The Most Compelling True Crime Shows On Netflix
True crime can make for a compelling, harrowing, and fascinating genre. Those who have a Netflix subscription will find that they have access to some of the best true crime documentaries of the past decade.
These stories are easy to get wrapped up in, as they relate dark true stories that are often stranger than fiction. Whether you view true crime as a way to better understand the world around us, or a simple guilty pleasure, you’ll find plenty to dig into here.
The Keepers
A decades-old case that still haunts those who were involved to this day, the killing of Sister Catherine Cesnik in 1969 stunned the residents of Baltimore, Maryland.
This series documents the work undertaken by Sister Cathy’s former students as they search for the person who killed this beloved teacher and nun. While the case is seemingly solved, its conclusion is anything but certain.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
This series tells the story of Warren Jeffs, an enormously controversial spiritual leader of a fundamentalist offshoot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
By the time Jeffs’ world came crashing down on him, he was accused of coercing many underage members of his congregation into marriage and was wanted by authorities.
American Nightmare
This story is undoubtedly a nightmare: a woman is kidnapped, help captive and brutally assaulted — but when she’s finally freed, police believe she made the whole thing up.
This really happened to Denise Huskins, known as the “real-life Gone Girl.” This documentary chronicles not just the ordeal Huskins went through at the hands of her kidnapper, but also the shocking way in which police handled her case.
American Murder: Laci Peterson
The Laci Peterson saga was one of the most high-profile missing persons cases of the early 2000s. The pregnant California woman vanished, seemingly without a trace, on Christmas Eve.
Laci Peterson’s husband, Scott, became the primary suspect, and scrutiny only increased when it was revealed that he’d been living a double life the whole time.
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal
It seems like a dark, southern gothic tale, but it happened in real life: The scion of a powerful South Carolina family finds himself at the center of controversy for his involvement in a tragic boating accident.
The story only goes sideways from there, as it reveals the hold the Murdaugh family had on the community — and a shocking twist changes everything.
This Is the Zodiac Speaking
The Zodiac Killer, who terrorized Northern California starting in the late ’60s, has famously never been identified. That is, of course, if you don’t believe the claims made in This is the Zodiac Speaking.
The series identifies the only suspect who was ever publicly identified in the case, complete with interviews from people who knew him. While the Zodiac murders may never be conclusively solved, this series makes a compelling argument.
Amanda Knox
Amanda Knox became a household name for all the wrong reasons when she was convicted in 2007 of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher, while both were living in Italy.
This documentary chronicles the media frenzy surrounding the case along with Knox’s eventual acquittal, complete with interviews from Knox herself.
Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey
The killing of six-year-old beauty pageant contestant JonBenét Ramsey shocked the world when it happened in 1996, and tabloid (and police) scrutiny zeroed in on her parents, John and Patsy.
The sensationalized story has been warped and distorted over the years, and major parts of it are still a mystery today. This Netflix series examines one of the biggest stories of the ’90s.
Athlete A
The United States women’s gymnastics program was regarded as world-class, but as it turned out, there was a dark secret looming in the shadows.
Athlete A tells the story of doctor Larry Nassar, who assaulted many female gymnasts and other athletes who he was supposed to be treating. While the details are often horrifying, Athlete A manages to inspire with its call for accountability.
Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist
One of the most unbelievable stories in a genre already known for unbelievable stories, this doc delves into the 2003 “pizza bomber” case, in which a man was killed by an incendiary device strapped to his neck.
Was the man a hostage, a willing participant, or something else? Who else was involved? Evil Genius tells a story that’s far stranger than fiction.
The Menendez Brothers
Brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted of brutally killing their parents in 1996 in a trial that was heavily covered by media of the time.
This series takes a somewhat sympathetic view of the brothers’ motivations and revisits the case years after most people had forgotten about it.
Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.
For those in the New York food scene, restauranteur Sarma Melngallis seemingly had it all and was known as the “vegan queen” of New York.
Melngallis quickly sees her life go off the rails, however, when she falls for a stranger on the internet. Her saga begins with Melngallis as a celebrity, and ends with her as a fugitive from justice.
Sins of Our Mother
Lori Vallow wasn’t always a religious fanatic, but after meeting Chad Daybell, she descended further and further into a world of strange superstitions.
The story chronicles Vallow’s transformation from attentive wife and mother to fugitive on the run. By the time she’s caught, multiple people are dead or missing.
American Murder: Gabby Petito
The idyllic #VanLife portrayed by Gabby Petito turned out to be a nightmare when the vlogger disappeared on a road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, in 2021.
The case quickly went viral, as Laundrie and his family were unusually evasive regarding the whereabouts of Gabby Petito. In time, Petito would be found, and the Laundrie family saga would get darker still. This documentary pieces together text messages and video to create a compelling story.
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer
Gilgo Beach, Long Island, became a crime scene when human remains were discovered along a lonely, isolated stretch of the beach. Forensics showed that most of the remains belonged to women from New York, indicating that a serial killer was targeting this marginalized community.
This series takes a large-scale view at the entire case, including the long fight for justice on the part of the victims’ families.
