12 Signs You’re Hopelessly Addicted to True Crime Stories — Just Like Me

It’s Wednesday night and I settle into a plastic chair at batting cages while my son and his teammates perfect their swing. Armed with earbuds, I shut the noise out and focus my eyes on the door as parents shuffle in and out. A baseball dad walks by and asks, “Listening to music?” I nod yes. I’m not about to tell him that I’m listening to Sleuth, a true crime podcast about the gruesome murders of two college students in Orange County, California.

After all, I’m a totally normal human being. I love people and animals and Hallmark Christmas movies. I’m a responsible mom with a degree in child development and a genuine fear of blood. I just so happen to also love true crime.

And I’m not alone. So many good, upstanding, never-hurt-a-fly folks find themselves devouring tales of murderous mayhem on the regular. Why? Because it’s dark, salacious, terrifying, unbelievable, and worst (or best?) of all – TRUE.

True crime is riddled with dangerous questions and adrenaline-pumping quests for answers. As armchair detectives, we’re here for every sleepy town, unsuspecting neighbor, deconstructed timeline, and possible motive.

If you’re reading this, there’s a pretty good chance you are, too. But in case you have doubts, let’s take a stab at 10 signs you’re addicted to true crime:

1. True crime occurred a little too close to home.

When I was in third grade, serial killer Richard Ramirez (AKA “The Night Stalker”) terrorized the greater Los Angeles area (including my city) in a killing spree that lasted 14 months and claimed 14 victims, forever changing the way I viewed safety in my community.

For true crime lover Laura, good times turned dangerous. She tells Babble, “My love of true crime started when I was 18 years old and a senior in high school. I hung out with a guy at a party that ended up being on the news a few days later … for killing his mother.” GULP.

2. Your mom loved a good mystery.

We get so many things from our mamas, but a love a true crime? You bet. Grandma of six and true crime lover Susie admits, “I love watching true crime shows … my mom used to love to read True Detective crime magazines. It must be in our blood …” I believe it. My mom never met a police procedural or legal drama she didn’t love.

This comes as no surprise to writer and mom of two Deborah, who shares, “I’m a true crime freak, but I also have an associates in criminology … My mom was always into whodunits.” I guess it’s fair to say that all of mom’s over-protection makes perfect sense!

3. You were a wee bit Wednesday Adams.

Whether you reluctantly absorbed the most frightening tales of terror from the evening news, or actively sought out 20/20 and America’s Most Wanted while everyone else enjoyed wholesome TGIF programming, true crime introduced you to the darkest side of the human character from a tender age.

4. Your true crime obsession absolutely freaks out your partner.

“What murdery thing are you listening to now?” my husband suspiciously asks whenever he sees me sporting earbuds. “Don’t get any ideas.” For the last time: a love a true crime does not a murder make! Still, partners tend to get a little spooked. Married mother of three Corine tells Babble, “I LIVE for a good marathon of Snapped, which definitely makes my husband a little nervous.” Calm down, loved ones; we binge in peace.

5. You swear you’re normal …

… not only because you feel like you might have to, but because you totally are! So what if you love Taylor Swift and investigative true crime programming? It’s perfectly normal to be curious about the psychology behind the darkness. I mean, who doesn’t like a good puzzle?

True crime enthusiast Missy explains, “I’m interested in the person committing the crime and what caused them to do it. Was it planned or not? How detailed were they? How was their life growing up? I’m more interested in the person committing the crime than the crime and the victims.” YAAAS, let’s break this cold-blooded killer doooooooooooown. 

6. You could totally solve a cold case.

All that time spent with homicide detectives, district attorneys, criminal profilers, medical examiners, and forensic scientists wasn’t for nothing, my true crime colleague. You’ve seen and heard so much, you’re practically an expert now. Given the time, a giant white board, and some red string, you could surely crack a cold case wide open.

7. You feel some kind of way about Payne Lindsay.

If you’re a true crime podcast junkie, you have opinions about Up and Vanished podcast host, Payne Lindsay … because we all do.

8. You’re paranoid, but like, in a good way.

Thanks to true crime, you know better than to ever doubt that little voice inside of you. You’re done acting polite in uncomfortable situations when alarm bells sound. You stay out of the forest, pepper spray first and apologize later, and always lock your door (thanks, Karen and Georgia).

9. You somehow feel safer.

You can’t invest all that fear and fascination into true crime without feeling as though you’ve tipped any odds of survival in your favor. True crime lover Dana speaks for most of us when she says, “I know this is magical thinking but I guess I feel like the more I know about murder, the less likely it is I’ll be murdered. You never see anyone on Dateline talking about how their murdered relative was obsessed with Dateline!” Make sense to us.

10. True crime people are your people.

True crime lovers are among the warmest, funniest, savviest people out there. Oh, and they’re also really good at not getting murdered, so there’s always that.