The 10 Best Crime Junkie Episodes
Started in 2017, Crime Junkie quickly rose to prominence, becoming one of the most popular true crime podcasts. Each week, Crime Junkie podcast hosts Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat recount a different true crime case, covering everything from unsolved mysteries to serial killer stories to little-known investigations. Ashley, who also hosts Supernatural and Very Presidential, is particularly renowned for her storytelling ability and commitment to crime victims. With help from Podyssey’s very own crime junkies, we’ve curated a list of the best Crime Junkie episodes of all time.
Last Updated: Jan 14th, 2023
1) MURDERED: Laci Peterson
Laci Peterson’s murder case is one that every crime junkie thinks they know until they hear this episode. On the surface, it seems like a straightforward case: Pregnant woman goes missing, then husband reacts abnormally to her disappearance and gets convicted to a death sentence for murdering his spouse and unborn child. However, in this top Crime Junkie episode, Ashley and Brit decide to take a second look at the case with a two-part series to ask the question: Did Scott Peterson actually kill his wife?
2) WANTED: Killer on the High Bridge
Two murdered true crime junkies leave clues on their phone to the identity of their killer, but their case puzzles investigators to this day despite the Snapchat recording they left behind. On a day off from school, teenagers Abby Williams and Libby German went for a hike in Delphi, Indiana, then disappeared. Law enforcement and the Delphi community went full force and did everything right to try to find these girls and their murderer to no avail. This case is especially personal and vivid for Crime Junkie hosts Ashley and Brit because they live less than two hours away from the victims’ hometown. Hear them piece together the evidence to find out who the killer on the High Bridge is in one of Crime Junkie's best episodes.
3) INFAMOUS: The Dexter Killer
A nerdy guy couldn’t believe his luck when he gets fished on Plenty of Fish by a gorgeous woman. For their evening rendezvous, she sends him oddly specific directions to the meeting place, but he went for it anyway. Little did he know what he would find would change his and his friends’ lives forever. We won’t reveal too much to spoil the story, but what we can tell you is that you’d be gripped by this case from start to finish. With all its twists and turns, it’s no wonder that this episode is frequently cited as a must-listen by Podyssey’s community of crime junkies.
mm recommended:
This case is definitely its own Russian Doll-like story. Wow. Just wow.
AUDIO REMOVED: The podcast creator has removed the audio for this episode.4) SERIAL KILLER: L.I.S.K.
The Long Island Serial Killer is truly an enigma that’s plagued the true crime community forever. It begins with an escort who heads to Long Island to meet a client, but when the morning arrives, she is never seen again. As the police search for her, they uncover bodies after bodies on Long Island, terrifying the entire nation. What vicious killer is out there gruesomely killing and mutilating their victims? How is the missing escort associated with these bodies? In this best Crime Junkie episode, Ashley Flower’s walking through all the details of this case from all sides. See if you can finally figure out the LISK mystery once and for all.
5) ADNAN: What Serial Didn't Tell You
Like so many people, Serial season 1 was the show that got Ashley Flowers into podcasts. The reigning king of true crime investigative podcasts, Serial tells the story of Hae Min Lee, who disappeared in January of 1999 and was found dead three months later. Serial host Sarah Koenig digs into the tragic case and the man convicted of her murder: Adnan Sayed. Chances are you’ve already listened to Serial — if you haven’t you need to do so immediately — and this Crime Junkie episode is the perfect follow up. In it, Ashley Flowers talks listeners through the things that Serial didn’t cover that Ashley says has convinced her that Adnan definitely didn’t do it. Even if you feel like you know everything there is to know about Adnan’s story, you need to listen to this best episode.
6) MISSING: Niqui McCown
If you haven’t listened to the first case ever covered by Ashley and Brit, are you even a real crime junkie? In this best episode, Ashley covers a local missing person’s case out of Indiana: a woman named Niqui McCown, who was engaged to be married at the time of her disappearance. On July 22, 2001, just a few weeks before her wedding date, Niqui was doing laundry at the laundromat, but she told her mother that she felt uncomfortable because there was a group of men who were bothering her. When Niqui’s fiancé finally returned home, Niqui and her laundry still hadn’t returned. As friends, family, and police started searching for her, they couldn’t find any trace of her or her car. Now, true crime junkies know that the police always look at the husband, boyfriend, or fiancé first, and that’s definitely true in this case, where Niqui’s fiancé suspiciously canceled their wedding within the first week of her disappearance. Did he do it? Make sure to listen to the update for this episode for an interview with Niqui’s daughter.
7) MURDERED: Denise Johnson
In this mini-episode, Ashley Flowers tells Crime Junkie listeners about a case that has been burned into her mind. It’s a case that investigative journalist Delia D'Ambra told Ashley about, and Delia says it’s the case that haunts her the most in all her reporting. It happened in Delia’s hometown: the outer banks of North Carolina, a popular vacation destination with a small population of locals. In 1997, when Delia was just a small child, another local woman named Denise Johnson was stabbed to death, and her cabin set on fire. Police thought it would be an open and shut case, but over 20 years later, this case remains unsolved. This is a short episode — less than 10 minutes — but it’s the perfect little bite of a haunting true crime case that will stay with you just like it did with Delia and Ashley. If you want to hear more, check out Counterclock, the podcast that covers the case, produced by Delia and Ashley.
ezra-letson recommended:
Listened to the entire CounterClock podcast after this; definitely recommend.
AUDIO REMOVED: The podcast creator has removed the audio for this episode.8) SERIAL KILLER: Israel Keyes
Israel Keyes may be one of the most prolific, terrifying serial killers of all time, but most of his victims remain a mystery. Abducting and murdering strangers around the country, Keyes made people disappear with absolutely no trace left behind, and no MO. He was virtually unknown to the police or general public before 2012, and police didn’t even know they should be looking for a serial killer. That is until 18-year-old Samantha Koenig went missing from her work at a coffee stand in Alaska, with her assailant caught on chilling surveillance camera video. In this captivating best Crime Junkie episode, you’ll hear Ashley Flowers tell the story of what happened to Samantha, how Keyes was finally caught, and what truth came out about him. You’ll also hear about two of his other victims, the murder trips he took, and the kill kits he hid around the country. This one is an absolute must-listen.
ezra-letson recommended:
An insane story about the sort of serial killers we usually don't hear about - because they're too smart to be caught. Highly recommend the ...Show More
AUDIO REMOVED: The podcast creator has removed the audio for this episode.9) MISSING: Bryce Laspisa
This is a baffling unsolved mystery that haunts many crime junkies to this day. University student Bryce Laspisa disappeared on his drive home to his parents’ house in California. Friends noticed escalating changes in his behaviour leading up to the disappearance, as well as issues with substance abuse. On the day of his disappearance, Bryce spent almost 13 hours sitting in his car in a small town, refusing to explain to anyone what was going on. When the doorbell rang the next day, Bryce’s parents expected to see him at the door, but instead they were told that Bryce’s car had been found near a lake, with no trace of the young man inside. What really happened to Bryce that night? This Crime Junkie episode will suck you into a mystery that may never find closure.
10) MURDERED: Faith Hedgepeth
This best Crime Junkie episode follows the decade of twists and turns in the investigation to find justice for Faith Hedgepeth, a University North Carolina student who was brutally raped and murdered in her apartment. As you’ll hear from Ashley and Brit, this case was strange from the beginning: police were unusually tight-lipped, leaving her friends and family in the dark about what happened to Faith and who might be responsible. Then, the police suddenly released the records from the case two years after-the-fact, including the 911 call that Faith’s roommate made when she found Faith’s dead body. You’ll hear excerpts from the police records, including texts from the night of the murder, and a mysterious voicemail that some believe is a recording of Faith fighting off her attacker. If you love hearing Ashley and Brit speculate about what might have happened in an unsolved case, you’ll love this episode.
jenthomas recommended:
This episode is an eye opener. She is so fortunate to have some extra TLC from the waitress from the bar. Thank you for the awareness of thi...Show More
AUDIO REMOVED: The podcast creator has removed the audio for this episode.