Let’s be honest: after binge-listening to Serial, you probably found yourself side-eyeing your high school boyfriend and wondering if that payphone outside the Best Buy really was just a coincidence. Sarah Koenig turned us all into amateur detectives with trust issues and an unhealthy obsession with cell tower pings. But now that you’ve exhausted every theory about Adnan’s innocence (twice), rotated through the entire subreddit, and can recite the timeline of January 13th, 1999 better than your own birthday, you’re left staring into the podcast void wondering where to get your next fix of investigative journalism mixed with existential dread.
Fear not, fellow armchair sleuths, I’ve aggregated a list of podcasts that will feed your newfound addiction to morally ambiguous cases, unreliable narrators, and the kind of rabbit holes that make you question everything you thought you knew about the justice system. Here are some podcasts that are similar in scope, tone and topic to the Serial podcast.
S-Town
The narrative centers around a resident named John who harbors deep resentment toward his Alabama hometown and becomes determined to take action. John reaches out to Brian, requesting that he look into claims involving the offspring of a prominent local family who has supposedly been boasting about escaping consequences for homicide. However, when another individual meets their demise, the quest for answers spirals into a bitter conflict, a pursuit of concealed riches, and a revelation of the enigmatic details surrounding one individual’s existence.
Bear Brook
Bear Brook is an award-winning true crime series. Season 1 examines a decades-old mystery involving multiple victims that revolutionized forensic investigation methods. Season 2 follows Jason Carroll, imprisoned for life based solely on his recorded confession for a crime he denies committing.
Bone Valley
In Bone Valley, Pulitzer winner Gilbert King explores contradictory justice. Season 1 follows Leo Schofield’s battle to establish his innocence in wife Michelle’s death. Season 2 chronicles Jeremy Scott’s struggle to confess as the real perpetrator. Florida rejects both claims. Season 3, GRAVES COUNTY, examines a different case featuring similar elements: horrific violence, flawed investigations, deceptive narratives, and devastated families.
Last Seen
The fourth season, titled “Postmortem,” explores the illicit trafficking of cadavers from Harvard and the underground trade in human anatomical specimens. The investigation reveals the events that transpired at Harvard Medical School: the methods by which anatomical parts were pilfered and distributed throughout the nation. The series examines the perpetrators behind these crimes and their motivations.
Wrongful Conviction
Wrongful Conviction shares personal stories from individuals imprisoned for crimes they claim they didn’t commit. The series examines cases of those exonerated and those still fighting for freedom, featuring insights from attorneys and experts who analyze each situation in detail.
To Live and Die in LA
In February 2018, a hopeful performer disappeared from her Hollywood residence. Rolling Stone writer Neil Strauss received a request to assist the family in seeking answers. Collaborating with them, they uncovered the truth…often facing significant personal danger. The acclaimed true crime series now returns, exploring the perplexing and heartbreaking investigation that drew Neil Strauss into the world of criminal inquiry, alongside his spouse and their neighbours, Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger, and concert violinist Ann Marie Simpson.
Your Own Backyard
A nonfiction audio series examining the 1996 vanishing of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart.
Monster: DC Sniper
‘Monster: DC Sniper’ reexamines the beltway sniper incidents. This criminal investigation series transports audiences to Montgomery County, Maryland on October 2nd, 2002 when an unknown gunman started arbitrarily targeting individuals conducting their routine activities. Host Tony Harris follows the discoveries made by detectives, reporters and the community from the initial attack through the final incident, ultimately posing the question: Should the individual found guilty of these offenses be given another opportunity?
West Cork
In West Cork, locals call it ‘the murder’. French producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier was discovered dead near her vacation residence in 1996. Police suspected one community member but couldn’t secure charges, and he remains in the area under constant suspicion. The series features previously unheard voices: the victim’s family, the suspect’s account, and residents living alongside unresolved questions. Hosted by Jennifer Forde and Sam Bungey.
Project Unabom
Years after Ted Kaczynski’s capture, the public continues to debate similar questions about him: Was Ted a brilliant mind that lost its way? Or merely a disturbed individual who killed three people in calculated attacks? Project Unabom provides a comprehensive retrospective examination of the Unabomber case and Ted Kaczynski’s impact through the viewpoints of federal investigators who pursued the case, his sibling who reported him to authorities, and Ted’s own documented thoughts.
Strangeland
Strangeland explores cases in immigrant communities. Season 3: The Killing Fields of L.A., examines the 1996 murder of Oscar-winning actor Haing Ngor in L.A.’s Chinatown. While three gang members were convicted, the Cambodian community questions their guilt due to inconsistencies in evidence and witness testimony. The series retraces Ngor’s path from genocide survivor to Hollywood star to victim.
Sweet Bobby
Kirat and Bobby develop a romance online due to challenging personal circumstances preventing face-to-face meetings. When Kirat uncovers a shocking revelation, their love story transforms into something darker. Sweet Bobby chronicles a complex decade-long deception that nearly ruined one woman’s life and the hunt for the perpetrator responsible.
Missing & Murdered: Finding Cleo
What happened to Cleo? Removed by child services in the 1970s and placed for adoption in the U.S., the young Cree girl’s relatives suspect she was assaulted and killed while attempting to hitchhike home to Saskatchewan. CBC news investigative journalist Connie Walker participates in the effort to uncover the truth about Cleo’s fate.
Accused
Season 4: When Rhoda Nathan was found dead in her hotel room, it initially appeared to be natural causes. The autopsy revealed she’d been brutally murdered. Hotel worker Elwood Jones was convicted based on a hand infection and alleged evidence, landing him on Ohio’s death row. For three decades, Jones has claimed innocence and police misconduct. Accused reexamines whether Jones deserves execution or if investigators failed to catch the real killer.
In The Dark
In the Dark is an investigative podcast launched in 2016. Season 1 explored Jacob Wetterling’s disappearance in Minnesota, Season 2 covered Curtis Flowers’ six trials, and the series later examined coronavirus in the Mississippi Delta.
Death of an Artist
While Jackson Pollock’s name resonates widely, many remain unfamiliar with Lee Krasner. Krasner existed as both an accomplished painter and Pollock’s spouse, the individual responsible for launching his career into prominence. Her influence fundamentally transformed the terrain of contemporary artistic expression. This narrative explores themes of romance, influence, addiction, and premature loss.
Up and Vanished
Payne Lindsey travels to Alaska’s arctic region to examine two puzzling vanishings from Nome. Up and Vanished explores unsolved missing person cases each season. Previous investigations included Tara Grinstead (resulting in arrests), Kristal Reisinger from Colorado, Ashley Loring HeavyRunner from Montana’s Blackfeet Reservation, and the current season featuring Florence Okpealuk and Joseph Balderas.
The Trojan Horse Affair
An anonymous letter reaches a Birmingham city official, detailing a supposed Islamic plot called Operation Trojan Horse to take over local schools. The revelation sparks nationwide alarm and government investigations that reshape education policy and counterterrorism measures. Hamza Syed questions the story’s authenticity. Meeting journalist Brian Reed, they collaborate to uncover the letter’s true author, a question authorities prefer unanswered.
The Teacher’s Pet
Lyn and Chris Dawson seemed to possess an ideal relationship. He established himself as a celebrated athlete and well-regarded educator. She embodied the role of a dedicated spouse and parent. Their residence overlooked Sydney’s northern coastline in apparent domestic bliss. However, Lyn’s disappearance exposed disturbing truths beneath the surface. The reality revealed a disturbing tale involving unusually bonded twin siblings, inappropriate relationships with underage students, and suspected homicide.
Cold
Cold represents a storytelling podcast program centered on disappearance investigations. Reporter and presenter Dave Cawley explores one case per season.
Just Married: The Anthea Bradshaw Mystery
During April 1994, Anthea Bradshaw wed her teenage romance partner in an elegant Adelaide ceremony. Ninety-six days following the celebration, her body was discovered in a bloodied scene, thousands of miles from Australia, located in Brunei, Southeast Asia. Nine’s Ben Avery explores the true circumstances surrounding Anthea’s death.
Detective Trapp
Detective Julissa Trapp stands apart as the sole female homicide investigator in Anaheim, skilled in undercover work and interrogation techniques. When a woman’s remains surface at a waste facility, Trapp connects the death to three missing women from Santa Ana. Her investigation leads to a confrontation with a suspect who profoundly affects her. The series follows this determined detective’s solitary pursuit of justice.
The Binge Crimes: The Doodler
During the mid-1970s, a predator stalked San Francisco’s LGBTQ population. Dubbed “The Doodler,” this individual potentially claimed as many lives as the Zodiac Killer, despite remaining largely unknown. The investigation suffered from complications, public fear, and witness reluctance, allowing the case to stagnate and the perpetrator to escape justice. Nearly five decades later, investigators have renewed efforts to apprehend this overlooked serial killer.
Root Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia
Elizabeth Short’s 1947 murder, known as The Black Dahlia case, remains unsolved. Many suspect Dr. George Hodel based on his son’s investigation. Sisters Rasha Pecoraro and Yvette Gentile, George Hodel’s great-granddaughters, explore their family’s dark history through archival recordings and interviews.
Tom Brown’s Body
During 2016, a well-liked high school student vanished mysteriously on Thanksgiving eve. His body was discovered two years afterward. The circumstances surrounding Tom Brown’s fate in Canadian, Texas that evening remain unclear. The entire community has fallen under suspicion, encompassing Tom’s relatives, peers, the town sheriff, and a prominent private detective.