A podcast is a program available in digital format for download on the Internet. An episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing. They are entertaining in a way that it gives great content like some best true crime podcasts, romantic ones, and songs.
What’s it About Podcasts and Crime?
Let’s get this clear. Podcasters didn’t invent the true crime genre. However, podcasts have made crime an insanely popular obsession. Also, it liberates us from getting to a TV and allows us to take murderers on the road with us. Out of the various listeners, some are focused on victims, others on the accused, and others on the grisly details.
But let’s ask the question: is it just about the crime? No, there are many things to be attentive to when hearing a story. However, this genre is often seen as exploitative; many things to consider as a story unfolds(depending on the plot). And sometimes it gets heartbreaking when we understand the reality or the reasons behind the crimes.
Let’s talk about some of the best true crime podcasts ranging from bearable to grisly. Stay with us throughout, and you will not be bored.
Here’s The List
1. My Favourite Murder
The story, although scary, has comic relief as the two hosts keep things from becoming too dark.
Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark are the American comedians who hosted the podcasts. Furthermore, My Favorite Murder and its spin-offs became one of the most popular true crime podcasts in the world. Besides, they had some terrifying stories of murder, from cases like JonBenet Ramsey and the Black Dahlia to less well-known ones. The show’s fans called “Murderinos” gave some of the most honest reviews. The show has a lighthearted approach to real murder. Although it’s disturbing to some, the hosts’ catchphrase: “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered,” is super fun to others.
Link to the podcast
2. You Must Remember Manson
The show shows us issues of racism and sexual abuse and details of the murders committed by the Manson family. Perhaps the best true crime podcast because of its brutality, people want to know more about it from any source.
You Must Remember Manson explores the murders via the famous family’s close connections with Hollywood. By adding the exact grisly details, Longworth digs deeper than the typical examination of the Manson family to explore how they did and didn’t fit into late-60s society. Besides, why Manson was able to build a literal cult that drew celebrities into its orbit. The show also takes a more extensive look at some of those who died at the hands of the Mansons. There are other great issues regarding the character’s evolution, which you must hear for yourself.
Link to the podcast
3. 74 Seconds
Although the 22-episode limited series ended in 2019, it remains extraordinarily relevant. In 2016, Philando Castile was shot and killed by Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez. The live Facebook video from Castile’s girlfriend and co-passenger led to the state’s first police shooting to go to trial. The team delivering the pod delivers the tragedy thoroughly and from every angle. Besides, they look at the broader implications, minutiae, and subsequent trials. It’s a must-hear podcast for anyone who prefers some good backstory behind a crime.
Link to the podcast
4. In The Dark
The show has a journalistic approach and deals with a child’s sexual assault and murder in the first season.
The award-winning investigative podcast from the journalists at American Public Media looks in-depth at one case each season. The first focus is on the 30-year-old cold case of missing 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling, looking at the initial crime and its effects on the local community. The second season looks at Curtis Flowers, a Black man accused of murdering four people and who was tried six times over two decades in attempts to secure a conviction.
Link to the podcast
5. Dirty John
The show shows many instances of psychological abuse and gaslighting. Furthermore, it gets more disturbing at the end.
Dirty John, made into a Bravo TV series with Connie Britton and Eric Bana, focuses on the story of interior designer Debra Newell. She met John Meehan online. At first, he seemed to be the man of her dreams, and the two were quickly married, even as the red flags began to show and she ignored them. “Freelance anesthesiologist” John never brought home any details of his work, and Newell found herself increasingly isolated. Besides, the narrator Christopher Goffard shows her side of the story, making for a disturbing and compelling listen.
Link to the podcast
Also read: 20 Powerful Quotes by U.S. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
6. To Live and Die in LA
We can say that it is quite mild for the genre. It deals with domestic abuse alongside the show’s central murder.
On Feb. 23, 2018, 25-year-old aspiring actress Adea Shabani disappeared from her Hollywood apartment. Neil Strauss is told to cover the story briefly. But he dug deeper into Shabani’s deeply complicated life and that of the boyfriend with whom she was last seen. Strauss deals with the highly complex story with tremendous empathy. However, he dives deeper into the issue and uncovers significant truths behind the death through his investigation. We hear the story unfold throughout the podcast.
Link to the podcast
7. Affirmative Murder
The topics can be grim, but they’re discussed with humor and humanity. This is one of the best true crime podcasts you can hear of.
Best friends Frank and Alvin set out to explore true crime stories from a Black, millennial view. In addition, they create what they describe as an “equal opportunity” true crime and comedy podcast. Their perspective is quite a rare and unique way of podcasting, and the two are funny and empathetic regarding the stories they discuss. Due to the extensive talk, the episodes tend to run long. However, the chemistry between the duo is so great that it is fun every minute.
Link to the podcast
8. The Catch and Kill
First things first. It has talked of rape and murder.
Farrow has developed his reputation as a writer for his journalism on sexual abuse against public figures like Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, and Harvey Weinstein. Besides, he is capable of bringing them to justice. Or at least in front of people’s eyes. His single-season podcast goes deeply into the reporting that sent Weinstein to prison, with audio of many of the interviews that were critical to that work. This indeed ranks in the best true crime podcast list.
Link to the podcast
9. The Dating Game Killer
A dive into the mind of a killer. And that is horrific. To top it all off, weirdly, everyone has sexual fantasies that aren’t normal. It’s fascinating and not for the faint of heart.
In 1978, Rodney Alcala took some time off from his serial murder obsession to make an appearance and win a date on an episode of The Dating Game. Although he was convicted for seven murders, it’s suspected that Alcala killed many more people, possibly over 100. The tone, although light, isn’t convincing enough to the listeners. It’s exactly the horrific, wild story the genre was made for. Interestingly, the murderer is less known and, therefore, more concerning for all.
Link to the podcast
10. The Murder in My Family
The stories are told from the perspective of family members. Therefore it can get exceptionally emotional.
This anthological series emphasizes family members of true-crime murder cases. It delivers real conversations with the surviving family of the victims. This is to remind the listeners that real people are behind these cases. That perspective is important in a genre that’s been seen as exploitative. This again features in the best true crime podcasts, not because of gory details but because it reaches the emotional level.
Link to the podcast
