagan and JJ Stratford review ESPN’s OJ Made in America and fact check it against their memories as Los Angeles natives who grew up obsessed and mutated by the ultimate media circus.
MISSING & MURDERED: The first season of this covered Alberta Williams and it’s now moved on to Where is Cleo? Taken by child welfare workers in the 1970’s and adopted in the U.S., the young Cree girl’s family says she was stolen, raped and murdered while trying to hitchhike back home to Saskatchewan. Host Connie Walker joins their search.
COLD: Susan Powell disappeared from her home in December of 2009. Her body has never been found. The man suspected of killing her was never arrested or charged. This begins the complete story of the search for Susan.
S TOWN: S-Town is a new podcast from Serial and This American Life, hosted by Brian Reed, about a man named John who despises his Alabama town and decides to do something about it. He asks Brian to investigate the son of a wealthy family who’s allegedly been bragging that he got away with murder. But when someone else ends up dead, the search for the truth leads to a nasty feud, a hunt for hidden treasure, and an unearthing of the mysteries of one man’s life.
LISTEN WHEN YOU CAN:
These are the podcasts that have a ton of episodes so I listen to the new ones when they come out but you don’t really have to listen in any particular order so I just skip around and find one that’s interesting. OR they’re newer ones (to me) that I’ve just started and have been enjoying.
CASEFILE: Casefile True Crime Podcast, or simply Casefile, is a weekly true crime themed podcast that first aired in Australia in January 2016 and hosted by an Australian man who remains anonymous. The series deals with solved or cold criminal cases, often related to well-known murders and serial crimes.
AND THAT’S WHY WE DRINK: Murder and the paranormal finally meet! Grab your wine and milkshakes and join us every Sunday for some chilling ghost stories and downright terrifying true crime stories. The world’s a scary place. And that’s why we drink!
CRIME JUNKIE: Crime Junkie is a weekly podcast dedicated to giving you a true crime fix. Every Monday, Ashley Flowers will tell you about whatever crime she’s been obsessing over that week in a way that sounds like you’re sitting around talking crime with your best friends. The storytelling is straightforward and free of rabbit holes so the cases stay suspenseful and are easy to follow. If you can never get enough true crime… Congratulations, you’re a Crime Junkie! You’ve found your people.
CRIME AFTER CRIME: A monthly podcast where two true crime YouTubers, Danelle Hallan and John Lordan, challenge each other to tell the best story about a true crime related topic. Listeners voting online will determine the winner.
CRIMINAL: Criminal is a podcast about crime. Not so much the “if it bleeds, it leads,” kind of crime. Something a little more complex. Stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, and/or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. We are a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows.
CRIMINALITEA: A true crime podcast focusing on lesser known and historical crimes, stories of which are best enjoyed with a lovely cup of hot, strong tea.
HOLLYWOOD & CRIME: This podcast covers the most famous murders in tinseltown history!
LORE: Our fears have roots. Lore exposes the darker side of history, exploring the creatures, people, and places of our wildest nightmares. Because sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction.
MILE HIGHER PODCAST: Mile Higher Podcast hosted by husband and wife duo Josh Thomas & Kendall Rae! Our show is focused on Crime & Conspiracies but we delve into many other topics including unexplained phenomena, metaphysics, futurism, ancient civilizations and news stories the lamestream media doesn’t cover. Our guests include experts in these topics as well as like-minded individuals who share our passion for uncovering the truth and exploring the mysteries of our universe. We never changed we just woke up and so can you. Come chill with us every Monday and prepare to take your mind a mile higher!
MONSTER: Previously called Atlanta Monster it has become just Monster. From Tenderfoot TV and HowStuffWorks, ‘Monster: The Zodiac Killer’ dives into one of the most notorious, unsolved serial killing sprees in history. Despite sketches, cyphers and taunting letters to the press, the question still remains: who is the Zodiac? While you’re here, don’t forget to listen to Season 1, ‘Atlanta Monster’, which tells the true story of one of Atlanta’s darkest secrets, almost 40 years later.
MURDER DICTIONARY: A new theme each week with two hilarious ladies discussing!
ONCE UPON A CRIME: THE podcast for the true crime addict. True crime stories are told chapter by chapter – kidnappings, murders, mysterious disappearances, serial killers, celebrity crime and more.
REAL CRIME PROFILE: Join Jim Clemente (former FBI profiler), Laura Richards (criminal behavioral analyst, former New Scotland Yard) and Lisa Zambetti (Casting director for CBS’ Criminal Minds) as they profile behavior from real criminal cases.
SMALL TOWN MURDER: Two comedians look at a small town, what makes it tick, and a murder that took place there. In depth research, horrible tragedy, and the hosts’ comedic spin on the whole thing
SOMEONE KNOWS SOMETHING: Host David Ridgen joins victims’ family members as they investigate cold cases, tracking down leads, speaking to suspects and searching for answers. S1: Adrien McNaughton. S2 Sheryl Sheppard. S3: Dee & Moore. S4: Wayne Greavette. S5: Kerrie Brown.
THE VANISHED: The Vanished is a true crime podcast that explores the stories of those who have gone missing. Join host, Marissa Jones, as she explores each case often interviewing the loved ones who are still searching for answers.
TRUE CRIME ALL THE TIME: Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. This is a true crime podcast that spares none of the details and delves into what makes these killers tick. Join us for a good mix of lesser known cases as well as our take on what we call the “Big Timers”. We don’t take ourselves too seriously but we take true crime very seriously.
TRUE CRIME ALL THE TIME UNSOLVED: Each week Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting unsolved true crime stories. This is a true crime podcast that spares none of the details. We tell the stories of the victims, the facts surrounding the cases, and look at all possible suspects. We don’t take ourselves too seriously but we take true crime very seriously.
TRUE CRIME GARAGE: Each week Nic & The Captain get in the garage and talk true crime and drink beer.
UNDISCLOSED: The Undisclosed podcast investigates wrongful convictions, and the U.S. criminal justice system, by taking a closer look at the perpetration of a crime, its investigation, the trial, and ultimate verdict… and finding new evidence that never made it to court.
TWISTED PHILLY: The podcast about mischief, mayhem, mystery and the macabre in and around the city of brotherly love.
WHO KILLED THERESA?: Podcast by John Allore. Who Killed Theresa? is a True Crime podcast about unsolved murders in Quebec in the 1970s. The host is the brother of one of the victims, 19-year-old Theresa Allore who went missing in the Eastern Townships in the Fall of 1978.
WINE & CRIME: Wine & Crime is a new true crime / comedy podcast. Join three childhood friends as they chug wine, chat true crime, and unleash their worst Minnesota accents!
WRONGFUL CONVICTION: Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom is a podcast about tragedy, triumph, unequal justice and actual innocence. Based on the files of the lawyers who freed them, Wrongful Conviction features interviews with men and women who have spent decades in prison for crimes they did not commit – some of them had even been sentenced to death. These are their stories.
READER RECOMMENDATIONS:
TRUE CRIME OBSESSED: The true crime / comedy podcast YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE. We recap your favorite true crime documentaries with humor, sass, and a well timed garbage bell. Hear our take on “Wild Wild Country,””There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane,””Jesus Camp” and many more. So many garbage people, so little time.
THE FALL LINE: An investigative, narrative, and revealing show focused on the cold cases of marginalized communities in the Southeast. Hosted by a professor and licensed therapist, The Fall Line gives a platform to families and victims who have been passed over by mainstream media.
LAST SEEN: It remains the most valuable — and confounding — art heist in history: 13 artworks stolen from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Twenty-eight years later, not a single piece in a haul worth half a billion dollars has surfaced. The art, and the thieves who made off with it, remain at large. With first-ever interviews, unprecedented access, and more than a year of investigative reporting, “Last Seen” takes us into the biggest unsolved art heist in history. A joint production from WBUR and The Boston Globe.
DR DEATH: We’re at our most vulnerable when we go to our doctors. We trust the person at the other end of that scalpel. We trust the hospital. We trust the system.Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away.But soon his patients started to experience complications, and the system failed to protect them. Which begs the question: who – or what – is that system meant to protect?From Wondery, the network behind the hit podcast Dirty John, DR. DEATH is a story about a charming surgeon, 33 patients and a spineless system. Reported and hosted by Laura Beil.
BEAR BROOK: Two barrels, four bodies, and an enigmatic killer. The cold case that changed the way murders will be investigated forever.
SERIAL: I listened to this when it was in it’s first season and really poppin’ but then it lost me and I switched to Undisclosed! Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial unfolds one story – a true story – over the course of a whole season. The show follows the plot and characters wherever they lead, through many surprising twists and turns. Sarah won’t know what happens at the end of the story until she gets there, not long before you get there with her. Each week she’ll bring you the latest chapter, so it’s important to listen in, starting with Episode 1. New episodes are released on Thursday mornings.
IN THE DARK: Reporter Madeleine Baran examines the case of Curtis Flowers, who has been tried six times for the same crime. For 21 years, Flowers has maintained his innocence. He’s won appeal after appeal, but every time, the prosecutor just tries the case again. In the Dark is an investigative podcast from APM Reports. Season One focused on the abduction of Jacob Wetterling.
GENERATION WHY: The Generation Why Podcast released its first episode in 2012 and pioneered the true crime genre in the podcasting world. Two friends, Aaron & Justin, break down theories and give their opinions on unsolved murders, controversies, mysteries and conspiracies.
BELIEVED: How did Larry Nassar, an Olympic gymnastics doctor, get away with abusing hundreds of women and girls for two decades? Believed is an inside look at how a team of women won a conviction in one of the largest serial sexual abuse cases in U.S. history. It’s a story of survivors finding their power in a cultural moment when people are coming to understand how important that is. It’s also an unnerving exploration of how even well-meaning adults can fail to believe.
A KILLING ON THE CAPE: It was a crime that rocked an idyllic seaside town in Cape Cod — the 2002 murder of Christa Worthington, who was found stabbed to death with her 2-year-old daughter, unharmed at her side. What came next was a three-year search for her killer that would involve unorthodox steps by police, a lengthy list of potential suspects, and an entire town under suspicion. Christa’s trash collector, Christopher McCowen, would eventually be convicted of the crime, but his trial would raise questions about the evidence, investigative methods, and whether racial prejudice played a role. Now, ABC Radio and “20/20” take a look at all the evidence and for the first time ever, hear directly from Christopher McCowen, to examine whether the right man is behind bars. New episodes post Wednesday mornings.
GLADIATOR: Football star Aaron Hernandez went from the bright lights of the Super Bowl to a convicted murderer in a few years. The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team, best known for its investigation of the sexual abuse scandal inside the Catholic Church, takes a hard look at the crisis facing football through the lens of Aaron Hernandez’s life and terrible crimes.From Wondery, the podcast team that brought you Dr. Death, Spotlight asks: Did a brain badly damaged by football contribute to Hernandez’s violent behavior? Did he keep secrets about his sexuality that collided with a hyper-masculine football culture? Did elite coaches and teams look the other way as Hernandez was spiraling out of control?Spotlight uncovered new documents, audio, and interviews to go deep into the story of what happened to Aaron Hernandez, and what it means for those of us who cheer on a violent game.
ACCUSED: Season 2: A soft-hearted prison minister was found killed in her Kentucky apartment, and Newport police zeroed in on an ex-convict she’d counseled. Thirty years later, the conviction is overturned and the case is once again unsolved. The Cincinnati Enquirer investigates: Was William Virgil wrongly convicted for murder?Season 1: When Elizabeth Andes was found murdered in her Ohio apartment in 1978, police and prosecutors decided within hours it was an open-and-shut case. Two juries disagreed. The Cincinnati Enquirer investigates: Was the right guy charged, or did a killer walk free?
BROKEN HARTS: Markis, Hannah, Devonte, Abigail, Jeremiah, and Sierra Hart—six beautiful black children, ranging in age from 12 to 19—were all adopted by Sarah and Jennifer Hart, both white. On Jen’s Facebook page, it looked as if they were the perfect blended family, even earning the nickname “Hart Tribe” from friends. Then, on March 26, 2018, the family’s GMC Yukon was found belly-up on the rocks below California’s Highway 1. The news of the murder-suicide shocked their friends and made national headlines, leaving many wondering what possibly led to the fatal crash. Could these lives have been saved? Broken Harts, a new podcast from Glamour and HowStuffWorks, investigates this question with more than 30 never-before-heard interviews. Cohosts and Glamour editors Justine Harman and Elisabeth Egan and reporter Lauren Smiley follow the family’s journey from South Dakota through Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, and finally to that 100-foot cliff in California.
CRIME IN SPORTS: Two comedians take an unmerciful and hilarious look at athletes who have lost big games…with the law! Crime in Sports does the research and finds the funny in the world of sports true crime. New episode every week!
CRIMETOWN: Welcome to Crimetown, a series produced by Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier in partnership with Gimlet Media. Each season, we investigate the culture of crime in a different city. In Season 2, Crimetown heads to the heart of the Rust Belt: Detroit, Michigan. From its heyday as Motor City to its rebirth as the Brooklyn of the Midwest, Detroit’s history reflects a series of issues that strike at the heart of American identity: race, poverty, policing, loss of industry, the war on drugs, and our universal desire for a savior. Detroit’s a tough town, and its residents are even tougher. They’ve weathered riots, a drug epidemic, political scandal, and innumerable other hardships, but they’re still here—and they have stories to tell.
TEACHERS PET: Lyn and Chris Dawson appear to have the perfect marriage. He’s a star footballer and popular high school teacher. She’s a devoted wife and mother. They share a beautiful home above Sydney’s northern beaches. But when Lyn goes missing, dark secrets are buried. This is no fairytale, but a sordid story of strangely close twin brothers, teenage student lovers, and probable murder. The Australian’s Hedley Thomas digs deep into a cold case which has been unsolved for 36 years, uncovering startling new evidence.
