At first, I was going to label this list as my favorite true crime podcasts, but not all of these are true crime. Some of them are just short documentaries about a thing that happened. I love these types of podcasts. I think it’s because they are, at their heart, telling a story. Each episode feels like a chapter in a super engaging book and I can’t help but binge all of the episodes quickly because I just want to know what happens next. Even when I know how it’s all going to play out, it’s the way the story is told that keeps me engaged. So, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite docu-series – podcasts that tell one story and one story alone (with one exception).
1) Believed.
Believed is the story of Larry Nassar, who molested dozens of female gymnasts during his time as the USA Gymnastics national team doctor. It’s an incredibly well-produced and thoughtful documentary that delves into exactly how Larry was able to get away with his abuse for so long and the courage of these women to come forward and accuse him. I listened to this podcast over a year ago now, and it’s still one I talk about a lot and encourage everyone to listen to.
2) Cold.
Cold is about the disappearance (and likely murder) of Susan Powell, who disappeared in December of 2009. Her husband, Josh Powell, was the prime suspect in her murder and there is no doubt in my mind that he did it. Unfortunately, there will be no justice in Susan’s (likely) death, as Josh killed himself and their two young sons in February of 2012. Cold takes a deep dive into this case to show us who Susan and Josh were, what their marriage was like, and the ebbs and flows of the investigation.
3) Dirty John.
Oh, man. This podcast. What a wild ride it was. It’s about a single woman in her fifties (Debra) who meets a man (John) on an online dating site, has a whirlwind romance, and marries him, against the wishes of her grown children. One of her daughters does some digging into her mom’s new husband’s past and learns that he’s a con artist but it takes her mom a while to come to terms with it. I must say, Debra infuriated me, mostly because I have my own experience with my mom using dating apps and I am positive she would have taken my concerns seriously.
4) Dr. Death.
This is another wild story, one that hit a little too close to home at times. It follows the story of Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon who seriously injured multiple patients and is responsible for the death of two others. The podcast gives voice to all of Dr. Duntsch’s victims and lays out the long and horrifying journey of this man, one who should have never had any sort of medical license or been in any kind of operating room.
5) Up and Vanished, season one.
Season one of Up and Vanished follows the mysterious disappearance of Tara Grinstead, a high school teacher in Ocilla, Georgia. The host investigates this case from every angle, piecing together Tara’s life and what could have happened to her. Then, halfway through the podcast series (in real time!), an arrest is made in the case. I found the entire series fascinating, but I’d advise just to stick to the main episodes. There are so many “extra” episodes that were unnecessary and I don’t think you need to listen to them to get a full view of this case. The host provides updates from time to time on the case as the murder trial proceeds, and it’s super interesting. I’m glad justice is being done in her case.
6) Broken Harts.
In March of 2018, Jennifer and Sarah Hart, a married couple who were adoptive parents of six children ages 12-19, drove their van off a cliff, effectively killing the entire family. (One of the sons, Devonte, who was 15 at the time of the crash, is still missing and presumed dead.) Broken Harts explores the adoption of these six children, the alleged abuse the children suffered, and what led to Jennifer driving off a cliff. It also explores transracial adoption, which was a big theme throughout the podcast, as Jennifer and Sarah were white and all of their adoptive children were black.
7) The Dropout.
The Dropout chronicles the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and CEO of the now-defunct Theranos, a medical company that claimed it was going to revolutionize blood testing. Instead of needing vials of blood to diagnose disease, a single finger prick is all that would be needed. Theranos received millions of dollars in venture capital and a partnership with Walgreens. But… it was all a fraud. This podcast does a great job of unraveling all the threads involved in the story of Theranos, and it’s not to be missed.
8) Standoff.
This four-episode podcast details the standoff at Ruby Ridge and how it became the foundation for the modern right. I didn’t know anything about Ruby Ridge until I read about it in Educated by Tara Westover, so it was serendipity that this podcast premiered soon after I finished that book. It details the Weaver family and how they got onto the U.S. Marshals watchlist, as well as the eleven-day siege that resulted in three deaths. The last episode was the most interesting to me because it discusses the aftermath of this siege and how its effects reverberated throughout the nation, especially in Republican politics.
What’s a podcast docu-series that I need to listen to?
