About This Episode
Alaina Urquhart and Ash Kelley launched Morbid: A True Crime Podcast on May 1, 2018, with an unconventional pairing that would become central to its appeal. Urquhart, a former autopsy technician and author, pairs her forensic knowledge with Kelley's straightforward perspective—Kelley worked as a hairdresser before co-hosting the show. Though Urquhart is Kelley's aunt, the pair frequently refer to each other as "sisters," a dynamic that permeates the podcast's tone and gives it an intimate, conversational quality rare in true crime media.
The show's format is deceptively simple: deep dives into famous and lesser-known criminal cases, combined with creepy history and unexplained phenomena. Yet this straightforward approach has resonated across continents. Morbid has been featured on best-of lists by major publications including *Vogue*, *Bleeding Cool*, *The Post*, and *Erie Reader*—an unusual achievement for a podcast operating outside traditional crime journalism.
From the earliest episodes, Morbid tackled some of America's most infamous cases. The premiere covered Joseph James DeAngelo, the Golden State Killer, followed rapidly by episodes on Edmund Kemper, Ted Bundy (a two-part series), Joel Rifkin, and Charles Manson. These early installments established the show's commitment to comprehensive case coverage, often spanning multiple episodes for complex narratives.
What sets Morbid apart is how Urquhart's forensic background informs the storytelling. When discussing cases like that of Joel Rifkin or Rodney Alcala—a serial killer convicted of eight murders and suspected of over 100—the hosts ground their narrative in anatomical and investigative detail. This "faglig indsigt" (professional insight) prevents the podcast from devolving into sensationalism. Urquhart's perspective as someone who worked with human remains brings credibility and gravity to stories that could easily become exploitative.
The show's repertoire extends beyond household names. Episodes on Glennon Engleman, known as "The Killer Dentist," explore a 1958 murder arranged by his wife Edna for insurance money in St. Louis. The Jean Harris and Herman Tarnower episode revisits a 1980 case that captured national attention for its intersection of romance, jealousy, and privilege. A particularly poignant episode examines Jeannette DePalma, a 16-year-old who disappeared in Springfield, New Jersey in 1972—her remains were discovered six weeks later, and the case remains disturbing in its details and unanswered questions.
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube (@morbidpodcast), Morbid has built a loyal international fanbase. The podcast's success reflects a broader appetite for true crime content that respects both victim and audience—entertainment that doesn't rely on gratuitous sensationalism but rather on thorough research, credible expertise, and hosts who seem genuinely invested in understanding not just what happened, but why.
For an international audience, Morbid's strength lies in its accessibility. While each episode focuses on American cases, the psychological and investigative principles are universal. Urquhart and Kelley discuss criminal pathology, forensic evidence, and investigative procedures in language that international listeners can follow, making the podcast valuable not just for true crime enthusiasts but for anyone curious about criminal justice systems.
More than five years into its run, Morbid remains a benchmark for quality true crime podcasting—proof that authenticity, expertise, and genuine sisterly chemistry can sustain an audience far larger than anyone might have predicted on that May day in 2018.
Sources
- https://open.spotify.com/show/1cpyLfDHP1cNnyOb478qrt - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morbid:_A_True_Crime_Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morbid/id1379959217 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdFN-zl5BHw - https://www.watchmojo.com/articles/10-creepy-facts-about-infamous-serial-killers
