The Best True Crime Podcasts in 2020

Get more True Crime Podcasts By Subscribing to My Weekly Newsletter

I’ve been listening and compiling true crime podcasts for almost two years now. It’s a hugely popular category as our fascination with chaos, murder and criminals continues unabated. Here are some of the best true crime shows you can listen to right now.

Wine & Crime

If you can’t get enough True Crime shows crammed into your favourite podcast player, but you also want to hear some level of levity amidst the dark and gloomy storytelling, this podcast is your jam. Also, Minnesotan accents are the best. Three childhood friends host this podcast that features a new episode every week. Definitely don’t miss this one!

Last Seen

13 artworks stolen from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Twenty-eight years later, not a single piece in a haul worth half a billion dollars has surfaced. Who took them? Where are they now? Check out the biggest unsolved art heist in history.

Paper Ghosts

The cases of four young girls, who all went missing in the early to mid-1970’s in neighbouring New England towns with no arrests in over 50 years is the basis of this 10-episode limited series podcast. What happened? Who did it? Why did they do it? This show is what quality true crime podcasts should aspire to.

Web Crawlers

True crime with a hint of comedy and plenty of entertaining listening is what you’ll get if you decide to binge or subscribe to this podcast. Follow hosts Melissa and Ali as they dive into the rabbit holes of fascinating true crime, maybe-true-crime and maybe-paranormal-bullshit stories. In any case, these two ladies are a truly funny listen. Give this show a shot, I promise you won’t regret it.

The Underworld Podcast

Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’ve probably been in some way, at least indirectly been affected by organized crime. Such is the reach of transnational criminal networks that pervade our modern society. Two journalists, Danny Gold and Sean Williams bring their absolutely amazing reporting to explore the world of mobsters, warlords, and crooks. This is definitely an early candidate for one of my favourite shows of this year.

Dakota Spotlight

Apparently, a lot of nefarious shit goes down in North Dakota. I’m sure that could be said of any American state, but damn, there’s something special about the true-crime happening in North Dakota. This podcast, hosted by James Wolner takes you on a journey of various true crime stories that just so happen to take place in North Dakota. Each story is divided into various seasons and it seems like one is more intriguing than the next.

Crime Junkie

There’s some debate over whether the quality of this show has taken a nose dive, but I suppose that’s true of almost any phenomenon that has been around on the Internet for a while, particularly if its seen a good deal of success. After all, there’s always going to be haters. Personally, I’ve known about this podcast for some time, but only recently started to binge some of its back catalogue. If you’re a true crime aficionado, you’ve officially found your people.

My Favorite Murder

The Canadian in me wants to spell that Favorite word a different way, but alas, I’ll go with the incorrect American spelling just this once! In any case, many of your true-crime podcast aficionados have probably heard of this show, but for those of you living under a proverbial podcasting rock, this show is something else. You’d normally think that combining the genres of true crime and comedy would be a weird and untenable mix, but alas, hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark somehow manage to pull it off. A pretty fantastic show to sink your ears into, if you’re into dark humour that is.

Bear Brook

True Crime is a massively popular podcast category. Probably by virtue of the fact that one of the shows that launched the podcast listening craze was a true crime show. But with so many shows popping up in this genre, there is a real quality problem. You’ll find no such proble with Bear Brook, another terrific podcast from the people at New Hampshire Public Radio. The premise is simple: Two barrels, four bodies and an enigmatic killer. A cold case that changed the way murders will be investigated.

COLD

If you haven’t heard the story of the disappearance of Susan Powell and the subsequent events that took place, you’re in for a doozy. I know there are a lot of True Crime podcast fans that subscribe to this newsletter, so this week, this is my gift to you!

Death In Ice Valley

This BBC produced show introduces us to an unsolved mystery that went on for nearly a half-century. It starts with an unidentified body. Who was she? Why did no-one miss her? The clues just get creepier and creepier in this spooky true crime show.

And That’s Why We Drink

You’re probably wondering if I mislabeled this podcast as belonging to the “Comedy” category, but nope, I did not. Because after all, what’s more hilarious than a combination of true crime and the paranormal? Don’t worry, you won’t have to listen to more than an episode to get why this podcast is actually pretty funny. Hosted by Em Schulz and Christine Schiefer who also co-hosts the “Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet” podcast which I’ve previously featured here, And That’s Why We Drink is a highly entertaining mix of fact, fiction, and laughs.

Hunting Warhead

An incredibly haunting podcast about a story that in my opinion got far too little press coverage. Perhaps it’s because it’s about a crime by two Canadian men that were ultimately apprehended in the U.S., or because it’s such an icky topic that frankly almost no-one wants to think about. Nevertheless, if you’re into true crime podcasts and want to learn about how an international team of experts and law enforcement took down one of the largest child-pornography rings in the world, this podcast is for you.

The Catch and Kill Podcast with Ronan Farrow

If you’ve been living under some sort of gigantic soundproof rock and the #metoo movement has not penetrated your skull, the Catch and Kill Podcast with Ronan Farrow might be good place for you to start. Journalist Ronan Farrow recently released a book by the same name and then smartly released this companion podcast which tells the incredibly compelling story of how Ronan was involved in investigating Harvey Weinstein and the lengths to which Weinstein went to destroy his enemies, including Ronan. Considering Harvey just went on trial, this podcast is a great way to catch up with the story.

Chasing Cosby

If you’re old enough to remember what an institution Bill Cosby was in America, you’ll also probably remember how shocked everyone was when the revelations about Bill Cosby began to surface to the public. This investigative true-crime podcast is hosted by Nicki Weisensee Egan of the L.A. Times who does an incredible job in the episodes thus far of presenting the rise and fall of Bill Cosby.

Man in the Window

I know there is a metric buttload of you wonderful subscribers that are big fans of the True Crime genre. So perhaps I would be a little surprised if that cohort of you have not heard about this podcast. But nevertheless, it’s the story, told by Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, Paige St. John of one of the most deadly serial killers in California’s history, the Golden Stake Killer.

The Clearing

Ushered in by the infamous Serial podcast, True Crime is one of the most popular podcast categories today with seemingly every new podcast delving further and further afield into the world of crime to tell compelling stories listeners will tune in for. But the story presented in THE CLEARING is, and I say this with no love for hyperbole, truly and utterly bonkers. I’ll say no more, just go listen.

Website | Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Not sure where to start? Start with this episode: 1. Hunting Season

The Missing Cryptoqueen

When it comes to story-telling, the BBC is on-part with the best. This podcast is no exception. There have been countless stories about how the Bitcoin / Blockchain / Cryptocurrency mania brought out the world of grifters and scammers both big and small in an attempt to capitalize on unsuspecting investor’s FOMO amidst what was touted as the next big thing in money and finance. This is the story of Dr. Ruja Ignatova and OneCoin. And oh boy, it’s a doozy! Strap in for this 8 episode story that will have you screaming at whatever device you’re using to listen.

Uncover: The Village

In its third season, CBC’s (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Uncover podcast explores one of Canada’s biggest crime stories in recent decades. The story of serial killer Bruce McArthur who killed 8 victims in and around Toronto’s Gay Village. A fascinating listen if you’re into the True Crime genre of podcasts.

Website | Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Not sure where to start? Start with Episode 1 of Season 3 – How Can You Not See This?