Forensic Files

In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, a college co-ed was abducted from the parking lot of her apartment. Her body was found later that day; she’d been sexually assaulted and then shot at point blank range. Eight long years passed… and then a pair of running shoes and a cell phone breathed new life into a very cold case. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 13.

When a college student is reported missing, police believe their investigation will be like countless others, and she’d turn-up a few days later. But when they discover blood spatter in her boyfriend’s bedroom – blood spatter someone had gone to great lengths to conceal -- they know this case is going to be different. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 15.

The victim has been stabbed more than thirty times, and the crime scene is awash with her blood. Near her head, police discover a distinctive button with strands of thread still attached. If they can find the owner of the shirt the button came from, they’ll also find the killer. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 17.

A young woman attends evening church services... then disappears. When her abandoned car is found, the tank is empty and a gas can she kept in her trunk for emergencies is missing. Eyewitnesses place her at a nearby gas station, getting into a van, but their descriptions of the vehicle don’t match. Three days later when her body is discovered, the search for the driver of that van intensifies. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 18.

When a nine-year-old girl goes missing, police and volunteers spend weeks searching for her. A psychic’s vision leads to a field where her body is discovered, along with what investigators hope is enough evidence to help them to also find her killer. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 19.

Digital enhancement of security camera video shows that what appears to be a casual encounter is actually a forced abduction, leading to murder. The perpetrator’s MO is remarkably similar to another murder which occurred five months earlier, 15 miles away. When investigators learn the crimes might not be isolated or random, they also realize a serial killer may be on the loose. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 20.

A respected surgeon was stabbed to death in the parking lot next to his office. The most likely suspect is seen having dinner in a restaurant at the time of the murder. But a cryptic conversation leads police to believe that, while the suspect may not have wielded the knife, he could very well have hired the man who did. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 40.

Terrified, the young girl hid in her bedroom while her mother was attacked and stabbed to death. Investigators had a wealth of evidence: shoe impressions, distinctive blood drops, and the killer’s DNA. What they didn’t have was a basis for comparison. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 41.

The gunman opened fire as the family of four entered their home, killing two and wounding the others. He’d pulled open a few drawers to make it look like a robbery, but the scene was clearly staged. When police pieced together the clues, they discovered an unlikely suspect and a carefully orchestrated plot. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 42.

It was classic “overkill.” The woman floating in the harbor of an upscale yacht club had been stabbed more than 50 times. Her ex-husband and daughter are missing, and investigators turn to forensic science to determine if they’re searching for victims... or perpetrators. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 15.Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 43.

A state park employee is murdered in the park office in the middle of the afternoon. There’s a wealth of evidence at the scene, but it doesn’t implicate the prime suspect, it clears him. Six years -- and 600 leads -- later, advances in DNA technology enable investigators to identify and convict the killer. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 44.

The evidence suggested the woman had been bound, sexually assaulted and murdered. Afterwards, the killer spent hours at the crime scene, wiping away his fingerprints and disposing of everything which might incriminate him, including the woman’s body. Police now face a daunting task: They not only have to find the killer, they also have to find the body of the victim. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 45.

A couple spent Memorial Day weekend at the beach, and then they simply vanished. Their clothes and personal items were still in the rented condo, their car was parked outside, and there were no signs of forced entry or foul play. A week later, police would get an unexpected lead from a robbery in progress, and the evidence they found helped solve a crime of unparalleled violence and brutality. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 46.

Whoever stabbed the young mother to death had also savagely beaten her four-year-old daughter. Police had a suspect, but not enough evidence to tie him to the crimes. It would take 15 years and advances in DNA technology to bring the killer to justice. Originally aired as Season 13, Episode 47.