In the Dark

From the 1870s to 2023, children have committed murders that shock societies worldwide. A growing number of true crime podcasts now examine these cases with journalistic rigor, exploring the psychological and social factors behind child perpetrators while maintaining ethical reporting standards.

True crime podcasts have dominated audio entertainment for over a decade, with shows like Crime Junkie, Casefile True Crime, and True Crime Garage leading the charge. As of May 2026, dozens of active series continue to investigate murders, disappearances, and cold cases from around the world, offering everything from conversational storytelling to raw source audio.

When a podcast reaches millions of listeners, cold cases can suddenly turn warm. Several true crime series have reignited investigations and helped law enforcement solve murders that went unsolved for 15 to 20 years, turning amateur investigators and listeners into unexpected assets in the search for justice.

A major investigative podcast from The New Yorker's Heidi Blake has launched a six-part examination of Britain's White House Farm murders, presenting evidence that could challenge Jeremy Bamber's four-decade conviction for killing five family members in 1985.

Investigative journalist Heidi Blake has uncovered significant evidence challenging Jeremy Bamber's conviction for the 1985 White House Farm murders in Essex, England—revealing potential crime scene interference by police and a phone call made from inside the farm when Bamber was reportedly elsewhere.

On the night of 6–7 August 1985, five members of the Bamber family were shot dead at White House Farm near Tolleshunt D'Arcy in Essex, England. Jeremy Bamber was convicted of the murders in 1986, but his case remains mired in controversy, with claims of police misconduct and disputed evidence keeping the case in the public eye.

Jacob Wetterling was 11 years old when he vanished while cycling home from a convenience store in rural Minnesota in October 1989. Twenty-seven years later, DNA evidence and a confessional plea deal would finally reveal what happened to him—and podcasters would document every twist of this watershed case.