True crime is everywhere—on our podcasts, our streaming queues, even our TikTok feeds. But as the multi-billion-dollar industry continues to grow, Renée Williams, CEO of the National Center for Victims of Crime, wants to make sure the people at the heart of these stories don’t get lost.
In a wide-ranging interview with Forbes, Williams discussed how there is true crime story that’s genuinely victimless. She said, “[We have to] slow down to see where we’re going next and make sure that we are keeping victims at the center of the conversation.”
Founded four decades ago by the family of attempted murder survivor Sunny von Bülow, the National Center for Victims of Crime advocates for survivors and pushes for better protections, policy, and public awareness. In recent years, that work has included confronting how the entertainment industry—and its consumers—engage with violent crime.
Williams acknowledges that true crime storytelling can do good. It can raise awareness, drive accountability, and help victims share their stories. But it can also retraumatize. “We’ve got to put the brakes on,” she said.
That question led the National Center to publish a guide titled Eight Simple Rules for True Crime Fanatics, developed in collaboration with victims and advocates like Kim Goldman, whose brother Ron was murdered alongside Nicole Brown Simpson. The rules include reminders that trauma doesn’t have an expiration date, and that it’s never acceptable to tell a victim’s story without consent—or compensation.
Williams noted that victims are rarely contacted, citing examples like Netflix’s The People v. O.J. Simpson and dramatizations of the Ted Bundy murders. In each of these shows scenes are invented, and conversations are fictionalized. This becomes the new truth that the public believes.
Williams is now working with Goldman on legislation that would require producers to disclose whether they consulted victims or families that she sees as simple fix that’s about restoring agency.
One of her biggest concerns is the glamorization of killers like Bundy and Dahmer. Something that irks her is that there will be an entire true crime series where viewers can name the murderer—but not a single victim.
The media’s disproportionate focus is also racialized. Williams pointed to “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” a term coined by Gwen Ifill to describe how young, attractive white women tend to dominate media coverage of missing persons cases—while missing women of color are often ignored. Williams urges fans to follow organizations like the Black and Missing Foundation and to be intentional in the stories they elevate.
But this isn’t just about filmmakers or reporters—it’s also about everyday true crime fans. Williams believes consumers hold more power than they realize. “If you’re listening to podcasts that only do the wiki rip and reads, why? They’re not offering anything into the conversation. I can guarantee they haven’t spoken to the victim they’re talking about. and and they’re not adding anything to the conversation, so why listen to them?”
And for those wondering how to turn their interest into impact, her advice is simple: donate. Volunteer. Support victims directly.
Williams is hopeful that the true crime industry can evolve. She praised projects like Woman of the Hour, directed by Anna Kendrick, for respectfully portraying real-life victims.
Her bottom line: help the conversation, or get out of it.
