True crime

Introduction
Origins
- The murder ballad
- The execution sermon
- The printing press
- True crime for the masses
Popularity and ethics
Pros
- Pro 1: True crime helps an overburdened criminal justice system.
- Pro 2: True crime can correct bias in criminal investigations.
- Pro 3: True crime makes society safer by making citizens more vigilant and crime-savvy.
- Pro 4: True crime builds communities among fans as well as among the friends and families of victims.
Cons
- Con 1: True crime can hinder professional police work.
- Con 2: True crime can perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
- Con 3: True crime glorifies criminals and promotes a toxic fan culture.
- Con 4: True crime exploits victims, their families, and tragedies.
Timeline: Notable true crime texts to 1924
- Between 1620 and 1636, the Goodcole broadsides:
- 1621, John Reynolds’s The Triumphs of God’s Revenge Against the Crying and Execrable Sin of Murther: Expressed in Thirty Severall Tragical Histories (digested Into Six Books) which Contain Great Variety of Mournful and Memorable Accidents, Amorous, Moral, and Divine:
- 1693, Cotton Mather’s The Wonders of The Invisible World. Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed In New-England:
- 1773–1891, The Newgate Calendar: Or, Malefactors’ Bloody Register:
- 1782, Caverne des Grands Voleurs (Cavern of the Great Thieves):
- 1818–present, Madame Tussaud’s Chamber of Horrors:
- 1833, The Record of Crimes in the United States: Containing a Brief Sketch of the Prominent Traits in the Character and Conduct of Many of the Most Notorious Malefactors, Who Have Been Guilty of Capital Offences; and Who Have Been Detected and Convicted /Compiled From the Best Authorities:
- 1842–43: Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt”:
- 1889–1949, William Roughead:
- 1910, Celebrated Criminal Cases of America:
- 1924, Studies in Murder:
Discussion questions
Sources

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Medieval scribe Jean Mielet sits at a desk, writing in a large manuscript with quill pen, surrounded by open books and shelves in a detailed, black-and-white illustration.

Illustrated Police News

A sepia-toned image of Lizzie Borden's face is overlaid with a bright white axe shape, containing blue text reading really a monster? Blurred text and stains appear in the background.

John Wayne Gacy

True crime: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

The Editors of ProCon
ProCon's editors write and verify new content and update existing content. ProCon presents the pro and con arguments to debatable issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, freely accessible way.

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	New Lizzie Borden video added.	The Editors of ProCon	Sep 21, 2026
	Discussion questions standardized.	The Editors of ProCon	Jul 24, 2026
	Timeline reformatted to accommodate photos.	The Editors of ProCon	Jun 09, 2026
	Removed bold formatting in timeline text.	The Editors of ProCon	Jun 09, 2026
	New article added.	The Editors of ProCon	Jun 08, 2026