Best Missing Persons Podcasts
Searches that consumed communities
34 podcasts — ranked by binge factor
Up and Vanished
True crime fans who enjoy amateur investigators uncovering new leads in real time; those who want a sense of participatory investigation.
Bear Brook
True crime fans fascinated by forensic science, DNA technology, and cold cases with a genuine scientific payoff.
The Teacher's Pet
True crime fans who like journalism-driven investigations with massive real-world impact; anyone fascinated by domestic crime and institutional failure.
The Lady Vanishes
A journalist and a daughter search for answers about a missing Australian schoolteacher
Casefile True Crime
Listeners who prefer documentary-style narration with high production standards and zero filler; purists who want the facts and nothing else.
Your Own Backyard
Listeners who want investigative true crime with real-world consequence and single-minded, passionate focus from a creator who refused to let a case die.
Cold
True crime fans who appreciate methodical investigative journalism and are prepared for deeply upsetting content involving family violence.
They Walk Among Us
UK listeners who want their own true crime podcast tradition rather than American-focused shows; international fans who want well-crafted British perspective on crime.
And That's Why We Drink
True crime fans who also love ghost stories and paranormal content; listeners who want a genuinely fun, friendship-chemistry-driven podcast; great for those who find straight true crime too heavy.
Crime Junkie
True crime fans who want concise, well-researched episodes without excessive banter or filler; great for commuters.
Hell and Gone
True crime fans who want investigative journalism from someone with actual private detective credentials who has real skin in the game.
Someone Knows Something
True crime fans who value empathy, journalistic integrity, and collaborative investigations conducted alongside the victim's own family.
Counter Clock
True crime fans who appreciate slow, careful investigation over quick-hit anthology formats; listeners who want journalism-quality research and original reporting.
Death in Ice Valley
True crime fans who love cold case mysteries with an international dimension; people fascinated by forensic identification and the stories hidden in unidentified remains.
My Favorite Murder
True crime fans who enjoy comedy and warm friendship chemistry alongside the darkness; especially popular with women; great for those who find straight true crime too heavy.
RedHanded
True crime fans who want their listening to come with critical analysis of gender and power; UK and Ireland listeners; anyone who feels the mainstream genre ignores social context.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
True crime fans who love variety and unexplained mysteries; popular with fans of 'unexplained' content alongside traditional true crime.
To Live and Die in LA
True crime fans who enjoy investigative journalism with a strong sense of place and cinematic atmosphere; listeners who followed the Up and Vanished active investigation format.
Dateline NBC
Fans of network true crime TV who want that polished, accessible storytelling on demand; great for newcomers to true crime.
Black Girl Gone
True crime fans who want to actively counter 'missing white woman syndrome'; advocates for Black women; anyone who believes all victims deserve equal media attention.
Dark Poutine
Canadian true crime fans; international listeners curious about crime north of the border; those who appreciate a lighter touch on dark material.
Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad
True crime listeners who want to be active participants rather than passive audience; fans of forensic investigation and DNA genealogy; those who followed Paul Holes in I'll Be Gone in the Dark.
Cold Case Files (A&E Podcast)
Fans of the television series who want more content on demand; true crime fans who appreciate the resolved-case satisfaction of crimes where justice was eventually served.
Generation Why
True crime veterans who appreciate depth, long discussion, and a massive back catalogue spanning the entire history of the genre.
Unresolved
True crime fans who appreciate intellectual honesty — podcasts that say 'we don't know' when they don't know, rather than presenting false certainties; those who want depth over speed.
True Crime Fan Club
True crime fans who enjoy community-driven listening experiences; those who want a wide variety of case types covered regularly; listeners who've exhausted the big names and want deeper cuts.
Sword and Scale
True crime veterans who want visceral, no-holds-barred storytelling with authentic audio evidence; not suitable for beginners or those sensitive to graphic content.
Obsessed with True Crime
Midwest and Michigan listeners wanting representation in the genre; true crime fans who prefer clear, unadorned case presentation without comedy or excessive banter.
Trace Evidence
True crime fans who prioritise research quality above all else; listeners frustrated by inaccuracies in mainstream true crime; those who want depth over speed.
True Crime Garage
True crime fans who enjoy laid-back, conversational coverage of a wide range of cases; the podcast equivalent of true crime over drinks with friends.
The Fall Line
True crime fans who care about representation and want to counter the media focus on white, middle-class victims; advocates for rural and marginalised missing persons.
Ladies of True Crime
True crime fans who appreciate the community and warmth of the women-in-podcasting true crime tradition; listeners who want consistent, considered coverage without excessive production flash.
Canadian True Crime
Listeners who want true crime beyond American borders; Canadian listeners wanting their own crime stories represented; anyone interested in how Indigenous women's cases are systematically underreported.
The Vanished
True crime fans who want to actively counter 'missing white woman syndrome'; advocates for marginalised communities; listeners who care about representation in crime media.