Forensic Firsts

DNA Profiling. Toxicology. Ballistics. Todays criminal investigators employ powerful scientific tools to catch bad guys. But where did they come from and how do they really work?

2012 HD 46min Canada English

Denny Heide

Crime Documentary

S1E1 - DNA Profiling 2012-06-17

Used to nab a serial rapist terrorizing a small English town and to identify one of Americas most notorious murderers (the ruthless BTK Killer), DNA profiling has redefined forensic investigation. As science evolves, the ability of genetic profiling to help solve homicides continues to grow. Witness two landmark cases in the history of genetic profiling as scientists and detectives involved in ground breaking cases usher in a new age of forensic science.

S1E2 - Fingerprints 2012-06-24

One crime baffled a small Argentina town; the other held the entire state of California hostage. The thread that links these two cases occurring 100 years apart: both murderers were done in by their own hand. Specifically, by their fingerprints. Witness the breakthrough moment in 1892 when fingerprinting was first used to track down a child killer and see how the evolving science helped thwart a coldblooded serial killer a century later. Then follow the bloody trail of a serial killer dubbed the Night Stalker and discover how detectives nabbed him with powders, hand-held lasers, and a stroke of luck.

S1E3 - Skeletal Secrets 2012-07-01

Illinois has played host to two of the most grisly murder cases of the last century. One involving the Sausage King of Chicago and the other the Killer Clown. Both cases were solved thanks to the victims bones. Forensic anthropologists can now analyze skeletal remains to determine a persons age, sex, ancestry, stature, unique features and more importantly: cause of death. Revisit historys most shocking homicide cases cases as this forensic tool is put to the test, delivering powerful and undeniable evidence that brings countless killers to justice.

S1E4 - Insect Evidence 2012-07-08

Two grisly murder cases, years apart, appear to have little in common at first glance. A California family found brutally murdered in 2003 and two dismembered bodies discovered in Scotland in 1935. Upon closer investigation, they share the same silent witness: insects. Examine these two landmark cases where forensic entomology helped convict a killer. Detectives in Edinburgh utilize maggots to determine time of death of the victim, and the Bakersfield case hinges on the discovery of red-shanked grasshoppers caught in a suspects car radiator grill.

S1E5 - Proving Poison 2012-07-15

A rash of unexplained deaths at a Northport, New York hospital in the 1990s and the suspicious death of a wealthy businessman in the 1840s have one thing in common: poison. These sensational cases, 150 years apart, are landmark moments in the history of forensic toxicology. Revolutionizing crime fighting, then and now, toxicology may one day be ahead of the crime. Join our investigation as scientists, detectives and criminal historians trace the poisonous compounds and indispensable tools of crime fighting.

S1E6 - Smoking Guns 2012-07-22

One case saved a man from the electric chair and another put an end to a snipers murderous rampage. Revisit two criminal cases where ballistic evidence played a key role in determining the fate of its suspects. First, Charles Stielow, a man sentenced to death for a 1915 murder, is absolved thanks to a pioneering investigation. Then, after a harrowing 22-day span in 2002, detectives in Washington D.C. finally crack the case of a sniper, relying on bullets taken from the victims bodies.

S2E1 - Fire Investigation 2013-05-05

Arson used to be the ideal way for a crook to make evidence go up in smoke. Not anymore.

S2E2 - Cyber Forensics 2013-05-12

A spy uncovering government secrets from home. A serial killer hunting female escorts online. Two dangerous criminals, both of whom played a vital role in the evolution of digital forensics.

S2E3 - Criminal Profiling 2013-05-19

See how criminal profilers bring felons to justice by gathering evidence, studying motives, and getting inside some very troubled minds.

S2E4 - Blood Spatter 2013-05-26

Join two investigations and see how evolving forensic science helped investigators solve both a 1954 murder and the death of a Las Vegas playboy 40 years later.

S2E5 - Trace Evidence 2013-06-02

Discover how scientist Edmond Locards bold theories on using microscopic evidence to solve crimes helped crack a high profile murder case in 1912.

S2E6 - Cause of Death 2013-06-09

When a death looks suspicious, forensic pathologists take a closer look. By thoroughly examining a corpse, they can determine the cause of death and whether or not a crime has taken place.

S2E7 - Plant Evidence 2013-06-16

The son of Charles Lindbergh is kidnapped and murdered in 1932. The crime catches the attention of a wood expert whose expertise will establish the science of forensic botany.

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