Top New True Crime Podcasts of April 2023!
I am back with 12 great new true crime podcasts that will have you hooked this month.
1. Suspicion - The Billionaire Murders: The Hunt For the Killers of Honey & Barry Sherman (Season 2) - By Kevin Donovan - Toronto Star.
This is the second season of the true crime podcast Suspicion. In this new eight-part season, Kevin Donovan attempts to find the person responsible for the murders of Honey and Barry Sherman who were strangled in their home in Toronto in 2017 and he takes us along on his quest:
“For five years, the Star’s chief investigative reporter Kevin Donovan has covered the Sherman case, fought court battles to access documents on the police investigation and the Shermans and their estate, and wrote a book about it. This podcast lets you hear directly from Donovan and his sources, those who worked on the case and friends and family of Honey Sherman and Barry Sherman.” (Source here).
This is a really interesting true crime case. I think the podcast is very well produced, easy to follow despite being packed with information. There are only two episodes available so far and an additional two bonus episodes.
2. High Strange - Hosted By Payne Lindsey - Cadence13 & Tenderfoot TV.
Payne Lindsey is back with this brand new true crime podcast High Strange, this time investigating the world of UFO’s. Lindsey investigates possible police and government cover-ups, presents first hand accounts of UFO interactions and enlists the help of experts to try and get some concrete answers:
“Lindsey aims to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the strange happenings way up high. Do you want to believe?” (Source here).
I have to say, I wasn’t sure that I would like this podcast when I read the description but having listened to the first two available episodes I am hooked! I’ve never had much of an interest in UFOs or related topics but this podcast might just have awakened a new, soon to be, obsession!
3. Letters From Sing Sing - Hosted By Dan Slepian - NBC News Studios.
As the title hints, this true crime podcast begins back in 2002 when NBC News producer Dan Slepian received a letter from an inmate in the Sing Sing Correctional Facility, a New York state prison. The inmate in question is Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez and he insists that he was wrongly convicted of murdering a retired New York City police officer. Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez is now serving a 25 years to life sentence for the murder.
In this podcast we hear directly from Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez and a host of other key persons that were involved in his case, from witnesses to jurors and much more:
“Letters from Sing Sing tells the story of a man convicted of murder, a journalist, and the letter that changed both of their lives.” (Source here).
This podcast is truly captivating. The strong friendship that develops between Slepian and Velazquez is inspiring. Hearing the words of Velazquez (who has a soothing voice and speaks so eloquently) and those of his family members made me so emotional. Velazquez prison sentence was served by his entire family and had massive and very serious consequences.
All eight episodes available now making this a great podcast to binge and honestly you will find it hard not to once you start listening!
4. Witnessed: Devil in the Ditch (Season 4) - Hosted By Larrison Campbell - Campside Media & Sony Music Entertainment.
This is season four of the true crime podcast Witnessed and this season we are off to Mississippi and host Larrison Campbell is leading the way. Campbell heads back to her home town in Mississippi to investigate an unsolved murder, that of her grandmother “Presh” who was murdered in her own home in the Summer of 2003. There is only one episode available so far (on Spotify) and I am already hooked. Campbell has hinted that the murderer must have known her grandmother and asks:
“What happens when a family and a community suspect one of their own?” (Source here).
After almost twenty years will Campbell finally be able to solve this cold case? I am seriously considering subscribing to the The Binge so I can access all the episodes now and not wait for them to be released weekly!
If you like this new season and haven’t already listened to the previous season Witnessed: Mystic Mother then be sure to check it out!s
5. Casefile Presents: The Frankston Murders - By Vikki Petraitis.
I am a big fan of the true crime podcast Casefile Presents and have featured five of their previous series on the blog in various articles. Their latest series is a deep dive into The Frankston Murders that took place in the Melbourne suburb of Frankston in 1993. Serial killer Paul Denyer was charged for the multiple murders of young women in the Frankston area and now, having served 30 years behind bars, Denyer is up for parole. By providing a detailed account of Denyer’s crimes and the long lasting effects that his crimes have had on his victims and their families, this podcast hopes to reinforce the commonly held public belief that Denyer should not be paroled, that he continues to be a threat to society and should remain in prison.
All eleven episodes of this true crime podcast are available now, so clear your diary and get listening!
Another excellent Casefile Presents podcast series is Matty which I featured in my Top 7 New October 2022 True Crime Podcasts blog. This ten part series investigated the disappearance and murder of 20 year old Matthew Leveson and is a truly excellent true crime podcast series, well worth a listen.
6. The Patsy - Hosted By Joshua Malina - Voyage.
The Patsy is a six-part true crime podcast that has a famous narrator at its helm, The West Wing’s Joshua Malina. On June 2nd 1976 investigative journalist Don Bolles was killed by a car bomb in Phoenix Arizona. Bolles assassination was “the first assassination of an investigative journalist in modern America” and everyone wanted to know “Why?”.
Bolles was working on a number of stories/projects at the time of his murder but one in particular stood out:
“Bolles had been writing about corruption in the state, especially the connection between the dog racing industry and the mafia.” (Source here).
Finding who was responsible for this crime was never going to be straight forward. Eventually, a local man named Max Dunlap was convicted of involvement in the crime however many believed that Dunlap was an innocent scapegoat. In this podcast, Max Dunlap’s daughter Karen and reporter Don Devereaux set out to tell Max Dunlap’s story and present copious amounts of evidence to support their theory and belief in his innocence. This is a story that:
“… goes from street-level hoodlums, to the mafia, to the district attorney’s office, all the way up to the governor’s mansion.” (Source here).
All six episodes are available now.
7. COLD: The Search for Sheree (Season 3) - Hosted By Dave Cawley - KSL Podcasts & Wondery.
Season three of the true crime podcast COLD investigates the 1985 disappearance of mother of one Sheree Warren in Roy, Utah. Sheree finished work on the evening of the 2nd of October 1985, said goodbye to a co-worker in the car park and was never seen alive again. From the outset, there are two main suspects and we hear full accounts of both of these men in this podcast. We also learn more about Sheree, her life and the strange phone calls that she received shortly before her disappearance.
This heart-wrenching podcast will certainly keep you listening - there are seven episodes available now.
8. The Coldest Case in Laramie - Hosted By Kim Barker - Serial Productions & The New York Times.
The Coldest Case in Laramie is a deep dive into the 1985 murder of Shelli Wiley in Laramie, Wyoming. The host, reporter Kim Barker, was a teenager residing in Laramie at the time of Shelli Wiley’s murder and it was a case that she never forgot. In 2021 Barker learnt that five years previously a Laramie police officer was charged with Shelli’s murder but for reasons unknown (and despite DNA and witness evidence) the charges were subsequently dropped. Barker makes it her mission to investigate Wiley’s murder, piece together all the available evidence and understand why no one has ever been prosecuted for her murder:
“How did a case that seemed this open-and-shut fall apart with such a whimper? To find answers, Kim heads back to Laramie and grapples with conflicting memories and dueling narratives.” (Source here).
All eight episodes are available. I actually downloaded all the episodes in preparation for a travel day and binged the whole lot! I really liked the host and thought she did a great job of presenting all the information in a non-biased fair manner.
9. The Girl in the Blue Mustang - Hosted By Keith Morrison - Dateline & NBC News.
Keith Morrison and the Dateline team are back with a new true crime podcast series The Girl in the Blue Mustang, investigating the 2000 murder of 18 year old Michelle O’Keefe. Michelle was shot dead, her lifeless body was found in her blue Mustang, parked at a park and ride in Palmdale, California. It isn’t long before a key witness, the security guard who was on duty at the time of her murder, becomes the key suspect. There have already been many revelations in the four available episodes and I cannot wait for episode five to drop.
10. The Deck Investigates: Darlene Hulse - Hosted By Ashley Flowers - Audiochuck.
All fifteen episodes of this true crime podcast series The Deck Investigates: Darlene Hulse are available now making it the perfect podcast to binge. In the Summer of 1984, Darlene Hulse, a 28 year old doting mother of three, was brutally attacked and beaten in her own home (in Argos Indiana) before being dragged from the house and into a waiting car. Darlene was then murdered. Her body was found the following day, 6 miles away, in a remote wooded area. Darlene’s three daughters were present in the home at the time of the attack. Her two eldest daughters, Marie aged eight and Melissa aged six (at the time) literally ran for their lives and to get help when their mother told them to, her final act of love and protection before she was kidnapped and murdered.
Despite eye-witness reports and a truck load of evidence, this crime has remained unsolved. This podcast aims to shed a new light on this cold case and of course has the ultimate goal of finding the person responsible for Darlene’s murder. Darlene’s now adult children play a pivotal role in this podcast and we get to hear some of the audio of home videos recorded by Darlene in the years before her death where her love for her children is obvious and palpable. Be sure to have tissues ready for the last episode!
11. Dakota Spotlight: The Joel Lovelien Homicide (Season 8) - By James Wolner - Forum Communications Co.
This is not the first time I have heard of Joel Lovelien, his case has featured on other true crime podcasts that I have listened to, Dateline being one of them! This is something that is addressed and discussed by the host James Wolner at the start of this podcast, a kind of explanation of “Why another podcast on Joel Lovelien?” is provided by Wolner and I have to say, his reasoning has me convinced and I already think this podcast is far more in-depth then any that have come before.
“Joel Lovelien was just 38-years-old when he was found beaten to death outside of the Broken Drum Bar in Grand Forks, North Dakota on a Halloween-themed Saturday night in 2007.” (Source here).
From the outset, there is one main suspect, Travis Stay. In this podcast we learn all about him, his movements on the night of the murder and the evidence against him. We are also brought into the life of Joel Lovelien through the words, memories and stories of his family and friends. There are five episodes available so far.
12. Murder in Miami - By Phil Stanford - iHeartPodcasts.
The true crime podcast Murder in Miami transports us back to 1980s Miami and deep into the underground world of drugs, murder, the mafia, corruption and the other endless crimes that were rampant there at the time. We see/learn much of this through the eyes of host and crime journalist Phil Stanford:
“In the 1980s crime journalist Phil Stanford dove into the decadent and dangerous world of Miami just as the city was becoming the cocaine- and murder- capital of the United States.” (Source here).
There are some absolutely crazy stories told throughout this podcast as Stanford speaks to people who were involved in illegal activities at the time and those who fought against the same. I particularly liked the life stories of Lamar Chester who was a prolific smuggling pilot in the 1980s - so interesting!
“Murder in Miami traces the connection between the murder of a missing Miami private investigator to the sprawling roots of an international money laundering scheme as Stanford tries to make sense of his role in a surreal story of spies, smugglers, killers and corruption. All reaching to the highest levels on both sides of the law.” (Source here).
There are ten regular episodes available and an additional nine bonus episodes so plenty to get stuck into!
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