Forensic Files is an American documentary-style series which reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and even outbreaks of illness. The series was broadcast on Court TV, narrated by Peter Thomas, and produced by Medstar Television, in association with Court TV Original Productions. It has broadcast 406 episodes since its debut on TLC in 1996 as Medical Detectives.
| Forensic Files | |
|---|---|
| Season 11 | |
| No. of episodes | 42 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Court TV |
| Original release | July 19, 2006 – May 2, 2007 |
| Season chronology | |
Episodes
edit| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 258 | 1 | "Naughty or Nyce" | July 19, 2006 | |
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35-year-old Michelle Nyce could have lost control of her SUV on the icy road, and plunged down an embankment into a shallow creek. But there were footprints in the snow leading away. With these footprints, along with other evidence that contradicted the testimony of Michelle's husband Jonathan, investigators determined the death was the result not of an accident but a fight over Michelle's infidelity, which led to Jonathan beating Michelle to death in a jealous rage, after which he panicked and staged the accident. Jonathan Nyce was convicted of killing his wife, but given the circumstances, was only sentenced to 8 years in prison. | ||||
| 259 | 2 | "Going for Broke" | July 26, 2006 | |
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A successful stockbroker named Michael Prozumenshikov told his wife he had be working late, and when he did not come home, she reported him missing. Investigators found his car a few blocks from his office and, two days later, proof that he had been murdered. | ||||
| 260 | 3 | "Just Desserts" | August 2, 2006 | |
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The prime suspect had a criminal record, and his driver's license was found at the scene of a brutal, double homicide. That physical evidence seemed damning, but it was not the only evidence. DNA extracted from a discarded spoon would point investigators in a different direction. | ||||
| 261 | 4 | "Sunday's Wake" | August 9, 2006 | |
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When a little girl got sick and died, investigators were stumped. Was it an accident, an unexplained illness, or murder? Scientists would travel halfway around the world before finding the answer in two unlikely places: a shredded legal document and her mother's signature. | ||||
| 262 | 5 | "Shattered Dreams" | August 16, 2006 | |
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A car was found in a drainage ditch and the bodies of a man and woman were inside; both had been shot to death. The car windows were broken and shattered glass should have been everywhere, but it was not. A fingertip torn from a latex glove would point investigators to both the crime scene and the killer. | ||||
| 263 | 6 | "Dockter Visit" | August 23, 2006 | |
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On October 20, 1993, a World War II veteran was found dead in his Boulder County, Colorado home, and the investigation ground 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. | ||||
| 264 | 7 | "Murder, She Wrote" | August 30, 2006 | |
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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 was a note in the china cabinet. Investigators found the note and the killer. | ||||
| 265 | 8 | "Concrete Alibi" | September 6, 2006 | |
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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. | ||||
| 266 | 9 | "Key Evidence" | September 13, 2006 | |
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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. | ||||
| 267 | 10 | "The Gambler" | September 20, 2006 | |
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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. | ||||
| 268 | 11 | "Weakest Link" | September 27, 2006 | |
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The body of a young girl was discovered on isolated farmland near Delano, California. She had no ID, but police found mailbox and house keys in the pocket of her jeans. With no other clues, they checked the mailboxes of every apartment building in Delano and their persistence paid off. | ||||
| 269 | 12 | "Capitol Crimes" | October 4, 2006 | |
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The driver said he could not have hit and killed a pedestrian on a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania street. The Jeep Grand Cherokee he was leasing around that time had been sold months ago to a buyer in another state. Police were able to find the vehicle. They impounded it, took it apart, and discovered evidence, which would tell them what really happened that night. | ||||
| 270 | 13 | "Undertaken" | October 11, 2006 | |
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The medical examiner ruled the death an accident, but the detectives investigating the case thought the evidence at the scene indicated otherwise. It would take three years, an exhumation and a second autopsy to determine who was right. | ||||
| 271 | 14 | "Dark Waters" | October 18, 2006 | |
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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. They asked anyone who had seen the accident to come forward. The man who responded did much more than witness the crash; he was a passenger in that other boat. | ||||
| 272 | 15 | "Nice Threads" | October 25, 2006 | |
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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. But a bloodstained sheet and a breakthrough forensic technique enabled them to identify the murderer, and convince the jury of his guilt. | ||||
| 273 | 16 | "Grave Danger" | November 1, 2006 | |
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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. | ||||
| 274 | 17 | "Internal Affair" | November 8, 2006 | |
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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. Blood evidence and computer forensics helped investigators to catch the killer, and convince the jury of his guilt. | ||||
| 275 | 18 | "A Case of the Flue" | November 15, 2006 | |
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In 1993, 82-year-old Kathryn Bishop was found dead in her Pennsylvania home. The evidence at the scene indicated that the perpetrator had been running out of the house, not breaking into it. Tiny clues on the victim's body would tell police what happened that night, which gave investigators the proof they need that chimney sweep Timothy McEnany was the perpetrator. Timothy had planned to rob Kathryn's house, even calling ahead and thinking she was asleep when he got no answer, but when he got to the house and broke in, it turned out Kathryn was awake and had not picked up the phone because her hearing was bad. As a result, Timothy was forced to kill Kathryn to avoid identification, and he was sentenced to life in prison. | ||||
| 276 | 19 | "No Safe Place" | November 22, 2006 | |
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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 safe. The woman could not describe the men because they wore masks. To solve the case, police would have to find out who knew about the concealed safe, and who would benefit from the crime. | ||||
| 277 | 20 | "Live Wire" | November 29, 2006 | |
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A bomb killed 44-year-old teacher Lillian Jarvis while maiming her mother and boyfriend. A search for clues identified Lillian's 39-year-old ex-husband William as the killer. William had been financially ruined when Lillian divorced him and was also jealous of her new relationship, so he killed her, not caring that their daughter was also in the house. William Jarvis was convicted of the bombing and received a triple life sentence. | ||||
| 278 | 21 | "Van-ished" | December 6, 2006 | |
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A twelve-year-old girl in Brazoria County, Texas 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 to find her attacker. | ||||
| 279 | 22 | "A Novel Idea" | December 13, 2006 | |
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In 2001, paramedics in Durham, North Carolina, received a frantic call from Michael Peterson who said his wife Kathleen had fallen down the stairs and that she was unconscious, but still breathing. When paramedics arrived, they could do little more than pronounce the woman dead. The number and volume of bloodstains at the scene was greater than usual. It was up to forensic scientists to find out why. | ||||
| 280 | 23 | "Chief Suspect" | December 20, 2006 | |
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The wife of a respected police officer was murdered in her own home. The crime went unsolved for more than a decade, and then a newly formed Cold Case Unit took a fresh look at the evidence. A few seconds of a 911 call enabled them to determine not only who was responsible for the victim's death, but also the motive for her murder. | ||||
| 281 | 24 | "Water Hazard" | December 27, 2006 | |
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46-year-old Julie Ann Williams had ingested a massive amount of cyanide. That previous weekend, her colleague Diane Harry had almost died twice shortly after her husband Lewis received letters threatening her life. An unlikely clue – a flaw on a mailing envelope – exposed a murderer who was willing to kill innocent people to get revenge on his intended victim. Lewis Harry had been having an affair, and the alleged threats were sent by his mistress’ ex-boyfriend, who was extremely jealous; however, he had in fact sent only one letter which just demanded Lewis stop seeing her. Lewis had used that letter to forge more threatening letters in the ex-boyfriend’s handwriting, then attempted to kill his wife by poisoning the water cooler at her office, with hopes of clearing the way for his mistress, while getting her ex-boyfriend sent to prison so he wouldn’t bother them anymore. However, the flawed envelope blew the whole plot wide open. Lewis Harry was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Julie Ann Williams and the attempted murder of his wife. | ||||
| 282 | 25 | "Shell Game" | January 3, 2007 | |
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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. | ||||
| 283 | 26 | "Ring Him Up" | January 10, 2007 | |
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In 1994, 19-year-old college student Shannon Melendi disappeared while at Emory University in Atlanta. For ten years, her disappearance of remained a mystery, until new scientific testing cast a different light on Colvin "Butch" Hinton, who had been a suspect from the beginning. | ||||
| 284 | 27 | "Killer Impression" | January 17, 2007 | |
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The death of Crystal Purcell on July 27, 1987 was considered an accident. Almost 14 years later, Barbara Purcell called police to suggest that her estranged husband Willard had killed Crystal. On June 6, 2001, before that investigation could begin, Barbara was found dead in much the same manner as Crystal. Was this an unfortunate coincidence or the MO of a serial killer? Investigators were not sure, but they were able to prove Willard had killed Barbara as a result of their marriage deteriorating, and he was sentenced to 20 to life. However, no one has ever tied Willard to Crystal's death. | ||||
| 285 | 28 | "If I Were You" | January 24, 2007 | |
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In 1994, Paul Gruber's daughter suspected something was wrong when she received birthday cards addressed from Gruber, on which the handwriting was not Gruber's. When she then learned virtually everything had been removed from her father's Sandpoint, Idaho home, she was sure of it. Investigators soon discover that Gruber had hired handyman Darryl Kuehl, who killed Gruber and then went about keeping up the appearance that Gruber was still alive. | ||||
| 286 | 29 | "As the Tide Turns" | January 31, 2007 | |
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April Barber was dead. Her husband Justin had been shot four times but he survived. When Justin'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. In the end, they successfully determined Justin killed his wife and shot himself because April wanted to divorce him due to Justin's cheating and gambling debts. Justin Barber was convicted of his wife's murder and sentenced to life without parole. | ||||
| 287 | 30 | "A Tight Leash" | February 7, 2007 | |
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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: the letters he wrote to frighten the victim and taunt those trying to protect her. | ||||
| 288 | 31 | "Muffled Cries" | February 14, 2007 | |
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After inspecting storm damage to a home in Tampa, Florida the insurance assessor simply disappeared. Thirty hours later, her body was found in a nearby river. But the killer had been careless, using a murder weapon so unique and leaving behind clues so blatant that police would have no trouble tracking him down. | ||||
| 289 | 32 | "Critical Maneuver" | February 21, 2007 | |
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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, but investigators hoped tiny paint chips and pieces of plastic found at the scene would lead them to the person who was behind the wheel. | ||||
| 290 | 33 | "Skirting the Evidence" | February 28, 2007 | |
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In 1996, Shannon Sanderson goes to the casino without her husband Robert and wins $5,000 at the Blackjack tables. Three hours later, she is abducted by a man driving a Chevy Beretta and a month later, she was found dead. The 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. | ||||
| 291 | 34 | "Small Town Terror" | March 7, 2007 | |
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In 1991, Grand Junction, Colorado is on edge after a series of deadly bombings which killed 2 and injured one more and police race to find the culprit before he strikes again. Ultimately, it was the bombs themselves, along with the tools used to make them, which led investigators to James Genrich. | ||||
| 292 | 35 | "Fresh Heir" | March 14, 2007 | |
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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 not only a clue no one had seen before but also the identity of the killer. | ||||
| 293 | 36 | "Ticker Tape" | March 21, 2007 | |
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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. Then the victim's autopsy turned the investigation into a landmark forensics case: The device intended to save his life proved to be the only witness to his death. | ||||
| 294 | 37 | "Step by Step" | March 28, 2007 | |
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When wealthy socialite Bette Lucas died after falling down the stairs, the eye witnesses said one thing and the evidence seemed to indicate another. To find out what really happened, investigators turned to forensic science, a physicist and an expert in accident reconstruction. This determined Bette's son Steven had killed her after she planned to disinherit him and staged the accident to inherit the estate. Steven Lucas was sentenced to 30 years in prison. | ||||
| 295 | 38 | "Blanket of Evidence" | April 4, 2007 | |
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On September 28, 1997, Kelly Eckart's car was found with her belongings still in it, after working the late shift in Franklin, Indiana. Days later, her body was found in an isolated ravine. Tiny clues told police a great deal about the killer: He would own a car with olive-colored carpeting, a white blanket and distinctive bullets made from wax, not lead. Investigators turn to Michael Overstreet, after receiving a tip from his brother Scott. | ||||
| 296 | 39 | "Fired-Up" | April 11, 2007 | |
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On February 4, 1996, when Derrick Duehren returned to his Gales Creek, Oregon home, it had burned to the ground and his wife Roxanne's charred remains were found in the rubble. Investigators set out to determine if it was an accident or arson and murder. | ||||
| 297 | 40 | "Two in a Million" | April 18, 2007 | |
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A millionaire and his family were executed in their own home. For three years, the murders went unsolved and then a 30-year-old box of ammunition and some fluorescent fibers revealed the ultimate betrayal. | ||||
| 298 | 41 | "Bitter Brew" | April 25, 2007 | |
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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 prompting one of the most intense manhunts in United States history. | ||||
| 299 | 42 | "Message in a Bottle" | May 2, 2007 | |
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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 found at the crime scene give police the evidence they needed to crack the case and bring a killer to justice? | ||||