If you follow true crime at all, there is a good chance you already know Crime Weekly. If you do not, here is what matters: it is one of the most listened-to true crime podcasts in the country, and one of its hosts is from right here in Rhode Island.
That would be Derrick Levasseur. Central Falls native, decorated police sergeant, Big Brother champion, and now the first person in the history of the genre’s biggest award to win it back-to-back. But we will get there.
Derrick Levasseur Season 16 finale of “Big Bother” (Photo: CBS)
Who Is Derrick Levasseur?
Levasseur grew up in Rhode Island and was hired as a Central Falls police officer at 20 years old, one of the youngest in department history. He worked patrol, then the Detective Division, then landed in the Special Investigations Unit as an undercover detective working alongside the ATF, DEA, FBI, and U.S. Secret Service.
Then in 2014, he went on Big Brother and won. He did it without ever being nominated for eviction, a first in the show’s history, walking away with $575,000, the highest total earnings any houseguest had ever taken home.
Rhode Island celebrated. He came home. And then he got back to work.
Derrick Levasseur and Stephanie Harlowe signing for fans at the Crime Weekly booth, CrimeCon 2026, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.
Who Is Stephanie Harlowe?
Stephanie Harlowe is one of the most recognized voices in true crime content. Based in Rochester, New York, she began building her following on YouTube in 2017, doing something the space was missing at the time: genuinely deep research. Where others skimmed the surface of high-profile cases, Harlowe went further, tracking down details others missed entirely. She eventually worked with Investigation Discovery on cases including the West Memphis 3 and the death of Brittany Murphy. Her YouTube channel now sits at nearly one million subscribers, and her reputation in the true crime community is as strong as anyone in it.
She co-hosts Crime Weekly alongside Levasseur, and the pairing works because they bring completely different things. He has the law enforcement instincts. She has the research. Together they built something neither would have alone.
How Crime Weekly Was Born
After Big Brother, Levasseur moved into television, working in the true crime space on Investigation Discovery. Then the pandemic hit and podcasting changed everything.
“After I won Big Brother, I went on to do a few TV shows in the true crime space,” Levasseur said. “Then Covid hit and podcasting really took off, so I came up with Crime Weekly, recruited Stephanie after watching some of her true crime YouTube videos, and the rest is history.”
Crime Weekly launched in 2020 and the audience found them fast.
What Is CrimeCon?
Think of CrimeCon as Comic-Con for true crime. It launched in Indianapolis in 2017 with 800 attendees and has grown into the largest true crime convention in the country, drawing close to 5,000 fans, podcasters, journalists, and law enforcement professionals each year. CrimeCon 2026 was held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from May 29 through May 31.
Crime Weekly had one of the biggest presences at this year’s event. Their booth line was, by most accounts, the longest of the weekend.
“Yeah I’m still waiting for the year when we show up and no one is in line,” Levasseur said.
“Seriously though, we have the best fans. They really do support us in everything we do and most of them really care about the cases we cover. Without them, there is no podcast, and that is something we don’t take for granted.”
When WGOIRI asked Derrick about the fan turnout at CrimeCon 2026
Derrick Levasseur and Stephanie Harlowe with Chris Hansen following their CLUE Award win at CrimeCon 2026. (Photo: Joe Russo, J&R Marketing)
What Keeps Them Going
Levasseur pointed to a recent episode on Darlie Routier, a Texas woman convicted of killing her two young sons in 1996, as one that stuck with him.
“As a father, it was a tough one to analyze and talk about,” he said. “But it serves as a reminder that true evil is out there and it could be anywhere.”
On what comes next, he kept it simple.
“Our number one priority will always be giving these cases the respect and attention they deserve,” he said. “But we’re going to try and do more this year to let people know what we are doing on Crime Weekly.”
Still Rhode Island, All the Way
Despite the Big Brother win, the television work, the podcast success, and now a second CLUE Award, Levasseur has not gone anywhere.
“I love Rhode Island, and wherever I go, I make sure people know where I’m from”
Derrick Levasseur, speaking to WGOIRI
“The people here have supported me since I won Big Brother, and I’m incredibly grateful to know they have my back.”
He means it literally. He still lives here.
“I still live in Rhode Island, so I’ll be back soon,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to say hi.”
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