It’s been a hot minute since I’ve shared what I’ve been listening to, so figured that it was the perfect time to put together a list of my favorite podcasts of fall 2019. Lately I feel like I’ve been breezing through podcasts… there are just so many great ones out there to listen to! Figured I’d put together a list of 10 great true-crime podcasts I’ve listened to in the last few months! (I’ve actually listened to 22 since my last post on true crime podcasts!)
Cold
Cold is probably the BEST true crime podcast I’ve ever listened to. If you’re a fan of the genre– this is a must-listen. Every episode reveals a new, over-the-top revelation about the case that would literally make me say “WHAT?!” out loud.
Cold deep dives into the case of Susan Powell’s mysterious disappearance and the circumstances surrounding her life and death. It’s a story of abuse, manipulation and obsession with a shocking, gruesome and devastating twist that I never saw coming.
I think what makes this case so fascinating is the sheer volume of material they have to work with– journals, audio recordings, video recordings from ALL of the key players in the story, including Susan herself. It’s eerie and fascinating and a podcast you HAVE to listen to.
Culpable
Just finished this one up last week! Culpable delves into the alleged suicide of 21-year-old Christian Andreacchio in 2014. The death was investigated for 45 minutes before being declared a suicide, even though the scene was clearly staged and Andreacchio died under suspicious circumstances.
To Live and Die in LA
To Live and Die in LA examines the 2018 disappearance of aspiring model Adea Shabani. Rolling Stone journalist Neil Strauss investigates, uncovering leads and startling facts that ultimately end in the case being solved… and truly fascinating evidence that blows the case wide open from Google cell phone data. Definitely one of the best podcasts I’ve heard in awhile!
Uncover: Escaping NXVIM
This one was a total jaw dropper!! I had heard about the alleged sex cult NXVIM in the news, but this investigative podcast by CBC Radio definitely revealed some crazy details I couldn’t even believe. Following one woman’s journey to escape, I was totally fascinated by this one! Escaping NVXIM is the first season, but tbh, I haven’t been intrigued by the others.
Bear Brook
OK, this is a truly fascinating one. In 1985 a barrel containing the unidentifiable bodies of a woman and child were discovered. The case went cold with absolutely no leads and no ideas who the victims were or how they came to be murdered and stuffed into a barrel in the middle of the woods. In 2000, a second barrel containing the bodies of two more children were found 300 yards away from the first barrel. Don’t want to give too much away, but basically, the way this case was solved has changed the way that cold cases are investigated. This is a must-listen!
Confronting OJ Simpson with Kim Goldman
If you’re old enough to remember the OJ Simpson trial, this is a fascinating listen. (And really, even if you’re not!) I was in 5th grade at the time of the trial, so I do kind of remember a lot about it. Ron Goldman’s sister Kim delves into the specifics of the case, what went wrong, etc. and it’s a totally fascinating look at arguably the most well-known trial in history. Kim’s search for closure and peace is really relatable and I enjoyed her hosting style. It’s also interesting to have a host of a podcast who is so personally invested in the story, it’s an interesting dynamic. Definitely a must-listen!
The Thing About Pam
This new podcast is by Dateline NBC and is a little different than most of the other true crime podcasts I’ve listened to. Instead of uncovering the mystery step by step and investigating, Dateline anchor and host Keith Morrison tells us the story in a warm and engaging tone that feels kind of like a bedtime story lol. I kind of loved it though! As for the story: The Thing About Pam tells the story of the murder of Betsy Faria in 2011 and the subsequent arrest and conviction of her husband, Russ Faria, for her murder. Russ insisted he didn’t do it and it turns out that the truth to what happened was way more bizarre than anyone could’ve imagined.
Hell and Gone
Both seasons of Hell and Gone were interesting. The first season focused on the unsolved murder of Rebekah Gould, a 22-year-old college student who was found bludgeoned in a small town in Arkansas. Private investigator Catherine Townsend investigates and actually ends up uncovering a pretty likely whodunnit and they’re actively pursuing the suspect.
Season 2 focuses on the mysterious death of high school student Janie Ward. Janie fell off an elevated porch at a party at died a few hours later. What exactly caused her death was never determined and her family always felt there was more to the story and suspected foul play. This case has significantly less closure than some other investigations, but it’s an interesting listen all the same.
The Shrink Next Door
While most of the true crime podcasts I listen to are about missing people or murders, I found this one to be interesting because it’s about a completely different type of case. I really like the official description, so will share it here:
Veteran journalist Joe Nocera had a Hamptons neighbor: Ike, therapist to celebrities and Manhattan’s elite. He had star-studded parties at the vacation house. But one summer, Joe came back to discover that Ike was gone, and the summer house next door had never belonged to Ike in the first place. It was Marty’s, a therapy patient of Ike’s who had finally broken free from Ike’s psychological domination. THE SHRINK NEXT DOOR is the story of one therapist’s psychological manipulation as he crossed lines and defrauded his patients — and he’s still out there. In partnership with Bloomberg.
A fascinating look at manipulation and a definite must-listen.
Man in the Window
Man in the Window is really interesting because it dives into the case of the Golden State Killer/East Area Rapist… a case that was finally solved in 2018. The Golden State Killer aka Joseph D’Angelo was active between 1974-1986 and raped and killed dozens of women. The case was cold for years until advances in DNA mapping technology and the increased popularity of sites like Ancestry.com and 23andMe led to an arrest last year. (For more on that, you have to check out Bear Brook, which I mentioned before and is the case that paved the way for this one to be solved!) This podcast delves deeper into the mistakes made along the way and how this monster alluded detection for so many years and ALMOST got away with it.
Have you listened to any of these?? What true-crime podcasts have you enjoyed lately?? Drop your recommendations in the comments, I’d LOVE to ad to my to-listen list!
LOVE true-crime? You’ll want to check out this post:
Favorite True Crime Podcasts
