Fri Sep 12 12:50:00 UTC 2025: ## ABC News Doubles Down on True Crime Podcasts to Keep Listeners Hooked

**New York, NY** – ABC News is significantly expanding its true crime audio offerings, betting on the enduring popularity of the genre to drive listener engagement. The network is launching new podcasts and expanding existing ones into video formats, signaling a major investment in true crime storytelling.

“This is what people want,” said Katie den Daas, ABC News’ senior vice president of newsgathering. “We are giving more of it to them.”

The network’s strategy involves a multi-pronged approach, encompassing coverage of current trials, revisiting older cases with new developments, and crafting original true crime narratives. Recent coverage of the Sean “Diddy” Combs case and the Bryan Kohberger trial has proven successful in attracting listeners.

A key element of this expansion is the launch of “Vanished: What Happened to Vanessa,” a limited-run podcast hosted by ABC News correspondent John Quiñones, premiering September 16. The series will delve into the 2020 murder of U.S. Army soldier Vanessa Guillén, featuring exclusive, previously unreleased audio from ABC News’ original reporting, as well as new updates from Guillén’s family.

ABC News is also expanding its popular “20/20: The After Show” podcast into a video format. Hosted by Deborah Roberts, the companion program offers behind-the-scenes insights into the reporting process for each week’s “20/20” episode. Roberts will share how critical information was discovered and provide interviews with individuals involved in the cases that didn’t make the original TV broadcast, beginning September 29.

According to den Daas, ABC Audio aims to have as many as six or seven true crime stories in production throughout the year. The network found success with the recent launch of “Devil in the Desert,” a podcast investigating the kidnapping and torture of two people in the Mojave Desert.

Adding an interactive element, each new ABC Audio limited series will include a bonus episode. Brad Mielke, host of the “Start Here” podcast, will pose questions from listeners to the host of each project.

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