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With television networks like Oxygen and Investigation Discovery, solely dedicated to covering real-life mysteries, disappearances, and cold cases, toppled with Netflix, HBO, and Hulu documentaries galore, the true crime community has an overwhelming abundance of content to continually indulge in. This fascinating genre has captivated audiences of all ethnicities and cultures, through a variety of mediums with one in particular, that arguably set the bar in the early 2010s — podcasting.
When American journalist Sarah Koenig created Serial, an investigative podcast series covering the murder of Hae Min Lee and the controversial conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Masud Syed, listeners from all over the world flocked to binge the captivating story, breaking records for the most episode downloads and becoming the third most listened podcast to date.
Serial set the mark for many other true crime podcasts to succeed, with recent statistics reporting that true crime was amongst the top three genres listeners subscribed to the most.
Serial was intriguing for so many due to Koenig’s impressive story-telling and impeccably produced content, but also for its mysterious subject matter for though Hae Min Lee’s murder resulted in a conviction, it far from resulted in justice.
Many other shows took inspiration from Serial’s method, fixating on a particular story, looking to find answers, reason, and for some, closure. We took a look at a few lesser-known podcasts that certainly create the same level of curiosity and intrigue Serial is known for today.
Murder in Oregon
Who killed Michael Francke? That’s a question that has been heavy on the minds of Kevin Francke, Michael’s brother, and Oregon reporter Phil Stanford, since Michael Francke was found brutally murdered outside his office in Salem, Oregon in 1989. Michael had led an impressive career cleaning up the United States judicial system, starting in New Mexico after the gruesome 1980 Santa Fe prison riot, eventually making his way to Oregon to become the Director of Corrections.
However, on January 18th, 1989, Michael Francke’s life would come to an abrupt end, but the story of police corruption and government cover-ups would only just begin. From a wrongful conviction to uncovering political secrets, a potential botched hit, and more, Murder in Oregon does not disappoint.
Up and Vanished
For over a decade, the missing person’s case of Tara Grinstead haunted the tight-knit community of Ocilla, Georgia. The former beauty queen turned high school history teacher went missing from her home on the night of October 22nd, 2005. With no evidence, suspects, or motives, investigators spent over ten years pondering how a beautiful, well-liked educator simply disappeared from her home without a trace. Inspired by the workings of Making a Murderer, Payne Lindsey, podcast host and investigator, sought out answers to Tara Grinstead’s suspicious disappearance, interviewing locals, sifting through old news articles, and peering through online forums. Up and Vanished quickly became a true crime sensation with suspenseful dialogue, well-thought-out theories and a twist ending no one saw coming.
True Crime Broads
Crystal and Renae, two Texan working mothers by day, are working feverishly to solve one of the Lone Star state’s most terrifying cases by night. Missy Bevers, a fitness instructor from Red Oak, Texas, was murdered in the early hours of April 18th, 2016 at the Creekside Church in Midlothian, Texas, shortly before she was scheduled to teach a fitness class. Despite surveillance capturing the suspect, who was dressed in what appears to be police tactical gear, investigators have yet to solve Missy’s horrifying murder.
True Crime Broads, who have a personal connection to Missy’s case, have interviewed crime scene investigators, funded a billboard with the help of Crime Stoppers, and have single-handedly brought Missy’s story back into mainstream media.
Missing Maura Murray
The 2004 disappearance of Maura Murray is one of the most haunting cases to date. The 21-year-old crashed her car in a rural part of New Hampshire, over 100 miles away from the University of Massachusetts where she was living and studying to become a nurse. Residents nearby called the police to report the accident, but when they arrived at the scene, Maura was gone.
She has not been heard from since and to this day, no one knows why Maura was driving through New Hampshire, nor where she was headed. The show’s earliest episodes thoroughly cover Maura’s timeline, including interviews with high-profile true crime authors, and detailing possible theories as to what could have happened to Maura on the night of February 9th, 2004.
Listen to Missing Maura Murray
Happy Face
The Happy Face podcast uniquely covers the life of serial killer Keith Hunter from the perspective of an unlikely source, his daughter. Melissa Moore details the beginning stages of her life, living with the sadistic Happy Face killer, all while idolizing him as the hero father figure she once thought he was.
Happy Face has a therapeutic feel as Melissa slowly comes to terms with her father’s horrific crimes, as she searches for answers as to why her father committed such heinous acts and how to cope with knowing she’ll never escape her own kin. Happy Face is incredibly moving, hearing Melissa detail everything from her parents’ divorce to her own realization that she too could harbor the same sociopathic tendencies; it’s a must-listen for those who yearn to truly understand why humans do what they do, even the most villainous ones.
