Author: Suzanne Hamlin

Show: Black Widow Murders

Women who kill multiple spouses and finally get caught

About Black Widow Murders

Female killers seem to be so much more…fascinating. Maybe it’s their general rarity in comparison to men (women commit about 12 percent of the murders in the US), maybe it’s their methods of murder, or maybe it’s the stereotype that women are the gentler sex, a stereotype that has been proven so very wrong by shows like Black Widow Murders. 

This true crime show delves into homicide cases involving women who have murdered multiple romantic partners, gaining them the “black widow” label.

These women kill using various means, from poison, to murder-for-hire, to guns, and the show includes commentary by psychologists, reporters, and crime writers who covered the cases, as well as testimonials by investigators and victims’ loved ones.

As one of the psychologists from the show notes, these women are serial killers who murder people they know, unlike male serial killers who usually kill strangers. Just as sociopathic, but these women are doing things their own way.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 1 (2022-)

Where to stream: Peacock, Hulu

More shows like Black Widow Murders: Snapped, Deadly Women, Deadly Wives, Wives with Knives

See also this list of true crime shows

✘ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✓ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: The New Detectives

A forensics-based tour through murders and other crimes

About The New Detectives

Similar to Forensic Files, The New Detectives centers on the forensics behind solving homicide cases (including murders by serial killers) and other crimes like bombings, airplane crashes, sexual assaults, drug trafficking, missing persons, and arson. It showcases a variety of forensic methods, from DNA testing, to tire tracks, to footprints, to bite marks.

Forensic specialists demonstrate techniques related to profiling, forensic photography, forensic entomology and botany, toxicology, facial reconstruction, ballistics, forensic pathology, and forensic anthropology, creating a semi-educational tour through the field through specific cases.

Each episode features 2-3 cases, and the focus is on the forensic techniques involved, rather than a step-by-step account of the investigations. As a result, only some episodes include victims’ loved ones, and not much time is spent on trial aspects, usually just a summary of the verdict.

The true crime show is a bit dated, but still enjoyable for forensics buffs.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 9 (1996-2005)

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, The Roku Channel, True Crime Network

More shows like The New Detectives: Forensic Files, Forensic Files II, Forensic Factor

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: Still a Mystery

Mysterious disappearances, murders, and other cases

About Still a Mystery

Still a Mystery features homicide and missing persons cases that are unsolved or unresolved in some other way: cases yet to be tried, those awaiting retrial, or solved cases that the family believes was not a suicide or accident but instead, a murder.

Each episode of the true crime show includes two cases and emphasizes the views of the family and their emotional and heartbreaking stories, rather than that of detectives and their investigations. Loved ones offer a lot of speculation about what may have happened, as they cling to their beliefs about their family member’s disappearance or death.

Still a Mystery is similar to Disappeared, but broadens the focus past only disappearances to include murders, accidents, suicides, and other causes of death that family members and friends just can’t bring themselves to believe.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 6 (2019-)

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery+

More shows like Still a Mystery: Disappeared, Gone, In Pursuit: The Missing, Last Seen Alive, The Missing, Real Life Nightmare, The Search, Vanished: The Missing Persons Project

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: Disappeared

Missing persons cases, as told by family members and friends

About Disappeared

Imagine your family member, your friend, or your coworker gone without a trace. Calls and texts unanswered. No explanation. This is the premise of Disappeared, which follows the stories of mostly unsolved missing persons cases, thought to be possible suicides, murders, drug overdoses, or psychotic breaks. In only a few episodes are bodies ever found, and even fewer have been solved.

Similar to Still a Mystery, Disappeared is less emotional but also has a lot of speculation by family members and friends about what they think might have happened to their loved one. The focus is on their stories and thoughts, rather than the theories of detectives, who don’t always appear on the show.

Disappeared is a nice change from the usual homicide-based true crime shows, but it will drive you crazy if you’re the type who needs resolution. It may even make you look for updates on the cases. With 10 seasons and still going strong, the show sheds light on just how many unsolved missing persons cases exist in the US. A surprising and sad number at the same time.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 11 (2009-)

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery+

More shows like Disappeared: Still a Mystery, Gone, In Pursuit: The Missing, Last Seen Alive, The Missing, Real Life Nightmare, The Search, Vanished: The Missing Persons Project

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Keith Morrison Dateline Episodes

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(Note: This site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Season 32

The Girl with the Hibiscus Tattoo
If These Walls Could Talk
The Night Time Stopped
True Confession
The Secret in Black Rock Canyon
The Last Weekend
Part of the Plan
The Case of the Man With No Name
On the Hunt for the Zombie Hunter
Bethany Vanished

Season 31

The Killings on King Road
The Trial of Lori Vallow Daybell
Killing Time
Along Came Sarah
Laci Peterson: A New Turn
Finding Rita
Who Killed Mindy Morgenstern?
On a Dark, Deserted Highway
Killings in a College Town
The Last Walk
The Sisterhood
The Last Ride

Season 30

The Day the Music Died 
The Curious Case of Sherri Papini 
The Real Thing About Pam 
In the Light of Day 
Echoes in the Canyon 
What Happened in Vegas 
The Doomsday Files 
Ascension of Mother God 
Kill Switch 
The Evil That Watches 

Season 29

Secrets by the Bay 
The Necklace 
Mommy Doomsday 
The Waiting Car 
The Woman with No Name 
Broken Circle 
Night of the Summer Solstice 
Into the Night – Part 2 
Far from Spider Lake 
10 Minutes to Sunset 
Hope Whispers 
Killer Role 
Left for Dead 

Season 28

The Rise and Fall of Oscar Pistorius 
What Happened to JJ and Tylee?
Unbreakable 
Family Business
The Death of Gianni Versace
What Happened to the Children? 
Before Daylight 
The Ranch 
Where are the Children? 
The Black Candle Confession 
In a Lonely Place 2 
While They Were Sleeping 
The Black Widow of Lomita 
The Box
Haunted 
The Thing About Pam 

Season 27

Into the Dark
Robert Durst: The Secret Tapes 
The Secret Keepers 
Before Midnight 
Into the Night #2 
The Betrayal of Sarah Stern 
Evil Intent 
Evil Was Watching
The Motive 
In a Lonely Place 
Suspicion in Silver City 
Everything She Knew 
At the Bottom of the Lake 

Season 26

A Deal with the Devil 
No Title (segment: the bail project)
Trapped 
Prairie Confidential 
The Threat 
The Other Side of Paradise 
The Watcher 
Silent Witness 
Into the Night 
No Way Out 
A Crack in Everything 
Secrets on the Emerald Coast 
The Women & Dirty John 
Unthinkable: The Menendez Murders 
Black Friday 
The Halloween Party 
At the Bottom of the Pool 
Scorned 

Season 25

Dark Valley
The Summer of Manson 
The Knock at the Door
A Shot in the Dark 
The Death of Gianni Versace: A Dateline Investigation
The Laci Peterson Story: A Dateline Investigation 
Nightfall
Good & Evil
Double Lives 
Vanished 
Heart of Darkness
The House on the Lake
Stranger Than Fiction 
The Man Who Knew Too Much 
Secrets in the Smoky Mountains 
A Dangerous Man
After the Storm 

Season 24

Family Secrets
The Bastille Day Attack
Manson 
The Feud 
After the Party 
Tangled 
The Hometown Hero & The Homecoming Queen 
Deadly Desire
Smoke and Mirrors
A Place on the Sand 
The Interrogation 
The House on Badger Lane 
Return to Game Night 
Where the Heart Is 
Mystery in Big Sky Country 
Under a Full Moon 
In the Shadow of Justice: The Confession 
Footprint in the Dust 

Season 23

The Shadow
Miami Heat
Game Night 
Robert Durst: The Lost Years 
A Perfect Spot
The Fugitive Millionaire
Deadly Twist 
Infatuation
In Broad Daylight 
The Trap
The Root of All Evil 
Someone Was Out There
While She Was Sleeping 
The Wire

Season 22

Into the Wild 
Bad Blood 
Family Business 
The Man Who Talked to Dogs
Deadly Connection 
The Vow
Swept Away 
The House on Sumac Drive
Secrets in the Mist 
The Mystery on Bridle Path
Graduation Night
A Killing in Cottonwood 
Secrets in Pleasant Grove 
The Wrong Man 
Miles from Nowhere 
Burning Suspicion 
Up in Flames

Season 21

Secrets in the Desert 
The Stranger
A Cold December Morning
Mystery at Payson Canyon 
Deadly Desire 
Deception
What Happened to the Beauty Queen? 
Secrets in the Mist
Vanished
Under the Desert Sky 
Under a Killing Moon 
Secrets in the Snow 

Season 20

The Confession
Tragedy in Colorado 
Finding Booker’s Place/Deadly Conspiracy (segment “Deadly Conspiracy”)
The Last Dive 
Buried Secrets
Who Killed the Radio Star? 
Poison 
Deadly Trust 
A Family’s Story 
Suspicion 
Deadly Triangle
The Player
Someone Was Watching
Strangers on a Train
Crossing the Line
Justice for Bonnie
Silent Witness

Season 19

The Day She Disappeared 
Path of Destruction/Royal Wedding (segment “Path of Destruction”)
As Darkness Fell 
The Boy from Baby House 10 
Disaster in Japan 
Haunting Images 
Conduct Unbecoming
In the Dead of Night
Blind Justice
Deadly Ambush
Mean Girls
The Night Before Halloween
Lost and Found
The Mystery of the Murdered Major
Deadly House of Cards

Season 18

The Disappearance of Debbie Hawk 
The Mystery in Rock Hill
The Secrets in the Suitcase 
The Family Secret 
The Desperate Hours 
Mystery at Lost Dog Road 
The Grifters 
Flying High at Cocktail Cove/Disappearance Before Dawn
Recipe for Murder 

Season 17

Michael Jackson: Remember the Time 
Deadly Sanctuary

Season 16

The Devil’s Business 
The Stripper and the Steelworker 
10 Most Unforgettable 911 Calls/The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom (segment “The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom”)
The Santa Strangler 

Season 15

Somewhere in the Shadows 
Family Ties
Death in the Hollywood Hills 
Fatal Exposure/The Death of a Centerfold 
Blood Ties 
The Miraculous Life of Jonathan Swain
The Party’s Over/Death in the Desert 
Blood Ties 
Suspicion 

Season 13

Children of War/Rocky Mountain High/The Perfect Storm  (segment “Children of War”)
Secrets & Lies (II) 
Blackout: Minute by Minute/Blackout: Answers/Total Recall II/Going South (segment “Going South”)

Season 11

Secrets & Lies 
Say You Will 
Against All Odds
A Separate Peace 
Separate Lives 
9-11 Investigations/NYC Principal/Stephen Ambrose/The Heroes of Flight 93/Arab Americans (segment “Arab Americans”)

Unknown Season

The Good Samaritan/Dark Victory  (segment “The Good Samaritan”)
Tower of Terror/Animal Kingdom (segment “Animal Kingdom”)
Out of Gas/Sonny’s Story/True Lies? (segment “Sonny’s Story”)
Under the Gun/The Families vs. O.J. Simpson/Survivor: Troubled Waters/Who Killed JonBenet? (segment “The Families vs. O.J. Simpson”)
Language Barrier?/Deep Pockets/North by Northwest/Consumer Alert: Coming Clean (segment “Language Barrier?”) 
In an Instant 

Looking for more to watch? Check out these lists:
List of True Crime Shows
List of Documentaries
Latest Posts

10 of the Best Keith Morrison Dateline Episodes

Suzanne Hamlin
Embed from Getty Images

You know you’re watching a classic Keith Morrison Dateline episode when it has an outside shot of Keith doing his patented, casual lean-against-something, a pensive look, a creepy voiceover line that drops an octave at the end and trails off in a “well…,” or Keith pushing back against a suspect or their attorney. And of course, it has to have a great story.

There are too many episodes to sift through to find these gems, and since we at True Crime Docket are unabashed Keith Morrison fans, we’ve done that just for you.

Also check out 10 More of the Best Keith Morrison Dateline Episodes, the comprehensive list of Keith Morrison Dateline episodes and the Dateline show profile.

(Note: This site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

1. “The Black Widow of Lomita” (Season 28, Episode 8)

This is not your typical black widow story. Instead, it’s a twisty story about a woman (Sonia Rios) in Lomita, California, whose two marriages end in death when her husbands die within 20 years of each other. The case leads to the discovery of a murderer who is killed by their family member before an arrest can occur, and it includes plenty of creepy voiceovers by Keith.

2. “Scorned”
(Season 26, Episode 1)

In this episode, a strange story begins with a love triangle and unfolds into stalking, arson, and murder, leading investigators to the discovery of a woman impersonating the victim. Keith adds his usual creepy narration, and the story will keep you guessing until the end. The case is also detailed in American Justice.

3. “A Shot in the Dark”
(Season 25, Episode 34)

When Cara Ryan kills her ex-husband in her bedroom, she claims that it was self-defense. She appears on the show, and Keith provides plenty of pushback against her story.

4. “Deadly Desire”
(Season 24, Episode 36)

Two seemingly normal couples in Idaho, Kandi and Rob Hall and Emmett and Ashlee Corrigan, are caught in a tangled relationship that leads to affairs, murder, and a surprising defense. In his interviews, Keith pushes back against the main suspect and his wife, and the episode contains plenty of spooky narration.

5. “The Shadow”
(Season 23, Episode 74)

Late one night in Iowa, Angie Ver Huel wakes up to find her fiancé, Justin Michael, dead in their bed. Questioning by detectives leads to the discovery of a convoluted plan by the killer to pin the murder on someone else. Keith not only provides his classic chilling narration, but plenty of empathy for Michael’s family and fiancée. The case is also covered by The Last 24.

6. “The Man Who Talked to Dogs”
(Season 22, Episode 53)

In this case involving a love triangle and divorce, dog trainer Mark Stover is murdered. The draw of the episode is when Keith confronts the lies of the main suspect, who also tries to push back against Keith. How dare he!

7. “Secrets in Pleasant Grove”
(Season 22, Episode 9)

Martin MacNeill finds his wife Michele dead in the bathtub a few days after she had a facelift. Family secrets come out, and the truth of Michele’s death is revealed. Keith provides entertainingly eerie dialogue and plenty of sarcasm, as well as lots of resistance against the suspect’s story.

8. “Under the Desert Sky”
(Season 21, Episode 14)

In this compelling episode, Keith details the murder of Micaela Costanzo, a 16-year-old high school student from a small town in Nevada. You’ll be shocked by the identities of the murderers, and what they claim happened. The case is also detailed on Snapped: Killer Couples.

9. “Secrets in the Snow”
(Season 21, Episode 2)

Stephanie Roller Bruner is found dead in the snow one winter night in Colorado, and a love triangle comes to light. Police investigate three suspects, and Keith provides the requisite creepy narration, along with pushback against one of the suspects.

10. “Deadly House of Cards”
(Season 19, Episode 95)

In Edmonton, Canada, Johnny Altinger vanishes, leading police to a killer inspired by the show Dexter. The episode and twisty story will keep you watching until the end. It includes footage from a weird police ride-along with their key suspect, in which he is creepily silent the entire time. The case is also covered on Bizarre Murders.

Bonus: Keith Morrison has some fun with Seth Meyers

Looking for more to watch? Check out these lists:
List of True Crime Shows
List of Documentaries
Latest Posts

Show: People Magazine Investigates

Cases drawn from the headlines of People Magazine

About People Magazine Investigates

If you ever wanted more details on a People Magazine story about a murder case, this true crime show is for you. It showcases murder and missing persons cases from articles in the magazine, detailed by its reporters and editors, along with the investigators involved in the cases, and victims’ loved ones.

Episodes include high-profile cases like JonBenét Ramsey, Lorenzen Wright, the Delphi murders, Todd Kohlhepp, Pam Hupp, the Long Island Serial Killer, and the Golden State Killer, along with many cases covered in other true crime series. The show features police interviews and re-creations, as well as narration (only in the first two seasons), but no trial clips.

It’s a solid true crime show, but the number of unsolved cases may drive you crazy if you’re the type that needs resolution.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 8 (2016-)

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery+

More shows like People Magazine Investigates: People Magazine Investigates: Crimes of Fashion, Vanity Fair Confidential

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: Sex, Lies & Murder

Stories of homicide cases related to sex

Sex Lies & Murder
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

About Sex, Lies & Murder

The tagline for this true crime series could be “the more salacious the better.” Sex, Lies & Murder concentrates on homicides with a sexual component to the story, sometimes merely sex-adjacent. It plays up the sexual aspect of murder cases even when it has nothing to do with the murder itself, and the stock group of experts dive right in. The show includes many cases covered in other series, but emphasizes the sex-related elements more to give the title its worth.

Cases involve love triangles, strippers, porn stars, child custody, jealousy, affairs, and more, described by the investigators who worked on the cases, along with experts, most notably crime writer and investigative journalist M. William Phelps, who appears in almost all of the episodes. He is joined by local reporters and other crime writers and specialists.

Very few episodes bring in victims’ loved ones, but they often include defense attorneys (unlike many other shows), who provide an alternative perspective.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 1, with 40 episodes (2018-2019)

Where to stream: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel

More shows like Sex, Lies & Murder: Sex & Murder

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✓ Experts
✘ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: Exhumed: Killer Revealed

Exhumations help detectives solve murder cases

About Exhumed: Killer Revealed

Exhumed: Killer Revealed is a fairly typical true crime show that focuses on exhumations as the key to solving murders after lengthy periods of time. These include cold cases, undetermined deaths, and deaths first ruled as suicides that are later ruled as homicides.

Some cases in the series are covered in other shows, but Exhumed: Killer Revealed emphasizes the first murder of the two when two homicide cases are linked and in instances when a case has gone cold and leads to the need for exhumation. One example is the Sharon Reeves case in Episode 7. In other cases detailed elsewhere, the show provides more information on the exhumations than other series.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 2 (2021-)

Where to stream: Hulu, Peacock

More shows like Exhumed Killer Revealed: Secrets of the Morgue, Skeleton Stories, Autopsy,
The Coroner: I Speak for the Dead,
Outback Coroner

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: Poisonous Liaisons

A true crime show focusing on poison as the weapon of murder

About Poisonous Liaisons

Poison is the method of murder in this true crime show. Killers use various substances to murder victims ranging from romantic partners, to co-workers, to family members, and they sometimes elude the authorities until they attack a new victim and investigators get suspicious.

Featuring many historical cases from periods when pathologists didn’t routinely test for poisons, Poisonous Liaisons includes cases from the UK, US, and Australia by both women and men, including many serial poisoners.

Each episode details two cases through the stories of detectives, medical examiners, and other experts, such as historians, criminologists, forensics professors, and retired detectives. Episodes exclude interview or trial clips, keeping the descriptions of cases succinct.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 1 (2019)

Where to stream: Tubi, Peacock, True Crime Network, Amazon Prime Video

More shows like Poisonous Liaisons: Poisoned Passions

See also this list of true crime shows

✘ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✓ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts