In the fall of 2014, Sarah Koenig took us on a journey into true crime like no other with the podcast that made podcasts popular. Serial promised to tell us "one story, told week by week," and has captivated international audiences for two seasons. Unfortunately, all things must come to an end, so what are you supposed to listen to while Koenig and her fearless assisstant Dana are on the trail of a new case and and you're left with an empty Stitcher queue week after week? Here are eight podcasts to keep on your "To Listen" lists for true crime.
1. Undisclosed: The State v. Adnan Syed
Currently in the middle of it's second season, Undisclosed began as an in depth look at the legal problems faced by investigative efforts into the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, the same case looked at in Serial. If you have listened to Serial, you may remember Rabia Chaudry, the family friend of Adnan's who first recruited Sarah to the case. In Undisclosed, Rabia is joined by two fellow lawyers to discuss the investigation and trial into Adnan. They even give you a deeper look into Adnan's recent Post-Conviction Relief hearing than Sarah did in her brief update during Season 2 of Serial. And, don't worry, if you're tired of Adnan's story, you can always skip to Season 2, where Rabia, Colin and Susan are looking at an all new case.
What began as a Serial conspiracy theory podcast known as Serial Dynasty, has transformed more recently into a full-fledged true crime podcast of its own right. Now considered to be a sister podcast to Undisclosed, Truth and Justice is great if you want to go down the rabbit hole that is the Serial subreddit, or if you want more of the juicy details about flaws in our criminal justice system.
Named for all the times when the criminal justice system can break down, this podcast is hosted by Bill Rankin, a law journalist for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and looks at two cases of misconduct in Georgia's past, one of which sparked a nationwide controversy. For a uniquely southern look into what makes law enforcement and juries tick, look no further!
In the past, Bowraville has been called "Australia's Serial" but you don't need to be from Australia to listen to it. In fact, you're encouraged to! Australia's criminal justice system is faced by completely different challenges than ours, and listening to one of their own explain it, is sure to give you a more global outlook on whatever got you hooked on true crime.
For switch away from murder and into the world of missing persons cases, look no further than Missing Maura Murray, a podcast which two filmmakers began as a way to promote the documentary they were making about the famous 2004 disappearance of Maura Murray, a University of Massachusetts student who vanished without a trace. Since then, the podcast has become a full-time undertaking, and its hosts Tim and Lance have been unafraid to ruffle feathers as they search for Maura Murray.
In 2005, Tara Grinstead, a former beauty queen from Georgia, went missing, and over 11 years later, her friends and family are still looking for answers. Payne Lindsey took it upon himself to find out why the investigating authorities have found so little, and ever since, has been making them sweat.
Someone Knows Something is another podcast from outside America for any listeners who want to expand their true crime knowledge. Taking place this time in Canada, a journalist from CBC looks into the long dead cases of missing persons Adrien McNaughton and Sheryl Sheppard.
8. Missing and Murdered: Who Killed Alberta Williams?
In Canada, indigenous women face the threat of going missing or being murdered at a much higher rate than other cultural groups, and many believe that their cases receive very different styles of investigation by authorities. After investigating many cases ruled to have no foul play by the police and the success of Someone Knows Something, CBC decided that one of these cases deserved a podcast of its own. Investigated by an indigenous woman herself, Missing and Murdered shines new light into grim realities faced by Canadian women and Canada's even darker past.
Podcasts like these have brought new relevance to the art of radio and more importantly, they show that you can affect change just by getting hooked. Give some of these a listen and let us know what you think.
