The 19 Most Riveting True Crime Podcasts Available to Stream Right Now (2023)

FAQs

What is the #1 true crime podcast? ›

1. Serial. As one of the earliest true crime podcasts, Serial richly deserves the title of “an audio game changer.” After catapulting to success in 2014, the Peabody Award winning podcast remains as prominent as ever.

In the last six years, almost 200 true crime podcasts have launched, and the genre regularly occupies many of the spots on the Top 20 podcast chart in iTunes (“True Crime Podcasts,” 2016; “#Toppodcast,” 2018).

Gillian Pensavalle

Gillian is the co-host/creator of the top-ranked true crime comedy podcast True Crime Obsessed, where she and Patrick Hinds recap true crime documentaries with humor and heart.

Perhaps the most well known true crime podcast ever, Serial first became famous for delving into the mind-boggling case of Hae Min Lee and Adnan Syed. This series follows "people who've done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle." There are more than 130 episodes, so you better get listening!

True Crime Podcast that Solved the Case - YouTube

The Most Searched True Crime Story in Every U.S. State

Simpson murder case, top our list as the most searched in several states. Serial Killer David Berkowitz trails closely behind, while Aileen Wuornos, serial killer, and the Richardson family murders tie for fourth.

Popular 'Crime Junkie' Podcast Removes Episodes After Plagiarism Accusation. The show announced that it removed “several” episodes because of sourcing concerns after a journalist and others accused the hosts of using their work without credit.

In 2019, 50 percent of the top ten podcasts were true crime (Heaney 2019), and Serial remains the fastest podcast ever to reach over 5 million downloads (Roberts 2014).

Who is Gillian Pensavalle? ›

Gillian Pensavalle is an actress and producer, known for Net_Work (2007), Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)...

Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavalle started a podcast to satisfy their obsession with true crime, and as it turns out, there were a lot of people out there who wanted to hear what they had to say (or scream).

It comes as the company's flagship podcast True Crime Obsessed crossed 50M downloads. “We have been massive fans of Maggie and Amber's work for years and truly admire all they've done for victim advocacy,” said Patrick Hinds, Founder of Obsessed Network.

Luke Wood recommends Crime Junkie Podcast. it's an enjoyable podcast that isn't irreverent or bogged down in speculation. Kellyn Todd doesn't recommend Crime Junkie Podcast. This podcast is the most woke, cop hating, racist, uneducated podcast I've ever listened too.

At present, authorities believe the Golden State Killer committed 10 to 12 murders, 45 sexual assaults, and 120 residential burglaries. He has never been caught. Contra Costa County cold case investigator Paul Holes is one of the foremost forensic experts on this singularly chilling chapter in crime history.

What serial killer should I watch on Netflix? ›

Centered around real-life serial killer Ted Bundy, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes is a documentary that reveals hours of fascinating interview footage with Bundy along with interviews with his family and friends, law enforcement, and surviving victims.

Of the four ciphers he produced, two remain unsolved, and one was only cracked in 2020. While many theories regarding the identity of the killer have been suggested, the only suspect authorities ever publicly named was Arthur Leigh Allen, a former elementary school teacher and convicted sex offender who died in 1992.

Entertaining and addicting! Great podcast. Both Alaina and Ash are always prepared and well researched. They have such enthusiasm for the stories- they pull you in and keep you listening .

Ashley Flowers (born 19 December 1989) is a famous American podcast host, social media influencer, Instagram personality, and entrepreneur from South Bend, Indiana, United States. She is well-known in the industry for hosting the podcast show named 'Crime Junkie', which is based on the stories of true crime.

Alaina and Ash are an aunt and niece duo, but their website says that the two “were essentially raised as sisters.” When they're not hosting Morbid, Alaina is an autopsy technician and Ash is a hairstylist.

Ashley said Brit developed a brain bleed, which formed a brain clot. She underwent several operations in the spring of 2022.

What podcast has the most listeners? ›

#1 The Joe Rogan Experience

In 2009, Joe Rogan launched The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which became one of the most popular podcasts in the world.

As of September 2018, it has been downloaded more than 340 million times. It has been followed by other true crime podcasts such as Dirty John, My Favorite Murder, Up and Vanished, Parcast series such as Cults, Female Criminals and Mind's Eye, Someone Knows Something, and many more.

Its audience has skyrocketed over the last year and now averages more than a million downloads per month.

On March 28, 2017, the podcast “S-Town” was released and quickly attracted millions of listeners. The podcast was sparked after Woodstock, Alabama, resident John B. McLemore contacted radio journalist Brian Reed to investigate an alleged small-town murder, which he said was being covered up by a wealthy family.

But it's important to be clear that despite its Serial roots and an investigative premise that initially seems like a journalistic jaunt into an unresolved murder, S-Town is not a true crime podcast.

Payne Lindsey dedicated the entire first season of his show to the case, and his work on the resulting podcast, Up & Vanished, helped solve Tara Grinstead's murder.

Felonies are the most serious type of crime and are often classified by degrees, with a first degree felony being the most serious. They include terrorism, treason, arson, murder, rape, robbery, burglary, and kidnapping, among others.

Where is John B McLemore maze? ›

John B. McLemore, the main character in S-Town, the new podcast from Serial and This American Life, dedicates his life to many things — restoring antique clocks, climate change, fostering dogs — but it's the labyrinthine hedge maze he built on his property in Woodstock, Alabama, that has the internet up in arms.

Craig Cargile, the executor of McLemore's estate, claimed in the lawsuit filed in 2018 that the show revealed personal aspects of McLemore's life without his permission and violated Alabama's Right of Publicity Act. Lawyers representing “S-Town” contended that the work was journalism and was not covered by the act.

About S-Town

For many true-crime listeners, “S-Town” seemed to promise a mystery full of crime and corruption. But despite McLemore's insistence, Reed, who hosts the podcast, concludes that no murder took place after talking with local police and others familiar with the story.

Tyler found the gold, and will use it to take care of his new wife and young daughters. I think Reed is too kind to Tyler to let him get himself in trouble on tape. But he's also loyal to us, his listeners. So he leaves us a witness mark.

“The S-Town movie is coming in the next year, and I would love for our work to influence and inspire and above all help someone. I hope no one ever has to go through the loss of a loved one to suicide,” Cheryl added.

Their efforts have led authorities into dozens of mine shafts, through the forested wilderness, and down a rabbit hole of drug dealers, drum circles, and contradictory evidence. But to this day, nobody knows what happened to Kristal Reisinger.

Payne Lindsey likes to tell stories, whether through filmmaking, directing or podcasting. The Georgia native created and produced the investigative podcast Up & Vanished — about the disappearance of Tara Grinstead — with his company Tenderfoot TV, which is now in development with Oxygen as a TV series.

Though her body was never found, investigators matched Grinstead's DNA to bone fragments recovered in the area where Duke told investigators he and his friend had burned her. The jury deliberated Thursday afternoon and for about two hours Friday morning before delivering a verdict, the Journal-Constitution reported.