Season 5

1996 · 34 episodes

A look at groundbreaking criminal cases, presenting viewers with an inside look at the case through the eyes of those directly involved, ranging from law enforcement officers to the victims.

1Cop KillersNotorious recent cases provide the focus for an examination of cop killings and what can be done to protect those in uniform.
2The Chicago MobChicago crime bosses; Al Capone; Anthony "Joe Batters" Accardo; Sam Giancana; Gus Alex.
3The Sam Sheppard StoryDr. Sam Sheppard is convicted of murder in 1954 and retried in the '60s.
4Murder in the FamilyThe cases of the Freeman brothers and Jeffrey Howarth highlight an examination of murder in the family.
5Vegas and the MobHow Bugsy Siegel and others built a glittering gambling mecca from barren desert; includes an interview with former casino manager Frank Rosenthal.
6Long Island Railroad MassacreIn 1993 Colin Ferguson methodically shoots passengers aboard a Long Island Railroad commuter
7Bounty HuntersBail bondsmen hire bounty hunters to capture fugitives.
8The Pamela Smart StorySchoolteacher Pamela Smart enlists a student to kill her husband.
9John Wayne Gacy: Buried SecretsJohn Wayne Gacy's lawyers discuss the man, the crimes and the case now that his execution has lifted the constraints of their attorney-client privilege.
10When Cops KillTechnology creates police weapons designed to stun rather than kill.
11Hot PursuitStrict departmental policies govern high-speed police chases.
12Great Crimes & Trials: John Christie of Rillington PlaceIn the 1950s, England reels over the case of serial killer John Christie.
13Denis Nilsen: The Kindly KillerA British serial killer lures young men to his apartment and dismembers them.
14Mob Hit MenInterviews with Nicholas "The Crow" Caramandi, former hit men and other experts highlight an examination of the mob hit man. Host: Bill Kurtis.
15Bamber Family MurdersRecalling the Bamber family murder case, considered by some to be almost the perfect crime.
16Richard Ramirez: The Night StalkerRichard Ramirez rapes, mutilates and tortures more than 25 California victims.
17The Menendez MurdersThree juries consider the murder cases against Erik and Lyle Menendez.
18Hammersmith Murders: Jack the StripperThe murders of six prostitutes end with a man's suicide.
19I ConfessConfessions play a part in three unique criminal cases; coercion; admissibility.
20James Hanratty: A6 MurderAfter James Hanratty is hanged for a murder, a man confesses to the crime.
21To Catch a Killer: Homicide DetectivesProfiling the lives of men and women who choose to work as homicide detectives.
22Disappearance of Jimmy HoffaThe twisted career and mysterious disappearance of the union boss.
23Caryl ChessmanClever criminal who spent the last 12 years of his crusading against execution.
24The McKay KidnappingThe cruel story of mistaken identity in the Muriel McKay kidnapping case.
25Black PantherA woman is kidnapped and murdered after inheriting a fortune.
26Free to Kill: The Polly Klaas MurderThe case of Polly Klaas highlights an examination of repeat offenders who are set loose upon society.
27Kennedy AssassinationTheories abound concerning President Kennedy's death.
28Massacre of the TsarThe controversial story of the 1918 murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family
29Death Row WomenHow society ultimately copes with the prospect of executing a woman.
30Neville Heath: The Lady KillerEnglishman Neville Heath was hanged for murder.
31The DefendersThe United States is the only country to provide free legal counsel for poor defendants.
32Rise of the MafiaAn examination of the Gambino crime family and its bloody 30-year war with the other gangland families of New York.
101The Great Midwest GangsIn the Depression-torn dust bowl of the 1930s, a new kind of desperado is born. Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger, and Bonnie & Clyde become as well-known and admired as movie stars.
102The KidnappersFor bigger payoffs, criminals turn from bank robbery to kidnapping.

Episodes