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S11 E37 Step by Step

Documentary

14+

22 minutes

Jul 19, 2022

When a wealthy socialite died after falling down the stairs, witness accounts contradicted evidence. To find out what really happened, investigators employed a physicist and an expert in accident reconstruction.Starring: Peter Thomas

Season 11, 42 Episodes

Naughty or Nyce,

A woman appears to have lost control of her SUV and plunged down an embankment into a shallow creek. But investigators suspect foul play when they find snowy footprints leading away from the crime scene.

Going for Broke,

When a successful stockbroker doesn't return home after a late shift, his wife reports him missing.

The prime suspect had a criminal record and his driver's license was found at the scene of a brutal double homicide.

When a little girl got sick and died, investigators were stumped. Was it an accident, an unexplained illness or murder?

Shattered Dreams,

When a car was found in a drainage ditch with two bodies inside, a fingertip torn from a latex glove would point investigators to both the crime scene and the killer.

An investigation into the murder of a World War II veteran slowed to a halt when the prime suspect had a solid alibi. But a lucky break led to a shady character who wore distinctive boots and had a sweet tooth.

Murder, She Wrote,

A woman who was known to have suffered from depression apparently took her own life. But her sister told police that, a year before her death, she said if anything were to happen to her there would be a note in the china cabinet.

Concrete Alibi,

An aspiring model turned up dead and the prime suspect was her boyfriend. When he was eventually cleared, investigators had to dig deeper to find the perpetrator. With the help of a forensic geologist, they identified the most unlikely suspects.

When an off-duty policeman was shot dead, his fellow officers were determined to solve the crime. They needed clues to find the killer and they discovered them in tiny fibres and an asthma inhaler.

One warm summer afternoon, the town of Verona, Wisconsin faced its first triple homicide. To solve the case, investigators had to delve into the world of high rollers and offshore betting.

The body of a young girl was discovered on isolated farmland near Delano, California. She had no ID, but police found mailbox keys in the pocket of her jeans. With no other clues, they checked the mailboxes of every apartment building in Delano.

Capitol Crimes,

The driver said he couldn't have hit and killed a pedestrian on a Harrisburg street. The Jeep Grand Cherokee he was leasing around that time had been sold months ago to a buyer in another state.

The medical examiner ruled the death an accident, but the detectives investigating the case thought the evidence at the scene indicated otherwise.

When a hit-and-run boating accident caused the death of a popular young man, investigators faced the daunting task of searching for one boat among 1200 others.

A woman was found dead on the bedroom floor of her apartment. The crime scene yielded little of value and investigators wondered if they would find enough evidence to make a case, much less catch a killer.

A young man was killed in a mysterious car crash, but the evidence at the scene led investigators to believe it was not an accident. Forensic science revealed what really happened and the truth devastated three families.

Internal Affair,

When a woman went missing, friends and family were determined to find her. Their worst fears were confirmed weeks later when her body was discovered.

A Case of the Flue,

In 1993, 82-year-old Kathryn Bishop was found dead in her Pennsylvania home. Tiny clues on the victim's body would tell police what happened that night.

A wealthy man and his wife were attacked by three masked men outside their luxurious Louisiana home. He was shot dead and she was forced to open their hidden safe. To solve the crime, police would have to find out who knew about the concealed safe.

A bomb, constructed to cause as much damage as possible, kills a victim with deadly force and flame. When a painstaking search yields some tiny clues, police are able to identify the killer as surely as if he'd signed them.

A twelve-year-old girl claimed she had been abducted and sexually assaulted. She recounted what happened in such a flat, unemotional voice that police found it difficult to believe her. Fibers on her clothing would prove she was telling the truth.

When the number and volume of bloodstains at the scene was greater than usual, it was up to forensic scientists to find out why.

The wife of a respected police officer was murdered in her own home. The crime went unsolved for more than a decade, until a newly formed cold case unit took a fresh look at the evidence.

The victim had ingested a massive amount of cyanide. An unlikely clue — a flaw on a mailing envelope — exposed a murderer who was willing to kill innocent people.

They thought the fire would cover their crime. But one tiny clue, no bigger than a thumbtack, remained. It held all the information investigators needed to put a trio of cold-blooded killers behind bars.

In 1994, 19-year-old Shannon Melendi disappeared while at Emory University. Her disappearance remained a mystery for ten years, until new scientific testing cast a different light on Colvin "Butch" Hinton.

Killer Impression,

In 1987, the death of Crystal Purcell was considered an accident. Then in 2001, Barbara Purcell called police to suggest that her estranged husband had killed Crystal.

Paul Gruber's daughter suspected something was wrong when she received birthday cards addressed from her father, but written in a stranger's handwriting.

As the Tide Turns,

The woman was dead. The man had been shot four times and survived. When the man's version of events contradicted physical evidence, investigators turned to forensic science to paint a clearer picture of the crime.

How did the stalker obtain the security system code for his victim's home? How did he steal her personal photographs? Police needed answers and they found them in the most unlikely of places.

After inspecting storm damage to a home in Tampa, an insurance assessor simply disappeared. Thirty hours later, her body was found in a nearby river. But the killer had been careless.

Critical Maneuver,

When a hit-and-run accident claimed the life of a high school athlete, everyone in town mourned his passing. Finding the killer was a long shot at best.

Skirting the Evidence,

A murder trail turned cold, until police got a call from a woman whose husband, Gerald Powers, had a criminal past and a fondness for Chevy Berettas.

Small Town Terror,

In 1991, Grand Junction, Colorado is on edge after a series of deadly bombings kill two people and injure one more. Police race to find the culprit before he strikes again.

Lives changed in the 20 years following an unsolved murder, and so did forensic science. In time, a high-powered microscope and DNA profiling revealed a clue no one had seen before.

A lifelong resident of the tiny town of Lefroy, Tasmania was murdered outside his own home. Robbery appeared to be the motive, but with no suspects, the investigation came to a halt.

When a wealthy socialite died after falling down the stairs, witness accounts contradicted evidence. To find out what really happened, investigators employed a physicist and an expert in accident reconstruction.

Blanket of Evidence,

In 1997, Kelly Eckart's car was found, with her belongings still in it, after she worked a late shift in Franklin, Indiana. Days later, her body was found in an isolated ravine.

In 1996, Derrick Duehren returned to find his Oregon home burned to the ground. His wife's charred remains were later found in the rubble. Investigators set out to determine if it was an unfortunate accident or murder.

Two in a Million,

A millionaire and his family were executed in their own home. For three years, the murders went unsolved. Finally, a 30-year-old box of ammunition and some fluorescent fibers revealed the ultimate betrayal.

It was one of the most brazen crimes of the 20th century. Adolph Coors III, chairman of the Coors Brewing Company, was kidnapped and held for ransom. The crime prompted one of the most intense manhunts in United States history.

Message in a Bottle,

The development of technology could help solve a murder case that is twelve years old.

Details

Forensic Files

Crime

14+

14 Seasons

23 minutes

Forensic Files is the longest-running true crime series in television history. Evidence and interviews with experts help solve real crimes, disease outbreaks and accidents around the world.

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