New True Crime Documentary Releases – August 2025 Edition
- The Emerald Sleuth
- Jul 28
- 10 min read
August is STACKED. This month delivers a surge of new investigations, high-profile cases, and long-awaited premieres across nearly every major platform. Cold cases are heating up, new details are coming to light, and some of these drops might just become the next documentary everyone’s talking about.
Scroll through, take notes, and don’t forget to cast your vote at the bottom, we want to know which documentary you’re most excited to stream first. Let the obsession begin.
I have not viewed any of the documentaries listed in this post. All descriptions and details have been compiled from official press releases, streaming platform announcements, and other publicly available sources. Information is accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time of writing.
Naming the Dead
Release Date: August 2, 2025 (Nat Geo) August 3 (Hulu/Disney+)
No of Episodes: 6
Platform: Nat Geo/Hulu/Disney+
Naming the Dead is a six-part, weekly release, investigative documentary series following the work of the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit organization that uses genetic genealogy to help identify unidentified human remains in the United States.
With exclusive access to active investigations, the series documents efforts by genealogists, detectives, coroners, and journalists as they attempt to give names to individuals whose identities have remained unknown, sometimes for decades. Each episode focuses on a different case, exploring the forensic methods, fragmented records, and personal histories involved in restoring these identities.
Click here for trailer.
The Yogurt Shop Murders
Release Date: August 3, 2025
No of Episodes: 4
Platform: HBO / Max
The Yogurt Shop Murders is a four-part documentary series that investigates the 1991 killings of four teenage girls in an Austin, Texas frozen yogurt shop.
The series revisits the case through interviews with investigators, family members of the victims, and the two men who were convicted and later exonerated. It examines law enforcement practices, media coverage, and the lasting impact on those connected to the case.
The series premieres Sunday, August 3, 2025, with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays.
Official trailer linked here.
My True Crime Story (S4)
Release Date: August 4, 2025
No of Episodes: 6
Platform: VH1
Hosted by Grammy-nominated rapper and actress Remy Ma, this unscripted series features real people recounting how they became entangled in serious crimes and ultimately found a path to redemption.
Each episode is told in first person and chronicles the subject’s rise, fall, and aftermath, with new stories this season including drug trafficking, fraud, theft, and more.
New episodes air weekly.
Catch the trailer here.
Capturing Their Killer: The Girls on the High Bridge
Release Date: August 5, 2025
No of Episodes: 3-part docuseries
Platform: Hulu
This three-part documentary examines the 2017 murders of two young girls in Delphi, Indiana, whose bodies were found near a wooded trail the day after they vanished.
Years later, evidence discovered on a victim’s phone led to the arrest of a local man. The series explores the investigation, disturbing courtroom revelations, and the broader cultural threads that emerged, including allegations of ritualistic elements and ties to fringe online communities.
Trailer and key art unavailable, because apparently Hulu doesn’t believe in promotion until the day of.
Murder 360
Release Date: August 5, 2025
No of Episodes: 10
Platform: Paramount+
Murder 360 explores ten real homicide cases, presenting each one through multiple perspectives; including investigators, victim's families, and legal teams.
The series uses rare footage, expert analysis, and intimate interviews to examine motives, methods, and psychological dynamics. Each episode offers a comprehensive look at the complexities detectives face while piecing together horrific crimes.
All ten episodes will be released simultaneously on Paramount+ on the premiere date for viewers to binge.
Trailer available here.
Ted Bundy: Dialogue with the Devil Release Date: August 7, 2025
No. of Episodes: Not disclosed Platform: Hulu
In 1984, convicted serial killer Ted Bundy offered to assist investigator Robert Keppel in identifying the then-active Green River Killer, who was murdering women in Seattle, a location Bundy claimed many of his own victims hailed from.
This Hulu Original docuseries presents the unfolding cat-and-mouse interaction between Bundy and law enforcement, featuring never-before-heard audio tapes and exclusive interviews. It also explores how Bundy’s insights continued even as he faced execution.
All episodes will be released at once on Hulu on the premiere date.
Watch the official trailer here.
Stolen: Heist of the Century
Release Date: August 8, 2025
No. of Episodes: Feature-length documentary film
Platform: Netflix
This new Netflix original recounts the infamous Antwerp diamond heist of 2003, often referred to as “The Heist of the Century.”
More than $100 million in diamonds vanished from a supposedly impenetrable vault in the heart of Belgium’s diamond district. For the first time, detectives from Antwerp’s Diamond Squad and the man believed to be the operation’s mastermind share their version of events.
With unprecedented access and never-before-heard details, the film tracks how the Italian gang known as "The School of Turin" carried out the audacious plan, and why the stolen diamonds have never been recovered.
Sneak a peek at the trailer here.
The Christine Jessop Story
Release Date: August 8, 2025
No. of Episodes: 3-part docuseries
Platform: Crave
This Canadian original docuseries examines the heartbreaking 1984 murder of nine-year-old Christine Jessop in rural Ontario.
After her disappearance on October 3 and the discovery of her body three months later, the case would remain unresolved for more than 35 years.
The series explores the wrongful accusation of a suspect, the failures of the justice system, and the eventual breakthrough using modern forensic technology. For the first time, Christine’s family shares their story in full, shedding light on a case that left a lasting mark on the Canadian legal system.
All three episodes will be available to stream on Crave starting August 8.
No trailer has been posted yet, Crave seems to be holding all media close to the vest until closer to release.
A Body in the Basement (S2)
Release Date: August 13, 2025
No. of Episodes: Not disclosed
Platform: Investigation Discovery /next day on Hulu
Season 2 continues the Investigation Discovery series that profiles cases where victims’ bodies were found hidden in basements.
Following the debut of Season 2 on August 13, new episodes will air weekly on ID. Each installment features interviews with investigators and family members, along with detailed examinations of how each case was uncovered and solved.
Trailer unavailable because, apparently, who really promotes ID content in advance?
Songs from the Hole
Release Date: August 13, 2025
No. of Episodes: Feature Length Film
Platform: Netflix
Songs from the Hole is a documentary-visual album centered on James “JJ’88” Jacobs, who was incarcerated at 15 after taking a life, just three days before his brother was killed.
While serving time, JJ’88 used music and writing to process both the trauma he experienced and the harm he caused. Told through first-person narration, lyrical journal entries, original music, animation, and recreated memories, the film explores his emotional and spiritual transformation.
Songs from the Hole blends genres and mediums to tell a story of reckoning, resilience, and healing from within the prison system. The documentary also serves as a companion piece to JJ’88’s upcoming EP of the same name, featuring vocals recorded while he was incarcerated.
The film premiered at SXSW 2024, where it won the Audience Award in the Visions category.
Watch the trailer here.
True Crime Story: Smugshot (S2)
Release Date: August 14, 2025
No. of Episodes: Unknown- Weekly release
Platform: SundanceTV and AMC+
True Crime Story: Smugshot returns for its second season, once again diving into the strange and often absurd world of high-stakes ego, epic scams, and ill-fated entitlement.
Each episode features a different story of a lawbreaker whose inflated self-worth collided head-on with reality. From art thefts and staged abductions to internet fame spiraling into infamy, Season 2 covers cases both outrageous and tragic, blending investigative storytelling with dry humor.
The season includes episodes like Aussie Abduction, where a romantic picnic ends in a bizarre hoax, The Dali Heist, chronicling the surreal theft of a Salvador Dali piece from Rikers Island, and Swagg Man, which dissects the rise and fall of an internet celebrity entangled in legal chaos. Though the crimes vary in scope and severity, the central theme remains clear: these are stories of people who thought they were untouchable, and were very, very wrong.
Check out the trailer here.
Abandoned: The Woman in the Decaying House
Release Date: August 15, 2025
No. of Episodes: (3-part docuseries)
Platform: Prime Video
Nearly 30 years after enduring horrific abuse, a survivor comes forward to speak the truth about the woman who became a nationwide obsession in Brazil; known for the white cream on her face and the secrets in her decaying mansion.
This three-part docuseries revisits the 2022 case that stunned the country: Margarida Bonetti, a privileged woman accused of enslaving a domestic worker in the U.S. for nearly two decades, now lives in isolation in a crumbling São Paulo estate.
Originally exposed by journalist Chico Felitti in a wildly popular podcast, the series continues the investigation, blending rare interviews, FBI input, and archival materials to unravel a story that confronts social status, silence, and impunity.
Trailer here.
The Serial Killer’s Apprentice
Release Date: August 17, 2025
No. of Episodes: 2 Hour Special
Platform: Investigation Discovery (broadcast)/HBO Max (streaming)
This new Investigation Discovery documentary revisits the horrific Houston Mass Murders of the early 1970s, in which at least 28 young men were lured and killed by Dean "The Candy Man" Corll in Pasadena, Texas.
For the first time in over 50 years, his accomplice Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. speaks publicly, discussing his motivations, his relationship with Corll, and the day he ultimately shot him.
The film features a thorough interview between Henley and renowned forensic psychologist Dr. Katherine Ramsland, combined with archival footage, insights from victims’ families, and commentary from journalists still investigating the legacy of the case. One victim remains unidentified to this day.
The documentary will air on Sunday, August 17, 2025, at 9:00–11:00 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery, with HBO Max offering the full film after the broadcast.
Watch the preview here.
Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror
Release Date: August 19, 2025
No. of Episodes: 3
Platform: Hulu
This three-part docuseries chronicles the decade-long stalking of Samantha Stites by Christopher Thomas.
In fall 2022, Thomas escalated his obsession by kidnapping Samantha and imprisoning her in a soundproof bunker inside a rented storage unit near her Michigan home. For the first time, Samantha shares her experience firsthand, surviving captivity through instincts, resilience, and determination.
The series includes chilling police interview footage, surveillance from the bunker, and videos and images recovered from Thomas’s phone.
New episodes will air weekly on Tuesdays on Hulu + Live TV from 12:01 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. EST, with streaming available next day on the Hulu streaming platform.
Trailer unavailable because apparently even ABC News Studios enforces peak suspense until they feel like releasing something.
The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox (Dramatization)
Release Date: August 20, 2025
No. of Episodes: 8-part limited series
Platform: Hulu
This upcoming Hulu Original dramatization revisits Amanda Knox’s wrongful conviction for the murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher.
With Amanda Knox serving as executive producer, alongside KJ Steinberg, Monica Lewinsky, and Warren Littlefield, the series emphasizes her perspective, tracing her life before, during, and after the highly publicized case.
The first two episodes debut on Hulu on August 20, 2025, with the remaining episodes released weekly thereafter in serialized format.
Trailer available here.
The Truth About Jussie Smollett?
Release Date: August 22, 2025
No of Episodes: 1
Platform: Netflix
Told through a mix of interviews with police, lawyers, journalists, and the investigators closest to the case, including Jussie Smollett himself, this Netflix documentary revisits one of the most controversial media firestorms of the last decade.
The Truth About Jussie Smollett? reexamines the 2019 hate crime hoax allegation that divided the public, with new evidence and competing narratives. Director Gagan Rehill (Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal) and the producers behind The Tinder Swindler deliver a provocative exploration of truth, performance, and public perception.
As the film challenges the official story and highlights the cultural chaos surrounding the incident, viewers are left to ask: was it all a hoax, or something more complicated?
No official trailer has surfaced yet, and Netflix’s usual promotional precision seems to have taken a vacation with this one.
Ruby Red Handed: Stealing America's Most Famous Pair of Shoes
Release Date: August 26, 2025
No. of Episodes: TBA (Limited Series)
Platform: Hulu
In August 2005, a pair of ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, one of the most iconic pieces of Hollywood memorabilia, vanished from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
Ruby Red Handed retraces the twists and turns of the investigation, offering exclusive access to the Grand Rapids Police Department and interviews with those at the center of the case.
But it’s not just about the heist. The series also explores the legacy of Judy Garland, the enduring power of Oz, and the strange world of celebrity collectibles and black-market Hollywood history.
No trailer available.
Court Cam (S9)
Release Date: August 27, 2025
No. of Episodes: TBD
Platform: A&E
This new season returns with Court Cam as cameras once again follow dramatic and emotional courtroom moments from across the U.S.
Season 9 spotlights viral-worthy confrontations in the courtroom, featuring raw footage punctuated with interviews from judges, victims, witnesses, and attorneys. Hosted and executive produced by Dan Abrams, the series offers an unfiltered look into legal drama and chaos.
New episodes are scheduled to premiere Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on A&E, beginning Wednesday, August 27, with streaming available the next day on A&E’s digital platforms.
Trailer not yet available. A&E usually gets this stuff right, but silence reigns for now.
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish
Release Date: August 29, 2025
No. of Episodes: Documentary Film
Platform: Netflix
Directed by Skye Borgman (Girl in the Picture, Abducted in Plain Sight), this new documentary begins with a single anonymous text message that leads to months of harassment targeting a teenage girl and her boyfriend.
As the investigation unfolds, the case takes a sharp turn, revealing a secret that changes everything authorities thought they knew. Unknown Number: The High School Catfish examines issues of online deception, teen vulnerability, and the limits of digital privacy; told with Borgman’s usual emphasis on emotional detail and narrative pacing.
As of right now, Netflix has not released a trailer, which is unusual this close to release.
Let The Devil In
Release Date: August 31, 2025
No. of Episodes: 4‑part docuseries
Platform: MGM+
This four‑episode true crime series focuses on a decades‑old tragedy in Jefferson, New Jersey, where in 1987 a devout Catholic mother was found dead and her son disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
Through interviews with community members, investigators, and those close to the case, the series explores theories ranging from satanic panic and obsession to psychosis, and the blurred lines between supernatural and earthly explanations.
The series premieres on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET / PT on MGM+, with weekly episodes throughout the month.
Trailer not yet available, MGM+ hasn’t dropped anything official yet.
That wraps up the lineup of true crime documentaries for August 2025; a mix of old ghosts, fresh wounds, and cases that demand a closer look.
Which one are you most excited to press play on? Vote below and let the Society know where you’ll be pointing your magnifying glass first.
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Which new release are you the most excited for? Click to Vote.
Naming the Dead
The Yogurt Shop Murders
My True Crime Story (S4)
Capturing Their Killer