True Crime Podcasts Exploring Crimes by Children
How specialized podcasts handle the sensitive topic of homicides committed by minors
True crime podcasts have increasingly tackled one of the most disturbing categories of homicide: crimes committed by children. These productions face unique editorial challenges, balancing public interest with ethical considerations around juvenile offenders and victims.
**Historical Cases Define the Genre**
Some of the earliest and most notorious cases predate modern psychology. Jesse Pomeroy earned distinction as a child serial killer in the 1870s, covered in episodes of *Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast* alongside historian Harold Schechter. More recently, the 1968 Mary Bell case—in which an 11-year-old strangled a toddler—shocked Britain and remains a reference point for discussions about child violence.
The 1993 cases of James Bulger and Derrick Robie brought child perpetrators back into the public consciousness. Two 10-year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, abducted and murdered 2-year-old James Bulger in the UK. Across the Atlantic, 13-year-old Eric Smith killed 4-year-old Derrick Robie in New York, a case examined in *Murderous Minors* episode 13.
**Modern Cases and Contemporary Podcasting**
Recent years have seen a surge in child-perpetrated homicides covered by specialized podcasts. The May 2021 disappearance of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey in St. Johns, Florida, ended in murder—committed by her 14-year-old classmate Aiden Fucci. The stabbing death shocked the community and received extensive podcast coverage, including episode 140 of *Murderous Minors*.
October 13, 2022, marked a particularly violent day in America. In Raleigh, North Carolina, 15-year-old Austin Thompson allegedly shot and killed his brother James Roger Thompson, Raleigh police officer Gabriel Torres, Nicole Connors, Mary Marshall, and Susan Karnatz. On the same date in Humble, Texas, 17-year-old Tyler Roenz allegedly killed his mother, Michelle Roenz. Both incidents received coverage in episode 138 of *Murderous Minors*.
