Crime Writers On...True Crime Review

A woman finds herself drawn into a new friend group - one filled with skeet shooting, sexual seduction…and murder! We’ll review the Netflix hit series “The Hunting Wives.”

Transcribed - Published: 25 August 2025

A journalist investigates an unsolved murder along Canada's infamous Highway of Tears…and sheds light on an overlooked epidemic of violence against Indigenous women. We’re going back to our December 2, 2016 review of the CBC’s groundbreaking podcast “Missing and Murdered” with host Connie Walker.

Published: 21 August 2025

An ambitious investigator displays an uncanny knack for solving arsons. His partner suspects he’s the one setting them. We’ll review “Smoke” from Apple TV+.

Transcribed - Published: 18 August 2025

She raised millions of dollars to build a machine that could conduct dozens of diagnostic tests from a single drop of blood…but it was all a lie. We’ll return to our 2019 review of the biotech-con podcast “The Dropout.”

Transcribed - Published: 14 August 2025

It was a growing youth ministry dedicated to creating the next generation of evangelicals. Then it tried to turn them into modern day martyrs. We’ll talk about season two of “Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War” on Prime Video.

Transcribed - Published: 11 August 2025

He was a colorful showman who ran a sketchy zoo filled with big cats. She was the animal activist dogged by murder rumors who wanted to shut him down. That’s when Joe tried to have Carole killed. We’ll revisit our 2020 review of the series that changed pandemic television habits: Netflix’s “Tiger King.”

Transcribed - Published: 7 August 2025

A local TV anchor was abducted and vanished in 1995. Now a cold case detective pursues a new lead. We’ll talk about the series “Her Last Broadcast” on Hulu.

Transcribed - Published: 4 August 2025

A Mississippi man sits on death row for decades after being tried six times for a quadruple murder. But an investigative team uncovers evidence he didn’t do it. We’ll go back to our 2018 review of probably the best true crime podcast of all time: season two of “In the Dark.”

Transcribed - Published: 31 July 2025

A woman finds her sister’s become the personal assistant to an enigmatic socialite who just might be a murderer running a cult. Meghann Fahy and Julianne Moore star in “Sirens” on Netflix.

Transcribed - Published: 28 July 2025

A punk rocker is shot in 1982, then his body disappears. A journalist explores whether their mother’s claims of a cover-up are true. We’ll go back to our April 15, 2019 review of the classic podcast series “The Ballad of Billy Balls.”

Transcribed - Published: 24 July 2025

These teens turned to a maternity home to help with their pregnancies and arrange adoptions to “deserving” Christian families. But what happens if they instead want to keep their babies? We’ll talk about the podcast “Liberty Lost” from Wondery.

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2025

Investigative reporters journey into the darkest part of the dark web in pursuit of a child pornographer. We’ll go back to our 2019 review of “Hunting Warhead” from CBC Podcasts and Norwegian newspaper VG.

Transcribed - Published: 17 July 2025

Four decades ago, the subject of a documentary on trans culture was murdered. Now her family wants to learn more about how she died…and how she lived. We’ll talk about “I’m Your Venus” from Netflix.

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2025

Who’s ready for a “number two”? America’s favorite true crime teenagers return to investigate who is the Turd Burglar? We’ll go back to 2018 for a classic rewind to our review of the sequel to the Peabody Award-winning comedy series “American Vandal.”

Transcribed - Published: 10 July 2025

Lured by the promise of good wages, they instead found themselves in the jungle, forced to make scam calls from a compound patrolled by armed guards. We’ll talk about the podcast “Scam Factory” from Wondery.

Transcribed - Published: 7 July 2025

Two reporters spent years recording their secret conversations with an infamous serial killer. Could they get him to confess things he never told the police? We’ll review the latest season of CBC’s “Uncover: Calls from a Killer.”

Transcribed - Published: 3 July 2025

Former college athletes say they were abused by the team doctor - and their coaches and the university looked the other way. We’ll talk about the HBO Original documentary “Surviving Ohio State.”

Transcribed - Published: 30 June 2025

A journalist and newly elected public officials try to get to the bottom of why so many inmates are dying in a Pennsylvania prison. We’ll review the podcast “Death County, PA” from Wondery and Penn Live.

Transcribed - Published: 26 June 2025

A successful magazine editor reunites with her troubled sister to solve the murder of the man who had been husband to them both. We’ll talk about “The Better Sister” from Prime.

Transcribed - Published: 23 June 2025

A wounded police detective is tasked with creating a cold case unit. Can he uncover what happened to a missing Scottish prosecutor? We’ll talk about the Netflix series “Dept. Q.”

Transcribed - Published: 19 June 2025

He was a notorious undertaker accused of misdeeds against the dearly departed. Did he also commit crimes against the living? We’ll talk about “The Mortician” from HBO Documentary Films.

Transcribed - Published: 16 June 2025

A group of middle aged women are wooed online by a handsome guy, only to be bilked for thousands and thousands of dollars. Then they come face-to-face with the man and demand answers. We’ll talk about “Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam.”

Transcribed - Published: 12 June 2025

New homes along Arizona’s mountain preserve are set ablaze. Is it the work of eco-terrorism - or something more personal? We’ll talk about the podcast “The Arsonist Next Door.”

Transcribed - Published: 9 June 2025

He set a high bar for low behavior, with a television show known for its crass sensationalism. But he was often of two minds about what he did for a living and who he wanted to be. We’ll talk about the Audible Original podcast “Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer” from Leon Neyfakh.

Transcribed - Published: 5 June 2025

Inmates at a maximum security prison attempt to give back to society by stitching customized blankets for foster children. We’ll talk about the Oscar-winning short documentary “The Quilters.”

Transcribed - Published: 2 June 2025

After his release from prison, “Suave” Gonzalez tries to navigate life on parole and his longtime friendship with a journalist. We’ll talk about season two of “Suave.”

Transcribed - Published: 29 May 2025

A woman and her father are accused of beating her husband to death. They say it was self-defense - authorities say it was staged. We’ll talk about the Netflix documentary film “A Deadly American Marriage.”

Transcribed - Published: 26 May 2025

A band of British thieves plan the world’s biggest robbery: a quarter-billion dollar diamond on display inside a public arena. We’ll talk about the Netflix series “The Diamond Heist.”

Transcribed - Published: 22 May 2025

A journalist tries to evaluate whether a source on a sensitive story is reliable. What he finds is a more interesting story. We’ll talk about the Audible Original podcast “Not a Very Good Murderer” from Ronan Farrow.

Transcribed - Published: 19 May 2025

After working to free an innocent man for the murder of his wife, a journalist turns his attention to the plight of the real killer. Gilbert King returns for season two of “Bone Valley.”

Transcribed - Published: 15 May 2025

The daughter of a serial killer is recruited to solve his final murder and free an innocent man from death row. We’ll talk about “Happy Face” on Showtime.

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2025

He thought his relationship with his pretty teacher was a teenage fantasy come true. Years later he realized what it actually was: sexual abuse. We’ll talk about the podcast “Lucky Boy” from Tortoise Media.

Transcribed - Published: 8 May 2025

A family suspects the little girl with dwarfism they adopted is really a woman impersonating a child. But who is the one running a con? Inspired by a curious case, we’ll talk about the Hulu series “Good American Family.”

Transcribed - Published: 5 May 2025

He was one of hip hop’s biggest artists and producers, and his annual celebrity party was a can’t-miss event. But authorities say what happened after the parties was a crime. We’ll review “Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy” from 20/20 and ABC Audio.

Transcribed - Published: 1 May 2025

She was a glamorous influencer who convinced her followers to leave Brazil and join her in the US - only to sell them into sexual slavery. We’ll talk about the new season of the Wondery podcast “Guru: Don’t Cross Kat.”

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2025

A pair of gay con men work their way up from financial scams to murder. We’ll review the podcast “True Crime News Presents: American Hustlers.”

Transcribed - Published: 24 April 2025

An eccentric detective tries to solve the murder of an usher in the living quarters of the White House. We’ll talk about the Netflix comedy-mystery series “The Residence.”

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2025

Police are allowed to get around standard procedures by saying one thing: their info came from a confidential informant. But those claims also can lead to abuses and fabrications. We’ll look into the corrupting influence of CIs on one Massachusetts community in the podcast “Spotlight: Snitch City” from The Boston Globe.

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2025

For years, police searched for who was dumping bodies on NY’s Gilgo Beach. How did they nab a suspect - and how did he evade detection for so long? We’ll talk about the Netflix series “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer.”

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2025

His caretakers thought he was in a coma, but he was alert the whole time. What did they say to him when they thought he couldn’t hear them? We’ll discuss the podcast “Blink.”

Transcribed - Published: 10 April 2025

A new crop of troubled tourists travel to Thailand to confront sex, privilege, and death. We’ll talk about season three of HBO’s “The White Lotus.”

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2025

A cop patrols Philadelphia's mean streets looking for a serial killer…and her missing sister. We’ll talk about the crime series “Long Bright River” on Peacock.

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2025

Years ago he was a mob hitman. His son talks to him about his exploits…and his regrets. We’ll talk about the podcast “Crook County” from Tenderfoot TV.

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2025

It’s the most thought-provoking question of the Charles Manson case: how did he convince his followers to kill on his behalf? Did he get help from LSD and a secret government program? We’ll talk about the documentary “CHAOS: The Manson Murders” from Netflix.

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2025

A teen is accused of murdering a classmate. How does the crime affect his community and family - and their understanding of his struggles. We’ll talk about the series “Adolescence” from Netflix.

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2025

One was a YouTube mom praised for her parenting skills. The other was a life coach who promoted family values. Then - they were arrested for aggravated child abuse. We’ll talk about the Hulu docuseries “Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke.”

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2025

A con artist swindled Hollywood’s wealthy for hundreds of thousands of dollars, until he tried to bamboozle a former model selling tomato sauce. We’ll talk about “Once Upon a Con” from iHeartPodcasts.

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2025

A young woman’s life falls apart when she’s harassed on her phone and online. Is her professional mentor behind it? We’ll review the podcast “Stalked” from BBC Sounds.

Transcribed - Published: 13 March 2025

A serial killer took to his grave the secrets of the many bodies buried on his property. Decades later investigators want to know: did he have help? We’ll review the series “The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer.”

Transcribed - Published: 10 March 2025

A woman is accused of stabbing her stepdaughter to death in a bathtub. But no physical evidence of her involvement can be found. Do police have the wrong person? We’ll talk about the podcast “Murder on Songbird Road.”

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2025