Forensic Files

The assistant manager of the restaurant had been stabbed to death. Police knew why he'd been killed: $8,000 was missing from the safe. As to who was responsible, his family and friends couldn't even imagine who'd want to hurt him. via Knit

The woman was dead. The man had been shot four times but he survived. When the man's version of events was at variance with the evidence, investigators turned to forensic science, hoping to determine if this was a botched robbery, or cold-blooded murder. via Knit

A human skeleton was discovered in the North Carolina marshlands and, when investigators learned she'd been dead for 18 months, they knew it would be difficult to find out who she was, much less who killed her. A forensic anthropologist was able to determine the victim's race, age and height, but it would take an inventive computer consultant to give her a face and a name. via Knit

Eileen and Derrick Severs disappeared from their home in the small village of Hambleton in Great Britain, and police found evidence which suggested foul play. via Knit

When a Massachusetts man dropped dead of an apparent heart attack, no one thought foul play was a possibility until police looked into his girlfriend's odd behavior in the days before his death. via Knit

Emelita Villa came to Arlington, Texas from the Philippines as a shy, impoverished, 18-year-old mail order bride for Jack Reeves, a man almost 30 years her senior. Six and a half years later, Emelita disappeared. via Knit

A woman is found dead in a ravine near a jogging path. Crucial crime scene evidence had been washed away by severe thunderstorms. Then, almost 20 years later, two pieces of newly-discovered evidence brought the killer to justice. via Knit

A man accused of killing his estranged wife insisted she committed suicide. Investigators said it was murder. The evidence was interpreted differently by the defense and prosecution. It was up to the jury to decide. via Knit

In 1993, the Amtrak Railroad experienced the deadliest train crash in United States history when the Sunset Limited derailed while crossing Alabama's Bayou Canot bridge. Forty-seven passengers and crew were killed; scores more were injured. The clues to the cause of the crash lay etched in twisted steel and buried in the mud of the Bayou Canot. via Knit

Firefighters find an entire family dead inside their burned-out home, and at first glance, it appears to be a case of murder-suicide. But clues found at the scene soon lead investigators to believe otherwise. Forensic science, a time card, a drawing, and an audiotaped diary help prosecutors to build their case, and bring the killer to justice. via Knit

A highway patrolman was dispatched to what he thought would be a routine traffic accident... until he looked in the car. While he had no formal training in forensic science, he had seen hundreds of accidents - but never as much blood as this. He was shocked by the coroner's ruling of "accidental death," and then an anonymous phone call breathed new life into his investigation. via Knit

The investigation into the disappearance of Helle Craft led to the murder conviction of her husband. via Knit

After eluding police for years, a model citizen in Olney, Texas is fund to be a serial killer. via Knit

A speck of bicycle paint and a speck nickel tie a suspect to the murder of a 9-year-old. via Knit

While Earl Morris was vacationing in California, he learned that his wife had gone missing from their home in Arizona. The search for Ruby Morris involved dozens of investigators, scientists, and even the coast guard. via Knit

A woman was reported missing, presumed dead. A clue inside the suspect's watchband and a popular television show helped solve the case. via Knit

A 1986 case of sexual assault and serial murder marked the first time DNA was used as evidence in a court of law. via Knit

Three seemingly unrelated deaths proved to be serial murders. The killer had been careful; he'd used poison which has no taste or odor. Fortunately for investigators, it also had a unique chemical signature. via Knit

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, and help police find her attacker. via Knit

Two suspects living in the same apartment were linked to a murder by a gun and a pair of bloodstained boots - items that belonged to the one who claimed he'd never even met the victim. Investigators hoped the manufacturing code stamped on the six beer bottles would be distinctive enough to prove who was telling the truth, and who was a cold-blooded killer. via Knit