Here Are the 12 Best New True-Crime Podcasts of 2021
Excuse me while I dust off my detective hat.
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Ah, true crime podcasts. The soul food of any true-crime-obsessed person. Unfortunately for the world (but fortunately for us podcast listeners?) there is quite literally no shortage of totally horrifying yet wildly fascinating crime cases to cover, which means we're constantly getting new content. In 2021 alone, there were truly SO many new true crime podcasts that have us asking "Hey, have you heard this one yet?" to everyone we know.
Whether you're a casual listener who will pop on an episode from time to time, or one who will listen to true crime all day every day even when home alone at night (yes, hi, it's me), these 12 new podcasts from 2021 are absolute must-listens for any and all true crime fans. You've got everything from an Italian doctor performing questionable surgeries to a Canadian cryptocurrency CEO disappearing while on a honeymoon in India. OH, and true crime king Billy Jensen's newest deep dive into a Long Island serial killer is just *chef's kiss*. I hope your headphones are charged because you've got some serious listening to do!
Dr. Death: Miracle Man
As if the first two seasons of Dr. Death weren't wild enough, the third season is somehow even more off the walls. Dr. Death: Miracle Man dives into the story of Dr. Paolo Macchiarini. He's known as a highly-respected Italian thoracic surgeon who's able to charm (and con) just about anyone, including an award-winning journalist who falls head over heels for him. But that all starts to change as it's uncovered that many of his surgeries may be...experimental.
The Next Call
From the same host that brought you Someone Knows Something (which if you haven't listened to BTW, go hit play right this very second), The Next Call investigates unsolved cases via strategic phone calls to everyone from the victim's family members to possible suspects.
It sounds like an odd premise but TRUST ME, you won't be able to turn it off. The first season looks into the case of Melanie Ethier, a Canadian teen who vanished from a tiny town in northern Ontario while walking home from a friend's house late one night.
Suspect
While an apartment complex hosts a Halloween party with themed rooms and plenty of costumed partygoers, one of the building's residents is murdered by the end of the night. It sounds like a movie plot but unfortunately it's very, very true.
Suspect dissects the murder itself along with the highly strange investigation afterwards.
Mommy Doomsday
If you're fascinated by doomsday believers, then this is a 100 percent must-listen for you. When Idaho mom Lori Rexburg's two kids disappear in 2019, investigators are lead down an absolutely wild trail of intense devotion and doomsday beliefs. The podcast is hosted by Keith Morrison, so any Dateline lovers will feel right at home.
The Devil Within
In a small town in New Jersey in the winter of 1988, Betty Ann Sullivan was brutally murdered in her home. Then just a few hours later, her 14-year-old son took his own life.
Many held him responsible for the murder, but now more than 30 years later the town is still dealing with the repercussions of his actions.
The Village
We were blessed with a second season of The Village this year, and it should honestly be required listening for true crime fanatics. It gets into the violence faced by trans women, and trans sex workers in particular, through the cases of two women: Alloura Wells and Cassandra Do. Their tragic deaths are still unsolved, partly thanks to the system that failed them.
International Infamy
This podcast has 15 episodes that cover murders in 15 different countries. It's like a trip around the world focusing on the most horrible, dark parts. Fun!
But in all seriousness, International Infamy is a SUPER interesting listen that covers everything from England's infamous Jack the Ripper to the lesser-known Bandit King in Brazil.
Unraveled: Long Island Serial Killer
True crime bae Billy Jensen and producer Alexis Linkletter get into the STILL unsolved case of the Long Island Serial Killer.
For those who are unfamiliar, the LISK murdered at least 11 people (mostly sex workers) and left their bodies on a beach in southern Long Island. Jensen and Linkletter investigate the corruption-filled investigation into these killings to try to pinpoint what exactly went wrong.
Killer Psyche
If you saw one episode of Criminal Minds when you were younger and wanted to grow up to be an FBI profiler, then you'll want to listen to this podcast because it's hosted by Candice DeLong and she actually accomplished that!
Candice uses her years of experience to take you inside the mind of some of the most horrifying criminals in history, from the Unabomber to the Menendez Brothers.
A Death in Cryptoland
The only thing more head-scratching than cryptocurrency itself is the disappearance of Gerald Cotten, the CEO of Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange.
He went missing while on his honeymoon in India, spurring a flurry of conspiracy theories and leaving tens of thousands of people out a quarter of a billion dollars.
Stolen: The Search for Jermain
After Jermain Charlo, a young Indigenous mother in Montana, walked out of a bar in 2018, she was never seen again. This podcast gets into all the details of the police investigation and how the detectives believe they are very close to finding out what happened to Jermain.
Up and Vanished: Season 3
Another season of Up and Vanished is here, and you're going to want to binge it. It follows the story of an Indigenous woman in Montana who disappeared, something the podcast notes happens far too often.
Twenty-year-old Ashley Loring HeavyRunner went missing without a trace from the Blackfeet Nation Indian Reservation. Only two weeks later, her friends found potential evidence near the edge of the reservation, and things unraveled from there.
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