Season 5

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.

1. 1. Cop Killers

   1996-01-17 · 43m

   Notorious recent cases provide the focus for an examination of cop killings and what can be done to protect those in uniform.

2. 2. The Chicago Mob

   1996-02-07 · 43m

   Chicago crime bosses; Al Capone; Anthony "Joe Batters" Accardo; Sam Giancana; Gus Alex.

3. 3. The Sam Sheppard Story

   1996-02-15 · 43m

   Dr. Sam Sheppard is convicted of murder in 1954 and retried in the '60s.

4. 4. Murder in the Family

   1996-03-06 · 43m

   The cases of the Freeman brothers and Jeffrey Howarth highlight an examination of murder in the family.

5. 5. Vegas and the Mob

   1996-04-10 · 43m

   How Bugsy Siegel and others built a glittering gambling mecca from barren desert; includes an interview with former casino manager Frank Rosenthal.

6. 6. Long Island Railroad Massacre

   1996-04-24 · 43m

   In 1993 Colin Ferguson methodically shoots passengers aboard a Long Island Railroad commuter

7. 7. Bounty Hunters

   1996-05-11 · 43m

   Bail bondsmen hire bounty hunters to capture fugitives.

8. 8. The Pamela Smart Story

   1996-05-25 · 43m

   Schoolteacher Pamela Smart enlists a student to kill her husband.

9. 9. John Wayne Gacy: Buried Secrets

   1996-06-05 · 43m

   John 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.

10. 10. When Cops Kill

    1996-06-19 · 43m

    Technology creates police weapons designed to stun rather than kill.

11. 11. Hot Pursuit

    1996-07-17 · 43m

    Strict departmental policies govern high-speed police chases.

12. 12. Great Crimes & Trials: John Christie of Rillington Place

    1996-07-28 · 43m

    In the 1950s, England reels over the case of serial killer John Christie.

13. 13. Denis Nilsen: The Kindly Killer

    1996-08-18 · 43m

    A British serial killer lures young men to his apartment and dismembers them.

14. 14. Mob Hit Men

    1996-08-21 · 43m

    Interviews with Nicholas "The Crow" Caramandi, former hit men and other experts highlight an examination of the mob hit man. Host: Bill Kurtis.

15. 15. Bamber Family Murders

    1996-08-25 · 43m

    Recalling the Bamber family murder case, considered by some to be almost the perfect crime.

16. 16. Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker

    1996-09-01 · 43m

    Richard Ramirez rapes, mutilates and tortures more than 25 California victims.

17. 17. The Menendez Murders

    1996-09-04 · 43m

    Three juries consider the murder cases against Erik and Lyle Menendez.

18. 18. Hammersmith Murders: Jack the Stripper

    1996-09-22 · 43m

    The murders of six prostitutes end with a man's suicide.

19. 19. I Confess

    1996-09-25 · 43m

    Confessions play a part in three unique criminal cases; coercion; admissibility.

20. 20. James Hanratty: A6 Murder

    1996-09-29 · 43m

    After James Hanratty is hanged for a murder, a man confesses to the crime.

21. 21. To Catch a Killer: Homicide Detectives

    1996-10-02 · 43m

    Profiling the lives of men and women who choose to work as homicide detectives.

22. 22. Disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa

    1996-10-06 · 43m

    The twisted career and mysterious disappearance of the union boss.

23. 23. Caryl Chessman

    1996-10-13 · 43m

    Clever criminal who spent the last 12 years of his crusading against execution.

24. 24. The McKay Kidnapping

    1996-10-20 · 43m

    The cruel story of mistaken identity in the Muriel McKay kidnapping case.

25. 25. Black Panther

    1996-10-20 · 43m

    A woman is kidnapped and murdered after inheriting a fortune.

26. 26. Free to Kill: The Polly Klaas Murder

    1996-10-23 · 43m

    The case of Polly Klaas highlights an examination of repeat offenders who are set loose upon society.

27. 27. Kennedy Assassination

    1996-11-17 · 43m

    Theories abound concerning President Kennedy's death.

28. 28. Massacre of the Tsar

    1996-11-17 · 43m

    The controversial story of the 1918 murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family

29. 29. Death Row Women

    1996-11-20 · 43m

    How society ultimately copes with the prospect of executing a woman.

30. 30. Neville Heath: The Lady Killer

    1996-11-24 · 43m

    Englishman Neville Heath was hanged for murder.

31. 31. The Defenders

    1996-12-04 · 43m

    The United States is the only country to provide free legal counsel for poor defendants.

32. 32. Rise of the Mafia

    1996-12-08 · 43m

    An examination of the Gambino crime family and its bloody 30-year war with the other gangland families of New York.

33. 101. The Great Midwest Gangs

    1996-02-10 · 43m

    In 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.

34. 102. The Kidnappers

    1996-03-09 · 43m

    For bigger payoffs, criminals turn from bank robbery to kidnapping.