The best true crime podcasts of all time

Few true crime subgenres linger and nag in the same way that missing persons cases do. A disappearance is accompanied by confusion, heartbreak, and the dread of uncertainty—not to mention the innumerable questions. Chief among them: What happened? On Cold, investigative journalist Dave Cawley sets out to answer that query, examining missing persons cases that may have otherwise been forgotten. The first season zeroes in on the story of Susan Powell, a 28-year-old mother of two who vanished in 2009 while the second turns its lens toward Joyce Yost, a Utah woman who mysteriously disappeared 10 days before she was due to testify against the defendant in a criminal case. Well-researched and empathetic towards its subjects, Cold is a masterful work of true crime storytelling.

The groundbreaking 2014 hit Serial is the podcast most likely responsible for not just the popularity of true crime podcasts but the boom of podcasts as a whole. The show's first season followed the tragic story of the murder of Hae Min Lee and the potentially wrongful conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed. Each subsequent season has followed a different story, exploring the case from a new angle in each episode. The show's popularity is due in no small part to the talents of host Sarah Koenig, who has a presence that’s both professional and vulnerable in her open-minded exploration of these real-life stories.

We are at our most vulnerable when we turn to doctors. We rely on their expertise and knowledge to help keep us well. We trust them. Dr. Christopher Duntsch was a confident, seemingly capable, and highly respected Dallas neurosurgeon. But when his patients started to experience complications, the medical system protected Dr. Duntsch instead of advocating for people who had trusted their doctor to take care of them. The podcast Dr. Death looks at Dr. Duntsch’s case and reveals who (or what) the system is really designed to protect.

West Cork is an Audible Original podcast about a shocking crime and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it. Just a few days before Christmas in 1996 in West Cork, Ireland, Sophie Toscan du Plantier was murdered. With rare and fascinating access to the prime suspect, this is the real-life hunt for answers to this brutal, unsolved murder, hosted by investigative journalist Sam Bungey and documentarian Jennifer Forde.

When eight-year-old Relisha Rudd was declared missing in 2014, she had already been gone for 18 days. But how did her absence from both the classroom and the shelter where she lived go unnoticed for so long? And what societal shortcomings had left a second grader so quickly forgotten? In WAMU’s Through the Cracks, host Jonquilyn Hill examines the case, taking a hard look at a city and culture that had failed to protect a young Black girl, considering the context of the gaps that leave marginalized communities so vulnerable, and ultimately weighing whether or not Relisha’s disappearance was preventable.

Host Madeleine Baran guides listeners through this serialized investigative journalism podcast, with the help of a strong team of reporters. Each season of In the Dark follows the story of a different case—the excellent second season, for instance, follows the troubling case of Curtis Flowers, a man who was tried six times for the same crime, and whose convictions have all been overturned on appeal.

This acclaimed eight-episode Audible Original podcast turns its focus to one of Australia’s darkest true crime sagas. When journalist and host Patrick Abboud heard of a former “gay prison” hidden deep within Cooma’s remote, frost-capped mountains, he set out to uncover the history of these real-world horrors wreaked by homophobia and the coverup that kept the prison a secret for far too long. The Greatest Menace breaks the silence on the incarceration of gay men, an unthinkable act of cruelty and discrimination driven by a covert government op set to extinguish queer expression and eradicate the existence of homosexuality.

Atlanta Monster is a true crime podcast from the creators of Up and Vanished, produced by HowStuffWorks and Tenderfoot TV. This podcast tells the story of one of the most horrifying moments in Georgia’s history—the Atlanta Child Murders. Nearly 40 years after these infamous crimes, so much about the case still remains a mystery. Host Payne Lindsey seeks to provide closure and answers for all who remain haunted by the killings of more than 25 African American children and young adults.

To experience the full shock of this true crime podcast, it's best to go into it knowing as little as possible about this case. Dirty John is hosted by Christopher Goffard of the Los Angeles Times. This podcast tells the story of Debra Newell, a successful interior designer who meets and falls for John Meehan. John seems like the perfect guy. He's attentive, available, and he just got back from Iraq working with Doctors Without Borders. But John is not the person he says he is.

There’s a fairly large overlap between fans of true crime and fans of all things horror—from slasher flicks and cryptozoology to ghosts and the occult. A wildly popular listen with fans across the globe, The Last Podcast on the Left covers everything from Roswell to the Salem Witch Trials, from Heaven’s Gate to the murders of Tupac and Biggie. Each of the hosts brings something different to the table—researcher Marcus Parks wields authority on all things ghastly, actor Henry Zebrowski supplies the theatrics and conspiracies, and resident skeptic Ben Kissel keeps each episode grounded. The result is an unparalleled listening experience that blends introspective commentary with side-splitting comedy.

Simply put, Criminal is a podcast about crime. This award-winning podcast is, according to the show, interested in covering stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. Hosted by North Carolina-based public radio host Phoebe Judge and co-created by former NPR producer Lauren Spohrer, Criminal is one of the first major true crime podcasts—even predating Serial!—and it's one of the best.

In Bear Brook State Park, the remains of one 24-year-old woman and three little girls, ranging in age from 11 months to seven years, were found in two metal barrels—the first uncovered in 1985 and the second in 2000. What followed would forever change the methodology of murder investigations. Hosted by Jason Moon and presented by New Hampshire Public Radio, Bear Brook examines the process of victim identification and the breakthrough use of genetic genealogy—the very same tech that brought the Golden State Killer to justice—in solving cold cases. With empathy and care, Moon guides listeners from the gruesome discovery to the techniques that allowed investigators to make new breaks in the case.

For more than 30 years, Dateline has been synonymous with true crime. The weekly NBC television program has drawn in millions of viewers thanks to its compelling investigative style, powerful emotional angle, and the personalities of icons like Keith Morrison and Lester Holt. Fans of the show will be similarly engrossed by its companion podcast of the same name. Each episode of Dateline NBC focuses on a different case, whether it be a puzzling disappearance, a twisty homicide investigation, or an unsolved murder long gone cold. No matter what crime Dateline is covering, their team’s captivating, news desk style makes each installment as absorbing as the next.

Do No Harm, a podcast from NBC News, examines what happened when two separate families lost their children due to false abuse charges by the Texas Child Protective Services. NBC News national investigative reporter Mike Hixenbaugh hosts, examining how systems that are meant to protect families can sometimes do more harm than good.

In this award-winning Audible Original podcast, host Marc Fennell gives you all of the incredible details about the 10 million dollar heist you've never heard of. Nut Jobs dives into the uncommonly explored area of agricultural offenses and food-centric crime syndicates. After listening to this story, you'll never look at nuts the same way again.

In this podcast, former scientologists Leah Remini and Mike Rinder take listeners behind the curtain of scientology to reveal the truth about the religion's power. For decades, scientologists have relied on the Fair Game doctrine as a means of destroying anyone who opposes them. From former scientologists to the media to government officials, no one is off limits. In Scientology: Fair Game, Remini and Rinder's insider perspective gives them the ability to reveal secrets and facts about the Church of Scientology in way it has never been discussed before.

Mental health professionals are supposed to be figures you can trust. In their offices, we unearth our deepest secrets and hidden traumas. But the confidence patients had in psychiatrist Dr. Ike Herschkopf was sorely mislaid. In The Shrink Next Door, host Joe Nocera focuses on the manipulative relationship between Herschkopf and his patient, Marty Markowitz. As Herschkopf begins to interfere in every aspect of Markowitz’s life—his family fabric business, his financials, and his interpersonal relationships—it becomes clear that the good doc doesn’t have Marty’s best interest at heart. Nocera unwinds this taut, shocking story with an almost cinematic flair, piecing together what exactly happened and how an eccentric, elite psychiatrist took advantage of a man at his most vulnerable.

As a cold-case investigator in Contra Costa County, Paul Holes worked on solving the disappearance of Jaycee Dugard, the murder of Laci Peterson, and, most famously, uncovering Joseph DeAngelo as the man behind the “Golden State Killer” moniker, bringing a decades-long investigation to a close. But it was as a young crime scene analyst that Holes faced one of his career’s strangest cases—the murder of the enigmatic Emmon Bodfish. While the cause of death was immediately clear, the motivation was not. Cohosted by Holes and Jim Clemente, this Audible Original podcast recounts the investigation that followed, leading police through a winding world of paganism, art theft, entomology, a secret invented language, and a host of other peculiar turns.

On November 3, 2008, 24-year-old software engineer Arpana Jinaga was found dead in her Seattle apartment. The evening before, she’d attended the building’s Halloween party, where strangers mingled, flirting, dancing, fighting, and drinking. So, whose paths did Arpana cross that night—and could one of them have something to do with her murder? On Suspect, hosts Matthew Shaer and Eric Benson (also of Over My Dead Body) recount the timeline and details of the case and dive deep into where the investigation went wrong, chronicling the impact of race, prejudice, and the shortcomings of DNA evidence on the case’s tragic lack of resolution.

Casey Kasem was nothing short of legendary. The disc jockey and announcer behind hit radio countdown American Top 40 for more than three decades, he also lent his voice to countless animated programs, originating the role of Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo franchise. But upon his serious illness and subsequent death in 2014, Kasem's name made headlines for an entirely different reason. As the fallout over his death reached a fever pitch, his children went to war with their stepmother, Jean, accusing her of negligence, elder abuse, and wrongful death. Featuring exclusive interviews with Kasem’s family and archival audio of the case, this Audible Original podcast is a fascinating, deeply troubling account of fame, death, and dignity.

The Internet is a strange place, but there are darker areas of the Internet that get even stranger. And more dangerous. In Darknet Diaries, host Jack Rhysider takes listeners on a journey through the world of hacking, data breaches, and cyber crimes. Each episode explores a new chilling true story.

Love true crime with a twist of dark humor? Looking for a true crime podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist? Then Morbid is the true crime podcast for you! Join best friends Ash and Alaina as they dissect and discuss real-life cases from mysterious disappearances to almost abductions to the quest for justice for victims of vehicular homicide at the hands of a notoriously drunk driver. Each true crime story is thoughtfully researched and infused with a blend of outrage, fascination, and black comedy.

In this true crime podcast from iHeartRadio, investigative journalist and true crime author M. William Phelps uncovers the secrets behind four separate cold cases that took place in the early to mid-1970s. All of the young girls who went missing lived within miles of one another, and it seemed as if their disappearances had to be related. Then, after 50 years with no arrests, a call reveals new information—including a cache of never-before-heard audio tapes—that sets the investigation in motion once more. Paper Ghosts is a riveting and haunting podcast.

In 2002, Elizabeth Holmes enrolled at Stanford University, set to study chemical engineering. Two years later, she had dropped out of school with plans to start something bigger—a trailblazing health tech company. With Theranos, Holmes claimed she had made a remarkable breakthrough in blood testing, having developed machinery that could be performed with near-immediacy and only a few drops of blood. There was just one issue—none of her claims were true. In Bad Blood: The Final Chapter, investigative journalist John Carreyrou picks up where he left off in the true crime triumph Bad Blood to bring listeners into the courtroom as Holmes faces fraud charges, offering unique insight and perspective on a side of the criminal justice system often left behind closed doors.

Killer Queens is a podcast hosted by Tori and Tyrella, two sisters who love true crime and the energy and flair of the 90s. If you, like Tori and Tyrella, are also a 90s pop culture aficionado, and you're interested in a true crime podcast with lots of 90s lingo and references, then Killer Queens should definitely be your next listen.

In this investigative true crime Audible Original podcast, host Dov Fox unravels the strange case of Donor 9623, a sperm bank donor who seemed to be the perfect biological father—a music prodigy, a gifted athlete, and an intelligent man with a genius IQ. The only problem? It was all a lie. 36 children later, the truth about Donor 9623 and the biggest hoax in reproductive history is finally coming out.

Fans of all things eerie will no doubt find something special in the British Podcast Award-winning RedHanded. When hosts Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire met at a party after imbibing one too many, they vowed to record a true crime podcast together, and luckily for us, they followed through. Their podcast is a standout for how it confronts both details of grisly casefiles and how the realities of racism, homophobia, misogyny, and poverty directly affect criminal behavior and the justice system. Thoroughly researched but never short on charm, this is the perfect true crime listen to queue up if you like a bit of banter to break up macabre facts behind notorious killers and confounding tales of hauntings alike.

On the true crime podcast The Vanished, host Marissa Jones goes beyond conventional news stories to dive deep into a missing person case each week—and to potentially uncover new secrets and leads. The show includes exclusive interviews with family members, friends, law enforcement, and experts.

This straight-from-the-headlines podcast is a timely as it is intriguing. As patriarch Alex Murdaugh is set to take the stand after pleading not guilty to the murder of his wife and son, interest in the string of criminal charges brought against the family—including not only multiple homicides but obstruction of justice, fraud, insurance rackets, and a twisty suicide-for-hire plot—has only grown. On the real-time investigative podcast Murdaugh Murders, journalist Mandy Matney probes the privilege and power at play, detailing a sordid history of violent deaths, miscarried investigations, and the fatal boat crash that saw the dominant legal family’s influence falter, exposing corruption and an unthinkable string of crimes hidden beneath a prestigious veneer.

When it comes to criminality on a systemic level, there are few cases more troubling than the 1980s AIDS epidemic and the response—or lack thereof—that followed. Honing in on the early days of the virus’s rapid transmission through New York City’s queer community, Fiasco probes how activists, physicians, and politicians clashed as the health and well-being of millions teetered on the edge. This podcast, produced by the team behind Slow Burn, sheds a light on the mistakes, missteps, and misunderstandings (many of which were rooted in bigotry and homophobia) that led to the tragic—and perhaps preventable—deaths of so many.

In the digital age, crime has gone online. Hunting Warhead takes listeners on a journey through the darkest corners of the internet as host Daemon Fairless interviews investigators working towards taking down criminal rings producing and distributing content depicting child sexual abuse. Speaking with survivors, perpetrators, white-hat hackers, and police, Fairless dives into the international pursuit of those lurking in the shadows. Sensitive to those who have been harmed by sexual violence and exploitation without ever shying away from the realities of the dark web, this a gripping true crime listen for anyone curious about how children are rescued and protected by those who aim to expose and take down their abusers.

Countless true crime cases are built not on hardened killers but rather those rogues who rely on charm, fame, and social ease to target and swindle their marks. Writers Scaachi Koul (Buzzfeed) and Sarah Hagi (Gawker) turn their incisive reporting, sharp humor, and cultural analysis to the dazzling, dizzying world of influencers seeking fortune and fame—at any price. Each week, a new Scamfluencers episode recounts scandals of scammers taking advantage of unsuspecting victims via schemes on social media and in health, wellness, finance, and fashion circles. From murder to money-making rackets, there’s nothing these fraudsters won’t do for a taste of stardom.

High school senior Tom Brown seemed destined for success. He was an endlessly popular multi-hyphenate—class president, a star player on a state champ football team, the drama club’s leading man. But in November 2016, on the night before Thanksgiving, he mysteriously disappeared; just over two years later, his remains were found. Who would want to harm such a promising young man, and why? Writer Skip Hollingsworth and The Texas Monthly podcasting team behind Boomtown examine the facts of the still unsolved case, its aftermath, and the investigation that ripped apart the small town of Canadian, Texas.

If you love both ghost stories and true crime tales, you won’t want to miss And That’s Why We Drink. On this podcast, spooky paranormal occurrences cross paths with real-life murders. Every week, join hosts Christine Schiefer and Em Schulz, and their very special guest—boxed wine—as they discuss true crime and the supernatural alike. A recent episode covered the chilling unsolved mystery of the Texarkana Moonlight Murders paired with the bizarre tale of Tarrare, the man who (literally) ate everything.

Travel back to the bohemian side of West Virginia in the '70s and '80s. I Was Never There offers an atmospheric journey into the era’s counterculture movement and one self-proclaimed hippie outlaw who disappeared. Mother-and-daughter hosts Karen and Jamie Zelermyer set out to uncover what exactly happened to their friend Marsha “Mudd” Ferber, the proprietor of both a Morgantown bar and an all-ages club, founder of communal houses and co-ops, and a low-level drug dealer. Committed to making the world a better place and carving out spaces for outsiders, nomads, and castaways, Ferber was also known for her flair for the reckless. After she vanished, those she knew were left to put together the pieces, weighing foul play against a wandering soul.

Hosts Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat know firsthand what it’s like to be intrigued by all things morbid, and with Crime Junkie, they’ve created a community of like-minded true crime aficionados. Each week, the pair delves into a case that’s caught their attention, dissecting instances of murder, mysterious deaths, missing persons, and the cases and perps that altered both precedent and our very notion of notorious. Whether focusing on infamous cases like the Smiley Face Killer conspiracy and the disappearance of Madeleine McCann or lesser-known but no less important local crimes and killings, Flowers and Prawat wield an easy rapport and a depth of analysis that lend this podcast an engaging dynamic.

Enjoy true crime podcasts rich in local color and twists? Then you'll want to give Southern Mysteries a listen. Host Shannon Ballard was raised in Alabama and has always had a particular interest in regional history and legends. This podcast explores true historical mysteries of the American South, with each episode diving into a new story, from the Shelton Laurel Massacre of 1863 to the discovery of two unidentified dead bodies in rural Sumter County, South Carolina, in the summer of 1967.