Forensic Files
Upcoming episodes
Jan 19th
900a
The Magic Bullet
A fifteen-year-old boy died from a mysterious gunshot wound to his head while he was sitting in the lobby of his father’s gun club. Ballistics, laser technology, made-to-scale models and the latest in forensic animation showed that bullet had followed a tragic course after a misfire at the outdoor range.
Jan 19th
930a
The House that Roared
A woman disappeared and her husband became the prime suspect -- especially after police found a huge bloodstain on the carpet of their bedroom. When they sprayed the bedroom with Luminol, they discovered it was awash with blood spatter. Complex DNA testing proved it was the wife’s blood. Now all they had to do was find her body.
Jan 19th
1000a
The Footpath Murders
British detectives worked with a pioneering scientist to solve crimes of sexual assault and serial murder. This 1986 case marked the first time DNA was used as evidence in a court of law.
Jan 19th
1030a
Planted Evidence
Early one morning in a deserted area outside of Phoenix, a motorcyclist discovered the body of a young woman. She had been beaten, bound, strangled and possibly raped. The nearby plants would tell investigators more about the killer than any other single piece of evidence.
Jan 19th
500p
Sniffing Revenge
A wealthy, middle-aged woman dies suddenly and unexpectedly at home. An autopsy finds no signs of foul play and investigators are unable to determine the cause of death until they receive a call from the ex-wife of the dead woman’s husband. Her claims initiate an investigation, during which the sensitive nose of a toxicologist sniffs out murder.
Jan 19th
530p
Sleight of Hand
A rich elderly woman is murdered and her home ransacked. A trail of blood was visible down one side of the stairs. Though investigators were able to lift prints from the crime scene, they failed to find a match and the crime went unsolved. Sixteen years later, advances in the science of fingerprint identification, and the development of DNA profiling, enable police to identify the print – and the killer.
Jan 19th
600p
Scratching the Surface
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. Police discovered spent shell casings on the roof, and the gun was found in the yard of a nearby home. The shooter had scratched the serial number off of the gun, hoping to make it untraceable. But forensic scientists had a way to make the number reappear.
Jan 19th
630p
Fire Proof
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.
Jan 20th
900a
Southside Strangler
Shortly after Thanksgiving in 1987, an intruder broke into a residence in Arlington, Virginia. That crime launched a new era in police investigations: DNA evidence and psychological profiling helped catch a serial killer and free an innocent man.
Jan 20th
930a
Legionnaires' Disease
Philadelphia, the birthplace of the United States, played host to millions of tourists and hundreds of gatherings as America celebrated its 200th year of independence. History was made that summer of 1987 -- not because of the bicentennial, but because of the mysterious death of 34 Legionnaires.