The following article contains mentions of domestic abuse, sexual assault, child abuse, and violence.

With over 32 seasons of Dateline, there are over 2,720 total episodes of the news magazine reality show, but the best Dateline episodes are those that deal with the most compelling, complex, and longstanding cases. The series' real-life exposs on crimes, criminals, and their victims have been captivating audiences since the 90s, and shows no sign of slowing down - despite increasing competition in other true-crime formats. From true-crime books to documentaries, and of course, the proliferation of the podcast format of true-crime stories, there is an embarrassment of true-crime riches available today - which also means that some have forgotten the original true-crime series.

Long before podcasts were even an idea and HBO and Netflix were filled with true-crime documentaries, Keith Morrison, Lester Holt, Josh Mankiewicz, and a host of other anchors and correspondents were detailing gruesome...