This past summer, I drove from Palo Alto, California across the country to Bangor, Maine which gave me a lot of time to listen to a number of podcasts, notably true crime podcasts. The four listed below are the ones I have listened to all the way through and continue to listen to as they post new episodes. However the recommendations from friends and family at the end are the ones I have added to my listening queue to listen to during this spooky season!
Criminal
This true crime podcast from Criminal and Radiotopia is hosted by North Carolina public radio host, Phoebe Judge, and produced by Lauren Spohrer with new episodes every two weeks. Criminal brings a different perspective to true crime as it analyzes episode by episode what they describe as the “stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, and/or gotten caught somewhere it in the middle”. This podcast does exactly that as you hear interviews of victims and perpetrators discussing past crimes while learning the motives behind the crimes themselves.
Some of my personal favorite episodes include Episode 118: Stowaway, Episode 105: Protection, Episode 100: Ten Thousand Feet in the Air, Episode 99: Racehorse Haynes, Episode 98: The Doctors, and Episode 77: The Escape.
My Favorite Murder
This true crime podcast from Exactly Right is hosted by two long time friends and lovers of true crime, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, with new episodes every week. These two women share a different case with each other and the fans while also discussing stories from listeners about their own hometown murders. They also have an active Facebook page where listeners all around share both small hometown murders as well as theories on the more notable ones. Their motto is “stay sexy and don’t get murdered” which is one we all should live by!
Some of my personal favorite episodes include Episode 12: Our Bodies, Our Twelves, Episode 20: 20/20, Episode 31: Namaste Sexy, MFM Minisode #20 ,and Episode 76: My Own Sinkhole.
Crime Junkie
This true crime podcast from Audiochuck is hosted by Ashley Flowers and her co-host, Britt Prawat and is located in Indianapolis, Indiana with episodes released every week. Each episode is a different case with updated episodes made if a break is made or more information is released post the release of the initial episode. Their episode titles either have the words MISSING, MURDERED, SERIAL KILLER, INFAMOUS, UPDATE OR CONSPIRACY which allows you to gain a little bit of a preview into the well researched case to come. This podcast has successfully convinced me why it is important to have a “IF I GO MISSING” folder on my laptop and balances out the heaviness of true crime with their “pruppet of the week”, a cute story about a very good dog!
Some of my personal favorite episodes include WANTED: Killer on the High Bridge, MISSING: Katelin Akens, IF I GO MISSING: Tanya Rider, MISSING: Maura Murray (Part 1) and Maura Murray (Part 2), INFAMOUS: Alice Crimmins, and INFAMOUS: Darlie Routier (Part 1) and Darlie Routier (Part 2).
Crimetown
This true crime podcast from Gimlet Media is hosted by Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier and explores crime in a different city per season. I’ve only listened to the first season which was 18 episodes long, not including bonus episodes! The first season explored the organized crime network in Providence, Rhode Island which brought notable characters such as Buddy Cianci, Raymond Patriarca, Charles Kennedy, and many others into the limelight. The unique part about this podcast is you get to listen to the players involved tell their own individual stories so you hear the stories of the crimes straight from the old “wiseguys”, crime bosses, and corrupt politicians who committed them.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
The Clearing
Small Town Murder
Morbid
Man in the Window
Dirty John
Serial