The New Detectives

The solution to the most heinous crimes often hinge on the smallest of clues. Investigators must have their eyes trained to find the full story of a murder written in a single scrap of evidence.

They say that a burden shared is a burden halved, but when partners team up to commit murder, the weight of their guilt remains just as heavy. Investigators must rely on forensic science to capture partners in crime.

There's never a good reason for murder, but some killers are particularly brutalchoosing their prey at random or with no apparent motive and then cunningly covering their tracks. Even so, telltale clues remain. It's up to forensic investigators to follow the trail of scattered clues to capture these deadly killers.

What does it take to prove murder if the victim cannot be found? Investigators must go to extreme lengths to catch the killer when the victim is presumed dead.

When lovers turn on each other, or marriages fail, some ruthless spouses find a grisly way to gain an uncontested divorce with no paperwork. When murder tears lovers apart, forensic science must put piece together the mystery to catch the killer.

These cases took a decade or more to solve. There's no statute of limitations on murder. As a case turns cold, the clues become scarce, investigators must rely on science to close cold cases.

Every family has its secrets, and sometimes blood relations lead to bloodshed. When murder becomes a family affair, investigators must turn to forensics to uncover family plots.

Some people murder for love. But these killers did it for the money. When greed is the motive, investigators must make every clue pay off.

For serial killers, once is never enough. For investigators, the challenge is steep when the killers murder by numbers.

When there's a difficult case to crack whether it involves drugs, arson, or weapons the investigators and scientists of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have the means to crack it.

Arson fires are set for their own sake, or to cover a different crime, such as murder. Think fire consumes all vital clues? Think again. Arson investigators can glean important clues from scorched rubble and ignite the unquenchable flames of justice.