Scary’s Voices Halloween Spooktacular: True Crime
Greetings, pod-people! Today continues my look back through some of my favourite podcasts so you can get your Halloween setting turned up to eleven. One category that never fails to send chills down my spine is the disturbing world of True Crime.
There are loads of true crime podcasts out there and ones that capture my attention need to offer something above and beyond typical expectations. The following recommendations talk about crime in unique ways and are must-listens for anyone who wants to examine real-life horrors.
The Murder Police Podcast
In The Murder Police Podcast husband and wife team David and Wendy Lyons don’t just research crimes, they talk to detectives about the cases they’ve investigated. As a former Commander of a homicide unit, David understands what it takes to crack cases and his insights allow him to ask guests questions which most of us wouldn’t think of. Wendy on the other hand brings the perspective of most true crime fans, and she always poses questions I would want to ask.
Besides going through specific cases, The Murder Police Podcast also discusses other aspects of solving crimes such as their 3-part interview with Dr. Greg Davis about Forensic Pathology and another 3-part series with Laura Sudkamp and Marci Adkins digging further into Forensic Science. If you enjoy shows like Forensic Files, you’ll love both sets of interviews.
Episodes typically have a runtime of 30 to 45 minutes and are available on most streaming platforms as well as on YouTube which includes closed captioning. On top of the podcast content, crime scene photos and other information can be found in the Show Notes section of their website www.murderpolicepodcast.com
Crime Junkie
Recently Crime Junkie won the 2021 Discover Pods Award for best True Crime podcast and if you’ve caught any of their shows you’ll know why. In this excellent podcast, hosts Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat present a vast range of cases from infamous killers to crimes that didn’t spark international attention. What I enjoy most about this show is the style of presenting facts. After thoroughly researching the crimes, Ashley and Brit use the information to tell a well thought out narrative of the victims, the crime, and the suspects or perpetrators. All their sources are provided via links on their website, along with related pictures of the locations and people involved in the case.
Crime Junkie posts new episodes every Monday, with runtimes of 30 minutes to an hour. They also offer an ASL version of their episodes on YouTube. Links to both the audio presentations and ASL versions can be found on their website www.crimejunkiepodcast.com
Fruitloops: Serial Killers of Color
For the past 3 years Fruitloops: Serial Killers of Color has been giving true crime fans cases that are overlooked by mainstream media, cases involving crimes perpetrated by and against people of colour. The fantastic hosts Wendy and Beth not only discuss murders, but also provide a contextual history of race relations in the area where the crime occurred.
Another aspect of this podcast I really enjoy are the in-depth show notes available on their website. The notes provide links to source information so you can fall further down the rabbit hole anytime you wish. And all episodes include a segment called “How Not to Get Murdered” where Wendy and Beth give some helpful tips to keep you safe, with further details included in the show notes.
Fruitloops: Serial Killers of Color drop new episodes every Thursday, with most running between 1 to 1.5 hours. The podcast is available on most listening platforms, or you can listen directly on their website www.fruitloopspod.com
Homicide Worldwide Podcast
On the Homicide Worldwide Podcast, hosts Sally and Kita dig deep into infamous serial killers, as well as less known cases from all over the globe. Episodes include terrific background information on the criminals, as well as delving into the social climate surrounding the cases to provide context and expand the understanding of how these killers stayed out of police custody for so long.
As with most true crime shows, listener discretion is advised, however, I really appreciated that these hosts only include graphic details of the crimes when they are needed to demonstrate a point of the seriousness of the crimes and not to sensationalise the cases. And thankfully, Sally and Kita also strike the perfect balance of injecting humour into the discussions to keep the conversations from getting too bleak.
Homicide Worldwide Podcast posts new episodes weekly, which typically run 1.5 to 2 hours. They recently released Episode 043 “A Thousand Ways to Decompose” which talks about The Body Farm in Tennessee, and I can’t wait to hear it! You can find the show on most podcast platforms or listen directly via BuzzSprout Homicide Worldwide Podcast
And that’s a wrap for my True Crime edition of Scary’s Voices Halloween Spooktacular.
Now you’ll have to forgive me if my “Spooktacular” has been far from the suggested title. You know how the saying goes about the plans of mortals being a punchline for deities? Such has been my October. So, small pivot, and I’ll continue my look back through Scary’s Voices after the spookiest day of the year. Being the awesome horror fan that you are, I know the Halloween spirit stays strong within you all year, so I hope you’ll join me next week as I conjure recommendations of a Paranormal nature and suggest some Freaky Fiction.
Later in November I’ll be back to my weekly Sound Bites recommendations, so if you know of any podcasts you think should be on my radar, feel free to let me know via the comments section, or direct messaging on Twitter or Instagram (links below). I can’t promise I’ll enjoy every podcast you throw my way, but I’ll give everyone a fair shot.
Remember to be nice to all the little ghouls and goblins that come looking for candy and have yourself a frightfully good Halloween.
J.A. Sullivan
J. A. Sullivan is a horror writer and paranormal enthusiast, based in Brantford, ON, Canada. Attracted to everything non-horror folks consider strange, she’s spent years as a paranormal investigator, has an insatiable appetite for serial killer information, and would live inside a library if she could.
As curator of “Scary’s Voices” on Kendall Reviews, an article series reviewing horror podcasts, Sullivan loves listening to all things spooky. If you have a horror podcast recommendation, let her know.
On top of contributing short stories to Kendall Reviews, her fiction has appeared in Don’t Open the Door (2019), It Came From The Darkness (2020), and she acted as an assistant editor for Black Dogs, Black Tales (2020). Other spooky tales and updates on her writing journey can be found on her blog.
You can follow J. A. on Twitter @ScaryJASullivan
Check out her blog https://writingscaredblog.wordpress.com
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
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