Once Upon a Crime is a weekly true crime podcast that tells “the story behind the story” of real life crime. Told in a storytelling style, host Esther Ludlow digs into the details of each case to bring listeners the facts and information they won’t hear anywhere else.
Most downloaded episodes
May 30, 2023
In this series, I share true crime cases that resulted in women being sentenced to Death Row. In 2009, a woman victimized by a childhood of abuse and violence becomes immersed in anti-immigrant vigilante groups. Her zeal a…
May 22, 2023
This Mother’s Day, join Shane Waters on a chilling adventure featuring 14 podcasters (including Once Upon A Crime) as they share sinister stories of motherhood. Mother’s Day is typically a time to honor the love and sacrific…
May 22, 2023
This Mother’s Day, join Shane Waters on a chilling adventure featuring 14 podcasters (including Once Upon A Crime) as they share sinister stories of motherhood. Mother’s Day is typically a time to honor the love and sacrific…
May 9, 2023
Who Killed Robert Wone? Streaming on Peacock: https://pck.tv/3XzPVui On the night of August 2, 2006, a call comes in to 911 to report a man has been stabbed by an intruder at a Washington D.C. home. First responders arrive t…
May 2, 2023
In 1995, a troubled young woman, jealous of one of her peers, enlists the help of two others to eliminate her enemy. But when the full and horrifying details of the plan emerge, the public is aghast at how a young woman coul…
April 24, 2023
On our final collaborative episode for the series “Fool Me Once,” Leroy and I share true stories about criminals who were very bad at their jobs. Sources: Taco Shop Turns Burglary Footage Into Awesome Ad (newser.com) Pr http…
Administrative, Research and Production Assistant
Once Upon A Crime's right hand, Lorena Garcia can be found behind the scenes. From a young age, Lorena found interest in films and literature based on true crime events. As she matured so did her passion for true crime. Aside from assisting with OUAC, Lorena is a skincare enthusiast, world traveler, and cat mom.
She says being a part of the Once Upon A Crime team is the ultimate dream job.
Producer and Host
Esther Ludlow has been interested in true crime since she was a teen and has been podcasting since 2012. She launched her true crime podcast, Once Upon a Crime in June of 2016. In only 8 months, the podcast had over 1 million listens and the audience continues to grow. Her love for storytelling combined with her interest in true crime and her background in psychology creates a unique and compelling podcast.
Esther writes, produces and edits the podcast as a solo venture. Once Upon a Crime presents true crime stories chapter by chapter. Each episode stands alone and cases are grouped by topic. Esther has covered the kidnapping cases of Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Dugard, celebrity stalkers Mark David Chapman and John Hinckley, and historical cases including Kitty Genovese, Mary Bell and Charles Starkweather.