Law enforcement agencies throughout the United States are increasingly using podcast production as a strategy to solve cold cases and generate leads on unsolved murders. The trend has already demonstrated tangible results in several jurisdictions, with investigators citing the medium’s broad reach and engagement potential as key advantages.
The California-based Newport Beach Police Department released a podcast about fugitive Peter Chadwick, who had evaded capture for nearly four years on a murder charge. Chadwick was apprehended in Mexico approximately 10 months and 20 days after the podcast launched. In Illinois, the Elgin Police Department produced a podcast titled “Somebody Knows Something” in 2025 about Karen Schepers, who had been missing for over four decades. Within weeks of the first episode’s release, her body was discovered at the bottom of a river. More recently, the Aurora Police Department in Colorado released its own podcast in June to solicit information about the 2016 fatal stabbing of Chelsea Yasser, which generated several tips from listeners.
According to law enforcement professionals and academic experts, police-produced podcasts focusing on cold cases represent a relatively new application of the true crime genre, which has experienced significant growth across television, podcasts, and books. Joe Moylan, Aurora Police Department’s public information officer, stated that the department deliberately sought to reach broader audiences through podcast production. Michael Alcazar, a retired NYPD detective and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, noted that while true crime podcasts can spread inaccurate information, police-produced programs allow departments to control their narrative and directly solicit tips from the public.
Despite the promising outcomes, the trend faces challenges. Most police departments lack the staffing, budget, equipment, and expertise required for podcast production. Additionally, some departments have expressed concerns about potential legal repercussions and civil liability. The Newport Beach podcast drew criticism for describing Chadwick as a “murderer” before trial, raising questions about innocent-until-proven-guilty principles, though Chadwick later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Detectives initially skeptical of podcasting have reported unexpected benefits. Elgin detectives discovered that structuring investigations into podcast episodes helped them develop and organize different theories about their cases. Experts predict the trend will expand as generational shifts bring younger, digitally-native officers into leadership roles, and as departments recognize podcasts’ potential for both investigations and recruitment.
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