True crime is an incredibly addictive genre for podcasts. People want to help solve a murder mystery as it unfolds or give closure to the victim of a cold case when every road has led to a dead end. If you’re new to true crime podcasts, buckle up! From well-known cases to small-town murders that never made it to “Dateline,” you’ll be intrigued by clues from the crime scene, the backstory on love triangles, and firsthand accounts from investigators, witnesses, and 911 operators. For seasoned listeners, these 10 true crime podcasts are not to be missed. They call out questionable detective work and overlooked DNA, and track down unheard interviews to provide a more holistic approach to storytelling. These murders, disappearances, and other crimes and disasters span decades, jump borders, and provide insight into the minds of criminals.
True crime podcasts drawing listeners
Serial
Birthed by the creators of “This American Life,” Serial tells one true crime story over the course of a season. Hosted by Sarah Koenig, the award-winning broadcast covered the 1999 disappearance of Hae Min Lee in Season 1 and Season 2 details Bowe Bergdahl’s account of deserting his post and being captured by the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network. In Season 3, Serial focuses on an extraordinary court case each week, including the murder of Aavielle Wakefield. To get highlights of each episode, follow Serial on Facebook or Instagram.
Morbid
Beyond unexplained deaths and serial killers, friends Ashleigh Kelley and Alaina Urquhart treat listeners to sub-genres about haunted places, like the Winchester Mystery House, and strange tales from history, like the New England Vampire Panic. They cover celebrity tragedies, like the murder of Phil Hartman and Maurizio Gucci, as well as behind-the-scenes atrocities from “The Wizard of Oz.” Don’t miss the episode on Jodi Arias, who murdered her boyfriend Travis Alexander.
True Crime Obsessed
Don’t feel guilty laughing during the True Crime Obsessed podcast; it was designed that way. The show offers a humorous take on famous murderers, like John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy, as well as kidnappings and the untold drama surrounding landscape painter Bob Ross. If courtrooms are more to your liking, be sure to follow the Scott Peterson trial. Hosts Gillian Pensavalle and Patrick Hinds will even be performing their first true crime podcast on Broadway in April 2022.
Gruesome
Hosted by Meg Miller and Coni Brady, this podcast is filled with lurid details and entertaining narratives. Get up to speed on modern day cases, such as the abduction of Jennifer Holliday, who survived. Looking for older mysteries you might have missed? Tune in for the 1975 Santa Claus Strangler murders or the 1957 El Segundo Cop Killer case that was cold for almost half a century. Be sure to catch the segment on 20th-century witch trials, some of which are as recent as 2020.
Rotten Mango
YouTube sensation Stephanie Soo describes her Rotten Mango podcast as “true crime and all things spooky.” She loves to do deep dives on the psychology of killers, whether they’re household names or lesser-known cases. Stephanie’s commentary manages to shine new light on even well-covered serial killers, including the Sunset Killer (Douglas Clark) and the Hammer Man Strangler (Harvey Carignan).
True Crime Society
If you love true crime but have a tough time stomaching anything with young victims (or school shooters), this may not be the podcast for you. The episodes do offer a mix of topics, from Hollywood tragedies and unsolved child abductions to the Astroworld tragedy and collections of real-life stories about fathers who murdered their children. If you listen to true crime podcasts to be part of the solution, it’s worth noting that unsolved disappearances and murders do wrap up with tip line information.
Obscura
Anything that opens with “listener discretion is advised” is likely going to share gruesome details of crimes and disasters — and that’s exactly what Obscura does. As the name implies, the podcast often goes behind shootings and serial killers into more bizarre fatal incidents, like the Aberfan slurry disaster that killed 116 children and 28 adults in a Welsh village. There’s also Lisa Nowak, the “diaper astronaut” who drove 900 miles to attack her ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend.
Influencers:
Looking to partner with industry-leading brands? Create your free profile today.
Marketers:
The world’s biggest brands trust IZEA’s influencer marketing software and managed solutions. Find out which solution is right for you.
