This is a response to My Favorite Podcast: "My Favorite Murder."

I love true crime as much as the next person, although I sometimes cringe at myself for saying those words. How is it possible to "love" a phenomenon that focuses on the pain and death of innocent people? Maybe love isn't the right word- but fascination.

Like most humans, I have a natural morbid curiosity. I'm drawn to stories of criminal activity because the dark patterns of human behavior fascinate me. And because these are real events that occur in the world around me that I want to be aware of. There's countless true crime tales that illustrate important yet overlooked issues in our society: police corruption, violence against women and other minorities, the dangerous long-term effects of child abuse.

But as informative and interesting as I find these stories, I don't want to consume or promote content that victims and their loved ones find harmful. There are ways to tell true crime stories with respect, avoiding sensational depictions of violence or glorifying killers. Here are three podcasts that place victims stories front and center.

Disappearances by Sarah Turney

Disappearances by Sarah Turney

Spotify

Sarah Turney spent nearly two decades searching for answers after her sister Alissa went missing. Using social media, she finally found justice for Alissa In 2020. Now, she hosts a podcast that centers victim's stories and explores the impact their absences have on the loved ones they leave behind.

Bad Women: The Ripper Retold

Bad Women: The Ripper Retold

Pushkin

Hosted by historian and author Hallie Rubenhold, this podcast dives into the mythos- and misinformation- surrounding Jack the Ripper and the women he killed. Rubenhold debunks many common misconceptions about both the victims and their killer, while making the rich, complicated lives of the women front and center.

Missing and Murdered: Finding Cleo

Missing and Murdered: Finding Cleo

CBC

This limited podcast series from the CBC is a feat of journalistic storytelling. Indigenous journalist Connie Walker explores the phenomenon of missing and murdered Indigenous women through a decolonizing lens, handling stories of gender and race-based violence with the care and gravity they deserve. This podcast is compelling, heartbreaking, and has a big twist you won't see coming.