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Episodes
- S1 E1 - The Infamous Jack the RipperDecember 14, 201431minMuch of our forensic knowledge comes from the media. Start your journey through forensic history with what's considered the landmark case for crime reporting: the Jack the Ripper murders from the late 1880s. Along the way, you'll investigate the continuous interplay between forensic advances and larger societal changes. #Science & MathematicsFree trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E2 - Analyzing the Black Dahlia MurderDecember 14, 201430minExplore the special forensic category known as lust murder with the 1947 murder-mutilation of the Black Dahlia. How did law enforcement ultimately uncover this young woman's true identity? What makes her case different from other lust murders? Could there be a link to the infamous Lipstick Murders that occurred two years earlier?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E3 - Dissecting Hollywood DeathsDecember 14, 201431minTravel to Hollywood for an intriguing look at how crime scene investigation and autopsy results are crucial in assessing - and hopefully solving - suicidal, homicidal, accidental, and natural deaths. Your examples are three of Tinseltown's most mysterious deaths: TV Superman George Reeves, Hogan's Heroes actor Bob Crane, and kung fu legend Bruce Lee.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E4 - Decomposition and Confusing InterpretationsDecember 14, 201429minHow can cutting-edge research and technology be applied to old cases and result in fresh conclusions? Find out in Professor Murray's illuminating lecture on the case of seven-year-old Dalbert Aposhian and several other mysteries, which illustrate the importance of taphonomy: the study of what happens to living organisms once they die and are deposited in the environment.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E5 - Lizzie Borden and the Menendez BrothersDecember 14, 201429minTurn to a couple of intriguing aspects of forensic science: how a relatively unknown person becomes infamous, and how someone can plead not guilty at trial despite an overwhelming mountain of evidence. Here, you'll contrast two "family feuds": the 1880s murder of Lizzie Borden's parents and the case of the Menendez brothers a little over 100 years later.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E6 - The Tylenol MurdersDecember 14, 201430minIn just three days in 1982, seven people in the Chicago area were killed with cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules. Follow forensic scientists and investigators as they mobilized in a massive test for product tampering, using sophisticated chemical analysis and a rapid test method to keep other consumers safe from harm - while also searching for a culprit.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E7 - Copycats and HoaxesDecember 14, 201431minIn this lecture, plunge into the world of copycats, hoaxes, and false claims. As you learn how forensic analysts approach these issues, you'll relive some terrifying (and bizarre) true-life cases, including copycat Tylenol poisonings, syringes hidden in soda bottles, and the discovery of a confounding "missing link" between humans and apes.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E8 - Frauds and ForgeriesDecember 14, 201431minDelve into the fascinating stories behind history's many art and document forgeries - creative efforts of con artists to make money by deceiving others. How do the authorities determine which Matisse painting is fake and which one is real? What technology and skill goes into authenticating a piece of writing or art? Find out here.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E9 - Blood Doping and Other Sports ScandalsDecember 14, 201431minNot even the wide world of sports is immune from misdeeds. Here, learn more about some of the most infamous events in modern athletics, including doping scandals involving superstar athletes like Lance Armstrong; fraud and illegal gambling in baseball history; and Tonya Harding's deliberate attack on fellow figure skater Nancy Kerrigan.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E10 - Bad Boys of U.S. PoliticsDecember 14, 201431minWho was America's most corrupt president? Decide for yourself in this eye-opening lecture that illustrates a range of political scandals: extramarital affairs, hush money, favoritism, and more. Examine the misconduct of Warren Harding, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Anthony Weiner, and others. Also, learn how modern forensic technologies help uncover the truth.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E11 - Criminals of the Wild, Wild WestDecember 14, 201431minFollow the stories of three legendary 19th-century outlaws from the golden age of the American West: Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, and Alfred Packer. It's a lecture packed with prospectors, cowboys, bad boys, lawmen, and impostors - all of whom help shed light on the past (and present) of forensic science.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E12 - Investigating Incredible Bank HeistsDecember 14, 201430minWhat does it take to successfully pull off a bank burglary, such as the 1972 United California Bank heist that, in its day, was the largest in U.S. history? How do law enforcement officials go about following the clues left behind to bring the robbers to justice? Professor Murray provides the (sometimes startling) answers right here.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E13 - How Reliable is Eyewitness Testimony?December 14, 201430minFaulty eyewitness identification is the most common source of wrongful convictions in the legal system. Here, take a closer look at some real-world instances of wrongful identification; discover how DNA testing has helped exonerate hundreds; and learn what specific reforms can help prevent these horrible mistakes in the future.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E14 - The Truth behind False ConfessionsDecember 14, 201431minMentally handicapped suspects; corrupt officials; misleading interrogation methods - these are some of the factors involved in false confessions that can destroy the innocent and allow the guilty to escape. Learn how this happens by examining several cases, including two in which innocent teenagers were forced into admitting guilt for killing family members.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E15 - Crooked Cops and Bad ConvictionsDecember 14, 201431minPlanted evidence in a murder mystery in rural New Zealand. The torture of a Haitian immigrant in police custody. A government cover-up of police shootings on a mountaintop in Puerto Rico. These three unsettling cases are your windows into the terrifying world of police corruption - and how justice is finally served.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E16 - Guilty until Proven InnocentDecember 14, 201432minFor two decades, a forensic scientist with the Oklahoma City Police Department helped send thousands to prison before it was realized that she lied. In 2004, a mistake in one of the world's most sophisticated forensic labs led to the wrongful identification of an innocent U.S. citizen as a suspect in Madrid's terrorist train bombings. What happens when forensic science goes awry?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E17 - Political AssassinationsDecember 14, 201431minProfessor Murray reveals how forensics has shed light on the ways political assassins try to get away with murder. Along with the ricin poisoning of anti-Communist Georgi Markov and the shooting of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, consider the lingering forensic mystery of PLO leader Yasser Arafat's death in 2004.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E18 - Mysteries of the Romanov FamilyDecember 14, 201430minContinue exploring the forensics of political assassinations with the murder of Russia's ruling Romanov family in 1918 - and the stories of what became of their corpses. Did Anastasia or any of the other children actually survive? Then, fast-forward to the 1990s and follow anthropologists and others as they identify human remains, recreate that violent night, and finally lay the Romanovs to rest.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E19 - Forensics of GenocideDecember 14, 201430minGenocide is arguably the most horrible of crimes in human history. How do human rights groups locate evidence of genocide? How do they use this evidence to understand critical details about the atrocities and prosecute those responsible? And what insights did Professor Murray learn first-hand from victims of genocide in Guatemala?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E20 - The Nazis and the Witch of BuchenwaldDecember 14, 201431minFocus on forensic evidence found at the Nazis' Buchenwald concentration camp, and how it was used at trial. Professor Murray discusses medical experimentation involving prisoners; introduces you to the allegations against the "Witch of Buchenwald"; and investigates claims of Nazi objects made of human tissue.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E21 - The Spies Have ItDecember 14, 201431minMeet some of the last century's infamous spies and learn how they were eventually uncovered. Fascinating cases here include those of William Sebold, a German spy for America during World War II; Mata Hari, one of history's most notorious female spies; and the recent case of Robert Hanssen, an FBI mole working for the KGB.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E22 - Motive and KidnappingDecember 14, 201431minHow do police use motive to track down kidnappers? What happens when kidnappings go wrong? Get the answers with historical examples including the Black September kidnapping of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics and recent cases that illustrate how today's technology is helping thwart infant abductions.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E23 - Identification MattersDecember 14, 201430minProfessor Murray introduces you to six of her cold cases from Hamilton County, Ohio. The stories of these unknown persons help highlight some of the remarkable developments in forensic science during her nearly 30 years of practice. It's a personal and up-close look at how forensic scientists and law enforcement handle the mysteries of unidentified remains.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E24 - The Past, Present, and Future of ForensicsDecember 14, 201433minThe motives behind crimes haven't changed, but the methods and technologies used to solve them have. Conclude the course with a look at the history of three essential tools of forensic science that have revolutionized our ability to analyze and compare evidence and help bring criminals to well-deserved justice.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
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