[Editorial] Best True Crime Podcasts

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Amityville Horror, Psycho – all iconic horror favourites. Whether they’re your cup of tea or not, even the mildest of movie fans can tell apart their Freddy from their Leatherface. These films and their stories are legendary, but did you know they’re also not completely fictional? That the events that take place are all inspired by real-life cases?

It’s not too much of a leap to assume that most horror fans DO know this, and that we also all have a shared interest in true crime, because while a lot of us use horror as a way to escape the realities and anxieties of our day-to-day lives, there are also a lot of us who just really want scary stories, however we can get them. 

Digestible even for non-horror fans, true crime is something that seems to grab a much wider audience – your parents, your friends, the people you work with, may never have seen any of the films listed above, but you can bet your ass they all shared their collective outrage when American Murder: The Family Next Door was released on Netflix last year. 

Regardless of what else you’re into, if you’re stuck in lockdown as we are here in the UK, or even if you’re now able to go out and live your life normally *sigh*, and you’ve already binged watched every Netflix, HBO and Sky Crime documentary there is – now is the time to delve into the world of true crime podcasts.

Below, we’ve rounded up our favourites for your listening pleasure:

Drunk Women Solving Crime

Yep, starting off strong with this one, which does exactly what it says on the tin! I know what you’re thinking, perfect right? RIGHT.

Comedian/writers Hannah George, Catie Wilkins and Taylor Glenn welcome a new guest each week to drink a whole load of gin and try to solve real life true crime cases. They also share their personal crime stories (think shoplifting, indecent exposure etc) and seek justice for listener crimes (think car-parking spots being stolen, inappropriate workplace oversharing, and nosey neighbours).

This podcast is an absolute riot from start to finish, and if you’re interested in hearing about murder cases that aren’t as widely known, but don’t want something too heavy – Drunk Women Solving Crime is the one for you.

My Favourite Murder 

There’s a good chance you’ve already heard of My Favourite Murder. Presented by stand-up comedian Karen Kilgariff and writer Georgia Hardstark, it’s another light-hearted one on our list for those of you who don’t want to be bogged down with how truly awful people can be. 

My Favourite Murder often makes iTunes top 10 comedy podcast charts, with its casual approach to telling gruesome stories. Each episode feels like you’re chatting with friends, bonding over the grizzly details, excitedly examining all the evidence and sharing your favourite cold case theories.

They also do a regular ‘Minisode’ where they read out letters and emails from listeners who share true crime stories from their hometowns. 

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie is much less about the laughs and more about the story-telling. Since it’s debut in December 2017, there has been over 600 episodes – each one covering a different case of murder, mysterious deaths, disappearances and serial killers. 

The show is hosted by Ash and Brit - lifelong best friends and true crime enthusiasts. There’s little to no chat in this one before they dive into the story of the week. The information is all really well researched and told in a way that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat dying to know what happens next. They even do update episodes when there is a development in a case they’ve discussed. 

Some of the cases are familiar – Ed Kemper, The Smiley Face Killers, The Green River Killer etc, but the most fascinating episodes are the smaller ones that you’ve probably never heard of (especially if you’re based here in the UK). 

Crime Junkie really cares about these stories and about giving a voice to the victims as well as doing all they can to support the families and friends left behind. They work directly with Crime Stoppers and, with the help of listeners, have raised over $68,000 dollars for crime-related charities and initiatives. 

Morbid: A True Crime Podcast

Morbid is also presented by two life-long gal pals, Ashleigh and Alaina, who bonded over a shared obsession with true crime that often left them feeling like weird outsiders (relatable). They share a different story each episode, and they cover tales of paranormal encounters, supernatural experiences and conspiracy theories as well as murder and missing people. 

Their chemistry with each other and empathy for the victims is clear throughout, and they pride themselves on being really well researched before each episode in order to ensure they give the full story. They discuss different points throughout and share their personal opinions on the cases whilst always remaining respectful. 

Someone Knows Something

Hosted, written and produced by Canadian award-winning filmmaker David Ridgen, Someone knows Something is like listening to a fully-fledged true crime documentary.

The show started in 2015, with the investigation into the disappearance of five-year-old Adrien McNaughton, and each of the six seasons cover a different cold case. David visits the locations of disappearances and murders and meets with the victim's family and friends for interviews, which can often be tough listening.

David works alongside experts and investigators – detectives, psychics, cadaver dogs and more – to try and get to the bottom of what happened, and to bring the families some closure after all these years.

You won’t find any comedy, chatter or theory sharing here, but Someone knows Something is touching, emotional and absolutely fascinating.

Once Upon a Crime and Lets Taco ‘Bout True Crime 

Esther Ludlow is a long-time true crime fan with a background in criminal psychology. This is put to good use in Once upon a Crime where she uses a storytelling style to share her research on both infamous and lesser-known cases.

Each episode centres around a story under one of several alluring themes including; Til Death Do Us Part, where marital problems turn to murder investigations; Survivor Stories, where victims of kidnappers, serial killers and abusers have managed to escape and tell the tale; and the 12 Crimes of Christmas, a 12-episode holiday spectacular featuring transgressions that were anything but festive. 

Esther also hosts the cute and quirky Let’s Taco ‘bout True Crime where she invites a new guest each episode, and they discuss the documentaries that brought lesser-known true crime cases into the spotlight. Tiger King, The Act and my personal favourite Abducted in Plain Sight, are all discussed in detail - the cases, the quality of the documentary and the feedback of their sudden exposure.

911 Calls Podcast With The Operator 

The final and most unique podcast on our list, award-winning 911 Calls Podcast With The Operator, shares real 911 call recordings that are more often than not emotional, terrifying and completely exasperating.

The Operator and his co-host Mr Luna, dissect the dramatic conversations between the dispatchers and those in crisis on the other end of the line in two episodes a week. They discuss everything from how the call is handled, how they think it will play out, and their theories on the ‘why’.  They then reveal what happened after the call ended and as you can imagine, it’s not always good news.

This one is pretty heavy – the calls are often terror-filled and distressing to hear. You find yourself listening with a lump in your throat, selfishly thanking the stars that this didn’t happen to you. However, they do provide a palette cleanser in the form of a heart-warming call at the end of each episode – which is guaranteed to have you choked up for a whole different reason!

911 Calls Podcast With The Operator is as real as it gets, and perfect for listeners who want to experience what it's like to be right in the middle of the action.  

All of the podcasts listed can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean and more. Happy listening!

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