While we are waiting for Season 2 of making a murderer we might be trying to satisfy our love of true crime. And while many people have hopped on the bandwagon of crime with what I like to think of as “crossover crime” like some of my favorite true crime podcasts “White Wine True Crime”, “My Favorite Murder,” the need for a more detailed show is real! Audio Investigative Journalism, when done right, is a beautiful thing. Some of these podcast reside more in the “history” category, then traditional true crime, but the investigator inside of me loves them just as much. So, I’m sharing with you 10 of my favorite that you should check out.
- American Scandal – American Scandal is a podcast covering one topic per “season”. The first season talks about a subject I knew very little background about. The doping scandal that plagued baseball and several Olympic athletes. Amazing research and detail was put into this podcast, and the narration is amazing. The story behind how this podcast came to be is equally intriguing, proving that good investigative journalism is so important.
- Dr. Death – This is the podcast that has shocked me the most. A story I had never heard, and one that made me more mad than I already was with the medical field as a whole. I can guarantee you will not only love this podcast, not be able to stop listening, you will be desperately waiting for more when you’re done.
- Gladiator – Hosted by one of the team members from Spotlight (remember that amazing movie about the outing of the Priest scandal?), The Boston Globe has partnered with Wondery to bring us the story of Aaron Hernandez, an extremely talented yet tormented football player that ended his life after immense tragedy to many. If you don’t know the story of Aaron Hernandez you should. It goes beyond the terrible story of him personally, but delves into the issues surrounded head injuries and football. This podcast is currently ongoing, so you can all wait along with me for new episodes to drop.
- Happy Face – Focusing on a serial killer that doesn’t get discussed as much as some that have been emblazoned on the general public’s mind (Ted Bundy, Golden State and Jeffrey Dahmer), this podcast follows the story of the daughter of Keith Jesperson (The Happy Face Killer).
- In the Dark – Two seasons in, In the Dark is brought to us by APM Reporting (American Public Media). Fifteen years of investigative reporting working with public radio in Minnesota and California and does way more than podcasts. The first season covers the Jacob Wetterling story. I have opinions about this case but I can’t ruin it for you!! So if you want to talk to me about it hit me up on Instagram! The second case covers the equally shocking Curtis Flowers case. Also….no spoilers!
- Slow Burn – Sitting more in the history camp of things, SB is also a season podcast. The first season discusses the Nixon scandal…which I know what you’re thinking. What more could we need to discuss about Nixon. Just listen. The second season tackles Bill Clinton. This one even the hubby was getting into, and he generally just rolls his eyes at my morbid loves.
- Someone Knows Something – From CBC news in Canada comes this amazing podcast. Host David Ridgen has now jumped high up on the list of people I’d like to share a cup of coffee with. We are already into Season 5, so hurry and catch up! I’m not sure which season has been my favorite, but Season 3 was pretty darn amazing. David is a stellar journalist and interviewer, getting those he talks to to open up and tell him the stories that really make investigative journalism amazing.
- Uncover:NXVIM – Its easy to fall down the podcast rabbit hole, but once I discovered Someone Knows Something I discovered all of the amazing CBC podcasts. This one combines my interests of crime and history with Cults, a cult I had never heard of, but involves some celebrities you might. And skirting really close to a more well-known cult that has recently come under more public scrutiny of its own here in America.
- Teacher’s Pet – We move now into Australia, for a one and done podcast about a handsome footballer, turned teacher and his missing wife. This one, of all the ones I’ve shared, is less binge-worthy but still incredibly interesting. Plus, listening to an Australian accent for awhile is pretty nice.
- Unobscured – If you listen to Lore or Cabinet of Curiosities, you probably have already heard of this podcast. If you haven’t, first go bookmark the other two I just mentioned, and then come back to Unobscured. If you can’t tell I’m a fan of series podcasts, that take multiple episodes to cover one topic. In-depth research and attention to detail are what keep me interested. And while I know that’s not for everyone its something I love. This inaugural season of Unobscured discusses Salem Village, and exactly what you think of when you think of Salem.
Looking for other podcast ideas? Check out these podcasts I’d love to guest on.
