15 Best Small Town Crime Podcasts

1. In The Dark

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In the Dark, hosted by Madeleine Baran, is an award-winning investigative-journalism podcast that started in 2016. Its first season looked at the mysterious abduction of Jacob Wetterling in rural Minnesota and the lack of accountability that sheriffs face when they fail to solve cases. Season 2 examined the case of Curtis Flowers, who was tried six times for the same crime. In 2020, In the Dark released a special report on the coronavirus pandemic in the Mississippi Delta. In 2023, In the Dark joined The New Yorker and in 2024, it released 'The Runaway Princesses,' a four-part series that asks why the women in Dubai's royal family keep trying to run away...MORE Ranking #77 in Apple Charts (US)
Host Madeleine Baran
Producer/Network The New Yorker
Email ****@apmreports.org
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.6/5Apple Reviews 32KFacebook 22.6KTwitter 26.4K Avg Length 39 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact Get access to full database of 2.7M podcastsCreate podcast lists, export in spreadsheet or CSV file with email contacts and start your podcast outreach in minutes.Sign Up for Free with Email Continue with Google

2. Dakota Spotlight: True Crime & Cold Case Investigations

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Dakota Spotlight is a true crime series investigating unsolved murders, cold cases, and missing persons in North Dakota and the Midwest. Hosted by investigative journalist James Wolner, each season takes a deep dive into one case, from rural crime and small town murders to decades-old disappearances. Through meticulous research, exclusive interviews, and on-the-ground reporting, Dakota Spotlight brings forgotten crimes back into the public eye and gives voice to victims and their families...MORE Host James Wolner
Producer/Network James Wolner
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.8/5Apple Reviews 871 Avg Length 41 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

3. Crime in the Coalfields

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Crime in the Coalfields is a true crime podcast hosted by 59News Anchor Julia White, and 59News Digital Producer Brandi Blake. Based in Southern West Virginia, each episode Julia and Brandi will tell the stories of the tragic and bizarre crimes that take place in rural Appalachia.MORE Hosts Julia White, Harper Emch
Producer/Network Julia White and Harper Emch
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.7/5Apple Reviews 112Facebook 164.7KTwitter 9.3KInstagram 9.3K Avg Length 27 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

4. Hillbilly Crime Investigates

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Hillbilly Crime is an independent Appalachian investigative podcast hosted by Elizabeth Jones. From the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, we dive deep into crime, corruption, power, and the real stories affecting rural communities that rarely make national headlines.As a single mom in recovery building an investigative media network from my living room, this podcast follows the truth wherever it leads — from courtroom documents and public records to the lived experiences of people in Appalachia.If you believe small towns deserve real journalism, you're in the right place.MORE Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 1/5 Avg Length 71 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

5. Zeeland: The Untold Story of Wade and Ellen Zick

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On July 11, 1976, Wade and Ellen Zick were murdered in their home in the small farming town of Zeeland, North Dakota. The crime stunned the quiet community and set off a search for answers that would ripple through the town for decades.In this season of Dakota Spotlight, host James Wolner revisits the Zeeland murders through interviews with family members, community residents, law enforcement, and even the perpetrators themselves...MORE Email ****@sixhorsemedia.com
Estimated listeners
Avg Length 42 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

6. Small Towns True Crimes

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We are a group of four women who love to listen to, watch, and read about true crime. We've decided to research and get together and discuss true crimes that tragically happen in small towns everywhere. Come along and help share stories that happen in places that may be closer to your from door than you think.MORE Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.9/5 Avg Length 31 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

7. Cigar And A Crime

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Cigar and A Crime is where the slow burn of a fine cigar meets the relentless pursuit of justice. Hosted by Dr. Dee, we shine a light on the untold true crime stories from overlooked communities — the cases the media gave 20 seconds… and then forgot.From the rural dirt roads of Mississippi to the city streets across America, we tell the stories of the voiceless, with truth, respect, and unwavering integrity...MORE Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 5/5 Avg Length 25 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

8. Small Town Secrets

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An investigative series exploring chilling true crime cases that rocked tight-knit rural communities. Each episode delves deep into cases where familiarity bred deception, examining how close-knit social fabrics both concealed and ultimately exposed devastating crimes in small-town America.MORE Email ****@neonnightsnetwork.com
Estimated listeners
Avg Length 13 min Format Short form Get Email Contact

9. Small Town Secrets: The Dark Side of Rural America

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A deep dive into the hidden mysteries lurking in America's quietest corners. From unsolved disappearances and chilling true crime to government cover-ups, cults, and eerie folklore, each episode uncovers the stories that small towns would rather forget. Hosted by Grayson Cole and Savannah Knox, this investigative podcast brings you firsthand accounts, expert insights, and on-the-ground reporting to expose the dark underbelly of rural America. Every town has its secrets—are you ready to uncover them?MORE Producer/Network Grayson Cole and Savannah Knox
Email ****@darksidepodcast.com
Estimated listeners
Avg Length 9 min Format Bite size Get Email Contact

10. The Piketon Massacre

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The most notorious mass murder in Ohio's history happened on the night of April 21, 2016 in rural Pike County. Four crime scenes, thirty-two gunshot wounds, eight members of the Rhoden family left dead in their homes. Two years later a local family of four, the Wagners, are arrested and charged with the crimes. As the Wagners await four back-to-back capital murder trials, the KT Studios team revisits Pike County to examine: crime-scene forensics, upcoming legal proceedings, and the ties that bind the victims and the accused...MORE Producer/Network iHeart True Crime
Email ****@kt-studios.com
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 2.8/5Apple Reviews 957 Avg Length 29 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

11. Up North: Where Cases Go Cold

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Who killed John Doyle Jr. — and why?In 1984, 14-year-old John Doyle Jr. disappeared from his home in the rural community of Mitchell Settlement, New Brunswick. Weeks later, his body was found. The case was never solved. No one was arrested. For decades, no one spoke openly about what happened.Up North is a Canadian true crime podcast investigating one of the country's forgotten cold cases — an unsolved murder that has haunted a small community for more than four decades. It's a story of a missing child, a tight-knit town silenced by fear and shame, and a family's fight for truth...MORE Email ****@podiumpodcastco.com
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Apple Rating 5/5 Get Email Contact

12. Murder, Lies, and Alibis

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Unknow/non-talked about true crime stories in rural areas
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 5/5 Get Email Contact