Let’s be honest: you’ve already watched every true crime documentary on three different streaming platforms, you know way too much about forensic evidence for someone who’s never committed a crime, and you’ve definitely turned to your partner at least once to say “but the timeline doesn’t make sense” like you’re a seasoned detective and not just someone eating chips on the couch. Enter True Crime Obsessed, the podcast where hosts Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavalle watch the documentaries you’re obsessed with and then dissect them with the perfect mix of humor, horror, and righteous indignation at incompetent investigators.
With a massive catalog of episodes covering everything from infamous cases to obscure documentaries you definitely added to your watchlist mid-episode, I’ve compiled the absolute best TCO episodes that’ll have you laughing, gasping, and joining their Patreon faster than you can say “allegedly.”
The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia
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The White family, West Virginia’s most infamous pill-popping, gun-toting, drunken-kitchen-tattoo-giving clan. For one year, the creators of MTV’s “Jackass” filmed them. Surprisingly, nothing major happens, yet it’s compelling. Drugs are consumed, tap dancing occurs (awkwardly), children are removed by protective services, attempted murders are confessed, people are jailed, and two sisters have an epic Taco Bell drive-thru moment. Essential viewing.
The Galapagos Affair
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In 1930, four miserable people settled on the Galapagos’ most remote island. They despised each other and were desperately bored. Then the Baroness arrived with two companions, boyfriends? Friends? Servants? Nobody knows, but they brought flair and drama. Then people began vanishing and dying. Coincidence? The mystery remains.
Class Action Park
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During its 1980s-90s peak, New Jersey’s Action Park was the most insane, and dangerous, amusement park ever. Run by drunk teens, frequented by drunker guests, with experimental rides defying physics and safety. This documentary reveals all the chaotic details.
Sour Grapes
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Rudy Kurniawan has charisma, cash, and encyclopedic wine knowledge. He becomes a wine savant among high society collectors, until Bill Koch and Laurent Ponsot discover fraudulent bottles, triggering a suspenseful investigation into one of history’s most ingenious cons.
Sons of Ecstasy
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After testifying against John Gotti and New York’s Gambino crime family, former underboss Sammy “The Bull” Gravano and his family relocated to Arizona. Instead of a quiet retirement, they became involved in the Southwest drug trade. Patrick and Gillian are caffeinated and ready to dissect all the wild developments.
The Case of the Poisoned Cheesecake
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In August 2016, a Queens beauty stylist fell deathly ill after a client demanding emergency eyelash extensions gave her cheesecake. The mysterious client, Viktoria Nasyrova, vanished. The ensuing manhunt revealed a woman who’d stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
The Staircase
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On December 9, 2001, 48-year-old Kathleen Peterson died on her North Carolina home’s back staircase. Her husband Michael claimed she fell while he was poolside, but evidence suggested he murdered her.
LuLaRich
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Meet Mark and DeAnne, LuLaRoe founders whose legging empire went from explosive startup to corporate disaster. They share their journey to founding the company. DeAnne expanded from selling dresses alone to building a massive sales network. The business skyrocketed, perhaps too successfully.
Jesus Camp
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Jesus Camp follows children at an evangelical Christian summer camp where they’re taught they possess “prophetic gifts” and can “take back America for Christ.” The film claims neutrality, but Gillian and Patrick bring judgment. Expect speaking in tongues, Christian hip-hop, climate denial, science rejection, intense kids, dance numbers, and no Harry Potter allowed.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
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An affectionate look at televangelist and gay icon Tammy Faye Bakker. From rural Minnesota, she married Jim Bakker in 1960 and they built a gospel following. They reached gaudy heights with the PTL Network and Heritage USA theme park, until scandal struck. Jim paid hush money to Jessica Hahn, Jerry Falwell seized the network, Jim went to jail for fraud, and Tammy entered Betty Ford for addiction.
Fantastic Lies
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In 2006, three Duke lacrosse players were accused of rape. Students, faculty, and the nation presumed them guilty. They faced decades in prison without parole. The District Attorney was determined to convict them, even by breaking the law. But the men were innocent. The accuser had lied. The question: could they prove it?
My Amityville Horror
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In 1975, the Lutz family bought a beautiful Amityville house at a bargain price, where five people had been murdered the year before. They claim that for 28 days, ghosts and demons tormented them, throwing them upstairs, terrorizing them with creatures, levitating them 13 feet high. In “My Amityville Horror,” Daniel Lutz, then 9, shares his intense version of events for the first time.
“The Vow” Ep 1: The Science of Joy
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It’s TICK TOCK, CULT O’CLOCK! In this wild premiere, former high-ranking NXIVM members Mark and Sarah reveal how they became devoted to “the company” and founder Keith Raniere, and how they escaped.
Wrinkles The Clown
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A silent surveillance video showed a child sleeping peacefully, until a deranged clown emerged from under her bed. Similar videos appeared: a terrifying clown with a cart, waving by a highway, holding balloons outside homes, terrorizing families. Who is he? Why? How can he be stopped?
Fyre Fraud
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The Fyre Festival was the millennial generation’s defining scam. The 2017 event’s marketing went viral through Ja Rule, Instagram influencers, and models—but became an epic disaster, stranding thousands in the Bahamas. Featuring an exclusive interview with convicted con-man Billy McFarland, FYRE FRAUD is a true-crime comedy documentary with whistleblowers, victims, and insiders.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
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In October 2001, dismembered remains washed ashore in Galveston, Texas. Manhattan real estate millionaire and eccentric Robert Durst was arrested for the murder and dismemberment, but was acquitted despite evidence. Authorities then investigated him for two other murders: his wife and best friend. Spoiler: he likely killed them all.
Love Con Revenge: Selfie Scammer
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A favorite returns! Cecilie from “Tinder Swindler” is back on a mission to help women victimized by romance scammers. She teams up with private investigator Brianne to help Jill take down the scammer who stole thousands from her.