The New Detectives: Case Studies in Forensic Science
Forensic scientists work with a variety of methods (i.e. computer technology, anthropology, entomology) to solve crimes which would otherwise remain unsolved, through finding seemingly obscure clues such as tire tracks, bullet fragments and hair samples and then putting the pieces together. Interviews with forensic pathologists, cold case detectives and victims families show the process entailed in each case. Three separate cases are spotlighted in each episode of this series.
- 1996-2005
- 9 seasons
- FilmRise
- Documentary, Suspense
- TV-PG
Forensic scientists work with a variety of methods (i.e. computer technology, anthropology, entomology) to solve crimes which would otherwise remain unsolved, through finding seemingly obscure clues such as tire tracks, bullet fragments and hair samples and then putting the pieces together. Interviews with forensic pathologists, cold case detectives and victims families show the process entailed in each case. Three separate cases are spotlighted in each episode of this series.
Season 9 Episode Guide
18 Episodes 2003 - 2004
Episode 1
Hidden Obsessions
Wed, Oct 22, 2003 50 mins
The Great Miami River washes up a torso leaving investigators baffled by where the remaining body parts might be or if the person was male or female. Also, a passer-by stumbles upon a human finger in a dumpster behind a local pet store and calls 911.
Episode 2
Blind Trust
Wed, Nov 19, 2003 51 mins
Often, a killer will build the victim's trust before he or she attacks. In this episode, New Mexico police search for a missing teenager who disappeared from a local skating rink. Authorities suspect the two friends she was last seen with.
Episode 3
Shattered Vows
Mon, Dec 1, 2003 50 mins
A car crashes down an embankment in Northern California. Rescue workers scramble to save a couple trapped inside. Susan Moyer lay motionless while passenger Mitch McLees is barely conscious. An unexpected twist is revealed during a routine investigation.
Episode 4
Fatal Impressions
Sat, Dec 27, 2003 51 mins
Sometimes the faintest fingerprint or tire track is all investigators need to solve even the most brutal of crimes. When a woman's body is discovered in a field, detectives employ a rarely used technique to lift fingerprints from her corpse and bring her killer to justice.
Episode 5
Misplaced Loyalty
Tue, Dec 30, 2003 51 mins
A house fire in California turns into a murder investigation when authorities discover that the victim's best friend and personal manager had recently cleaned out her bank account.
Episode 6
Silent Killers
Tue, Feb 24, 2004 51 mins
Police search for a 22-year-old college student whose car was found abandoned outside Philadelphia; 10-year-old boy missing in Illinois.
Episode 7
Out to Kill
Mon, Mar 8, 2004 51 mins
Sometimes, cooperation from people who are not associated with a crime in any way is the only link between a criminal and the clues left behind for forensic experts. This episode examines cases in which good Samaritans provide tips to investigators to help solve these puzzling crimes.
Episode 8
Raw Greed
Wed, Mar 24, 2004 50 mins
Even ordinary objects, when used to kill, carry enough evidence for forensic scientists to piece together the most complicated murders. In this episode, criminals who killed for money are brought to justice with evidence found on mundane, household objects.
Episode 9
Murderous Attraction
Wed, Mar 31, 2004 51 mins
In two real life stories, first, a Seventh grade teacher collapses in front of her class and is paralyzed. Detectives have to find out what caused this condition. Second, a woman commits suicide, so it seems, until alert investigators question everything they think they know about this case.
Episode 10
Broken Trust
Fri, Apr 9, 2004 50 mins
When several patients in a small ICU facility die, investigators turn to forensics to solve the mystery. One nurse is suspected of using a deadly dose of medicine to take patients' lives.
Episode 11
Killing Time
Wed, Jan 14, 2004 50 mins
A killer will often try to disguise the victim's body in an attempt to the hide the actual cause of death; however, forensics cannot be fooled. In this episode, authorities use reverse DNA testing to identify remains and solve an old crime.
Episode 12
Price of Murder
Mon, May 3, 2004 50 mins
When the amount of money is substantial enough, a person can be motivated to do terrible things to someone they love. Police discover that a large life insurance policy was motive for a man's murder. A woman hires outside help to cover up her husband's death with claims of a brutal home invasion.
Episode 13
Stolen Youth
Tue, Jun 8, 2004 50 mins
In 1993 a 10-year-old girl, Cassidy Senter, is reported missing after she failed to show up at a friend's house after school. With few clues to work with, investigators turn to forensics to fill in the blanks and help them solve the case.
Episode 14
Loved to Death
Thu, Jun 24, 2004 50 mins
A Russian woman, Paulina Jerosov, is killed in her home; police search for a box whose contents may prove a man guilty of, Fran Smith, his wife's murder.
Episode 15
Written in Blood
Wed, Jul 7, 2004 50 mins
Blood can be the most telling evidence of a murder and often it is the only thing investigators have to link a killer to his or her victim. Forensic scientists and medical examiners can look at blood spatter patterns and the amount of blood lost to determine how someone was killed.
Episode 16
Critical Evidence
Thu, Jul 15, 2004 50 mins
Whether it is a fingerprint or a single bullet, sometimes it is the smallest piece of evidence that is needed to crack the biggest cases. In this episode, detectives use an ingenious technique to find the bullet that killed an elderly man.
Episode 17
Fatal Twist
Wed, Aug 18, 2004 50 mins
A Virginia real estate agent misses an appointment and is never seen alive again. It's up to forensic experts to piece together evidence and find the answer to this story's Fatal Twist.
Episode 18
Vanished
Mon, Aug 16, 2004 51 mins
Murderers will often go to great lengths to keep their crimes concealed, but forensic evidence is impossible to cover up. In this episode, medical examiners and authorities rush to identify bodies found in drum barrels and locate several missing women linked to the killer.