Serial, the podcast that started it all. Fast-forward five years and the true crime genre is expansive, with new podcasts added daily. We scoured the web and compiled a list of the most captivating investigative podcasts, brought to you by journalists from some of the country's most acclaimed news outlets. They relay stories of ambition turned criminal. From cases you know — like Elizabeth Holmes and her web of lies — to those you haven't yet heard — like the disturbing disappearance of aspiring actress in LA. Put your press hat on and get your reporter's notebook ready as we break down the best investigative podcasts available.
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Believed documents the case of USA Gymnastics Team Doctor Larry Nassar, the largest serial child molestation conviction in history. The podcast highlights the accounts of Nassar's victims as told through their eyes. It explains how Nassar, the master manipulator, got away with abusing hundreds of young girls, some only 6 years old, for more than 20 years. Believed also gives survivors a platform to find their own power and voice during the #MeToo era.
In 2018, a German tourist traveling along California's coast noticed an SUV flipped over at the foot of a cliff. In it police officers found two white women, both dead. Later, authorities found the remains of children's bodies. This family was revealed to be the Harts, a couple that adopted six black children who, on the surface, seemed like the perfect blended family. Broken Harts examines what happened on that day, why, and who could have saved these children.
Adapted into a Golden Globe-nominated show, Dirty John is a classic love story gone wrong. Debra Newell, a successful interior designer, meets her dream man who checks off all the boxes: he's a doctor, Christian, and divorced. But Newell's children sense something is "off" about John. Slowly his shady past filled with crime, lies, and abuse is revealed before Debra realizes that her life, and her family's, may be at risk.
Dr. Christopher Duntsch was nicknamed Dr. Death for his malicious medical malpractice. This Dallas neurosurgeon botched procedure after procedure, leading his patients to experience complications from permanent nerve damage to death. The podcast recounts Duntsch's career, malpractice, and the medical institution that failed to protect his patients — everyone's worst nightmare.
From The Boston Globe's Spotlight Team, the investigative unit that uncovered systemic child sex abuse in the Catholic church, comes Gladiator. This podcast follows Aaron Hernandez's life story — his rise, his fall, and his demise. Gladiator unveils the how this Patriots tight end's childhood trauma, community, and a corrupt football league enabled his destructive behavior that led to a life sentence. The seven-episode podcast describes the complexities of Hernandez's career and the people who failed to help him along the way.
A woman moved from Macedonia to LA with hopes of launching an acting career, a story you've heard a thousand times. But instead of fame, this one ends in tragedy. From acclaimed Rolling Stone journalist Neil Strauss, To Live and Die in LA seeks to solve the disappearance of promising actress Adea Shabani. Strauss develops relationships with Adea's inner circle to unlock new information that could help solve the case. Twists and turns occur in every episode, adding new layers to this complicated investigation.
The Dropout documents how Elizabeth Holmes and her technology company swindled investors out of billions by falsifying medical results. Holmes, a college dropout, launched Theranos to help revolutionize the blood testing industry. Her business' apparent success helped Holmes land on the cover of Time magazine and had her dubbed the next Steve Jobs, but now she faces up to 20 years in prison. Through never-before-heard interviews with Theranos staff members, lawyers, and even lovers, The Dropout gives an inside look at how Holmes deceived the public into believing her company's product worked — and even existed.
