With the explosion of true crime podcasts over the past few years, there’s been a lot of buzz surrounding podcasts, such as Serial and S-Town. While those are definitely podcasts not to simply skip over, there are so many more underrated true crime podcasts out there that require the ears of true crime fans. Below are seven underappreciated podcasts that capture the heinous acts of criminals and offer chilling insights into humanity.
1. Unresolved
Crime podcaster, Micheal Whelan, aims to tell stories which have no end. Each episode is thoroughly researched, thoughtful, and very well delivered.
The podcast focuses on a mix of well-known, high-profile cases, such as The Zodiac Killer and Amerithrax, as well as unsolved crimes in other parts of the world, such as The Beaumont Children (Australia) and The Brabant Killers (Belgium).
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2. The Vanished
This podcast specifically covers missing persons cases. The episodes tend to focus on those who’ve had issues with alcohol and drugs. The podcaster, Marissa, makes a real effort to humanize the missing and makes it clear that these are real people whose families miss them.
What is particularly compelling about this podcast are the phone interviews that are included with the relatives of the missing person, as well as 911 calls.
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3. Canadian True Crime
Canadians are often viewed as overly friendly and never having to worry about locking their doors. Well, think again. This true crime podcast shatters that stereotype with Canadian violent murder stories and massacres.
Canadian True Crime is hosted by Kristi Lee, an Australian woman, who does an amazing job of researching and presenting the facts. She avoids glorifying the criminals and honors the memory of the victims.
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4. Killafornia Dreaming: True Crime Tales from the Golden State
This podcast delves into the darker side of California. The podcaster has a soft and calming voice, which is the opposite of many true crime storytellers who try to get your adrenaline going. She audibly expresses emotion and compassion during her storytelling that’s unmatched by other podcasters in this genre.
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5. Southern Fried True Crime
Listen to Erica’s classy southern accent, while she explores both historical and contemporary true crime stories based in the South. This underrated podcast offers detailed accounts of wrongful convictions, murder/suicides, arsonists, missing persons, and cold-blooded murders. Most of these episodes cover lesser-known murder cases, so it’s definitely worth a listen.
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6. Crime in Sports
Sports lovers will appreciate this crime podcast. Unlike the podcasts listed above, this one is high energy and humorous. Each episode covers a famous sports star and their subsequent encounters with the law, which are mainly episodes of violence, arrests, relapses of drugs and alcohol, and really bad decisions. The hosts are enjoyable to listen to and are delighted to “bring you the biggest idiots in sports history.”
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7. Wine & Crime
How do you pair a fine wine with true crime? Who knew that was even possible? Well, the ladies hosting this podcast do it every episode. They bring a welcome dose of laughter to an otherwise heavy topic. True crime podcasts can feel intense at times, and that might be one of their most appealing features. However, fans can also get their true crime fix without having to enter into such a dark place every episode. Wine & Crime is a great way to listen to this fascinating subject and have a laugh too.
Be warned, those who are easily offended might want to skip this one.
