This episode covers the disappearance and murder of twenty year old Bobby Kent in Weston, Florida who death was in the hands of seven people. The case, which became well known, is also the subject of a book and movie.
It was a crime that shocked the world - and sparked an investigation that is still going on today. Even after 40 years, the assassination of John F. Kennedy remains one of the 20th century's most enduring and controversial mysteries. Was there a conspiracy? A cover-up? Was Lee Harvey Oswald the only gunman? As the network of record in forensics and criminal investigations, Court TV's signature series Forensic Files will take a fascinating new look at the forensics behind the Kennedy assassination investigation, including a controversial piece of evidence that may hold clues to whether there was just one gunmen - or more.
The case of missing stewardess Helle Craft is recounted. Although her body was never recovered, police used forensic evidence to charge her husband with murder. It became the first murder conviction without a body in Connecticut.
At the Dallas 'Pistol & Revolver' club in 1991, Trey Cooley, a young spectator, was watching a shooting competition, seated behind an air gun range. He was struck and killed by a stray bullet. See how ballistics, lasers, and forensic animation solve the riddle of the "magic bullet".
Caren Campano disappears and the explanation of her husband Chris doesn't hold up. Police find a large stain on the Campano's bedroom carpet. They perform an eerie chemical test that reveals a room spattered with blood which, when cleaned off, could not be seen by the naked eye. Complex 'reverse paternity' tests of Caren's relatives match her blood type to the blood on the carpet. The evidence convicts Chris Campano of murder, even though the body wasn't found until a year later.
The first case to use DNA evidence is detailed. In 1983 Leicester, England, police were stymied by a rape/murder of a 15-year-old girl; three years later, faced with a similar crime, they turned to Dr. Alec Jeffreys, a molecular biologist with a revolutionary approach to solving the case.
Single mother Denise Johnson is found dead in a deserted area outside of Phoenix, Arizona. Local investigators ask a molecular geneticist to pick out a tree in a 'lineup' when unidentified seed pods are found in suspect Mark Bogan's truck. The judge rules into evidence DNA profiles linking the pods to a tree near where the body was found. This is the first U.S. case where plant DNA was used to convict a criminal.
Shortly after Thanksgiving in 1987, an intruder broke into the Tucker residence in Arlington Virginia. It might have been just another statistic, but the crime committed that night launched a new era in police investigations. This is how DNA evidence and psychological profiling helped catch a serial killer and set an innocent man free.
Legionnaires' disease is one of the most famous medical detective stories, especially irritating for its missteps and frustrations. When 180 Legionnaires contract pneumonia-like symptoms after a Philadelphia Convention and 29 of them die, doctors and scientists are mystified. The determination of one scientist helps to pinpoint the cause and likely vector of this deadly disease.
On the night of May 22, 1992, Betty Wilson returned home after a meeting. She walked up the stairs to the bedroom and discovered her husband, lying in a pool of blood. Jack Wilson had obviously been murdered... but how? And by whom? Even the experts couldn’t agree. Originally aired as Season 1, Episode 8.
Eleven children in an elementary school in Phoenix contracted childhood leukemia; nine of them died. And in Guilford, Connecticut, five people were diagnosed with brain tumors on a street where there were only nine homes. Two towns, two cancer clusters, two mysteries. The investigation answered some questions, but raised many more.
Between 1985 and 1988, 18 people were choked, molested and left for dead in the remote desert mountains of California. The only witnesses were the insects – and they also proved to play an important role in solving the crimes and bringing the killer to justice. Originally aired as Season 1, Episode 10.
Alarmingly high levels of thyroid hormones pump through the systems of South Dakota residents. Investigators study one large family whose 12-year-old son did not get sick. The tip-off: he's a vegetarian. It seems that when drug companies started manufacturing synthetic thyroid hormones, they stopped buying thyroid tissue from butchers who did not trim these parts, but rather sold them as 'extra lean beef.' The outcome: the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture bans meat plants from using meat in or near the gullet for beef and pork products. Originally aired as Season 1, Episode 11.
For 18 years, a man who murdered his entire family successfully eluded the FBI. This episode describes how investigators used art and forensic science to catch a killer.
The E-Coli bacteria live in our meat supply, in our milk and in water. When food is properly prepared and stored, E-Coli is harmless. But in the absence of these simple precautions, E-Coli can have deadly consequences. Raw Terror tells the story of Damion Heersink, an eleven-year-old boy who almost died after eating an improperly cooked hamburger teeming with E-Coli, and the people who saved his life.
The year was 1984, and a serial killer was on the loose in Florida. Eight women had been found dead. At each crime scene, investigators found tiny red fibers, fibers they hoped would lead them to the killer. AKA Medical Detectives Season 2, Episode 1.
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, Eileen and Derrick Severs disappeared from their home in the small village of Hambleton in Great Britain, and police found evidence which suggested foul play. Careful analysis of a soil sample would tell investigators not only what happened to the couple, but who was responsible for the dirty deed. Originally aired as Season 2, Episode 2.
It was the single, most deadly automobile accident in American history. Almost a hundred vehicles were involved, twelve people died, and more than fifty people were injured. It happened along a three mile stretch of highway long known for dense, thick fog. Investigators set out to determine if the fog was a natural phenomenon, or the result of something else. Originally aired as Season 2, Episode 3.
While Earl Morris was vacationing in California, he learned his wife had gone missing from their home in Arizona. The search for Ruby Morris involved dozens of investigators and scientists, even the coast guard. And the results of that investigation surprised everyone... especially Earl Morris. Originally aired as Season 2, Episode 4.
The flu-like symptoms of a mother and her children proved to be indicative something much more serious: thallium poisoning. Investigators had to find the source of the poison... and when the mother died, to determine if the exposure was accidental, or if they also needed to find a killer. AKA Medical Detectives, Season 2, Episode 5.
In a quiet village in Great Britain, a farmer came upon a chilling sight. Impaled on his fence post was a severed lamb’s head along with a note which read, “You next.” The author of the note didn’t elaborate on why the farmer had been targeted, but between the lines, he’d said plenty. Originally aired as Season 2, Episode 6.
An infant was rushed to a Cleveland emergency room with serious breathing problems. The baby’s lungs were bleeding, a life threatening, extremely rare condition. Within months, there were more than 30 cases – an incidence more than a thousand times higher than anywhere else in the world. Doctors had never seen anything like it, and searched frantically for the cause and a cure. AKA Medical Detectives, Season 2, Episode 7.
Shortly after daybreak in Vancouver, British Columbia, a fire was set in a dumpster. No one saw either the arsonist or the fire, and it burned for hours in the deserted parking lot. But there was more than garbage in the container, and it would take sophisticated science to find the evidence in the ashes. Originally aired as Season 2, Episode 8.
Two people in Seattle, Washington died after taking an over-the-counter pain reliever; lab analysis of the pills showed they were tainted with a lethal concentration of cyanide. The investigation which followed led police to a suspect with a motive for murder and a callous disregard for others. Medical Detectives, Season 2, Ep 9.
For more than a year, angry, hateful letters were sent to a first grade school teacher in a small town in Pennsylvania. When scientists analyzed the letters, they found evidence that the stalker knew a lot about the victim - more, in fact, than anyone could possibly have imagined. DNA analysis would eventually help seal the perpetrator's fate. Medical Detectives, Season 2, Ep 10.
On October 15, 1985, two bomb explosions rocked Salt Lake City and resulted in two deaths. A third explosion occurred the next day; this time, the victim was injured but survived. As the investigation progressed, police came to believe the survivor was more than an innocent by-stander. When they turned to forensic science for help, they uncovered an almost unbelievable story of forgery, fraud and murder. Originally aired as Season 2, Episode 11.
After a day of fishing in a small, quiet village in Switzerland, a teenage boy did not return home as planned. The investigation revealed some important microscopic evidence in the water near where he was last seen. It was the only forensic evidence detectives had. But would it be enough for them to find him? Originally aired as Season 2, Episode 12.
In the spring of 1993, an unexplained illness struck the residents of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Four hundred thousand people developed a serious gastrointestinal illness, 4,000 were hospitalized and, by the time the epidemic was under control, more than 100 people were dead. Health officials suspected it was influenza, but it proved to be more serious and more difficult to identify. Medical Detectives, Season 2, Ep 13.
The deaths of a child and a truck driver in the same hospital on the same day are investigated to see if there is a link between them.
In the mid-1980s, bodies of nude woman were found in remote hill of California. The police got a break when a known prostitute escaped an attacker and was able to identify him and his automobile. The suspect was 50-year-old Roger Kibbe. A criminalist was assigned to review the evidence in the case. Human hair found on one of the victims was similar to several hairs recovered from Kibbe's inner thighs. He was later charged with first-degree murder.
In 1987, a human skull and some bones were discovered at a Boy Scout Camp near Farmington, Missouri. Also found were some blue jeans, which helped determine the approximate height and weight of the victim. A facial reconstruction helped the investigators in this case. The victim was identified as Bun Chee Nyhuis and her husband Richard H. Nyhuis was now the prime suspect. Nyhuis was an assistant scoutmaster, which explained why his wife's remains were discovered at a scout camp and, eventually, he confessed to killing his wife. Richard H. Nyhuis was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Between 1986 and 1989, a disease swept through British cattle herds. The disease came to be known as the Mad-cow disease. Scientist began to suspect that this was somehow related to some human illness. A California neurologist, said both humans and animals were suffering from a mutated prion. When defective prions are transmitted from an infected host to a new host, they convert any normal prions they come across into copies of themselves. So it is possible for a mutated prion to be transmitted from a cow to a person by eating beef. Dr. Stanley B. Prusiner received a Nobel prize for his work with prion.
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, a serial bomber was waging a vendetta against the legal profession: A judge, two attorneys and even a courthouse had been targeted. Employing a range of forensic techniques, investigators used evidence from the bombs to lead them to the perpetrator. Originally aired as Season 3, Episode 5.
Robert Sims returned home after working the night shift, and found his wife, Paula, unconscious on the kitchen floor. Their two-year-old son, Randy, was asleep in an upstairs bedroom, but their six-week-old daughter, Heather, was missing. Paula Sims was the only witness to a crime that baffles investigators to this very day. Originally aired as Season 3, Episode 6.
The shooting of a man during a hunting trip is reopened years after the incident, and the victim's hunting partner becomes a suspect.
A possible case of Munchhausen syndrome is investigated after an infant dies of what appears to be toxic levels of antifreeze in his system.
Early one fall morning, Laura Houghteling left her Bethesda home and walked to the station to take a train to work. She was never seen again. A peculiar strand of hair found in Laura’s hairbrush enabled investigators to unravel the mystery of her disappearance.
Edward Honaker was convicted of rape, sodomy and aggravated sexual battery; he was sentenced to three life terms in prison. Honaker steadfastly maintained his innocence. After years in prison and writing countless letters, he finally found someone who believed him, and was willing to pay for DNA testing which could prove he was telling the truth. Originally aired as Season 3, Episode 10.
On September 17, 1984, in a suburb of Tucson, Arizona, eight-year-old Vicki Hoskins left home on her pink bicycle to mail a letter for her mother. She never returned, but her slightly damaged bicycle was found nearby. Investigators turned to forensic science, in the hope it would tell them not only what happened to Vicki, but also who was responsible. Originally aired as Season 3, Episode 11.
When a two-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital suffering from brain seizures and breathing difficulties, doctors could not find the cause of his illness. Then the boy’s sister provided an important clue, and raised the possibility of a syndrome of which few had ever heard.
On a cold December night in 1993, Rose Larner stopped in a convenience store on her way to her boyfriend’s house. She was never seen or heard from again. Rose’s disappearance remained a mystery, until a tiny clue found years later revealed a tragic tale of drugs, romance and revenge. Originally aired as Season 3, Episode 13.
Police received a call from Darlie Routier one morning telling them of her two sons' murders. However, police were unsure about the validity of Darlie's story and began an intensive search of the crime seen. The police determined the killer by analyzing blood spatter, doing behavioral profiling and analyzing Darlie's 911 call. The evidence proved that Darlie killed her two oldest sons with a knife, inflicted wounds on herself, cleaned the evidence and created a story of a crazed intruder who had come in the house. Darlie's motive was to obtain the $5,000 each of her sons had in a bank account.
Scott Dunn was missing and when the police sprayed his bedroom with Luminol, a scene of horrific violence emerged. Now investigators faced a daunting task: to prove Scott Dunn had been murdered, even though they had no body, no weapon, and no witnesses
Debora Green lost two children in a fire that burnt down her mansion late one night. Routine procedures occurred and both Debora Green and her previous husband Mike Farrar were questioned. Suspicions arose when Debora refused to cooperate during questioning. Police then questioned Mike and uncovered disturbing stories proving Debora was dangerous. She had poisoned Mike during their separation and told him he would only get custody of the children over their dead bodies. Debora's singed hair and the initial location of the fire proved her involvement in the arson.
Shirley and Ed Andronowich were regulars at a neighborhood bar. One night, Ed decided to leave early and Shirley wanted to stay. There was a brief argument, and Ed went home alone. The next day, Shirley’s badly beaten and mutilated body was found outside of a nearby high school. The murder weapon was a 55-pound piece of concrete. It was up to investigators to determine what had happened to Shirley Andronowich and who was responsible.
Five-year-old Melissa Brannen disappeared from a Christmas party in 1989. The fibers on her clothes were the only means for police to determine her abductor. Police grew suspicious of Cal Hughes who was washing his clothes at 1am when they came to his home. They searched his car and found several fibers similar to the clothes Melissa had worn to the party. However, there was no way to test the fibers until an investigator's wife remembered seeing Melissa's outfit in a catalog. The same outfit was taken from another customer and tested. The fibers matched and Cal Hughes was convicted of abduction with intent to harm.
The doctors at the hospital couldn’t determine the cause of Bobby Curley’s hallucinations and intense pain. At first, they treated it as a neurological disorder, but Bobby’s condition deteriorated. Something he was being given in the hospital wasn’t curing him, it was killing him.
Two young boys were found tied and murdered with similar wounds within three months of each other. The rope used to tie the boys was very unique: it was made of left-over garbage in South Korea and used by the air force. Another clue turned up when one of the boy's brother was hypnotised and remembered a uniformed man in a tan car. Shortly after, someone noticed a strange car and gave the licence plate number to police. This vital information led to the conviction of John Joubert, an air force-enlisted man who carried the same exact rope used to bind the two boys.
Karla Brown was the youngest of three girls in the Brown family. After many failed relationships, Karla became engaged to Mark Fair. The couple began moving into their dream home in June 1978. On the morning of June 20, Mark left for work and Karla remained at home. When Mark and a friend returned home that evening, they found Karla dead. The condition of Karla's body told investigators that she was a victim of sexual assault; she had resisted, struggled, and was killed. The Police questioned Paul Main and John Prante, who lived across the street. They were considered low-level suspects. After a second autopsy, they were able to re-examine bite marks. A Computer enhancement gave a better view of the bite marks, and the science of forensic odontology identified John Prante. On July 15, 1983, five years after the murder, Prante was found guilty and sentenced to 75 years in prison.
Clayton Johnson, a Nova Scotia schoolteacher, left for work on the morning of February 20, 1989. At 7.40 AM, the school bus arrived to pick up the Johnson children. At 7.51 Mrs. Molloy arrived to drop off her child at the Johnson home. She found Janice Johnson lying at the bottom of the basement stairs in a pool of blood. Clayton Johnson later married a 22-year-old member of his Pentecostal congregation. When homicide investigator Brian Oldford heard this, he became suspicious and decided to reinvestigate. He learned that Clayton had taken out a $125,000 life insurance policy on his first wife, Janice, shortly before she died. Clayton Johnson was charged with the first-degree murder. By examining the photos and nature of the injuries, they were convinced that she had fallen backwards. The accidental fall scenario would also account for the complete lack of defensive wounds on Mrs. Johnson or Mr. Johnson. Testimony was presented to the Canadian high courts and a decision is pending.
At 16 months of age, Anne Grace Gimmenstad became very ill and was rushed to the hospital, and within two weeks died. Following extensive medical examinations, it was determined that Anna had been the victim of the deadly bacteria E-Coli. Anna'a mother recalled a trip to the grocery store when Anna pointed excitedly at her favorite drink, Odwalla apple juice. As early as 1993, tests on samples of Odwalla juices found high levels of general bacteria. Federal and state inspections reports confirm that the company used two loads of apples with relatively high defect levels on the day the juice was made. The genetic markings on the E-Coli in the victims matched the bacteria found in the product bottled that day. Odwalla pleaded guilty to violating Federal food safety laws and agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine for the outbreak of E-Coli in its juices.
On the evening of January 9, 1967, Lori Keidel, her two sisters, and her brother were left home alone while their father went to a nearby laundromat. Suddenly, a large blaze engulfed their brick ranch home. Only a few months earlier, the children's mother disappeared, and had made no effort to contact them. Finally, on June 9, 1993, Lori found the courage to tell police the vision that had possessed her for 29 years. The most shocking revelation was that Lori had witnessed her mother's death. On September 14, 1994, an eight by nine foot square of concrete was removed from the side yard, and a skeleton was found in the exact spot her youngest daughter remembered as being her grave. Gene Keidel was arrested for his wife's murder nearly 30 years after her death. Gene was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Merril Bahe and Florena Woody grew up in starkly different conditions on an Indian reservation that crossed the borders of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The couple soon engaged, and they moved into the Woody family home. On April 29, 1993, Florena started complaining of muscle aches in her back and shoulders. On May 6, her doctor gave her antibiotics for her condition. Florena later died; she simply drowned in the fluid generated by her illness. Doctors had no idea what had killed her. Meanwhile, Merril Bahe started experiencing similar symptoms, and on the day of Florena's funeral he was sent to the hospital, but died on the way there. Investigators found deer mice tested positive for a new form of the hanta virus. They determined that contact with the feces of the deer mice was what had caused the disease, and that when the feces dried, the deadly microbe became airborne.
Ed and Julie Thigpen Post were a happy, successful couple. But the morning of June 3, 1986 would change the lives of Ed and Julie forever. At 7 am, Ed went for a 40-minute jog. Before leaving he drew a bath for his wife. At 7:40 am, Ed returned to the Omni Hotel, and at 7:43, he called the front desk and said that his wife had fallen in the bathtub and was not breathing. George Hollacher conducted a full-scale investigation in the background of Ed Post. The first red flag went up when the investigators discovered that Ed had a $700,000 life insurance policy on Julie. A second autopsy was performed by Dr. Paul McGarry. He found 36 areas of bruising, not noted during the original autopsy. The death was ruled a homicide and Ed Post was charged with the first-degree murder of his wife. The trial ended in 1989, and Ed was found guilty of first-degree murder. After serving six and a half years, Ed admitted to the drowning of his wife.
For more than a decade, women in a small Louisiana city lived in fear of a serial rapist. Fortunately, computer technology and behavioral science combined to give police a new forensic tool: geographical profiling. Police narrow their search to one man, but to prove he’s the perpetrator they turn to an unlikely piece of evidence--- a discarded cigarette butt.
When the wife of a well-known dentist is found dead, police are unsure who killed her. Some fibers and a study of the weather patterns on the night of the murder break the case open and reveal the real killer.
When a young mother and her infant son are found dead in a cornfield, the obvious suspect is the husband and father of the victims. But some insects found on the bodies reveal a vital clue, as does a long, blonde hair found on the victims.
When a decomposed body is discovered inside a barrel, police immediately suspect foul play. But the body had been placed there 30 years earlier. One of the few clues was an address book found along with the body but years of moisture had washed away the ink. Scientists desperately searched for a way to unlock the secrets of that address book.
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, a Seattle policeman’s home is destroyed by an arsonist. One month later, the officer arrests a low-level drug dealer, who confesses to the arson. But when the suspect vanishes, investigators begin to question the authenticity of his confession. Originally aired as Season 5, Episode 5.
Dianna Green was just 20 years-old and pregnant when she was brutally raped and beaten in her apartment. The assault caused the death of her unborn baby. When Dianna came out of a coma 3 weeks later, she told police she knew the identity of her attacker. But was her memory accurate?
A mother and her two young daughters are found brutally murdered. The crime scene yielded a good deal of evidence, but no conclusive link to the prime suspect. To solve the puzzle, an FBI analyst designs a unique experiment. Originally aired as Season 5, Episode 7.
A young girl is found dead, the victim of an apparent sex-killer. Authorities are intrigued by unusual orange fibers embedded in clothing found near the victim. Months pass and the case goes cold, until a van turns up with what appear to be the same orange fibers. Originally aired as Season 5, Episode 8.
In the back woods of Georgia, in a dilapidated house, a 49 year old recluse named Virginia Ridley was found dead. A medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. But who would murder someone who seldom ventured out of her home? Investigators found some clues in the notes she had written shortly before her death.
Why do children at a Texas hospital seem to be dying at a higher rate than at any other hospital in the country? Medical investigators have no answers until they discover that one nurse seems to be on-duty in almost all the fatal cases. But proving the connection seems impossible until an international team of doctors uncovers an unlikely murder weapon.
When the decomposed body of a young girl is discovered, police have no clues to her identity. But days earlier, a stabbing victim told them she thought she might have witnessed a murder. Police think the cases might be related, and to prove it, they turn to an unusual piece of evidence: a tiny wad of chewing gum found near the victim’s body. Originally aired as Season 5, Episode 11.
At the age of 12, a boy's testimony helped convict the man who murdered his mother. Five years later, discrepancies in the autopsy lead him to question if the murdered woman really was his mother. If it wasn't, an innocent man had been sent to prison.
Some of the refugees who sought asylum in the United States after World War II lied about the atrocities in which they’d participated. Years later, when a high-ranking religious figure was suspected of war crimes, there seemed to be no way to prove his guilt or innocence... until a postcard allegedly written by him 40 years earlier was found in a German archive. Originally aired as Season 5, Episode 13.
Don't make a tape recording if you don't want to get caught, especially if it's the 2nd husband that has died mysteriously. Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
A Canadian financier assumed the name of a co-worker as part of a money-laundering scheme. The man turned up dead in the ocean, with an anchor tied around his torso. Police hoped to identify him with a tattoo and the watch he was wearing. But it would be the ten-pound anchor which enabled them to crack the case. Originally aired as Season 5, Episode 15.
Cincinnati heart surgeon Dr. Darryl Sutorius had a second chance at love when he married a pretty, young divorcee, but happiness is sometimes elusive. Dr. Sutoruis fell into a serious depression and apparently commited suicide with a .38-caliber pistol. But why did he fire a test shot into the sofa cushion before killing himself?
When a prosecutor discovers evidence linking a habitual drunk driver to a hit-and-run in which a child is killed, he combines the talents of an accident reconstruction expert with a video specialist. This case was the first in which video in the courtroom withstood an appeal, and helped make “video testimony” viable in other cases. Originally aired as Season 5, Episode 17.
In 1998, a convience store clerk in Lansing, Michigan, was shot to death during a robbery. No one else was in the store at the time. But there was an eye witness, a security camera. Unfortunately, the story it told was far from clear.
When 23-year-old college co-ed Tina Biggar goes missing, her boyfriend and family fear she has been murdered. A police investigation reveals details about her past that no one, not even her closest friends, suspected: She was a student by day and a $100-an-hour call-girl by night. Her many clients were all suspects in her disappearance, as was her boyfriend. But when her body is discovered, police obtain evidence that reveals that her killer was former client Kenneth Tranchida, as well as more details about her bizarre double-life and its tragic consequences.
In 1995, Carolyn Killaby of Vancouver, Washington got into a heated arguement with her husband. She then went to a local bar alone. No one has seen or heard from her since. But some saliva from an envelope and a speck of blood on a wristwatch, helped solve the mystery of her disappearance.
The Pearl Bruns Case. During the winter and fall of 1991, police searched all over New England for a woman who had disappeared from her home in Maine. Police were not sure whether she had run away or had met with foul play. One year later, investigators found a clue. A clue that had been right under their noses from the very beginning.
The John Miller / Debbie Loveless Case In 1989, a 4 year-old girl was rushed to a Texas hospital. An artery in her leg was completely severed. The little girl died shortly after arrival. Medical investigators believed the leg wound was no accident.
A young sailor named Billy Bosko married his high school sweetheart, Michelle Moore Bosko. When he returns to his home port of Norfolk, Virginia on July 8, 1997, he finds his 19 year old bride lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Some one had raped and murdered her. The police investigation focuses on a neighbor, who confesses. But his DNA does not match the killer's. That begins a series of police interrogations and 'confessions', all of which are in conflict with the forensic evidence. Four men are eventually sent to prison. Three others are accused. Finally, an eighth man confesses in a letter, and his is the only DNA that matches. Now defense investigators and others wonder - why were these other men accused... and even sent to prison?
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, an anonymous “tip” referring to unpublicized aspects of an unsolved case, leads police on a hunt for a killer. Investigators use laser technology to identify the location from where the anonymous letter was mailed. Originally aired as Season 6, Episode 4.
Police uncover a string of murdered prostitutes, each of which have had their eyes carved out.
Marie Robards suffered the devastating loss of her father while she was still in high school. The death was ruled the result of cardiac arrest. One year later, she won a part in her high school production of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The lines she was required to recite onstage were more than the thoughts and feelings of her character; they struck a chord, and hinted at her own inner turmoil, from the secret she had been hiding.
When a federal agency rules that a fire was intentionally set, the mother of the child killed in the suspicious fire was charged with murder. But are government scientists, with all of their resources, always right? The accused in this case undertook her own arson investigation, and was able to poke enough holes in the governments scientific conclusions – to raise serious questions about whether the fire was intentionally set.
When a man dies unexpectedly in the office of a noted doctor, police begin what they think will be a routine investigation. What they find throws doubt on the identity of the dead man and raises questions about the doctor’s role in his death. Soon they uncover a bizarre story of corpse stealing, faked identities, and sexual perversion. Originally aired as Season 6, Episode 7.
Investigators use established techniques to make molds of shoe impressions found at crime scenes for later identification. But what happens if the impression is left in the snow? Here’s the story of one investigator, whose quick thinking and knowledge of science enabled him to capture a shoe impression before the evidence melted away. Originally aired as Season 6, Episode 8.
The Dawn Bruce Case In 1990, a killer of a 22 year-old girl left an almost indistinguishable mark in a blood stain at the crime scene. But a new computer forensic technology found distinguishing characteristics in the smear. Evidence that would lead directly to the perpetrator.
When a six-year-old girl disappeared from church during a Sunday service, investigators feared a stalker was preying on children. A psychological profile of the perpetrator leads investigators to a taxi cab driver who was in the vicinity of the church at the time of the disappearance. Originally aired as Season 6, Episode 10.
The Linda Sobek Case. Breathtaking beaches and beautiful bodies explain why Southern California is often the first choice for motion picture and still photographers. In 1995, Linda Sobek, a busy model with a growing reputation, vanished on her way to a photo shoot. Linda's photographic images helped launch her career and would also solve the mystery of her disappearance.
The Steven Hricko Case An evening out to a 'murder mystery' theater performance turns into a real life whodunit when a badly burned body is discovered after the performance ends. But even good 'acting' can't mask the true culprit. Lies, greed and medical trickery can't match the skills of forensic scientists, who bring the curtain down on the real killer.
A young, happily married woman died tragically in a horseback riding accident. Her husband seemed far from grief-stricken and, when they investigated his background, police discovered a web of lies and a proficiency with pharmaceuticals... which led them to question whether the woman’s death truly was an accident.
For 15 months, a serial killer was strangling prostitutes in Florida, then taunting police by leaving the bodies in plain sight. The only clues were a tire impression and some threads. By the time scientists identify the source of these treads and the threads, police discover the killer was right under their noses the entire time.
The Copeland Killings. When police in the Great Plains are called to retrieve a dead body, they do a background check on the victim. The trail leads them into a bizarre web of homeless drifters, cattle auctions and bad checks - all fronted by an elderly couple with a penchant for money and murder.
The Tina Mott Case In 1996, two young boys fishing in an Ohio lake found what looked like a human skull. All of it's teeth were missing and markings on the skull told a tale of unspeakable violence. Police had no idea who this person was or how long the skull had been in the water.
When a fundamentalist group starts attacking and robbing banks in the Pacific Northwest, authorities know immediately that they are dealing with experienced criminals. A tip leads them to the alleged perpetrators and the evidence found at their homes is extensive. But in court, this wealth of evidence must withstand a well-funded defense. Originally aired as Season 6, Episode 17.
Does it mean it didn't happen when the DNA doesn't match? Not necessarily. If the offender is smart and knows how to fool the test.
In 1993, two Texas teenagers, a 14-year-old boy and his 13-year-old stepsister, were brutally murdered. It took forensic evidence and a behavioral profile to identify their killer as Jason Massey, who had a history of torturing animals.
A woman's body used for soil enhancement. Only the soil experts can tell.
The Susie Mowbray Case When a Texas car dealer was found shot to death in his bed, it looked, at first, like suicide. But a closer examination of the evidence convinced investigators the man had been murdered in cold blood. A decade would pass, and a family would be ripped apart before a jury rendered final judgement on what really happened that hot Texas night.
In 1994, Rhoda Nathan was found murdered in a Cincinnati, Ohio hotel room. Later, when hotel employee Elwood Jones went to a hospital emergency room for an infected hand, which he said was cut on a dumpster at work, the doctor treating him recognized the injury as something else.
Two of America’s premier pornographers happen to be brothers. When one turns up dead, his brother confesses to shooting him. The question for investigators is whether the shooting was pre-meditated. A 911 call in which the fatal shots can be heard, and a computer reconstruction of the crime scene, provide the answer. Originally aired as Season 6, Episode 23.
A massacre of several monks at a Buddhist temple in Arizona. Police are stunned when they discover the man they arrested isn't the real killer.
The Donna Payant Case When the body of a female prison guard shows up in a landfill, investigators immediately view hundreds of prisoners as suspects. The medical examiner not only identified the cause of death, he found an important clue. It was a ""signature"" element to the crime, and was similar to a murder the medical examiner investigated ten years earlier. When he checked further, he discovered that the same perpetrator was an inmate at the same prison. Was it possible that the inmate committed this crime, too?
When a nine-year-old girl vanishes from her quiet suburban neighborhood, an entire community searches for her abductor. Investigators wonder if her long-lost mother might be connected to the disappearance. Finally, police use satellites surveillance to trace the perpetrator. Originally aired as Season 6, Episode 25.
When off-duty Maine State Trooper Vicky Gardner is attacked during a routine stop, it triggers a series of events which jump-starts a stalled murder case in New Jersey.
The cat knows and also shows the mystery to a death.
The possible suicide of a young woman have blood splatter experts on the case. Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
The Vicki Lyons Case. When a four-year-old girl is found unconscious in a parking lot, police concluded it was a hit and run vehicle accident, and left it at that. But the girl’s mother was determined to find out exactly what had happened. She was a fan of murder mysteries and forensic science shows, and used much of what she had learned to determine who was responsible for the accident which severely injured her daughter.
Lisa Manderach Case They were a beautiul family a striking raven-haired couple with their delightful little girl. In 1995, mother and daughter left home for a shopping trip and were never seen again. The search for answers would lead investigators into a world of evil, fantasy, and perversion.
In the 1960s, for lead singer Walter Scott, The Cheater become his signature song and a hit single. But like so many others, Walter Scott was a one-hit wonder--never able to repeat the success with another song. After 14 straight years of preforming on the road, mostly one-nighters, Walter Scott disappeared. Many believed that the lyrics 'Watch Out for the Cheater' weren't just words, but an omen.
The Nancy DePriest Case. When a young man confessed to the rape and murder of a woman in a restaurant, police were convinced the case was solved. Eight years later, another man imprisoned for an unrelated crime, admitted HE committed the murder. But authorities viewed that admission as unfounded. They could not understand why an innocent man would confess to a crime he did not commit, and if he were innocent, why he said nothing during his eight years in prison.
When two boys are viciously attacked while fishing in a nearby pond, authorities spring into action. They suspect a group of teenage thugs, but lack solid evidence. It would take the murky waters of a fishing hole to provide clear evidence, and help authorities reel in the boy’s attackers.
In 1988, the body of a young woman was discovered in an Ohio river under ice. Most of the evidence found at the crime scene -- hairs, fibers, & fingerprints-- had been washed away. But the victim's 6 year-old son unwittingly told investigators all they needed to know about the killer... and he did it without saying a word. The clues was in his genes.
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, we explore the case of 17-year-old Crystal Faye Todd, who was raped and murdered in her small town. When one of Crystal’s male acquaintances’ DNA matched semen at the crime scene, it raised the question, why would he volunteer for a DNA sample? Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 5.
In 1995, a rapist was on the loose in Visalia, California. Evidence left by one of the victims at the crime scene, and the expertise of a forensic odontologist, put teeth in the prosecution’s case against the alleged perpetrator.
A woman vanished from her home on Prince Edward Island. Her abandoned car was found in a field; inside, the windows were spattered with blood. During the search for her body, police found a plastic bag containing a pair of sneakers and a bloody leather jacket. On the jacket were white hairs that investigators discovered had come from a cat. Forensic testing on a cat had never been done before anywhere in the world. This case made history: It was the first time that animal DNA was used to solve a crime.
In 1984, hundreds of people in The Dalles, Oregon became ill with food poisoning. Local, state and federal disease detectives slowly unraveled the medical mystery. Along with a unique strain of bacteria, they discovered a religious cult's bizarre plot to overthrow the government -- using germ warfare.
When a woman is found dead of a gunshot wound, police conclude that she was murdered by her husband. Investigators theorized the couple had argued, and during the ensuing struggle, the husband shot his wife in the back and then staged the scene to make it look like a suicide. Forensic scientists were able to piece together the clues and determine what really happened. In doing so, they proved once again that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
Madalyn Murray O'Hair was America's best known athiest, principally responsible for abolishing prayer in public schools. In 1995, she mysteriously disappeared from her Texas home, along with her son Jon Murray and grand daughter Robin. Over $600,000 of their organization's money disappeared along with them. It was a local newspaper reporter playing forensic detective who helped solve the case.
While standing outside of a motorcycle gang’s clubhouse, two witnesses watched in horror as a truck intentionally ran over an unconscious man. The truck was finally located, but the forensics lab could not find a single speck of evidence in it. And the body didn’t turn up either. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 11.
Police determine that the human remains found in a discarded box belong to one Edna Posey. But to find out when the murder took place, and whether the man accused of the crime is guilty, investigators turn to insects and the forensic entomologist who can interpret their behavior.
An eighteen-year-old girl is abducted at gunpoint from her home in Jackson, Ohio. Fortunately the victim returns hours later, and police hope the tire impressions and shoe prints at the crime scene will enable them to find the perpetrator. But the victim knew something about forensic science, and she was determined to prove she had been in the assailant’s truck. The clues she left behind, and her recollection of details, led police straight to a career criminal.
When a severed leg is found in a dumpster, investigators are faced with the challenge of identifying the victim. Using anthropology, toxicology and DNA testing, police are able to determine who the victim was and follow the trail of evidence to his killer. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 14.
Was the fire a cover up for a murder? Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
In 1996, a serial rapist preyed on women, both young and old, in South Bend, Indiana. Eventually, three victoms identified the same man as the perpetrator. But what happens when forensic evidence points to one man, while the victoms are pointing to another?
The 1996 Seattle murder of suburban couple Raquel Rivera & Jay Johnson. Investigators first believe the slayings were the result of a drug deal gone bad. However, no drugs are found in the house and the victims' blood isn't present on the clothing of the suspects. Evidence from the couple's dog Chief eventually ties one of the murderers to the scene. One of the first cases where dog DNA was used to convict.
After Michelle Baker became pregnant by boyfriend Dr. Maynard Muntzing, she noticed she became ill whenever they were together. The coincidences led her to suspect that he was doing her harm, so she set out to prove it.
In Wichita Falls, Texas, police had four unsolved murders-- the worst crime spree in the small town's history. For more then a decade, the killer successfully eluded police. But a discarded coffee cup in a trash bin solved the mystery.
In Philadelphia a woman's car was found abandoned on the side of a busy highway... still running. But the driver was missing. At the scene, police found several clues. But was there enough forensic evidence to solve the mystery?
In 1999 a minister's wife was found dead in an overflowing bathtub in her home in South Dakota. Her cryptic suicide note left questions about her state of mind and her sense of time. Forensic science provided those answers.
A young woman stopped her car along a busy highway in California. She was never seen again. For three years, the search for her where-abouts continued, but the trail eventually turned cold. So cold that forensic scientists needed new techniques to solve it.
The Tracy Jo Shine Case: A young girl falls in with the wrong crowd and then disappears. Her parents believe they had something to do with her vanishing.
Having it all is a life long dream for Phil and his family.... or is it a dream for everybody? Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
When 6-year-old Michelle Door disappeared, her father became the prime suspect, having failed a polygraph. Years later, police learned that a man who’d been convicted of another murder lived just two doors away from Michelle when she disappeared. This discovery, and tiny drops of blood shed a decade earlier, helped police to solve the crime. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 25.
The 1996 investigation into 48-year-old Martha Hansen's murder in Anchorage is helped by a legal requirement that bars have video cameras installed on the premises. Using video, hair and blood evidence, investigators determine that Evans Lee Curtis was the murderer.
A mail order bride doesn't get the life she was promised.
The Kowalczk/Thompson Murders. An elderly couple was bludgeoned to death in their home, but the crime went unsolved. Two years later, the owner of a pawn shop was looking through a stack of old newspapers and came across an article about the murders. There was a photograph of the victims, and the woman pictured was wearing an unusual elephant pendant necklace – a necklace which the owner realized was in her shop. Not only that, she still had the pawn ticket, identifying who had sold the jewelry.
When nine-year-old Jessica Knott disappeared from her home and was later found murdered, all of the tools in the arsenal of forensic scientists were brought to bear. Painstaking analysis of hairs, tiny fibers, and the plastic garbage covering her body lead police to a suspect – who turned out to be the same person who made what he thought was an anonymous 911-call, reporting where Jessica’s body could be found.
The investigation of the disappearance of a young woman leads police to a suspect who has a history of sexual assault, rape, and kidnapping. But police could not find the victim's body, making it more difficult to connect their suspect to the crime. Finally, police discover the remains of a charred tooth. Superimposed images and an analysis of the elements of a dental filling give investigators the proof they need to bring the perpetrator to justice.
The Janet Overton Case. The sensitive nose of a forensic examiner sniffs out evidence of murder that had been right under their noses all the time.
In 1981, police found a partial print near a doorknob at a crime scene. But without a suspect, police had no way to compare the print to the one million prints on file. 17 years later, new forensic technology changed that, breathing new life into what was a very old crime.
In Miami, Florida, a sniper opened fire from the rooftop of a manufacturing plant, killing one employee and injuring two others in the parking lot below. When the gun was found, the police discovered that the shooter had scratched the serial number off of it to make it untraceable. But forensic scientists had a way to make the number reappear. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 33.
In 1992, residents in and around Seattle were terrified that their home -- or business -- or church -- would be the next target of a serial arsonist. More than 100 fires had been set, all apparently by the same person. This was the biggest arson case in American history, and it was solved with the help of behavioral profiling, hypnosis, and a skillful sketch artist.
The local police and the FBI are stumped when a serial killer sends them a map to his latest victim. There is no way to find who sent the map until an Illinois State Trooper traces the map to Microsoft. WorldCom helps investigators map the killers' digital trail to his real name address, where police uncover a sickening dungeon where Maury Travis filmed himself murdering several of his victims.
The Troy Graves Case: A serial killer plagues two different states. There is a lot of evidence but no suspect to connect it to. Until one day a woman recognizes the sketch artist drawing.
The Melinda Ballard Case. When a healthy three-year-old boy suddenly developed respiratory and neurological problems, doctors couldn’t explain why. Then his father began to exhibit signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. His mother became ill while traveling in an airplane; fortunately, the passenger seated next to her made his living by removing toxic mold from buildings. When she told him about her family’s health problems, he suspected their home might be making them sick.
The murder of a well respected surgeon in an upscale waterfront apartment community left police in St. Petersburg, Florida baffled. Cell phone mapping, wiretapping and a host of other forensic evidence would uncover a twisted conspiracy, and bring the doctor's killers to justice.
On February 14, 2000; Bob Dorotik's body was found on a mountain road near his family's horse ranch. His wife told police that Bob had gone jogging and never returned, but investigators had their doubts. He had been beaten and strangled, and it appeared that someone else had dressed him. Authorities began tracing the crime back to the family's ranch, leading them to think Bob Dorotik didn't leave home alone.
Virginia and Maryland are both plagued with serial sniper killers. These killers don't have a profile of their victims they just shoot at random. It will take all the help forensics has to solve this case.
Police say that a car crash, which killed an elderly woman, was murder and arson. The driver, the victom's daughter, insisted it was an accident. Two fire investigators came to two entirely different conclusions. Was it an accident... or murder?
Seventeen-year-old Shari Faye Smith was abducted in broad daylight, in front of her own home. The kidnapper tormented her family with phone calls, leading them to believe Shari was alive -- and then they received a letter he'd forced Shari to write, her 'last will and testament'. This document would lead investigators to Shari's killer, a fitting postscript to a heinous crime.
The Richard Alfredo Case. When a Massachusetts man dropped dead of an apparent heart attack, no one thought foul play was a possibility until police looked into his girlfriend’s odd behavior in the days before his death. Controversy surrounded the case for almost a decade, which pitted competing teams of toxicologists against each other: One claimed the death was due to natural causes, and the other said it was cold-blooded murder.
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, the sense of security in Waseca, Minnesota shatters when 12-year-old Cally Jo Larson is found dead in her home. Despite an exhaustive investigation, only a string of burglaries, which lead police to a cache of stolen goods, brings a killer to justice. Originally aired as Season 8, Episode 2.
In 1962, the people of the small town of Hanford, California lost their sense of peace when one of their own, 15 year-old Marlene Miller, was murdered. It would take 24 years and countless retrials before forensic scientists discovered the microscopic evidence that brought the killer to justice. Originally aired as Season 8, Episode 3.
A young woman walked out of a department store, got into a rental car, and was never seen again. The signature on the rental car agreement was a forgery. Forensic scientists hoped that either the handwriting or the ink from the pen would solve the mystery.
An unknown assailant walked into a retail store and fired three shots killing the owner. Police had suspects, but all had alibis. Forensic scientists found more than a crime perpetrated in broad daylight. Hidden in the shadows was a killer.
Bite marks lead the police to a killer.
Ray Krone was known throughout Arizona as the snaggletooth killer. An unusal bite-mark on a murdered woman resulted in his conviction and death sentence. A forensic expert told the jury that he was 100% certain that it was Krone who bit the victom. But the expert knew he was wrong and confided to a friend ""I'm too commited, and now I'm in too deep.""
The Boczkowski Case. A woman’s death in Pennsylvania triggers a homicide investigation into another woman’s death in North Carolina. The similarities in the cases were striking, and medical examiners must determine if the suspect’s story about accidental drowning is all wet.
A 34-year-old nurse experiences a variety of flu-like symptoms. None of her doctors are able to discover the cause, until she visits the gynecologist for a routine check-up. She then learns it's something far worse than the flu. She is HIV-positive. Being a nurse, she could have contracted the HIV virus in any number of ways. In the end, science was able to determine not only how she had been infected, but also by whom. The worst part: it wasn't an accident.
Niantic, CT: A woman is found dead in her home while her husband is out on a sailing trip. When investigating, police uncover a lifestyle of sex parties and wife swapping. Forensic investigators begin to solve this crime with a old movie, an overheard phone call, and an air conditioner.
Police were puzzled by an obscure print found at a crime scene in Peoria, Illinois where one man had been killed and two teenage girls were seriously injured. Neither of the girls could identify their attacker. But one simple, yet rarely found, clue helped track the footsteps of a killer.
The murder of a prominent business man in Colorado was particually difficult to solve since the killers left virtually no forensic evidence at the scene. But information gathered from a small-town diner, an endocrinologist, and a forensic botanist took a bite out of the chief suspect's alibi.
When a union official is executed in his home after a strike by union membership, and no one in the neighborhood heard any gunshots; it takes a forensic sound test, an electron microscope and a night gown to explain why.
In 1995 St. Louis, Missouri a young woman complained about a shuttle van driver who took her home from the airport. A few days later, there was a violent confrontation that left both the woman and the van driver dead. Police first thought the incident was revenge; but the blood pattern, an old hammer and a hastily scrawled note told forensic scientists something entirely different.
A police officer and his estranged wife have a fight in their bedroom. A shotgun goes off. He says it was suicide, investigators said it was murder. It took ballistics, a last will, and the physics of a shot-cup petal to tell what really happened in the bedroom that day.
When firefighters found an entire family dead inside their home, it looked like a murder/suicide. But there were several inconsistent clues inside the rubble. Could ballistics, a time card, and some secret audio tapes unravel the mystery?
The double homicide of a gay couple leads investigators into the twisted world of White Supremacists. Shell casings, paint chips and an analysis of glass shards help authorities link their prime suspects to a string of hate crimes in California. Originally aired as Season 8, Episode 17.
With no forensic evidence found at a murder scene, investigators were baffled. But they suspected that the victom's dog had witnessed the crime. If she had, forensic scientists needed some way to find out what the dog had seen.
She worked behind the scenes in a television newsroom. But one day, instead of covering the news, she became the news. The crime scene told a terrible tale of violence. But it would take DNA, a behavioral profile, and a computer to solve the case.
When investigators arrived at the scene of a shooting, they found a most knowledgeable witness. The victim's husband is a homicide detective and he said the shooting was an accident. It took a photograph, a forensic scientist's own blood, and the flexibility of a tendon to solve the mystery.
For years, a woman suffered from what appeared to be the unpleasant side effects of lithium, a drug prescribed to treat bipolar disorder. Her search for help led her to numerous doctors and hospitals, and resulted in a 4,000-page medical file. When she died, investigators had to determine if her death was due to natural causes, suicide, or murder.
In 1986, Jeanette Kirby was brutally murdered while jogging in a Michigan park. Her assailant used unusual police-style handcuffs to subdue her before stabbing her to death. It took over 15 years for police to bring her killer to justice, using forensic science.
When a small child disappeared in Alaska, investigators were initially unsure whether the cause of a grizzly bear or an abduction. The discovery of a fiber, a piece of molten steel, and a chip of yellow glossy paint pointed police in the direction of a human. But others weren't so sure.
She was to testify in a criminal trial but was found murdered before that could happen. It would be years before any progress was made on the case but it would be her own research that would help police solve the case.
For six years, a serial killer prowled the streets of New York City, hunting his victims. He promised to kill 12 people, one for each astrological sign. And he only struck while certain constellations were visible. It took forensic astronomy, handwriting analysis, and a World War II code breaker to find him.
A healthy young man dies mysteriously in his sleep. There are no signs of trauma or injury, but toxicology tests reveal a lethal dose of lidocaine in his blood. Investigators find a suicide note, and presume he killed himself -- until a forensic linguist examines the note and determines that what the victim said is less important than how he said it. Originally aired as Season 8, Episode 26.
The murder of a beautiful young woman went unsolved for years. A murder with forensic evidence and plenty of suspects. But sometimes that's not enough. It took the victom's 9 year-old child, notations in a diary, and forensic psychology to determine which forensic evidence was important and which to ignore.
A retired police officer is discovered in his bed, dead of a single gunshot wound to the head. His wife first says the motive was robbery; then she tells police he committed suicide. It would take careful examination of the evidence at the crime scene, the tape from a bank surveillance camera, and forensic textbooks found in the victim's home to write the final chapter of this real-life whodunit.
The bodies of two young women are found in the ashes of an apartment fire, which appeared to have been set deliberately. Evidence found in the debris leads investigators to a suspect, but it would take a tiny blood stain, no bigger than the head of a pin, to convict him.
Two different men called police to report the same murder. Apparently, neither one knew that the other had called. The investigation uncovered even more unusal circumstances. But few tiny seeds and a discarded candy wrapper were more then just insignificant clues. They told a story of revenge.
When a car catches fire and swerves off the road. Then it burns completely, there isn't a whole lot left to make identifications with. Lucky for Mr. Rutherford a medic alert and a watch survived the fire and lead forensic anthropologists onto the case.
When a pipe bomb ripped through a rural home, killing a young man and seriously injuring his mother, police had no idea who was responsible. A lot number on a 9-volt battery and the remnants of a mailing label found on a computer’s hard drive enabled investigators to determine who sent the bomb, and why. Originally aired as Season 8, Episode 32.
No one in a quiet residential community saw or heard anything unusual the day one of their neighbors was brutally murdered. Fingerprints found at the crime scene and surveillance video from a security camera helped investigators to apprehend the presumed killer within 12 hours – even though he’d already left the. Originally aired as Season 8, Episode 33.
Bruce Miller was shot to death in the office of the junkyard business he owned. The crime scene was almost pristine. In the untidy office which hadn't been cleaned for years, there should have been footprints, or fingerprints, or foreign hairs and fibres – but there weren't. When a computer forensics expert examined the computers owned by the victims wife and by her lover, he found all the evidence needed to convict the person most responsible for the crime.
A drive-by shooting leaves one man dead and another seriously wounded. Cell phone calls and shell casings point to a suspect, but authorities are unable to place him at the crime scene. When a forensic geologist compared soil from the crime scene with soil found in the wheel wells of the suspect’s car, he proved that dirt is anything but dumb. Originally aired as Season 8, Episode 35.
When a teenaged girl is found dead on the side of the road, her boyfriend becomes the prime suspect. He eventually confessed to her murder – but so did another man. It would take the passage of forty years, an author, and an expert in the field of pedestrian accident reconstruction to determine who was telling the truth. Originally aired as Season 8, Episode 36.
A high school gym teacher took time off from class to give his friend a ride home -- and never returned. After his disappearance, his wife and friend received letters, explaining that he needed to make a clean break and start a new life. Investigators suspected foul play but, without a body, the case would be difficult to prove… difficult, but with the help of forensic science, not impossible.
A sixteen-year-old girl was killed by her mother and father, in her own home. Her parents said they acted in self-defence, but the forensic evidence indicated otherwise. Definitive proof would come from an unlikely source: a recording made by an FBI electronic surveillance device.
A mysterious computer crash pushed a thriving manufacturing company to the brink of collapse, jeopardizing the jobs of hundreds of employees. There was no apparent cause; there were no obvious clues. Forensic investigators had to determine if the crash was the result of a computer defect, human error, or sabotage. Originally aired as Season 8, Episode 39.
It was supposed to be a routine motorcade for the Queen of England. But on the way to Yosemite National Park, a car carrying three Secret Service agents collided with a car driven by a deputy from the local sheriff's office. The agents were killed instantly. In the investigation which followed, two teams oaccident reconstructionists reached very different conclusions. It would take a court case and a judge's ruling to determine what really happened, and who was responsible.
In 1993, the Amtrak Railroad experienced the deadliest train crash in United States history when the Sunset Limited derailed while crossing Alabama's Bayou Cannot bridge. Forty-seven passengers and crew were killed; scores more were injured. The clues to the cause of the crash lay etched in twisted steel and buried in the mud of the Bayou Cannot.
A fire erupted in the Kings Cross Underground Station in London, killing 31 people and injuring dozens more. Arson investigators were able to pinpoint the cause of the fire, but it would take state-of-the-art computer technology and experts in the field of fluid dynamics to explain why it became a deadly inferno.
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, the investigation of a discarded sleeping bag, containing bloody sneakers and a purse, leads police to the body of a young woman. Only a mark found on the victim’s body enables police to track the killer. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 1.
On the last day of deer hunting season, a woman is killed while walking her dogs in the woods. Police assume it was a hunting accident, until a strange letter turns up, allegedly written by the woman before her death. Police begin to wonder if the woman may have been the target all along. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 2.
The Kathryn Harms Case: A woman was found dead by police on a regular drive route. When brought in to have an autopsy done the part of her that was the cause of her death was preserved. The knife wound in tact. Will they find the knife that committed the crime?
It took 20 years to solve the case involving the memeber ot "NecroSearch" helping to seatch for clues. Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
A talented television news anchor was shot to death outside her home; it appeared to be a crime of passion, perpetrated by an obsessed fan. A police dog tracked the scent of the killer through the adjacent woods and back to the crime scene. Could the murderer be one of the onlookers, watching the police conduct their investigation? Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 5.
Investigators sifted through the ashes of a fire that had killed a 40-year-old woman, the estranged wife of a police officer. At first glance, the fire appeared to have been started by an unattended cigarette. But when forensic scientists looked closely, they discovered the cause was far more complicated. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 6.
Forensic science caught these robber killer by there stance, look and voice. Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
The Anthony Pignataro Case
Residents of Noel, Missouri were stunned to learn that their bank had been robbed and the bank president was found floating in a lake, securely bound to a chair with duct tape. When the tape was carefully reassembled using a technique known as end match analysis, investigators discovered one piece was missing, and that piece would solve the crime. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 9.
A young couple went camping in the woods, but only one of them came out alive. The survivor told two different versions of what happened, so it took forensic psychiatry, ballistics and Korean war history to discover what really happened in the deep forests of Oregon.
The body of a 16-year-old girl was discovered nine months after she disappeared. Forensic scientists found clues that painted a virtual portrait of her killer. They knew that he had a dog, that he worked for the postal service, and that he had red carpeting in his home. Now all they had to do was find him. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 11.
Could a fall from a cliff be an accident or cold blooded murder? What appears as the first turn out to be the second when investigators dig into photos and evidence of the crime scene.
Haunted by the disappearance of her mother some twenty years earlier, a young woman undertook an investigation of her own. Her mother’s diary was in the now “cold” case file; there, in her mother’s own handwriting, she discovered a dark family secret, which might have been the reason her mother vanished. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 13.
California police had several suspects in the robbery and brutal murder of a retired couple. Unfortunately the forensic evidence was inconclusive. Ten years later a determine forensic scientist with materials used by dentists found evidence that had previously been overlooked -- and in so doing, made scientific history.
It's a he said she said game for police as some say the victim of a gang fight was killed in cold blood others say it was self defense. Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
Was it suicide or was it murder. Find out how this quadrople love triagle unfolds. Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
15 years and a metal detector would be what it took to solve this crime. Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
The body of a young California co-ed was found under an isolated ramp of the Interstate, and San Diego police had no idea who would want this girl dead. But their questions would be answered when they discovered a tiny, unique fiber on the victim’s clothing, which led them straight to the most unlikely of killers. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 18.
A go-go dancer told her family she needed to get away for a while, and then she simply disappeared. Investigators were suspicious, because she took neither her car nor her clothes. The next twenty years passed slowly, and the family began to think they might never know what happened until they received a phone call that changed everything. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 19.
When 2 men go out hunting and only one comes back alive is it an accidental shooting or murder. Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
In 1984, California firefighters had battled ten arson fires in three weeks. When cigarettes and a scrap of paper connected the southern California fires to several fires further north, the hunt was on for a dangerous pyromaniac. Investigators finally found a fingerprint, and it pointed to a most unlikely suspect. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 21.
A small community in upstate New York was devastated when a car accident claimed the life of a well-respected nurse. Investigators initially thought alcohol was to blame, but blood tests proved the victim was not intoxicated. The seedpods found in her hair and on her clothes would prove that this was no accident. It was cold-blooded murder. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 22.
A woman disappeared without a trace, leaving two possible explanations: kidnapping or murder. Concern was heightened when police learned that two other women had similarly vanished. An investigation including DNA profiling and a talented forensic artist enabled police to link the crimes to a single suspect – an immigrant known to prey on vulnerable women. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 23.
Hikers near Anchorage, Alaska discovered a body wrapped in sheets that were edged in orange stitching. Authorities hydrated the fingers and obtained a fingerprint, enabling them to identify the victim. Clinging to the sheet, they also discovered a tuft of red carpet fibers – threads of evidence that led them straight to the killer. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 24.
Nancy Ludwig is found stabbed to death her hotel room in Detroit. Nancy's death is similar to another woman who was murdered 5 years earlier, Margaret Eby.
A community mourned the loss of a shrimp boat captain when his boat went down during a storm. However, jaws dropped when a well known crew member was arrested and charged with the captain?s murder. It would take a world renowned pathologist and a forensic psychologist to get to the truth of what happened that fateful night.
When a wealthy real estate tycoon went missing, it appeared to be foul play. He had been aware that he was in danger. In his will, he left instructions regarding what was to happen if he died under violent circumstances – instructions which were carried out after a hiker came across a bullet-ridden skull. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 27.
The cold-blooded murder of an American tourist in a Mexican resort focused law enforcement resources on both sides of the border. At first glance, the motive appeared to be robbery, but careful analysis of the forensic evidence pointed to something much more sinister. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 28.
The investigation of the kidnapping of a prominent banker's wife led police on a wild goose chase, tracking down disgruntled bank customers and examining computer fonts. An unexpected discovery made by an entomologist resulted in a new suspect, and the realization that ordinary office equipment can leave behind extraordinary clues.
In the middle of the night, a neighbor witnessed a man stab his wife, push her into the swimming pool, and hold her head under water. When questioned by the police, the husband not only had no explanation for his actions, he had no recollection of the crime. A jury would have to decide between the evidence at the scene and the mysteries of the mind. Originally aired as Season 9, Episode 30.
A house erupted in flames on a cold January night, killing one person and injuring another.
For 70 years, there have been serious questions about the execution of Bruno Richard Hauptmann for the murder of Charles Lindbergh's baby. It remains one of the most controversial decisions in the history of American justice. At the time experts said his handwriting matched the ransom note and that the ladder found at the crime scene was constructed using a piece of wood from his attic. Today most experts agree that the handwriting comparisons were done improperly and that the wood comparison was highly suspect. Three of America's top forensic handwriting experts along with the results of a two-year study of the wood from Hauptmann's attic help answer the question -- Was Bruno Richard Hauptmann wrongly convicted?
The police in 1957 didn't have the technology that we have today. A man comitted several crimes in one night. 50 years later with new technology, they were able to prove their case. Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, a man riding a bicycle is fatally injured, and police believe he is the victim of a hit-and-run accident. Tiny clues found at the scene create a picture of the vehicle that struck him… and lead police to its driver. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 3.
Investigators must determine what caused a house fire that killed an elderly couple and whether the victims' son is responsible.
Police instituted an intense search when the mother of two young children went missing and, less than a day later, they found her body.
Hunters make a grisly find in a Texas canyon: a human skull. Crime scene analysis reveals bits of clothing, a woman's shoe, some small bones and one strand of hair. An anthropologist determines the victim was a Caucasian woman who had been stabbed repeatedly. A forensic artist reconstructs her face and police eventually learn who she was. Now all they have to do is find her killer.
Will a video and a GPS solve the case of the missing woman heading for Florida on vacation? Did she disappear from her hotel room or did she never leave for her trip.
A mother of two young children was found dead in her bedroom.
The reconstruction of a shredded computer disk makes forensic history.
Bombings are difficult to solve, because the perpetrator isn’t usually at the scene, and the evidence goes up in smoke. But there are clues if investigators know where to look. In this case, pieces of plastic the size of grains of sand held the key to a man’s murder. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 10.
The wife of an Air Force officer was found dead in her bed, with a plastic laundry bag near her face. At first glance, it appeared she’d been doing laundry, fell asleep, rolled onto the bag, and suffocated. But further investigation proved that the scene had been staged. Her death wasn’t an accident; it was cold-blooded murder. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 11.
When a fire destroyed most of a home and a young boy went missing, police organized the largest search in the history of their small town. First the boy’s backpack was discovered five miles from home, and then his body was found 50 miles away. But the killer had been careless, and the evidence he left behind would lead police directly to him. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 12.
A highway patrolman was dispatched to what he thought would be a routine traffic accident… until he looked in the car. While he had no formal training in forensic science, he had seen hundreds of accidents, but never as much blood as this. He was shocked by the coroner’s ruling of “accidental death,” and then an anonymous phone call breathed new life into his investigation.
The decomposed body of a young woman was discovered in a Bakersfield irrigation canal. If there was trace evidence, it had been washed away. Another victim was found in that same canal a year later; this time, the perpetrator had been careless. The shoe prints found at the scene would lead police to the most unlikely of killers. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 14
A behavioral profile is helpful in a murder investigation, but it's not a road map to the killer. One such profile caused the Baton Rouge Police Department to search for the wrong man. They might not have made an arrest, had it not been for a DNA picture of the suspect, painted by a molecular biologist.
An obstetrician finds his wife beaten and strangled to death.
Analysis of weeds and photogrammetry help solve the murder of a grounded teen taken from her home.
After an 18-year old vanishes and his car is found submerged in the Sacramento River, police use crash-test forensics, insurance policies and a bottle of motor oil to determine the killer.
Emergency dispatch received a call from a man saying his girlfriend shot and killed herself. Police found the victim in the caller’s house, lying in a pool of blood with the gun next to her on the floor. The autopsy revealed the gunshot wound was not self-inflicted, and the evidence found on her body gave police a golden opportunity to catch her killer. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 19.
A Native American woman was brutally killed in the desert of New Mexico, and the crime scene was rich in evidence: tire tracks, shoe impressions and even the murder weapons. The site was less than 10 miles from another crime scene where a male Native American was murdered two years earlier. Police began to wonder: Was a serial killer on the loose? Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 20.
A brilliant young architect became ill and died just before she was to testify in a criminal trial.
An employee of a dry-cleaner was raped and murdered in the store, and investigators thought themselves fortunate to have two eyewitnesses.
The murder of an eccentric millionaire was not entirely unexpected; he flaunted his wealth and cared little for personal security.
When a young woman disappeared, police feared she was the latest victim in a string of similar crimes. But the MO wasn't quite right. A pair of bloody gloves, unique tire tracks, and ordinary grass and pine needles provided investigators with some extraordinary clues.
Two men were convicted of intentionally shooting and killing a passenger in a moving car, their friend was granted immunity for testifying against them, and the case was closed.
A college student was found dead, and the evidence suggested he knew his killer. Three hairs and some microscopic cells helped police to unravel a web of lies, and find the motive for murder. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 26.
In an affluent suburb of Philadelphia, police were called to the scene of what appeared to be an accidental drowning. The investigation gradually focused on one person, a suspect who had more than a million reasons to want the victim dead. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 27.
When two women from the same town were murdered in the same way, police feared a serial killer was on the loose. At first they thought the victims had nothing in common until they found tiny clues linking them to the same man.
A young woman was found dead on a golf course in the Bahamas. The grass on that course was so distinctive that it had evidentiary value. The evidence led police to two suspects. Each blamed the other, and they had to find out who the killer was. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 29.
A teenager went missing after an evening of horseback riding; her body was found a month later, three miles from her home. The killer unknowingly left trace evidence behind, tiny but unmistakable clues that pointed to him and him alone. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 30.
When a popular disc jockey was found murdered in a community garden, police swung into action. A sniffer dog and a blood spatter expert led police to the killer… and he’d been much closer than they realized. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 31.
When a woman's husband was gunned down in his own garage by intruders, investigators worked tirelessly to find the assassins. But when they discovered that a wound sustained during the attack by the grieving widow may have been self-inflicted, they turned to science to help them unravel a twisted tale of lust, greed and deception.
Three seemingly unrelated deaths proved to be serial murders. The killer had been careful - he used poison which had no taste or odour. Fortunately for investigators, it also had a unique chemical signature.
The crime scene was awash with blood. The victim had been brutally murdered as he slept in his own bed. There were no foreign fingerprints in his home, but investigators did find a shoe impression in the mud outside… physical evidence they hoped would lead them to the killer. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 34.
Now it's not only a fingerprint which can link a killer to a crime; a shoe print can be just as telling. Armed with little else, police hoped the shoe impressions found at a Lansing, Michigan crime scene would put their investigation of Audrey Nichols' murder back on track.
When the head chef of a historic Philadelphia restaurant was found dead, investigators interviewed the usual suspects: family, friends and co-workers. As they sifted through the evidence, police uncovered a chilling tale of debt and deceit. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 36.
A serial arsonist was on the loose in Washington, DC. Each of the fires was started with the same type of incendiary device. The perpetrator was very careful, and seemed to leave no evidence behind… but there were clues in the ashes and it was up to forensic scientists to find them. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 37.
When a woman was found dead in her bathroom, the evidence pointed to suicide. But a coroner’s inquest and a unique application of forensic science gave investigators a different explanation for her death. It was a theory that, if true, could turn the grieving husband into the prime suspect. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 38.
Three homicides on two continents looked like professional executions. Investigators on both sides of the Atlantic needed to find out if they were related and, if they were, who or what they had in common. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 39.
A 29-year-old woman was killed instantly when a bomb exploded in her home. The device was so powerful that shrapnel was embedded in houses across the street. The bomber had not only knowledge and skill, but also a motive for murder. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 40.
A killer tried to incinerate and destroy everything that could link him to his crime. But in doing so, he inadvertently created new forensic evidence – evidence that came to light with a technique never before used in a criminal investigation. Originally aired as Season 10, Episode 41.
Kansas City attorney Richard Armitage was brutally murdered in his office in broad daylight. The first prime suspect was Lou Campbell, who had previously threatened Armitage, but he was later cleared. Police turn their suspicions to Armitage's law partner Richard Buchli, who had very little success as a lawyer and was in debt for more than $250,000.
A pharmaceutical tycoon's mail-order bride is found in her SUV in a half-frozen creek. Could a few flecks of sawdust and a shoe print determine whether a death is an accident or a homicide?
After a Russian immigrant stockbroker is found dead, a strange phone call to his office is the only clue investigators have to go on.
An ex-convict was suspected of a brutal double homicide because his drivers license was found at the scene. In the past this might have been enough for a conviction, but a dish of ice cream pointed investigators in a different direction.
A little girl died and investigators didn't know why or how. Was it an accident? Was it an unexplained illness? Or, was she murdered? Scientists would go half way around the world before finding the answer in two unlikely places: a shredded legal document and her mother's signature.
The dean of a prestigious university had a secret life that may have led to his death. A tiny piece of a latex glove and some broken glass were the only clues. To solve the mystery investigators needed to know what he was doing with an eighteen year old girl.
A World War II veteran was found dead in his home, and the investigation ground to a halt when the prime suspect had a solid alibi. But a lucky break led to a shady character who wore distinctive boots and had a sweet tooth. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 6.
Can the dead speak to the living? A michigan woman tried to do just that by leaving a note to her survivors telling them her death was no accident. Forensics uncovered the secrets she almost took to her grave.
A young woman just landed her first big modeling job. A few hours later she disappeared. The weave pattern on some fabric, the mixture of some concrete and a dog hair were the keys to the mystery.
Late at night a man stopped his car on a residential street. Within seconds he was dead. What did he see and why did he stop? An asthma inhaler found nearby and tiny acrylic fibers answered those questions when there were no eye witnesses who could.
Gambling has a lot more visibility than it used to. It's on the internet, it's on prime time television, and it's almost a varsity sport on some college campuses. But several young men learned the hard way that gambling can put your hard earned money at risk and sometimes, your life.
An unidentified woman was found dead and police wanted answers. But everything they needed was in the dirt at the crime scene and it told the story from the beginning to the tragic end.
A hit and run driver tried to remove all evidence of the crime. The vehicle was repaired, washed, polished, vacuumed then sold to a new owner. Was it possible that some forensic evidence remained?
A young man with a one million dollar life insurance policy was found dead under an abandoned car in a bad part of town late one night. Initially, it seemed to be an unfortunate hit and run accident. But, a closer examination of evidence showed it was a staged scene.
A young is killed in a boating accident, and his friend is left critically injured. Investigators are able to use forensic evidence to track down the driver of the boat that led to this tragedy.
A christian missionary was murdered in her apartment. The perpetrator left little evidence behind, but a new computer program found clues on a bloody sheet and the case made forensic history.
A young man died in a mysterious car crash, but was it an accident? Forensic science uncovered what really caused that crash and the truth devastated three different families.
An employee from a large brokerage firm disappeared. Her computer revealed she was leading a double life. And among the bits and bytes were the clues to her final destination.
It was a case unlike most others. Forensic evidence proved the perpetrator broke out of the crime scene rather than breaking in. No one knew why until some evidence on the victim's hands provided the answer.
After a wealthy man is gunned down outside his Louisiana home, his wife tells investigators that three masked men had emerged from the shadows. Police are interested in her story, but does she know more than she'll admit? Using a footprint, a ski mask, and the suspicion of a shady business deal, the detectives try to build a case against some unlikely suspects. TV-PG V
It was a Christmas gift delivered to a Jacksonville, Florida home. There was no card or label identifying the sender, but inside were some clues. A thin piece of wire and some cryptic numbers on a sales receipt held the key to a brutal and senseless murder.
A twelve year old girl claimed she had been kidnapped. But police weren't so sure. Her memory was too clear, her manner too unemotional, her heroism too unbelievable until some fiber on her clothing forced police to reconsider.
Emergency Dispatch in Durham, North Carolina received a frantic call from a man who said his wife fell down the stairs; she was unconscious but still breathing. When paramedics arrived, they could do little more than pronounce the woman dead. The number and volume of bloodstains at the scene was greater than usual. Forensic scientists had to find out why. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 22.
The wife of a respected police officer was murdered in her own home, but the motive was unclear. The crime went unsolved for more than a decade until a Cold Case Unit took a fresh look and found evidence on the 911 call that had previously been overlooked.
An sealed envelope leads investigators to solve a case of cyanide poisoning.
They thought the fire would cover their crime. But one tiny clue, no bigger than a thumbtack, remained and it held all the information investigators needed to put a trio of cold-blooded killers behind bars. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 25.
For ten years, the disappearance of a college co-ed was a mystery until new scientific testing cast a different light on a man who had been a suspect all along.
For sixteen years, a woman's death was considered an accident until someone called the authorities suggesting it was murder. Before anyone could look into it the person who called was murdered too. A coincidence? Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 27.
Amid the rustic beauty of rural Idaho a retired school teacher vanished, but even though he was missing his bills were payed on time and he continued to correspond with his family. But they couldn't contact him, making this one of the most bizarre missing persons cases in US history. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 28.
The 2007 murder of FL resident April Barber is investigated. She was shot and killed on a beach. At first, investigators thought it was a robbery gone bad. But the forensics evidence showed it was a calculated and cold-blooded plan.
How did a killer get the security system code of his victim’s home and gain access to her private photographs? And how did he know the victim's whereabouts 24 hours a day? Encrypted in the stalker's letters were the answers to those questions and a whole more. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 30.
An insurance adjuster disappeared while inspecting property damage after a severe storm. The water currents of a nearby river provided some answers. And the forensic evidence on a motorcycle part and bank envelope explained the motive. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 31.
A small Texas community mourned the tragic death of an outstanding high school athlete and scholar. At first there wasn't much hope that the killer would be apprehended but tiny paint chips and bits of plastic provided evidence far more accurate than an eye witness.
She won $5,000 at the Blackjack table then left the casino. Three hours later, she was kidnapped; a month after that, she was found dead. Then the trail turned cold, until police got a call from a woman whose husband had a criminal past and a fondness for Chevy Berettas. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 33.
Three bombings within a 2 mile area were more than a coincidence, but no one claimed responsibility and no one in particular was targeted. What finally stopped the bomber were some tiny marks on a metal fragment and his inability to control his rage. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 34.
In the 20 years following an unsolved murder, lives changed and so did forensic science. In time, a high-powered microscope and DNA profiling revealed a clue no one had seen before. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 35.
A murder in Australia had everyone baffled, especially police, but in a bizarre twist the victim's pacemaker recorded vital information that made forensic history.
A wealthy socialite died after falling down stairs. Was it an accident or was it murder? The laws of physics and an accident reconstructionist provided the answer. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 37.
Two women, both murdered in the same state park. Indiana police feared it was the work of a serial killer until the forensic evidence pointed them in two different directions. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 38.
Is it possible to commit the perfect crime? A house fire in Oregon came awfully close, until a microscopic clue on a piece of pipe told investigators what really happened. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 39.
A millionaire and his family were executed in their own home. And for three years, the murders went unsolved until a 30-year-old box of bullets and some iridescent fibers revealed the ultimate betrayal. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 40.
It was one of the most brazen crimes of the 20th century. Adolph Coors, chairman of the Coors Brewing Company, was kidnapped and held for ransom… prompting one of the largest manhunts in United States history. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 41.
For twelve long years the murder of a young hospital worker went unsolved. Police had their suspicions but little proof, but an old, used tissue told the story far better than any eye witness.
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, a young girl is found dead, and police quickly arrest the most likely suspect. But when cutting-edge technology from NASA enables a forensic odontologist to prove the wrong man is behind bars, the investigation resumes. Originally aired as Season 12, Episode 1.
It's usually easy to figure out how criminal enters a crime scene, but in this case it was far from clear. It looked like the killer vanished into thin air... and perhaps he had.
A young fireman's untimely death raised suspicions. When a young policeman died the same way it was no coincidence. Scientists if tiny crystals were the cause.
Security cameras in a casino tracked a young woman’s movements until shortly before she disappeared. She was never seen again, but through the evidence she left behind, she was able to tell investigators what happened to her and who was responsible. Originally aired as Season 12, Episode 4.
Police in Canada received a chilling 9-1-1 call from a woman who was just attacked in her apartment, but by the time they arrived, she was dead. Little evidence remained at the scene, except for a pair of eyeglasses and a shoeprint in a squished tomato. With the help of Canada's only forensic optometrist, police put away a killer that is larger than life.
An ATM transaction allows Texas detectives to pinpoint a suspect in the slaying of a teacher, but a shoelace stolen from the victim's home proves to be the tie that binds her killer to the crime.
Seattle police had no suspects in the violent murder of a popular rock singer. More than a decade would pass before the evidence collected by an extraordinarily prescient medical examiner could be used by forensic scientists to identify the killer. Originally aired as Season 12, Episode 7.
A college student vanished without a trace. Her abandoned car was found in one city, her belongings in another. Some dirt on a pair of shoes revealed the extent of one man's deception. Originally aired as Season 12, Episode 8.
As investigators explore details of the apparent suicide of a dentist's wife, another suicide 14 years earlier lead investigators to look more closely at the possibility of a double homicide.
A woman was ambushed in her driveway and shot to death. During their investigation, police learned that a co-worker half her age was in love with her, and that she’d spurned his advances. They now had to determine if love had turned into obsession... and a motive for murder. Originally aired as Season 12, Episode 10.
The victim had been sexually assaulted and stabbed to death on the beach, just ten yards from the hotel where she was staying. A pair of men’s tennis shoes was discovered near her body. Police were sure that if they found the man who fit the shoes, they would also find the man who committed the crime. Originally aired as Season 12, Episode 11.
A thirteen year old girl went missing from her Colorado home with little evidence to explain what happened. The investigation dragged on for two long years until an alert finger print examiner found a serious flaw in the system.
A brutal murder, lots of suspects, and conflicting evidence... but the forensics was clear on one thing: The killer knew his victim. Could this small piece of the puzzle help jump start a stalled investigation?
A serial killer was loose and investigators had no leads until an alert investigator saw something no one else had seen: a possible finger print on the victim's skin. The problem was how to collect it.
Two young women were brutally murdered on Halloween, but the killer left behind his DNA; and a ground-breaking new test identified his eye color, his hair, and even the color of his skin. But knowing what he looked like was one thing, finding him was another.
After a suspect is convicted of arson and murder, he steadfastly maintained his innocence, but he was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison. He had no money, no lawyer and only a fifth grade education, but he never gave up. Could law books in the prison library and television programs about forensic science help him prove his case?
A woman was murdered in her home, and the only witnesses to the crime were the family dogs. An expert in canine behavior was convinced the killer knew both the victim and the animals, and he was determined to find-out exactly what the dogs had seen.
When a prominent criminal defense attorney is found murdered inside his own home, police suspect it may have come at the hands of one of his questionable clientele. But will the shattered glass of a staged crime scene tip investigators and lead them to a murder that's all in the family?
A six-year-old girl ran and hid when she saw her grandmother being beaten to death, but the man followed her, beat her, and assaulted her. The girl said the man was her Uncle Clarence, and he was convicted because of her identification. She recanted her testimony years later, but the court denied Clarence's petition for a new trial. His wife was convinced he was innocent, and decided to conduct her own investigation to prove it. TV-14
Police investigating the 1984 murder of a college student had plenty of suspects, but no conclusive evidence linking any of them to the crime. More than a decade later, sophisticated technology would breathe new life into a case grown cold with the passage of time.
The body of an attractive young woman was found a mile from her abandoned car. Police were especially concerned when they realized the victim had come to them for protection just two weeks earlier, after a road rage incident. Concern turned to dread when the evidence began to point not to an aggressive driver, but to one of their own.
When a young single mother was brutally assaulted and murdered, her brother promised he'd find out who was responsible and bring the killer to justice. It would take more than thirty years, but the young man kept his promise and, in doing so, brought closure to his family.
The crime scene was especially violent: A husband and wife had been shot to death in their bedroom. At first, investigators thought their 16-year-old daughter was lucky to have escaped unharmed... but after a while, they wondered if the reason she was alive had more to do with careful planning than good fortune.
A young, attractive hairdresser was sexually assaulted and murdered in her own beauty salon. The evidence at the crime scene didn't match any of the suspects and, after the initial investigation, the case went cold for ten years. Then a witness who'd been silent for more than a decade decided to do the right thing.
When two women went missing and were later found brutally murdered, police wondered if they were victims of a hate crime; the women lived together and were politically active, outspoken advocates of gay rights. But the motive turned out to be something age-old, something with which investigators were all too familiar: greed, fueled by obsession.
A human skeleton was discovered in the North Carolina marshlands. When investigators learned the victim had been dead for 18 months, they knew it would be difficult to find out who she was, much less who killed her. A forensic anthropologist was able to determine the victim's race, age and height, but it would take an inventive computer consultant to give her a face and a name.
After shooting his victims in the head, the killer staged the scene, placed the incriminating evidence into a plastic bag and tossed it into the river. Instead of floating downstream, it became entangled in overhanging branches. Days later, when police found it, they hoped clues to the killer's identity and the solution to the crime were "in the bag."
In a tragic twist of fate, just days after a woman sold her home and moved to a modest trailer, a fire took both the trailer and her life. But the autopsy proved this was no accident. It was arson and murder. Investigators had to determine who wanted the woman dead... and why.
When a security guard disappeared from work without a trace, investigators couldn't determine if he left willingly or if foul play was involved. But homicide was confirmed when the body was found 19 months later. Without any substantial evidence or leads the case went cold. 14 years later, a cold case investigator solved the case after finding crucial evidence hidden beneath the victim's sole.
The murder of a young college student leaves a town in shock. Coincidences in the case leave police wondering if it is the work of a serial killer. But a lack of evidence leaves this 1981 case cold. But 25 years later, with the advancement of DNA technology, police are dealt a surprising twist and are able to catch the killer with the help of a cigarette.
When a respected business owner was brutally attacked and killed, investigators had to determine if this was a robbery gone wrong or a calculated murder. The evidence at the scene told police what happened but not who was responsible and then they got a huge break because of a frozen river five miles away.
When a successful real estate agent is brutally murdered, panicked townspeople begin looking over their shoulders and locking their doors. Weeks later, a witness comes forward who may have seen the killer, and police use forensic hypnosis to help him recall every detail of the man's appearance. His description is used to create a composite sketch, which police hope will draw the killer out of hiding.
A teenager returned home after a night out with friends, and discovered his father's body lying in a pool of blood. There were shoe impressions outside in the new-fallen snow; because the victim's wallet and watch were missing, the motive may have been robbery. But before making that determination, police needed to find out who had the most to gain from his death.
The Kathy Augustine Case. When a politician died mysteriously during a hard-fought re-election campaign, the medical examiner could neither isolate the cause of death, nor explain the tiny puncture wounds discovered during the autopsy. If the victim had been murdered, it would be up to investigators to determine if her political enemies were to blame, or if the killer was someone much closer to home.
A naval officer threatened to go public with tales of on-the-job sexual harassment and assault, and a callous military hierarchy concerned only with covering-up the incidents. When the officer was brutally murdered, investigators found evidence her allegations may have been part of an elaborate scheme for financial gain. Hoping to separate fact from fiction, they turned to forensic science.
The crime scene was awash with blood. Analysis showed it had come from two people, one of whom was female. The male DNA was the victim's, which meant the killer was a woman. Leads dried up and the case went cold until a suspect arrested for drug possession offered police a deal, and told a bizarre tale of an exotic dancer who listened to the voices in her head.
When the body of a beautiful young woman was found beneath a bridge, investigators wondered if she'd committed suicide. Evidence at the scene proved not only that she'd been carried to the bridge and thrown over the side, but also that she was alive when she fell. Police had to determine who the victim was... and who wanted her dead.
The huge amount of blood at the crime scene spoke of the violence of the attack; investigators describe it as overkill, and it's usually an indication that the victim knew the attacker. Police hoped that, during the struggle, the killer had left some of his own blood - and his DNA - behind. Their challenge was to find it.
The man called 911 to report his wife had been shot; she was badly wounded and they were on their way to the hospital. When she died, he became the prime suspect. The investigation would prove two things: He was innocent, and he'd been only moments away from being a victim in the most bizarre crime police had ever seen.
The woman's story seemed farfetched: A man wearing only underwear and gloves broke into the house, stabbed her boyfriend to death, and raped and terrorised her for hours afterwards. But the evidence at the scene supported her story, and investigators turned for help to the FBI and their criminal profilers.
The Dorothy Donovan Case. Police are skeptical when a man claims his mother was murdered by the hitchhiker he picked up. Their suspicions are heightened when he refuses to take a polygraph test, and they turn to forensic science. Would the blood and fingerprint evidence at the crime scene support the man's story, or prove his guilt?
When a mother and her child are abducted during a carjacking, the crime is reported within minutes. Police know they have a small window of opportunity to find them and the clock is ticking.
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, a college co-ed was abducted from the parking lot of her apartment. Her body was found later that day; she’d been sexually assaulted and then shot at point blank range. Eight long years passed… and then a pair of running shoes and a cell phone breathed new life into a very cold case. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 13.
A young woman is found dead in her apartment. There's little evidence at the scene, leads don't pan out and the case turns cold... until police discover a link between their prime suspect and an unsolved murder committed six years earlier in different state.
When a college student is reported missing, police believe their investigation will be like countless others, and she’d turn-up a few days later. But when they discover blood spatter in her boyfriend’s bedroom – blood spatter someone had gone to great lengths to conceal -- they know this case is going to be different. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 15.
A serial rapist is on the loose in a Texas town. No one knew where he'd strike next, but the audacity of his attacks and the escalation of violence against his victims made finding him imperative.
The victim has been stabbed more than thirty times, and the crime scene is awash with her blood. Near her head, police discover a distinctive button with strands of thread still attached. If they can find the owner of the shirt the button came from, they’ll also find the killer. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 17.
A young woman attends evening church services... then disappears. When her abandoned car is found, the tank is empty and a gas can she kept in her trunk for emergencies is missing. Eyewitnesses place her at a nearby gas station, getting into a van, but their descriptions of the vehicle don’t match. Three days later when her body is discovered, the search for the driver of that van intensifies. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 18.
When a nine-year-old girl goes missing, police and volunteers spend weeks searching for her. A psychic’s vision leads to a field where her body is discovered, along with what investigators hope is enough evidence to help them to also find her killer. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 19.
Digital enhancement of security camera video shows that what appears to be a casual encounter is actually a forced abduction, leading to murder. The perpetrator’s MO is remarkably similar to another murder which occurred five months earlier, 15 miles away. When investigators learn the crimes might not be isolated or random, they also realize a serial killer may be on the loose. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 20.
The Brenda Robinson case. Forensic evidence leads police to a sadistic serial rapist after years of investigation in Delaware and Maryland.
The Robert Bosley case. A self-made man who never minced words is found murdered. Was a disgruntled client or employee involved, or could money and racy photos hold the clues that will crack this case wide open?
An investigation into a mother's tragic fall while on a family vacation. Police had to determine if this was a suicide, accident or homicide. Forensic experts disagreed initially, but a new chemical test showed what happened.
A woman in the back of a truck is seen flailing her arms, screaming. Witnesses thought she was doing something dangerous for the fun of it. But when they found a jacket near a pool of blood, they knew what they'd seen wasn't a joy ride; it was an abduction.
An assailant breaks into a couple's home with an axe; he kills the husband and critically injures his wife. Nothing was taken, so this wasn't a robbery. Can a DNA profile from skin cells collected hundred of miles away reveal the killer's identity and his motive for murder?
Two suspects living in the same apartment are linked to a murder by a gun and a pair of bloodstained boots - items that belong to the one who claims he's never met the victim. Investigators hope the manufacturing code stamped on six beer bottles will be distinctive enough to prove who is telling the truth, and who is a cold-blooded killer.
Two churches are bombed and one person is killed. Can a thin copper wire help find the perp before he strikes again?
There was no apparent reason for a young, healthy college student to be dead. But when the medical examiner found a tiny clue during the autopsy, investigators were able to unravel a mystery of betrayal and revenge.
A college student is found stabbed more than a hundred times; her bedroom blood-soaked. While her body was positioned in a suggestive way, she hadn't been sexually assaulted. Was this a sex crime, or the random act of a man with an intense hatred of women?
When a body is found burned beyond recognition, police create a composite sketch to identify the victim. But who could have killed him and why did they want him dead?
A young scientist falls gravely ill and tests arrive too late to save him. But lab analysis of his hair showing when attempts were made on his life, help police catch the killer.
A bullet-riddled car, a missing driver, and no witnesses. Was this an ambush or a random attack? Was the victim abducted or dead? The answers lay in a unique clue, so tiny it was measured in millionths of a meter.
The body of a teen with a history of running away is discovered half-naked on the side of a road. Her throat has been slit. Police hope a single foreign hair found in a defensive wound on the victim's thumb will lead to the killer.
When two women from the same apartment complex are found murdered police conclude they are dealing with a serial killer who harbors an intense hatred of women. Can they find him before he strikes again?
When a college co-ed vanishes without a trace, her fellow students grow concerned about her safety... and their own. Weeks later, the body of an unknown female is discovered 700 miles away in the ashes of a barn fire, and an alert police officer realizes the two crimes might be connected.
In the final moments of her life, a woman writes a name on the wall - presumably that of the killer - in her own blood. But this isn't an open and shut case and, in order to solve it, investigators must read between the lines.
A restaurant manager is found stabbed to death. With $8,000 missing from the safe, police have their motive, but finding the killer doesn't prove so easy.
A convenience store safe is found empty and the clerk, missing. Hours later, her bound, half-naked body is discovered in nearby woods. Can advances in forensic science help police catch the killer two decades later?
Attempting to dispose of the body by incinerating it proved to be one of many mistakes... culminating in the killer's grainy image in security video being brought into sharp focus by something ordinary and everywhere: a store discount card.
A respected surgeon was stabbed to death in the parking lot next to his office. The most likely suspect is seen having dinner in a restaurant at the time of the murder. But a cryptic conversation leads police to believe that, while the suspect may not have wielded the knife, he could very well have hired the man who did. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 40.
A young couple is found murdered in their Graham, Washington home; detectives discover shoe impressions, a partial palm print, and a neighbor's criminal past.
Terrified, the young girl hid in her bedroom while her mother was attacked and stabbed to death. Investigators had a wealth of evidence: shoe impressions, distinctive blood drops, and the killer’s DNA. What they didn’t have was a basis for comparison. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 41.
The gunman opened fire as the family of four entered their home, killing two and wounding the others. He’d pulled open a few drawers to make it look like a robbery, but the scene was clearly staged. When police pieced together the clues, they discovered an unlikely suspect and a carefully orchestrated plot. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 42.
It was classic “overkill.” The woman floating in the harbor of an upscale yacht club had been stabbed more than 50 times. Her ex-husband and daughter are missing, and investigators turn to forensic science to determine if they’re searching for victims... or perpetrators. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 15.Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 43.
A state park employee is murdered in the park office in the middle of the afternoon. There’s a wealth of evidence at the scene, but it doesn’t implicate the prime suspect, it clears him. Six years -- and 600 leads -- later, advances in DNA technology enable investigators to identify and convict the killer. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 44.
The evidence suggested the woman had been bound, sexually assaulted and murdered. Afterwards, the killer spent hours at the crime scene, wiping away his fingerprints and disposing of everything which might incriminate him, including the woman’s body. Police now face a daunting task: They not only have to find the killer, they also have to find the body of the victim. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 45.
A couple spent Memorial Day weekend at the beach, and then they simply vanished. Their clothes and personal items were still in the rented condo, their car was parked outside, and there were no signs of forced entry or foul play. A week later, police would get an unexpected lead from a robbery in progress, and the evidence they found helped solve a crime of unparalleled violence and brutality. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 46.
Whoever stabbed the young mother to death had also savagely beaten her four-year-old daughter. Police had a suspect, but not enough evidence to tie him to the crimes. It would take 15 years and advances in DNA technology to bring the killer to justice. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 47.
A quiet waitress vanishes without a trace. Police suspect a case of a date gone horribly wrong. When her body is discovered it comes wrapped in a mountain of evidence. It takes fingerprint analysis, trace evidence and DNA work to unravel a woman's final night of terror.
The investigation of an exotic dancer's disappearance leads police to an isolated 75-acre site where someone was shot and cremated. The destruction of the remains is almost complete, but not quite. Soft tissue attached to a limb provides enough DNA for a genetic profile, and positive identification of the victim.
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, a young mother is murdered after years of domestic abuse. There are clues at the scene: bloody footprints and DNA from the victim’s rape kit. But the evidence which will conclusively tie the killer to the crime is on a freshly-baked hamburger bun. Originally aired as Season 14, Episode 1.
Threatening emails, a missing person and an abandoned truck lead police to a home where they believe a murder was committed. The evidence is overwhelming and investigators are sure they have the killer. What they don’t have is the body of the victim. Originally aired as Season 14, Episode 2.
It appeared the victim had accidentally fallen and hit her head at the bottom of the stairs. But the odd position of her shoes and the absence of blood spatter led police to suspect the scene had been staged... and Luminol proved they were right.
As she left choir practice, the woman was gunned down in the church parking lot. Her husband became the prime suspect – particularly when police learned he found out just a month earlier that his wife had been cheating on him for three years. Originally aired as Season 14, Episode 4.
The truck fell off of the hydraulic jack, crushed the man working beneath it, and sparked a fire... or so it seemed. Investigators turned to forensic science to determine if they were dealing with a tragic accident or a carefully orchestrated murder. Originally aired as Season 14, Episode 5.
When their trailer catches fire, the young husband heroically rescues his wife and infant son. A month later, his wife is beaten to death in a bedroom of his parents’ home. The cut window screen points to an intruder, but the lack of supporting evidence compels investigators to look beyond the obvious. Originally aired as Season 14, Episode 6.
The man suffered a slow, agonising death over a period of days. His wife maintained he killed himself but police were skeptical, especially when they learned her first husband died when he was only 38-years-old and she refused to consent to an autopsy.
The media dubbed him the "Last Call Killer" because he targeted men in gay bars who were obviously intoxicated. His MO involved dismembering the bodies and wrapping the parts in plastic bags, which he then carefully washed to remove all incriminating evidence. He eluded capture for almost ten years and then new technology revealed fingerprints no one knew were there.
The victim was brutally murdered. Police learn her fiancé was having affairs with other women, and he becomes the prime suspect... that is until a man comes forward who not only believes he owns the murder weapon, he also knows who used it.
When a teenaged girl goes missing, no one knows if she ran away or if she was the victim of foul play. Everyone’s worst fears are confirmed when a body is found at the bottom of an isolated ravine. Police scour the crime scene, hoping to find enough evidence to identify the killer. Originally aired as Season 14, Episode 10.
The bodies of three women were found floating in Tampa Bay. The water washed away any evidence, but police hoped a handwritten note found in the victims' car would lead to the killer – so they posted huge copies of the note on five highway billboards.
Four young adults are brutally murdered in an affluent Texas neighborhood, and the crime scene yields little evidence. The next-door neighbors see two young people dressed in black walking nearby, and their descriptions are used to create composite drawings which become a key element in solving the crime.
A young college student is found dead in her apartment. There are no obvious signs of foul play, but skin cells under her fingernails yield DNA of an unknown male suspect, and petechial hemorrhages in her eyes prove this is a homicide.
Twenty-four hours after her face-to-face meeting with a man she met online, a woman and her soon-to-be ex-husband were shot to death. Only the computer had been taken from her home, and with it, the means to identify the killer.
A community is shocked when police discover a woman raped and murdered in broad daylight on a public trail. Police sift through dozens of potential leads, but cannot match evidence to anyone close to the crime scene. With the help of an accurate eyewitness account, investigators track the killer through a wilderness of suspects.
A middle-aged man is gunned down in his own home. The motive appears to be robbery, but a mysterious greeting card blows the investigation wide open. In order to prove his theory, a detective goes on a hunch and discovers a series of coincidences impossible to ignore. (Two-part episode)
A high-school student vanishes without a trace. False leads force detectives to work double time until a prostitute's murder demands police attention. Is it possible the same killer struck twice?
Just a day after America's greatest tragedy, a town 200 miles away from the World Trade Center experiences its own misfortune. A mother of four vanishes overnight without a trace. With a wealth of suspects, but scarce evidence, police rely on blood spatter to solve the case.
The woman was missing for a month. Police find her car but no evidence of foul play… only a fingerprint and a set of keys. There’s a code on one of they keys, which they hope will unlock not only a door, but also the mystery of her disappearance.
A funeral director is murdered and his son, the sole beneficiary of his estate, is considered a likely suspect… until witnesses provide him with an ironclad alibi. When police find a mask near the crime scene, they hope it will lead to the killer.
The killer was meticulous, washing everything at the scene, including the victim’s body. The only definitive evidence was a single hair. Three years later he struck again and, this time, what he left behind would prove he committed both crimes.
A look back on 25 years of Forensic Files/Medical Detectives, featuring interviews with key figures behind the scenes as well as highlights of favored episodes and scenes.
