The New Detectives

For some killers, murder can be a profitable business. And the scene of the crime can be both a source for clues, and puzzling questions. When a victim has been targeted for death, investigators must look beyond the obvious to uncover a murder for hire.

Sometimes, the cause of death does not match the scene of the crime. When an untraceable poison is used to commit murder, homicide detectives turn to forensic toxicologists to follow a killer’s tracks and expose a toxic death.

Lies and deceit can often throw investigators off the trail of justice. But when hard evidence contradicts a killer’s story, police must use the clues to piece together the truth.

Sometimes when a death seems to be accidental or the result of a tragic accident, it is up to forensic scientists to reveal the deception lying just below the surface.

There are several things that can suggest murder; jealousy, anger, poison…When everyday substances reveal hidden clues that break a homicide case, those substances become the elements of murder.

The most frightening cases of murder occur when the killer appears to choose victims at random, without an apparent connection.

Killers often attempt to deflect attention away from their crimes by hiding the remains of their victims. Bodies may lay hidden for years before they are discovered.

When a victim is gunned down at point-blank range, police often assume that a friend or acquaintance is to blame. After all, it is difficult for a stranger to commit an assault at such close range.

In most homicides, police rely on motive to pursue a murderer. But when the killer is a stranger…the crime may go unsolved for years. It takes a full arsenal of forensic techniques…to trace… a lethal encounter.

When killers are driven by jealousy and desire, their desperation is evident in both the crime and their efforts to avoid detection. But forensic science can reveal even the slightest mistake to solve crimes of passion.

When killers hide or destroy the remains of their victims, it becomes the mission of forensic scientists to reconstruct the scenes and prove murder for an absent witness.

Sometimes killers are careful to leave no fingerprints behind. But methods of the murder itself can leave a lasting impression on police, especially when the tools (or weapons) of a killer’s trade leave an innocent victim marked for death.

Anytime, anywhere, people disappear – kidnapped from their daily routines. Predators always leave clues behind, but chasing them takes time, hampering investigators’ attempts to solve these fatal abductions.

Some killers choose to hide their victims – And investigators must then rely on forensic examiners to uncover proof of murder – These are just two extraordinary crimes that have made their way into the medical examiner’s casebook.

At a crime scene, anything left behind or seemingly out of place is considered a clue. But a fire can extinguish everything in its path –challenging forensic investigators at every turn and making each arson a trial by fire.

Solving crimes may begin with gut intuition, but advanced science provides investigators with irrefutable proof. When criminals go to great lengths to mask their crimes, Investigators must step up the challenge and remain forever …undaunted.

When victims of murder know their killers, they are often caught off guard. But even the best-laid plans leave traces of the forsaken trust.

CI: Coroner Investigator will reveal the most in-depth look to date into the science of death. Go behind the yellow tape with Julie Wilson to experience first hand the techniques and methodology used by coroner investigators.