Dark Investigations
Bill Dunlap delivers deep-dive investigations into real murder cases, unsolved mysteries, cold cases, and serial killers, praised for its atmosphere.
Podcasts Like Dark Investigations
If you loved Dark Investigations, here are the best podcasts to try next. Matched by case type, storytelling style, and community ratings from our database of Murder, Cold Case, Serial Killer shows.
Why listeners love Dark Investigations
A 2026 standout specifically noted for its atmosphere — longer-form than most independent shows. With a binge factor of 8/10, it sits among the most compulsively listenable shows in the genre.
Binge Factor
8/10
Community-rated compulsive listenability
Format
Episodic
New case with every episode
Style
Deep-dive, atmospheric, thorough
Presentation approach
Episode Length
45-60 min
Typical episode duration
Host Style
Solo host
Presentation format
Verdict
Good if you want long-form deep dives rather than quick case summaries
Our editorial rating
Recommendations
12 podcasts like Dark Investigations
In the Dark
Listeners who want journalism-grade investigation into wrongful convictions, systemic racism, and institutional failures — more 60 Minutes than true crime thriller.
Serial
Anyone interested in journalism, legal procedure, and deep investigative dives into morally ambiguous cases with no easy answers.
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.
Bone Valley
True crime fans who care deeply about wrongful conviction, prosecutorial failure, and the fight to free innocent people; fans of In the Dark will find this essential.
You Didn't See Nothin
Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Award-winning series in which Yohance Lacour revisits a violent Chicago incident from 25 years earlier that shaped his path into journalism.
West Cork
True crime fans who love atmospheric investigative journalism, Anglo-Irish tensions, and cases that remain unresolved and fiercely contested decades later.
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 Trial of Erin Patterson
The Crime Desk's courtroom coverage of the Erin Patterson 'mushroom murders' trial — one of the biggest cases of the decade.
Murdaugh Murders Podcast
Journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell broke the Murdaugh family saga before it became a national story, and kept reporting it deeper than anyone else.
Bear Brook
True crime fans fascinated by forensic science, DNA technology, and cold cases with a genuine scientific payoff.
Missing and Murdered: Finding Cleo
CBC's Connie Walker investigates the Sixties Scoop through the disappearance of Cleo Semaganis Nicotine.
Charlene: Somebody Knows Something
The Crime Desk revisits the 2003 disappearance of 14-year-old Charlene Downes from Blackpool — a case that still has no resolution.
How they compare
| Podcast | Format | Country | Binge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Investigations (original) | Episodic | United States | 8/10 |
| In the Dark | Serialized | United States | 10/10 |
| Serial | Serialized | United States | 10/10 |
| Your Own Backyard | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
| Bone Valley | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
| You Didn't See Nothin | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
| West Cork | Serialized | Ireland | 9/10 |
| The Teacher's Pet | Serialized | Australia | 9/10 |
| The Trial of Erin Patterson | Serialized | United Kingdom | 9/10 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What podcasts are similar to Dark Investigations?
The best alternatives to Dark Investigations are podcasts that share its Murder, Cold Case, Serial Killer focus and episodic format. We've matched alternatives based on case types, storytelling format, and community ratings from our database.
Why do people love Dark Investigations?
Dark Investigations is known for its deep-dive, atmospheric, thorough approach to Murder and Cold Case. It scores 8/10 on our binge factor rating, reflecting how compulsively listenable listeners find it.
How long are episodes of Dark Investigations?
Episodes of Dark Investigations are typically 45-60 min long. It follows an episodic format, with each episode covering a different case.
Where can I listen to Dark Investigations?
Dark Investigations is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify. You can find it by searching the show name on any of those platforms.
What is the best episode of Dark Investigations to start with?
New listeners are recommended to start with Episode 1. Episodes can generally be listened to in any order.