Forensic Files

When a hit-and-run accident claimed the life of a young high school athlete, everyone in town mourned his passing. Finding the killer was a long shot at best, but investigators hoped tiny paint chips and bits of plastic found at the scene would direct them to the person who was driving. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 32.

A wealthy man and his wife were mugged by three men outside of their luxurious Louisiana home. He was shot dead and she was forced to open their hidden safe. The woman was unable to identify the men because they wore masks. To solve the case, police would have to find out who knew about the concealed safe, and who would benefit from the crime. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 19.

When a hit-and-run boating accident caused the death of a popular young man, police faced the discouraging task of looking for one boat among thousands of others. They asked anyone who had seen the accident to come forward, and the man who responded did much more than witness the crash; he was a passenger in that other boat. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 14.

The medical examiner ruled the death an accident, but the investigators on the case thought the evidence at the scene indicated otherwise. It would take three long years, an exhumation, and a second autopsy to finally conclude who was right. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 13.

The body of a young girl was discovered on a remote farm near Delano, California. She had no ID, but investigators found mailbox and house keys in the pocket of her jeans. With no other clues to follow, they checked the mailboxes of every apartment building in Delano and their persistence finally paid off. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 11.

One warm summer afternoon, the town of Verona, Wisconsin, faced its first triple homicide. To solve the case, investigators had to delve into the world of high rollers and offshore betting. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 10.

When an off-duty policeman was shot dead, his fellow officers were determined to solve the mystery. They needed clues to find the killer, and they discovered them in small fibres and an asthma inhaler. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 9.

An aspiring model turned up dead and the prime suspect was her boyfriend. When he was eventually cleared, investigators had to take a closer look in order to find the culprit. With the aid of a forensic geologist, they identified the most unlikely suspects. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 8.

A woman who was known to have suffered from depression seemingly took her own life. But her sister told police that, a year before her death, she said if anything were to happen to her, there would be a note in the china cabinet. Police read the note and found the killer. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 7.

The prime suspect had a criminal record, and his driver's license was found at the scene of a brutal, double homicide. That physical evidence alone seemed enough, but it wasn't the only evidence. DNA extracted from a discarded spoon would ultimately guide investigators in a completely different direction. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 3.

A very successful stockbroker told his wife he'd be working late, but when he didn't come home she reported him missing. Police discovered his car a few blocks from his office and, two days later, evidence that he had been murdered. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 2.

It was one of the most brazen crimes of the 20th century. Adolph Coors, chairman of the Coors Brewing Company, was kidnapped and held for ransom prompting one of the most intense manhunts in United States history. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 41.

A millionaire and his family were executed in their own home. For three years, the murders went unsolved and then a 30-year-old box of ammunition and some fluorescent fibers revealed the ultimate betrayal. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 40.

When a house burned to the ground and a woman's charred remains were found in the rubble, investigators had to determine if it was an unfortunate accident, or arson and murder. Microscopic clues on a piece of pipe would give them the answers they needed. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 39.

A young woman disappeared after working the late shift in a department store. Days later, her body was found in an isolated ravine. Tiny clues told police a great deal about the killer. He would own olive-colored carpeting, a white blanket, and distinctive bullets made from wax, not lead. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 38.

When a wealthy socialite died after falling down the stairs, the eyewitnesses said one thing and the evidence seemed to indicate another. To find out what really happened, investigators turned to forensic science, a physicist and an expert in accident reconstruction. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 37.

Lives changed in the 20 years following an unsolved murder, and so did forensic science. In time, a high-powered microscope and DNA profiling revealed not only a clue no one had seen before but also the identity of the killer. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 35.

A small town in Colorado is on edge after a series of deadly bombings, and police race to find the culprit before he strikes again. Ultimately, it was the bombs themselves, along with the tools used to make them, which led investigators to the perpetrator. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 34.

She won $5,000 at the Blackjack tables. Three hours later, she was abducted; a month after that, she was found dead. Then the trail turned cold, until police got a call from a woman whose husband had a criminal past and a fondness for Chevy Berettas. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 33.

After inspecting storm damage to a home in Tampa, the insurance assessor simply disappeared. Thirty hours later, her body was found in a nearby river. But the killer had been careless, using a murder weapon so unique and leaving behind clues so blatant that police would have no trouble tracking him down. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 31.

How did the stalker obtain the security system code for his victim's home? How did he steal her personal photographs? Police needed answers, and they found them in the most unlikely of places: the letters he wrote to frighten the victim and taunt those trying to protect her. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 30.

His daughter suspected something was wrong and when she learned virtually everything had been removed from her father's home, she was sure of it. Even though she lived almost a thousand miles away, she took it upon herself to find out what happened and who was responsible. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 28.

For sixteen years, the death of woman was considered an accident; then someone called police to suggest her husband had murdered her. Before the investigation could begin, the tipster was found dead in much the same manner as the wife. Was this an unfortunate coincidence, or the MO of a serial killer? Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 27.

For ten years, the disappearance of a college co-ed remained a mystery. And then new scientific testing cast a different light on a man who had been a suspect all along. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 26.