What To Watch On Peacock If You Are A True Crime Fan

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There is no shortage of true crime shows streaming on a variety of platforms. For those with a Peacock subscription, you can find plenty of documentaries, docuseries, and dramatized feature films about the most notorious criminals on record, some of which don’t require Peacock Premium to view. So, if you already have a Peacock subscription, the following is a collection of movies, TV shows, and TV specials streaming on Peacock that every true crime fan should check out.

Joshua Jackson in Dr. Death

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Dr. Death (2021)

In 2017, former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch was found guilty of intentionally maiming a patient and sentenced to life in prison, following accusations of more than 30 other maimings and two deaths by his hand. The following year, Wondery Media released a 10-episode podcast detailing the shocking events leading up to his conviction called Dr. Death. In 2021, Patrick Macmanus developed a Peacock exclusive series of the same name dramatizing the events and featuring superb performances by Christian Slater, Alec Baldwin, and Dawson’s Creek cast veteran Joshua Jackson as Duntsch.

Stream Dr. Death on Peacock.
Also try streaming Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story on Peacock Premium. 

Gabby Petito's parents in The Murder Of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies & Social Media

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The Murder Of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies & Social Media (2021)

One of the most shocking cases to come from the world of social media is the death of Gabby Petito – a 22-year-old travel blogger whose body was found in a Wyoming national park more than a week after she was reported missing. She had been on a cross-country trip in 2021 with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, and evidence pointed to him being the prime suspect responsible for her death. The Peacock exclusive documentary The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies & Social Media features interviews with Gabby’s parents and profiles how the mystery was solved with help from social media users around the world who took interest in the case.

Stream The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies & Social Media on Peacock Premium. 

Footage from Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell

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Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell (2021)

One of the most disturbing cases to come to light in recent years was the accusations of sexual abuse of many underage girls by the wealthy Jeffrey Epstein, who was found mysteriously dead in his jail cell as he awaited trial in 2019. The woman later convicted of being the accomplice to his sex trafficking ring was his then girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Learn all about the British former socialite and her twisted relationship with Epstein from the Peacock original, three-part docuseries Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell.

Stream Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell on Peacock Premium.

Reenactment from Murder Rap: Inside The Biggie And Tupac Murders

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Murder Rap: Inside The Biggie And Tupac Murders (2015)

Two of the most devastating tragedies in music history – the fatal shootings of Tupac Shakur and Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace – occurred within months of each other in the late 1990s and speculation of what really happened to these hip-hop icons would only continue for years. Narrated by acomplished voice actor Imari Williams, Murder Rap: Inside the Biggie and Tupac Murders is a revealing feature-length documentary that takes a deep dive into the long search for the truth.

Stream Murder Rap: Inside the Biggie and Tupac Murders on Peacock.

Footage in John Wayne Gacy: Devil In Disguise

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John Wayne Gacy: Devil In Disguise (2021)

In 1980, contractor, active civil servant, and part-time birthday clown John Wayne Gacy was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering 33 young men and boys —the largest mass murder on record at the time — throughout the 1970s, who were found buried underneath his home in Des Plaines, Illinois. This six-part, Peacock exclusive docuseries contains revealing interviews from the families of Gacy’s victims, the investigators and attorneys involved with his case, and even the killer himself while he was on death row. Not only does John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise offer all the known facts about the case that you could imagine, it even posits whether or not the full truth of these harrowing crimes has come to light.

Stream John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise on Peacock Premium.

Alex Wolff and Ross Lynch in My Friend Dahmer

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My Friend Dahmer (2017)

While his body count was smaller than that of John Wayne Gacy (17 adult men and boys), it was convicted killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s penchant for the triple threat of murder, necrophilia, and cannibalism which made his spree from the late 1970s to early 1990s even more harrowing. However, cartoonist John “Derf” Backderf got to know a different side of Dahmer while attending high school with him in Ohio, which inspired his acclaimed graphic novel that director Marc Meyers adapted to film in 2017. Starring Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Ross Lynch and Hereditary actor Alex Wolff, My Friend Dahmer is a disturbing coming-of-age story that sheds light on the Dahmer the world never knew and what secrets from his youth may reveal about his dark future.

Stream My Friend Dahmer on Peacock.
Also try streaming Dahmer On Dahmer: A Serial Killer Speaks on Peacock.

Joshua Zeman in Killer Legends

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Killer Legends (2014)

Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy are some of the most famous of all time, but some crime aficionados are often more interested in the killings that are, by its true definition, the stuff of legend. Joshua Zeman (co-director of 2009’s Cropsey documentary and producer of Netflix’s Sons of Sam docuseries) is one such person, and teamed up with fellow filmmaker Rachel Mills to uncover the truth behind some of the world’s most unsettling urban legends, from the Hook Man to the Candyman, even. After watching the documentary feature Killer Legends, you may think twice before dispelling your favorite campfire story as just another tall tale.

Stream Killer Legends on Peacock.

Robert Stack on Unsolved Mysteries

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Unsolved Mysteries (1987-2010)

Perhaps some urban legends can be accredited to the stories featured on this long-running documentary series, which sheds light on all the known facts about various shocking cases that, to this day, remain an enigma to those involved. Before Unsolved Mysteries was rebooted for Netflix in 2020, Robert Stack hosted from the late 1980s to the early 2000s and you can stream some of the most memorable Unsolved Mysteries episodes of the series featuring the Academy Award-nominated actor’s iconic delivery. Who knows? Maybe you will be able to figure out the truth yourself.

Stream Unsolved Mysteries on Peacock.
Also try streaming Cold Case Files On Peacock.

Keith Morrison on Dateline

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Dateline (2009-Present)

For those who prefer true crime stories with some closure, one of the most popular contemporaries to Unsolved Mysteries is Dateline, a long-running investigative series which has been delivering viewers in-depth analysis on the events leading up to thousands of crimes on NBC since 1992. On Peacock, you can stream the most recent 13 seasons of the long-running series, featuring rotating hosts like Lester Holt and investigative interviews by correspondents like Keith Morrison..

Stream Dateline on Peacock.
Also try streaming Snapped on Peacock.
Also try streaming Forensic Files on Peacock.

Cover art for Homicide For The Holidays

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Homicide For The Holidays (2016-2019)

Imagine an investigative news series in the vein of Dateline in which the crimes covered in each episode had something to do with Christmas. Fascinatingly enough, such a show exists that covers 21 instances of murder that took place during the otherwise joyous season. Homicide for the Holidays is a show for the true crime fan who is especially fascinated by killings of the most bizarre and thematically niche kind.

Stream Homicide for the Holidays on Peacock Premium.

Aaron Hernandez on trial in Aaron Hernandez Uncovered

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Aaron Hernandez Uncovered (2018)

Speaking of bizarre, one of the most shocking murder cases in recent memory is that of Aaron Hernandez, who was a successful tight end for the New England Patriots until 2013, when he was arrested and later found guilty for the murder of semi-professional linebacker Odin Lloyd. Aaron Hernandez Uncovered aims to ask the question of whether or not his conviction reflects the truth. The two-part docuseries looks deeper into the evidence against the late father of one and the brain trauma caused by his athletic career, which some believe may have contributed to his strange behavior.

Stream Aaron Hernandez Uncovered on Peacock Premium.

John Henry Browne in In Defense of: Ted Bundy

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In Defense Of (2018-Present)

Speaking of questioning the truth, this docuseries does not aim to prove the innocence of some of the most recognizable murder suspects in history, but does shed light on what it is like to be the one hired to prove their innocence. The four episodes of In Defense Of available to stream on Peacock feature interviews with Ted Bundy’s attorney John Henry Browne, Jodi Arias’ lawyer Kirk Nurmi, and others as they recall the challenges that come with defending the indefensible and the effects that such cases have had on their own lives.

Stream In Defense Of: Ted Bundy on Peacock Premium.
Stream In Defense Of: Jodi Arias on Peacock Premium.
Stream In Defense Of: Timothy McVeigh on Peacock Premium.
Stream In Defense Of: Waco: Clive Doyle on Peacock Premium.

Jim Clemente and Laura Richards in The Case Of Caylee Anthony

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The Case Of Caylee Anthony (2018)

One can only imagine how it must have felt to be an attorney on either side of the trial that would see Casey Anthony walk free after facing accusations for murdering her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. The not-guilty verdict is one of the most controversial endings to a court case in history, inciting an onslaught of public outrage that had some people calling it “the social media trial of the century.” Learn all about what happened and how events led to the infamous outcome in The Case of Caylee Anthony – a five-part docuseries in which a retired FBI profiler and a former behavioral analyst from New Scotland Yard delve into the evidence of what might have really happened to the little girl.

Stream The Case of Caylee Anthony on Peacock Premium.

Image from The Disappearance Of Natalee Holloway

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The Disappearance Of Natalee Holloway (2017)

Another big question is, what could have really happened to Natalee Holloway – an 18-year-old student who vanished on May 30, 2005 while on a senior trip with her high school classmates in Aruba? The case regarding the Mississippi teen's whereabouts would also be covered heavily by the media, but without any trace of Natalee to this day. The strange and enraging circumstances surrounding this search are chronicled in The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway, one of several multi-episode docuseries about similar high-profile missing persons cases available on Peacock.

Stream The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway on Peacock.
Also try streaming The Disappearance of Crystal Rogers on Peacock Premium.
Also try streaming The Disappearance of Maura Murray on Peacock.

Catherine Keener and Elliot Page in An American Crime

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An American Crime (2007)

One of the most disturbing and heart-wrenching criminal cases I have personally ever heard is the story of 16-year-old Sylvia Likens. There were actually two films made in 2007 that recall the neglect, abuse, torture, and eventual death that the teenager suffered in 1965 at the hands of Gertrude Baniszewski – the next-door neighbor her parents trusted with her care – and An American Crime is the one available on Peacock. Starring Get Out’s Catherine Keener as Baniszewski and The Umbrella Academy’s Elliot Page as Likens, this is one horrifying true crime story you may never forget no matter how badly you may want to.

Stream An American Crime on Peacock.

Shirley MacLaine and Jack Black in Bernie

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Bernie (2011)

If binging all of this disturbing and depressing content puts you in need of a palette cleanser, yet still craving more true crime in some capacity, Peacock also has you covered. Boyhood creator Richard Linklater directs Jack Black in a Golden Globe nominated performance as a meek Texas mortician whose relationship with a wealthy widow (Shirley MacLaine) turns deadly. Also starring Matthew McConaughey as a DA who suspects Black’s character of murder, Bernie is one of the most bizarre and darkly funny crime movies you will be shocked to learn is inspired by true events.

Stream Bernie on Peacock.

For those who still find true crime stories endlessly fascinating, there is plenty more where these came from streaming now on Peacock.

Jason Wiese
Content Writer

Jason Wiese writes feature stories for CinemaBlend. His occupation results from years dreaming of a filmmaking career, settling on a "professional film fan" career, studying journalism at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO (where he served as Culture Editor for its student-run print and online publications), and a brief stint of reviewing movies for fun. He would later continue that side-hustle of film criticism on TikTok (@wiesewisdom), where he posts videos on a semi-weekly basis. Look for his name in almost any article about Batman.