I don’t know about you, but I am an absolute sucker for a good podcast. Especially a good true-crime podcast – at this point, I feel like I have the genre all figured out. Missing person? Definitely dead. A person saying they didn’t commit the crime ten years ago? Definite police cover-up. Your new favorite way to procrastinate? Definitely listening to these true crime podcasts.
6. “Cover-Up”
Okay, okay – I am as much of a sucker for a good Kennedy conspiracy story as the next person. “Cover-Up” – People’s coverage of the Ted Kennedy incident at Chappaquiddick— might be a great pick for you if you like podcasts that focus more on facts than narrative.
Honorable Mention: “The R.F.K. Tapes”
This podcast about another Kennedy brother is much more my cup of tea. Did Sirhan Sirhan really shoot R.F.K., or was he accompanied by a mysterious woman in a polka dot dress? Was he the victim of mind control? The producers of “Crimetown,” another true crime podcast, investigate.
5. “Atlanta Monster”
While I much prefer filmmaker Payne Lindsay’s other podcast, holding the #1 recommendation slot below, “Atlanta Monster” untangles a more complicated web of crime, class, and race. When black children in Atlanta started disappearing in the early 1980s, one man was convicted – but did police get the right guy?
4. “Death in Ice Valley”
“Death in Ice Valley” focuses on a mysterious woman found dead in Norway’s Isdal Valley in the 1970s, her body badly burned, her possessions recovered days later at a Norwegian train station. I’m not sure what’s more intriguing about the death of the Isdal woman – the trail of clues she left behind, or the forensic evidence “Death in Ice Valley” uncovers in this almost 50-year-old case.
3. “Dirty John”
In only 6 episodes, “Dirty John” tells a story that is one-part true crime, one-part Catfish. If you were looking for an excuse to delete your dating apps, “Dirty John” might be the podcast for you.
2. “Serial”
“Serial” is from the producers of chart-topping fav “This American Life,” so you know its production quality has to be 10/10. The show’s catchy jingle and Sarah Koenig’s down-to-earth reporting make the murder trial of Adnan Syed a story you won’t ever forget.
Honorable Mention: “Undisclosed”
For serious “Serial” fans, the “State v. Adnan Syed” episodes of “Undisclosed” are podcast gold. Hosted by three attorneys, “Undisclosed” digs even deeper into the legal issues posed by the Adnan Syed case, and uncovers new evidence not discussed in the “Serial” podcast.
1. “Up and Vanished”
This is easily the best true crime podcast I have ever listened to (and also my favorite podcast of all time). The production quality is excellent – dramatic crime narration, eerie music, and careful analysis of every possible lead in the case. But what makes this show really stand out is its shocking ending – seriously, the conclusion to the “Up and Vanished” investigation makes this show one you definitely won’t want to miss.
These true crime podcasts might make it difficult for you to catch up on your reading, but they will definitely help you get your true crime fix this semester. Happy listening, collegiettes!