The Lineup: 15 True Crime Episodes for a Killer Halloween
- 13 hours ago
- 7 min read
Halloween may come once a year, but true crime never takes a holiday. In this special edition of The Lineup, we’re rounding up the best (only ones I could find) Halloween true crime documentaries and TV episodes for anyone who loves a good mystery with their candy. From real-life Halloween murders to eerie cold cases and killer parties gone wrong, these stories blend true crime and Halloween horror in all the wrong ways.
The plan was to stop at thirteen (because superstition deserves its due) but two more cases crept in when I wasn’t looking. Consider them uninvited ghosts at the crime scene. These episodes appear in no particular order, just fifteen eerie entries ready to ruin your sleep schedule. Whether you’re building your Halloween true crime watchlist or just chasing a good scare, these chilling episodes prove that sometimes the most terrifying stories are the ones that actually happened.
No. 1
Snapped – Dawson McGehee
Season 21, Episode 10
Platform: Peacock
On Halloween-adjacent night, the murder of a mother of four draws investigators into a web of masks, fear, and hidden identities. What starts as a brutal homicide becomes a case steeped in psychological tension, with whispers of demons and deception echoing along every clue.
Why it fits the list: The Halloween elements are baked into more than just timing: literal masks, psychological horror, and that uneasy question: who hides behind the face we see?
No. 2
Dateline – The Night Before Halloween
Season 19, Episode 53 (Listed as Season 19, Episode 51 on Peacock)
Platform: Peacock
On the eve of Halloween, a small town is shaken by a senseless murder that leaves investigators racing to untangle motive from myth. What begins as a tragic crime quickly becomes a study in obsession and misplaced trust, with eerie timing that turns every shadow into suspicion.
Why it fits the list: The episode captures that uneasy space between Halloween and reality; a night when masks aren’t needed to hide something dark.
No. 3
The Real Murders on Elm Street – Halloween Horror
Season 1, Episode 6
Platform: HBO Max
On Halloween night in Greenville, Ohio, a beloved “hippie grandpa” disappears, only to be found dead in his van on Elm Street. Detectives dig into the community’s quiet secrets and unravel clues that suggest this tragedy might be part of something darker, not just a random act.
Why it fits the list: A Halloween night crime tied directly to Elm Street gives this episode all the right shades of horror; the holiday, a death, and the collision of folklore and facts.
No. 4
Snapped – Daniel Clay
Season 21, Episode 13
Platform: Peacock
Halloween celebrations take a grim turn when a night of partying leads to murder. In this episode of Snapped, investigators follow a trail of costumes, chaos, and cover-ups to uncover what really happened after the music stopped. Every witness seems to remember the night differently, and the truth hides somewhere between revelry and regret.
Why it fits the list: A true Halloween homicide born out of celebration, it’s the textbook definition of a night that went fatally wrong.
No. 5
Cold Case Files (2017) – Little Girl Lost
Season 1, Episode 1
Platform: Hulu
The 2017 reboot of Cold Case Files begins with a case that still chills decades later, the Halloween-night disappearance of a young girl who never made it home from her Halloween festivities. Investigators and family members recount the search that shattered a sense of safety and haunted the town for generations. The episode balances quiet heartbreak with relentless detective work, showing how time can hide answers but never erase questions.
Why it fits the list: A real-life Halloween tragedy that reminds viewers how even the most ordinary night can turn into a lifelong nightmare.
No. 6
Dateline NBC – Under a Halloween Moon
Season 22, Episode 6
Platform: Peacock
Halloween night turns tragic when a young woman’s evening out ends in a murder that shocks her community. Dateline traces the case through haunting interviews, the search for truth, and the eerie coincidences that unfolded beneath the glow of a Halloween moon. The episode balances empathy and suspense, revealing how quickly a night of celebration can shift into catastrophe.
Why it fits the list: A true Halloween homicide that captures the uneasy contrast between festivity and fear, the perfect storm for a Dateline deep dive.
No. 7
Snapped – Cynthia Alvarez
Season 26, Episode 8
Platform: Peacock
In this eerie installment of Snapped, a young mother’s brutal murder unfolds against a backdrop of fear and obsession. What begins as a tale of love and loyalty soon unravels into something darker, with investigators confronting conflicting stories and ghostly echoes of betrayal. The tone feels fitting for the season: unsettling, emotional, and steeped in the kind of real-world horror that lingers long after the credits.
Why it fits the list: This episode is a chilling reminder that some homes stay haunted long after the crime scene tape is gone.
No. 8
Homicide for the Holidays – All Hallow’s Evil
Season 4, Episode 6 (Listed as Season 6, Episode 2 on Peacock)
Platform: Peacock
A single young mother fails to show up for work on Halloween, and the search that follows turns celebration into suspicion. Investigators trace quiet clues and community rumors to a suspect hiding in plain sight, as the case shifts from worry to dread without tipping its ending.
Why it fits the list: A Halloween-day disappearance that becomes a full-scale homicide investigation, wrapped in all the eerie timing the holiday invites.
No. 9
Snapped – William Dennis
Season 26, Episode 9
Platform: Peacock
On Halloween night in California, a young mother is murdered by a costumed attacker, and detectives follow a trail of disguises, alibis, and fear to unmask who planned the ambush. The case leans into the holiday’s imagery while keeping the focus on the investigation and the shock that ripples through the community.
Why it fits the list: A Halloween-night homicide with a literal costume at the center makes this one of the most on-theme entries in the lineup.
No. 10
Homicide for the Holidays – Halloween Horror
Season 4, Episode 5 (Listed as Season 6, Episode 1 on Peacock)
Platform: Peacock
A teenage boy wakes on Halloween morning to a real-life horror scene inside his home. Detectives work through shock, rumor, and motive to determine whether the violence was random or rooted close to the family, Halloween morning casts a shadow over every clue.
Why it fits the list: A Halloween-morning discovery that turns a house into a crime scene and a holiday into a nightmare.
No. 11
Snapped – Michael Thomas
Season 32, Episode 23
Platform: Peacock
On Halloween night in Los Angeles, a father is shot outside his home by a masked gunman, turning a neighborhood tradition into a crime scene. Detectives follow the evidence to determine whether this was holiday chaos or a calculated hit, letting the facts strip away the disguise.
Why it fits the list: A Halloween-night homicide with a literal masked assailant at the center.
No. 12
Dateline NBC – The Halloween Party
Season 26, Episode 5
Platform: Peacock
A young woman vanishes from a crowded Halloween party, and the community launches an all-out search as detectives sift tips, rumors, and shifting alibis. The case grows darker by the hour, with the holiday setting casting an eerie light over every lead.
Why it fits the list: Disappearance at a Halloween bash, a town on edge, and an investigation that turns celebration into dread.
No. 13
Snapped – Darryl Williams
Season 32, Episode 24
Platform: Peacock
A quiet Halloween evening evokes horror movie imagery when a single mother is gunned down on her way home from trick-or-treating by a costumed attacker. Detectives follow community whispers and late-night sightings to unmask who planned the ambush and why, with an unexpected witness helping the case break open.
Why it fits the list: A Halloween-night homicide with a disguised killer at the center.
No. 14
Dateline NBC – The Night Before Halloween
Season 19, Episode 53 (Listed as Season 19, Episode 51 on Peacock)
Platform: Peacock
On the eve of Halloween, a decades-old murder of a young woman at a fast-food restaurant finally gives up its secrets as a detective and a deputy district attorney piece together the long-cold trail. The episode leans into atmosphere and lets the eerie timing do the heavy lifting.
Why it fits the list: A case set the night before Halloween, built around patience, persistence, and the kind of dread that lingers after closing time.
No. 15
Snapped – Eric Copple
Season 21, Episode 11
Platform: Peacock
On Halloween night in Napa, two roommates are attacked by a knife-wielding intruder, turning a quiet neighborhood into a crime scene. The episode traces party timelines, late-night movements, and a community’s fear as investigators work to identify who slipped through the dark and why.
Why it fits the list: A double homicide on Halloween with the investigation centered on the night’s chaos and the clues it hides.
Here ends 15 True Crime Episodes for a Killer Halloween. If you know a Halloween-themed true crime episode or documentary that’s available to stream, drop it in the comments with the platform. I’ll verify and update the list. Share this with the friend who thinks October is all pumpkins and no police reports. Build your full October true crime watchlist with help from The Surveillance Report.
Have a happy Halloween 🎃. It’s my favorite holiday for two reasons: spooky and candy. Spooky is the built-in atmosphere I love: quiet streets covered in leaves, flickering porch lights, masks at the door, and stories that feel one inch too real. Candy is the license to stock chocolate and call it tradition, with the real afterparty in the half-price aisle on November 1st.
Case closed.🔍 Verdict delivered. ⚖️
Stay hydrated.💧 Treats are labeled. Tricks aren’t.🍬
🕵️♀️The Emerald Sleuth, calling it a night. 💚