Today’s Coffee and Tomorrow’s Crime Junkie

Today’s coffee might shock you. It wasn’t Starbucks. It was a Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew from Marty B’s in Lantana, TX. Rustic meets modern, warm meets peaceful. The only downside is that it’s thirty minutes from my apartment, but honestly, it’s worth every mile.

It’s Sunday, and while I’m not exactly thrilled about heading into work tomorrow, there is one thing I consistently look forward to: my Monday morning Crime Junkie podcast. I have another favorite, The Dating Detectives, but that one deserves its own post.

It still amazes me how many women are drawn to true crime. For me, it’s the mental challenge. The puzzle. The “who did it” moment. And the evolution of DNA analysis over the years is wild to think about. In my lifetime, DNA testing went from barely emerging to becoming one of the most powerful tools in solving cold cases. Now, genealogy and ancestry data are helping identify suspects decades later. The human brain is capable of developing technology we couldn’t have imagined back then.

The Podcast

Crime Junkie, created by Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat, focuses on bringing awareness to cases both in the U.S. and internationally. They highlight the stories everyone knows and the ones that slipped through the cracks.

A recent episode covered the case of Rhys Pocan, a 35‑year‑old Indigenous woman murdered in Wisconsin in the 80s. You’d think I would’ve heard of her story, given the location. But I hadn’t. Most people haven’t. A quick Google search brings up only a handful of results. That’s exactly why their work matters. They shine a light where the media never did.

The Hope

Ashley and Brit balance the heavy with moments of levity, but they never lose sight of the reality that many of these cases lacked proper attention from local authorities. Their research is deep, sometimes months or even years, and they pull in quotes from family members, experts, and investigators to build the fullest picture possible.

And sometimes, their work changes lives.

In one case, listeners helped uncover evidence that led to a man’s exoneration. Imagine that. A wrong finally made right because someone, somewhere, was listening. It’s a reminder that even if most of us can’t directly help solve a case, you never know who might hear something that sparks a breakthrough.

The Listeners

Crime Junkie’s audience spans the globe. AudioChuck, the studio behind the show, has racked up billions of downloads across their lineup. Crime Junkie, The Deck, Park Predators, CounterClock, Anatomy of Murder, and more. It’s a community built on curiosity, compassion, and the belief that every story deserves to be told, especially the ones that were forgotten.

And maybe that’s why I keep coming back to it every Monday. Before the week has a chance to speed up, I get this small moment of curiosity and calm. A reminder that stories matter, people matter, and paying attention matters. It anchors me in a way I don’t always expect. And knowing there are millions of other listeners doing the same thing makes it feel like a quiet community I get to be part of. So tomorrow morning, I’ll grab my coffee, hit play, and start my week with a story worth listening to.