True Crime Podcasts (Part 2)
In 'True Crime Podcasts (Part 1)' I talked about four podcasts that I love: Serial, Casefile, In Sight and Family Ghosts. In Part 2 I'm going to give you five more - enjoy!
Once Upon A Crime
This podcast is back to a classic storytelling format. Esther Ludlow hosts and she groups episodes together by theme. For example, the first three episodes are all 'Lost and Found' cases, the next three are 'Killer Kids', and so on. What makes Once Upon A Crime unique, apart from these mini-series, is that Esther covers some well known and/or historical cases that I've not seen any other podcast tackle. In 'The Day The Music Died' episodes, we explore the suspicious deaths of the likes of Marvin Gaye and Kurt Cobain, and in 'Fatal Fans' the murder of John Lennon. 'Artful Crimes' looks at the death of Vincent Van Gough and in 'True Crime Game Changers', we hear about incidents which have instigated changes in the law and how we deal with crime as a society.
In a sentence: Themed episodes covering a wide range of crimes.
Listen to: Episode 7: Killer Kids: Mary Bell and Episode 26: Artful Crimes: The Death of Vincent Van Gough
Someone Knows Something
For some reason I feel very fondly towards David Ridgen, host of SKS. Maybe it's because he talks about picking flowers with his teenage son, or because he's Canadian, or because I spent all three seasons listening to his soft, soothing voice and imagining a clean-cut, nerdy looking guy and then was surprised to see a moody, beardy twitter picture. Who knows. But with such a likeable host, you can't go wrong. There have been three seasons of SKS so far, each very different. It's one case per season and while the first two dealt with unsolved missing persons cases, the third was adapted into a podcast after David made a documentary about the murders of two black men in 1964, Mississippi. Dee and Moore were murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan who were identified at the time but never prosecuted. The podcast aims to help move each case forward and the results are substantial in Season 3. This latest season is particularly moving as it is pertinent to the American civil rights movement and the racial struggles still alive today.
In a sentence: Sensitive, compelling and mobilising.
Listen to: Season 3: Dee and Moore
Suspect Convictions
As the title suggests, Suspect Convictions sets out to investigate whether the person who has been incarcerated for the crime is actually the perpetrator. Journalist Scott Reader devotes a whole season to a case (like Serial and SKS) and delves deep into the crimes, getting to know key players and conducting interviews with them. Both seasons so far concern crimes against children so are not for the faint-hearted, but they are thorough and fascinating. As a listener, you get to know the case well and form your own opinions.
In a sentence: Thorough investigation into questionable convictions.
Listen to: Season 2 (Barton McNeil)
They Walk Among Us
My only British true crime subscription! At first I found the narration a little slow but I enjoyed the British aspect and as Benjamin's voice grew familiar I got hooked by the interesting cases and succinct storytelling. The episodes are numbered and not named which can make it hard to navigate, but there are some fascinating crimes detailed in this podcast that I've not heard elsewhere. I also appreciate the 'Where Are We Now?' section at the end of each episode that keeps listeners up to date with the latest developments.
In a sentence: No-nonsense British crime.
Listen to: Season 1, Episodes 6 and 10.
Actual Innocence
This podcast tells the stories of people who have served time for crimes they didn't commit. Brooke, the podcast host, gives the exonerated persons a platform to explain what happened in their own words. Because the interviews are recorded over the phone, the sound quality isn't always great but Brooke is good at recapping important points if it's not very clear. It's very moving to hear these people being given a voice and the most shocking thing I've learnt is how little support exonerees get after being released from prison. Actual Innocence is not only an engaging podcast but it is doing important work in exposing major flaws in the justice system.
In a sentence: The wrongly convicted share their own stories.
Listen to: Ep 104 - Julie Baumer and Ep 106 - Jeff Deskovic
