Two Great True Crime Podcasts

I am a true crime podcast addict. I have a whole slew I love, but here are two I've started listening to recently that have stuck with me.

Number one is the podcast Tenfold More Wicked, on the Exactly Right network, by author Kate Winkler Dawson.

Kate Winkler Dawson is a historical true crime author, which gives her podcast, Tenfold More Wicked, a sense of next level professionalism. She covers one crime per season, at the time I’m writing this there are two published seasons, and a trailer for a third has been released. At first I was unsure if I would like the one story per season format, but I was hooked immediately after the first episode. Dawson doesn’t just tell you a story, she transports you back in time. I could feel the tension in the air as her characters fought, I felt a sense of fear as the victims fought for their lives. I felt like I knew the characters, I cared about what happened to them on almost a personal level, by the end of season one. This is a common feeling for me in books and movies, but I hadn’t felt that deep connection in a story told on a podcast until I listened to Dawson’s soothing, steady voice. Tenfold More Wicked covers true crimes that occurred primarily in the 1800’s, but often interviews descendants of the perps and victims in the present day. This gives such an unusual depth and dimension to these stories, one that focuses a lens not only on a specific crime, but on generational society as a whole. This is a podcast that feels like a friend telling me a story, and I am here for it.

Number two is the podcast Your Own Backyard, by Chris Lambert.

Your Own Backyard is a documentary style podcast that covers the mystery surrounding the 1996 disappearance of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. Smart was a freshman at the California college in the late nineties, who disappeared while returning to her dorm after a night out, memorial day weekend. It is unclear from what location exactly she first went missing. Even though she has the surname, Smart, she is not to be confused with, and is not related to, the Elizabeth Smart case. Chris Lambert takes such a kind, personal interest in Smart’s case, even though he never knew her personally, that I felt as though I was rooting for him to solve the case from day one. Smart’s case is one that is so complex, and was so bungled by law enforcement, that it feels like it can be solved. In fact, Lambert makes a compelling case for a suspect several episodes in. If nothing else, Lambert has done a great job of helping Kristin Smart be remembered as not just a victim, but for the adventurous and bright woman she was. Lambert interviews people with a firsthand connection to Kristin, including members of her own family; and truly shows the impact crimes like these have not only on the victim, but on the community as a whole. There is also an interesting, and unusual perspective given from the possible perpetrator’s family, and sheds light on the day to day life of the accused, but not convicted. This is a well researched, heart gripping podcast; so enthralling, that I couldn’t stop pressing “next episode.”

These two podcasts could not be more different in style or in narration, but they both tell the compelling stories of humans that were taken too soon, and deserve to be remembered. They are not over sensationalized or over dramatized, they are stories. Stories that humble and inspire. You can listen to them both on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen.

Let me know if you listen, and if you're a true crime fanatic like I am, let me know some of your favorites.