My Favorite True Crime Podcasts

It's no secret that I love true crime, and after yesterday's post about my own "true crime" experience, a few people asked me about what my favorite true crime podcasts are.

When I was working on remodeling the house over about nine months, I spent nine hours a day working on it. I would listen to podcast after podcast, and I definitely found some favorites! I binged those ones until I had heard every episode, and now I look forward to each new one.

From what I listen to, there are two types: The first is where a narrator (or two) read from a script telling stories about true crime; the other is where the host(s) explains the details of a true crime, in his/her own words. Most of the time, if there are two hosts, they will spend some time bantering.

I just choose whichever type I'm in the mood for at the moment. But anyway, here are my favorites and some commentary about them (in no particular order)...


1) Sword & Scale

This is a controversial one for a couple of reasons regarding the host, Mike Boudet. I don't want to get into the controversy because that doesn't affect how I feel about the podcast.

I really like the host's voice, and he is an entertaining story teller. He doesn't sugar-coat details, however, and he talks about some really terrible crimes--so, it's not for the faint of heart. And there is some bad language in this one, just FYI.

It's funny, when I listen to a past episode (sometimes I'll go back and listen to old ones) I can remember exactly what part of the house I was working on when I heard it, haha.

Anyway, his style of podcasting is basically telling the detailed story of a crime, interjecting with some thoughts of his own; he includes a lot of 911 calls and interviews as well.

There are lots of episodes of Sword & Scale, so if you enjoy it, it'll last a long time! I would suggest starting with the earlier episodes before it became controversial. Boudet's personality gets more cynical after the incident.


2) Morbid

I actually found this one accidentally, and it was quite the coincidence. I was searching for new true crime podcasts and I noticed one had an episode about Chelsea Bruck, which caught my eye. If you don't remember, Chelsea Bruck was a young woman who went missing from a Halloween party just a few miles from my house. It was a big deal, drawing national attention. I shared a little about it when it happened.

Anyway, I was very interested to listen to it, and I ended up LOVING the podcast. I adore the hosts (two women who are aunt/niece--Alaina and Ash, respectively). They exchange a lot of fun banter.

Just beware that the language in this one is not exactly for children's ears. There is a lot of swearing. Sometimes I think it's overkill, but I still enjoy listening. Lately, I haven't loved it as much as I used to--as they've gotten very popular, they do a lot of live shows (which I don't like to listen to) and they do a lot of talking before getting to the point. They get off topic a lot as well.

Lately, they've been doing a lot of two and three part episodes, which drives me crazy. I want to be able to listen to the whole story without waiting a week or two between episodes. Even more confusing, they will put some random episodes in between those.

However, if listening to this, I would start at the very first episode of the show and work your way forward. Or hey, start with the episode about Chelsea Bruck! That one stands out to me because it was so close to home.


3) Crime Junkie

Again, this one had some controversy (stating that the host was plagiarizing other podcasts). I didn't notice anything like that, and I didn't let it bother me. I did notice that the host has started stating her sources much more clearly, though.

Anyway, I really love the host of this one (Ashley). She has a co-host, Brit, who seems a little out place. Ashley does most of the talking (she's reading a script, but it sounds very natural and casual) and Brit will interject occasionally with something rather odd. Regardless, I like them and I really love their podcast. Ashley is a great story teller!


4) True Crime All The Time

This one has two male hosts, both named Mike--Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson, affectionately called Fergie and Gibby)--and I adore their very different personalities. They banter a lot, but I really love that they stay on topic for the most part. One of my biggest peeves is when the hosts get way off topic, so I like that it's not an issue for this one.

They take a more light-hearted approach to the stories, but they still keep it very respectful and they don't joke about sensitive matters. Their language isn't an issue in this--I think there might be an occasional "damn" or something, but it's not out of place and certainly not excessive.

I really enjoy this podcast because the episodes tend to be longer and they tell a LOT of facts about the cases (they seem very well researched). I also love the banter while they discuss the cases, even while keeping to the subject. There are a lot of episodes of this--well over 100--so it's a great binge-listen!


5) The Minds of Madness

This one is quite different from the others I've mentioned. The host is a man named Tyler, and the entire episode is scripted. The host doesn't interject with commentary or opinions. He states the facts of cases in a story-telling manner. I really like these episodes because they are well-researched and cover interesting cases.

If you read the reviews of this podcast, lots of people mention the male narrator's voice. Some people hate it, some people love it. It's very deep and some may say that it's monotone. I realize I'm making this podcast sound incredibly boring, but I really do love it! It's at least worth giving it a try. I love that with a scripted podcast, there is no straying from the point.

The host also delves into the past of the criminal, which sheds some light on what may lead them to commit such terrible crimes.


6) Serial Killers

This one reminds me a lot of The Minds of Madness, only there are two hosts. The hosts are Greg and Vanessa, and they tell a scripted story. Greg tells most of the story, while Vanessa discusses the psychology of the case based on research. She usually discusses the past of the murder and how they grew up. The hosts never stray from the story, which is great, and the episodes aren't super long (about 35 to 45 minutes).


7) Criminology

This podcast is also an unscripted one with some banter between the hosts (ALSO both named Mike--and one of them is Mike Ferguson from True Crime All the Time). It actually reminds me a lot of True Crime All the Time, but I don't think that the dynamic between the hosts on Criminology is a great as TCATT. Still, the cases are well-researched, and the story telling is great!

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Well, there they are--my favorites! I've found that as podcasts get more popular, I tend to like them less and less. For example, when I listened to the first dozen or so episodes of My Favorite Murder, I loved it! But eventually, they started spending 30 minutes or more chatting at the beginning of the show, and I really just want to hear about the crimes. I feel like this is starting to happen with Morbid, which is a bummer!

Anyone have suggestions for more true crime podcasts? Please share! I'm always looking for new ones. :)

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My Own (Stupid) True Crime Experience (a writing prompt)

This is something I've been wanting to write about ever since it happened, but I think I've just been embarrassed about my naivety about the whole situation. Looking back, I just think how stupid it was of me!

Now I'm second guessing myself--maybe I did write about this? I can't remember. Sorry if you've already read about it.

I don't have any photos to share for this post, so I'll just include this photo of Joey judging me for my naivety. We call Joey "The Sheriff" because of the way he (tries to) keep the cats in line. This is his serious "sheriff" face when he asks a tough question.

The following incident happened before I got really into true crime podcasts, so I'll use that as a bit of an excuse for my actions ;)

So, a few years ago, it was nighttime (I think about 9:00 pm--I remember it was dark outside.) Jerry went out front with Joey to let him go pee, and a minute later, I heard him talking to someone. He came inside to get our phone and said there was a girl outside that needed to make a call.

I looked outside, and she looked about 15 years old or so. I told her to come in and of course she could use the phone. She had a small backpack with her, and she seemed flustered. She made a few calls, but nobody picked up on the other end. She asked if we could give her a ride to a nearby neighborhood (about five miles away).

I didn't want Jerry doing it, because being an adult man driving a teen girl... well, who knows what she might say later? We didn't know her. So, I said I would drive her (we'll call her Jessica--I don't remember her real name). She got in the car and as we drove down the street, I noticed flashlights in the woods/marsh across the street from my house. She seemed nervous about it, and I asked her if everything was okay.

She replied that she and her friend (we'll call her friend "Rachel") were going to another friend's house, because Rachel's stepdad was abusing Rachel. I can't remember all the details now, but she told me the story about the abuse and that they were going to go to another friend's house until Rachel's stepdad calmed down. She said she got separated from her Rachel, and that Rachel's stepdad was out looking for her.

When I turned the car onto the road that leaves the peninsula, I noticed two police cars parked on the side of the road with their lights on. She kind of panicked and ducked down to the floor in front of the seat. I got pretty uncomfortable at that point, but I wasn't driving her far (it was walkable, but I didn't think she should be walking that far at night by herself, so I wanted to help--besides, the abuse story made me feel bad).

She said Rachel's stepdad had called the police to look for her, so they were searching the woods. I continued to the neighborhood and Jessica directed me to her friend's house. She wanted to use my phone (and of course the battery was nearly dead). She wasn't able to get a hold of anyone as we were idling outside of the house. And then the phone died.

A truck heading toward us threw her into a panic. She ducked down again and said, "Go go go!" directing me to drive away. At that point, I just wanted her out of my car. I had no idea what was going on, but it was really making me uncomfortable. She was in a panic and kept telling to just drive. As it turns out, it was Rachel's stepdad in his truck, looking for his stepdaughter.

Finally, she told me to take her to a different house. She said it was a family that she used to live with a couple of years prior. I dropped her off and made sure she made it inside before I left.

(Now, I know you're all seeing this as sheer stupidity on my part! In retrospect, I totally agree with you.)

I was relieved that the whole situation was over! I just wanted to go home.

An hour or so later, I got a call from a boy who said he was Jessica's boyfriend. He kept thanking me for bringing her over there, saying that he was super worried about her when no one had heard from her. I felt a little relieved after that, knowing that she was at least with someone familiar and out of danger.

Well, a few days later, I saw a post on Facebook--a friend had shared a "missing" flyer on her wall, and I recognized the girl as "Jessica". My stomach dropped and my heart was pounding and I was in utter shock. It said she was missing since that night I'd picked her up. I couldn't believe that I might have been the last person to see her. And I even gave her a ride.

I immediately called the police--the number on the flyer--and talked to the detective who was handling the case. He asked me a bunch of questions about where I dropped her off, and he said he would look into it. He seemed a little angry with me when I told him all that had happened.

As I'm sure you've guessed by now, there was no "Rachel". Jessica had made up that story about her "friend" so that I wouldn't suspect that she was running away and that the police were looking for her. What the detective told me was that she got in an argument with her stepdad and while she was in her bedroom, she cut the screen in her window and ran away. The stepdad called the police, who came to look for her.

And I, like a total idiot, drove her out of there!

The detective called me later and thanked me (he also apologized for sounding harsh at my ignorance). He said they checked the house that I described and that they found her. She was sent to a juvenile detention facility, because I guess she'd been in trouble before.

A few days later, Jerry was doing yard work when he found a bag in the bushes at our house. It was a canvas bag with a drawstring. We opened it and there were clothes as well as a couple of framed photos--Jessica was in the photos, so I'm assuming she was taking them with her as mementos when running away.

I'm guessing that when she saw the cops looking for her, she dropped one of her bags in the bushes to come back for later. I called the detective again, and he came to pick up the bag. He said that Jessica was a trouble teen and very manipulative.

I still wonder about this sometimes... what if she was telling the truth about the abuse? When I asked the detective about it, he said that if I suspect abuse, I should tell the police because they would handle it.

However, I've called CPS a couple of times and it was never handled. I witnessed a little boy being beaten at a Walmart and I called the police (I wrote down the license plate number, and after waiting over an hour, the police showed up). The police didn't take it seriously at all--they assumed that it was "just a spanking" or something, and looked at me like I was just stupid. But the father (I'm assuming it was his father) was punching the boy in the back as the boy lay on the ground curled up and covering his head.

That's fucking abuse. Straight up.

(I wrote the story about it on my blog here)

A couple of summers ago, I called the police again about a little boy that wandered to our house to ask for water because he was locked out of his house (this was about 8PM). The police came and didn't do anything--they took the boy home, said the house reeked of urine (just like the little boy did--he was covered in either dirt or bruises, I couldn't tell which, and he smelled terrible) but that because there was food in the house, he couldn't really do anything.

I was so mad. I called CPS and they took a long time asking me questions. A few weeks later, I got a letter in the mail from CPS saying that the family was already brought to their attention by a few other people and that they were "looking into it". (I didn't write much detail on this, because of the sensitivity of the case, but you can read the gist here)

This is totally off topic, but a follow up about the boy who came looking for water. A couple of months later, I was cleaning the garage (all the doors open) when I saw him dart from his backyard to the neighbor's yard and hide behind a tree. Then he ran across the alleyway to our house and ducked into the garage with me really quickly.

He was very interested in what I was doing (sweeping) and said he would help me clean. I told him no, he doesn't have to help me clean, but there were some Army guys (toys) that he could play with if he wanted. He told me that he can't let his grandma see him playing, so he wondered if he could play with them in the garage. I told him that was fine.

Noah and Eli came out to the garage to get a popsicle from the freezer and I asked the boy if he wanted one. He looked really indecisive and finally asked me if I had any "clear" ones. I was confused, and asked what he meant. He said that he didn't want any color to be on his mouth because his grandma would be really mad at him for having a popsicle and she'd wonder where he got it. My heart just broke for him. (He was so young--too young to worry about that!)

I gave him a pink one, which was practically clear, and I said that I'd make sure it wasn't on his mouth when he went home. He kept asking me if I wanted him to help me clean, because his grandma made him clean the house and he was "really good at it".

I didn't see him again after that. Their yard was always very unkempt with random toys everywhere, and they had dogs that would run loose, but I didn't see the kids.

Anyway, that was a big tangent from my post. I just wanted to write that I don't have confidence in the police or CPS when it comes to these situations. (Again, another reason I'd love to be a foster parent!)

So, the story of Jessica is my own "true crime" story--and I'm so glad it ended okay. I can't imagine if she had been kidnapped or murdered or something horrible like that. I certainly learned a lesson that day, and will act differently if anything like that should ever happen again.

I do have one other true crime story, but it's a doozie, and I'm not sure how to write about it. I will work on it during this "social distancing" if I can and post it later.

Anyone else have an interesting "true crime" story that relates to you? I am obsessed with true crime, and I'd love to read about it!

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A Quote That Speaks to Me (a writing prompt)

This is going to be short, because I am SO TIRED. I don't know why; lately, I've been forcing myself to go to bed by 1:00 AM, still feeling wide awake. Well, it may have caught up to me today. So, I chose a writing prompt that speaks a lot for itself:

Share a quote that speaks to me and explain why...

I have saved several quotes on Pinterest and on Instagram that speak to me for various reasons, so I went through some of those and found one that was really speaking to me today:

If you're on Instagram, check out @behaviorhack. Lots of inspiring quotes to live by!

I think this quote stuck out to me today because I've been feeling the opposite lately. I remember the days when I worked my ass off to get into shape and I really did feel on top of the world--like it was a superpower.

I remember on my long run days, I would take full advantage of the rest of the day by relaxing and not feeling the slightest bit guilty for lying on the couch and watching Netflix. I felt like I earned it!

Now, I'm feeling quite the opposite. I'm very much out of shape, and I know what I need to do in order to get back in shape, but I just cannot, for the life of me, find the self-discipline that I used to have. But I would love to have that superpower feeling again, and the only way to get that is to put in the work.

As for rest... I've been less active now than I have in the past 10 years. And so when I do rest, even after a very busy day, I don't feel any sort of peace. The rest doesn't feel good like it used to--instead, I just don't feel like I did anything to require it, so it doesn't feel relaxing at all. I'd love to have that feeling of working very hard so that when I do rest, it's actually very relaxing.

"Embrace the hard times". This one is hard to get behind ;) In the short term, sure--I can do that. But when it feels never ending, it's really hard to see the finish line.

However, I DO want to remember the hard times so that when things do get better (and I trust they will) the good times really WILL feel that much greater.

Now, I'm off to a (hopefully) relaxing and restful sleep! (I did great with calorie counting today; it makes me feel good to go to bed with that knowledge under my belt.)

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Oh, my hair! (Lots of embarrassing photos of my hair through the years...)

Okay, this is a silly post, but in light of everything going on with the coronavirus, I thought everyone could use a laugh! I was going through photos today to get some inspiration for a post, and I couldn't help laughing at all the super embarrassing hairstyles I had throughout the years.

I totally blame my mom for the ones through my childhood. Why on earth did she think that I needed a mullet?!

To be fair, I have naturally curly hair and my mom said it was "like a bush" when I was a kid, hahaha. So, I'm sure she just did what she could to make it manageable.

Just do me a favor and don't turn any of these into a meme, okay? 😂

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Clearly, my mom thought my bangs were getting in the way...

Aside from the hair... seriously, what the hell was I wearing?!!!

When my mom said I had hair "like a bush", I'm pretty sure this is what she was talking about...

I look like I belong on the cover of an 80's band album with this mullet...

Even worse...

I literally couldn't tell if this was a photo of me or of my brother, Brian. I only knew it was me because of the earring!

There are so many things wrong with this picture... the mullet. The matching sweat suit. And even the paper "glasses" I have in my hand (and that I made for Nathan!)

This was my second grade school photo. Nope, not joking...

It only gets worse as my hair grows longer!

I believe this was my third grade school photo...

Could I look any more gumpy?! My mom even gave me pigtail braids. I was dressed like this because we were taking a field trip to Greenfield Village.

Mmmm hmmm. No caption needed.

Always the bridesmaid...

I went through a phase where I was SUPER obsessed with the White Sox, especially Frank Thomas. I wore a White Sox hat all the time!

This was my ninth grade school photo. Remember when it was cool to leave a bit of hair pulled out of the front when pulling it back?

I wore my hair like this pretty much all through high school...

Occasionally, I would do something different. Like these mini buns all over my head!

One day, I felt like cutting all of my long hair off and dying it red. It was my first time getting my hair dyed, or making a super drastic change like that... and I loved it! It's cringey looking back. I even handmade the coat I was wearing in the photo (in sewing class at school).

Let's not forget the red streaks in my hair, the zig-zag part, and even the eyebrow piercing, hahaha. (Oh! And Jerry's and my matching necklaces--a grain of rice with each other's names on them inside a little capsule.)

I went through a phase where I wore two pigtail buns...

This was my "wedding hair"... my hairstylist was Niki (and I miss her SO MUCH... if anyone recognizes her, please let me know! She went to work on a cruise ship in 2003 or 2004, and we lost touch. I loved her.)

When I was pregnant with Eli, apparently I had a bob...

I went to visit Jeanie (along with my mom and our friend Audrey). We went to a salon and I actually asked for bangs! First time in my life.

I went through a pigtail phase for a little while, until I saw the photos from the Indy Mini. After that, I was horrified, hahaha.

To treat me after I'd lost 100 pounds, Jeanie took me out for a makeover. I had my hair highlighted and a blow-out (it was amazing!) and I LOVED how my hair looked!

After the color grew out, I kept the same cut and my natural color for pretty much the last decade...

Then there was the time I was on The Dr. Oz Show, and Ted Gibson (from What Not To Wear) styled my hair! He cut it a little too, and it was funny the way he asked. He clearly wondered who the hell cut my hair and what they were doing! (It was me... I'd cut my hair)

For a while, I started wearing my hair curly again. Sometimes I'll do this, but it mostly reminds me of high school.

On a few occasions, I used hot rollers to style my hair... it made my hair look BIG. Not so much in this photo, though.

Once I discovered the "messy bun", it was all over. This is how my hair looks pretty much every single day. I'm not proud of it, but it's SO easy and practical!

 When I discovered I could do a LOW messy bun instead of just the usual high messy bun, I started doing that as well...

The messy bun is the best!

(Just a girl and a squirrel, look out at the mountains :)

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RECIPE: Super Hearty Beans and Rice

When Jerry and I went to the store to get some groceries, it was clear that people had been picking up all the non-perishables. I always make sure to keep these ingredients on hand because if nothing else, I know I can make this dish--something my whole family loves!

This is one of my very favorite dishes when I just want to EAT and feel full. It's meatless, it takes less than 25 minutes to make, and it's very healthy and filling. It's perfect for days when you don't really feel like cooking but you feel like you should make something anyways. And it tastes delicious!

Here is a printer-friendly version!


Super Hearty Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain white rice
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 (15 oz) can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans (do not drain)
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp garlic powder (or one clove garlic, minced)
1 cup frozen yellow corn
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, onions, etc.

Directions:

Cook the rice according to package directions.

While the rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over med-high heat and add 2 tsp. oil. Add the onion and cook until the onion is soft, but not brown. Add the red beans, drained and rinsed, to the skillet. Then add the black beans, with the liquid, to the skillet.

Add the tomatoes with their juice, the garlic powder, corn, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to combine well. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer about two minutes.

When the rice is done cooking, stir the rice into the bean mixture. Add desired toppings. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition info does not include toppings...

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