It’s time to stop scrolling, time to stop landing on a YouTube True Crime channel only to discover that the voice is AI (I hate that) and the images all come from ShutterStock. Those eight second videos that could relate to any situation, anywhere, of anyone. You know the types, an old hand squeezing a young hand, a woman looking over her shoulder, a car overtaking another on the motorway? Those ones.
If you’re still unsure how to spot an AI voice (just scroll down a little if you can’t wait for the list. I have no friends, I need to chat), there are tell tale signs. They will pause mid sentence as if there’s a full stop, period. They will start again as if starting a new sentence. They’ll have a monotone voice except in the most inappropriate places. Their voice will lift excitedly as they tell you the blood drained from her body as she gasped for air.
Now, we love True Crime, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t, but we don’t jump up and down at the thought of someone’s suffering. These AI voices are annoying, especially if you’re trying to fall asleep to a story and the grammar policeman in your sleepy brain is shouting, “No, that’s NOT how you read that sentence imbecile!” Just me? Ok, let’s move on.
I develop obsessions, things, fandoms, hobbies I become completely obsessed with. When I do I research heavily. I live, eat and dream it. I spend far too many hours finding the very best of that obsession. Sometimes these last a month, other times they last a lifetime, like True Crime. I will watch True Crime while cooking dinner, listen to it while walking the dogs, have YouTube playing in my car (no I don’t look at the screen), and I’ve quietly convinced myself that I can now spot a really good liar and discover the clues needed to solve every case in the UK and USA. I hate mysteries. I can’t watch cold cases or unsolved true crime so if that’s what you’re looking for here you will be disappointed. Although I fancy myself as a bit of a sleuth, I know there are millions more people out there with brains better than mine. If they haven’t solved the case after a decade then I have no chance so the question mark will just hang like an annoying piece of hair over my eyes until I can somehow chop it off.
These true crime YouTubers have podcasts, they have personality, they have brains and they seem like jolly good people. They all adore true crime and respect the victims they report on. Some delve deep into the psychology (as I’m about to start my psychology masters this fascinates me), while others have a real knack for taking all of the information out there and turning it into a wonderful twisty tale that keeps you engaged from beginning to end.
One thing is for certain, you won’t be disappointed when tuning in to any of these channels. In fact, I think you’ll be delighted. If you have true crime YouTubers or Podcasts you listen to please drop a comment on this article. I love to discover new ones and will be your best friend forever (not creepy at all).
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Without further ado:
That Chapter : Mike Oh
I’m not going to say his last name as he seems like quite a private person overall. He has more girls thinking he’s so fine than Benedict Cumberbatch has Cumberb*tches which is why he probably likes to keep his personal life, personal. He does a great job of it too. (I’ll admit I didn’t delve too deep out of respect). You will find his channel by looking for That Chapter. This is my favourite YouTube True Crime channel of all time and not only because I live in the UK. There is also an awesome That Chapter Podcast too. Mike is Irish, fully Irish, not like your great aunty who said Grandad once removed once came from Ireland so your whole family is now Irish. Mike lives there, is a resident, and has the gorgeous voice to match. Listening to him is like listening to a gruesome lullaby as he rocks you into a nightmarish dream that you never want to wake from.
It also helps that he’s drop dead gorgeous. Am I objectifying men? Nope. Just the one. Mike. He really is very handsome and has a sparkle in his eye that only the Irish and the very confident can pull off. His sense of humour is wicked, quite quick and dry and can be missed if you’re not paying attention. Although he doesn’t overtly share his opinion, he sticks to the facts plus a little verbose embellishment, it’s plain to see that he has a very strong moral compass. Yet he doesn’t seem to judge those who find themselves in sticky situations from their own bad decisions. He understands life, he understands relationships and he’s seen his share of the most deranged of society. He isn’t a goody two shoes, (He will give it a Goo though), he knows the devil’s lettuce and he remembers teen angst. His opinions are sparse but highly relevant and always on point. He’s a good egg.
Mike has a way of collecting all of the info out there on a case and telling an entertaining, cohesive story from beginning to end that pulls you into the crime scene. You get up and close with the characters involved and feel real emotion and injustice as the victim is targeted and eventually picked off. I also love to watch his videos to travel the world from my own kitchen. Mainly America. It’s fascinating to see these little towns (mainly in Texas and Florida) up close, and to absorb the culture a little while baking in my kitchen.
He’s one to watch whether you’re awake, or falling asleep and he’ll soon become your new best buddy. Just be careful you don’t fall in love like I did when he finishes with, “because I love ya!” Wink. It also helps that he has the most beautiful face to look at while you’re hearing the most despicable things.
The Misery Machine
Drew and Jessica or Jessica and Drew are the gentle powerhouse couple of crime. I love that they started their series as a way to honour the victims. It’s obvious, even in their latest videos, that they still do this and they should be applauded for it. They believe that too much focus is on the perpetrator, which is true. We glorify these psychopaths. Imagine, the victim’s family seeing teens fangirling over their loved one’s killer? It’s sick, it’s twisted and should not be celebrated. Anyone who has such a God complex that they think they are entitled to take another person’s life is not fit for this earth. That’s a fact. They should be ignored for eternity and punished to the highest degree. It also minimises the absolute fear these victims felt in their last moments. The real, excruciating pain, the betrayal, the realisation that this is the end. It’s not big, it’s not clever, it’s just sick. Moving on.
While The Misery Machine delves deep into the actions of the guilty party, the evidence recovered and the sentence handed down, they focus heavily on the personality and life of the victim too. This is almost comforting as through their videos you get to know a whole new person and feel the anger of loss towards the end along with the triumph of a successful conviction. It’s a rollercoaster, a cleverly, empathetic, thought out crime ride that deserves to be on mainstream TV. (So does Mike by the way – as a side note, after watching these channels I tried to watch a general Channel 5 or Prime True Crime documentary and couldn’t do it. The talking heads they bring in that state the obvious, the way they treat the audience as if we’re clueless, and the long, brooding camera shots that just waste the viewer’s time. All of these mentioned here would make better True Crime TV shows for those channels than what are out there right now). I digress, sorry.
The Misery Machine are one of my favourites as they seem to have real empathy. They celebrate the life of the victim and give them a name, while delving deep into the who, why, when and where. Well worth a watch. That’s enough alliteration for that paragraph!
EWU Bodycam
Not to be confused with the general EWU channel, the EWU Bodycam channel is fascinating. It shows firsthand what officers encounter when they arrive on a scene. How the suspect acts, the lies, the circumstances. The two above will also show you snapshots of this too. If you’ve ever wanted to know absolutely everything about a case, see if EWU has released a video on it as you can’t get closer to the action than with the body cam. You feel a modicum of what the police feel as they try to hold it together when faced with a child murderer. You see them retaining professional integrity when what they really want to do is push them down a deep well. You gain insight into the mind’s of killers as they lie, then lie again and occasionally you’ll see some really bad acting that is actually comedic, rather than shocking. Like the case of the woman who had the bodies of two children in her car (spoiler – they were not her children). This is visceral viewing and not for the faint hearted, even though obvious distressing details are blurred. You can still hear the officers gip, retch and tremble with hatred. It almost feels like a crime to watch.
JCS – Criminal Psychology
I love this channel as it explains the psychology from both sides, the detectives and the suspects, as it shows you full length interviews. It’s educated me on the REED technique and others and given me insights into killer’s minds that no other channel has. The videos can be a little lengthy but they’re always worth a watch, especially if you like to discover the motive behind the crime. It’s fascinating to watch the detective’s method work on the suspect, from leaning in close to blocking the exit, from using language such as, “we know it was an accident.” All the while just waiting for that confession that will secure a full life term conviction. I can’t help wondering if the suspects are peeved in the end. The detectives are so skilled at making them feel at ease and understood that they soften their defences and reveal more than they should. They believe the detective is on their side, that they will be helping themselves by confessing when really they’re setting themselves up for life in prison. The most important thing I’ve learned about crime from this channel is, if you’re ever accused of a crime, get a lawyer and say nothing. No comment. Nothing you say, unless it’s an iron clad alibi, will help you evade prosecution. Thankfully, the murderers on this channel haven’t yet got that memo, and if they have they think they can outsmart the cops. Those are the best ones to watch.
KallMeKris
I’ve only seen a couple of the true crime videos by KallMeKris but I was a huge fan of her on TikTok, her characters, (Riley is my favourite) and her scripts. She’s an incredibly talented actress and writer so I know every video she produces will be held to the same esteem. Her personality is infectious and she’s got an excellent sense of humour along with some facial expressions that will make you laugh out loud. If you subscribe, you won’t regret it.
I know there are many other True Crime YouTubers who you may think deserve a mention, Mr Ballen, CoffeeHouse Crime, Bailey Sarian but I don’t rate these, I’m sorry. Mr Ballen adds too much detail, detail he can’t possibly know – conversations, outfits etc, which is great for storytelling but just fluffs it out for me, I like to get to the facts. I see why he’s popular though. CoffeeHouse crime is too soft, I can’t find the personality there. My ADHD makes fidget while watching. I also don’t like Get Ready With Me videos, it’s a personal preference. Show me clips, 999 calls, great anecdotes, photos. Pay full attention to the camera please not the mirror in front of you. I don’t like it. The first few were fine while I got some eyeshadow tips but after that I just worry how blocked their pores will be with all that foundation.
I am sure that if you subscribe to any of the channels listed above you won’t be disappointed. Unless you hate true crime. In that case, what are you doing here??
Please comment on the article with your favourite True Crime YouTuber. I’m always on the lookout for more great YouTubers to follow, True Crime or not.
The Misery Machine reached out to us so please watch this space as we’ll soon be doing a full interview with these True Crime heroes!