In 2016, women of color in Newark, NJ began to disappear. The police response lacked urgency because some were sex workers and others were considered runaways. So friends of Mawa Doumbia set their own trap, using the missing 15-year-old’s social media to draw out her killer. Investigators eventually drew connections between a Jane Doe in a burned building, a murdered college student, and a prostitute who fled from an attacker who duct taped and handcuffed her. The evidence would point them to a young, mild mannered supermarket security guard who they accused of being a serial killer.

The podcast “Someone’s Hunting Us” from nj.com and The Star-Ledger recounts the search for Khalil Wheeler-Weaver, who was accused of murdering four girls and women, and nearly killing a fifth. Hosts Rebecca Everett and Daysi Calavia-Robertson also explore the law enforcement inequities when the victims are Black or do sex work — as well as talk to the victims’ loved ones about how they advanced the investigation when authorities would not.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SOMEONE'S HUNTING US" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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When their friend Nancy is murdered, Eleanor and Mary believe her secret lover “David” is behind it. But Eleanor becomes an early suspect in the case when her long-simmering feelings about the victim’s husband come to the surface. Mary takes on the role of sleuth, hoping to unmask Nancy’s lover. But her quest uncovers even more complications about the friends’ decades-long relationship, as even more people in their social circle become persons of interest.

Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, and Kate Mara star in the Apple Original “Imperfect Women.” This domestic thriller tries to untangle the secrets among the women, their lovers, and the ghosts from their past to find the truth about the death of their socialite friend.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "IMPERFECT WOMEN" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: pave it forward.

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When Skylar Neese wasn’t posting photos of her with two best friends, she was posting cryptic messages about mean girls. One night in 2012, Skylar slipped out of her bedroom window, got into an awaiting car, and vanished. When the trail went cold, Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf flooded social media with pleas for information on their friend’s disappearance. But Shelia and Rachel had their own secrets. And investigators learned that not everything among the girls was as it seemed.

The Hulu true crime documentary series “Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese,” recounts the crime that gripped West Virginia at the dawn of the social media age. The show combines interviews with friends, family and investigators with excerpts from the girls’ diaries and Twitter accounts to tell the story of how the crime came together and how it was solved.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "FRIENDS LIKE THESE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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Lucy Greenwell remembered a story from her childhood: in 1987, a newborn was abandoned off a country road near her home in Suffolk. Now a journalist, Greenwell tracked down Jess, who grew up wondering how she came to be a foundling. Jess eventually reached out to the young nanny who miraculously discovered her in a secluded field. As her suspicions about Jennifer grew, Jess would learn more about her rescuer’s life. Meanwhile, Greenwell investigated whether a live-in nanny in this town could conceal her pregnancy and delivery, and discard a baby undetected. In the end, Jess understood that, all these years later, the impact of her abandonment rippled far beyond her own origin story.

From Tortoise Investigates and The Observer comes the podcast “Foundling.” Greenwell follows Jess’s quest to learn the truth about her birth, her parents, and the impact that her search had on the many people unknowingly connected to her.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "FOUNDLING" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: deep, deepfake.

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When his eighteen-year-old twin brother Anh gets into a drunken fight at a party, Trung stabs his attacker. San Jose police place both identical twins in a lineup, and witnesses mistakenly say Anh was the one who delivered the fatal blow…a mistake neither brother cares to correct. Their silence was born from their intense fraternal bond, as well as being Vietnamese immigrants in street gangs where snitching is a dangerous proposition. But Anh’s resentment festers as Trung’s guilt for his actions grows. Will one of them spit out the truth or will they both swallow a lie?

In the podcast “Blood Will Tell” from Wondery and Campside Media, host Jen Miller frames Trung and Anh’s story in Shakespearean terms, a tragedy about how far someone will go to protect a loved one. As the brothers recount their life stories and explain their actions, Miller eventually gets the two to address the consequences of their decisions on their brotherly bond.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BLOOD WILL TELL" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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TV weatherman Clark Forrest convinces his friend and ASL interpreter to sign up for an anonymous hook-up app to spice up his life. Floyd Smernitch is cash-strapped, overweight, and dealing with his distant wife and troubled stepson. But after joining DTF St. Louis, Floyd’s body is discovered in a pool house after a late-night rendezvous. Investigators examine Clark’s relationship with Floyd’s wife Carol, which leads to more questions about the sex lives and personalities of the suburbanites. While looking into whether friends, strangers, or lovers are behind his demise, a clearer picture of Floyd emerges: a man who longed for more than just a physical connection.

Jason Bateman, David Harbour, and Linda Cardellini star in the HBO Original “DTF St. Louis.” The series combines dark comedy and mystery with a meditation on the quiet desperation of middle-aged people. Are their mid-life crises really about sex — or a cure for their loneliness and disappointment?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DTF ST. LOUIS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: brow beat.

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The Georgia Guidestones were a 19‑foot‑tall, Stonehenge‑like tourist attraction commissioned in 1980 by an anonymous benefactor. Its purpose was unclear, and its granite inscriptions about population control made some uneasy. When an explosion destroyed the Guidestones in 2022, some brushed it off as a prank. But controversy around the monument had been growing among evangelicals, right‑wing politicians, and conspiracy theorists. The unsolved case has raised the question of who blew up the Georgia Guidestones — and the more troubling question of why.

The podcast “Who Blew Up the Guidestones?” from The Atlanta Journal‑Constitution and Goat Rodeo digs into the case, exploring the monument’s mysterious origins, its enigmatic purpose, and the many groups who wanted it destroyed. Host Tyler O’Brien investigates the explosion and identifies a new suspect. Was the bombing an act of mindless vandalism or a sinister act of domestic terrorism?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WHO BLEW UP THE GUIDESTONES?" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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When Dr. Christine Marie and her videographer husband moved to Utah, they befriended members of the polygamous FLDS church. With the community’s former leader now in prison, Samuel Bateman claimed to be their new prophet and took on 20 wives. Concerned about the underage girls among them, Christine convinced Bateman to let them film a documentary about him. The couple recorded evidence that Bateman was trafficking the girls, but local police were reluctant to take action. Meanwhile, Christine worked secretly to convince the young wives — and the parents who allowed the marriages — that they were under the spell of a false prophet.

The Netflix series “Trust Me: The False Prophet” provides a look at Bateman’s crimes from the perspective of the filmmakers embedded in his home. Featuring their original footage along with new interviews, it shows Christine’s efforts as a double agent, using the documentary to gather evidence while trying to free his devoted victims from his grip.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "TRUST ME: THE FALSE PROPHET" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: pick pocket.

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