Catching History's Criminals: The Forensic Story

There was a time when obscuring the identity of the victim would ensure the killer escaped justice, but the emergence of forensic science would turn the tables on the murderer. Gabriel Weston examines four such murders that were a matter of identity.

Every contact leaves a trace, and a killer is bound to leave something at the scene of the crime, whether it be hairs, fibers or the soil on their shoes. Gabriel Weston looks at the smallest evidence that can lead directly to the killer.

The key piece of evidence that detectives are always desperate to find is the murder weapon as it can hold vital clues that will expose the killer. Gabriel Weston looks at four murders where the weapon has been elevated from mere evidence to key witness.