If you’re into playing the role of amateur detective, true crime podcasts are a blast to follow. Mostly covering murder and missing persons cases, they do more than read the headlines from the same papers everyone else has been reading. Some of them do some footwork themselves and get on top of a case to try and solve it. Great podcasters take you through all the sorted details the general public doesn’t know as they walk you through the locations, and people involved in the case as well as all the available evidence.
When a true crime podcast does that, it’s going above and beyond the call of duty. Some podcasters have even received awards for their journalistic prowess. Of all the true crime podcasts out there, these are the best in the business.
Sarah Marshall, You’re Wrong About
Sarah Marshall takes a unique approach with her You’re Wrong About podcast. She likes having guests on the show who might have misinformation about a certain case. They might have been reading only the headlines or are only informed by what people are saying on social media. Learning the facts is the ongoing theme of the podcast and her guests can testify to that.
Madeleine Baran, In The Dark
Having won two Peabody Awards for her In the Dark podcast, Madeleine Baran is an investigative journalist with American Public Media. Her work was vital in a Supreme Court case that overturned a Black man’s death row sentence. She holds officials accountable and calls them out when they fail to or refuse to investigate because they think they have their man. It’s no wonder she has won awards. Her strong voice and platform are a powerful force being used to change the system.
Amara Cofer, Black Girl Gone
Black Girl Gone is a podcast on a mission to bring up old cases that have been forgotten. The people’s lives are still affected, and the case may have never been solved, so it’s been swept under the rug. In comes Amara Cofer who will bring all the details back to light. She’s a staunch supporter of using social media to create awareness. When the whispers become chatter, there is no way anyone can ignore the issues.
Ellen Chloë Bateman & Evan Mead, Boys Like Me
Boys Like Me is a different kind of true crime podcast. The series follows two friends who had similar lives with very different outcomes. One orchestrated a very notorious mass murder when he mowed down 11 victims with his van. The other is the star of the podcast, Evan Mead. His high school friend, Alek Minassian, is an incel who was found guilty of 10 counts of murder and 16 counts of attempted murder. He’s serving life in prison with no hope of parole. His 11th victim died three years later.
John Thrasher and Daryn Carp, Shaken and Disturbed
What began as the Oxygen podcast, Martinis & Murder, John Thrasher and Daryn Carp morphed their highly successful common interest into a new podcast they entitled Shaken and Disturbed. Each episode dives into some of the most gruesome cases of our time. They explore all the details that have a striking impact on the case, but they keep it light with humor. That’s an interesting twist, taking into account the nature of their topic, but true crime fanatics definitely appreciate that angle.
Laci Mosley, Scam Goddess
Scam Goddess finds its way onto this list because Laci Mosley digs the dirt on scam artists and how they hoodwink people into falling for their schemes. She has fun with the podcast and often invites comedians on to discuss the topics. These are no small-time rackets, but big-time stuff like fine arts dealers and high-level imposters who were able to trick everyone around them. That is until they were caught.
Shapearl Wells, Somebody
When Shapearl Wells’ son was shot and killed in Chicago, she wondered if the police were actually trying to solve the case. She came up short trying to find answers, so she had something to say, and she was determined to talk about it. Somebody is not just the name of the podcast; it’s a statement. Her son, Courtney, was a man, deserving of justice. Did the police care to follow through? Did they ever solve the case? The podcast follows as Wells herself has to track down evidence and interview witnesses.
David Ridgen, Someone Knows Something, The Next Call
The Next Call is an explosive podcast where David Ridgen talks to police and interviews witnesses. The podcast often turns leads into potential suspects and keeps hitting hard to get to the bottom of every case. From the murder of Terrie Dauphinais to the missing case of Nadia Atwi, David walks the paths and turns over the rocks to figure out what actually happened in the absence of any other answers.
Paige St. John, Man In The Window
Man in the Window is another podcast that explores one case. Paige St. John unveiled details that had never been turned up in other investigations concerning The Golden State Killer. The serial rapist and murderer was very elusive. When the police thought they had a suspect, he ended up dead on a bench. For her work, St. John was awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Investigative Reporting.
Connie Walker, Stolen
Stolen is another unique podcast. Rather than exploring a new crime every episode, Connie Walker is investigating her own past, starting with a fateful traffic stop initiated by her father, a Royal Canadian Mounted police officer. It was a story that Connie had never heard before until after he passed away, but it was one she was determined to get to the bottom of.
Leah Sottile, Bundyville
Leah Sottile takes fans on a historical journey through the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in her podcast, Bundyville. LaVoy Finicum was inspired by the 2014 Bundy Standoff in which cattle rancher Cliven Bundy refused to comply with government regulations. What started out as fines that were placed upon him escalated until he was finally shot dead by officers after gesturing that he had a weapon, which he indeed had. Sottile explores the case from how it started to how it ended. Were anyone’s constitutional rights violated? There just might be a case for that.