6 New True Crime Podcasts You Can't Miss In 2025

1. What Happened to Talina Zar

This iHeart podcast chronicles the story of an Oklahoma woman named Talina Zar. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, she took to Facebook and shared cryptic messages with her loved ones, claiming that she was heading to a lake house to die.

"Hey everyone, I'm on day 9 of this virus, and I'm pretty sure it has reached my lungs. I made the decision at the onset that if it got bad enough, I would not go to the hospital," Talina wrote. "I didn't want to be talked out of this plan. After I post this, I am turning off my phone. I'll catch up with everyone on the other side."

Following Talina's Facebook post, she vanished. But the post picked up steam online, leading "internet sleuths" to try to track her trail. Hosted by Melissa Jeltsen, What Happened to Talina Zar includes people from Talina's life and explores the "dark subcultures" she was a part of. You can listen to the podcast on iHeart.

2. Kaitlyn's Baby

Created by CBC and the BBC World Service, Kaitlyn's Baby is actually Season 2 of The Con, a podcast that exposes "scams and the art of deception." It follows Kaitlyn Braun, a pregnant woman in crisis who tries to get help from numerous birth workers.

Kaitlyn "takes dozens of birth workers through an escalating series of disasters," according to the synopsis, including baby loss, assault, and a coma. Each of the doulas fights to support her and even save her life before the truth is revealed.

Hosted by Sarah Teleaven and launched back in January, this six-part podcast works to decode Kaitlyn's lies, identity, and motives. According to the synopsis, "Cases like these puzzle legal experts and raise intricate moral and ethical questions. This is not your average con. Kaitlyn is not your usual scammer."

You can binge all six episodes of Kaitlyn's Baby now on CBC Listen.

3. Crook County

Kyle Tekiela is the host of Crook County, a true crime podcast in partnership with iHeartRadio and Tenderfoot TV that's unlike any other.

His father, Kenny "The Kid" Tekiela, spent more than 25 years leading a "double life" as a Mafia hitman and hid the truth from his family for the entire time. Well, that was until Kenny finally told Kyle everything, and now, he's sharing his father's life of crime with the world.

Crook County tells the tale of Kenny's "alleged rise through the ranks of the legendary organized crime syndicate, The Chicago Outfit." It chronicles his start as a 17-year-old doorman before serving as a "ruthless assassin" in his twenties and taking care of messes created by both Mafia members and "crooked cops." Later, Kenny ultimately decided to move to the suburbs with his family and start afresh.

You can join Kyle as he explores his father's past and details the lasting impact it's left on his greater family. Season 1 of Crook County is available on iHeart.

4. Dancing with Shadows

It's no secret that the world of ballet has a dark underbelly, and Dancing with Shadows exposes the scandals that took place at one of the most highly regarded dance companies in the world–the New York City Ballet (NYCB).

The podcast unravels the legacy of co-founder George Balanchine, who passed away in 1983 but left a mark on the NYCB's culture that's still prevalent today. Over the years, there have been numerous serious allegations against the dance company, including those of body shaming, mental abuse, and sexual harassment.

In Dancing with Shadows, journalist Nicky Anderson delivers "a rare and penetrating portrait of a notoriously closed world where dancers often sacrifice a personal life, bodily autonomy, and their health in pursuit of their art." You can listen to it on Spotify.

5. Snitch City

After the film Spotlight was released in 2015, exposing the abuse cover-ups that took place in the Catholic Church, The Boston Globe was applauded for its gritty investigative work. Now, the publication's latest podcast, Snitch City, runs in a similar vein.

Investigative reporter Dugan Arnett spent two whole years working to expose misconduct in New Bedford, Massachusetts, a city plagued with drug gangs and penetrating crime networks. The result is a compelling podcast about "what the so-called good guys do to get results–and the extraordinary damage left in their wake."

Arnett's story shows how the police are "drunk on power," while informants are "hung out to dry," and officials work to protect their own. Season 1 of Snitch City is available to stream on Apple Podcasts.

6. Dangerous Memories

Finally, the story behind Dangerous Memories may sound like the plot of a horror or thriller film, but its events truly unfolded in real life. It chronicles a woman named Anne Craig, who called herself a lifestyle guru and began working with a small group of "very posh" young English women.

Anne was recommended to her clients as an "amazing healer lady," but her sessions with the women turned disastrous. She began taking control of their lives, isolating them from their loved ones, and planting memories of abuse that weren't true in their minds.

Hosted by Grace Hughs-Hallett, Dangerous Memories is actually told by three of the affected young women, showing "what we risk when we let someone else into our mind and our memory," per the show's synopsis. You can listen to the podcast now on Tortoise Media.