What new true crime shows and documentaries are coming on Investigation Discovery in January 2026? Details explored

Investigation Discovery (ID) is starting off its broadcast schedule in January of the year 2026 with a combination of new and existing series that are centered around real-life crimes and feature this information through survivor testimonies, expert commentary, and historical footage.

This additional programming is based on the impact of cult activity on mental issues, atypical investigation procedures used in cold cases, fraud and trickery, combined with concealed acts of violence.

Episodes will take place throughout the early to latter parts of January and will examine an investigation from beginning to end in relation to suspicion through to a verdict.

The subject matter will be straightforward and is intended for viewers of any age.

Investigation Discovery: The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story

This three-part docuseries recounts the 2001 tragedy where Andrea Yates drowned her five children, examining her postpartum depression and psychosis alongside the manipulative role of Michael Woroniecki, a street preacher leading a secretive cult.

The series details how Woroniecki's doctrines on salvation and submission isolated Yates and her husband, fostering a controlling environment that contributed to the events.

Archival footage, family interviews, and legal experts illustrate the cult's indoctrination tactics and their echoes in Yates' trials.

The premiere airs Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Episode 1, Indoctrination, covers Yates' immersion in the cult's teachings. At 9 p.m., The Horror Within explores isolation strategies leading to the drownings.

The 10 p.m. finale, Revelation, analyzes Yates' two trials, including a juror's account of Woroniecki's lingering sway on the verdict and questions of shared accountability in blending mental illness with external control. 

People Magazine Investigates Season 9

This returning series presents new episodes on crimes with broad cultural resonance, using exclusive interviews to reveal twists, fresh evidence, and case resolutions.

It focuses on disappearances, targeted killings, and suspicious deaths, drawing from community testimonies and investigative breakthroughs to connect personal losses to larger societal issues.

The new season premieres Monday, January 12, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The opener, Vanished in the Heartland, probes the 2022 disappearance of Michigan mother Dee Warner, whose body was later found nearby, sparking family accusations and rural community scrutiny.

On January 19, Death in Hell’s Kitchen details the 2022 murders of two gay men in New York City, tied to a Pride Month gang operation involving stalking, drugging, and robbery.

The January 26 episode, Sex House Homicide, investigates a man's body discovered in a Florida wellness center styled as a sexual venue, weighing possibilities of hate crimes or intimate betrayals. Each hour builds through witness statements and timelines.

The Curious Case Of... Season 2

Hosted by legal analyst Beth Karas, this new season uncovers odd scandals fueled by lies, financial gain, and personal vendettas, featuring victims' perspectives on fraudulent schemes and identity deceptions that unravel lives.

It returns Monday, January 12, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The premiere, Death by Detox?, profiles Dr. Robert O. Young, a non-physician promoting an alkaline pH Miracle diet via books and smoothies, which attracted celebrities but left families grieving after unproven treatments failed.

January 19's The Curious Case Of... The Killer Cheesecake follows a Queens salon owner's search for her missing employee, linking to a Russian murder fugitive who baked a laced dessert and assumed the victim's identity.

On January 26, The Curious Case Of... The Skincare Queen and The Hitman (Part 1) traces aesthetician Dawn DaLuise's harassment by rival Gabriel Suarez, culminating in her arrest for allegedly hiring a hitman after a deceptive reality TV pitch.

Episodes use timelines and recreations for clarity. 

Evil Lives Here Season 19

The series returns with firsthand narratives from those who shared homes with charming yet dangerous individuals, exposing the gradual reveal of sociopathic traits through everyday betrayals and violent escalations.

The new season starts Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Fostering Evil recounts foster parents Lisa and Kevin Knoefel's care of teen Sabrina Zunich, ending in her murder as part of a calculated scheme.

On January 20, "I Am Not My Father" shares Daniel Bible's escape from his abusive dad after eight years, later learning the full extent of the man's crimes.

The January 27 episode, He'll Kill Me Next, details Domeneka's growing dread after her boyfriend, Michael, turned violent post-childbirth, vowing to target her next.

Stories rely on emotional interviews to map the shift from trust to terror.

Killer Confessions: Case Files of a Texas Ranger

This new series tracks Texas Ranger James Holland, dubbed the serial killer whisperer for his rapport-building interrogations that unlock confessions in stalled investigations, including disasters and long-buried leads.

It debuts Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Pathologically Evil follows the probe into four women's vanishings across Texas towns, with Holland's session testing a suspect's facade amid public panic.

January 20's Lie, Cheat, Kill Evil covers realtor Crystal McDowell's 2017 disappearance during Hurricane Harvey, where an empty vehicle and video footage draw Holland into resource-strapped efforts.

On January 27, True Crime Lies examines a tip on a Pennsylvania cold case witness, where Holland's probing could seal decades-old doubts. Footage from interviews and case files structures the procedural flow. 

Stay tuned for more news and updates.