Welcome to our newest series. In “Friday Favorites,” our team will share a handful of favorite items. These can range from clothes to beauty products to recipes to books and anything in between.
Typically I catch on to a trend a few years after it becomes a trend. But I am happy to report that podcast listening has been a part of my daily life BEFORE everyone and their brother started creating podcasts.
My main listening time is during my long training runs or while I solo grocery shop and run errands. I also may be known for napping to anything and anyone with an Aussie accent. My first genre choice will always be true crime. The ID Channel was on repeat when we lived stateside, and once I found out that true crime is almost always the #1 genre on Apple Podcasts, I was hooked.
Now, I know true crime podcasts are not everyone’s cup of tea – but if you are into all things true crime, then you know what I mean when I say that you just can’t stop listening!
I have compiled a list of a few of my favorite ones, but this is just a small sampling. My list could be much LONGER. I hope my fellow crime lovers will find a podcast or two they haven’t listened to.
Have a favorite of your own? Tell us about it in the comments – we would love to hear from YOU!
Casefile
Casefile will forever be my #1 true crime podcast. Sure, the host has an amazingly luring Australian accent – but with over 140 episodes in the library, this one has the history to prove it is a good one. This Australian based podcast started as a one person podcast and turned into a well run team of writers and researchers featuring famous and not so famous crime stories from around the world. It is a facts only podcast with the narrator showing very little bias and simply telling the story. You will see throughout this list that I stick to podcasts similar to this one. I don’t enjoy the chatty ones or the ones that seem to take away from the seriousness of the content. Trust me when I say that his podcast sets the bar high!
Favorite Episodes
Case 36: AMOK
CASE 78: THE JANABI FAMILY
CASE 53 (PARTS 1-5) – EAST AREA RAPIST – one of the best deep dives of the EARS case you will find!
The Vanished Podcast
If true crime is not your thing, I urge you to try this podcast. The host, Marissa Jones, focuses on missing persons cases and does a wonderful job speaking to the families and the people involved. This podcast has over 200 episodes and is one of the best produced podcasts out there. People can submit cases in to the podcast, which gives smaller known missing person cases a chance to get their story out there. Some have even been solved after being featured!
Favorite Episodes
Kelli Cribbs Abad – This one hits close to home it is about an Air Force wife mysteriously went missing from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.
James Liedtka
Crime Junkie
Ashley Flowers is the host of this podcast, and she is an amazing story teller that pulls you in to every single episode. Her friend Brit is the producer, and I like the personality she brings to the episodes as well. Both ladies are true crime junkies and are able to stick to the facts in a refreshingly friendly way. The podcast ran into some plagiarism issues last year, but that drama is in the past and they are moving on from it (just making sure to accurately reference their stuff now)! If there is one thing I can not stand in a true crime podcast, it is chattiness and jokes; Crime Junkie does an amazing job of telling the story while making you feel like you are in the room with friends. Ashley recently started a new podcast, Supernatural, that is proving to be very good too! Make sure to check that one out too.
Favorite Episodes
Mysterious Death of: Kyle Antonacci
Missing: Patti Adkins
Serial Killer: Dr. No
CRIMINAL
This is another one to dip your toe into if you aren’t sure scary true crime is up your alley. Phoebe Judge’s voice will soothe any of your moods, and her fantastic journalism is easy to see in each and every episode. All episodes are well researched and feature any type of crime, not just those involving missing and murdered victims. There is such a variety of content and quite a few twists and turns along the way. With over 130 episodes, you are sure to find a few to add to your favorites list. If you end up loving Phoebe as much as I do, make sure to check out her other podcast, This Is Love. It is a magical list of episodes focusing on ALL types of love stories.
Favorite Episodes:
Episode 127 – The Reverend (If you LOVE In Cold Blood, listen to this)
Episode 116: Jessica and The Bunny Ranch
Episode 117: The Widow and the Winchester
Episode 93: The Lavender Scare
Bear Brook
As you can guess from my recommendations above, I do not typically enjoy series podcasts. BUT, Bear Brook is a huge exception for me. This cold case was the first case that used genealogy to solve the case; it would eventually help to set the ground work that would break the EAR case wide open a few years later. It is so well researched and well told and simply fascinating. This will be a binge listen for sure!
Here is a compiled list of some that I LOVE, but didn’t make the above cut!
Missing Murdered (anything from CBC is GOLD)
