42 True-Crime Documentaries Every Crime Junkie Must See

Do you love getting a look inside a criminal’s mind? Eager to follow investigators along the road to justice? Live for the adrenaline rush of a spine-tingling story? Then you’ll love Hulu’s collection of murder and true-crime documentaries.

We’ve cracked the case of where to find the best true-crime documentaries — on Hulu, right now. 

Best True-Crime Documentaries on Hulu

1. Hunting JonBenét’s Killer: The Untold Story

The murder of JonBenét Ramsey is one of the most notorious cold cases in American history. Hunting JonBenét’s Killer: The Untold Story follows Elizabeth Vargas as she tracks down new leads and DNA evidence.

For more on this captivating cold case, be sure to watch JonBenét’s Mother: Victim or Killer?, The Killing of JonBenét: The Truth Uncovered (2016), and JonBenét: An American Murder Mystery streaming now on Hulu.

Watch: Hunting JonBenét’s Killer: The Untold Story

2. The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All

Take an inside look at one of the most fascinating true-crime tragedies of the century with The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All — an exclusive documentary that reexamines the chilling true story through the lens of one of the convicted killers, Erik Menendez.

Watch: The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All*

*Live TV plan required to watch live content on Hulu. Regional restrictions, blackouts, and additional terms apply.

3. Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini

Sherri Papini appeared to have it all: a loving husband, a beautiful family, and an idyllic life. However, startling revelations about Sherri’s real self emerged when she was “kidnapped” in 2016. Discover this true-crime saga that captivated the world, and the shocking twists and turns that led to her incarceration.

Watch: Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini

4. How I Caught My Killer

Can a victim help authorities solve their own murder case from beyond the grave? Despite what you may believe, it’s totally possible. The true stories in this Hulu Original docuseries demonstrate how. 

Watch: How I Caught My Killer

5. Look At Me: XXXTentacion (2022)

Florida teenager Jahseh Onfroy, aka XXXtentacion, went from Soundcloud rapper to one of the most popular artists in the world. Through commentary from family, friends, and exes, Look at Me: XXXtentacion examines the life of the rapper and the violence, mental health struggles, and pure talent that surrounded him before his untimely death at just 20 years old.

Stream this and more documentaries about musicians.

Watch: Look at Me: XXXtentacion 

6. Wild Crime: Blood Mountain

“Sometimes bad things happen in good places.”

ABC News Studio and Hulu presents Wild Crime: Blood Mountain — a four-part docuseries uncovering the true crime cases of three national forest hikers sparked by missing hiker, Meredith Emerson, and her dog.

Watch: Wild Crime: Blood Mountain

7. Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

This captivating Hulu docuseries takes a deep dive into the scandal that shook Sarah Lawrence College involving a student’s father, Larry Ray, and his manipulation and trafficking of other students. With Ray now behind bars serving a hefty 60-year sentence, the brave survivors are coming forward to share their stories, accompanied by exclusive photos and video clips that will send shivers down your spine.

Watch: Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

8. The Secrets of Hillsong

Once the megachurch of the stars, Hillsong’s unique branding coupled with celebrity pastor, Carl Lentz, was the perfect recipe to attract young millennials to worship in a way the world has never seen before. But can good marketing cover up the church’s foundation of scandal and sin?

Watch: The Secrets of Hillsong

9. Web of Death

The Hulu Original series, Only Murders in the Building, shows us what could happen when true-crime junkies take real murder cases into their own hands (in a fictional sense, of course). But, what would happen if crime sleuths actually stepped in to solve cold cases the pros can’t crack? This happens more often than you’d think — thanks to the internet. 

Web of Death is an ABC News Production docuseries that dives deep into the online true-crime community solving real cases, oftentimes with zero investigation experience.

Watch: Web of Death

10. The Lesson Is Murder

Have you ever wanted to get inside the mind of a murderer? The Lesson Is Murder is an ABC News Studio Exclusive and Hulu Original docuseries that follows psychological criminologist and ex-FBI agent, Bryanna Fox, as she teaches graduate students everything she knows about criminal profiling. 

Watch: The Lesson Is Murder

11. Killing County

Located two hours inland from Los Angeles lies Bakersfield, California — a city with more cover-ups and corruption than meets the eye. Killing County is a must-watch Hulu Original docuseries created in conjunction with ABC News and executive producer, Colin Kaepernick. 

Watch: Killing County

12. God Forbid (2022)

The Falwells are a prominent family in the Evangelical Christian community. Once pillars of morality, Jerry Falwell Jr. and his wife hit rock bottom after a scandalous affair exposed their righteous way of life to be a mere illusion. 

Watch: God Forbid

13. Jeffrey Dahmer: Mind of a Monster

Discover how Jeffrey Dahmer went from a quiet and shy young kid to one of the world’s most notorious serial killers in the documentary Jeffrey Dahmer: Mind of a Monster.

Want more of Jeffrey Dahmer’s true-crime story? Watch My Friend Dahmer — a biopic starring Ross Lynch and Alex Wolf — streaming now on Hulu. 

Watch: Jeffrey Dahmer: Mind of a Monster*

*Hulu + Live TV is required to watch Jeffrey Dahmer: Mind of a Monster. 

14. Mommy Dead and Dearest

Gypsy Rose may have murdered her mom, Dee Dee Blanchard — but only because she was being confined and tortured at the hands of her own mother. Does Gypsy deserve to be convicted for Dee Dee’s death? 

Watch Dee Dee and Gypsy’s story from the beginning with the Hulu Original biopic series, The Act. 

Watch: Mommy Dead and Dearest*

*Mommy Dead and Dearest is available on Hulu with a Max® add-on subscription.

15. Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders

Actress and singer, Kristin Chenoweth, travels back to her hometown in Tulsa to revisit one of the most infamous murder cases in Oklahoma — the sleepaway camp murder of three young Girl Scouts in 1977. To this day, the crime remains unsolved and still shakes the community to its core. 

Watch: Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders 

16. Leave No Trace (2022)

In 2021, the Boy Scouts of America reached the largest sexual assault settlement in United States history — $2.7 billion. Leave No Trace tells the stories of the 82,000+ men who stepped forward against an age-old organization that failed to protect its young members. 

Watch: Leave No Trace

17. 24 Hours: Assault on the Capital (2021)

The deadly January 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol Building shook the country to its core. 24 Hours: Assault on the Capital is a Hulu Original documentary that chronicles the hour-by-hour details of one of the most horrific large-sale crimes in recent history. 

Watch: 24 Hours: Assault on the Capital

18. The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer 

The Zodiac Killer is the most elusive murderer in American history, but he’s no match for LAPD homicide detective, Sal LaBarbera. This true-crime docuseries shows the world how the most brilliant minds in criminology were able to put a face to the mysterious murderer decades after he committed his infamous crimes. 

Watch: The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer

19. 1990s: The Deadliest Decade

For many of us, remembering the 90s brings feelings of warmth and nostalgia — a simpler time without the pressures of social media and being connected 24/7. However, our fond memories of the decade may cause us to forget the most notorious murders of all time. 

Watch: 1990s: The Deadliest Decade

20. Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil (2018)

Through the cover of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), Warren Jeffs used his power as the president of the FLDS to control, manipulate, and exploit his followers, leading to a life sentence in prison. This A&E Network documentary uses exclusive interviews and footage to dive deep into the heinous crimes committed by one of the most wanted fugitives of all time. 

Watch: Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil

21. I Love You, Now Die

High school student Michelle Carter encouraged her boyfriend, Conrad Roy, to commit suicide via text. This two-part documentary series uncovers the big question surrounding the entire case — can one teenager be convicted for the suicide of another? 

Follow along with Michelle and Conrad’s entire story by streaming the Hulu Original biopic series, The Girl from Plainville. 

Watch: I Love You, Now Die*

*I Love You, Now Die is available on Hulu with a Max® add-on subscription.

22. Fyre Fraud (2019)

Fyre Fraud is a cautionary tale about what happens when the power of social media influence collides with money-hungry moguls. This Hulu Original documentary recounts the events leading up to and following (as it turned out, non-existent) Fyre music festival. 

Festival advertising promised attendees a luxury experience with access to high-profile celebrities and delivered the extreme opposite.

Watch: Fyre Fraud

23. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst

It all started when Kathleen McCormack, the wife of real estate tycoon, Robert Durst, went missing in 1982. Though Durst was never convicted for his wife’s disappearance, suspicions rose when his best friend, Susan Berman, and neighbor, Morris Black, were murdered almost 20 years later. 

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst is a six-part series that sheds light on this sequence of related crimes, including a revealing interview with Dust himself.  

Despite being the main suspect, Durst was never convicted for these crimes until after The Jinx aired. Continue watching all the twists and turns of this popular true-crime case by streaming The Trials of Robert Durst** and Robert Durst: An ID Murder Mystery** on Hulu now. 

Watch: The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst*

*The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst is available on Hulu with a Max® add-on subscription

**Live TV plan required to watch live content on Hulu. Regional restrictions, blackouts, and additional terms apply.

24. Untouchable (2019)

Untouchable gives an inside look at the rise and fall of Harvey Weinstein, as well as the scandal that sparked a movement. Learn how he acquired and protected his power for decades as allegations of sexual abuse threatened to engulf him.

Watch: Untouchable

25. Joe Exotic: Tigers, Lies, and Cover-Up

Did Carole Baskin kill her first husband, Don Lewis? It’s no secret that Joe Exotic, aka The Tiger King, thinks so. 

Retired homicide investigator, Jimm Rathmann, is out to find the truth. With the help of Lewis’ friends and family, along with intel from criminal experts, Rathmann recounts Lewis’ final days and brings dark secrets to the surface. 

Watch: Joe Exotic: Tigers, Lies, and Cover-Up*

*Joe Exotic: Tigers, Lies, and Cover-Up requires a Hulu + Live TV subscription. Regional restrictions, blackouts and additional terms apply.

26. Sasquatch

While visiting a marijuana farm in Northern California in 1993, investigative journalist David Holthouse heard a story that still haunts him: On a nearby farm, three men were torn limb from limb in a savage Bigfoot attack. Sasquatch follows David as he revisits the Redwoods 25 years later, in search of any evidence that might lead to the truth of what happened that night.

Watch: Sasquatch

27. Dead Asleep (2021)

Somnambulism, more commonly known as sleepwalking, is at the heart of this crime. Dead Asleep documents the murder of a young woman by her roommate and best friend, Randy Herman Jr. 

Herman claimed to have been sleepwalking when he committed the murder and, therefore, doesn’t believe he should be held responsible. Follow the investigation and subsequent trial as jurors try to make sense of this bizarre course of events.

Watch: Dead Asleep

28. Southern Gothic

Southern Gothic explores the deepest, darkest crimes of the American Southeast. From a gas station murder in Tennessee to a robbery gone awry in Alabama, true-crime junkies will love these real-life mysteries and murders set in the Southern states. 

Watch: Southern Gothic

29. Secrets of the Chippendales Murders

It’s the entertainment company you know, the drugs, arson, and murder you don’t. Discover the dark secret story of The Chippendales in this revealing four-part docuseries. 

Learn more about the little-known crime surrounding the Chippendales in the Hulu biopic, Welcome to Chippendales, streaming now. 

Watch: Secrets of the Chippendales Murders

30. The Murder of Laci Peterson

The A&E docuseries The Murder of Laci Peterson recounts the disturbing true story of a pregnant woman who went missing in Modesto, California. Follow what has become known as one of the most visible murder cases of all time from the initial search to the final verdict.

Watch: The Murder of Laci Peterson

31. Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery

The high-profile criminal case against Casey Anthony shook the world when she was found innocent in the death of her two-year-old daughter (Caylee Anthony) despite family claims and the staggering evidence against her. 

Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery provides a first-hand account of Anthony’s parents along with new revelations about this iconic criminal case. 

Take a deeper dive into this case by streaming Casey Anthony’s Parents Speak and Cellmate Secrets: Casey Anthony now on Hulu. 

Watch: Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery

32. Ted Bundy: Mind of a Monster

Ted Bundy is one of the most notorious and horrifying serial killers of our time. Ted Bundy: Mind of a Monster uses new and exclusive testimonies from Bundy’s friends and family to discover what really goes on inside the mind of a monster. 

Watch a reenactment of the largest manhunt in history with the biopic film Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman.

Watch: Ted Bundy: Mind of a Monster*

*Hulu + Live TV is required to watch Ted Bundy: Mind of a Monster

33. An American Murder Mystery: The Staircase

When Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase, her husband, Michael Peterson, claimed it was a tragic accident. Investigators beg to differ. Did Michael kill his wife? This three-part, true-crime documentary series dissects and inspects theories, secrets, trials, and interviews surrounding the case. 

Watch: An American Murder Mystery: The Staircase*

*Hulu + Live TV is required to watch An American Murder Mystery: The Staircase

34. The Housewife and the Hustler

Tom Girardi — you may know him as the famous Los Angeles trial attorney, or as the lawyer depicted in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich. You may even know him as the husband of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Ericka Girardi.

The Housewife and the Hustler uncovers the dark side of the legal titan, who is now facing serious allegations and disbarment for stealing money from the clients who trusted him.

Want to dig into more real crimes involving The Real Housewives? Watch The Housewife and the Shah Shocker on Hulu now. 

Watch: The Housewife and the Hustler

35. Rich & Shameless: The Crime Against Pam & Tommy

If you were around in the 90s, you likely remember the headlines surrounding the private Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee Jones tape that leaked during the early days of the internet. 

The couple claims they were robbed and betrayed, while others believe the couple intentionally released the footage to increase fame. Rich & Shameless: The Crime Against Pam & Tommy tells the story of what really happened through first-hand accounts of those involved.

The story continues in the award-winning Hulu original biopic series, Pam & Tommy, streaming now on Hulu. 

Watch: Rich & Shameless: The Crime Against Pam & Tommy*

*Hulu + Live TV is required to watch Rich & Shameless: The Crime Against Pam & Tommy

36. Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller

Led by acclaimed investigative journalist, Mariana van Zeller, the new docuseries Trafficked takes a look at the seedy underbelly of the world’s black markets. From telemarketing schemes and drug cartels to human trafficking — this series covers it all.  

Watch: Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller

37. City of Angels | City of Death

Between the mid-70s and mid-80s, Los Angeles was, quite literally, a city of death with more than 20 serial killers terrorizing the city. This six-part docuseries tells the story of these serial killers and the dedicated LAPD Robbery Homicide team that hunted and eventually arrested each one of them.

Watch: City of Angels | City of Death

38. The Most Dangerous Animal of All

Adopted as an infant, Gary L. Stewart always struggled with his identity. The FX Original documentary The Most Dangerous Animal of All follows his search for his biological parents, which reveals that his father is one of the most infamous serial killers in American history.

Watch: The Most Dangerous Animal of All

39. Wild Crime

Follow the investigators tasked with solving the most heinous crimes that have taken place in the most beautiful places in the U.S. — the National Parks.  

Watch: Wild Crime: Murder in Yosemite

40. The Devil You Know

The Devil You Know is a true crime docuseries about a journalist searching for the truth when human remains are found at the home of North Carolina Satanist, Pazuzu Algarad. 

Watch: The Devil You Know

41. The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley

Elizabeth Holmes was the youngest self-made female billionaire with her tech company, Theranos. She was also convicted for committing one of the most notorious acts of criminal fraud in history. Learn more about the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company in The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley. 

Intrigued? There’s more where that came from. Check out the Emmy® award-winning original biopic, The Dropout, streaming now on Hulu

Watch: The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley*

*Live TV plan required to watch live content on Hulu. Regional restrictions, blackouts, and additional terms apply.

42. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story

This true crime miniseries tells the tale of the Stayner brothers — one dubbed a hero, the other a villain. When one brother goes missing and returns seven years later, the media creates a frenzy and causes more harm than good. 

Watch: Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story

More True Crime on Hulu

There are plenty more true-crime documentaries and shows to binge where that came from. With your Hulu subscription, you have access to investigative journalism shows like ABC’s 20/20, Dating App Horrors: The Untold Story, I Dated a Psycho, and much more. 

Love documentaries? Discover the Best Documentaries on Hulu Guide for more shocking true stories streaming now.

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