The true crime podcast “Criminal” has captivated millions of listeners since its debut in 2014, offering a terrific blend of interesting storytelling, deep research, and host Phoebe Judge’s distinctively calm yet engaging narration.
Unlike sensationalized crime content that focuses on shock value, “Criminal” explores the nuanced human stories behind legal transgressions, from bizarre historical cases to contemporary moral dilemmas that challenge our understanding of right and wrong. With nearly 350 episodes spanning nearly a decade, the show has consistently delivered thought-provoking tales that reveal the complex motivations, unexpected consequences, and often surprising humanity found within criminal acts.
Whether you’re a longtime devotee looking to revisit standout episodes or a newcomer seeking the perfect entry point into this acclaimed series, the following episodes represent the very best that showcase why “Criminal” has earned its place as one of the most respected voices in true crime podcasting.
Masterpiece
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
During the 1950s, poodles had become the ultimate fashion statement, a gossip magazine noted that whenever a woman “achieves stardom she typically obtains 3 items: fur coats, jewels, and a poodle.” However, there was one specific poodle that truly elevated the breed’s notoriety. This dog was called Masterpiece… and law enforcement agencies across 13 states were intimately familiar with his appearance.
Animal Instincts
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
In 2001, Kathleen Peterson was discovered deceased at her residence. Her spouse Michael Peterson was found guilty of killing her. An inquisitive resident from the neighborhood, an attorney named Larry Pollard, proposed an alternative explanation.
Only in Hollywood
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
When Joan Borsten wed actor Oleg Vidov, known as “the Soviet Robert Redford,” he showed her exquisite Russian cartoons from Moscow’s Soyuzmultfilm studio, including Hedgehog in the Fog by Yuri Norstein. The couple obtained distribution rights for these films beyond the former USSR, but Joan discovered someone was undermining their venture and crafted a distinctly Hollywood response.
The Disappearance of Leslie Arnold
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
In 1967, a 24-year-old individual called Leslie Arnold broke out of prison. The FBI searched for him for years. Then, in 2022, a U.S. Marshal received a communication from his son.
48 Hours
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
“She believes it was approximately 3:00 a.m., and that’s when she heard an unfamiliar male voice rousing her from slumber.” This represents the first segment of a four-part episode.
The Less People Know About Us
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
This is a follow-up to the “Money Tree” episode. Three years prior, they interviewed Axton Betz-Hamilton regarding her discovery that someone had taken her identity during childhood. Upon learning the perpetrator’s identity, her entire perspective shifted. They reconnected with Axton recently, just a few weeks ago. She revealed that following their previous discussion, she had been carrying out her own inquiry, returning to the earliest moments of her existence and reexamining each recollection.
Money Tree
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
When Axton Betz-Hamilton was 11, her parents’ identities were stolen. Years later in college, she discovered her own identity had also been taken, leaving her credit score in the bottom 2%. While repairing her credit, she accidentally uncovered the thief’s identity: a woman named Pam Elliot. This revelation would transform everything for Axton Betz-Hamilton.
Ten Thousand Feet in the Air
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
On the afternoon of June 23rd, 1972, Martin McNally entered the St. Louis airport carrying a hairpiece, a shortened rifle, and a scheme.
Bully
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
Skidmore, Missouri was a tiny community. During the 1970s, it contained just a single tavern, one market, and one tormentor. Ken McElroy proved so vicious and menacing that law enforcement turned a blind eye. He frightened the residents for years until they eventually retaliated.
Protection
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
John “Sonny” Franzese was previously characterized as “chiefly accountable for romanticizing organized crime throughout the last hundred years.” He had operated within the Colombo crime family from the 1960s onward. Then, at age 93, he received an 8-year prison term. The testimony that aided in his conviction originated from the final individual he would have anticipated to record conversations.
A Bump in the Night
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
Amber Dawn was 20 years old when she relocated to a one-bedroom apartment in Enumclaw, Washington. During her initial evening there, she started detecting unusual noises. They continued persistently.
Cowboy Bob
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
In May 1991, a bank thief entered a financial institution in Irving, Texas, and silently passed the clerk a message stating, “This is a bank robbery. Give me your money. No marked bills or dye packs.”
Death in Eden
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
During the early 1930s, eight individuals established themselves on a deserted island in the Galapagos. By the end of five years, two had vanished and two had perished.
Palace of Justice
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
When Benjamin Ferencz was 27 years old, he prosecuted his very first case. There were 22 accused individuals, each of them high-ranking members of Nazi Germany’s death squad. The entire world was observing. The episode examines the Nuremberg trials and their role in establishing international law following World War II.
Roll of the Dice
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
The UNABOM investigation represented one of America’s most extended manhunts – spanning 18 years beginning in 1978. Prior to the FBI focusing on Ted Kaczynski, they examined numerous potential suspects, including a circle of friends who enjoyed playing Dungeons & Dragons.
He’s Neutral
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
Dan Stevenson has resided in Oakland’s Eastlake neighborhood for four decades. He states that criminal activity has been a problem for as long as he can recall, but he typically doesn’t contact law enforcement regarding drug dealers or sex workers. He was generally a “mind your own business” type of person. Until he eventually reached his breaking point and decided to handle the situation himself.
Robert Smalls
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
On May 13, 1862, in Charleston, South Carolina, a man named Robert Smalls seized control of a Confederate vessel called The Planter and freed himself and his family from bondage. As they sailed past the Confederate-occupied Fort Sumter, Robert Smalls reportedly acknowledged it with a whistle blast, then delivered an additional one, “as a goodbye to the confederacy.”
Valentine
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
Today, a personal account from Phoebe regarding her mother, Valentine, who passed away this spring.
Cannonball
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
During Covid-19 lockdowns, drivers have exploited empty highways for high-speed runs from New York City to Redondo Beach, California, attempting to break records in an underground race called the “Cannonball.” Car and Driver Magazine editor Brock Yates created this competition, describing it as a “balls-out, shoot-the-moon, rumble,” and wrote the screenplay for the 1981 film “Cannonball Run” starring Burt Reynolds, Farrah Fawcett, and Roger Moore.
The Mail
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
This episode contains mature themes. Listener discretion is advised. When Sarah Garone was 13 years old, she received something very unusual through the postal service. She had no idea about the sender’s identity or their motivation for mailing it. Then the same thing occurred once more.
The Job
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
When Frank Thompson became prison superintendent, he was tasked with writing Oregon’s lethal injection manual after a 30-year hiatus in capital punishment. Frank traveled nationwide studying other states’ methods and had his staff rehearse every procedure, including witness seating, media interaction, and restraining volunteers to the gurney.
Deep Breath
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
World-class biathlete Kari Swenson was on an afternoon trail run in the mountains near Big Sky, Montana in July 1984 when two men obstructed her route. They were Don and Dan Nichols, a father and son duo who subsequently became known as the “mountain men.”
Eight Years
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
In 2008, Harry Potter author Melissa Anelli was running the popular fan site The Leaky Cauldron and writing her book Harry, a History when she received her first death threat. This began nearly a decade of harassment from an upset fan named Jessica Parker halfway across the world.
The Hunt
Listen on: Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts
In 2016, the FBI attaché in Pretoria, South Africa, received a phone call from a woman requesting that the FBI investigate the death of her friend, Bianca Rudolph. Bianca had died during a hunting expedition in Zambia’s Kafue National Park, but her friend suspected it wasn’t accidental.
Read our review of Criminal