5 true crime podcasts to listen to for Halloween

From the psychological draw of understanding evil to the excitement of solving a mystery, there are various reasons why people enjoy listening to true crime podcasts.

1. Heists, Scams and Lies: The Lost Caribbean Millions

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: True crime

Are you a fellow fan of juicy crime stories that unravel in mysterious and surprising layers? Then I would highly recommend giving Heists, Scams and Lies: The Lost Caribbean Millions by The Crime Desk, a listen.

In the newest episodes of the latest podcast series, the Daily Mail’s crime correspondent George Odling and foreign correspondent Andy Jehring recount the enthralling case of The Lost Caribbean Millions.

It’s where twice-bankrupt charismatic salesman David Ames from Essex convinces thousands of investors to put their life savings and pension pots into his lucrative, celebrity-backed luxury Caribbean holiday resort scam.

The extensive research and digging that has gone into creating this podcast series shines through the episodes as the story unfolds with exclusive interviews with victims, investigators and insiders.

In addition, the hosts’ engaging voices, in combination with the sound effects, make this podcast informative but fun to listen to.

If you are keen to become sucked into the whirlwind of one of Britain’s most recent notorious scams and are ready to relish in all the tiny details, then pop your headphones on and try Heists, Scams and Lies: The Lost Caribbean Millions.

(By Camilla Foster)

2. Where Is Daniel Morcombe?

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: True crime

For Matt Angel, American actor and host of the new true crime podcast, Where Is Daniel Morcombe?, the story of 13-year-old Australian boy Daniel Morcombe “is deeply tragic, and yet somehow still uplifting”.

On 7 December 2003, Morcombe was abducted from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and since then, his case has gripped Australia for years and forced his parents to take matters into their own hands.

In this eight-part podcast series produced by Sony Music Entertainment and Campside Media, in association with Pacesetter Productions, Angel takes listeners on an emotional rollercoaster as he investigates what really happened and the fight for justice that followed.

As the podcast progresses, you also hear more about The Daniel Morcombe Foundation, which Morcombe’s parents set up to keep his story in the public eye and helped them push for a coronial inquest.

If you are interested in the twists and turns that reveal Morcombe’s lasting legacy in protecting children all over the world, then Where is Daniel Morcombe? is for you.

(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)

3. Mind of a Monster: The Killer Nurse

Streaming platform:  All streaming platforms

Genre: True crime

Between 1989 and 1995, a nurse turned serial killer Kristen Gilbert murdered four of her patients, attempted to murder two more and is suspected of killing dozens of others.

In Mind of a Monster: The Killer Nurse, criminal psychologist Dr Michelle Ward uses six episodes to consult with detectives, journalists, victims’ families, and witnesses to gain a deeper understanding of Gilbert’s twisted mind.

The podcast also explores how Gilbert was able to inject a hard-to-trace drug into her victims’ bloodstreams, right under the noses of her colleagues at the Veterans Affairs Medical Centre in Massachusetts.

In episode four, Dr Ward discusses the initial investigation into Gilbert’s crimes, and reacts to the investigation with psychologists, detectives, prosecutors and other witnesses on the scene, to learn more about how authorities finally started to explore these mysterious deaths.

Arrow Media has expanded its acclaimed Mind of a Monster brand with this brand-new true crime podcast series, and it is a fascinating listen.

(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)

4. Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: True crime

For poet, artist and horror-obsessed Heidi Wong, cursed houses, real-life nightmares and haunted dolls aren’t just ghost stories we hear about, but “warnings”.

Every Monday, in her new podcast Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong – a Crime House Original from PAVE Studios – Wong takes listeners behind the stories that inspired some of the biggest films and the ones that are too twisted for Hollywood to touch.

In the latest episode, Wong tells listeners about the luxury Stanley Hotel in the Colorado mountains where horror king Stephen King spent an unsettling night, and a quiet Long Island home – 112 Ocean Avenue – where six family members were murdered in their sleep. She uncovers the chilling true stories of both that inspired The Shining and The Amityville Horror respectively.

If you are just as paranormal obsessive as Wong, then listen to Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong.

(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)

Spotlight on…

5. This One Time in Kankakee

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: True crime

Have you ever wondered about the weird, wild, and unforgettable moments that make Kankakee County, Illinois, what it is?

Well, in each short, punchy episode of storytelling podcast This One Time in Kankakee, people share true stories from their lives, about everything from funny childhood memories and creepy encounters, to embarrassing slip-ups, and heartwarming experiences.

Hosted by Jake LaMore, this has become a collection of the kinds of tales you would hear at a family gathering or sitting around a campfire.

In the latest episode, within 12 minutes you hear the legendary story of a crime that wasn’t the crime, and how a 500Ib plaster cow ended up in a suburban living room.

It’s a typical Kankakee County story about how sometimes the silliest decisions can make the best memories.

This One Time in Kankakee is perfect for when you are looking for a podcast that’s short and sometimes sweet.

(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)