This post was updated 2/17/2021 with some of my IG followers recommendations
Ok where are all my true crime junkies at? I can’t get enough true crime documentaries. It’s hard to say when my obsession started. I remember being fascinated with the O.J. Simpson case and Jon Benet Ramsey. I have rounded up the best true crime documentaries for you to get your true crime fix.
The Best True Crime Documentaries
Night Stalker (Netflix) – At first when I started this, I couldn’t get into it. But this was the #1 recommended documentary by all my Instagram followers and fellow true crime lovers.
Murder on Middlebeach (on HBO) – this one just breaks my heart. Created by a son who lost his mom tragically and he shares his journey as he is trying to solve her murder. My husband and I found ourselves trying to solve it as we watched and it’s a case I’m still actively following.
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (Netflix) – A notorious hotel in L.A. with a seedy past is the backdrop for this doc. One of their guests, a young woman from Canada goes missing. Was she murdered or was it an accident?
The Jinx (on HBO) – One of my favorites, I have watched this one over and over. An estranged son to a prominent family in real estate, Fred Durst has been a suspect in three murders and been in and out of jail. Watch until the very last episode for Durst’s surprising confession.
Unsolved Mysteries: Rey Rivera (Netflix) – Unsolved Mysteries is back and on Netflix. The first episode left me going down a rabbit hole trying to find more info about this case. A man gets a phone call and suddenly vanishes. His body is found later and ruled a suicide but his wife and family believe he was murdered. Crime Junkies Podcast also recently covered this case and it has left me wanting more answers.
Jennifer Dulos (Stream on Dateline NBC on Hulu) – I was fascinated with this case from the very beginning when my sister who lives in Connecticut could hear all the planes overhead searching for Dulos’ body that Memorial Day Weekend. A beautiful mother to five children who seemed to have it all goes missing. Her ex husband and his girlfriend are at the center of the investigation.
Jeffrey Epstein: Filty Rich (Netflix) – I didn’t follow this case when it was originally going on but this documentary sucked me in. The fact that Epstein was able to get off so easily due to his overwhelming wealth will leave you outraged. To me, the circumstances surrounding his death are particularly interesting. Was it a suicide or murder? Since watching this, I’ve been following Ghislaine Maxwell’s involvement.
Killer Inside: The mind of Aaron Hernandez (Netflix) – Interviews with Hernandez’s family members and friends, these 3 episodes examine his past and suggest he may have been living a “double life”.
Abducted in plain sight (Netflix) – ok this is a wierd one and literally left me baffled for so many reasons that I won’t share so I don’t ruin anything for those of you who haven’t seen it. A kidnapping by a close family friend that will leave you outraged and scratching your head.
The Murder of Lacey Peterson (Stream A&E on Hulu) – A very well known case about a pregnant woman who goes missing on Christmas Eve and her husband is the prime suspect.
Amanda Knox (Netflix) – Did she or didn’t she? An American girl who goes over to Italy to study abroad and gets convicted of killing her roommate. She’s since twice been acquitted and she claims she has been wrongly accused.
The case against Adnan Syed (HBO) – Made popular by the podcast Serial, this documentary follows the relationship between Syed and Hae Min Lee, interviews with those that knew them and the trial.
Up and Vanished – Tara Grinstead (on Oxygen) – I have been obsessed with this case since I originally listened to the Up and Vanished podcast a few years ago. A story about a paegent queen and teacher who went missing.
What are some of your favorite true crime cases or documentaries?
