Now that it’s fall, it’s time to cozy up on the couch or in bed and watch some true crime shows. Although these can be riveting all year round, they’re especially enticing during spooky season. And, as if they know this, a lot of streaming services have released new true crime series leading up to Halloween.
From puzzling murders and terrifying abductions to people weaving webs of lies, here are the best new true crime shows of 2024.
More from CafeMom: 25 Spooky Halloween Movies & Shows To Watch With the Whole Family
'Unsolved Mysteries'
Just in time for Halloween, Netflix released four new episodes of Unsolved Mysteries. In addition to a murder case, this season also features several supposed alien and paranormal encounters. They’ll leave viewers questioning everything.
Stream on Netflix.
More from CafeMom: 15 of the Most Riveting New True-Crime Series & Movies
'Witches: Truth Behind the Trials'
Witches and spooky season go hand-in-hand, so this docuseries about history’s real witch trials is a perfect watch this fall. According to National Geographic, not only does it chronicle what happened in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600s, it also dives into witch hunts that happened around the globe.
Stream on Hulu/Disney+.
'Monsters'
In 1996, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of murdering their parents, per CNN. The brothers claimed they committed the act in self defense, and the ensuing trial captivated America. The sentencing remains controversial even decades later.
Monsters is a dramatization of the events from the mind of American Horror Story‘s Ryan Murphy, and it stars Chloë Sevigny and Javier Bardem as the Menendez parents.
'The Menendez Brothers'
For those who want to dive further into the Menendez case — or who just want a documentary version versus a fictionalized version — Netflix just dropped The Menendez Brothers. Per CNN, it features new interviews with the brothers, so viewers can hear their thoughts in their own words.
Stream on Netflix.
'This is the Zodiac Speaking'
On October 23, this Zodiac Killer docuseries hits Netflix. According to Variety, it includes new secrets and clues that could hint at the killer’s identity. Additionally, new interviews with friends of the alleged suspect shed light on the mysterious case.
Stream on Netflix.
'Under the Bridge'
Per IMDB, this fictionalized series is based on the true story of the 1997 disappearance of 14-year-old Reena Virk as well as the teenage girls suspected of the crime. It stars Riley Keough from Daisy Jones & the Six and Lily Gladstone from Killers of the Flower Moon.
Stream on Hulu.
'The Jinx: Part Two'
The first season of The Jinx infamously caught Robert Durst’s murder confession on tape. Since then, Robert has died (2022) and HBO has released a second season of the show. According to HBO, the new episodes contain footage, prison calls, and witness interviews not seen before.
Stream on Max.
'Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer'
For those who liked Netflix’s Mindhunter, this new Hulu series delves further into the life of Dr. Ann Burgess. Per NYU, she was part of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in the ’70s that pioneered the research into what the minds of serial killers were really like.
Stream on Hulu.
'Baby Reindeer'
Baby Reindeer swept the Emmys, with the show garnering six wins in 11 nominations. According to People magazine, the series is a fictionalized version of actor Richard Gadd’s claims of having been allegedly stalked. In addition to writing the story, Gadd plays the main character in the series.
Stream on Netflix.
'Anatomy of Lies'
Grey’s Anatomy fans will want to check this one out, which hit Peacock on October 15. According to IMDB, it’s about former Grey’s writer Elisabeth Finch, who was making up stories about her life in an effort to gain the empathy of people around her. This true twisted story is stranger than fiction.
Stream on Peacock.
'Scamanda'
Stream on Hulu.
'#CyberSleuths: The Idaho Murders'
Many people on TikTok were obsessed with the 2022 Idaho murder case in which four young college students were found gruesomely killed in their apartment. Since their deaths, a suspect has been named, but the case has yet to go to trial. In the meantime, online sleuths have done their own investigating, as seen in this Paramount+ series.
'Quiet on Set'
This series got us all to rethink our childhoods when it dove into what working on Nickelodeon sets was allegedly like for some young child actors. It was also shocking to see some of the jokes that maybe went over our heads when we were young.
Stream on Max/Discovery Plus.
'Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam'
This series covers the rise and fall of Lou Pearlman, who rose to success managing boy bands like *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. According to People, he was later charged with running a Ponzi scheme and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Speaking out in the docuseries are stars such as Chris Kirkpatrick from *NSYNC and AJ McLean and Howie Dorough from the Backstreet Boys.
Stream on Netflix.
'#ImNotaMonster: The Lois Riess Murders'
In 2018, Lois Reiss murdered her husband and another woman before stealing that woman’s identity and fleeing, per People. Now convicted and in prison, Lois herself speaks out in this HBO series about the case and what ultimately led to her actions.
Stream on Max.
'What Jennifer Did'
Jennifer Pan may have seemed to many like a well-behaved daughter, but she actually ended up orchestrating a home invasion and hiring hitmen to kill her parents in 2010, according to Forbes. She’s since been sentenced to life in prison. This series documents the strange unfolding of events.
Stream on Netflix.
More from CafeMom: Viral TikTok Video of ‘Creepy’ Kids’ Playroom Is Straight Out of a True Crime Documentary
'Griselda'
'American Nightmare'
Many people didn’t believe Denise Huskins’ 2015 kidnapping story. According to the BBC, the media sensationalized the incident, even comparing it to the 2014 film Gone Girl. Now, in this Netflix series, Denise gets a chance to tell her side of the story.
Stream on Netflix.
'Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini'
According to Time, Sherri Papini vanished in 2016. Then she returned weeks later claiming that she’d been kidnapped and tortured. But she later admitted to having invented the story, even borrowing from actual missing persons cases. She didn’t take part in this Hulu series, but it will chronicle the bewildering tale she concocted.
Stream on Hulu.
'American Murder: Laci Peterson'
Laci Peterson was pregnant when she tragically went missing in 2002 and her body was found in 2003, per Netflix’s Tudum. Her husband, Scott Peterson, was convicted of the crime, but he’s continued to claim his innocence.
Now, according to People, he’s appealing the case, making this Netflix series more timely than ever.
Stream on Netflix.
