Police departments across the United States are increasingly turning to podcasts as an innovative tool to reinvigorate investigations into unsolved murders and missing persons cases. This emerging strategy aims to generate new leads, provide a structured approach to complex investigations, and potentially assist in officer recruitment and retention.
Detectives in Elgin, Illinois, found that creating a podcast for a new cold case unit unexpectedly helped them organize their investigation. Detectives Houghton and Vartarian discovered that each theory about the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman naturally formed the basis for an episode. This process not only helped them structure their thinking but also led to the generation of new tips from listeners who recognized details from the podcast, such as a person's past employment or neighborhood.
Ultimately, the Elgin detectives solved the case through traditional police work. A theory that the missing woman had crashed her car into the river, initially dismissed due to a lack of evidence from a 1999 search, was re-examined. After informing listeners about the previous search efforts, the department utilized a company with advanced sonar technology and divers. In March 2025, they successfully recovered the victim and her vehicle from the riverbed.
The department has since produced a third season of its podcast, shifting formats between homicides and missing persons cases. While acknowledging the significant time and effort required, detectives suggest that the podcasting approach is likely to become more common as other departments explore its potential.
Janice Iwama, an associate professor in American University's department of justice, law and criminology, noted that if police departments can allocate the necessary staff, podcasting could be beneficial for both recruitment and retention. She explained that podcasts offer the public insight into the realities of police work directly from officers themselves. This aligns with a generational shift, according to retired NYPD Detective Alcazar, who believes younger officers will be more receptive to utilizing platforms like podcasts and social media, as these technologies are part of their world.