25 Best True Crime Documentaries
Good true crime documentaries might be your perfect choice if you are looking for an exciting and suspenseful way to spend your time. These best true crime documentary podcasts give you an insight into the criminal world and offer an immersive experience to keep you on the edge of your seat.
To help you out, we have compiled a list of the best popular true crime documentaries and the best crime scene documentaries that will provide you with a fascinating account of the darkest corners of society. Whether you're a seasoned true crime fan or just starting out, streaming the best true crime movies couldn’t be simpler.
1) The 12th Victim (2023)
This Showtime docuseries looks into the true story of a notorious teenage couple who were found guilty of killing 11 people in the 1950s. The four-part docuseries explores the most heinous crimes committed by serial killers Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate.
The 12th Victim re-examines Fugate's guilty verdict through a modern lens, questioning the media and judicial system's treatment of her despite her claims of innocence. This true crime docuseries is told through archival and recreated footage incorporating numerous film and television series inspired by the killings. As Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate’s killing spree was one of the first true-crime stories to unfold in real time on TV, the story became a national obsession.
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👉 Watch The 12th Victim on Amazon Prime
👉 Buy The 12th Victim as DVD on Amazon
2) Making a Murderer (2015)
This Netflix Original is one of the most compelling must-see crime documentaries examining Steven Avery, a man falsely accused and imprisoned for nearly two decades.
Filmed over ten years, Making a Murderer is a ground-breaking series containing never-before-seen footage and insight into one of the most controversial cases in the world.
Making a Murderer on Wikipedia
3) The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015)
This HBO original is a six-part series that follows the story of Robert Durst, the heir to a real estate fortune, and his connection to the murders of three family members and a friend. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst has become a cult favorite among enthusiasts, making it one of the top 10 true crime documentaries
This documentary is masterfully constructed and unsurprisingly won awards. Each episode delves deeper into Durst's troubled past and the crimes he's been accused of. It features interviews with Durst and law enforcement officials, journalists, and others involved in the case. The Jinx also includes never-before-seen footage of Durst, including a shocking moment in which he mutters about the murders, not realizing that his microphone is still on.
👉 Watch The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst on Amazon Prime
👉 Buy The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst as DVD on Amazon
4) Spector (2022)
Spector takes us behind the scenes of Phil Spector's murder trial, providing a detailed, inside look at one of the most high-profile cases of the past several years.
Spector is a four-part Showtime docu-series. In it, series co-directors Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott examine Spector’s ‘life and legacy’ and how, on February 3rd, 2003, he shot Lana Clarkson dead. It covers his conviction for her murder and his death in prison on January 16th, 2021.
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👉 Watch Spector on Amazon Prime
👉 Buy Spector as DVD on Amazon
5) Evil Genius (2018)
This Netflix original documentary focuses on the infamous "Pizza Bomber" case, where a pizza deliveryman was kidnapped, fitted with a bomb, and ordered to rob a bank, ending with his shocking demise.
Over four episodes, co-directors Trey Borzillieri and Barbara Schroeder attempt to determine who is truly responsible for the death of Brian Wells, a pizza delivery man who robbed a PNC Bank with a bomb collar strapped around his neck.
He died a short time later, in front of police, when the explosive device detonated. But Wells didn’t act alone. The series spends most of its time exploring exactly who participated in setting him up to enter that bank, including most notably, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, and what their motives were.
👉 Watch Evil Genius on Amazon Prime
6) I am Vanessa Guillen (2022)
A true-crime tragedy, this documentary film focuses on the tragic death of Vanessa Guillen, who was assaulted and murdered while serving in the army.
This documentary explores Vanessa Guillen's suffering from sexual harassment by a superior and her subsequent murder by a fellow soldier at Fort Hood Army base outside Killeen, Texas. The film shows how Guillen's family refused to let the weight of the military silence them from getting justice. They started a successful campaign to fight injustice and for all victims of sexual abuse in the military.
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7) The Keepers (2017)
It is an emotional documentary that explores the story of two women murdered decades ago and the possible conspiracy to cover it up.
A seven-episode series, this documentary examines the 1969 murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik - an unsolved case that involves both sexual abuse cover-ups and possible FBI interference.
8) Killer Sally (2022)
This murder documentary focuses on Sally McNeil and the murder of her husband, Ray. The documentary considers whether the murder was an act of self-defense or pre-meditated murder.
This three-part docuseries by Nanette Burstein depicts Sally and Ray as a power couple who were both bodybuilders. It shows how Ray took his training to extreme levels and began using steroids to increase his muscle growth. Sally describes that during a ‘roid rage’ on St. Valentine’s Day in 1995, he lost his temper and tried to kill her, resulting in her shooting him in defense.
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9) The Confession Tapes (2017)
This series looks at six different cases where police interrogation tactics may have led the accused to confess to a crime that they might not have actually committed.
This Netflix Original series details the psychological manipulation and coercion tactics used by law enforcement to elicit false confessions.
The Confession Tapes on Wikipedia
10) Girl in the Picture (2022)
In this Netflix documentary, Girl in the Picture, Sharon Marshall is found dying by a road, leaving behind a son and a man claiming to be her husband. This documentary follows a story full of twists and turns.
The film depicts an incredibly tragic tale and the story of how this decades-old mystery was eventually solved twenty-five years later.
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11) The Staircase (2004-2018)
This internationally acclaimed documentary follows the high-profile murder trial of author Michael Peterson, who was accused of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson, in 2001.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade explores this high-profile murder trial. In 2001, author Michael Peterson was put on trial for the murder of his wife Kathleen, whose body was found inside their home.
With access to Peterson's life, de Lestrade's cameras capture the defense team’s efforts to prove his innocence. The Staircase contemplates the fairness of the American justice system.
👉 Watch The Staircase on Amazon Prime
👉 Buy The Staircase as DVD on Amazon
12) Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (2022)
The Netflix docuseries Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey tells the chilling story of Warren Jeffs and his rise in the Fundamentalist Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS).
Under Warren Jeffs ' leadership, the church became a cult and began practicing underage marriage, child molestation and statutory rape.
This docuseries covers the shocking crimes perpetrated by Warren Jeffs, who remains the prophet of FLDS despite being in prison.
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👉 Watch Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey on Amazon Prime
13) The Invisible Pilot (2022)
This documentary looks at the 2013 murder of Cessna pilot Randy Baker and the investigation that led to the capture of James Huden and Peggy Thomas, Baker's accomplices.
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👉 Watch The Invisible Pilot on Amazon Prime
14) Abducted in Plain Sight (2017)
A disturbing documentary that recounts a girl's kidnapping and the unsettling fact that her family enabled it to happen.
This shocking true-crime documentary recounts the kidnapping of Jan Broberg. She was abducted by her neighbor and brainwashed by him and his family. Filmed to be one of the best missing persons documentaries.
👉 Watch Abducted in Plain Sight on Amazon Prime
👉 Buy Abducted in Plain Sight as DVD on Amazon
15) Curse of the Chippendales (2021)
This docuseries provides an in-depth look at the infamous Chippendales male revue franchise and its affiliated murders, corruption, and scandal.
The Discovery+ docuseries Curse of the Chippendales explores the dark side of the 1980s all-male striptease dance troupe.
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👉 Watch Curse of the Chippendales on Amazon Prime
16) Amanda Knox (2016)
This documentary explores the trial and conviction of Amanda Knox, an American student falsely accused of murder while studying abroad in Italy.
The documentary describes Amanda Knox's experience being exonerated in Italy and her long battle with the erroneous and sensationalized media portrayals of her case.
17) Wild Wild Country (2018)
A fascinating look at the controversial cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his followers, who moved into a rural Oregon town in an effort to establish their utopian society.
This one-hour program explores the 1980s Indian guru Rajneesh's controversial secrets and the violent fallout that ensued as his followers took over an Oregon town.
Wild Wild Country on Wikipedia
18) Murder Mountain (2018)
This Netflix Original investigates the mysterious disappearances and criminal activities prevalent in California's Emerald Triangle.
Murder Mountain offers a glimpse into the mysterious world of Humboldt County's cannabis industry, where the dark underbelly of marijuana culture is examined.
Where to Watch Murder Mountain on Wikipedia
19) Murder Among the Mormons (2021)
The story of three bomb attacks that rocked Salt Lake City in 1985 unravels in this documentary, where Mark Hofmann's forgery spree and hunt for rare documents is exposed.
Murder Among the Mormons (2021) is a Netflix original documentary about Mark Hofmann, who became one of the most notable forgers in history. The docuseries follows Hofmann creating forgeries related to the Latter Day Saint movement, which made him a very rich man but ultimately resulted in the deaths of two innocent people in 1985.
Click here to listen to this Factual America Podcast episode.
Murder Among the Mormons on Wikipedia
20) The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez (2020)
A harrowing documentary that brings to light the horrific abuse and murder of an eight-year-old boy.
One of the most shocking and high-profile cases, this documentary exposes the systemic failures that led to the tragic murder of Gabriel Fernandez in 2013 in Palmdale, California.
This six-part documentary series from award-winning documentarian Brian Knappenberger explores the subsequent trial and investigation. It highlights the government system failures and lack of action in regard to reports and warning signs.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez on Wikipedia
21) The Innocent Man (2018)
Another Netflix Original is based on John Grisham's non-fiction book about a man falsely convicted of murder in Oklahoma.
This true-crime docuseries recounts the 1982 disappearance of Debbie Carter and Ada's wrongful conviction and incarceration for the Jackson County murder.
22) A Thread Of Deceit: The Hart Family Tragedy (2018)
An unsettling true crime documentary that delves into the 2018 Hart family tragedy, where two parents drove their entire family of eight off a cliff.
The Hart Family’s social media accounts depicted a perfect American life. However, the reality couldn't be further from the truth.
A Thread of Deceit: The Hart Family Tragedy documents a family’s story of abuse. This results in parents Jennifer and Sarah Hart deciding to drive their family car off a California cliff, killing them and their six adopted children.
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A Thread Of Deceit: The Hart Family Tragedy on IMDb
23) The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann (2019)
The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann is a Netflix documentary series directed by Chris Smith. This true crime documentary gives a detailed account of the events surrounding the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann.
Focusing on the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann, this series looks at the factors that led to the case remaining unsolved and what may have led to the young girl vanishing. It explores the media, the flawed police response, the public reaction, the investigation, and the McCann family.
The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann on Wikipedia
24) The Murder of Laci Peterson (2017)
This documentary scrutinizes the murder of Laci Peterson and the subsequent trial of her husband Scott Peterson.
This film focuses on the disappearance of pregnant Laci Peterson on Christmas Eve in 2002. It wasn't until four months later that her body and the body of her unborn child were discovered. Her husband was later convicted of her murder and sentenced to death despite the lack of DNA evidence or witnesses.
This documentary blends archival footage with new interviews and news footage to offer a comprehensive look at the still-unsolved murder of pregnant Laci Peterson.
👉 Watch The Murder of Laci Peterson on Amazon Prime
25) Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street (2023)
This miniseries is one of the craziest crime documentaries that exposes one of the most prolific and shocking white-collar frauds in financial history. Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme enabled serial felony violations, where he stole $50 billion from thousands of investors.
Shocking in its audacity, this example of financial crime movie explores the economy-crippling crimes he committed.
Click here to listen to this Factual America Podcast episode.
Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street on Wikipedia
Conclusion
The latest true crime documentaries are an excellent source of entertainment and education. These upcoming true crime documentaries provide an insight into the criminal world and help us examine complex curiosities with suspense and intrigue. Many are action-based, while others, such as court case documentaries, reveal the psychology of the perpetrators.
From the gruesome and disturbing to the thrilling and enthralling, this list of 25 must-watch true crime documentaries contains something for everyone. Delve into these best crime docs at your own risk, but be prepared to be consumed by their captivating content.
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