The Top True Crime Podcasts For Your Next Beach Binge

“I’ll catch up with everyone on the other side.” That’s one of the last lines of a Facebook post written on April 7th, 2020, by a woman named Talina Zar. According to the post, Talina was in the late stages of Covid, and planned to go alone to a remote lake in Oklahoma either to recover from the virus or succumb to it. She was never heard from again.

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That Facebook post found its way to true crime fan and armchair detective Jess Trevino, who was feeling bored and lonely during Covid lockdowns. So Trevino assembled a team of internet sleuths and embarked on a deep dive into the life of a woman none of them had ever met. What Happened to Talina Zar chronicles the secrets and betrayals Trevino uncovers in her investigation, while also exploring the consequences of obsession and paranoia that the pandemic seemed to trigger in so many people. This dark series is best listened to outside on a sunny summer day, where you’ll realize how thankful you are that the days of being holed up at home to wait out the virus are long gone.

Regardless of your thoughts on the romantic relationship between former ABC broadcast journalists Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, it’s hard to deny that they’re both darn good journalists. In this season of their current events podcast, Amy & T.J., the pair are doing a deep dive on the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs. What differentiates this podcast from others on the trial is that the couple is joined by former Danity Kane singer Aubrey O’Day, who, despite being a member of Diddy’s inner circle for years, was never subpoenaed as a witness in the trial. O’Day has been a strong and vocal supporter of Diddy’s former long-time girlfriend Cassie Ventura, whose shocking testimony of Diddy’s alleged pattern of rape and abuse have both members of the public and other survivors asking themselves, How did this go on for so long? This podcast offers an in-depth examination of a dark side of the music industry, presented from the perspectives of two seasoned hard news reporters and an individual who witnessed it firsthand. O’Day’s first post after the allegations became public read “been trynna tell y’all for years,” and this podcast proves that she is someone certainly worth listening to.

True crime and comedy aren’t two topics most people would associate with each other, but somehow comedian Karen Kilgariff and her co-host Georgia Hardstark have spun them together into podcast gold. With almost ten years and nearly 500 episodes under their belt, these ladies have become pros at telling riveting stories, managing to walk the line between respecting the memory of victims and finding humor in the macabre. Listening to My Favorite Murder is like hearing two of your funniest besties recounting a crazy story, with a sprinkling of delightful tangents and personal anecdotes throughout. No matter where you decide to listen this season, remember the advice the girls sign off with each week: “Stay sexy, and don’t get murdered.” 

What do the Gilgo Beach Killer, Matthew Perry’s doctor, and falsely accused murder suspect Karen Read have in common? They’re all featured in the new series True Crime Tonight. For the truest of true crime fans, True Crime Tonight is what you’ve been waiting for: Five nights a week, this show tells you everything you need to know about the biggest headline-making cases. Each episode is over an hour long and covers a range of newsworthy cases, making it an ideal soundtrack for any restless enthusiast’s summer road trip.

While this new series technically doesn’t fall into the true crime category, we all know the Kennedy family’s history is rife with secrets, scandal, and corruption — some of the ingredients for the most compelling crime podcasts. So we’re giving it an honorary place in the genre. Have you ever wondered why we’re all so enchanted by the most famous American family? Maybe it’s because they’re the closest thing we have to royalty, or maybe it’s the “Kennedy Curse” that has marred the dynasty with tragedy for generations. In each episode of United States of Kennedy, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris explore a different chapter of the Kennedy family story while trying to pinpoint just what it is about them that’s captivated the country for decades. This is truly the perfect beach listen, because if you close your eyes, you might just be able to convince yourself you’re in Hyannis Port cruising around on a sailboat captained by JFK.

You may be familiar with John Green and Deanna Thompson, the investigative duo who broke the case in the true crime Netflix sensation Don’t F*** With Cats. Now, they’re back and gearing up for another thrilling adventure as they delve into unsolved mysteries across the U.S. This season, the weekly show breaks down two different cases: the tragic murder of family man Jared Bridegan (whose wealthy Utah wife is being accused of ordering his murder, and recently hired Casey Anthony’s lawyer to defend her) and the mystery behind the disappearance of Shacaiah Harding, a Native American woman who went missing in 2018. (In case you missed it, here’s our explainer on why indigenous women are going missing at alarming rates.)

Emmy-award winning producer Nancy Glass invites us on a captivating journey into the life of Tracyraquel Berns, who grew up believing that her baby brother’s death had been a tragic accident. However, years later, she discovered in horror that at just 2 years old, she had been the one responsible for his demise — or at least that’s what her parents told the police. Join along each week as this grieving sister discusses the lengths she’ll go through to find out what really happened.

Many of us grow up thinking a violent crime could never happen in our neighborhood, or on our street. But  when it does happen, it has the power to shatter an entire community. Host Hilarie Burton Morgan is at the helm of the podcast It Couldn’t Happen Here, which plunges into the cases explored on the SundanceTV hit show of the same name. The podcast is an invitation for all of us to get curious, and to question how we can make a difference when it seems the system is failing us.