Ted Bundy, the Menendez brothers, JonBenét Ramsey, and the Murdaugh Family Murders are among the widely covered trial cases that have been transformed into entertainment through the rise of true crime. While the genre has been facing increased scrutiny over the issues of exploitation and sensationalism, audiences continue to consume the content at high levels.

True crime dates back to the 1800s when it was commonly found in news articles, but it became a popular mainstream form of entertainment in the 2010s. With today’s platforms like TikTok, YouTube and streaming services revisiting cold and recent cases, viewers have been fascinated with the genre because of forensic science, the criminal justice system and tense narration.

Sheila Pierre, a professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences, taught the true crime honors course for the first time alongside English Professor Christopher Wilson.

The course is expected to return in spring 2027.

“I was encouraging the students in the class to look at true crime through a sociological perspective on why people commit crimes, where they commit crimes, what engages them to commit crimes,” she said. “Chris was looking more at true crime through theEnglish literature perspective on how it’s written for television, podcasts, and literature.”

Pierre added that with the help of the media, true crime regained attention to cold and well-known cases through documentaries and social media.

“The Jeffrey Dahmer story was known back then when I was growing up in the 80’s. When I taught Dahmer before the Dahmer series came out in 2023, nobody had an idea of who Jeffrey Dahmer was, but since the rise of true crime and people reliving, refocusing, and re-narrating these stories, true crime has really shed light on a lot of these cold cases as well as cases that kind of were shoved under the rug.”

With cases gaining media attention, Northern Essex Community College students have noted that the genre influenced the legal system.

NECC Allora Ramos said, “So many people pressure there to be a case re-opened. We saw this happen with cases like the Menendez brothers when ‘Monsters’ came out and got a lot of attention. They were able to have some new trials.”

Another NECC student Dariellys Medina Duran said because of increased media exposure, it has brought forward details investigators may have missed.

“It can lead to the criminals being put to trial and more investigations being re-opened, thanks to new evidence.”

Beyond the impact on investigations and evidence, the genre’s popularity lies in how it connects with viewers.

“People are interested in stories that hit close to home. It could be robbery, serial killers, and all types of assaults. That’s a way to grab people’s interest. People are also kind of sleuths. We feel the need to involve ourselves directly in cases, even if they have nothing to do with us. In the time of social media, we can develop these parasocial relationships,” Pierre said.

According to Pew Research Center in 2023, 44% of U.S. podcast listeners were women compared to only 23% being men. Those numbers could have increased over time with documentaries and social media reporting on the same cases.

Students like Ramos and Medina Duran say that because women are common victims in cases, it is not surprising that the genre resonates with women to help prepare them for potential life-threatening situations.

“For me, I listen to true crime every single day and I find that in a way it makes me more aware of the things I do and very observant with the people around me,” Ramos said. “It’s also a good way for women to learn more about self-defense.”

Medina Duran also shared similar ideas, adding that fear and awareness play a role in women’s interest in true crime.

“Women are just more naturally curious about true crime due to having irrational fears of violence. It could be due to recent and past crimes towards women that has led us to be more self-aware when consuming this kind of content and more knowledgeable enough in case a situation might happen to us,” Medina Duran said.

With new documentaries and podcasts coming out, the line between profit and exploitation of victims and families is often overlooked, raising questions about who benefits from the genre’s popularity.

“The producers know that they have a market and people are going to watch it. It’s hard for families not to relive the trauma,” Pierre said. “In cases like Jeffrey Dahmer, families had to speak out about the issue of making a story on the case without their permission. True crime can really affect families and the living survivors.”

“If there’s a way for true crime to be ethical and involve the participants of whatever crime it is, then go ahead and develop the podcast or the movie. If not, maybe you should re-think about producing that crime. Money dictates a lot of things.”