The Best True Crime Documentaries to Stream Now

Mar. 15, 2025

Disney/Kai Pfaffenbach

Some documentaries aren’t exactly for the faint of heart.

Though many true crime documentaries and docuseries tell a cautionary tale, they can also leave your mind racing and send a chill down your spine. But with so many streaming services to choose from, and numerous options on each platform, it can be hard to narrow down what to watch.

Featuring financial crimes, mysterious murders, cults and notorious serial killers, here are some of the best true crime documentaries to stream now.

Scamanda

Promotional artwork for ‘Scamanda’.ABC

ABC

This ABC News docuseries dives into the case ofAmanda Riley, the California woman who pretended to battle stage 3 blood cancer whileduping her social media followers out of $100kin fake fundraising efforts.Scamandaexposes the lies with exclusive interviews — from family and friends to police, a neuropsychologist and an IRS investigator — and tries to dissect the mind of a master manipulator.

WatchScamandaon Hulu

The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga

Paul Kevin Curtis in ‘The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga,’ 2024.Courtesy of Netflix

Courtesy of Netflix

In 2013, poisoned letters were sent toPresident Barack Obama, a U.S. senator and a judge, and investigators immediately honed in on their prime suspect:Paul Kevin Curtis, anElvis Presleyimpersonator from Tupelo, Miss. Now, more than a decade later, Curtis shares his side of the story inthis three-part Netflix docuseries, revealing how he became entangled in a bizarre conspiracy after discovering severed body parts in a hospital refrigerator.

WatchTheKings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Sagaon Netflix

Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey

JonBenét Ramsey poses against a tree for a photo.Netflix

Netflix

WatchCold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramseyon Netflix

Making Manson

Charles Manson traveling on a police van to the Santa Monica Courthouse on June 25, 1970, for a hearing regarding the murder of music teacher Gary Hinman.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

If you think you know the story ofCharles Manson— one of America’s most notorious cult leaders, who spent time behind bars beforeorchestrating a mass killing spree in 1969— get ready for a direct line to the man himself. Peacock’s three-part docuseriesunveils 20 years worth of unheard conversations with Manson, where he candidly reflects on his crimes, as well as his brutal upbringing, checkered youth and unfiltered thoughts on the “Manson Family.”

WatchMaking Mansonon Peacock

Chris Brown: A History of Violence

Chris Brown attends a progress hearing at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Jan. 15, 2015.Lucy Nicholson/Pool/Getty

Lucy Nicholson/Pool/Getty

Chris Brownmade headlinesin 2009 after physically assaulting then-girlfriendRihanna(resulting infelony chargesanda plea dealthat included community service, five years probation and counseling), however, this incident was only the beginning. As part of ID Network’s “No Excuse for Abuse” campaign, this documentary delves intothe numerous allegations against Brown,examining his troubling pattern of abusespanning more than a decade and how he managed to maintain success during it.

WatchChris Brown: A History of Violenceon Max

The Menéndez Brothers

Erik and Lyle Menéndez sitting in trial on March 9, 1994.Ted Soqui/Sygma/Getty

In light ofthe controversysurrounding Ryan Murphy’sMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story, the Menéndez brothers are getting toshare their side of things for the first time in 30 years. This Netflix documentary dives intotheir 1989 crime— killingtheir parents, José and Kitty Menéndez, after alleging years of sexual abuse — and the high-profile trial that followed, featuring exclusive audio interviews with Lyle and Erik from California’s Donovan Correctional Facility.

WatchThe Menéndez Brotherson Netflix

Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara

Erin Lee Carter and Tegan Quinn in ‘Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara’.hulu

hulu

Indie rock duoTegan and Sarabuilt a global community of inclusivity and passion around their music — but one bad apple turned that safe space into a nightmare. In 2011, Tegan Quin’s personal files were stolen and used in an elaborate catfishing scheme that left fans stalked and terrorized for more than a decade. Now, in this Hulu whodunnit documentary, Tegan sets out to track down the culprit, unraveling the unsettling testimonies of her duped fans along the way.

WatchFanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Saraon Hulu

American Murder: Laci Peterson

Laci Peterson and Sharon Rocha in ‘American Murder: Laci Peterson’.Netflix

American Murder: Laci Petersongoes deep into the heartbreaking case ofLaci Peterson, who went missing just before Christmas 2002 while eight months pregnant. Her body was discovered months later, just one day after the remains of her unborn child, Conner, were found. Despite his claims of innocence, her husband,Scott Peterson, wasconvicted of her murder in 2004. This three-part docuseries paints a fuller picture of Laci’s life and untimely death, featuring rare interviews with her motherSharon Rocha, and Scott’s former mistress,Amber Frey.

WatchAmerican Murder: Laci Petersonon Netflix

Face to Face with Scott Peterson

Scott Peterson in ‘Face to Face with Scott Peterson’.Peacock

Peacock

After you’ve wrapped upAmerican Murder: Laci Petersonon Netflix, switch over to Peacock forScott Peterson’s first on-camera interview since 2003. This three-part docuseries gives a new perspective on Peterson’s case,provides a glimpse into his version of eventsand features an exclusive video chat with the former Modesto, Calif., fertilizer salesperson — now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

WatchFace to Face with Scott Petersonon Peacock

Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam

From left: Kevin Richardson, Lou Pearlman and Howie Dorough in ‘Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam’.Netflix

WatchDirty Pop: The Boy Band Scamon Netflix

Mafia Spies

Nick Annunziata as Johnny Roselli in ‘Mafia Spies’.Paramount+.

Paramount+.

Based onthe eponymous 2019 exposé, this six-episode docuseries uncovers the covert plot between the CIA and the Chicago mafia to eliminate Fidel Castro during the Cold War. What follows is an epic cat-and-mouse chase stretching from America to Cuba, delving into the clandestine ties among the CIA, the mob andFrank Sinatra’s Rat Pack.

WatchMafia Spieson Paramount+

Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini

Sherri and Keith Papini.Courtesy Keith Papini

WatchPerfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papinion Hulu

Tell Them You Love Me

Anne Stubblefield is led in to Superior Court for her sentencing in Newark, N.J., on Jan. 15, 2016.Robert Sciarrino/NJ Advance Media via AP

Robert Sciarrino/NJ Advance Media via AP

Exploring themes of power dynamics, race and disability,Tell Them You Love Medigs intothe controversial case of Anna Stubblefield, a former white college professor who proclaimed her love for a nonverbal Black man with cerebral palsy. The affair ignited a firestorm once the man’s mother argued he was incapable of consent, leading to a court case that saw Stubblefield convicted on two counts of sexual assault and sentenced to prison — only to have the court’s decision later reversed when it was ruled she did not get a fair trial.

WatchTell Them You Love Meon Netflix

Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer

Dr. Ann Burgess in ‘Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer’.Courtesy of Hulu

Courtesy of Hulu

WatchMastermind: To Think Like a Killeron Hulu

Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult

Melanie Wilking and Miranda Derrick in ‘Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult’.Courtesy of Netflix

WatchDancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Culton Netflix

The Beauty Queen Killer: 9 Days of Terror

‘The Beauty Queen Killer: 9 Days of Terror’.Hulu

Hulu

Over six weeks in 1984, Chris Wilder went on a cross-country rampage — targeting aspiring models and killing eight out of his 12 abductees. Now, 40 years later, survivor Tina Risico breaks her silence for the first time to reveal her experience with the Beauty Queen Killer in this three-part docuseries from ABC News Studios. Abducted at 16 years old from a California mall, Tina recounts her nine days of captivity, filled with unspeakable torture and the horrors of witnessing Wilder’s monstrous crimes firsthand.

WatchThe Beauty Queen Killer: 9 Days of Tortureon Hulu

The Jinx

Robert Durst in ‘The Jinx: Part Two’.HBO

HBO

In HBO’s Emmy-winning 2015 docuseries, director Andrew Jarecki sat down with wealthy New York City real estate heirRobert Durst, interviewing him aboutthe three murders he was accused of(to which heshockingly confessed on camera). Now, nearly a decade later, HBOrevisits the aftermathand shares what happened next — chronicling Durst’s life sentence andhis death at age 78in January 2022 — inPart Two.

WatchThe Jinxon Max

Investigation Discovery

The Synanon Fix

Charles Chuck Dederich, founder of Synanon from the docuseries ‘The Synanon Fix,’ 2024.Bruce Levine/HBO

Bruce Levine/HBO

During the late 1950s, Alcoholics Anonymous member Charles “Chuck” Dederich establisheda rehabilitation program now known as the “Church of Synanon"to aid people with drug addictions. Featuring exclusive archival footage and interviews with former members — including Dederich’s daughter — HBO’s four-part docuseries,The Synanon Fix, delves into the program’s transformation into a cult-like movement, with practices such as forced vasectomies, abortions, divorces and more.

WatchThe Synanon Fixon Max

The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping

Katherine Kubler in ‘The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping’.Courtesy of Netflix

WatchThe Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnappingon Netflix

American Nightmare

Denise Huskins in ‘American Nightmare,’ 2023.Courtesy of Netflix

WhenAaron Quinnreported the implausible abduction of girlfriendDenise Huskinsto the police in 2015, he found himself initially cast as the prime suspect, only to witness a jolting reversal as they — along with the media — shifted the responsibility onto her, accusing her oforchestrating aGone Girl-style smokescreen. A three-part docuseries,American Nightmaredives headfirst into several thought-provoking issues, such as victim blaming and the glaring inadequacies in our criminal justice system.

WatchAmerican Nightmareon Netflix

Chowchilla

The Dairyland Union School bus from the kidnapping detailed in ‘Chowchilla,’ 2023.UPI/Bettmann/Getty

UPI/Bettmann/Getty

Featuring exclusive interviews with the survivors, the 2023 documentary from CNN Films and Maxexplores the most bizzare mass kidnapping of all-time. In in Chowchilla, Calif., three masked menhijacked a bus carrying 26 school children— demanding a $5 million ransom — before loading them into soundproofed vans that drove them to the underground chamber where they were buried alive.

WatchChowchillaon Max

#CyberSleuths: The Idaho Murders

Olivia Vitale and Andra Griffin in ‘#CyberSleuths: The Idaho Murders’.CBS/Paramount+

CBS/Paramount+

Watch#CyberSleuths: The Idaho Murderson Paramount+

The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard

‘The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard’.Courtesy Lifetime Network

Courtesy Lifetime Network

WatchThe Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchardon MyLifetime

The Curious Case of Natalia Grace

Natalia Grace in ‘The Curious Case of Natalia Grace’.Investigation Discovery/YouTube

Investigation Discovery/YouTube

It’sthe story that left the world in disbelief. This ID documentary series followsMichael and Kristine Barnett, the white-picket-fence couple who adopt ayoung Ukrainian girl with dwarfism, Natalia, and accuse her of being an adult masquerading as a 6-year-old. However, the saga unearths new layers in the second season — which premiered Jan. 1 — as Nataliashares her harrowing experiences with her adoptive parentsand has a face-to-face confrontation with Michael.

WatchThe Curious Case of Natalia Graceon Max

The Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crime

‘The Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crime’.ID

ID

WatchThe Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crimeon Max

Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America

Michael Johnson in ‘Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America,’ 2023.Netflix

WatchScout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of Americaon Netflix

People Magazine Investigates

‘People Magazine Investigates’.ID

Check out the gripping world of true crime withPEOPLE’s own docuseriesas it delves into headline-worthy stories through exclusive interviews and new evidence, uncovering shocking revelations. Theshow’s seventh seasonkicked off with a compelling episode recountingthe 1977 murders of three Oklahoma Girl Scouts.

WatchPeople Magazine Investigateson Max

Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York

‘Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York’.Courtesy of HBO

Courtesy of HBO

WatchLast Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New Yorkon Max

Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets

‘Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets’.Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video

Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video

WatchShiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secretson Amazon Prime Video

Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed

‘Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed’.Peacock

This Peacock Original docuseries bridges the notorious murder case of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez and thepopular ’80s boy band Menudo. Beingcharged with the first-degree murder of their parentsin 1996, the Menendez brothers accused their Hollywood executive father of physical and sexual abuse — and decades later, oneformer Menudo member, Roy Rosselló, recounts his traumatic encounter with José Menendez, which may verify the brothers' past allegations.

WatchMenendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayedon Peacock

American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing

‘American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing’.Netflix

Timed accordingly to the 10-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, this 2023 docuseries looks closer intothe domestic terrorist attack. Using archival footage, personal accounts and reenactments,American Manhuntdiscusses the two brothers responsible for the explosions near the finish line that killed three people and injured hundreds of others.

WatchAmerican Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombingon Netflix

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal

Morgan Doughty in ‘Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal’.Netflix

After Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and her son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found murdered at their hunting lodge in June 2021,their family’s veiled history of corruptionbegan to surface. This2023 docuseriescenters onthe Murdaughs, South Carolina’s illustrious legal dynasty, whose members were tied to multiple homicides, financial fraud and other alleged crimes. Eerily timely, shortly after this series came out,Alex Murdaugh was found guiltyof Maggie and Paul’s murders andsentenced to two life sentences in prison.

WatchMurdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandalon Netflix

Waco: American Apocalypse

David Koresh in ‘Waco: American Apocalypse’.Courtesy of Netflix

WatchWaco: American Apocalypseon Netflix

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

Larry Ray in ‘Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence’.Courtesy of Hulu

Stolen Youthchronicles the disturbing case ofLarry Ray, a man who lured his daughter’s college roommates into a sex cult. Over three hour-long parts, Hulu gets a closer look withpersonal accountsand unseen footage from Ray and the survivors.

WatchStolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrenceon Hulu

Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street

‘Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street’.Netflix

Bernie Madoffdefrauded global investors for decades, but eventually got caught.Netflix’s 2023 docuseriesinvestigates the story of the man behind one of the most notorious Ponzi schemes on Wall Street that defrauded investors of billions of dollars over two decades.

WatchMadoff: The Monster of Wall Streeton Netflix

I Am Vanessa Guillen

‘I Am Vanessa Guillen’.Netflix

WatchI Am Vanessa Guillenon Netflix

Capturing the Killer Nurse

Amy Loughren in ‘Capturing the Killer Nurse,’ 2022.Netflix

Intensive care unit nurseCharles Cullenconfessed to killing at least 40 patients across various hospitals in 2003, but he almost got away with it. This 2022 documentary film gives an inside look into how investigators proved their case. After you’ve watchedCapturing the Killer Nurse, watch its equallychilling dramatization,The Good Nurse, starringEddie RedmayneandJessica Chastain.

WatchCapturing the Killer Nurseon Netflix

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey

Rulon Jeffs (enter) and wives in ‘Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey’.Courtesy of Netflix

The rise and fall ofWarren Jeffs, the disgraced ex-president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is chronicled in this four-part docuseries. The show includes stories from survivors and former members of the polygamy-practicing group. (The LDS church has said the FLDS has no affiliation with the wider church.) Jeffs married as many as 78 wives, including 24 underage girls, and oversaw the abuse of other women and children before his subsequent arrest and conviction.

WatchKeep Sweet: Pray and Obeyon Netflix

The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist

‘The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist’.Courtesy of Netflix

The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heistchronicles the real-life burglaries at celebrity homes in 2008 and 2009. The story was dramatized inSofia Coppola’sThe Bling Ringin 2013. Original group membersAlexis Haines(née Neiers) andNick Prugorecall their experiences in this three-part series.

WatchThe Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heiston Netflix

Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer

‘Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer’.Amazon Prime Video

Ted Bundy’s long-term girlfriendElizabeth Kendalland other survivors came forward for the first time to participate in this five-part docuseries, framing his infamous crimes from a female perspective. With an emphasis on the victims,Falling for a Killeruses archival video footage, original photographs and new interviews to investigate the serial killer’s attitude toward women.

WatchTed Bundy: Falling for a Killeron Amazon Prime Video

The Tinder Swindler

Pernilla Sjoholm in ‘The Tinder Swindler’.Courtesy of Netflix

This 2022 docuseries tells the story of conmanSimon Leviev(born Shimon Hayut), whoswindled an estimated $10 millionfrom people around the world. Presenting himself as the son of a Russian-Israeli diamond mogul, Hayut used Tinder to manipulate women into financially supporting his extravagant lifestyle, all while pretending he needed the money to escape his “enemies.”

WatchThe Tinder Swindleron Netflix

Our Father

Keith Boyle as Donald Cline in ‘Our Father,’ 2022.Netflix

Our Fatherbegins with one woman’s at-home DNA test, which revealed that she had multiple half-siblings, all with the same father. Former Indianapolis fertility doctorDonald Clineinseminated unsuspecting patients with his own sperm in the ’70s and ’80s and is confirmed to be the biological father to more than 90 children, many of whom were interviewed forthis 2022 documentary.

WatchOur Fatheron Netflix

John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise

‘John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise’.Peacock

Told through the words ofthe serial killer himself,John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguisechronicles hishorrifying crimes. Using 1992 interview footage of Gacy — filmed two years before his execution — this docuseries goes into his past and the investigation that led to his arrest.

WatchJohn Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguiseon Peacock

Athlete A

Maggie Nichols in ‘Athlete A,’ 2020.NETFLIX

WatchAthlete Aon Netflix

The Way Down:God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin

Natasha Pavlovich in ‘The Way Down: The God, Green and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin’.HBO Max/Courtesy Everett

HBO Max/Courtesy Everett

This five-part docuseries followsGwen Shamblin Lara, founder of the Weigh Down Workshop diet program and the new Christian group The Remnant Fellowship. Shamblin Lara, who died in a plane crash whileThe Way Downwas in post-production,was convincedthat God had given her “the key to permanent weight control.”

WatchThe Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblinon Max

Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.

Sarma Melngailis in ‘Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives’.Netflix

WatchBad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.on Netflix

Allen v. Farrow

Dylan Farrow and Mia Farrow in ‘Allen v. Farrow’.HBO/Courtesy Everett

HBO/Courtesy Everett

WatchAllen v. Farrowon Max

Sins of Our Mother

‘Sins of Our Mother’.Courtesy of Netflix

WatchSins of Our Motheron Netflix

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer

Richard Ramirez in ‘Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer’.NETFLIX

In mid-1980s Los Angeles, serial killerRichard Ramirezlurked at night for victims to torture and murder. The crimes and eventual arrest of Ramirez, known as the “Night Stalker,” are documented inthis chilling four-part series.

WatchNight Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killeron Netflix

Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story

‘Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story’.Hulu

WatchCaptive Audience: A Real American Horror Storyon Hulu

source: people.com