Written by: Jillian Sisco

With shows such as The Watcher and Dahmer rising in popularity on Netflix, one thing came to mind, why does true crime have such a following?  

Carlow University sophomore and criminology minor Anthony Nguyen said “People are driven with curiosity and mystery. With true crime, you look at a crime scene and most people just want to know what’s going on and their curiosity just strikes them.”  

The first big crime case that had people drawn to crime was the Ratcliffe Murders in 1811. Seven people were gruesomely slaughtered in London’s East End. The crime’s brutality, together with its seemingly random nature, turned it into a national obsession.  

Also, the Lindbergh Kidnapping attracted worldwide attention and the press later hailed the abduction as “The Crime of the Century”.  

Carlow University Professor and Licensed Psychologist Joseph M. Roberts said “Covid had a major impact on the entertainment of true crime because you have all these services that need to fill space and one thing is that there is never an end to crime”. He also states that even the most basic murder is somewhat interesting to people.  

Technology also has a major impact on crime. With the advancement of technology nowadays, criminals try to find new ways to perform criminal activities.  

If you are hooked on crime, here is a list of shows, documentaries, and movies you could binge-watch: 

• The Act (based off the case of Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard) 
• Unsolved Mysteries 
• Forensic Files 
• American Murder: The Family Next Door (Chris Watts) 
• Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (Richard Ramirez) 
• Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (Ted Bundy)