Forensic Files
Upcoming episodes
Jun 18th
1100a
Bound for Jail
A woman is found dead in a ravine near a jogging path. Crucial crime scene evidence had been washed away by severe thunderstorms. Twice, the trail turned cold. Then, almost 20 years later, an old hat and a chip of stainless steel no longer than a fingernail brought the killer to justice.
Jun 18th
1130a
Sphere of Influence
When an 11-year-old girl disappeared from a small town in a remote area of Alaska, investigators wondered if she’d been attacked by a bear or become lost in the dense woods. It turned out neither was true. Her body was discovered 10 days later; she’d been shot twice at close range, and sexually assaulted. A tip from an eyewitness led police to a suspect, and trace evidence found at the crime scene convinced a jury of his guilt.
Jun 18th
1200p
Nailed
Just weeks before a witness is to testify against the man accused of sexually assaulting her, she is murdered in the front yard of her own home. Investigators immediately suspect her attacker, but they don’t have enough evidence to prove his guilt. It would take fifteen years, and the remarkable advances in forensic science and DNA testing which occurred during that time, to enable police to nail the killer.
Jun 18th
1230p
Sign of the Zodiac
For six years, a serial killer prowled the streets of New York City. He wrote letters to police and “The New York Post,” indicating he would kill twelve people, one for each astrological sign. Forensic astronomy, handwriting analysis, and DNA extracted from the flap of an envelope gave investigators a profile of the killer, and a stroke of luck enabled them to find him.
Jun 19th
1100a
Letter Perfect
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.
Jun 19th
1130a
True Lies
In the summer of 1986, Kathleen Lipscomb’s body was found on a deserted road outside of San Antonio. Months passed, then years, and the crime was never solved. Then Kathleen’s family hired a private investigator, who discovered a diary among her personal effects. Two of the diary entries helped police to piece together what had happened to Kathleen Lipscomb, and why.
Jun 19th
1200p
Bed of Deceit
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.
Jun 19th
1230p
Smoke in Your Eyes
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.
Jun 23rd
1100a
Flower Power
Two different men telephoned 911 to report a woman had been murdered; neither knew the other had called. The victim’s ex-husband was a gun collector, so police had three viable suspects. Careful examination of bloodstains, a discarded candy wrapper and a few tiny seeds enabled forensic scientists to determine who committed the crime.
Jun 23rd
1130a
Past Lives
The body of a wealthy American businessman was found in his rental car. The car had swerved off the road into a ravine, and caught fire. Teeth and bone fragments were all that remained of the body; miraculously, an engraved wristwatch and medic alert bracelet had escaped the inferno and were found in the ashes. When the victim’s wife filed a claim for $7 million of life insurance, investigators sought the help of a renowned forensic anthropologist. His findings and the work of other forensic scientists uncovered a chilling scheme of fraud and deceit.