Crime & Investigative Reporting
A curated podcast list by Courtney
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- How did a man who claims he had 13 alibi witnesses get convicted of murder and serve 20 years in prison? In this original series from Dateline NBC, producer Dan Slepian chronicles the case of Richard Rosario, who was convicted of a 1996 murder in New York City. Rosario has always insisted that he is innocent, and that 13 alibi witnesses will swear he was a thousand miles away in Florida while the crime was happening in New York. Ride along in real time as Slepian spends two years digging deep into Rosario’s case in a quest for the truth.
- On October 15, 2018, a couple was brutally murdered in a small Wisconsin town, and their 13-year-old daughter vanished without a trace. For 88 days, the search for Jayme Closs was a mystery that captivated the nation and left a grieving family holding its breath. KARE 11 television reporter Lou Raguse extensively covered the months-long investigation and takes listeners inside the case and into the mind of the killer. Hear in-depth interviews, analysis, and how it all unfolded. 88 Days: The Jayme Closs Story is a KARE 11 original podcast in association with Vault Studios. New episodes are released on Tuesdays. https://88dayspodcast.com
- It was a case nightmares are made of. A D.C. power couple, their 10-year-old son and housekeeper held hostage for nearly 24 hours and murdered inside a burning D.C. mansion. WTOP examines the complicated trail of evidence that police say led to finding their killer and why they say he committed such a brutal crime.
- This podcast is no longer producing new episodes on this channel. We strongly recommend subscribing to the Convicted podcast feed for more stories of injustice. Click here to listen on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/convicted/id1225081063?mt=2 or visit our website for a link to the new feed in your favorite podcast app.
- From the Accused podcast team, Aftermath is an episodic look at survivors of gun violence.Two crime reporters travel the country talking to people whose lives changed in the blink of an eye. Their backgrounds, environments and stories all vary, but they share one defining truth: They’ve survived a gunshot.
- Season 3: In 1984, a father of three disappeared while working at a mysterious Cincinnati plant. It turned out he’d met a gruesome fate: Pieces of bone, his eyeglasses and walkie-talkie were uncovered inside a vat that reached 1350 degrees Fahrenheit. Two months later, the Fernald Feed Materials Production Center was revealed to have been processing uranium – and polluting the region. The dead man’s children believe their father was murdered because he intended to expose how the plant had been releasing millions of pounds of uranium dust into the atmosphere. We’re hoping to figure out: Did 39-year-old David Bocks kill himself, as Fernald officials alleged, or was he more likely killed?Season 2: A soft-hearted prison minister was found killed in her Kentucky apartment, and Newport police zeroed in on an ex-convict she’d counseled. Thirty years later, the conviction is overturned and the case is once again unsolved. The Cincinnati Enquirer investigates: Was William Virgil wrongly convicted for murder?Season 1: When Elizabeth Andes was found murdered in her Ohio apartment in 1978, police and prosecutors decided within hours it was an open-and-shut case. Two juries disagreed. The Cincinnati Enquirer investigates: Was the right guy charged, or did a killer walk free?
- From the producers of Up and Vanished, Tenderfoot TV and HowStuffWorks present, 'Atlanta Monster.' This true crime podcast tells the story of one of the city’s darkest secrets, The Atlanta Child Murders. Nearly 40 years after these horrific crimes, many questions still remain. Host Payne Lindsey aims to find truth and provide closure, reexamining the disappearance and murder of over 25 African American children and young adults.
- Crimetown Presents is an investigative anthology podcast series created by Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier. Every season they introduce you to a new serialized story that pushes the boundaries of storytelling, sound design and music. Season Two, The Ballad of Billy Balls*: it’s 1982, and a man bursts into an East Village storefront apartment and shoots punk musician Billy Balls. Author and activist iO Tillett Wright and Crimetown Producer Austin Mitchell unravel a mystery of love and loss, the tender binds of family, and the stories we tell ourselves just to survive. Season One, The RFK Tapes: Zac Stuart-Pontier and Bill Klaber take a trip down a rabbit hole surrounding the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Featuring never-before heard police recordings, The RFK Tapes starts out a murder investigation and ends up revealing the power of conspiracy theories, and why it’s human nature to believe in them. * scroll down to see the episodes of Crimetown Presents: The Ballad of Billy Balls.
- Welcome signs proclaim it “America’s Most Beautiful Small Town.” It’s considered the Bourbon Capital of the World. And in many ways, Bardstown, Kentucky is just like a lot of small, tight-knit communities all across the country. But just under the surface, there’s something darker. Not everyone wants to talk about it. And a lot of people would rather forget. That’s because since 2013, Bardstown has also been the site of five unsolved murders. Now, the team behind “Bomber,” “True Crime Chronicles,” and “88 Days” is digging into these cases to find out what’s really happening in Bardstown, and whether these murders could be related. And along the way uncovering a history of violence and fear in this otherwise quintessential southern town.
- How did Larry Nassar, an Olympic gymnastics doctor, get away with abusing hundreds of women and girls for two decades? Believed is an inside look at how a team of women won a conviction in one of the largest serial sexual abuse cases in U.S. history. It's a story of survivors finding their power in a cultural moment when people are coming to understand how important that is. It's also an unnerving exploration of how even well-meaning adults can fail to believe.
- In 1980s Los Angeles, a group of prep school boys got together to make investments together, get rich quick, and live large. But headed by a handsome and charismatic leader named Joe Hunt, the members of the self-proclaimed “Billionaire Boys Club” get sucked deeper into twisted schemes of kidnapping, torture, and revenge. The boys must stick together, or risk prison - or worse. From the makers of The Wonderland Murders, Young Charlie, and The Dating Game Killer, this six-part series is co-hosted by Tracy Pattin and Emmy-nominated actor Timothy Olyphant.
- Hollywood and Crime is a ground-breaking true crime series about the most infamous murders in Tinseltown history.In The Black Dahlia Serial Killers, host Tracy Pattin investigates the sensational unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short. Known as the Black Dahlia, Short was a star-struck young woman whose body was found completely severed at the waist in January 1947. Many remember her tragic story, yet few know that more than a dozen other women died in similar circumstances around that same time.
- Over the course of 19 days in March 2018, 23-year old Mark Anthony Conditt planted a series of homemade bombs around Austin neighborhoods, killing two, injuring five others, and paralyzing an entire city. Bomber tells the untold story of how law enforcement hunted down the 2018 Austin serial bomber and brought 19 days of terror to a sudden, cataclysmic end. Bomber is produced in collaboration with Austin's ABC affiliate KVUE.
- Investigative Reporter Julie K. Brown exposed Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes to the world. Now his survivors are fighting for the truth. This season, host Tara Palmeri follows the women who are making their own justice.
- In 1997, Ricky Kidd was sentenced to life without parole for a double homicide he says he didn't commit. And he says his court-appointed lawyer is the reason. In the U.S. justice system, everyone has the right to an attorney, even if you can't afford one. But what happens when your lawyer is overworked, underfunded and unable to do their job? From the PBS NewsHour, a look inside Missouri's public defender system at a crisis point and what it means for serving justice in America. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
- Bundyville: The Remnant, a co-production between Longreads and OPB, explores the world beyond the Bundy family and the armed uprisings they inspired. This series investigates extremist violence that results from the conspiracy theories of the anti-government movement, who is inspiring that violence and who stands to benefit.
- Silvio Berlusconi was a charismatic multi-millionaire real-estate mogul who upended the Italian political order and hypnotized an entire nation. He was one of the longest-serving prime ministers of one of the world’s wealthiest countries, until he was brought down by three powerful women - and two words: “Bunga Bunga.” From Wondery, the makers of Dirty John and The Shrink Next Door, and hosted by comedian Whitney Cummings, “Bunga Bunga” is an eight part series on the incredible true story of the rise and fall of Silvio Berlusconi, told with Whitney’s signature wit and style.
- Deep in the Mojave Desert, there is a little town with a big name and a bizarre history: California City. For decades, real estate developers have sold a dream here: if you buy land now, you’ll be rich one day. Thousands of people bought this dream. Many were young couples and hard-working immigrants looking to build a better future. But much of the land they bought is nearly worthless. In this new podcast from LAist Studios, host Emily Guerin tells a story of money, power and deception.
- Case Closed is a true crime podcast about the times the bad guy didn’t get away with it. On season 3 of Case Closed, we look at the murder of Barbara Weaver, an Amish woman who was found shot dead in her Ohio home. But this story is so much more than a murder in the night. What secrets were hiding behind the perfectly manicured fields of Amish Country? Listen to season 3 for more.
- All kids make dumb mistakes. But depending on your zip code, race or just bad luck, those mistakes can have a lasting impact. Mass incarceration starts young. In Caught: The Lives of Juvenile Justice, hear from kids about the moment they collided with law and order, and how it changed them forever. WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other leading podcasts including Radiolab, On the Media, Death, Sex & Money, Snap Judgment, Nancy and many others. © WNYC Studios
- For nearly half a century, Bill Cosby brought warmth and laughter into hearts across the country, cementing his image as “America’s Dad.” But he also led a dark, secret life preying on women. The comedian carefully coaxed each one into feeling safe and cared for, then left them to pick up the pieces of their lives. It all started with Andrea Constand. She carried the burden of being the only one of the 60-plus accusers whose case could be tried in a court of law. Now, she's telling her side of the story, along with firsthand accounts from more than a dozen survivors, jurors and prosecutors. From the Los Angeles Times, and hosted by investigative reporter Nicki Weisensee Egan, "Chasing Cosby" is the definitive take of the rise and fall of Bill Cosby.
- The disappearance of Amber-Lee Cruickshank 25 years ago is one of New Zealand's most baffling missing person investigations. This six-part New Zealand Herald series provides an indepth look at the cold case and Amber-Lee's mother's ceaseless quest to bring her daughter home.
- USA TODAY’s critically acclaimed investigative podcast about power in American cities.Season 1, Chicago: A black neighborhood fights back when a mysterious man with mob ties builds an illegal dump across the street from an elementary school. Along the way they confront corrupt politicians, apathetic bureaucrats—and a secret undercover FBI investigation.Season 2, Reno: A surprising proxy battle for the future of Reno pits a brash strip club kingpin against power brokers in city hall. The winner-takes-all fight could remake the city—and ruin lives in the process.
- When April Balascio was 40 years old, something she’d feared for decades was finally proven true. Her father, Edward Wayne Edwards, really was a murderer. The Clearing is about what came after April called a detective in 2009 to tell him about her suspicions — a call that led to her father’s arrest and eventual conviction on multiple murders — and tracks the emotional journey as she and host Josh Dean dig back into her childhood, unravel the truth of her father’s life, and overturn a viral online narrative that had turned Edward Wayne Edwards into a kind of serial killer caricature. Produced by Pineapple Street Studios in association with Gimlet.
- Susan Powell vanished on Dec. 7, 2009. Her body has never been found. From the beginning, West Valley City, Utah police suspected Susan's husband, Josh Powell, had murdered her. They never arrested him. COLD dives deep into the case files, uncovering never-before-heard details. You'll learn why Susan stayed with an abusive husband, why Josh did what he did and how the justice system failed Susan and her two boys.
- In the year 2017 alone, 139 people were exonerated for crimes they did not commit - some had even been sentenced to death. Many others were sentenced to forever. Our mission is to share the stories of the Exonerated through their own voices empowering the individual Exoneree while also educating and compelling our listeners to help end this type of injustice. Only a flawed system convicts innocent people, but together we can correct those flaws and create a true system of justice.
- When John Quinney was ten years old, he took the stand to testify against his own father. He had come to believe that his dad Melvin was the murderous leader of a satanic cult. It would be decades before John would learn that his family was just one of many swept up in a panic that gripped America in the 1980s—one in which hundreds of people were accused of taking part in underground satanic cults that sacrificed infants and sexually abused children. By the time the panic had subsided, scores of people were in prison, convicted on little to no evidence—people like John's father. Conviction: American Panic takes you inside one of the darkest and most bizarre chapters of American history. This series contains descriptions of adult subject matter, including details of sexual abuse and trauma. It may not be suitable for everyone, discretion is advised.
- After three decades of rumors, secrets and one man’s conviction...the question remains, who really killed Stacey Stanton?
- A presidential hopeful crashes his car in the middle of the night and leaves a young woman to die. What transpired in the hours after Ted Kennedy’s car went over the bridge in Chappaquiddick changed the course of American history. Nearly 50 years later, everyone has a theory yet no one knows the truth. Follow the investigation and hear from those who lived through it in this series from People magazine and Cadence13.
- Crawlspace is a true crime show from the team behind Missing Maura Murray. Tim Pilleri and Lance Reenstierna continue their deep dives into missing persons cases, murders, robberies, and other mysteries. We also host one-off episodes with authors, criminologists, and media personalities. Cases: Erica Franolich's 1986 disappearance, Brianna Maitland's 2004 disappearance, the 1980 unsolved murder of Sheila Shepherd, Suitcase Jane Doe, Brandon Lawson's 2013 disappearance, the wrongful conviction of John Giuca. Check out the Crawlspace Network at http://crawlspace-media.com/
- Welcome to Crimetown, a series produced by Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier in partnership with Gimlet Media. Each season, we investigate the culture of crime in a different city. In Season 2, Crimetown heads to the heart of the Rust Belt: Detroit, Michigan. From its heyday as Motor City to its rebirth as the Brooklyn of the Midwest, Detroit’s history reflects a series of issues that strike at the heart of American identity: race, poverty, policing, loss of industry, the war on drugs, and our universal desire for a savior. Detroit’s a tough town, and its residents are even tougher. They’ve weathered riots, a drug epidemic, political scandal, and innumerable other hardships, but they’re still here—and they have stories to tell. New episodes out Mondays, exclusively on Spotify.
- Criminal is a podcast about crime. Not so much the "if it bleeds, it leads," kind of crime. Something a little more complex. Stories of people who've done wrong, been wronged, and/or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. We are a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm.
- Culpable explores unsettled cases where the people who seem deserving of blame have somehow eluded justice. On February 26, 2014, Christian Andreacchio was found dead in the upstairs bathroom of his apartment from a single gunshot wound to the head. After a mere 45-minute investigation, local police ruled his death a suicide, despite substantial evidence that points to Christian’s death not only being a homicide, but premeditated murder. Host Dennis Cooper investigates and shares a compelling story about this suspicious death, the questions surrounding it, and a grieving family’s ongoing fight for justice.
- Two young men, living the good life -- surrounding themselves with all the trappings of wealth and success. But their sun-kissed California lives are darkened by greed, paranoia and accusations of wrongdoing. What seemed to be paradise is tainted by mistrust and, ultimately, violence -- concealed for months by a convincing web of lies -- until a few determined investigators and a worried family unravel them to reveal a stunning story of deception. Hosted by Matt Gutman.
- Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
- In 1978, Rodney Alcala won a date on the popular TV show, The Dating Game. What no one knew was that he was a prolific serial killer in the middle of a cross-country murder spree. In this six-part series, co-hosts Tracy Pattin (Hollywood & Crime) and Stephen Lang (Avatar, Don’t Breathe) take listeners on an unbelievable journey into Alcala’s twisting secret life. He hid behind normal jobs as a typesetter at a prominent newspaper and a summer camp counselor. How did this predatory monster fool employers, prison psychiatrists, and parole boards — all while committing heinous crimes from coast to coast? And how did a one-time appearance as a game show contestant help lead to his capture? From the makers of Dirty John, Dr. Death, and Young Charlie, learn the story of the most famous serial killer you’ve never heard of - The Dating Game Killer.
- Producer Jonathan Hirsch had a childhood much like yours -- except his family had a secret. They were followers of a controversial spiritual leader named Franklin Jones. To Jonathan’s parents, Franklin Jones was a god, but to people outside the group, Jones was a cult leader. Now, Jonathan is going back, trying to find out what happened -- and whether the group really did become a cult.
- 1In issuing his moratorium on capital punishment in California, Governor Gavin Newsom went on record saying he believes there are innocent people on Death Row. “Dear Governor” invites the listener to get to know Jarvis Jay Masters, a condemned prisoner who has maintained his innocence for over 30 years. After sharing intimate details of his life story and his ongoing legal case, we ask the listener to answer for themselves, “Is the death penalty a necessary evil to keep our streets safe, to exact righteous punishment and to deliver a semblance of justice to victims – or is it too fraught with ambiguity, contradictions and biases to ensure that we are all protected equally under the law?”
- An unidentified body. Who was she? Why hasn’t she been missed? A BBC World Service and NRK original podcast, investigating a mystery unsolved for almost half a century.
- Anaheim investigator Julissa Trapp is not like other detectives. She’s the only woman on the homicide squad, and a skilled chameleon: undercover cop in vice stings, crime-scene commander, patient confidante of killers. A master interrogator, she invokes her personal experience – and deepest griefs – as a tool to elicit confessions. When a young woman’s body is found at a trash-sorting plant, Trapp learns the murder may be linked to the disappearance of three other women in nearby Santa Ana. Trapp embarks on a dark journey that brings her face to face with a man who takes “a little piece of her soul.” The series is about a singular detective on a relentless, sometimes lonely quest for answers.From the Los Angeles Times and Wondery, “Detective Trapp” is a new story from Christopher Goffard, the writer and host of “Dirty John.”
- Debra Newell is a successful interior designer. She meets John Meehan, a handsome man who seems to check all the boxes: attentive, available, just back from a year in Iraq with Doctors Without Borders. But her family doesn’t like John, and they get entangled in an increasingly complex web of love, deception, forgiveness, denial, and ultimately, survival. Reported and hosted by Christopher Goffard from the L.A. Times.
- Abby and Libby - 2 young girls murdered. Investigators are searching for the killer using their biggest clue: a recording of his voice from one of the victims' phones ordering the girls Down the Hill. Almost three years later, it's a mystery that still haunts the small town of Delphi, Indiana while police say the killer may walk among them.
- We’re at our most vulnerable when we go to our doctors. We trust the person at the other end of that scalpel. We trust the hospital. We trust the system.Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away.But soon his patients started to experience complications, and the system failed to protect them. Which begs the question: who - or what - is that system meant to protect?From Wondery, the network behind the hit podcast Dirty John, DR. DEATH is a story about a charming surgeon, 33 patients and a spineless system. Reported and hosted by Laura Beil.
- In Season 2 we look at a world just as shady and mysterious as MLMs, but one whose promises are at times even more bombastic and unfathomable: WELLNESS. What is it? Who sells it? And will it bring you eternal happiness…and, perhaps, eternal life? Hear more great stories about complicated people from Witness Docs at witnesspodcasts.com.
- Money. Romance. Tragedy. Deception. The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos is an unbelievable tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. How did the world's youngest self-made female billionaire lose it all in the blink of an eye? How did the woman once heralded as "the next Steve Jobs" find herself facing criminal charges -- to which she pleaded not guilty -- and up to 20 years in jail? How did her technology, meant to revolutionize healthcare, potentially put millions of patients at risk? And how did so many smart people get it so wrong along the way? ABC News chief business, technology and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis, along with producers Taylor Dunn and Victoria Thompson, take listeners on a journey that includes a three-year-long investigation. You'll hear exclusive interviews with former employees, investors, and patients, and for the first-time, the never-before-aired deposition testimony of Elizabeth Holmes, and those at the center of this story.
- Every Town has a dark side. In each episode we'll dig into terrifying missing persons cases, murders and strange unsolved mysteries - many of which you've never even heard of. And for more creepy stories check out the Scary Mysteries youtube channel and podcast hosted by Andrew Fitzgerald. contact: info@newdawnfilm.com
- FOR LIFE: The Podcast is a 6-part series exploring real stories from men and women who were wrongfully convicted, yet prevailed against unthinkable odds, and emerged with grace and newfound purpose. It's about the human stories, the tested relationships, and the triumphs of the human spirit. Hosted by Isaac Wright, Jr. Produced in collaboration with Sony Pictures Television and ABC's new drama, FOR LIFE, airing Tuesdays at 10pm/9pm Central.