True crime podcasts seem to have staying power at the top of the trends list. It’s not my go-to genre for day-to-day (that’s usually human interest and political podcasts), but I love bingeing them on a road trip. It makes the time in the car go by quickly if you can power through a wild and crazy story. I always finish these stories questioning some strange part of the human experience, but I also understand that these stories are plucked out because they are wild and are produced in a way that makes you immediately click on the next episode.
Bingeable True Crime Podcasts
1. Serial
I’m sure this comes as no surprise to anyone. This podcast might have been the catalyst for so many other true crime podcasts. If you are getting into this strange and creepy genre of pods, it’s a great place to start. The first season is fantastic, and you’ve likely heard about the story in the news since the pod broke, but it’s worth listening to. Newer seasons cover Guantanamo Bay and its history, and it’s on my list to listen to on a future road trip.
2. Scamanda
This took the world by storm last summer, and we consumed this entire podcast while driving across the Dakotas on our summer road trip. This Christian mother started a blog detailing her cancer journey, but her story is not what she shared on her public profiles. An entire community was left in shock once the truth came out.
3. The Drop Out
Elizabeth Holmes is a fascinating person. She followed a tactic that other Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have in the past, but while trying to raise funds for her ideas, she messed with people’s medical results and damaged lives. This podcast does a great job of diving into the story of this company and what went so terribly wrong. You’ll hear real interviews with people who were impacted.
4. Up and Vanished
Payne Lindsey helps investigate some old cold cases in the multiple seasons of this show. He is an excellent host, and you’ll just want to keep listening. It’s perfect for long road trips because you will not want to wait long to keep going.
5. The Rise and Fall of Ruby Franke
Trad wives are everywhere I look right now, and this story is adjacent to that. It’s a Utah momfluencer who had millions of followers. She disciplined her kids using “tough love,” but it was discovered that there was child abuse happening. It’s a sad reminder of the things that can happen when kids are used for social media and videos because things aren’t always how they appear. I had not heard of this woman until she was arrested, and this podcast gave some more background.
6. In the Dark
This show has multiple seasons, each with a completely different story. I grew up in Minnesota, where Jacob Wetterling’s abduction changed our entire childhood almost overnight. The first season covers that story, and it was interesting to revisit it as an adult. We’ve listened to every season since and it’s worth a listen.
Next Up: Run, Bambi, Run
A playboy bunny and a police officer are arrested for killing her husband’s ex-wife, but she swears it wasn’t her. A journalist revisits this case that made headlines a few decades ago, and I’m interested to dive in since I’ve never heard of this case before.
Final Thoughts on True Crime Podcasts
If you want to dive into more of these stories, some true crime podcasts feature different stories in each episode. I really like to limit the amount of this type of content I consume. I take suggestions from people when we take our one big trip each year and just keep a list of those. Do you have any favorite true crime podcasts that I should add to my list?
