TikTok has become a source for victim advocation through its users, who utilize their platform to tell the stories of innocents who can no longer speak for themselves. True crime continues to grow as a genre, as books, podcasters, and YouTubers never cease to inform and intrigue us with ever-more disturbing content. So let’s take a look at our favorite true crime TikTokers.
Heyimafia
Afia Asamoah delivers tales of true crime in tidbit form with sensitivity to the victims. The genre needs more like her, as her no-nonsense style and lack of victim-blaming permeate her channel, and offer a new take on cases that have otherwise grown cold.
criminologyandcoffee
A genre within a genre, Rebekah T. often shares stories of terrifying incidents that take place at amusement parks around the U.S, but it’s primarily a true crime channel, and a quite respectable one at that. With 1.2 million followers, Rebekah gets real – and often emotional – in her videos, and she even provides updates on previous content as information becomes available on a particular case. If you need even more reason to frequent Rebekah’s channel, keep in mind that she actually gets permission from family members of victims of the cases she covers. Respect.
kararobinsonchamberlain
Kara’s goal seems to be to talk about the things that make us uncomfortable, in order to shed light on them rather than sweep them under the rug. It’s important to note that she herself is a victim of a crime, so the knowledge and information she provides on her channel are coming from a unique and informative angle – one of healing and awareness. What you won’t find here are salacious accounts of sensational true crime cases. What you will find are slices of life from a survivor with a certain mothering quality, meant to inform you on how to avoid becoming a victim.
saraheturney
Absolute darling of the true crime community, any fan of the genre worth their salt knows, loves, and respects Sarah Turney for her plight, pain, and tireless efforts to bring justice to perpetrators of violence – namely her own father, Michael Turney. Sarah’s story is playing out in real time, and to say we’ve followed it would be a massive understatement. We’ve DEVOURED it.
In 2001, 17-year-old Alissa Turney goes missing and leaves a confusing, nonsensical note that is completely out of character – says her little sister, Sarah. An inmate in Florida confesses to murdering Alissa, which starts a chain of events resulting in the reopening of the 5-year missing persons case.
Sarah never gave up trying to find out what happened to Alissa, and took to social media — even starting a podcast — to gain some traction, never letting the spotlight on her case dim. Her effort was rewarded when in 2020, her father Michael was arrested for Alissa’s murder. What should have been a satisfying end to a mystery Sarah has lived with her entire adult life, Michael was eventually acquitted, and roams free with no consequences for his alleged crimes.
Sarah continues to fight for justice and covers other unsolved and cold cases, with the enthusiasm of a survivor.
themisspamelaj
Pamela has a score to settle. You’ve got nothing to worry about unless you’re writing love letters to family annihilators, selling t-shirts on Etsy featuring serial killers or actual crime scene photos, or just generally romanticizing mass murderers. Pamela’s 392,000 followers tune in to watch her rant on these and other topics with a passion rivaled by no one.
thefalllinepodcast
In conjunction with the podcast The Fall Line, Laurah Norton provides information and updates on lesser-known missing person cases and unsolved homicides of minorities in Georgia. Laurah’s book — Lay Them to Rest: On the Road with the Cold Case Investigators Who Identify the Nameless — takes us on a deep-dive with Laurah and her “experience following the identification of a Jane Doe homicide victim found in an Illinois state park in 1993.” Lay Them to Rest is due out on Oct. 17.
mauramurraymissing
Julie Murray would be the first one to tell you that to have a loved one go missing is a journey of never-ending anguish. Her sister Maura disappeared from New Hampshire in 2004, and she would love nothing more than to be able to turn her phone off at night or spend an afternoon daydreaming. Her 250,000 followers wait with bated breath to hear about the details of the case, and to hopefully get an update. Our hearts go out to Julie, and we desperately hope she gets some answers soon.
theparanormalfiles
Colin Browen takes us to the darkest corners of the internet and true crime, and he’s not pulling any punches when it comes to exposing content creators who’ve used their platform to commit the most heinous crimes. You will find multiple warnings on his videos that the “content may be disturbing,” such is the nature of choosing to tell the stories that don’t want to be told. Come for the ghost stories, stay for the unflinching reality of the world we live in, and the very real monsters who inhabit it.
courtroomusa
Courtroom U.S.A. covers the hard-hitting cases from the perspective of the real-life interrogators. This channel is not for the squeamish, or for viewers have any capacity for BS, as these criminals are certainly able to do the crime, but not the time. Its 14,000 followers get every aspect of a case, as told by the perpetrators. I recommend giving the channel a follow, and prepare to be amazed by the lengths a person will go to when they find themselves in the hot seat.
charleybournetruecrime
Charley covers the true crime cases you might not be familiar with, and does so with unmatched enthusiasm. Her sensitivity in the handling of these horrible stories keeps her 621,000 followers gripped week after week. A highly-recommend series on survival stories, these cases in particular chronicle the harrowing tales of the victims who lived to tell, and will absolutely have you on the edge of your seat.
