Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
3 Episodes 1996 - 1996
Episode 1
Wed, May 15, 199652 mins
Though impressive, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a haunting reminder that some casualties never "came home," that families could not get closure. The US military is committed to eliminating that uncertainty. Forensic anthropologists have excavated Fort William Henry (French & Indian War) and Civil War burials to determine conditions of military life and cause of death, even though the remains cannot be named. The first use of DNA to ID a casualty was in Desert Storm. There are 90,000 "missing" US soldiers since 1941, and scientists in CILHI (the Central Identification Lab in Hawaii) not only search for fragments of remains worldwide, but also use DNA from maternal relatives to identify them. The success story featured (out of about 500 completed) is a Vietnam vet named Ed Hudgens, using forensic odontology on a single tooth fragment!
Episode 2
Fri, May 17, 199653 mins
One case concerns a serial killer who phones police confessing he murdered someone; he is captured a few blocks from the pay phone. To convict him, they need to prove there's been a murder (a body would help), tie it to the perp, and motive might help. Led to the disposal place of one victim, a tool marks expert links the bone's cut marks to the killer. But is he sane? Second, a cold case squad is working on identifying the young woman whose bones and clothes have been discovered abandoned in a woody area.
Episode 3
Sun, May 19, 199653 mins
Too many cardiac patients are dying unexpectedly at a respected hospital. All of them are dying on one man's shift! To prove his culpability, they must not only check the latest victim, but exhume others suspected of poisoning. A scientist explains the 2 types of poisoner: targeted and random. Then two poisoning cases are presented where a "target" is disguised as a "random," following the Tylenol case in Chicago. Intensive investigation includes looking for fingerprints in MANY library books, interviewing strippers and tracing down an aquarium cleaner.