Forensic Files
Upcoming episodes
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.
Jan 20th
1000a
The Wilson Murder
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.
Jan 20th
1030a
Insect Clues
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.
Jan 20th
500p
"X" Marks the Spot
The St. Louis police and the FBI didn’t need bloodhounds, lab tests, fingerprints or other standard tools of criminal investigation to help them track down a serial killer. To put an end to the string of murders, police needed only a computer – and the knowledge of how it worked.
Jan 20th
530p
All Charged Up
The city of Philadelphia was being plagued by a serial rapist, and then the crimes stopped. They started again -- this time, in Fort Collins, Colorado. Colorado police had fingerprints and a DNA profile, but neither matched those in their databanks. They also had a list of close to 900 names; 83 names had come from Philadelphia police, along with a composite drawing of the rapist. What they didn’t have was a suspect – until they received a tip from woman who recognized the man in drawing.