Some of the most gripping true crime stories are the ones without a neat ending. These ten podcast episodes dig into cases where killers were never caught, disappearances were never explained, and justice was never fully served. From iconic American mysteries to overlooked cold cases in Europe and Australia, this list covers podcasts that refuse to let unsolved crimes fade into silence.
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Untold True Crime
→ Untold True Crime dykker ned i Zodiac Killer-mysteriet
Few unsolved cases have haunted America as persistently as the Zodiac Killer, and Untold True Crime devotes a full episode to examining why this killer was never identified. The podcast walks through the cryptic letters, the confirmed victims, the taunting of investigators, and the many suspects who were considered and ruled out over decades. It is a deep and methodical look at one of the most famous cold cases in criminal history, and why it remains open to this day.
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Darkland
→ Darkland: The Unsolved Disappearance of a Six-Year-Old Boy in 1953
In 1953, a six-year-old boy vanished without a trace — and no one was ever held accountable. Darkland revisits this haunting cold case, exploring what investigators found, what theories emerged, and why the case was never resolved. The episode is a quiet but deeply unsettling examination of how a child can simply disappear, and how the absence of answers can weigh on families and communities for generations.
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Felon True Crime
→ Felon True Crime: Australian Unsolved Mysteries in Season 2 Episode 2
Australia has a rich and troubling collection of cold cases, and Felon True Crime dedicates this episode to exploring several of them. The podcast examines cases where victims were found but killers were never identified, as well as disappearances that have defied explanation for years. With a focus on Australian geography and context, this episode provides a compelling look at how remoteness and limited resources can make already difficult investigations nearly impossible.
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The Missing Matter
→ The Missing Matter: Sally Leydon investigates the disappearance of Marion Barter
Marion Barter was an Australian schoolteacher who disappeared in 1997 under deeply mysterious circumstances. Her daughter Sally Leydon has spent years trying to find out what happened, and this episode follows her investigation alongside the podcast team. The case involves a changed identity, overseas travel, and a trail that goes cold at a critical moment. It is a deeply personal and emotionally resonant episode about a family that has never been allowed to grieve properly.
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The Missing Matter
→ The Missing Matter: Sally Leydon and investigator Mindy in the case of Dear Rachelle
In this follow-up episode, Sally Leydon and investigator Mindy take on yet another unresolved disappearance, examining the case of Dear Rachelle and the painful absence of answers. The episode explores how private investigators and determined family members often push further than official channels, and what happens when the system fails those left behind. It is a powerful reminder of how many missing persons cases remain officially open but practically abandoned.
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Radioactive
→ Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Mystery: The whistleblower who died under mysterious circumstances
Karen Silkwood was a nuclear plant worker and union activist who died in a suspicious car crash in 1974, just as she was preparing to hand documents to a journalist. Decades later, the full truth of what happened that night has never been established. Radioactive investigates the case thoroughly, examining the corporate cover-up allegations, the contamination she was exposed to, and why her death continues to raise uncomfortable questions about power and accountability.
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Something About Cari
→ Something About Cari: The Mysterious Disappearance of Cari Farver in Omaha
Cari Farver was a Nebraska woman who vanished in 2012, but strange texts and emails in her name kept appearing for years after her disappearance. This episode opens one of the most bizarre and disturbing unsolved-adjacent cases in recent American true crime — a story involving obsession, identity theft, and the question of who was really sending those messages. Something About Cari begins unraveling a case where the truth was buried beneath layers of deception.
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Vanished
→ Vanished: Nat Fraser and the Disappearance of Arlene Fraser in Elgin
Arlene Fraser disappeared from her home in Elgin, Scotland in 1998, and her body has never been found. Her husband Nat Fraser was eventually convicted of her murder, but the case remains deeply unsettling because of the unanswered question at its heart: where is Arlene? Vanished examines the investigation, the legal proceedings, and the enduring tragedy of a case where a conviction was secured without the victim ever being located.
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Stolen Sister
→ Stolen Sister: Episode 2 - Missing — The investigation into Elizabeth Plunkett's disappearance
Elizabeth Plunkett was one of the victims of Ireland's first identified serial killers, but the full story of how she disappeared and what happened to her remained unclear for years. This episode focuses on the investigation into her disappearance, the community's response, and the painstaking effort to piece together the truth. Stolen Sister approaches the case with sensitivity and detail, giving voice to a victim whose story has too often been overshadowed by the perpetrators.
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In the Dark
→ In the Dark: The Jacob Wetterling Case and the Investigation's Fatal Errors
Jacob Wetterling was abducted in rural Minnesota in 1989, and the case went unsolved for 27 years before a confession finally emerged. In the Dark uses this devastating case to examine how catastrophic investigative errors allowed a predator to remain free for decades. The episode is a rigorous and award-winning piece of journalism that goes far beyond the crime itself to ask how the system failed Jacob, his family, and potentially many other victims along the way.
