At the time of this writing, two of the top 5 TV shows on Netflix are documentary series based on someone either murdering (or attempting to murder) their romantic partner. About a fifth of the top 25 podcasts on Spotify are devoted to deep dives into brutal crimes both famous and (relatively) forgotten. YouTube channels that range from lengthy video essays on macabre real-life events all the way to simple compilations of police body cam footage rack up millions of subscribers. The best-selling nonfiction on Amazon is predominantly self-help fare, but jarringly nestled amid the wannabe gurus are books about nightmarish scenarios and bloody conflict. The “true crime” genre is not a niche subject matter. We are truly obsessed with it.
