21 true-crime podcasts to listen to next, from hidden gems to fan favorites

The rise of true-crime podcasts has been a long time coming: Many classics of the genre debuted nearly a decade ago. But the popularity has yet to wane, leaving listeners inundated with thousands of podcasts to choose from.

Those well versed in the genre may feel they're grasping for something new in the saturated true-crime landscape. Luckily, there are several gems still left to be discovered.

Keep reading to find the best true-crime podcasts to listen to, ranging from brand new series to tried and true favorites with devoted followings that you too, might find yourself obsessed with.

'Bear Brook'

It starts with a gruesome scene: four bodies — three children and one woman — found stuffed into two blue barrels near Bear Brook State Park in New Hampshire. The first season of “Bear Brook” played a role in the rise of forensic genealogy and told the story of how investigators inched toward finding justice for the victims more than 35 years later. The podcast's second season details a separate case about how Sharon Johnson's family reckoned with a man imprisoned for her murder who has maintained his innocence more than 30 years after the 1989 slaying.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and bearbrookpodcast.com.

'Missing and Murdered'

This podcast focuses on the unsolved and often grossly underlooked murder cases of Indigenous women and girls. "Missing and Murdered," hosted by Cree journalist Connie Walker, digs into these cases across thousands of miles, taking listeners on a journey through living rooms and onto reservations to investigate the cases. The first season of the series focuses on the 1989 murder of Alberta Williams, and the second season follows the case of Cleo Nicotine Semaganis, a young girl taken from her family by government welfare workers in the 1970s. During the second season, Walker finds out something she never thought she would: the truth about what happened to Cleo.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and CBC Radio.

'Someone Knows Something'

When a podcast has eight seasons, you know they’re onto something. And in this case, someone does know something. Host David Ridgen extensively investigates anything, from a man who received a package around the holidays with the note, "Have a very Merry Christmas and may you never have to buy another flashlight," and when he turned the flashlight on it exploded, to an OBGYN who was shot and killed in his home in 1998, seemingly for performing abortions.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and CBC Radio.

'Court Junkie'

In "Court Junkie," each episode focuses on one case, taking elements from criminal trials, court documents and interviews of those close to the case, leaving listeners to decide if the justice system worked. Reddit user needathneed writes: "The best thing about this pod is even if I already know about the case this one brings another dimension to it because of the courtroom audio." With more than 250 episodes, listeners will feel like they're part of the jury (or the judge themselves).

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and courtjunkie.com.

'Murdaugh Murders Podcast' (aka 'True Sunlight')

If the Netflix series on the downfall of Alex Murdaugh wasn’t enough for you, be sure to check out Mandy Matney’s “Murdaugh Murders Podcast,” which serves as a trove of Murdaugh-related content. From the murders of Murdaugh’s wife and youngest son, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, to other mysterious deaths surrounding the South Carolina family, like the death of their housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, the podcast has nearly 100 episodes to fully delve into the family’s lore.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and murdaughmurderspodcast.com.

'Smoke Screen: Betrayal on the Bayou'

This podcast explores if Chad Scott is one of the greatest Drug Enforcement Administration agents, or if he's a criminal himself. After a 17-year career in the New Orleans area, Scott is imprisoned and faces accusations that he lied under oath, instructed fellow agents to commit perjury and falsified government records, among other charges. Hosted by journalists Jim Mustian and Faimon Roberts, who covered the case for years, "Smoke Screen: Betrayal on the Bayou" is full of twists and turns — including how Scott was able to convince people he arrested to become his informants.

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

'The Hurricane Tapes'

"The Hurricane Tapes" follows the true story of Rubin Carter, a middleweight boxer who was wrongfully convicted of murder and later released from prison after serving more than 20 years behind bars. The 13-part series uses interviews with those close to the case, original notes from the investigations and 40 hours of tape recordings from Carter and recordings from the case's lead detective. (And if you're wondering, yes, Carter is the subject of the the Bob Dylan song "Hurricane," too.)

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or the BBC.

'The Estate'

When Alex Estrada's father died, the the death of his father left an important question: Was he involved in the murder of one of his business partners? He sets out to find out the truth in "The Estate," a podcast that is a "murder mystery, political conspiracy, and family memoir touching on race, the justice system, and a pain that moves from one generation to the next," according to the podcast's description.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

'Death in Ice Valley'

This BBC World Service podcast investigates a case that has gone unsolved for more than half a century. In 1970, an unidentified woman was found alone, frozen to death in the Isdal Valley of Norway. Was she a tourist? A spy? A fugitive? Hosts Marit Higraf and Neil McCarthy investigate several leads exploring the possible identity of the woman and how she might have died.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or the BBC.

'Hunting Ghislaine'

For those who want to go deep on Jeffrey Epstein and his convicted sex trafficking associate Ghislaine Maxwell, "Hunting Ghislaine" is the place to start. The series starts with Maxwell's upbringing as the daughter of media mogul Robert Maxwell, and explains how she met Epstein, plus details about their relationship. While the series ends with Maxwell in jail and awaiting trial, an epilogue episode goes all in on the trial itself, where she was later sentenced to 20 years in prison for recruiting and grooming teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

'Slow Burn'

"Slow Burn" is the perfect podcast for political true crime fans. The series started off its first season investigating the Watergate scandal, and has since covered topics like former President Bill Clinton's sex scandal, the Iraq War, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, just to name a few.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

'Scam Goddess'

"Scam Criminal" is a self-proclaimed "true fun crime" podcast. "It’s like true crime only without all the death!" the podcast's description reads. Hosted by Laci Mosley, this series keeps listeners up to date on the latest scams and current rackets with some fan-favorite personalities, including anyone from Miranda Cosgrove to Eric Andre. If you couldn't get enough of "Inventing Anna," this is the podcast for you (plus, you'll be laughing the whole time).

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

'Bone Valley'

"Bone Valley" is another Reddit favorite — in fact, it was recommended over a dozen times in a thread asking for the best true crime podcasts people had listened to in 2022. In nine episodes and five bonus episodes, listeners learn about the case of 18-year-old Michelle Schofield, who was found dead in a phosphate mining pit in Florida in 1987. Her husband was sentenced to life in prison for her murder, but another man later confessed to murdering Schofield. According to the podcast's description, the series "exposes the fundamental and catastrophic flaws in the American criminal justice system by documenting the story of these two men in their desperate search for truth and redemption."

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or lavaforgood.com.

'Cold'

If you like podcasts that focus on a single story every season, “Cold” could be the series for you. With three seasons focusing on missing persons cases that are more than a decade old (one dating back to 1985), host Dave Cawley takes listeners back to the moment each person vanishes, and tries to figure out what happened.

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

'Your Own Backyard'

"Your Own Backyard" comes highly recommended on Reddit's true crime podcasts thread. The series covers the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared on campus during her first year at California Polytechnic State University in 1996, plus the murder trial of Paul Flores, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for Smart's murder earlier this year — almost 30 years after the slaying.

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

'Casefile'

This podcast has intrigue of its own: "Casefile" is hosted by an Australian man who remains anonymous to keep the focus on the cases and the victims. The show covers a range of true crime stories, from arson to missing persons to general mysteries, and both solved and unsolved cases.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or casefilepodcast.com.

'Crime Junkie'

Hosts Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat strike a very conversational tone as they discuss cases both well known and unheard of. There are more than 340 episodes to dive into. Soon enough, you'll be reciting their mantra: "Be weird, be rude, stay alive."

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

'My Favorite Murder'

"Stay sexy and don't get murdered," goes the tag line of "My Favorite Murder." Nearly every week since January 2016, hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark tell each other about their favorite true crimes and share their own hometown crime stories. For those who think comedy and crime can go hand-in-hand, this podcast is for you.

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

'Dirty John'

"Dirty John" went from L.A. Times article to podcast to TV show. The podcast is a deep dive into the case of John Meehan, a con artist posing as an anesthesiologist, who meets Debra Newell on a dating site. The pair gets married within a few months, despite her children's suspicion. The series focuses on themes of abuse and manipulation as Meehan gaslights Newell, her family and her friends for years.

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

'Criminal'

If "Serial" put narrative podcasts on the map, "Criminal" took the art form of covering a different subject every episode to a new level. Host Phoebe Judge takes care to frame the murder and mayhem around how it affected the victims' families and friends, quickly becoming one of the biggest true crime hits. As Julie Shapiro, a producer for Radiotopia, told Vulture: "'Criminal' reframed our sense of the impact of crime on both victims and perpetrators."

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or thisiscriminal.com.

'Serial'

Last but certainly not least: "Serial," the podcast that was named No. 1 on Rolling Stone's best true crime podcasts of all time list. A spinoff of "This American Life," "Serial" premiered in 2014 and chronicled the life of Adnan Syed, a man who spent 23 years behind bars for a murder he maintains he did not commit. The series went viral, and uncovered new evidence in the case, leading to a Maryland judge granting a new trial in 2016. His conviction was overturned in 2022, though it was reinstated earlier this year. The decadeslong legal saga is now before the Maryland Supreme Court.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or serialpodcast.org.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com