A shocking murder rocks South Korea when a young woman, obsessed with true crime stories, kills a random stranger to satisfy her darkest curiosity. But how can fascination with real-life murder cases spiral into deadly actions?

Are true crime podcasts and shows fueling dangerous fantasies? Can constant exposure to violence blur the line between entertainment and reality? We investigate the chilling case, examine the media's responsibility, and ask: Does true crime content do more harm than good?

True Crime Reports is nominated for the Signal Awards for Most Innovative Video Podcast and Best True Crime Podcast. While we wait for the judges' decisions, you can help us win the listeners' vote. Vote True Crime Reports for Best True Crime Podcast.

In this episode:

• Dr Alex Taek-Gwang Lee (@Worldless), Professor of cultural studies at Kyong Hee University
• Craig Wainwright, Victim of false accusations

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez

Production Manager: Bronte Baskin

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak and Catherine Nouhan

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman, Catherine Nouhan, and Rached El-Moctar

Audio editing by Alan Leer

Music composition by Tom Biddle

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Esmond Bradley Martin spent decades going undercover in the dangerous world of ivory and rhino horn trafficking, risking his life to expose shadowy smuggling rings and the powerful figures protecting them.

But just as he was preparing to reveal his most explosive findings yet, Esmond was found murdered in his grand Nairobi home.

Was this the revenge of an illegal wildlife syndicate he’d finally crossed, or is there more to Esmond’s death? Was it because of his work - or was it a different reason altogether?

In this episode:

• Dr Paula Kahumbu, (@paulakahumbu), conservationist and campaigner
• Dan Stiles, (@Kenyadan10), Wildlife Trade Investigator

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez

Production Manager: Bronte Baskin

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak and Catherine Nouhan

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman, Catherine Nouhan, and Rached El-Moctar

Audio editing by Alan Leer

Music composition by Tom Biddle

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

After her son was kidnapped in 1988, a mother spent 32 years looking for him. Never giving up, she put up over 100,000 flyers and travelled across the country. But little did she know, she wasn’t alone in this nightmare.

As many as 200,000 children go missing in China every year, a number that links back to the 1970s, the One Child Policy and a dangerous industry of child trafficking.

What’s happening to China’s children?

In this episode:

• Nikwi Hoogland, (@mynameislifang), Founder, Adoptiepedia
• Jingxian Wang, (@notts_jingxian), Child Trafficking Expert

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez

Production Manager: Bronte Baskin

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak and Catherine Nouhan

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman and Catherine Nouhan

Audio editing by Alan Leer

Music composition by Tom Biddle

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube