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Jul 15, 2023

The best true crime podcasts for all of you armchair detectives

By Brit Dawson Over the last decade, true crime has gone from niche sub-genre to everyone’s guilty pleasure. Streaming services may now be overrun with true crime miniseries, but it was the humble

By Brit Dawson

Over the last decade, true crime has gone from niche sub-genre to everyone’s guilty pleasure. Streaming services may now be overrun with true crime miniseries, but it was the humble podcast that arguably kickstarted the phenomenon, with Serial turning a gruesome story into a rich narrative that gripped listeners with each episode.

These days true crime podcasts are an ever-growing sub-genre as audiences have gotten a taste for shocking tales of manipulation and betrayal, delving into the details of some of the world’s most appalling but fascinating crimes with horrifying details. It’s not just murder that the genre has turned its attention to, but stories of huge falls from grace and white collar crimes.

There’s plenty of true crime out there which exploit true crime without treating the subject properly, but these deal with their subjects with appropriate care and curiosity. Here’s 10 of the best true crime podcasts that – for better or worse – will have you playing the role of armchair detective in no time.

Between 2010 and 2011, the remains of 11 people were discovered along a stretch of beach in Long Island – but, until this year, the spate of killings, known as the Gilgo Beach murders, remained a cold case. On LISK: Long Island Serial Killer, host Chris Mass delves into the stories of the victims and their final moments, talks to family members, and explores how police failures – including contempt for the victims, most of whom were sex workers – led to the case being unsolved for so long. After a shock breakthrough in July 2023, Mass returned to the case, looking into how suspect Rex Heuermann was finally apprehended. Inspired by Robert Kolker’s renowned book into the case, Lost Girls (now also a Netflix series), the podcast is both astute and nuanced, making it a must-listen. You can listen to LISK: Long Island Serial Killer here.

True crime isn’t just about gruesome murders. Some of the most fascinating cases stem from the unexpected, like the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire’s shocking fall from grace. For those who haven’t already binged the Amanda Seyfried-starring miniseries of the same name, The Dropout tells the story of how biotech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes defrauded millions of dollars out of investors in her company, Theranos, after claiming to have revolutionised blood testing. Now serving an 11-year sentence in prison, The Dropout explores how Holmes got here and what might have happened if she hadn’t been apprehended, all via interviews with former employees, investors, and patients. You can listen to The Dropout here.

In a rarity for true crime podcasts, Do You Know Mordechai? is hosted by someone at the heart of the story – specifically, Kathleen Goldhar, whose friend Arya was a victim of a seasoned, calculated scammer. When Arya first met ‘Mordechai Horowitz’, shortly after a painful divorce, Kathleen was happy for her, but it all unravelled when Arya got a knock at the door from another victim. From there, Arya discovered the lies behind the man who called himself Mordechai, and formed an unexpected bond with the other women he manipulated. You can listen to Do You Know Mordechai? here.

Hosted by journalist Sam Bungey and producer Jennifer Forde, West Cork tells the story of the murder of French television producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier, who was killed outside her holiday home in Ireland in 1996. The podcast is a thoughtful, compelling look at Sophie’s life, tragic killing, and the impact it had on the local community. It also delves into the story of the prime suspect, journalist Ian Bailey, and how he evaded arrest in the UK, but was convicted of murder in-absentia in France – and yet still roams free. You can listen to West Cork here.

By Scarlett Baker

By Musa Okwonga

By Yang-Yi Goh

The one that started it all. Without Serial, the true crime genre might not be the behemoth it is today. Although there’s only technically three Serial series, Serial Productions partnered with The New York Times in 2020, spawning an impressive collection of true crime follow-ups. The best place to start, though, is right at the beginning, with season one’s infamous investigation into the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, and the conviction, exoneration, then reinstated conviction of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed – a case that lit a fire under armchair detectives everywhere. You can listen to Serial here.

Another podcast hosted by someone at the centre of the tale. This time, it’s journalist Joe Nocera, who uncovered a disturbing secret about his neighbour, Isaac ‘Ike’ Herschkopf, a psychiatrist to New York’s elite. When Nocera discovered that Herschkopf didn’t actually own the house he was living in, he started to investigate, soon unearthing a web of exploitation, manipulation, and betrayal. Like many good podcasts, it’s also been turned into a TV series, this time starring Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd. You can listen to The Shrink Next Door here.

By Scarlett Baker

By Musa Okwonga

By Yang-Yi Goh

As part of You Must Remember This, a podcast series investigating the secret or forgotten history of Hollywood’s first century, journalist Karina Longworth chronicles the infamous, disturbing story of Charles Manson and his followers, who committed a spate of murders in 1969, including that of actor Sharon Tate. Delving into Manson’s life pre-murders, Longworth explores the killer’s determination to be famous, how he wormed his way into Hollywood’s elite, the crimes that made him a household name, and how the Manson Family trial became a bizarre display of public theatre. You can listen to You Must Remember Manson here.

Despite the first sexual assault allegations being levelled against Bill Cosby in 2005, it wasn’t until 2014 that the public started to take notice. Since then, over 60 women have accused the comedian of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, though Cosby was only able to be tried for the assault of Andrea Constand. He spent almost three years in prison for the crime, before his conviction was overturned in 2021. In Chasing Cosby, journalist Nicki Weisensee Egan delves into Cosby’s rise and colossal fall, speaking to survivors, jurors, and prosecutors, and finally giving Constand a chance to tell her side of the story. You can listen to Chasing Cosby here.

By Scarlett Baker

By Musa Okwonga

By Yang-Yi Goh

Diverting from true crime’s traditional format of having a reporter hosting, Somebody is narrated by the mother of its subject. The podcast sees Shapearl Wells investigating the murder of her son Courtney Copeland, who died outside a Chicago police station, having been shot in the back. Distrustful of mismatching evidence – from police details to phone records to witness testimonies – Wells sought the help of journalists from the city’s Invisible Institute, a non-profit production company. Together, they explore the racial disparities and tumultuous relationship between the police and Chicago citizens, and confront the cops in the hopes of finding answers for Courtney’s untimely death. You can listen to Somebody here.

For fans of wild cult stories, Heaven’s Gate explores the shocking story of how 39 people ended up dead in a mansion in 1997. When the group was found, they were all dressed the same and had the same hair cut – each of them members of the Heaven’s Gate cult. Hosted by producer Glynn Washington, a former member of a similar cult, the podcast tries to get to the bottom of what exactly happened and why, speaking to those who lost loved ones, as well as current cult members. You can listen to Heaven’s Gate here.

By Scarlett Baker

By Musa Okwonga

By Yang-Yi Goh