Forensic Files

Past Lives

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The body of a businessman was found in his rental car. Teeth and bone fragments were all that remained of the body; When the victim's wife filed a lif...

Writing On The Wall

02 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The victim was well liked and successful, which made the brutality of the crime even harder to understand. In the final moments of her life, she'd wri...

Sleight Of Hand

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

An elderly woman is murdered. Though investigators were able to lift prints from the scene, they failed to find a match and the crime went unsolved. Y...

Drowning Sorrows

25 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A family vacation turns into a nightmare when the wife is found face-down in the lake. There are no witnesses and little conclusive evidence to help p...

Cold Storage

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When a young dancer who got involved with the wrong crowd disappeared, her family immediately suspected her new friends. When a young dancer who got i...

Pressed For Crime

18 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A brutal murder, lots of suspects, and conflicting evidence... but the forensics were clear on one thing: The killer knew his victim. And that alone g...

Holy Terror

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A serial bomber was on the loose in Illinois. Two churches had been bombed and one person was killed. Investigators had to stop the perpetrator before...

Yes Indeed

11 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In a tragic twist of fate, just days after the woman sold her home and moved to a modest trailer, a fire took both the trailer and her life. But the a...

Missing Pearl

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A woman does not return home and, despite pleas from her family, police insist on treating it as a routine missing person's case.To learn more about h...

Deadly Valentine

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

An obstetrician returned home from the hospital and found his wife on the floor of the bathroom; she was covered with blood, not breathing. He tried u...

The Blood Trail

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Police uncover a trail that reveals a husband's plot to kill his wife for insurance money.To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit...

The Blood Trail

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Police uncover a trail that reveals a husband's plot to kill his wife for insurance money.To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit...

Expert Witness

28 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The killer was meticulous, washing everything at the scene, including the victim's body. The only definitive evidence was a single foreign hair. Three...

Sands Of Crime

25 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A college co-ed was abducted from a parking lot. Her body was found later that day. She'd been sexually assaulted and shot at point blank range. Eight...

Sunday School Ambush

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When a woman's husband was gunned down in his own garage by intruders, investigators worked tirelessly to find the assassins. But when they discovered...

Hand Delivered

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 1995, police in San Diego, California are baffled by a pair of hands found in a dumpster. The case goes cold but about a year later, investigators ...

Dew Process

14 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When the wife of a dentist is found dead, police are unsure who killed her. As the investigation progresses, a woman confesses. Two years pass before ...

Within A Hair

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 1996 in Indiana, four women had been sexually assaulted and a suspect was soon convicted. But the story doesn't end there.To learn more about how H...

Message In A Bottle

07 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For twelve years, the murder of a young woman went unsolved, but with the passage of time came the development of technology. Would a used tissue foun...

Body Of Evidence

04 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Police exhume the body of a murdered woman to study bite wounds, which eventually lead to the killer.To learn more about how HLN protects listener pri...

All The World's A Stage

28 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Police arrive at a shooting, and discover the victim's husband is a homicide detective who says his wife shot herself. Investigators turn to a forensi...

Hundreds Of Reasons

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 r...

As The Tide Turns

21 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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, investiga...

About Face

18 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Dirty Deed

14 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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

Dessert Served Cold

11 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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'...

A Vow Of Silence

07 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 year...

Bound For Jail

04 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 year...

Within Arms Reach

31 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A man accused of killing his estranged wife insisted she committed suicide. Investigators said it was murder. The evidence was interpreted differently...

Visibility Zero

28 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 1993, the Amtrak Railroad experienced the deadliest train crash in United States history when the Sunset Limited derailed while crossing Alabama's ...

Private Thoughts

24 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Crash Course

21 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 traini...

The Disappearance of Helle Craft

17 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The investigation into the disappearance of Helle Craft led to the murder conviction of her husband.To learn more about how HLN protects listener priv...

Sip Of Sins

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After eluding police for years, a model citizen in Olney, Texas is fund to be a serial killer.To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, v...

Speck Of Evidence

10 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A speck of bicycle paint and a speck nickel tie a suspect to the murder of a 9-year-old.To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit c...

Sex Lies and DNA

07 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 invo...

Missing In Time

03 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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

The Footpath Murders

31 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A 1986 case of sexual assault and serial murder marked the first time DNA was used as evidence in a court of law.To learn more about how HLN protects ...

Penchant For Poison

27 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 fo...

Van-ished

24 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Trouble Brewing

20 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 claim...

Insulated Evidence

17 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's usually easy to determine how a criminal entered a crime scene. But in this case, it was far from clear. It looked like the killer vanished into ...

Paintball

13 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty-four years after the death of a 15-year old in California, forensic scientists discover enough microscopic evidence to finally bring the killer...

Touch Of Evil

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The media dubbed him the "Last Call Killer" because he targeted men in gay bars who were obviously intoxicated. His MO involved dismembering the bodie...

Web of Seduction

06 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Bruce Miller was shot to death in the office of the business he owned. When a computer expert examined the computers owned by the victim's wife and by...

Southside Strangler

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A serial killer in Arlington, VA. leaves the same clues behind at each crime scene.To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.co...

Purebread Murder

29 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A young mother is murdered after years of domestic abuse. There are clues at the scene: bloody footprints and DNA from the victim's rape kit. But the ...

The Gambler

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

One warm summer afternoon, the town of Verona, Wisconsin, faced its first triple homicide. To solve the case, investigators had to delve into the worl...

Innocence Lost

22 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A little girl disappears from a Christmas party.To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad ...

Badge Of Deceit

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Women in a small Louisiana city live in fear of a rapist who leaves no clues to his identity. But computer technology and behavioral science combine t...

Once Bitten

15 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When a woman is found murdered in a bar, investigators believe the best evidence is the bite mark found on the victim. A postman is convicted of murde...

Nursery Crimes

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Children at a Texas hospital seem to be dying at a higher rate than at any other US hospital. Investigators look to a suspicious nurse.To learn more a...

Man's Best Friend

08 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A girl was found dead in her backyard. Her parents claimed she was attacked and killed by the family dogs, but police disagreed.To learn more about ho...

Kidnapping

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When a mother and her child are abducted during a carjacking, the crime is reported within minutes. Police know they have a small window of opportunit...

Burning Ambition

01 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Arson is suspected when a Seattle policeman's house burns down.To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more...

A Woman Scorned

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When a young mother and her infant son are found dead in a cornfield, the obvious suspect is the husband and father of the victims. But some insects f...

News At 11

25 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A talented television news anchor was shot to death outsider her home; it appeared to be a crime of passion, perpetrated by an obsessed fan. A police ...

Home Of The Brave

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When their trailer catches fire, the young husband heroically rescues his wife and infant son. A month later, his wife is beaten to death in a bedroom...

Out Of The Ashes

18 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Two years after a girl was murdered, a tiny drop of blood and burned bones lead police to her murderers.To learn more about how HLN protects listener ...

Deadly Delivery

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Several high-powered legal officials are victims of mail bombs.To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more...

Dark Waters

11 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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

Treading Not So Lightly

09 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A mother used her knowledge from murder mystery shows to determine who severely injured her young daughter in a hit-and-run accident.To learn more abo...

Ultimate Betrayal

04 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Fire sweeps through a mansion killing two children, and all evidence leads to the mother.To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit ...

Tooth Or Consequences

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The investigation of the disappearance of a woman leads police to a suspect. But police could not find the victim's body. Finally, police discovered a...

Covet Thy Neighbor

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When a college co-ed vanished without a trace, her fellow students were concerned about her safety... and their own. Weeks later, the body of an unkno...

Calculated Coincidence

24 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A young woman is found dead in her apartment. there's little evidence at the scene, leads don't pan out, and the case turns cold... until police disco...

Insignificant Others

20 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How unlucky could one man be? His wife had taken her own life, and his college sweetheart had killed herself in much the same fashion fourteen years e...

Crime Seen

17 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In 1984, a couple set off for a camping trip but got lost and fell asleep at a scenic overlook in Virginia.To learn more about how HLN protects listen...

Family Ties

13 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

After he got into the home, the assailant used an axe to kill the husband and critically injure his wife. Nothing was taken, so this wasn't a robbery....

Till Death Do Us Part

10 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A chemist suddenly starts to suffer from foot pain, partial numbness, and hair loss, and eventually dies. Could he have been poisoned?To learn more ab...

As Fault

06 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The woman in the back of the truck was flailing her arms, screaming. They thought she was doing something dangerous for the fun of it. But when they f...

Hairline

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Doctors don't know why the young scientist is gravely ill. When test finally reveal the cause, it's too late to save him. Police hope that lab analysi...

Sphere of Influence

30 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When an 11-year old girl disappeared from a small town in a remote area of Alaska, investigators wondered if she'd been attacked by a bear or become l...

Shot Of Vengeance

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A nurse experienced flu-like symptoms. She visited the doctor for a check-up and learned she was HIV-positive. In the end, science was able to determi...

Guarded Secrets

23 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A security guard disappeared from his post without a trace; his remains were found a year later in a remote camp site. More than a decade would pass b...

The Big Chill

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For years, a woman suffered from what appeared to be the unpleasant side effects of lithium, a drug prescribed to treat bipolar disorder. When she di...

Dinner And A Movie

16 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Time of death becomes pivotal after a pregnant woman is found murdered in her air-conditioned bedroom. A similarity between her death and an HBO movie...

Bio-Attack

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In 1984, hundreds of people in The Dalles, Oregon became ill with food poisoning. Local, state, and federal disease detectives slowly unraveled the me...

Freeze Framed

09 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The man suffered a slow, agonizing death over a period of days. His wife maintained he killed himself, but police were skeptical... especially when th...

Transaction Failed

06 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When a dedicated, well-respected teacher disappeared, police had to determine if she'd gone on vacation without telling anyone or if she was the victi...

Tight-Fitting Genes

02 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A behavioral profile is helpful in a murder investigation, but it's not a road map to the killer. One such profile caused the Baton Rouge Police Depar...

Office Visit

30 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

An Arizona surgeon is found stabbed to death. All signs point to a random attack until investigators uncover an unlikely suspect. Police work to unrav...

Undertaken

26 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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

Partners In Crime

23 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The autopsy on the badly burned body of Charles "Jack" Lynch led investigators to search for a couple of killers.To learn more about how HLN protects ...

Dirty Little Secret

19 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A couple embarks on a holiday but never return. Police suspect drugs are the reason behind their disappearance. Days later a random burglary breaks th...

Family Interrupted

16 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A family interrupts a burglary in their suburban home. The gunman kills two and wounds two more. Police suspect the crime is related to a string of th...

Planted Evidence

12 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Denise Johnson was found dead in an Arizona forest with little forensic evidence around her. Could history be made in a courtroom with the utilization...

Beaten By A Hair

09 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Early one morning, a woman went missing on her way to work. A strand of hair in her hairbrush led investigators to unravel the mystery.To learn more a...

Trail Of A Killer

05 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A woman is murdered on a jogging trail in the middle of the day. The leads from cell phone records and search dogs go nowhere. Nine days later, a witn...

Fate Date

02 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty-four hours after her face-to-face meeting with a man she met online, the woman and her soon-to-be-ex-husband were shot to death. Only the compu...

A Voice From Beyond

28 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Police discover a decomposed body had been stuffed in a barrel 30 years earlier. An address book was found with the body.To learn more about how HLN p...

The Killing Room

25 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The story of how a routine missing-person case became a murder inquiry involving a love triangle.To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy...

Grave Evidence

21 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Forensic scientists provide authorities with evidence that a death deemed accidental 20 years ago was actually murder.To learn more about how HLN prot...

Deadly Formula

18 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A mother was convicted for the death of her four-month-old. An explanation for his death would come from his newborn brother.To learn more about how H...

No Safe Place

14 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A wealthy man and his wife were attacked by three men outside their luxurious Louisiana home. He was shot dead and she was forced to open their hidden...

Best Foot Forward

11 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The investigation of an exotic dancer's disappearance led police to an isolated 75-acre site where someone had been shot and cremated. The destruction...

Postal Mortem

07 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A man kills two people with bombs in an effort to get investors off his back and is sentenced to life with no chance of parole.To learn more about how...

Gone Ballistic

04 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When a real estate developer is shot to death, his wife becomes the prime suspect. Police have a wealth of evidence against her, but it's circumstanti...

Sniffing Revenge

31 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A woman dies suddenly at home. Investigators are unable to determine the cause of death until they receive a call from the ex-wife of the dead woman's...

Room With A View

28 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The victim had been stabbed more than a hundred times and her bedroom was soaked with blood. While her body was positioned in a suggestive way, she ha...