One thing you may not know about me is the fact that I’m obsessed with anything related to true crime. It’s actually what sparked my interest in psychology (my major) because I love understanding why people do certain things. I would consider myself a true crime buff and I know a lot of creepy stories that others would not care to know.

If you love this stuff, this post is for you. I’m sharing all my favorite shows & podcasts (to date) that have to do with true crime!

Forensic Files

This show is amazing because you find out how the littlest piece of forensic evidence left behind in a murder or disappearance can help solve a crime. I’ve seen every single episode of this show but the episode that sticks out to me the most is probably episode 25 of season 13 called ‘Family Ties’. It’s the murder of Peter Porco and it’s one of the craziest stories I’ve ever heard.

Dateline

Dateline is classic. If you’re ever wanting to spend a quiet Friday night in, this is the perfect show to pop some popcorn to. The thing I like about Dateline is the fact that they’ll showcase older murders that no one has really talked about but they’ll also talk about ones that are recent.

20/20

20/20 is another fantastic show. Like Dateline, they’ll talk about older stories as well as newer ones. I always learn so much about people from watching these shows! The good thing about 20/20 is that it’s available on Hulu so binge to your heart’s content! They add new episodes weekly so you don’t have to schedule time to watch it when it airs on TV.

Killer in the Family

This is a British television series about, well, killers in a family. All of these cases have been committed by someone related to the victim. They’re pretty interesting to watch and it’s mind-blowing that you could hurt your family members like that but people do it all the time.

Cold Justice

My friend Ally hooked me on this one since we’re both obsessed with true crime shows. It follows Kelly Siegler and Yolanda McClary as they travel across the country trying to help solve cold cases by re-interviewing crucial witnesses and re-testing forensic samples. It’s really interesting to see what they catch that might have been missed in the original investigation.

The Confession Tapes

The first two episodes of this docu-series were insane. It was the story of Atif Rafay and his friend Sebastian Burns, who are suspects in the murders of Atif’s parents and sister. They both start acting super weird and the chain of events afterward are insane. The rest of the series is about other stories but this one was my favorite.

Making a Murderer

You probably heard everyone talking about this show when it came out on Netflix in 2015 but it’s definitely a must-watch. Throughout the show, you really have to come to terms with the fact that Steven Avery may not have been an all-around good guy but did he actually do what they say he did? It’s also infuriating how they treated his nephew Brendan Dassey, who some will argue wasn’t competent enough to understand what was happening.

I Am a Killer

This show just premiered on Netflix and it is insane. The show interviews various death row inmates across the country and they talk about their story and how they ended up there. It stirred up a lot of emotions for me because I feel bad for some of them who I feel have learned from their mistakes and feel bad about what they did (and some, you’ll find out, that don’t). Ultimately, you have to decide if you believe their story.

The Jinx

HBO makes amazing documentaries and this is definitely one of them. Robert Durst is suspected in the disappearance of his wife in the 80’s who has still never been found. He’s a creepy guy but the filmmakers interview him over the course of a few episodes where he tries to explain that he had nothing to do with it. Personally, I think he did. The last episode is insane and makes the entire thing worth watching.

Fun fact: There was a movie made about this story called All Good Things starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst. I watched it after I watched the documentary and it was really good.

Evil Genius

This is a short Netflix documentary about Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and her involvement in a bank heist that went HORRIBLY wrong. The first episode is jaw-dropping. I had never heard of this case and couldn’t believe that this actually happened. She is absolutely terrifying.

Mommy Dead and Dearest

This is another great HBO documentary about the life of Gypsy Rose Blancharde, who grew up thinking she had life-threatening illnesses and impairments because of her mother, Dee Dee. Dee Dee is murdered and the entire truth is unraveled from there. This story was crazy and even though it’s wrong, kind of makes you wonder if it was a good thing she was killed.

The Staircase

This documentary is not a Netflix original. It was a documentary that was premiered in 2004 by French filmmakers but through Netflix, added three new episodes to showcase where Michael Peterson is today. This is a long documentary and is slow at times but it’s very interesting. It centers around the death of Kathleen Peterson, who was found at the bottom of the stairs dead, and the trial of Michael Peterson, her husband, who is believed to be her killer. After watching it, I’m not sure where I stand on this but I think he definitely has to be involved in some way.

The Imposter

If you want to watch an unbelievably insane documentary, this is the one for you. I was enthralled from start to finish because of the audacity of Frenchman Frédéric Bourdin impersonating a missing child from Texas. He is pretty terrifying and capable of anything.

There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane

I remember when I watched this documentary, I went out to dinner with some friends after and it was all I could talk about. The story is about Diane Schuler, who drove her van in the wrong direction on the highway and collided head-on with an SUV in New York. I still don’t think I’m sure what happened to her but it was incredibly fascinating.

Amanda Knox

You have to have been living under a rock to not know the story of Amanda Knox and the murder of her roommate in Italy while living abroad. But just in case you don’t know, this is a great documentary to watch since Amanda herself explains her story. I don’t know about you but I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her. I’ll let you decide what you think though.

Who Took Johnny

Johnny Gosch disappeared in 1982 without a trace and to this day, no one knows where he went. The weirdest part? His mother swears she saw him years later. This is definitely one worth watching.

Fun fact: Johnny Gosch was the first missing child to be featured on a milk carton.

BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime

My boyfriend hates this show because he doesn’t think Shane & Ryan are funny but I think they’re hilarious so I’m including this one. I’ve actually found out a few crazy cases from watching this show, including the death of Artemus Ogletree which is hands down, one of the creepiest stories I’ve ever heard. You can watch the episode & read the article here. If you like your murder fix to be a little more light-hearted, this one’s for you. You can also see their other episodes on Amazon Prime & Hulu.

The Witness

Have you ever heard of the Bystander Effect, where many people can be watching someone needing help and no one does anything? Kitty Genovese’s story became entangled forever with the Bystander Effect when she was murdered outside of her apartment and 30 people heard it but no one did anything to help. It’s crazy to think about but it’s a documentary worth watching.

Crazy Love

This story is jaw-dropping. It’s the story of Burt Pugach and Linda Riss, a couple that eventually breaks up when Linda finds out Burt has lied to her about his divorce. When Linda moves on and becomes engaged to another man, he makes it very clear that if he can’t have her, no one else can. It’s insane the lengths people will go in the name of “love”.

Serial

You have probably heard everyone and their dog talk about the Serial podcast and the story of Adnan Syed and the murder of Hae Min Lee. Sarah Koenig, the host of the podcast, interviews Adnan Syed from prison via phone calls as he explains his story and what he remembers. It’s definitely worth all the hype to listen to.

I think this is all I can think of at the moment but I’m always open to more suggestions! If you have any I HAVE to watch, comment below or reach out to us! I’d love to hear what you have.

xoxo Michelle