Forensic Files
Upcoming episodes
Apr 2nd
900a
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.
Apr 2nd
930a
Breaking the Mold
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.
Apr 2nd
1000a
House Call
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.
Apr 2nd
1030a
Marathon Man
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.
Apr 2nd
1100a
The Sniper's Trail
In the fall of 2002, the eyes of the world were on Virginia and Maryland. A serial sniper was on the loose, killing innocent, unsuspecting citizens as they went about their normal activities. By the time it was over, 13 people had been shot, and 11 died. This program examines the behind-the-scenes forensic tests which led to the capture of the killers, including geographic and behavioral profiling, ballistics, crime scene animation, handwriting analysis, DNA testing and fingerprinting. Viewers will also see an exact replica of the car – the mobile bunker the alleged killers called home.
Apr 2nd
1130a
Plastic Fire
Sheila Bryan was convicted of killing her own mother in a car fire, and sentenced to life in prison. She was set free after appealing to the Georgia Supreme Court, but retried a few months later. Her chances of winning seemed slim – until an expert witness advanced a different theory of how the fire started.
Apr 2nd
900p
Crush Course
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.
Apr 2nd
930p
A Leg Up on Crime
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.
Apr 2nd
1000p
Tight Fitting Genes
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.
Apr 2nd
1030p
Deadly Valentine
An obstetrician returned home from the hospital and found his wife on the floor of the bathroom; she was covered with blood, not breathing. He tried unsuccessfully to revive her, staining his clothes with her blood in the process, and then he called 911. His version of events was not supported by the blood spatter evidence, and investigators had to determine why.