My family has judged me many times for my obsession with true crime podcasts. Whether it is at the gym or at home on the couch, there is nothing I’d rather listen to than crime stories. The many crime documentaries on Netflix suggest that more and more people enjoy this. Since we are spending more time than ever at home, I wanted to share my favorite true crime podcasts for you to check out.
1. Crime Junkie
This podcast is hosted by Ashley Flowers and Britt Prawat, and it’s my all-time favorite. They cover all sorts of cases, from serial killers to mysterious disappearances to conspiracy theories. Ashley and Britt have been friends since elementary school, and it shows in their banter. My favorite thing about the show is that they focus on lesser-known cases in the hope of getting people talking about them again. Sadly, the cases that are least covered on the news are often the ones involving victims of color or the LGBTQ+ community, and this show does a great job of exposing this bias. The podcast’s motto is “Be weird, be rude, stay alive.”, and they have over three years of weekly episodes, so there will be plenty to listen to once you get addicted!
2. Park Predators
As the title hints at, Park Predators covers murder cases that took place in national parks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone. Delia D’Ambra, the host, has the most soothing voice ever, and I personally really like her factual account of the cases. The best part? Most of these cases have been solved!
3. The Dating Game Killer
Instead of a new case every episode, the Dating Game Killer covers the same serial killer all season. The story kept me on the edge of my seat despite already knowing the case. This format allows them to include way more details than the other podcasts on this list, giving you the feeling like you’ve solved it yourself by the end of the season. If you’re unsure about whether you will like this case, you can check out Crime Junkie’s episode on Rodney Alcala to get an overview.
FYI, if you love this one, Wondery also produced Dr. Death and Dirty John for you to check out!
4. My Favorite Murder
In this podcast, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark exchange stories about murder and kidnappings. Though I haven’t listened to the entire podcast yet (it has over 200 episodes), the bit I’ve heard was very entertaining. These two have a lot of funny banter, though they do get a bit off track every now and then. That might be perfect for a long road trip though!
5. Serial
This is the podcast to inspire all other true crime podcasts. Many view Serial as the one that started it all, with season 1 covering the (wrongful?) conviction of Adnan Syed for the murder of his high-school girlfriend Hae Min Lee. This case is pretty famous by now and has been covered by many podcasts since Serial. However, this one is still the best! Season 2 and 3 are also out, though these cover different cases that I personally found less compelling. If you are a fan of Making of a Murderer on Netflix, you’ll love the case of Adnan Syed!