Summary
Statistics show that themajority of true-crime shows audiences are women, especially when there are female victims like inUnbelievable. Ranked based onIMDb great true-crime series ratings, some viral shows includeThe Menendez Brothers,The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, and the award-winning documentaryO.J.: Made in America.
The true-crime shows on this list are all based on actual events that occurred between the late 1800s and the early 2000s. They depict violence, abuse, and the worst depravity humanity has to offer. Reader discretion is advised.
Spoilers ahead
This article addresses real-life cases of racial issues, violent crime, such as rape, murder, psychological abuse, and mental illness.
8Unbelievable
An 18-Year-Old Woman’s Report Is Dismissed By The Police
The focus ofUnbelievableis the sexual assaults thatserial predator Marc O’Learyinflicted upon several women in Washington and Colorado between 2008 and 2011. It all began with an unbelievable report from an eighteen-year-old Marie Adler,played by Kaitlyn Deverin the Netflix series. She is first considered suspicious by American law enforcement and charged with false reporting, which carries a year in prison.
Meanwhile, two committed female detectives are investigating a similar case to catch the rapist. Eventually, they discover a critical detail: The rapist had access to the police’s rape forensics guide, to ensure he committed the perfect crime. The detectives also come across tapes containing photographs of all the victims, including theunbelievable case of Marie Adler.
7O.J.: Made In America
OJ Simpson Is Wrongly Accused Of Murder
O.J.: Made in Americais a documentary that tells the story of former football player OJ Simpson, who was accused of the brutal double murder of his ex-wife Nicole, the mother of his two children, and Ron Goldman—a waiter and Nicole’s friend. Thefamous trialof OJ Simpson lasted eight months in California between 1994 and 1995.
Many viewers regard this series as one of the best documentaries ever produced. It covers sensitive topics like racial issues, civil rights, and the experience of Black Americans. This documentary also discusses how law enforcement hashistorically failed to provide equal protection and civil rights to the Black community. Simpson was ultimately found not guilty and died of prostate cancer in April 2024, at age 76.
6Monsters: The Menendez Brothers
The Brutal Murder Of José And Kitty Menendez
Monsters: The Menendez Brothersis a Netflix series that focuses on an unexpected double murder which took place in one of the safest places in California—Beverly Hills. The series tellsthe story of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who kill their parents, José And Kitty Menendez, in their home in 1989 to inherit all their father’s wealth for themselves. This true-crime event went viral, scaring the Beverly Hills residents, and dividing opinions in America.
The Menendez defense says the Brothers committed the murders in self-defense because they were desperate and were being sexually and mentally abused by their father, José Menendez. Eventually, the Menendez brothers were found guilty and sentenced to life in jailwithout the chance of parole.
5Ghosts Of Highway 20
The Disappearances Of Vulnerable Women On Highway 20
Ghosts of Highway 20addresses sexual violence and multiple murders committedby a sexual predator, John Arthur Ackroyd. It all started in the 1970s in Central Oregon. Following a young woman’s rape report, local police did little to pursue her case and dismissed it as lies. Once again, American law enforcement failing vulnerable victims is a central focus here. Marlene Gabrielson was the first victim and “fortunate” survivor who still suffered lifelong trauma.
InThe Ghosts of Highway 20—streaming on YouTube—Marlene tells her story, how it happened, and how the local officers handled it. After Marlene, Ackroyd assaulted and murdered other vulnerable women likeKay TurnerandRachanda Pickle, his 13-year-old stepdaughter. More names followed before law enforcement locked Ackroyd away, and he eventually died in jail.The Lost Women of Highway 20, streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is another adaptation of what happened inGhosts of Highway 20.
4Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
The Story Of The Milwaukee Cannibal
Jeffrey Dahmer is one of the most horrific serial killers in American history, and his story is dramatized inMonster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.Seventeen males were killed and cut into pieces to be eaten by Jeffrey Dahmer, known as the Milwaukee Cannibal. These horrific crimes took place between 1978 and 1991 in Wisconsin. Dahmer took advantage of the system by targeting the BIPOLand LGBTQ communities,which he knew were viewed with disinterest and often ignored by American law enforcement.
Curtis Straughter, Matt Turner, and Jeremy Weinberger are some names of the lives Dahmer destroyed. Dahmer was a pedophile and psychologically ill man who showed no remorse for his deeds. His murder trial went viral and broke his family’s hearts, including his father and grandmother, who always tried to understand him.
3The Act
The Heartfelt Story Of Gypsy-Rose Blanchard
The Acttells the shocking true story of a mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who manipulated and abused her daughter, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, by telling everyone that she suffered many severe illnesses like cancer and muscular dystrophy to get attention and financial support from the State government.
As a result, Gypsy Rose ended up murdering her mother. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, claiming self-defense as an escape from her mother’s abuse, but was still placed in jail for eight years. She’s now free and trying to rebuild her life. The Hulu seriesThe Act,starring Joey Kingas Gypsy, is full of intense themes like abuse and manipulation, offering a peek at one of the most disturbing true crime cases in recent years.
2Six Schizophrenic Brothers
12 Children, 6 Diagnosed With Schizophrenic Disorder
Six Schizophrenic Brothersis a four-part documentary on Amazon Prime Video that tells the tragic story of the Irish Galvin family. There were twelve children, ten boys and two girls, and six of the boys were diagnosed withschizophrenia disorderat a young age—Donald, Jim, Brian, Joseph, Matthew, and Peter—leaving the parents feeling guilty, confused, and disoriented.
Acts like brutal animal violence, domestic vandalism, murder, and suicide happened in the household. As a result, the majority of the brothers ended up in a nursery home. This true-crime show depicts the hard-to-watchimpact of mental illnesson a family and a deeper understanding of schizophrenia.
1Night Stalker
Americas Most-Wanted Serial Killer
Night Stalkercovers the story of the most wanted serial killer in Los Angeles: Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez, known as Richard Ramirez. The series highlights the dedication of the detectives to catching the person who killed 13 people. Richard wasn’t following any predictable pattern; he brutally murdered women, men, and children of various ages.
Richard Ramirez committed these crimes in the mid-1980s and the majority, if not all of them, were committed inside the victim’s house, leaving Los Angeles residents in fear for their safety. He did not just murder his victims, he also sexually assaulted them, which made his eventual capture a massive relief tothe residents of Los Angeles.
