As fall comes to a close and winter begins, I’ve found myself curling up in a blanket with my favorite genre of media: true crime. While it can be hard to digest and sometimes gory to the average viewer, as an avid fan of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Criminal Minds, I love it. It has helped me open my mind and become more educated on little-known topics. Lately, I’ve discovered a new way to get my true crime fill: podcasts. While taking a long drive, doing my makeup, or even walking to the dining hall for a snack, I’ve been playing the following four podcasts. So let’s dive in!
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CBC’s Missing and Murdered. This fabulous podcast is produced by Native journalist Connie Walker and her collaborator Marnie Luke on the Canadian Broadcast Company Podcast network. While all of the seasons are incredibly detailed, heartbreaking, and attention-grabbing, “Alberta” has been my favorite season, spurring my personal research on the missing and murdered womxn and girls epidemic in North America. Connie Walker, through interviews and deep-dives into police records, tracks the disappearance and murder of Alberta Williams in 1989 and how the currently cold case perpetuates ideas about the Native communities and crime in Canada. You will definitely need some tissues and someone to vent to after listening; this thought-provoking journalism hits hard.
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Canadian True Crime: This one has been a long-time favorite of mine. Hosted by the wonderful Kristi Lee, an Australian currently residing in Canada, the podcast discusses some of the most horrific cases in Canadian history. With Kristi’s captivating narration method, each case is broken down into the act, the backstory of the perpetrator, and the legal proceedings. I highly recommend listening to the two episodes about the École Polytechnique Massacre first. The episodes are both fascinating and emotional.
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Wine & Crime: This podcast is one of the funniest I’ve ever listened to. Hosted by Kenyon, Lucy, and Amanda, this podcast is a bunch of fun. Each episode begins with a wine-crime pairing, followed by a psychology breakdown and two cases. My favorite episode to date has been “Pro Wrestling Crimes.” The hosts are hilarious, cracking jokes at the appropriate times and delving into a lot of serious material with respect.
Crime Junkie: Hosted by the amazing Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat, this podcast is detailed and full of twists and turns. The episodes go straight into the content and focus on the victims, giving the power to them rather than to the perpetrators. I’ve definitely gotten emotional and shed a few tears at the stories. The way the hosts interpret the cases really centers the victims and makes you realize how their aspirations and dreams were ripped from them. It’s beautiful and so relevant.