True-crime fanatics who are also into podcasts have probably already listened to Serial and S-Town, both of which are in-depth, reported narratives of individual crime stories. Serial blew up in 2015, and the producers released its second season in 2016 and then S-Town in 2017. Since then, there’s been a serious boom in true-crime podcasts. It seems like new ones are cropping up all the time, which means that, just like any genre, it can be hard to find the podcasts that will really grab your attention and hold it for the duration of each episode.
For the true-crime lovers out there, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best true-crime podcasts available now. Some focus on individual crimes, like Serial and S-Town, and others are more procedural. We even threw in a few podcasts that feel like chatting with friends about crime stories rather than listening to reporters talk about the who, what, when, where, why and how of individual crimes.
A version of this article was originally published in April 2017.
‘My Favorite Murder’
"Stay sexy. Don't get murdered" is the tagline for My Favorite Murder, a true-crime podcast cohosted by friends Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. In each episode, they discuss true crime and their own lives, adding a sense of familiarity to what could otherwise be a pretty grisly narrative.
My Favorite Murder's website says of the podcast, "Since its inception in early 2016, the show has broken download records and sparked an enthusiastic, interactive 'Murderino' fan base who came out in droves this spring for the sold-out nationwide tour." There are currently 132 full episodes and 82 minisodes.
‘Missing & Murdered’
The Canadian true-crime podcast Missing & Murdered currently has two seasons with nine episodes each. In the first season, reporter Connie Walker seeks to find more information about the unsolved 1989 murder of Alberta Williams in British Columbia. The second season follows Walker as she seeks to uncover the truth behind the kidnapping, rape and murder of Cleo, a young Cree girl who was allegedly apprehended by child welfare workers in Saskatchewan in the 1970s. In case you couldn't tell from the description, this one deals with some sensitive subjects. Proceed with caution.
‘The Last Podcast on the Left’
The Last Podcast on the Left has actually been around since before Serial prompted the true-crime podcast boom; it has over 300 episodes in its back catalog. Episodes explore historical crimes, like the Jack the Ripper murders, and more recent crimes, like the Casey Anthony murders. Cohosts Ben Kissel, Marcus Parks and Henry Zebrowski examine these cases in depth. They aren't afraid to call out missing links or suspicious elements of each case, which makes this podcast even more interesting to hear.
‘Crimetown’
Crimetown's first season exposes the seedy underbelly of historical Providence, Rhode Island. The podcast mainly follows one character, Buddy Cianci, though it also focuses on organized crime in the Ocean State across 18 regular episodes and seven bonus episodes. The second season will be released in fall 2018 and will focus on a new city.
‘Wine & Crime’
Forget food and wine pairings. Wine & Crime examines various topics under the criminal justice umbrella and pairs each true crime with a wine to enjoy while learning about it. Cohosted by childhood friends Amanda, Kenyon and Lucy, this podcast is billed as comedy/true-crime fusion. It currently has almost 80 episodes to dig through.
‘Dirty John’
Reported and hosted by Christopher Goffard from the Los Angeles Times, Dirty John follows successful interior designer Debra Newell as she meets and starts seeing John Meehan. Meehan is "handsome, attentive and available," according to the show's description, and he's just returned from a year in Iraq with Doctors Without Borders. However, things aren't what they seem. It's impossible not to get hooked into this new podcast.
‘Serial Killers’
Serial Killers uses both real recordings and voice actors to back up analysis and reporting by cohosts Greg Polcyn and Vanessa Richardson. As the name suggests, it explores serial killers, including Ted Bundy, Carol Bundy and Elizabeth Bathory. It's more like an audiobook than a podcast because of the format, which makes it even more terrifying to listen to.
‘Hollywood & Crime’
Its website describes Hollywood & Crime as "a groundbreaking true-crime series about the most infamous murders in Tinseltown history." The first 26 episodes explore the Black Dahlia murders, and after that, the podcast tackles others. It's a unique listening experience.
‘Empty Frames’
If you need a break from all the murder, Empty Frames explores the biggest art heist in history. In Boston in 1990, two thieves dressed as Boston policemen stole 13 pieces of art from the historic Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, including works by Vermeer, Degas and Rembrandt that were stripped from their frames. As instructed in Gardner's will, the frames still hang in the museum today, empty of their contents. The art has never been uncovered.
‘Death in Ice Valley’
The BBC World Service and Norwegian NRK podcast Death in Ice Valley takes a chilling deep dive into the case of the Isdal Woman, an unidentified woman whose body was found in the freezing wilderness of Norway in 1970. To this day, no one knows who she was or how she got there, but the podcast explores several leading theories and more.
‘Detective’
If you like procedural crime, Detective is right up your alley. Its tagline: “True stories from behind the yellow tape.” This podcast features real stories told by real homicide detectives and is definitely not for the faint of heart.
‘Real Crime Profile’
Real Crime Profile focuses on behavioral profiles in all of the cases it explores, featuring genuine experts on the subject. Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent and profiler Jim Clemente cohosts with criminal behavioral analyst Laura Richards and the casting director for Criminal Minds, Lisa Zambetti. Fans of the CBS drama will especially love this series, but the details are immersive enough for anyone who's into true crime.
‘Criminal’
Criminal has been around since the post-Serial true-crime podcast boom; it launched in 2014 and has nearly 100 episodes in its back catalog. The series explores a variety of crimes, each one as well researched and well reported as the last. If you only have time for one podcast but know you want to listen to some true crime, go with this one — it gives you a taste of everything.
‘Swindled’
Swindled steps away from the grisly murders explored in most true-crime podcasts to explore something different but equally terrifying: white-collar crime and corporate greed. Each episode uses archival audio and soundscapes paired with narrative storytelling to examine financially motivated crimes: Ponzi schemes, embezzlement, corporate negligence, environmental disaster, fraud and, perhaps best of all, con artists.
‘Female Criminals’
Cohosted by Vanessa Richardson (also of Serial Killers) and Claire Dellamar, Female Criminals examines stories in which women are the perpetrators of violent crime rather than the victims. Subjects include Kristen Gilbert, known colloquially as "the Angel of Death," the lady pirate Anne Bonny, and "the Black Widow," Stacey Castor.
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