Curated Listening Guide
True Crime EpisodesTrue Crime Podcast Episodes
Murders • Scams • Unsolved CasesMurders • Scams • Unsolved Cases
Start with our standout true crime episodes, then browse by case type or explore the full archive.Start with The Compendium's standout true crime podcast episodes, covering murders, disappearances, scams, scandals, and unsolved cases. Begin with our essential picks, then browse by case type or jump to the full archive.
Start Here
3 Essential True Crime Episodes
If you want the best place to begin, start with these three episodes. They show the range of the show: serial crime, wrongful conviction, and modern corporate stalking.
True Crime
The Suffolk Strangler: Steve Wright The Man Who Made the Road Home a Nightmare
This episode unpacks the Suffolk Strangler investigation, covering victim timelines, policing pressure, and how Steve Wright was ultimately identified and charged.
Ep 149 • 1h 21m • 03 February 2026
True Crime
West Memphis Three: Paradise Lost, Justice Lost, Innocence Lost
The West Memphis Three case is not just a murder story. It is a story about panic, a coerced confession, and a justice system so determined not to look foolish that three teenagers were condemned while the real killer ma...
Ep 152 • 1h 32m • 24 February 2026
True Crime
The 2019 eBay Stalking Scandal: When Tech Giants Become Stalkers
When EcommerceBytes published criticism of eBay in 2019, you might expect a tense PR response. What followed instead was a harassment campaign so petty, so disproportionate, and so deranged it became one of the strangest...
Ep 153 • 1h 18m • 03 March 2026
Browse by Case Type
Jump to the case style you want first
Use this quick jump bar to move directly between curated case collections.
Curated Collection
British True Crime Cases
Start here for British investigations, trials, disappearances, and major media-covered cases.
True Crime
Lucy Letby: Did She Really Kill These Babies?
A neonatal unit descends into crisis as accusations of murder, medical error, and systemic failure collide around nurse Lucy Letby. This episode examines the events inside the Countess of Chester’s neonatal unit, where u...
Ep 145 • 1h 28m • 06 January 2026
Pop Culture & Entertainment
The Millionaire Cough: Britain’s Biggest Game Show Scandal
A quiz show champion reaches the million-pound question, only for suspicious coughs to spark a scandal that grips the nation. This episode revisits the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire coughing scandal, tracing how Charles...
Ep 142 • 1h 32m • 16 December 2025
True Crime
Who Killed Jill Dando: The Mystery Behind Her Infamous Murder
In this episode of the Compendium, we explore the shocking murder of Jill Dando, a beloved BBC presenter whose unsolved case continues to baffle the nation. From the controversial trial of Barry George to theories of pol...
Ep 81 • 1h 8m • 15 October 2024
Curated Collection
Murders & Serial Killers
Cases defined by violence, notoriety, and the long trail they leave behind.
True Crime
Hillside Strangler: Murder in the Shadows of Los Angeles
In late 1970s Los Angeles, young women began turning up on the hillsides around the city: naked, strangled, brutalised, and dumped with a kind of casual cruelty that made the whole thing feel even worse.
Ep 147 • 1h 20m • 20 January 2026
True Crime
Chaos: Charles Manson and the Manson Murders
In this episode of The Compendium, we dive into one of the most disturbing true crime stories in history—how Helter Skelter , a Beatles song, became the twisted manifesto for Charles Manson and his cult of devoted follow...
Ep 101 • 1h 19m • 04 March 2025
True Crime
Monster of Florence: The Real-Life Horror Behind an Italian Legend
A serial killer stalks couples in the Tuscan hills for nearly twenty years, leaving Italy gripped by fear, rumours, and a mystery that refuses to die. This episode unpacks the chilling case of the Monster of Florence, tr...
Ep 134 • 1h 23m • 21 October 2025
Curated Collection
Unsolved Cases & Disappearances
Missing persons, unexplained disappearances, and cases that still resist answers.
True Crime
Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping: The Day a School Bus Vanished
In July 1976, a school bus carrying 26 children disappeared from a quiet California town and ended up buried in a quarry a hundred miles away. The Chowchilla bus kidnapping became one of the most shocking child abduction...
Ep 150 • 1h 10m • 10 February 2026
True Crime
Elizabeth Smart: Kidnapped by a Prophet
In 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was taken from her bedroom by Brian David Mitchell, a self-styled prophet whose delusions, violence and mobility helped stall the search. This episode follows the abduction, the inves...
Ep 148 • 1h 16m • 27 January 2026
Mysteries & The Unexplained
Body in Room 348: How a Locked Room Led to an Impossible Answer
This episode breaks down the Body in Room 348 case by timeline, witness claims, and forensic details to explain why the final answer still feels impossible.
Ep 143 • 51m • 23 December 2025
Curated Collection
Scams, Frauds & Cover-Ups
Fraud, deception, abuse of power, and the stories where greed or protection warped the truth.
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Elizabeth Holmes: Silicon Valley's Greatest Fraud
In this episode of the Compendium, we explore the mysterious rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal that rocked Silicon Valley. Discover how Holmes, decieved investors with false promises and turned T...
Ep 70 • 1h 33m • 30 July 2024
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Rudy Kurniawan: The Man Who Duped the Elite with Fake Fine Wines
In this episode of the Compendium, we're heading into the intoxicating and deceitful world of Rudy Kurniawan, the charasmatic mastermind behind one of the most sensational wine fraud stories in history. Kyle tells Adam h...
Ep 47 • 1h 16m • 20 February 2024
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Knoedler Gallery Scandal: The Greatest Art Fraud of the Century
In this episode of the Compendium, we explore the Knoedler Gallery Scandal, a tale of deception that rocked the art world. We dive into how Glafira Rosales, Pei-Shen Qian, and Ann Freedman played key roles in the infamou...
Ep 82 • 1h 19m • 22 October 2024
Case Explainers & Related Articles
Case Explainers & Related Articles
Want more context after listening? These companion reads expand on key cases, timelines, and details.
Morgan Metzer: The True Story Behind Gaslit by My Husband
Morgan Metzer survived what looked like a random home invasion, only for the truth to reveal something far more chilling. This is the real story behind Gaslit by My Husband - a case of coercive control, gaslighting, and psychological abuse that ended in a staged act of terror.
Lucy Letby: What Really Happened?
This article is a factual Lucy Letby case explainer focused on timeline clarity, court context, and the core questions readers are trying to understand.
WHY THIS PAGE WORKS
What makes our true crime episodes different
At The Compendium, we look beyond the headline. Expect strong storytelling, clear context, and the details that make each case stranger, sadder, or more revealing than it first appears.
- Clear storytelling, without the waffle
- Real context, not just a bag of facts
- Cases chosen for strangeness, impact, or cultural weight
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best true crime episodes to start with?
Start with the featured episodes at the top of this page. They're our best first port of call if you'd like the full Compendium experience without immediately needing a corkboard.
Are these episodes serious or comedic?
The facts are taken seriously. The delivery is conversational, which makes the stories easier to follow without turning the whole affair into an audition for bleakness.
What should I listen to after this page?
If you'd like more cases, head to the full true crime archive. If you're in the mood for neighbouring oddities, move sideways into History, Mysteries & The Unexplained, or Scams, Hoaxes & Cons.
Related Topics
Keep exploring related stories
If you came here for investigative storytelling, historical context, or unresolved mysteries, these next topic pages are the best follow-on paths.
History
Turning-point moments, strange decisions, and ripple effects still shaping the world now.
Mysteries
For unresolved stories, strange disappearances, and the questions that refuse to settle.
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Investigate the anatomy of major frauds and hoaxes, from public manipulation to financial collapse.
Keep Listening
Browse every true crime episode in one place
If you're ready to go beyond the curated picks, head to the full archive with the true crime filter already applied.