I listen to a LOT of true crime podcasts. It takes me more than 30 minutes to get practically anywhere from my house, so every time I drive, I listen exclusively to true crime. My friends are constantly asking me for podcast recommendations, so I’ve compiled a list of my favorite true crime podcasts of 2019.
I certainly haven’t listened to every true crime podcast that came out in 2019, so this list is not meant to say that these are the very best of every single one for the year. Rather, these are just my picks from the ones I listened to. I tend to enjoy podcasts that are focused around one case for a season of episodes rather than a new topic every week, so you’ll notice that is what the list is mostly comprised of. But that’s just my personal taste. Additionally, in order to make my list, a podcast had to have at least one new episode in 2019, and was not just a podcast that I happened to listen to this year. Lastly, this list is in no particular order.
Bear Brook
While most of the episodes for Bear Brook came out in 2018, the final updates (and most powerful episodes, in my opinion) came out this year. In this podcast, New Hampshire Public Radio Journalist Jason Moon tackles a decades-old cold case of four bodies found in two barrels in Allenstown, New Hampshire. There are twists, turns, and real-time breaks in the case that will make you want to binge every episode in one sitting. The production is dazzling, including the haunting soundtrack that Moon and his producer Taylor Quimby composed and performed themselves. Bear Brook is an inspiring example of citizen sleuthing and forensic genealogy that led me to take a genealogy course. Listen all the way to the very last episode. The payoff is HUGE.
The Thing About Pam
The fact that this Dateline NBC podcast is hosted by Keith Morrison should say it all. His voice is probably the most soothing sound in the whole world, even when he’s talking about murder. In The Thing About Pam, Dateline investigates the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. After her husband Russ is charged with her murder, it seems like the story should be over, but it’s just the beginning. Every episode of the story gets stranger and stranger, and it’s hard to stop listening. If you get frustrated with murder stories that have no ending, you’ll love that this one gets tied up in a bow at the end.
Detective Trapp
If there ever was a badass woman who I would want to be when I grow up, it would be Detective Trapp. In this podcast, Christopher Goffard of the Los Angeles Times (whose voice you will recognize if you listened to Dirty John) tells the story of Detective Julissa Trapp, who is the only female detective on her Anaheim homicide squad. She’s an incredibly skilled interrogator who draws on her personal experiences to illcit confessions. When Detective Trapp catches a case of an unidentified woman found in a trash sorting plant, her determination tracks down a serial murderer. Beautifully written with extremely intimate interviews from Detective Trapp herself, this podcast brings to light a true hero.
Culpable
Every so often a podcast introduces you to a case that you just can’t stop thinking about. Culpable investigates the 2014 death of Christian Andreacchio. Found in the bathroom of his apartment with a single gunshot wound to the head, Christian’s death was immediately ruled a suicide. However, there was a large amount of evidence that pointed to a homicide. Host Dennis Cooper sheds light on just how badly the original investigation (or lack thereof) was handled in a fight to get the Andreacchio family true justice. If you enjoyed Up and Vanished, you will love Culpable as it is produced by the same team.
Confronting: O.J. Simpson
Everyone and their mother knows about the trial of O.J. Simpson, but they may not know as much about the victims of the double-homicide he was accused of. In this podcast, Ron Goldman’s sister Kim works to find the truth about what really happened to her brother the night he was killed. With a candid look at loss and the aftermath of murder on a victim’s family members, Kim speaks to the jurors, prosecutors, and witnesses that participated in what was dubbed the “Trial Of The Century.” She brings a heartbreaking humanity to her bother’s legacy and reveals what she and her father lost after his death.
The Murder Squad
While I said that I usually preferred podcasts that focus on one case in a seasonal format, The Murder Squad defies this rule. Hosted by two of my favorite true crime heroes, Billy Jensen and Paul Holes, this podcast is a must-listen to. If you’ve read investigative journalist Billy Jensen’s book Chase Darkness With Me, you’ll be familiar with his technique of using social media to help solve crimes. Paul Holes (the retired cold case detective who helped capture The Golden State Killer) brings his knowledge of DNA to the table as they both attempt to solve cold cases. They allow their audience to be a part of The Murder Squad by giving them an assignment each week encouraging citizen sluething (with rules) on the cases they are working on. The only downside of the podcast is that because it’s audio-only, you can’t see Paul Holes when he talks. #HotForHoles
Bardstown
In this podcast, host Jessica Noll takes you to the beautiful small town of Bardstown, Kentucky where there have been five unsolved murders since 2013. Police Officer Jason Ellis, school teacher Kathy Netherland and her teenage daughter Samantha, young mother Crystal Rogers (who is still missing), and Crystal’s father Tommy Ballard were all killed with no answers. Noll investigates these murders and interviews the victims’ families to determine if there is a connection between them. A very well produced podcast that leaves you wanting answers.
Without Warning
I was fascinated by the first season of Without Warning, because it features a case that was somewhat local to me. Private Investigator Sheila Wysocki allows you behind the scenes of the investigation in to the death of Lauren Agee. 22-year-old Lauren was found dead in a lake at the bottom of a cliff after a night camping with friends. The police ruled her death as an accident, but signs point to foul play. It is so interesting to hear Wysocki at work in real time on a case with so many unanswered questions. Her second season takes a deeper dive into the Christian Andreacchio case as she was also featured on the podcast Culpable.
Cold
Cold investigates the 2009 disappearance of Susan Powell from West Valley City, Utah. Very early on the police suspected that her husband, Josh Powell, had murdered her, but they were never able to find Susan’s body or arrest Josh for the crime. Susan’s case file portrays a woman being abused emotionally and financially who wouldn’t have walked away from her two young sons voluntarily. Perhaps one of the most tragic podcasts that I’ve listened to, Cold illustrates the importance of justice before it’s too late.
What do you think was the best true crime podcast of 2019?
