Motives & Murders: Cracking the Case

4 seasons available

Stories dissect the ways that detectives capture killers.
More Than a Sister
S6 E1

When 18-year-old Lisa Monza is murdered in San Lorenzo, Calif., investigators look for a connection to other unsolved murders in the area.

Monster at the Door
S6 E2

After a respected widow is beaten to death in her Salt Lake City home, investigators suspect she knew her killer, but it will take 20 years before a set of children's fingerprints can put him at the scene of the crime.

Why Isn't She Smiling?
S6 E3

A high school senior is murdered in her family's Minnesota farmhouse, but the case soon goes cold; years later, a fresh set of eyes spots an overlooked clue, but cold case detectives will need more to convict the killer.

A Deadly Obsession
S6 E4

A New Hampshire man is shot dead through his screen door; investigators are stumped until they uncover a seething grudge and a culprit closer to home than anyone could have imagined.

Gambling With Death
S6 E5

In southern Louisiana, a task force forms to hunt for a serial killer following a series of deadly home invasions.

A Sister's Promise
S6 E6

The mutilated body of 17-year-old Lori Billingsley is found in a ditch on the outskirts of town, pointing to a sadistic killer on the loose in Oregon, but Billingsley's case goes cold, and it's up to her sister to pursue justice.

Who Killed Daddy's Little Girl?
S5 E1

In Iowa, a pregnant 23-year-old woman is shot in her own bed, and investigators must determine if they are looking for someone with a deadly grudge or a culprit closer to home.

Mommy Speak for Me
S5 E2

In Cleveland, 14-year-old Gloria Pointer is snatched off the street, assaulted and murdered on her way to school, and it will take detectives nearly 30 years to put her killer behind bars.

California Girl Gone
S5 E3

On her last day of school, a 14-year-old girl is brutally beaten and set on fire, sending shock waves through her California community.

This Can't Be Happening
S5 E6

The dumping of a woman's body prompts detectives to begin connecting the dots and find the link between seemingly random beatings, carjackings and murders.

Somebody Knows
S5 E8

Kimberly Dunkin's body is found with a single gunshot wound to the head, and though investigators suspect she was the victim of gang violence, it will take 15 years, a deck of playing cards and a lucky break before the case breaks.

Identifying Remains
S4 E1

Investigators must determine the identity of a murder victim whose skull was found on a highway in Florida.

What Happened in Vegas?
S4 E2

Single mother Donna Kitowski heads to a Las Vegas supermarket late at night but never returns home, and soon the local TV news is reporting on a woman's near-lifeless body found in the desert..

If Dogs Could Talk
S4 E3

Three blood-soaked dogs are the only witnesses to the brutal murder of Cathy Lamb in her Palm Beach, Fla., home, leaving detectives baffled by the gruesome crime scene.

Who Took Polly Klaas?
S4 E4

During a slumber party, a man appears at 12-year-old Polly Klaas' bedroom door and abducts her at knife point.

Where Murders Go Unsolved
S4 E5

The rape and murder of a 19-year-old journalism student in her bed is the latest in a string of unsolved homicides in a college town.

Highway to Hell
S4 E6

Police from three different states join the hunt for a serial rapist and murderer, known as the I-5 Killer, who is terrorizing communities along Interstate 5 on the West Coast.

Have You Seen Our Sister?
S4 E7

A TV celebrity leads a major media campaign after a hardworking single mother is murdered in a Michigan town where violent crimes are nearly four times the national average.

Texas Massacre
S4 E8

In Kilgore, Texas, the residents are reeling from the execution-style slaying of five people abducted from a fast-food restaurant, and it will take several decades before the perpetrators are brought to justice.

The Ballad of Melissa Love
S4 E9

After recording her first album, country singer Melissa Haferman is murdered and her body is dumped in a vacant lot near a bus depot in Louisville, Ky.

A Chance Encounter
S4 E10

When a 20-year-old woman is gunned down in a Maryland suburb, the case goes cold with few leads and almost no evidence, and it will take 25 years before investigators finally close in on the killer.

Who Do You Trust?
S4 E11

After the mutilated body of 17-year-old Shauna Card is discovered on the bathroom floor in her Orlando, Fla., home, it will take years for investigators to finally crack the case.

When the Smoke Clears
S4 E12

Washington authorities are stunned when a mother of three dies from cyanide poisoning, and their murder investigation uncovers a pattern of tampering with boxes and blister packs.

Three Times the Pain
S4 E13

A college student is stabbed to death while working the nightshift at a convenience store, and her murder goes unsolved for 10 years until an informant steps forward.

Murder at the Met
S3 E1

A beautiful young violinist is murdered at the venerable Metropolitan Opera House in Manhattan and the story becomes an international scandal; Police interview everyone behind the scenes and the search is on for the real Phantom of the Opera.

One Stormy Night
S3 E2

A Florida couple with a thriving business and a baby on the way are strangled to death in their home; detectives believe drug smuggling played a part in the crime.

Nightmares in Babysitting
S3 E3

A 14-year-old girl is brutally stabbed and raped while baby-sitting in an upscale community.

Before He Kills Again
S3 E4

A woman's body is dumped alongside a road; a year later two more bodies are found at the side of the road.

An Orphan's Ordeal
S3 E5

Eighteen-year-old Amy Roman is found murdered in her Boston apartment, then the case goes cold, prompting her family members to undertake an investigation of their own.

A Secret Life
S3 E6

A pillar of the Haitian community is gunned down in his driveway; the suspects include his second wife and mistress.

No Reason to Die
S3 E7

An unusual source is used to chase down a cold blooded killer after couple is shot in their home.

Bad Things Happen to Good People
S3 E8

The execution style murder of a man in broad daylight appears to be a professional hit and to solve the crime, police search for murder weapon.

Bad for Business
S3 E9

A woman is bludgeoned to death in her Arizona home; it takes 15 years for the police to catch the killer.

Into Thin Air
S3 E10

A grisly discovery provides clues in the disappearance of a flight attendant.