Why Do Women Love True Crime?

Why Do Women Love True Crime?

Author: Robert Riggs April 29, 2025 Duration: 35:34

A Former 48 Hours Producer Reveals the Psychology and Power Behind the Genre

By Robert Riggs

When the curtain drops on everyday life, true crime shows like this podcast and especially those on television expose the darkest side of humanity.

Television relentlessly chases the latest trending crimes on police blotters and court dockets.

Claire St. Amant pursued those stories in the cutthroat world of prime-time television as a producer for CBS 48 Hours. She also produced segments for 60 Minutes.

She’s written a memoir about her experiences, Killer Story: The Truth Behind True Crime Televison.

Television executives have known for decades that the audience is overwhelmingly female. 

We’re talking 70-80 percent, sometimes more. Mothers and daughters. Best friends. 

Women of all ages coming together for what amounts to a girls’ night out… centered on murder.

You may want to go back and listen to my episode with Journalist Mike Cox.

He wrote a satire, Getting Away With Murder, Learning From Dateline and Other True Crime Shows. 

So what’s going on here? Why are women so drawn to true crime?

Claire St Amant, now a fellow true crime podcaster, shares her insights. 


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Robert Riggs has spent decades as an investigative reporter, and in True Crime Reporter, he applies that relentless, document-driven approach to the stories that haunt us. This isn't just a retelling of grim headlines; it's a meticulous walk through active case files, historical injustices, and the societal undercurrents that allow crime to flourish. Each episode feels like you're sitting across from Riggs as he lays out his notes, connecting dots between evidence, witness accounts, and the often-overlooked details that change a narrative. You'll hear the tension in the pursuit of truth, the weight of unresolved questions, and the quiet impact on communities and families left in the wake of violence. The podcast moves beyond the sensational to examine the cultural and systemic factors at play, offering a sober, deeply researched perspective. Listen for long-form narratives that build like a detective's board, where every piece of audio, every interview, and every document serves a purpose. It’s for those who want to understand the 'why' and the 'how' as much as the 'who,' presented with the clarity and authority of a seasoned journalist who knows the terrain. This is a journey into real stories, handled with the care they demand, and it naturally becomes an essential listen for anyone fascinated by the intersection of human behavior, justice, and the news.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

True Crime Reporter
Podcast Episodes
Beneath the Charm: Unveiling The Texas Black Widow Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:09
Dallas Socialite Sandra Bridewell cultivated an image of elegance and vulnerability. In part one of our series, Beneath the Charm: Unveiling The Black Widow, Sandra Bridewell’s first husband’s life tragically ends with h…
Beneath the Charm: Unveiling The Texas Black Widow Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:58
Amidst the sprawling cityscape of Dallas, where power and prosperity intersect with secrets and lies, Sandra Bridewell’s story unravels. Bridewell was a beautiful, alluring socialite in the affluent enclave of Highland P…
The Bulldog Detective: The Untold Story of America’s First Top Cop [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:13
Through the mist of forgotten histories, the figure of William J. Flynn beckons, offering a glimpse into a life that, though eclipsed by time, remains a testament to human endeavor and spirit. In the early 20th century,…
Searching For Patty Hearst:  Militant Marxist or Brain Washed? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:50
The mystery of Patty Hearst’s transformation from a college student born into privilege to a Marxist militant wielding an M-1 carbine in a bank robbery remains as compelling as ever on the 50th anniversary of her kidnapp…
Unmasking Evil: Face-to-Face with the Son of Sam [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:07
David Berkowitz, known as the “Son of Sam,” terrorized New York City for a year in the late 1970s with a series of random murders and cryptic taunts to police and the press. Ever since then, the question of why he did it…
The Axe Falls: The Shocking Execution of the Teenage Queen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:54
I opened my reporter’s notebook to the historical case called the “Nine Days Queen.” It’s a tragic story from 16th-century England about Lady Jane Grey. Her life, a fleeting moment in the annals of English royalty, ended…