The FBI Files

In Richmond, Virginia, two masked men who were robbing a bank escaped after opening fire on officers responding to the call. When the FBI arrived, agents found one bank teller dead, another wounded; the bank's security guard had been shot four times, yet was still alive.

In 1993, a 74-year-old man is found suffocated in his home with his checkbook, credit cards and vehicle stolen. Investigators flagged the dead man's credit cards and were alerted that they had been used by the killers. With this information, FBI agents were able to link the crime to an escaped prisoner and his girlfriend.

An innocent Milwaukee teen was kidnapped by four gunmen who demanded $30,000 from his family to guarantee his safe return. The victim's family contacted police and the FBI was brought in to help retrieve the boy and bring the violent kidnappers to justice.

In December 1981, a New Jersey State Trooper was shot to death on the side of Interstate 80. Fingerprints on the suspect's vehicle pointed to a fugitive wanted on bank robbery charges.

In the late 1980s, an illegal drug operation known as the "K Street Crew" opened its doors in Washington, DC. Leader Vincent Hill ran the organization with an iron fist that included intimidation and murder. Life in the city became more violent for everyone - gang member or not - so the FBI and local police created a joint task force to put an end to their deadly dealings.

In 2000 the FBI was overwhelmed with investigations in Seattle, which had the third-highest number of bank robberies in the nation. Agents focused on a series of heists in which two heavily armed men seemed to know where the banks stored their money.

A bank vault was blasted into from the ceiling, and over $2 million in valuables was missing. Agents were able to track down one of the robbers' friends and attempted to use him as bait to reel in the crooks.

After an Arkansas State Trooper is shot and killed, officers catch the murderer and alert the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when they find weapons and explosives in the man's vehicle. Testing of the weapons leads them to a racist, anti-Semitic paramilitary group. Agents surround the group's compound but the members resist for several days in a nail-biting standoff.

In 1992, a Washington, DC professor was shot and killed as she tried to get into her car, the latest incident in a series of violent carjackings. One week later, a man robbed a bank and security cameras captured the same vehicle as the getaway car.

In 1987, Cuban prisoners at the Atlanta Federal Prison broke out homemade weapons and stole handcuffs and radios from prison staff. Soon, the inmates controlled most of the central buildings, taking more than 100 hostages. The FBI was forced to negotiate with hostile prisoners to end the standoff.

In the spring of 1997, a killer preyed on senior citizens in the quiet town of River Parish, Louisiana. Victims were robbed, beaten, shot and left for dead. FBI agents soon connected the violent crimes to an area mechanic with a gambling problem.

In 1996, a series of bank robberies in Texas baffled authorities. But when similar thefts occurred the next year in California, FBI agents linked the crimes and established a modus operandi. Another year later, the robbers took hostages during a violent heist in Las Vegas and the FBI was tasked with stopping these criminals once and for all.

In a suburb of Las Vegas, two robbers brandishing assault rifles ambushed an armored car, killing both guards and seizing thousands of dollars. Authorities were able to link the crime to a series of armed robberies on gambling houses, including the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Their main suspect was a recently paroled man with a history of violence.

In 1997, two men used a sledgehammer to break into a Camden, New Jersey home. Police tracked the suspects to a nearby park but the criminals were able to escape after a nearly fatal shootout. One year after the original crime, the FBI was called in when new clues emerged regarding the location of the suspects.

This special episode examines previous cases to learn about the investigative techniques and innovations used by the FBI.

In the 1970s, a Croatian terrorist group linked to the National Resistance party committed acts against non-supportive Croatians living in the United States. With the help of an informant, the FBI apprehended, arrested and convicted members of the group of crimes ranging from conspiracy and extortion to murder.

In 1994, a rash of home invasions plagued the Detroit area. Each time, masked men disguised as police officers broke in with assault rifles and stole money and jewelry. But when one homeowner shot back, the identity of the intruders was revealed.

In June 1985, a Lebanese terrorist and his four accomplices hijacked Royal Jordanian Flight 405 shortly before take off in Beirut. Several American citizens were on board. The FBI opened a criminal investigation and worked with various other government agencies to form Operation Goldenrod, a task force charged with bringing the terrorist mastermind to justice.