Sword and Scale

4.5 (44K) · TRUE CRIME · UPDATED WEEKLYE

Sword and Scale covers the most disturbing corners of the criminal justice system and true crime. Featuring real 911 calls, court recordings, and police interviews, it's the darkest true crime podcast in existence.

2D AGO

Episode 248: The Bathtub Girl — Linda Andersen

In 2003, 16-year-old Linda Andersen's stepmother held her head underwater in a bathtub. Linda survived — barely — and the case became a landmark in domestic child abuse prosecution. Includes original police interview recordings and the 911 call Linda made herself.

9D AGO

Episode 247: The Facebook Killer — Steve Stephens

On Easter Sunday 2017, Steve Stephens livestreamed himself murdering 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. on Facebook. The manhunt that followed raised impossible questions about social media's responsibilities. Includes news audio and analysis of Facebook's response.

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Sword and Scale Daily: The Week in True Crime — Extended Edition

The extended version of our weekly roundup, covering seven developing cases with additional audio including a jailhouse phone call recording and a leaked police body cam transcript.

23D AGO

Episode 246: The Dark Web Child Predator Network

An investigation into Operation Rescue — the 2010 international law enforcement operation that dismantled a child exploitation network with over 70,000 members across 30 countries. Includes excerpts from the courtroom proceedings and law enforcement testimony.

30D AGO

Episode 245: The Slender Man Stabbing

In 2014, two 12-year-old girls in Waukesha, Wisconsin stabbed their classmate 19 times to appease a fictional internet character called Slender Man. All three girls survived. The case became a defining moment in conversations about internet culture, mental illness, and juvenile crime.

37D AGO

Episode 244: Night Stalker — Richard Ramirez Revisited

With the Netflix documentary renewing interest in Richard Ramirez, Mike revisits the case with new perspectives from victims' family members and the detective who finally identified the Night Stalker. Includes rare audio from Ramirez's trial.

44D AGO

Episode 243: The Golden State Killer — After the Arrest

Joseph DeAngelo was arrested in 2018 after DNA genealogy cracked the Golden State Killer cold case. This episode follows what happened next: the guilty plea, the victims' statements, the sentencing, and the groundbreaking investigative technique that changed cold case investigation forever.

51D AGO

Episode 242: The Toy Box Killer — David Parker Ray

David Parker Ray built a soundproof torture chamber in a trailer in New Mexico that he called his "toy box." The true scope of his crimes may never be known because he died before trial and none of his victims have ever been found. One of the most disturbing cases in the show's history.

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Hosts & Guests

Mike BoudetHost

4.5

out of 5

44K Ratings

The darkest true crime podcast for a reason

This is not a podcast for the faint of heart. The use of real audio makes it feel completely different from anything else in the genre. It's deeply uncomfortable and absolutely compelling. Not for casual listening — but for serious true crime enthusiasts it's essential.

DarkPodcastFan · Mar 2, 2026

Real audio makes all the difference

What separates Sword and Scale from 95% of true crime podcasts is the primary source audio. When you hear the 911 call yourself, it hits differently than any narrator could make it hit. Mike's production choices are deliberate and effective.

AudioPhile · Feb 12, 2026

Brutal but important

Some episodes are genuinely hard to get through. The show doesn't shield you from the reality of what happened and that's the point. I respect the commitment to unflinching honesty about human evil, even if I have to take breaks between episodes.

TrueCrimePurist · Jan 20, 2026

About

Sword and Scale is hosted by Mike Boudet and covers the most disturbing, darkest corners of true crime. Unlike many podcasts in the genre, Sword and Scale uses actual audio — real 911 calls, police interrogations, courtroom recordings, and witness testimonies — to immerse listeners directly in the cases. This approach makes for some of the most viscerally affecting true crime content available anywhere. The show does not sanitize or soften what happened; it presents evil at its most mundane and most horrifying. For listeners who want true crime without the safety buffer of detached narration, Sword and Scale is in a class by itself. It comes with a genuine content warning: this is not a casual listening experience.