My Top True Crime Podcasts
Let’s talk about serial killers…
But seriously, I consume WAY TOO much true crime content for someone who is easily scared and afraid of the dark. I cannot stop. And there is something about the fall that really sets the tone for some true crime consumption (even though it’s a year-round activity for me).
I’ve read a few articles about how women are the primary consumer of true crime: Vogue, New York Times, and Pure Wow to name a few. It is truly one of the topics I text some of my closest friends about most and when I share on IG stories my DMs get a ton of traction. So many of us are truly enthralled by true crime. For me as an Enneagram 6, I know it is tied to my need to know what happened, so I can do whatever I can to make sure it doesn’t happen to me. A kind of twisted way of keeping myself safe.
I am asked often for my favorite true crime podcasts or for new recommendations, so I wanted to compile them into a blog post in an easy to consume format. Let’s dive in…
my top true crime podcasts
Accused (Season One): I was living in Athens, Ohio when I listened to this podcast, and it became particularly interesting when I learned a key suspect grew up and currently lives in Athens. The Cincinnati Inquirer investigates the story of Elizabeth Andes, who was found murdered in her apartment in Oxford, Ohio in 1978. Was it her boyfriend? Or was it someone else?
Serial (Season One): This was the gateway podcast for me. I overheard coworkers discussing it at work, and I immediately started listening (and then couldn’t stop with the true crime podcasts). I feel like everyone who is into true crime has heard this story, so I won’t go into the details. However, I do feel like Jay has more to do with this than he says.
Up and Vanished: Both seasons of this podcast are so good. Payne Lindsey is a captivating storyteller. I was sucked in by the first season and then to have the case break while the podcast was wrapping up and listen in real-time was a whole new level of anxiety.
Culpable: This story takes place in Meridian, Mississippi, and it reeks of so much wrong. Christian leaves his job abruptly to confront his cheating girlfriend, Whitley Goodman, but somehow ends up dead in his apartment bathroom. After a 45 minute investigation, his death is ruled a suicide, but the stories don’t add up. Thie podcast is by the creators of Up and Vanished and To Live and Die in LA.
Radio Rental: This is a bit different than my normal MO for podcasts, but I love these stories. They aren’t all true crime, some are blips in reality, others are creepy family stories, and others are just unexplainable. Produced by Payne Lindsay and narrated Rainn Wilson, the stories are quick and easy to digest. Each episode shares two stories. Listeners can skip around as they please since the stories are not connected. Episode 2/Story 2 is by far my all-time fave. I think about the possibility of it ALL. THE. DAMN. TIME.
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Dr. Death: This one really hit home for me because this doctor practiced in the Dallas area where I grew up, and where my parents still live. It freaked me out so much because if they needed neck surgery what would have stopped them from going to this guy? We expect doctors to be vetted and held accountable, and we can blindly trust hospitals and medical staff. This podcast will shake you to your core. And will be a friendly reminder you need to ask all the questions and research your doctors.
Root of Evil: I remember listening to this podcast and thinking, “this is the most fucked up thing I’ve ever heard!” Sisters Rasha Pecoraro and Yvette Gentile, the great-granddaughters of George Hodel, take a deep dive into their family history to try to figure out what really happened to Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia and share so much more about their family’s twisted history.
To Live and Die in LA: My friend Meagan shared this one with me, and I listened as fast as they were putting out the episodes. Adea Shabani goes missing in February 2018. She was last seen leaving her apartment with her boyfriend Chris Spotz. This podcast is also produced by the same company that made Up And Vanished and Radio Rental. This podcast will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Your Own Backyard: This podcast tells the story of Kristen Smart who went missing during her freshman year at Cal Poly in 1996. Honestly, it isn’t the best production quality in comparison to the others on this list, but the story is captivating.
Son of a Hitman: This was a story I’d never heard before about actor Woody Harrelson’s dad, Charles Harrelson. The story is based all over Texas and in Vegas, so I was immediately intrigued. You explore the dirty underbelly of Houston and the families involved with these murders, crimes, and conspiracies. I listened to this one with Brian, and we both really enjoyed it.
The Orange Tree: I have heard this story countless times since attending undergrad at the University of Texas. It is the story that students tell over and over and over again. I lived across the street from The Orange Tree apartment complex in my junior year, walked by it almost daily for four straight years, and even had friends who lived at this complex (not in apartment 88). However, there was so much I didn’t know about this story.
The Piketon Massacre: We are currently listening to this one together. We listen to it when driving to go on hikes in Southeast Ohio. Which I realize makes this seem super scary given this story happened in Southcentral Ohio. We’re maybe an hour and a half from Piketon, and know many people from this area. This tells the story of the night in April 2016 when eight members of the Rhoden family were murdered in the middle of the night. It’s a small town, so gossip swirls.
Happy listening my true crime lovers!
xx,
Linds