The world can't get enough of true crime stories, be it books, documentaries, or podcasts. The internet has some great free resources to fill your appetite for tales of real people and their sinister deeds.
Ever since Truman Capote wrote In Cold Bold, audiences have craved more of the true crime genre. While there are several books still being written, it has now gone truly digital, especially with podcasts and documentaries or recreations on video. If you're the type to binge-watch Making a Murderer or binge-listen Serial, you should check these out.
1. That Chapter (YouTube): Free True Crime Mini-Documentaries
You're in for a treat if you haven't discovered That Chapter yet. Mike Oh hosts each episode, running about 20-30 minutes, about true crimes and unsolved mysteries. And he's not afraid to throw in a little Irish humor every now and then.
Mike mixes visuals of him talking on-screen with footage and pictures about the case available in the public domain. Every episode is almost like watching a true crime documentary show, without the fancy production values. Plus, Mike's excellent delivery and well-scripted narrative will keep you hooked throughout.
The real crime here is how That Chapter isn't regularly talked about among podcasts and YouTube channels about true crime. Each video is wonderfully put together, and you could even listen to it without the visuals like a podcast.
2. True Crime Diva (Web): Well-Researched Unsolved Mysteries and Crimes
Debbie, the founder of True Crime Diva, is a researcher for Criminology, one of the best true crime podcasts worth listening to. Even otherwise, she's a true crime junkie and dives into rabbit holes when a mystery pops up. She obviously comes across a lot of material since she's written about her most intriguing finds in this must-read blog.
Largely, the cases on True Crime Diva are unsolved mysteries and suspicious deaths. Once in a while, you'll find details about missing persons cases that are probably related to something sinister. And there are a few historical crime cases.
The focus on suspicious deaths and missing persons is particularly interesting because it's not something many other true crime blogs focus on. If a case is closed by the authorities, often it goes under the radar for such sites. But True Crime Diva digs up a few juicy stories here.
The articles themselves are well researched and breezy reads. You'll often find links to videos and audio clips, photos, and a neat timeline. Debbie also adds her own thoughts at the end of it, and as she notes, this is just an opinion, so don't take her to task for it.
3. FBI's Most Famous (Web): 100 Official Cases and Criminals
As you probably know from several movies and books, America's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated some of the most well-known crimes in history. It has highlighted 100 of the most famous cases and criminals in a single web page.
This rogues gallery includes a slew of notorious names such as Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, D. B. Cooper, and the Unabomber, as well as cases like the JFK assassination, Alcatraz Escape, and the Watergate scandal. Each page details the crime, the investigation from the FBI, and a direct link to the FBI's vault of files about it.
The vault, of course, is the most interesting item here, and you'll often find a ton of cool information in it. The FBI files should only serve as the jumping point for you to dig deeper into them. Don't go just by what the FBI says, if you find a case interesting, you'll find much more cool facts through a few web searches.
4. Criminally Listed (YouTube): Top Three Lists of Various True Crime Themes
Can the ghastly ordeals and bone-chilling details of true crimes be turned into entertaining listicles ala Buzzfeed? Turns out, yes it can, and it can be done quite tastefully and respectfully too. Watch videos on the Criminally Listed channel to believe it.
Criminally Listed releases two new YouTube videos every week, rounding up cases with a thematic similarity. For example, you'll find three "closet murder" mysteries in one video or unresolved murders of relatives of celebrities. The videos vary in length and include photos, audio clips, and other public domain artifacts about the cases.
Apart from the highly entertaining videos, Criminally Listed has a few other things for true crime fans. They have a new podcast called Into The Killing, which you can get into. And there's the ChapterDark mysteries series, where you get to be the detective in an online mystery, which fans of puzzles and escape rooms will love.
5. Crimes of the Centuries (Podcast): Greatest Crimes in History
Journalist Amber Hunt, part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team and host of the hit podcast Accused, has a new true crime podcast. In this one, Hunt dives into history to find lesser-known cases that made a big enough impact to be considered the crime of the century.
The short description for every episode will tell you why the crime was historic at its time, but you really need to listen to the whole thing to find out. These are the types of crimes that change laws, ask society to reflect, and spark new ways of investigation.
Hunt conducts meticulous research, speaks to people today who know about the topic, and presents an easy-listening narrative. It's still a new show, so you're getting in on the ground floor here. Each episode runs for about 50 minutes and is free to listen online or subscribe on any network. Just search for it in your favorite podcast app.
Subscribe to Crimes of the Centuries on Apple Podcasts | Spotify
The Internet Loves True Crime
These five resources are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the internet's love for true crime. Browse around a little and you'll find a variety of ways to discover mysteries and sinister human drama. And sometimes, netizens can even help cops solve the case.
Check any streaming service you subscribe to for true crime documentaries and recreations, you're bound to find several great options. There are also plenty of ebooks dedicated to telling such stories. Plus, as always, you'll find forums and social media groups who love this stuff, so follow them.
