The 15 best true crime podcasts to listen to right now

TRUE CRIME PODCASTS delve into the darkest corners of the human psyche. We’re talking heinous serial killers, morally reprehensible fraudsters and too-real disappearance stories capable of sending shivers down your spine. But for some unknown reason, we love them.

The true crime media industry is booming. Every year, true crime documentaries, films and TV shows top streaming charts, true crime books become bestsellers, and true crime podcasts garner more listeners than any other genre. The best podcasts offer more than just a basic retelling of crimes. Some provide a deep dive into the psychological, social, and legal aspects of a case, drawing listeners into the lives of those involved. Some even do their own investigating, uncovering previously unknown details that have changed the direction of cold cases.

It seems like every week there’s a new true crime podcast everyone’s talking about. But with so many options available, sorting through the masses to find the good ones can be daunting. That’s where we come in. Esquire’s in-house experts have rounded up all the best true crime podcasts to listen to in 2024, including everything from the usual suspects to some new, first-time offenders.

Best Australian true crime podcasts

Casefile

We couldn’t list the best Australian true crime podcasts without opening with the Australian true crime podcast. Casefile sits in the pantheon of true crime podcasts, and not just Australian ones. Since launching in 2016, the podcast has amassed over 300 episodes unpacking some of Australia’s (and the world’s) most well-known cold and solved cases. The host of Casefile remains anonymous, but his calm, measured approach to delivering chilling information has attracted millions of listeners, making it Australia’s most popular podcast.

The Teacher’s Pet

Published in 2018 by The Australian, The Teacher’s Pet is a 17-episode podcast series about the disappearance of Lynette Dawson. The podcast is a testament to the power of modern-day investigative journalism, ultimately contributing to the conviction of Lynette’s husband Chris Dawson. With more than 28 million total downloads, The Teacher’s Pet was Australia’s number one podcast during its six-month run.

The Lady Vanishes

The Lady Vanishes investigates the disappearance of Australian mother Marion Barter, who disappeared while on holiday in Europe – cue the exasperated gasps from anyone departing for a Euro summer anytime soon. Police have been investigating Barter’s inexplicable vanishing for more than 25 years, and The Lady Vanishes provides a comprehensive account of her case from beginning to end.

Liar, Liar: Melissa Caddick and the Missing Millions

A podcast that deals with one of the more recent crimes on this list, as its title gives away, Liar, Liar focuses on the crimes and subsequent disappearance of a Sydney fraudster. Melissa Caddick, a seemingly successful businesswoman, went missing after police raided her home in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs in 2020 to investigate claims she was running an illegal financial planning business. Caddick, and the $23 million she secured from victims of her fraudulent schemes, remain missing, but Liar, Liar sheds some new light on her case.

The Mushroom Cook

You may recall news headlines from July last year detailing a family lunch in regional Victoria that resulted in three deaths as a result of poisonous mushrooms contamination. The woman responsible for preparing that meal, the eponymous Erin Patterson, now stands accused of alleged murder. Patterson’s trial is still ongoing, and The Mushroom Cook provides a thorough overview of all its updates.

Lost in Larrimah

Larrimah is a microscopic outback town deep in the desert of the Northern Territory. Back in 2017, the town only had a population of 12, so when Paddy Moriarty went missing, it was difficult to believe that no one knew anything. A coronial inquest later found that Moriarty had been killed in the context of a feud with a neighbour. Recorded after Moriarty’s disappearance but before the inquest, Lost In Larrimah features interviews with Larrimah locals (basically the whole population), providing an insight into a small-town feud that turned deadly.

Secrets We Keep: Nest of Traitors

If Cold War conspiracies are your thing (they’re ours), then Nest of Traitors is for you. The podcast follows a journalist’s quest to uncover the identity of a Soviet spy that infiltrated high levels of Australian intelligence.

Best international true crime podcasts

Serial

Before you quickly scroll past this selection and brandish it as an obvious pick, understand that Serial really is the pinnacle of true crime podcasts. If you love true crime, odds are you’ve already come across Serial. But in case you haven’t, it’s the podcast that arguably started the true crime craze. Each season looks at a different case, and earlier this year season four retold the checkered history of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.

Missing Maura Murray

Maura Murray was a 21-year-old student who went missing in 2004 after driving three hours from her college campus to the White Mountains in New Hampshire without explanation. Murray hasn’t been seen since, but two filmmakers set out to solve her mystery in Missing Maura Murray, which is as in-depth as it gets with 159 episodes.

Voices for Justice

Hosted by Sarah Turney, the sister of missing teenager Alissa Turney, Voices for Justice isn’t your regular true crime podcast. Each episode gives a voice to the victims of crimes and ends with a call to action. It’s a refreshing change from the standard true crime format, which often sensationalises suffering.

Bad Blood: The Final Chapter

Elizabeth Holmes was once the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire after the success of her startup, Theranos. Now, Holmes has been convicted of defrauding investors and sentenced to more than ten years in prison. Where did it all go wrong? That’s what you’ll find out by listening to Bad Blood.

The Idaho Massacre

In 2022, four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death at their off-campus residence. An extensive investigation and cross-country manhunt eventually led to arrest of a student from a neighbouring university. That student was studying criminology, learning the behaviours of criminals he would later replicate. The Idaho Massacre investigates whether these victims were his first, or last.

Missing & Murdered: Finding Cleo

One of thousands of First Nations children taken by child welfare workers in Canada in the 1960s, Cleo Semaganis was adopted in the USA and later disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Her family believes she was murdered while attempting to hitchhike back to her original home in Saskatchewan, Canada. This investigative true crime podcast is so hands-on, it may have solved a decades-old cold case.

My Favourite Murder

My Favourite Murder, better known as MFM, has garnered a cult-like following since releasing in 2016. MFM takes a different spin on true crime as a comedy podcast led by two charismatic hosts. The pair unpack different murders each week, and they’ve been doing it for so long that the series now has close to 1,000 episodes.

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The best true crime documentaries, films and TV shows, ranked

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