Nowadays, the true crime podcast is nothing unique—and with the genre so completely saturated, it can be tricky to find the right one or best one for your tastes. Or, you know, a good one. But there are plenty of solid true crime podcasts out there. After all, some of the biggest true crime moments of our generation got their (public) start as podcasts. Like Dirty John! Let us do the digging so you don’t have to! After tons of listening, these are the 50 best true crime podcasts we think you should start listening to ASAP.
50 Best True Crime Podcasts
1. Bear Brook
Bear Brook follows a true crime story that’s described as “an unsolved, or partially unsolved case” near Bear Brook State Park in New Hampshire. In the 1980s, bodies were discovered inside a barrel in the woods of the State Park, sparking an ongoing investigation that to this day is—at least partially—a mystery. But with the aid of genealogy, more and more information is becoming known about the identities of these bodies and who they could be. One of the most captivating true crime podcasts of all-time, Bear Brook is a must-listen for anyone who identifies as a true crime aficionado.
2. Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers
Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers podcast first debuted in 2018 but a spinoff TV series on Oxygen and an ID channel special has generated renewed interest in Jessica’s case. If you haven’t listened to this heartbreaking podcast yet, it’s time to queue it up. The story starts when EMTs are called onto the scene of a burning car in rural Mississippi. When 19-year-old Jessica Chambers stumbles out of the woods nearby, it’s clear she was also set on fire while in the vehicle, and later, she passes away from her injuries. But not before telling first responders, “Eric did this to me.” What’s detailed next is a 14-month investigation, a surprising arrest, and a trial with an unforeseeable end.
3. The Shadow Girls
The Green River Killer—also known as Gary Ridgway—preyed on the vulnerable, strangling and killing young women and then ditching them in rivers and other areas of nature in Washington state. With 71 victims total—most of which were sex workers—it’s a case that has always haunted Carolyn Ossorio, who was a child at the time and remembers the messaging vividly: It wouldn’t happen to you, the Green River Killer wouldn’t get you if you were a good girl. His victims? Wayward women, bad girls. Now, many years later, Ossorio deep dives into the case that disturbed her formative years, uncovering truths never said out loud.
4. What Happened to Sandy Beal?
An iHeart Originals that debuted in March 2022, What Happened to Sandy Beal? is causing quite a stir within the true crime podcast community. Episodes are released every week, so the full season isn’t available yet, but even still, it’s riveting. Reporter Melissa Jeltsen hosts the show, which focuses on the mysterious death of Sandra Beal, who was found shot to death in her car in a Maryland pole yard in 1977. In the vehicle with her was her father’s gun and a note to the married man she had an affair with. While the case was officially ruled a suicide, Beal’s mother, Joanne, always suspected a cover-up. Now, 40 years later, Jeltsen dives into Sandy’s case, using Sandy’s own meticulous notes to piece together what truly happened to her.
5. S-Town
Hosted by Brian Reed of Serial Productions by the New York Times, S-Town brings listeners to a small Alabama town where the son of a wealthy man has been bragging that he got away with the worst crime of all—murder. But the crime doesn’t stop there. Someone else dies, too, leading Reed on a compelling search for the truth. Is this guy just bragging without merit? Or did he really kill someone? An excellent listen that feels more like fiction than true crime at times—thanks to a pre-written script and expert pacing—S-Town is truly the pinnacle of exceptional storytelling.
6. Anatomy of Murder
Hosted by former New York prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi and former investigative journalist and law enforcement Scott Weinberger, Anatomy of Murder dissects one case per episode. While most of their focus is on murder cases, every once in a while Nicolazzi and Weinberger will also turn their attention to other brutal crimes—though most of the cases they cover took place in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The hosts rely on interviews with victims, prosecutors, and investigators who worked the case to tell the compelling stories of how the case was solved.
7. Up and Vanished
With more than 100 episodes to binge-listen to, Up and Vanished is an investigative true-crime podcast that looks at one unsolved cold case story each season. Hosted by Atlanta filmmaker Payne Lindsey, each season tells the story of a different crime in which the trail has gone cold. In Season 1, Payne recounts his time amateur-investigating the disappearance of Tara Grinstead, a high school teacher and former pageant queen from Georgia. It’s also the largest case file in Georgia’s crime history, having been open for more than a decade. In Season 2, Payne looks into the strange disappearance of Kristal Reisinger, a mother who vanished from a remote mountain town in Colorado. And in the latest season, Season 3, Payne returns to investigate the strange disappearance of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner, an indigenous woman who went missing from the Blackfeet Nation Indian Reservation in North West Montana.
8. Chameleon
Hosted by Sam Mullins, the first season is called Chameleon: Hollywood Con Queen and focuses on the quirky schemes of a scammer who poses as an important Hollywood figure. The second season, called Wild Boys, tells the true story of two half-starved brothers, Will and Tom Green, who strangely, emerged from the Canadian wilderness in 2003. No one even knew they were out there and after they identified themselves, it quickly became apparent that they weren’t who they claimed to be. But as the community quickly found out, the brothers were hiding more than just their identities.
9. Joe Exotic
Just when you thought the Tiger King moment had passed—bam! There’s a podcast. From Wondery, Joe Exotic: Tiger King is a podcast all about Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel; the big cats he made his life’s business at his Oklahoma zoo; and his infamous, near-murderous, feud with Carole Baskin. Wondery
10. My Favorite Murder
Perhaps one of the more famous murder-related podcasts, My Favorite Murder is hosted by comedians Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. With a hardcore fanbase of listeners who call themselves Murderinos, My Favorite Murder sets itself apart from other true crime podcasts with its inherent humor. The hosts take turns sharing fascinating murder and true crime stories while allowing their backgrounds in comedy to shine through as a coping mechanism for talking about the worst thing that can happen to a person: murder. My Favorite Murder
11. I Survived
Based on the A&E television show of the same name, each I Survived episode features an interview with a survivor. In their own words, these survivors detail how they managed to overcome the seemingly impossible—unbelievable situations that left their lives forever changed, emblazoning them with a new identity: “survivor.”
12. Atlanta Monster
In the summer of 1979, two Black boys go missing outside of Atlanta: 14-year-old Edward Hope and 13-year-old Alfred Evans. Sadly, they are the first two to disappear but hardly the last. Families in Atlanta live fearful of the mysterious murderer who becomes known as the Atlanta Monster. One by one, more and more Black children, adolescents and young adults go missing, their bodies later found in remote areas. If the premise of the Atlanta Monster podcast sounds familiar, it’s because Season 2 of Mindhunter fictionalized a version of the same story. After the murder and missing count rises to 25+, Wayne Williams is arrested and convicted of two adult murders. The many children’s murders are attributed to him but are never proven or convicted. Forty years later, Atlanta Monster follows the story closely with the goal of figuring out: Did law enforcement convict the right man?
13. Wine & Crime
In similar format to My Favorite Murder, Wine & Crime hosts Lucy Fitzgerald, Kenyon Laing, and Amanda Jacobson are childhood best friends who sit around drinking wine and telling murder stories to each other—murder stories with a touch of comedy to lighten the load. It’s fun and frightening all at the same time.
14. In the Dark
Season 1 of In the Dark follows the story of Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted in rural Minnesota and in the years since his disappearance, his case has become known as one of the most notorious child abductions throughout the U.S. (namely, because of the incredible ways in which law enforcement mishandled the case). APM Reports and reporter Madeleine Baran examine the case, how it was mishandled and the impact it had on the implementation of sex-offender registries and a more widespread understanding of child predators in the U.S. In Season 2, In the Dark returns to investigate the case of Curtis Flowers. A Black man from Winona, Mississippi, Flowers was tried six times for the same crime and has spent the last two decades of his life fighting for his life, claiming his innocence.
15. Crimes of Passion
Available on Spotify every Wednesday, Crimes of Passion follows a different love-story-turned-crime-story every week. Some cases end in some form of betrayal or another or even murder. Some stories on Crimes of Passion can be packed into one episode, while others—like the Michelle Carter and Conrad Roy story or the Chris Watts family murders—require a two-parter. If Carter sounds familiar, you may remember her from 2017 headlines in which she was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for convincing her boyfriend Roy to commit suicide. She did all this via phone. You may also have caught HBO’s two-part documentary on the case, I Love You, Now Die. As of March 2022, the story is also the basis of the Hulu miniseries The Girl From Plainville. In 2018, Chris Watts was convicted of killing his two daughters and pregnant wife. He confessed to the crime, but the story reached exponential heights when it became a Netflix documentary using real footage from the Watts’ family’s Ring camera and other indoor security cameras.
16. Bruh Issa Murder
Hosts Andre, Battle, Kelly, and Robert are friends IRL and happily identify themselves as “true crime nerds.” So, they made a podcast! Bruh Issa Murder covers true crime cases of color, shedding much-deserved light on the true crime stories that often get overlooked in the media and elsewhere. As an added bonus, each episode ends with music played by a little-known artist.
17. Cases of Color
Cases of Color is a true-crime podcast that shines an often dimmed light on missing persons of color. Available on Soundcloud, the cases that Cases of Color dives into may be considered “solved” as far as police standards, but the podcast proves the unsettling way some strings that were left untied still trouble the families of these victims today.
18. Morbid: A True Crime Podcast
You guessed it, Morbid: A True Crime Podcast is a podcast about all things morbid. It’s hosted by two sisters—one’s an autopsy technician!—as they dive deep into different murders, crimes and other creepy-adjacent topics.
19. The Thing About Pam
Sound familiar? That’s because The Thing About Pam—which was first a podcast—was recently turned into an NBC show starring Renée Zellweger. Like the series of the same name, the podcast version also seeks to answer the question: Who killed Betsy Faria? Her husband, Russ Faria, insists it wasn’t him. Two days after Christmas 2011, Russ came home from a night out to find his wife, Betsy, dead. Though he was charged with her murder and ultimately convicted, Russ is adamant that he was not his wife’s killer. A great companion podcast to watch along with the TV series (or before or after, whatever you want), the podcast is definitely not one to be slept on.
20. Crime Noir The Podcast
It’s no secret that the true-crime space disproportionately highlights cases of murdered white women or cases where the murderer was a seemingly handsome, stable and successful white man. But crime happens to everyone and Crime Noir The Podcast amplifies the cases of POC that have long gone underreported. Hosted by Candice, Crime Noir reclaims the narrative of true crime by showcasing the heinous crimes that have targeted Black people. Episodes range from unsolved disappearances to various solved crimes. According to the podcast bio, “Crime Noir is an authentic attempt to replace misinformation and speculation with a dedication to truth as well as rectify exclusion with the re-examination of cases all but forgotten and swept aside.”
21. Criminal
According to the official website, Criminal “is a podcast about crime; stories of people who have done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.” Intrigued? Each episode focuses on a different crime from either the perspective of the assailant or the victim. Criminal’s most recent episode, “It Looked Like Fire,” takes a hard look at police brutality in the immediate wake of 18-year-old Michael Brown’s murder in Ferguson, Missouri.
22. Man in the Window
From the people that brought us Dirty John, the podcast, in collaboration with Wondery, Man in the Window is another investigative episodic series from The Los Angeles Times. In this true-crime podcast, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Paige St. John uncovers never-before-revealed details about the Golden State Killer. Each episode looks at the man who became the GSK through the eyes of his victims.
23. Serial Killers
Need more true crime in your life? Serial Killers drops episodes every Monday and Thursday, providing insight into the minds of some of the most infamous serial killers. Recent episodes include Henry Lee Lucas—who was convicted of killing his mother in 1983 and confessed to killing more than 600 people, crimes he likely did not commit—and Samuel Little, widely regarded as the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history, allegedly killing more than 90 women from 1970 to 2005
24. Today in True Crime
Want to know which murder happened this day in history? Today in True Crime is for you. Each day, this podcast from Parcast examines a true crime event from the same date in history. And don’t worry—not every episode is a murder. Some dates commemorate the start (or end) of a landmark trial, a serial killer’s birthday, or the anniversary of a case being solved. It’s true crime meets education.
25. Motive for Murder
Could two murders, months apart, actually be one case? What is the motive for murder here? The victims knew each other, but did they also know their killer? This podcast examines two murders that both happened in Houston with the ultimate goal of figuring out: What was the motive?Dateline’sJosh Mankiewicz hosts Motive for Murder, which comes to you from the same team of the fan-favorite The Thing About Pam.
26. Murder in Hollywoodland
A classic, if not iconic, “whodunnit?” story, Murder in Hollywoodland looks at one of the most puzzling cases of the 20th century: the murder of William Desmond Taylor. Hosted by Tracy Pattin and James Remar, this podcast examines the mysterious murder of the Anglo-Irish-American film director and actor, who was killed in 1922.
27. Fruitloops: Serial Killers of Color
A weekly podcast that drops episodes every Thursday, Fruitloops: Serial Killers of Color focuses on true crime stories that don’t always get as much attention as the Ted Bundys and BTK Killers of the world. Each serial killer spotlighted on Fruitloops is a POC and the podcast focuses on cases that haven’t garnered much media attention. Every episode sets the scene, dives into the story, then ends with a few key tips for not getting murdered. Fruit Loops: Serial Killers of Color
28. The Clearing Podcast
April Balascio was 40 years old when she realized her father could be a murderer. From realizing he brought her to the spot where he shot and killed one of his victims to eventually turning him in, Balascio tells the notorious story from a new perspective: the story of her father, infamous murderer Edward Wayne Edwards.
29. Young Charlie
Have you ever wondered what Charles Manson was like when he was young? Maybe not, but the psychology behind one of the nation’s most captivating mass murderers is actually quite fascinating. What led young Charlie to become the infamous Charles Manson who ordered the murder of movie star Sharon Tate. Tracy Pattin hosts alongside actor Stephen Lang as the duo navigates Manson’s path from a troubled childhood to mass murderer.
30. Crime in Color
Each week, hosts Keyerra and JV look at the role of minorities in true crime. A podcast about murderers, serial killers and their survivors and victims, Crime in Color seeks to tell the important stories of all those affected by a crime.
31. Down the Hill: The Delphi Murders
Delphi, Indiana is still haunted by the mysterious, unsolved murders of two young girls named Abby and Libby. Down the Hill: the Delphi Murders uses one main piece of evidence to try to solve the crime: a recording of the murderer’s voice left on one of the victim’s phones. In the recording, the murderer directs the girls “Down the Hill.” HLN Could the killer still be at large in Delphi?
32. The Vanished Podcast
The Vanished Podcast looks at stories of people who have mysteriously gone missing. Each week, a new episode looks into a different missing person, interviewing family members, friends, law enforcement and experts to paint a clearer picture of what could have happened.
33. Dirty John
Now that it’s been turned into a multi-season series, Dirty John is one of the more well-known true crime stories in recent time. If it’s not familiar to you, listen to this podcast from The LA Times and you’ll meet John Michael Meehan and the family he preys on: Debra Newell and her daughters. Hosted by Christopher Goffard, the series is a deep-dive into the life of Meehan, the seemingly perfect suitor Newell met on a dating app. He was a handsome doctor who was thoughtful and kind—or so he seemed. Unlike fictionalized versions of the story, Dirty John the podcast is aided by the voices of some of the real Newell family members, who give harrowing accounts of John’s wickedness.
34. Cold Case Files
Based on the Emmy-nominated A&E show of the same name, Cold Case Files puts a magnifying glass to some of the world’s most impossible murders. Meaning, seemingly impossible to solve. Some cases go cold for years before they’re solved and the trails of others never heat back up again. Hosted by Brooke Gittings and featuring the voice of the show’s original host Bill Kurtis, Cold Case Files heavily focuses on how the improvements of forensic technology and science can solve old cases.
35. Run Bambi Run
Even if you’re too young to remember the song—Run, Bambi, Run!—listeners of all ages can enjoy the podcast of the same name that looks back at the fascinating story of Laurie Bembenek—AKA “Bambi.” Despite being a former Milwaukee police officer, 1980s-era tabloids completely fixated on Laurie’s looks and previous career as a Playboy Club waitress when she was accused of murdering her husband’s ex-wife. Laurie, who went to the grave insisting she was innocent and campaigning for exoneration, only made the story more fascinating when she notoriously escaped from prison and fled to Canada with the beau she met in jail. Journalist and Campside Media co-founder Vanessa Grigoriadis unpacks it all in eight tantalizing episodes.
36. The Dropout
The Dropout chronicles Elizabeth Holmes’ journey from Stanford University dropout to billionaire to convict, leaving no stone unturned in their examination of the Theranos founder’s story—and giving voice to those she hurt along the way to the top. The Hulu series of the same name, for which Amanda Seyfried won an Emmy, is based on this very podcast.
37. Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s
Connie Walker examines a violent mystery that involves her own family. Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s gains its appeal not just from the overall true crime genre, but also for raising awareness of the many crimes committed against indigenous people that all too often are swept under the rug.
38. Somebody
When Shapearl Wells’ son Courtney is found outside a Chicago police station dead from a gunshot wound, she distrusts the official narrative. Somebody chronicles Wells’ journey to find the truth about what happened to her boy, as well as the racial disparities of the criminal justice system in the Windy City and beyond.
39. CounterClock
A lot of true crime podcasts interview authorities and take them at their word—but not CounterClock. Delia D’Ambra questions everything law enforcement gives her, recreates timelines, finds clues that investigators may have missed and calls out procedural errors that may have jeopardized entire cases.
40. Crimes of the Centuries
Crimes of the Centuries examines the biggest cases of their respective eras through a modern lens. These historical cases are lesser known today, but were massively impactful when they occurred.
41. Dr. Death
Now a Peacock series, Dr. Death follows a different sketchy medical professional in each season. Season 1 focuses on Christopher Duntsch, who performed seriously botched spinal surgeries that killed two patients and paralyzed two others; Season 2 takes on Farid Fata, who made millions in insurance fraud by giving patients unnecessary cancer treatments. The third season is about Paolo Macchiarini, whose story must be heard to be believed.
42. Root of Evil
The Black Dahlia murder is so famous that it’s been the subject of a movie, a plot on American Horror Story and even the name of a hardcore band. This podcast is another take on the case, which is still unsolved to this day.
43. Last Podcast on the Left
Heavy research, crude humor and true crime meet, with some sprinkles of cults, conspiracy theories and demonology added to the mix. There’s a reason Last Podcast on the Left is a pillar of the true crime genre. While it’s not for everyone, it’s for most of us.
44. Serial
Serial was one of the first true crime podcasts and it’s one of the most influential: Its coverage of Adnan Syed’s life sentence for allegedly murdering his high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, not only influenced the entire genre, but also aided Syed in eventually overturning his conviction.
45. Sympathy Pains
In a unique format—the podcast’s first episodes are recollections by those impacted—Sympathy Pains examines the case of Sarah Delashmit and her scams against those who cared about her. Laura Beil, famous for Dr. Death, examines what would drive someone to fake medical problems—and to do so to the point of criminal fraud charges.
46. The Shrink Next Door
Now an Apple TV series starring Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell, The Shrink Next Door is an addictive look (or listen, in this case) at a decades-long relationship between Martin Markowitz and his shrink Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf—and the fallout they each suffered as a result.
47. Heaven’s Gate
Host Glynn Washington (of Snap Judgment and Snap Judgment Presents: Spooked) brings his storytelling and heavenly voice to Heaven’s Gate. The podcast examines the infamous cult from its eerie beginnings to its tragic ending and makes it clear how easily even well-intentioned and intelligent people can get sucked into something so deadly.
48. Crimetown
Crimetown details multiple crimes, not just one long tale, focusing on a different city in each season. Season 1 focuses on organized crime in Providence, Rhode Island, while Season 2 hones in on Detroit.
49. In Your Own Backyard
A reminder that true crime hits the hardest when it hits closest to home, host Chris Lambert examines a decades-old murder in his hometown and makes certain to focus on the humanity of the victim, Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. Lambert’s dedicated researching and reporting led to new developments in the case, which were covered in real time—so we won’t spoil them for you here.
50. Someone Knows Something
Host David Ridgen brings genuine compassion to unresolved and underreported cases in Someone Knows Something, interviewing loved ones of murder victims and missing persons, often in areas that are underserved or outright neglected by law enforcement and mass media. The ultimate goal of Someone Knows Something is for someone who actually does know something to come forward and give survivors and their loved ones the closure that they deserve. Need more podcasts in your life? These are the 24 best podcasts for women.
