BLOG POST: Top True Crime Podcasts

In the spirit of reading SIX STORIES by Matt Wesolowski this week, which was inspired by the incredible podcast Serial, here’s a list of some of the most interesting true crime podcasts that I’ve come across.

1. Serial (https://serialpodcast.org)

The podcast that ostensibly resurrected podcasting as a storytelling medium, Sarah Koenig’s well-researched and well-produced podcast brought me into podcasts that weren’t strictly informational and news-based. Serial tells one story over the course of a season, and has even won a Peabody award. She focuses on stories with multiple sides; the first season follows a man who insists he’s been falsely convicted of his girlfriend’s murder, while the second follows the story of a soldier who – in attempting to protest particular internal issues – ended up captured and held by the Taliban. This podcast is absolutely worth your time, and completely fascinating.

2. Someone Knows Something (http://www.cbc.ca/radio/sks)

So happy to actually feature a Canadian podcast on this list, but I’ve been listening to Someone Knows Something for a while now, and it’s almost as well done as Serial. Someone Knows Something follows cold cases in Canada, interviewing the people involved again. Host David Ridgen occasionally waxes a bit poetic, but he’s also a solid investigator, trying to bring closure to the cases. If you enjoyed Serial, this is also worth a listen.

3. S-Town (https://stownpodcast.org) Release Date: March 28, 2017

S-Town promises to be interesting – a man who brags of murder in a small Alabama town, and the producer asked to do something about it. I am not 100% sure whether this is fact or fiction, but as it shares many of the same production team members as Serial and This American Life, this is quite promising. All seven episodes will be released on March 28 of this year.

4. Stranglers (http://www.earwolf.com/show/stranglers/)

All I’ve caught of this podcast so far is the preview, and it’s already moved up to the next one on my listening list. Stranglers is an investigation of the Boston Strangler, active from June 1962 to January 1964. There are enough doubts around the case that it’s worth looking into again, and with new information and deep research, as well as a wealth of audio material from the archives, this podcast is very promising.

5. Untold (http://www.untoldmurder.com)

Untold is a bit of an anomaly on this list, as host Peter Jukes takes a more activist role in laying out the facts of the case that he suggests was covered up, and attempting to bring about justice for Daniel Morgan, a private investigator killed in a London car park in 1987. He lays out a wide-ranging conspiracy involving media and police, and, together with Daniel’s brother Alistair, make the case that they know who the killer likely was… he just has gotten away with it so far. They also perform a fairly deep investigation into the shadowy dealings and organizations that may have brought about Daniel’s death. Fascinating and a bit creepy, and definitely should be on your list.

6. Undisclosed (http://undisclosed-podcast.com)

Another podcast I have only recently discovered, Undisclosed follows a team of lawyers as they examine the minutia of cases looking for discrepancies and evidence that could prove the innocence of an incarcerated individual. The first case in the show follows that of Anand Sayed, the convicted man whose story is first told in Serial. It’s a very different angle to approach these cases from, but definitely one that I find intriguing.

 

There were quite a few podcasts that are on my ‘honourable mention’ list – things I haven’t gotten to yet but that I may listen to in the future – but the true crime podcast segment has exploded due to the success of Serial, and is now almost overwhelming. I would absolutely recommend the above podcasts as a great place to start!

Which ones are your favourites? Leave them in the comment section below.