True crime is a widely loved genre. During the lockdown, I too found myself indulging in true crime documentaries on YouTube, Netflix and other OTT platforms. Offering some of the strangest and weirdest cases that even fiction may not match, these documentaries have the ability to reel you in. Here, we have rounded up some of the strangest true crime documentaries on YouTube that you can watch for free.
7 strange true crime documentaries on Youtube (for free) that will hook you
1. Drug Lords – Charlotte Lindstrom
For someone who has the looks of a supermodel, Charlotte Lindstrom was a killer hiding in plain sight. While she mastered her crime to perfection, she was eventually tracked down by the police. In 2007, she attempted to hire a hitman to kill two prime witnesses to a drug trial.
2. Trail of Terror
True crime documentaries on Youtube usually make one ponder about how killers can rationalise their actions. The fact that these are based on true events makes them even more captivating. Both brutal and psychological insights will come your way in this case which unravels the lies twisted by two individuals, in the mountains, about a decade ago.
3. Prime Suspect
With devilish killers, there’s always more than what meets the eye in the first instance (of course). In this particular case, the criminal doesn’t actually know he is a criminal. Strange, isn’t it? While he killed his wife, he painted the image of an innocent and loving husband who is looking for his wife (??). You’ll have to watch this documentary and see for yourself that there’s something sinister and massively wrong with this man.
4. The Boys Who Killed a Child
Remember the James Bulger case in the UK — the brutal killing of a 2-year-old boy at the hands of two 10-year-old boys. A reality (from 1993), which we still can’t quite wrap our heads around. The vicious killing in the woods sparked controversy over how to punish/treat child murders.
5. The Murder of Emma Walker
This story of a picture-perfect high school couple in Tennessee, US, will give you goosebumps. Emma was a fun and inspiring cheerleader and Riley was a football player. But everything went down south when Gaul let the monster within him rear its ugly head. Gaul would control every bit of Walker’s life. Tired of this toxicity, she cut ties with him. This didn’t sit well with Gaul, who put a bullet through her head, ending her life.
6. Diary Solves Crime: The Alyssa Bustamante case
Another gut-wrenching teenage killer story, Diary Solves Crime: The Alyssa Bustamante case is about a 15-year-old murderer. In fact, the girl, after killing her 9-year-old neighbour, also made an entry in her diary about how thrilling the experience was. Once found, the diary led the cops to the girl, who is now behind bars.
7. Necrophile and Serial Killer: Dennis Nilsen
Warning: Graphic content.
The psychotic stories one comes across in the true-crime documentaries section are extremely disturbing. The story of Dennis Nilsen is a prime example. A civil servant, he committed some of the most gruesome crimes ever to have happened in London. He would talk to the corpses, dress them up and engage in sexual activities.
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