Loading...

PODCAST

Crime Writers On...

Partners in Crime Media

Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast hosted by Rebecca Lavoie and featuring Kevin Flynn, Lara Bricker and Toby Ball. Each week the panel reviews true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV shows, and films, diving into journalism, storytelling, pop culture, and the biggest crime stories in media. Plus: the Crime of the Week. Show website: crimewriterson.com Follow the show on X: @crimewriterson Facebook: facebook.com/crimewritersonpodcast Email: crimewriterson@gmail.com

true crime tv reviews

All Episodes

00:45:36

The Brothers Ortiz

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/03/23

When Gabe Ortiz’s brother was killed in 2023, the prominent Texas lawman had to deal with more than a murder investigation. He had to confront their different life choices. Faced with few prospects, young Gabe left town for the Air Force and the police academy. Meanwhile, his brother Larry stayed at home, where his best opportunity was selling drugs. While Gabe climbed the ranks in the Department of Public Safety, his brother climbed the ranks as a dealer and prison gang leader. But Larry had pulled

en-us

00:40:06

Ponies

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/03/19

In 1977’s Moscow, Americans Bea Grant and Twila Hasbeck learn their husbands have died during a secret mission in Soviet Russia. Determined to learn why, they convince the CIA station chief to let them return to the US embassy to complete their husbands’ covert operation and uncover why it went wrong. Bea and Twila find themselves helping a young Russian leak secret Soviet technology. But they’re drawn in deeper when Bea catches the eye of a ruthless KGB officer who’s been gathering kompromat. Now

en-us

00:42:48

One of Their Own

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/03/16

When San Diego police discovered fellow officer Ciara Estrada dead in her bathroom, they determined she shot herself with her own gun. At a New Year’s party the night before, Estrada got drunk, fought with her boyfriend, and made many references to self-harm. But Estrada’s family say police didn’t go deep enough, claiming investigators were too quick to lay the blame on her. They say Estrada’s tumultuous relationship with another cop was never explored. They believe the department protected the man

en-us

00:42:00

Beauty and the Bester

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/03/12

Thabo Bester, South Africa’s so-called “Facebook Rapist,” was serving a murder conviction when he died by suicide in his prison cell, setting his bed on fire. But authorities later revealed the victim had been killed before the fire began. The story took another turn when celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana attempted to claim Bester’s body. Investigators looked deeper into the connection between the inmate and the social media influencer. Then the media questioned whether Bester had faked his death

en-us

00:51:37

Love + Radio: Blood Memory

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/03/09

While doing defense work, Ariel crosses paths with inmate Michael Thompson. Incarcerated for decades on murder charges, she finds him to be soft-spoken, educated, and spiritual. Ariel’s intrigued by Thompson’s life growing up on an Indian reservation, his claims of being wrongfully convicted, his time leading the brutal Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, and his quest for enlightenment. He dispenses wisdom as he recounts his violent past and deeds done to atone for them. But prosecutor Heather Brown

en-us

00:47:06

Valley of Shadows

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/03/05

In 1998, Deputy Jon Aujay went for a run in the California desert and never returned. After a weeklong search, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department determined he went to the Devil’s Punchbowl to commit suicide - a conclusion that did not sit right with some of his fellow deputies. Given the area’s reputation for meth labs, colleagues suspected Aujay stumbled across something he wasn’t supposed to see. They point to dealers who’ve claimed to kill a cop in the desert. And the accusations

en-us

00:47:57

Murder in Glitterball City

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/03/02

After a routine domestic disturbance call at a Louisville home, Jeffrey Mundt and Joey Banis shocked police by revealing a dead body was in their basement. The ex-lovers each accused the other of killing a drag performer during a ménage à trois, and being forced to help bury the victim beneath the dirt floor. With one defendant an ex-con and the other into sadistic kinks, attorneys used their pasts to paint each other as liars and killers. But years after their trials, their community still revels

en-us

00:50:02

Murder at the U

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/02/26

In 2006, University of Miami football player Bryan Pata was shot outside his apartment coming home from practice. On the ten-year anniversary of the death, police invited ESPN to look into the cold case. The reporters found cops had many viable suspects, including a teammate with a compelling motive and shaky alibi. But the journalists also came to find their law enforcement sources to be unreliable partners, and eventually their story turned into both a quest to find Pata’s killer and an

en-us

00:48:40

The Investigation of Lucy Letby

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/02/23

In 2016, officials at England’s The Countess of Chester Hospital began an inquest into what was causing a statistically high number of babies in the neonatal unit to die or require resuscitation. They found the cases all had one thing in common: night nurse Lucy Letby was on duty for all of them. Police accused Letby of killing the infants in a number of ways - including tampering with oxygen, feeding tubes, and insulin injections. But her lawyers said the outcomes were the result of poor care from

en-us

00:41:53

Watching You

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/02/19

In 2011, Matt Leili told police his wife Nique left their suburban Atlanta home with nothing but her toothbrush a week before her naked body was discovered in the woods. Investigators learned that for years Matt had been surveilling his family in their home through hidden cameras. Through thousands of hours of tape, police pieced together Matt's coercive and abusive marriage with Nique, but the cameras stopped rolling the night she vanished. Investigators were left with the challenge of proving Matt

en-us

00:42:40

Secret Mall Apartment

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/02/16

Combing passages within the newly-built Providence Place mall, a group of local artists located an unused, overlooked space within the building. They sneaked in furniture and construction supplies, and fashioned a small apartment under the noses of management and security guards. Though the confederates used the space like a club house, they considered the project a political and artistic commentary on gentrification and consumerism. They filmed themselves for four years, but they could not avoid

en-us

00:44:55

Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/02/12

The brazen kidnapping of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart from her bedroom captivated the nation. And when their main suspect died in custody, police feared they’d never learn her fate. But Elizabeth was still alive, being held in the woods, and facing daily abuse at the hands of her captors. Though investigators thought of it as a cold case, the Smart family continued their search. And a clue from Elizabeth’s younger sister about the kidnapper’s identity led to her dramatic rescue and emotional family

en-us

00:47:57

What Happened in Nashville

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/02/09

Sydney McDowell was preparing for the last steps in her fertility journey. But when she went to Nashville’s Center for Reproductive Health for a final check-up, she learned the clinic was abruptly closing, and what would happen to her frozen embryos was unclear. Hundreds of families who’d paid thousands of dollars were left in the lurch, unable to recover their money or their embryos. As the would-be mothers compared notes, they said they missed many red flags that something wasn’t right at this

en-us

00:42:16

Collateral Damage

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/02/05

From no-knock warrants and phony police informants to civil forfeiture and international narcotics interdiction, the US war on drugs has affected more than just traffickers. Its highly provocative methods have caused the deaths of innocent bystanders, often with no consequences for those responsible. Animated by decades of political cries stoking fear and anger, police departments have gained more power in their tactics, which look more like combat than law enforcement. And the deaths of people

en-us

00:45:13

Steal

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/02/02

A group of armed thieves force their way into a London investment firm which manages pension funds. In order to move billions of pounds into an offshore account, low-level office worker Zara Dunne is forced to complete the transaction with a gun to her head. DCI Rhys Covac thinks the heist isn’t all that it seems, and is paired with forensic accountants and MI5 operatives to unravel the operation. As Covac investigates her co-worker Luke, Zara finds herself in the middle of a high-stakes caper,

en-us

00:41:47

Hell in Heaven

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/01/29

In 2001, a wealthy American couple moved to Costa Rica to build a multimillion-dollar home and wildlife sanctuary in the rain forest. In their lavish estate patrolled by armed guards, John and Ann Bender found themselves more isolated as the couple dealt with debilitating illness, bipolar disorder, and growing paranoia. When tragedy struck in 2010, authorities were left to wonder whether what happened was an accident, suicide, or murder. What followed was a legal saga which lasted years and grabbed

en-us

00:45:50

Evil Influencer

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/01/26

When police discovered an emaciated boy covered in wounds and duct tape, they learned he and his sister were being kept in the basement of Jodi Hildebrandt. She had built an online following by promoting harsh approaches to marriage advice and rigid child‑rearing strategies. The imprisoned children belonged to Ruby Franke, who abandoned her well‑known mommy vlog to collaborate with Hildebrandt on YouTube. As investigators dug into the case, they uncovered more about their methods…marked by

en-us

00:42:49

Murder in Monaco

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/01/22

In 1999, billionaire Edmond Safra died in his fortified Monaco penthouse after a chaotic sequence of events. His nurse, Ted Maher, was stabbed by intruders, and the fire he set to summon help consumed the penthouse, killing Safra who was hiding in the safe room. The paranoid Safra had made enemies of the Russian mafia, and his widow had already inherited a fortune from the death of another husband under suspicious circumstances. But authorities accused Maher of staging the break-in to look like a

en-us

00:40:55

The Devil You Know

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/01/19

In the 1980s, America was told Satanism was on the rise. Devil worshipers were responsible for kidnappings and blood sacrifices, and were coming for your children. Soon, police, teachers, and social workers were seeing Satanists everywhere. But why did the “satanic panic" take off in the first place? Were we really afraid of the devil? Or was it a way to explain the rising prevalence of societal ills and cultural shifts some saw as just as corrupting as Lucifer himself? In CBC’s “The Devil You

en-us

00:39:54

Critical Incident: Death at the Border

Crime Writers On... ·

2026/01/15

In 2010, when Anastasio Hernández-Rojas died after his arrest at a checkpoint, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was from a medical emergency. Even though video surfaced showing 20 officers beating and tasing him, none of the men were held accountable for his death. An investigative journalist and a former CBP agent noted a passing reference to the Critical Incident Team, an organization neither had heard of. They learn this secretive unit isn’t tasked with investigating lethal force

en-us

734 results

Similar Podcasts

Amr Yahia عمرو يحيى

Amr Yahia عمرو يحيى

الجدار الأخير: جريمة في درب غلف

Younes Ouakka

The FOX True Crime Podcast

Fox Audio Network

True Crime Podcast 2026 - Police Interrogations, 911 Calls and True Police Stories Podcast

True Crime Podcast 2026

Crime Writers On...

Partners in Crime Media