30 Best True-Crime Podcasts you Need to Listen To Right Now

Elisa True Crime podcast. Author; IIRabbyt. Wikimedia

30 Best True-Crime Podcasts you Need to Listen To Right Now

Several true-crime podcasts have grown in popularity over the years, as they catch the attention of listeners with compelling storytelling and true-life mysteries. A couple of these podcasts delve into the inhumane aspects of the nature of people, delving into some of history’s most fascinating and often gruesome crimes which leave many puzzled.

True-crime podcasts do cover a wide range of topics and cases. These cases range from cold cases to current events. The major thing that makes many listen to these podcasts is the immersive and often chilling experience.

There are plenty of options of true-crime podcasts you can choose from if you’re a huge fan or just looking for a gripping new podcast to add to your listening list. These podcasts are usually led by expert hosts and investigative journalists who make them more interesting to listen to.

The hosts and journalists provide an in-depth look at some of history’s most notorious crimes and criminals. So, if you want to explore more and dig deeper into the darker side of human nature and solve the world’s most perplexing mysteries, look no further than the world of true-crime podcasts.

Here are the 30 Best True-Crime Podcasts you Need to Listen To Right Now:

1. Serial Podcast

Journalist Sarah Koenig, of “This American Life” and “Serial” podcast, gives a talk in March 2015. Photo by Kenneth C. Zirkel. Wikimedia

This podcast is hosted by Sarah Koenig and usually concentrates on narrating non-fiction stories over several episodes. It was co-created and is currently co-produced by Koenig and Julie Snyder. As of July 2020, Serial Podcast is owned by The New York Times.

The podcast has three seasons which have been talking about various incidents. Season 1 was investigating about the 1999 killing of an 18-year-old student at Woodlawn High School. The second season majorly focused on an American Army soldier who was a prisoner of the Taliban for 5 years.

In September 2018, Season 3 debuted and explored cases within the Justice Center Complex in the Cleveland area. The series podcast has won several major awards over the years. By 2018 September, seasons 1 and 2 of the podcast have been downloaded over 340 million times.

2. Criminal Podcast

Criminal is another podcast that is devoted to true crime. It is produced by WUNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. According to the show’s description, it states, “stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.”

Lauren Spohrer, Phoebe Judge, and Eric Mennel first met at WUNC while working on The Story with Dick Gordon. They decided to create a podcast together after the show ended.

Spohrer suggested that they make their podcast about crime after noticing a crossover between podcast fans and fans of the fictional procedural Law & Order. The show premiered in January 2014. Nadia Wilson joined the show as a producer in September 2016.

3. My Favorite Murder Podcast

Alie Ward & Georgia Hardstark at the 6th Annual Taste Awards. Author; RedCarpetReport. Wikimedia

This podcast is a true crime comedy podcast aired weekly and hosted by comedians Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff. Its first episode was released in January 2016 and debuted at #25 on the iTunes podcast and #3 on April 27^th, 2018.

My Favorite Murder podcast has been getting more than 35 million downloads per month since 2020. What makes it a fan favorite is the content they give to them making it land in the Top 10 Comedy Podcast chart.

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4. True Crime Garage Podcast

True crime garage podcast is hosted by Nic and the Captain where they talk about true crimes. The major topics of this podcast are based on international atrocities to some gruesome stories from the US.

Each week, enjoy different cases which will leave you wanting more from the Garage. This is the best garage for the mystery-seeker as they are provided with several unsolved and cold cases, as well as accounts of infamous serial killers and other chilling solved cases.

5. Casefile Podcast

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Casefile True Crime Podcast, or simply Casefile, is an Australian crime podcast hosted by an Australian man who wishes to remain anonymous. The podcast is released every Sunday (EST) for three weeks, with a week off in the fourth.

The show focuses on closed or unsolved criminal cases frequently linked to well-known murders and serial crimes. Many of the early episodes are about Australian cases (for example, the Port Arthur or Snowtown murders), but notable crimes from the UK and the US are increasingly being featured, and well-known cases from other countries are also included.

Casefile podcast is a unique true crime place, unlike other podcasts across the world. What makes it unique is the series is scripted and narrative. It heavily relies on original police or mass media documents, eyewitness accounts, and interviews.

6. The Vanished Podcast

This is a weekly podcast that majorly focuses on stories and incidents which involve missing people. The host of the Vanished podcast is Marissa Jones.

The majority of the episodes aired by the Vanished are interviews with the friends and family of missing people. Sometimes, local law enforcement officials are involved in these interviews.

7. Sword and Scale Podcast

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Sword and Scale is a bi-weekly American podcast that explores true crime nonfiction stories. It includes interviews with criminals, witnesses, victims, and authors.

The Sword and Scale podcast also concentrates on 911 call audio, witness testimony, trial audio, interrogation tapes, music, and sound effects for their content. Mike Boudet, the podcast’s creator and host, launched it on January 1, 2014.

8. Crime Junkie Podcast

Crime Junkie is a weekly true crime podcast where you can get your fix. Every Monday, Ashley Flowers will tell you about whatever crime she’s been obsessed with that week in a way that makes you feel like you’re sitting around with your best friends, discussing crime. The storytelling is straightforward and devoid of rabbit holes, ensuring that the cases remain suspenseful and easy to follow.

9. In the Dark Podcast

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This podcast is produced by American Public Media which released its episodes between September 2016 and October 2020. Madeleine Baran is the host and narrator, and Samara Freemark played the role of the producer.

In the Dark, Podcast featured investigative journalism reported from APM investigative reporting and documentary unit. The two full seasons of the podcast focused on high-profile cases, and the actions, and conduct in the prosecution of the cases.

Season 1 focused on the kidnapping and murder of Jacob Wetterling and the quadruple homicide case in Season 2 involved Curtis Flowers. In the spring of 2020, there were reports on the covid-19 pandemic in the Mississippi Delta on the podcast.

10. Someone Knows Something Podcast

Someone Knows Something (or SKS for short) is a podcast hosted by David Ridgen, a Canadian award-winning filmmaker and writer, that debuted in March 2016. Ridgen hosts write and produce the show, and Cesil Fernandes mixes it. Chris Oke and Arif Noorani are also executive producers on the show.

Ridgen narrates a nonfiction story about a criminal cold case over multiple episodes using investigative journalism. Episodes are released on a weekly basis; most Season 1 episode were 15 to 40 minutes long, while Season 2 episodes were 32 to 80 minutes long. Season 4 premiered in February 2018. Season 5 premiered in October 2018.

11. Dr. Death Podcast

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Dr. Death’s podcast is reported and hosted by Laura Beil since it premiered on 4^th September 2018. The producer of the podcast is Wondery. It majorly focuses on egregious cases which focus more on medical malpractices. There are several episodes on this podcast that will open up your mind to several medical malpractices you might not know.

12. Up and Vanished Podcast

On 7th August 2016, the Up and Vanished podcast premiered and started by investigating the case of Tara Grinstead. She was a beauty queen and school teacher who disappeared in Ocilla, Georgia.

This podcast is produced by Tenderfoot TV and features investigative documentary-style cases hosted by Payne Lindsey. Missing persons cold cases, interviews of witnesses and townspeople as well as on-site investigations are carried out by the podcast to give out the best details.

13. The Teacher’s Pet Podcast

Australian journalist Hedley Thomas. Photo by Hedley Thomas on Wikimedia

The Teacher’s Pet is a 2018 Australian crime podcast that investigated Lynette Dawson’s disappearance. The podcast was hosted by journalist Hedley Thomas and produced by Slade Gibson for The Australian newspaper.

By 2020, the series had nearly 30 million downloads and had topped podcast charts in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand. This podcast will capture your time with the amazing and chilling details of their investigations.

14. Dirty John Podcast

Unlike other podcasts, Dirty John is a true crime podcast that is based on the life of John Michael Meehan. The host of this podcast is Christopher Goffard and was created by the Los Angeles Times and Wondery.

On 2^nd October 2017, the first two chapters of Dirty John were launched. The other four chapters were released a few days later. The Dirty John podcast garnered more than 10 million times within 6 weeks after it was released.

15. Accused Podcast

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Amber Hunt, a Cincinnati Enquirer reporter, and photographer Amanda Rossmann created the true crime investigative journalism podcast called Accused. As of 2020, three seasons have been released, each featuring and examining a different suspicious death case. By the end of Season 1, the podcast had been downloaded over 430,000 times and had risen to the top of iTunes’ podcast chart.

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16. The Generation Why Podcast

Another unique true crime podcast that you should listen to is the Generation Why Podcast. The Generation Why Podcast is hosted by two friends Aaron and Justin who debuted the first episode in 2012. The two friends discuss, break down theories, and give their opinion on various crimes, conspiracies, and unsolved mysteries.

17. Crime Writers On Podcast

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Crime Writers On… is a twice-weekly podcast hosted by a four-person panel of American true crime authors. The hosts of this podcast are married couple Rebecca Lavoie and Kevin Flynn, crime noir novelist Toby Ball, and journalist and licensed investigator Lara Bricker.

Crime Writers On… podcast began on December 12, 2014, as a commentary and review of the hit true-crime podcast Serial. It began with the tenth episode which was about Adnan Syed and continued into later seasons about Bowe Bergdahl and the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas at the Justice Center Complex in Downtown Cleveland.

18. Atlanta Monster Podcast

Another investigative journalism podcast is the Atlanta Monster which is worth giving your time to. It is hosted by Payne Lindsey and takes an in-depth look into the infamous Atlanta Child murders.

The Atlanta Child Murders occurred between 1979 and 1981 with over 25 victims being murdered in Atlanta. Atlanta Monster was co-produced by Tenderfoot TV and HowStuffWorks. If you love such thrilling stories, this is one you should miss out on.

19. The Trail Went Cold Podcast

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The Trail Went Cold is a true crime podcast that explores perplexing unsolved mysteries and cold cases on a weekly basis. In each episode, host Robin Warder investigates a new murder or missing person case, delving into a wide range of mysteries from various countries and time periods.

20. Real Crime Profile podcast

Another amazing true crime podcast you should follow up on is the Real Crime Profile podcast. The best thing about this podcast is that it is hosted by individuals who were working at crime scenes with various authorities.

Jim Clemente (a former FBI profiler), Laura Richards (criminal behavioral analyst and former New Scotland Yard), and Lisa Zambetti (casting director for CBS’ criminal minds) are the hosts. They are real profile behavioral analysts who work on real criminal cases.

21. Swindled Podcast

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This American true crime podcast which is written and hosted by an anonymous person who refers to themselves as a “concerned citizen” is one to listen to. The writer has never revealed his identity since the podcast started.

Even though the writer is anonymous, Swindled is one of the best podcasts to tune into. Treat yourself to the world of white-collar crime, corporate greed, and political corruption.

22. True Crime All The Time Podcast

Hosted by Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson, the True Crime All The Time podcast is another interesting podcast that brings to you true crime podcasts. Several cases broadcasted by the hosts have always shocked and intrigued their fans who keep getting back for more stories and details.

23. The Minds of Madness Podcast

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Tyler Allen, who is based in Toronto, Canada, hosts the Minds of Madness podcast. The program examines various criminal cases and discusses the impact violent crimes have on survivors. The Minds of Madness is a true crime podcast that investigates how seemingly ordinary people can do the unthinkable to people they never expect to do so.

24. Unsolved Murders Podcast

The Unsolved Murders podcast is a contemporary take on old-fashioned radio that delves into the mystery of true cold cases. You should follow the hosts as they take you through the crime scene and investigation with the help of an ensemble cast. The podcast network also creates scripted, story-driven programming across true crime, history, mystery, and fiction genres.

25. Cults Podcast

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This might be one of the scariest true crime podcasts which might leave you shaking. As the name suggests, the Cults podcast majorly speaks about the cults in the world.

If you love to know more about various religions and cults, this is your podcast. Get to hear more about doomsday prediction, religious doctrines, extra-terrestrial orders, and what goes on in cults.

26. Criminal Conduct Podcast

Criminal Conduct is a true-crime investigation podcast that is hosted by John Taylor and Javier Leiva. Season 1 of criminal conduct dives in to investigate Michelle O’Connell’s death, picking up where the murdered sleuth, Eli Washtock, left it off.

In Season 2, the investigation of a rogue Kentucky constable accused of drug planting, stealing money and shaking people down is the major topic. Season 3 is about “An American Serial Killer in Paradise” which follows William Holbert, also known as “Wild Bill,” and his victims.

27. Dark Poutine Podcast

As its name suggests, Dark Poutine is a Canadian true-crime podcast that delves into several topics. However, the major issues of the podcast are Canadian crimes, dark history, and other creepy topics narrated by several Canadians.

28. The Fall Line Podcast

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This is an American true crime podcast that investigates lesser-known cases of murder and disappearance in Georgia’s minority communities. It began as part of the Exactly Right Podcast Network. After two years of being associated with the Exactly Right Podcast Network, the Fall Line podcast became an independent podcast as of January 2021. It has assisted in raising awareness of Dannette and Jeannette Millbrook’s disappearance, a cold case from Augusta, Georgia.

29. The Clearing Podcast

The Clearing is a true crime podcast that premiered in 2019 about April Balascio, the daughter of American serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards. It debuted on July 18, 2019, and is produced by Pineapple Street Media and Gimlet Media. April began to suspect her father of the 1980 murders of Tim Hack and Kelly Drew in 2009.

Following her police report, Edwards was apprehended and confessed to several other murders. Later, he became the subject of conspiracy theories accusing him of being involved in well-known unsolved crimes. The Clearing explores April’s journey to learn the truth about her father’s life through interviews and private recordings made by Edwards while he was alive.

30. The Root of Evil Podcast

Another true story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia or Root of Evil is the Root of Evil podcast. This American crime podcast covers the murder of Black Dahlia by suspect George Hodel. Initially, the podcast was produced as a partnership between Cadence13 and TNT on a fictional television, but it is currently hosted by Yvette Gentile and Rasha Pecoraro (granddaughters of George Hodel).

The podcast features various interviews with the people who were impacted by the murder of Dahlia. It is chartered in the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada. On 21^st April 2019, the Root of Evil podcast reached the number one spot in the US.

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