Are you obsessed with finding the truth behind the world’s craziest unsolved mysteries? Do you spend all day thinking about fingerprinting techniques and legal loopholes? Does the word “murder” make your ears perk up? Well, you might just be a true-crime junkie. And that, of course, means you need to know the best true-crime podcasts.
Since 2014, when the creators of This American Life brought us Serial, the true-crime podcast genre has truly taken off. And now that there's a whole new wave of crime-loving podcast people glued to their headphones, a ton of incredible true-crime podcasts have popped up. Spark your deepest, darkest curiosities with the best true-crime podcasts you can listen to now. And if you need an even longer playlist, check out the 12 Best History Podcasts for Every Type of History Buff.
1. Casefile True Crime
The Casefile tagline is “Fact is scarier than fiction,” and the podcast certainly proves that to be true. Each week, an anonymous host guides listeners through different true stories about crimes across the world—and many of these cases are almost too bizarre to believe. A great episode to start with is number 68, “Escape from Alcatraz.” The host dissects the details of inmates Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin's infamous escape from the maximum-security prison in 1962. But don't stop there: Casefile has more than 100 episodes to date, which means you've got a lot of catching up to do.
2. Felonious Florida
This podcast starts by diving into the mysterious details of a brutal triple murder in 1994. The catch? The entire thing was caught on videotape. But the case is far from simple, and as Felonious Florida delves into the investigations of this and other Floridean crimes, you’ll be hooked on every word. Start with Episode 1, and you’ll find yourself blowing through the whole thing in no time.
3. Dirty John
When successful interior designer Debra Newell met John Meehan, he seemed to be the man of her dreams: doting, enthusiastic, and a doctor to boot. But as tensions rose between her adult children and her new husband, Debra slowly began to suspect that John was not who he claimed to be. Debra and her family tell you their remarkably true story in Dirty John. And once you've listened to the podcast, you can watch the brand new Netflix series of the same name.
4. Up and Vanished
When reporting began for Up and Vanished , the 2005 disappearance of Georgian beauty queen and high school teacher Tara Grinstead was a cold case. But when creator Payne Lindsey dusted off the records and started asking questions, he slowly began to uncover answers and reignite some buzz—which (spoiler) eventually led to an arrest. Start from the beginning and follow along through all five seasons for every twist and turn. It's one of the best true-crime podcasts that shows the genre's ability to catalyze change.
5. Murderville, GA
When a brutal murder takes place outside a Taco Bell in the small Southern town of Adel, Georgia, in 1998, police conclude that the new guy in town must have done it. They lock him up and declare the case closed...until another murder happens, and then another. In Murderville, GA, investigative reporters Liliana Segura and Jordan Smith dig into the 18-year saga.
6. Crimetown
This podcast comes straight from the creators of HBO’s docuseries The Jinx. In each season of Crimetown, filmmakers Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier investigate the culture of crime in a different city. Season 1 explores Providence, Rhode Island, and Season 2 dives into Detroit. Any true-crime lover is going to be absolutely enthralled.
7. Crime Junkie
This stellar podcast gives you your true crime “fix” every week. On Crime Junkie, host Ashley Flowers gives you the low-down on whatever crime she’s been preoccupied with recently. If you consider yourself obsessed with true crime, you’re going to want to smash down that subscribe button.
8. Atlanta Monster
From the same host and producers of Up and Vanished, this podcast dives into one of the darkest crimes in Atlanta history: the Atlanta Child Murders, in which at least 28 children and young adults were killed over a two-year period from 1979 to 1981. In a mission to find truth and justice, Atlanta Monster reexamines the murders and tries to answer many of the unanswered questions that still remain.
9. My Favorite Murder
Do you talk about true crime so often that your friends are sick of hearing about it? Well, you’re going to want to be BFFs with the hosts of My Favorite Murder. In each episode, Karen and Georgia chat about different crime cases, with the energy and candor of two (incredibly obsessed and well-researched) pals coming together over coffee.
10. S-Town
Of course, no true-crime aficionado could miss this podcast from the creators of Serial and This American Life. In S-Town, reporter Brian Reed receives a call from a man named John, who lives in a small, impoverished town in Alabama. John’s calling to report that he overhead the son of a wealthy man bragging about murder. But when Reed arrives on the scene, he finds himself drawn not just to the alleged crimes, but also to the story of John himself.
11. Hollywood & Crime
Hosted by Tracy Pattin, Hollywood & Crime begins by exploring the truth behind a series of murders that rocked Hollywood during its golden age. In 1947, the body of Elizabeth Short A.K.A. Black Dahlia was found severed at the waist. Her murder was infamous, but what most people don’t know is that there were dozens of other women killed in similar circumstances...
12. The RFK Tapes
In 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in what appeared to be an open and shut case. There was even a confession. But in this series, Zac Stuart-Pontier and Bill Klaber delve into the details of the tape, revealing recordings and interviews that suggest that there was much more going on. From the creators of Crimetown, The RFK Tapes is one of the best true-crime podcasts for crime and conspiracy junkies alike.
