by: Maddie Rowley
True crime, (well, and horror podcasts for all you hardcore Halloween lovers out there) is really a genre you can listen to all year round, but I feel like, in addition to the chilly weather and all of the things we love about fall, being wrapped up in a good murder mystery or a scary ghost story just really elevates the season to a whole new level.
There are some amazing true crime podcasts out there right now AND some awesome horror/thriller podcasts, so I thought, why not just compile them into one list? Bundle up in your coziest sweater and warmest fuzzy socks, grab a cup of tea and sidle up to a crackling fire, relax and enjoy. Happy listening!
True Crime Podcasts
Paper Ghosts
“Four separate cases, four young girls. All of whom go missing in the early to mid-1970s, all within miles from one another in neighboring New England towns. And not one arrest has been made in over 50 years. In Paper Ghosts, investigative journalist and true crime author M. William Phelps’ decade-long search for answers is reignited when a call reveals new information that sets the investigation in motion, uncovering never-made-public documents and bringing forth new witnesses and suspects.”
Notes: This podcast has been trending #1 on Apple’s top podcast chart for weeks now and I totally understand why. True crime expert and author, M. William Phelps has researched and reported on an engrossing personal story and he’s a great storyteller. I always find it more interesting when the podcast host has a stake in the game. I can’t wait until Wednesdays now—not just because it’s hump day, but because that’s when new Paper Ghosts episodes drop! Was there an active serial killer in the mid-1970s who was never caught? M. William Phelps is determined to find out.
Tom Brown’s Body
“In 2016, a popular teenager disappeared in the tiny Panhandle community of Canadian, Texas. Two years later, his remains were discovered beneath a tree outside of town. But to this day, no arrests have been made, and nearly everyone involved in the case has fallen under suspicion.”
Notes: This podcast just launched on September 29th, but I can already tell it’s going to be a good one. Skip Hollandsworth is an award-winning journalist and it shows from the very first episode. So why didn’t Tom Brown come home one night after hanging out with friends? I’m looking forward to hearing how this mystery unfolds.
Where the Bodies are Buried
“First of its kind True Crime podcast from Audio Up and Grinning Dog that features renown serial killer profiler Phil Chalmers. Each episode features Phil conducting behind bars interviews with incarcerated psychopathic serial killers. His unprecedented connections within the prison system coupled with his law enforcement relationships and the entrusted “friendships” he's made with notorious killers provides this series access to information thought to otherwise be impossible to obtain. Producers Samantha Gutstadt and Adam Kaloustian join Phil and offer the listeners a unique perspective when Phil shares details with them that are as intriguing as they are horrific.”
Notes: I’ve listened to the first four episodes and word of caution: they’re intense! Listening to these serial killers made me want to crawl out of my skin, but serial killer profiler Phil Chalmers does such a good job and strikes this seemingly unattainable balance with these serial killer interviews to the point that he helped detectives find the remains of one of Dellmus Colvin’s (The Interstate Strangler’s) victims.
In the Red Clay
“Whiskey, fast cars, drugs, betrayal, murder...and that's just scratching the surface. Buried deep in the past of a quiet southern town lies the legend of Billy Sunday Birt, the most dangerous man in Georgia history. A chance meeting one spring day begins to unravel the truth behind the notorious figure and uncovers new secrets along the way.”
Notes: I hadn’t heard of Billy Sunday Birt or the Dixie Mafia before this podcast came along but the way writer and host, Sean Kipe, tells this tale makes it seem like an episodic documentary or even an audio book. I could see each and every scene unfold—it reminds me of my all-time favorite true crime podcast, Bear Brook, in that way. Fun fact about this podcast: Kipe starts looking into the story of killer Billy Sunday Birt while scouting out locations in Georgia for the HBO series, The Outsider. Just goes to show you never know what opportunities might come your way at any time!
Chameleon: Hollywood Con Queen
“CHAMELEON: Hollywood Con Queen unspools the story of one of the weirdest and wildest scams in history. Over the past five years, hundreds of Hollywood gig workers have been fooled into flying to Indonesia for a movie that doesn’t exist. The show examines the cost of wanting something so badly that you see only what you want to see, contrasted against how information—and disinformation—can be used as a weapon to prey on true believers; the way the imbalance between powerful women and below-the-line men in the film biz plays out in the era of #MeToo; and the nature of Hollywood, a place where everyone is pretending to be someone else.”
Notes: I LOVE (and I mean love) a podcast that covers any sort of ponzi scheme or con. I consider this arena to be just as much true crime as the “murder” podcasts and just as interesting. This podcast is like catfish on steroids and I can’t wait for more episodes to drop!
Spooky Podcasts:
Ghosts In The Burbs
Liz Sower, writer and host of Ghosts In The Burbs, is probably one of my all-time favorite storytellers. She’s a genius who has found this Gossip-Girl-meets-ghosts way of creeping you out in a “chic” way. Word of advice: you have to start at the very beginning of the podcast, which she started in March of 2016, because there are recurring characters that you just fall in love with. The sound quality isn’t the best at first but as Liz gains more and more followers with each episode, the audio gets better!
This podcast is my guilty pleasure and got me through some tough times. There have been so many episodes that have sent literal chills down my spine and had me looking out the windows in my house to make sure there was no one there. Episode 12 is one of my absolute favorites! I even remember what I was doing when I listened to it (washing the dishes).
The Long Hallway
Last fall, Hunt A Killer producer Will Rogers (host of podcast Guide to the Unknown) along with members of our writing team, launched a “bite-sized” spooky fiction podcast called The Long Hallway. It’s the perfect podcast to really get you in the Halloween spirit, and most of the episodes are only 6-7 minutes long—perfect for anytime you want to listen to something but don’t have the time to commit to a longer episode. Our writers had a blast with this side project and the entire team was proud of the end result!
Full Body Chills
“Ever miss those spooky campfire stories you heard growing up? Well, gather round… and listen close.”
Notes: Ashley Flowers, co-host of ultra-popular podcast, Crime Junkie, reads the scripts of spooky campfire stories that are submitted by listeners from all over the world. Season one certainly provided major chills, so if that’s any indication of how scary Season two will be, I’m all-in! Sometimes, scary stories can get repetitive and it might feel like you’ve heard them all before, but the best part about this podcast is that each one is a brand new tale, so it keeps me guessing as to what will happen next! Full Body Chills has a 5-star rating on Apple podcasts (which is like, unheard of) and has over 15,000 reviews. Definitely give it a listen if you’re looking for a scary story that you’ve never heard of before!
The NoSleep Podcast
“In the spring of 2010, a new forum appeared on Reddit.com. It was called “Nosleep” and the concept of this forum (or “subreddit”) was to be a place for people to post original scary stories about frightening experiences. It was an online version of telling spooky stories around the campfire. A year later, as Nosleep was growing at a rapid pace, one member named Matt Hansen proposed the idea of doing a podcast where some of the top stories from Nosleep would be narrated in audiobook style. The response was quite positive and over the next few months a small group of members endeavored to put together what would come to be known as The Nosleep Podcast. On June 13th, 2011 Episode #1 was released”
Notes: I had my very first venture into the NoSleep Reddit forum by accident, when I saw that someone had posted a creepy story told from the viewpoint of a Search and Rescue officer who worked for the U.S. Forest Service. The author posted several different parts of the story and I devoured each one. When I heard that the forum was turned into a podcast I was totally elated. The writing is superb and be warned, the stories told on the NoSleep podcast aren’t just spooky, they’re downright scary!
Haunted Places
“You’ve heard of haunted houses, haunted cemeteries, haunted islands...but do you know how a normal place can become a paranormal minefield? Every haunted place on earth has a frightening, real backstory. Greg (Co-Host of Serial Killers and Cults) takes you on an audio tour of a new haunted place, and it’s haunted history, every episode. Spooky legends, weird histories, and tales of the supernatural... Listen at your own risk. Haunted Places is a production of Cutler Media and part of the Parcast Network. New episodes are released every Thursday.”
Notes: Growing up, I was always the kid reading up on hauntings like the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, the Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania, the Winchester Mystery House in San Diego, and the list goes on. Haunted Places covers all of those and more. The podcast really hits the spot if you’re looking for something with a little historical background mixed in with the actual ghost story itself.
Comment and let us know if you’ve listened to any of these podcasts this fall or if you have any to add to the list!