The true crime obsession is here to stay – and audiences captivated by these tragic tales still can't look away.

Real-life mysteries, killer plot twists and jaw-dropping courtroom revelations keep armchair detectives glued to their screens.

With countless true crime shows out there, there’s no shortage of harrowing stories to immerse yourself in.

But the sheer volume of options can be overwhelming, so we asked the reporters and editors who regularly cover crime to recommend the most compelling documentaries to watch now:

American Murder: Laci Peterson 

Streaming on Netflix 

Scott Peterson (right) was convicted of murdering his wife Laci (left) and their unborn son in 2004

American Murder: Laci Peterson is a three-part docuseries that revisits the disappearance and brutal murder of Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant when she vanished on Christmas Eve 2002.

It was a case that captivated and horrified the nation, and questions still linger two decades on.

Directed by Skye Borgman, the series delves into the events surrounding Laci's disappearance, the subsequent investigation, and the trial of her husband, Scott Peterson, who was ultimately convicted of murdering Laci and their unborn son, Conner, but continues to protest his innocence from behind bars.

The documentary also features interviews with key figures, including Laci's mother, Sharon Rocha, and Scott's former mistress, Amber Frey, providing their personal insights into the case. 

(Luke Kenton, Senior Reporter)

Dateline, The Terrible Night on King Road 

Streaming on Peacock

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee's shoulders) Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle left to right

It was the early hours of November 13, 2022 when a masked man broke into a student home in Moscow, Idaho, and murdered four students in a shocking stabbing rampage.

Now, as Bryan Kohberger prepares to go on trial for the killings of Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, Dateline reveals chilling new details about the suspect and his alleged crimes.

From never-before-seen surveillance footage, to exclusive interviews with women who describe bizarre encounters with Kohberger and details about his apparent porn habits, this episode is full of bombshell revelations about the case the nation is following.

(Rachel Sharp, Crime Correspondent)

A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read 

Streaming on MAX

Karen Read (seen in the series) is on trial a second time for killing her Boston cop boyfriend

It was a trial that split public opinion in two. On the one side stood those who believe Karen Read killed her Boston cop boyfriend John O'Keefe by drunkenly ramming him with her SUV and leaving him to die in a blizzard. 

On the other stood those who believe Read was framed by a group of corrupt cops who killed the victim and dumped his body in the snow.

Now with Read's second trial underway, see behind-the-scenes footage of Read and her legal team during her first trial as well as emotional interviews with O'Keefe's family and friends in this eye-opening documentary about the case.

(Rachel Sharp) 

Making Manson 

Streaming Peacock 

Charles Manson directed his followers to carry out the 'Helter Skelter' murders in the hope of triggering an apocalyptic race war that would reset society

Making Manson is a gripping three-part docuseries offering an unprecedented glimpse into the mind of Charles Manson, one of the most notorious criminals and cult leaders in American history, best known for masterminding the Manson Family Murders, which brought a violent and horrifying close to the Swinging Sixties.

Each episode delves into over 100 hours of previously unheard recordings between Charles Manson and his longtime pen pal, John Michael Jones. 

These recordings, spanning two decades, offer rare insights into Manson's upbringing, the formation of 'The Family,' and his perspectives on the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders

The series features interviews with former Manson Family members, victims' families, and individuals connected to the case, providing a multidimensional view of Manson's life and disturbing legacy, making it essential viewing for true crime fans.

(Luke Kenton) 

Girl in the Picture 

Streaming on Netflix 

'Girl in the Picture' delves into the 30-year-mystery of a young girl named Shannon Marshall

This chilling documentary looks into the 30-year-mystery of a young girl named Shannon Marshall, who was abducted by a federal fugitive Franklin Delano Floyd when she was a child and raised as his daughter.

Floyd, who was on the run for nearly two decades, had a history of violence and was a master of disguise.

The blonde beauty, who had dreams of becoming an aerospace engineer and earned a scholarship to Georgia Tech, was instead forced to work at strip clubs to earn money for Floyd. She later became pregnant.

Floyd changed their names many times. It was only when he murdered Marshall, when their son was 

It was her tragic murder and the two-year-old son she left behind that led investigators to search for her true identity.

The story is based on the novels A Beautiful Child and Finding Sharon by investigative journalist Matt Birbeck, who is also the film's executive producer. 

(Ruth Bashinsky, Senior Reporter) 

Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez 

Streaming on Netflix 

Netflix's documentary explores the late Aaron Hernandez and his path from NFL star to murderer

Aaron Hernandez was one of the best NFL players in America, described as a 'different level of athlete'.

He was at the top of his career playing for the New England Patriots and earning millions when he was convicted of murdering his future brother-in-law Odin Lloyd.

The three-part documentary series examines how he went from superstar athlete to convicted killer before his death at only 27 years old.

(Ruth Bashinsky) 

Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie 

Streaming on Max and Hulu 

Sherri Papini in the new documentary about her elaborate abduction hoax in 2016

ID's four-part docuseries explores the twists and turns of the 2016 'Gone Girl' case of Sherri Papini, the California woman who disappeared while out on a jog in 2016.

The case spurred national attention and a frantic search for the pretty blonde mother-of-two, until Papini was suddenly found 22 days later Thanksgiving Day. She claimed two Hispanic women beat, branded and kidnapped her until it was revealed the whole incident was a hoax.

Papini tells her side of the story for the first time and claims it was an ex-boyfriend who kidnapped her after she had an affair with him. Her story begins to unravel, however, and viewers are left to wonder whether Papini is a true kidnapping survivor or a convincing liar.

(Marjorie Hernandez, West Coast News Editor)

The Mortician 

Streaming on Max 

Former employees describe in shocking details about the mass cremations conducted at Lamb Funeral Home

This three-part series examines the gruesome story of David Sconce, a California mortician who was convicted of deliberately desecrating human remains for financial gain.

Sconce ran his family's Pasadena business, Lamb Funeral Home, in the 1980s when he expanded crematory services throughout Southern California. As more remains started streaming into his business, Sconce saw it as an opportunity to make even more profit. Investigators found Sconce harvested organs and body parts and even extracted gold filings from the teeth of the deceased.

Unsuspecting families received their loved ones' remains not knowing the ashes were from multiple bodies. Former employees describe in shocking details about the mass cremations conducted at Lamb Funeral Home.

Sconce eventually pleaded guilty to 21 criminal counts, including mutilating corpses, and was sentenced to five years in prison. He served only two years but returned to prison for a parole violation.

Sconce was released in 2023 and provides jaw-dropping details of his crimes in the documentary. 'I don't put any value on anybody after they are gone and dead,' he said. 'I could cremate one guy in two hours, or you could put 10 of them in there and take two and a half hours. So what would be the difference? There is none.'

(Marjorie Hernandez) 

A Deadly American Marriage 

Streaming on Netflix

Molly Martens and Jason Corbett (on their wedding day) looked like the picture-perfect couple

They look like the picture-perfect family living in an upscale North Carolina neighborhood but behind the smiles lies a tangled web of lies, alleged abuse and secret recordings that end in a brick and baseball bat bloodbath.

This compelling documentary is rare in that it doesn't ask who killed Jason Corbett but whether his second wife Molly and her ex-FBI father Thomas Martens did so in self-defense.

With many twists and surprises, you hear from Corbett's children, sister and from Molly and Thomas themselves, leaving it ultimately up to you to decide who is telling the truth.

(Michelle Curran, US Weekend Editor) 

Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story 

Streaming on Netflix

Fred (left) and Rose West (right) murdered 12 young women, including two of their daughters

These aren't just your 'typical' serial killers, they're a notorious husband and wife tag-team who murdered 12 young women, including two of their daughters.

Police recordings and first-person accounts from the people who knew Fred and Rose West, and escaped them, provide an on-the-edge-of-your-seat nail-biter of what went on inside 25 Cromwell Street – a true 'house of horrors'.

The most haunting interviews in the three-part documentary are that of Caroline Roberts – the 'one who got away' after being abducted and tortured by them and Janet Leach, who became Fred's confidant following his arrest and is thought to have helped elicit his confessions. The toll of what happened to them clearly still haunts them today and it will haunt you too.

(Michelle Curran)

Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders 

Streaming on Netflix

The FBI remains convinced a crooked tax accountant named James Lewis (seen in show) carried out the drug tampering

This three-part docuseries takes a little while to get going but bear with it as by the end of episode one you will be gripped. 

It explores how back in 1982, people in the Chicago area were literally dropping dead after taking a Tylenol unaware that it was laced with cyanide. Prime suspect James Lewis who admits he sent a ransom note to Johnson & Johnson but denies tampering with and lacing the capsules is the most compelling thing about this series as he speaks on camera showing no remorse. 

His dark and twisted background is frightening but the lack of solid evidence in the Tylenol case against him even more so. The series will leave you with more questions than answers.

(Michelle Curran) 

Jailbreak: Love on the Run 

Streaming on Netflix

Vicki White (left) helped her lover inmate Casey White (right) escape from the Lauderdale County Detention Center

It's a tale as old as time: girl meets boy, but their love was doomed from the start. But in this Netflix documentary, Florida veteran corrections officer Vicky White fell in love with alleged murderer Casey White and orchestrated a jail break that rocked the country.

The documentary provides an inside look into Vicky's lonely life with interviews from family, inmates and colleagues who were shocked to learn how the lonely officer fell in love with the charming convict.

The film details the nationwide manhunt for Vicky and Casey, which ended in the shocking death of the once-respected correctional officer and the final fate of her convict lover.

(Marjorie Hernandez) 

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel 

Streaming on Netflix

There have been at least 16 deaths at the Cecil Hotel since it opened in 1927

This docuseries investigates the bizarre death of Canadian tourist Elisa Lam, whose body was found in a water tank of the infamous Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles in 2013.

The series also delves into the dark history of the Cecil Hotel, which gained its own infamous for housing devious former tenants and visitors, including serial killer Richard 'The Night Stalker' Ramirez.

The Cecil, which was once known as the crown jewel of Downtown LA when it first opened in 1927, gained its own lore after numerous patrons died on the property over the years, mostly from suicide.

With its the deadly history, the Cecil gained the reputation as 'haunted' hotel and has viewers wondering if Lam's disappearance was a suicide, foul play or caused by a supernatural entity.

(Marjorie Hernandez)

The Keepers 

Streaming on Netflix

The Netflix true-crime series 'The Keepers' focuses on the unsolved murder of a Baltimore nun Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik (pictured) 

This seven-part docuseries explores the decades-old murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik and the suspected link to a priest accused of abuse.

The 26-year-old beloved nun and Catholic high school teacher from Baltimore disappeared in November 7, 1969 after she went out by herself to go Christmas shopping. 

Two months after she went missing her body was found near a garbage dump outside Baltimore.

The case garnered interested in the early 1990s after one of Cesnik's former students accused the high-school chaplain of sexual abuse. The student claims that she was taken to Cesnik's then undiscovered corpse and threatened.

More than 50 years later, Sister Catherine's mysterious death remains unsolved, and sinister connections between some of the key figures involved have emerged.

Interviews by relatives, friends, journalists, government officials and a group of devoted Baltimore citizens work together to try to find the truth.

(Ruth Bashinsky)