The Sniper's Trail

July 12, 2003

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Forensic Files - S7 - E40

Details the case of the Beltway sniper attacks, a 3-week shooting spree which left 10 people dead in the Washington, D.C. area.

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Forensic Files: Season 7 - 42 Episode s

7x1 - The Cheater
October 12, 2002
Exploring how an American hit single from 1966 -- the cheater by Bob Kuban And The In-man -- foreshadowed the demise of the group's lead singer, Walter Scott (Walter Notheis Jr.), who disappeared in 1983.
7x2 - Forever Hold Your Peace
January 8, 2002
In Texas 1988, Nancy DePriest was raped and murdered while working at Pizza Hut. After a suspect confessed and implicated another, they were both imprisoned; the case was considered closed. Eight years later, another man claims that he committed the crime, and investigators must use forensic evidence to determine the true killer.
7x3 - Reel Danger
January 15, 2002
Although a group of teenage thugs are suspected of attacking two boys on a fishing trip, there is no solid evidence until a murky fishing hole provides some answers.
7x4 - Who's Your Daddy
January 22, 2002
In 1988, when a young prostitute's body turns up in an Ohio waterway under ice, authorities have one tiny clue which could point to her killer, but face huge challenges due to her policemen clients and DNA evidence being washed away.
7x5 - The Alibi
January 29, 2002
In a small South Carolina town in 1991, 17-year-old Crystal Faye Todd, a popular high school student, is raped, murdered and dumped in a deserted field, after attending a party. With few leads, authorities test the DNA of several friends and one match shocks everyone.
7x6 - A Bite Out of Crime
February 5, 2002
In 1997, two years after a series of unsolved kidnappings and sexual assaults in California. One of the victims suddenly recalled an important detail of the crime which she had not told police. She left some forensic evidence in the assailant's vehicle, evidence that left quite an impression.
7x7 - Purr-fect Match
February 12, 2002
In 1994, on Canada's Prince Edward Island, the body of Douglas Beamish's estranged wife, Shirley Duguay, was discovered. In a groundbreaking case using animal dna, investigators use forensic testing on a cat to help them solve the case.
7x8 - Bio-Attack
November 30, 2002
A look into the 1984 Oregon food poisonings, we're detectives track down the outbreak to a cult which aims to use germ warfare to take down the government. [also marked as S7:E16]
7x9 - A Shot in the Dark
December 7, 2002
A woman is found dead from a gunshot wound and police suspect her husband; however, forensic teams prove what really happened and the truth is stranger than fiction. [also marked as S7:E17]
7x10 - Without a Prayer
December 14, 2002
In 1995, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the founder of American Atheists, disappears along with one of her sons, her granddaughter, and ,000 in gold coins. The discovery of a mutilated body helps police catch the culprit.
7x11 - A Clutch of Witnesses
December 21, 2002
In January 2001, in Duluth, MN, two people witness a truck driving over an unconscious man twice, and they flee into a nearby bar. When the police turn up, the truck, the victim and the witnesses are gone. The eyewitnesses may hold the key to the death of motorcycle gang member, Erik Schrieffer.
7x12 - Scout's Honor
March 19, 2003
In Pennsylvania 1984, a passer-by finds the torso of a woman in a cardboard box. Investigators rely on insect activity analysis by a forensic entomologist to determine when the murder victim was killed. She remained unknown until a year later, when her sister called to report her missing. Eventually she was identified and a man was convicted of her murder, but would further forensic entomology change the outcome?
7x13 - A Touching Recollection
March 26, 2003
An 18-year-old Ohio woman, who is abducted and then released soon afterwards, uses her knowledge of forensics to lead police to the kidnapper.
7x14 - A Leg to Stand On
January 11, 2003
The police investigate when a severed leg is discovered in the garbage. Conventional means of identifying the victim are impossible, leading investigators to rely on DNA, forensic anthropology and toxicology to identify the victim. The victim was identified as Norman Klaas and, through forensic investigation of his home, investigators follow the trail of evidence to his killer.
7x15 - Partners in Crime
January 18, 2003
How Illinois scientists solved a 1992 murder case involving cremation. It takes a long time and a very hot fire to cremate a human body, and thus destroy all evidence of foul play, but the coroner who performed the autopsy on the badly burned body of Charles "Jack" Lynch found telltale clues. Not only had the victim been burned, he’d also been stabbed -- 24 times, with two different knives. Police knew that a person, acting alone, would probably use only one weapon. So investigators were on the lookout for a couple of killers.
7x16 - Within a Hair
August 31, 2002
A look back at the case of the River Park Rapist, who sexually assaulted four women in South Bend, IN, during 1996. Law enforcement officers arrested Richard Alexander, who was convicted in 1998 and sentenced to 70 years in prison. In 2001, Michael Murphy confessed to one of the two rapes of which Alexander had been convicted and forensic developments reveal new facts about the case.
7x17 - Chief Evidence
July 24, 2002
The 1996 Seattle murder of suburban couple Raquel Rivera and Jay Johnson is detailed. Investigators first believe the slayings were the result of a drug deal gone bad. However, no drugs are found in the house and the victims' blood isn't present on the clothing of the suspects. Evidence from the couple's dog Chief, who was also killed, eventually ties one of the murderers to the scene. This is one of the first cases where dog DNA was used to convict.
7x18 - A Bitter Pill to Swallow
September 12, 2002
Firefighter Michelle Baker became pregnant by her lover, Dr. Maynard Muntzing. After this news, she was ill whenever they were together. The coincidences led her to suspect that he was doing her harm, so she set out to prove it.
7x19 - Sip of Sins
February 15, 2003
A look back at a trio of unsolved murders that occurred in Wichita Falls, Texas during the 1980s, details how a fourth murder from the same time period provided the police with more than they realized. John Little, an investigator for the DA's office, picked up the cold cases years later and made a connection to the other murders.
7x20 - Telltale Tracks
August 27, 2002
The disappearance of Philadelphia college athlete Aimee Willard is investigated after her car was found, still running on the roadside. When her body is found, the police find unusual marks on her body and DNA evidence that eventually lead to her killer.
7x21 - Ghost in the Machine
March 1, 2003
The investigation into the apparent overdose suicide of Reverend Bill Guthrie's wife Sharon. Detectives suspect foul play after they recover incriminating files from Bill's computer and learn of his infidelity.
7x22 - Frozen in Time
March 8, 2003
The 1991 disappearance of Newport Beach, CA, resident Denise Huber stumps investigators. Three years later, Arizona residents call police to report John Famalaro, who has kept a Ryder rental truck in his driveway, which they suspect is stolen. Upon further investigation, police find a body within a freezer inside the truck, which they conclude is Denise Huber.
7x23 - Cold Storage
March 15, 2003
The 1987 disappearance of Houston resident Tracy Jo Shine is recalled. The investigation went cold until 2000, when a "cold case squad" learned that the woman's ex-boyfriend Michael Neal had bragged about killing her.
7x24 - The Metal Business
September 26, 2002
When a 62-year-old man opens a car restoration business and becomes seriously ill, his doctors cannot find the cause, but forensics can; identification of a highly toxic metal in the victim's blood leads to his poisoner.
7x25 - Dressed to Kill
March 29, 2003
The disappearance of 6-year-old Michelle Lee Dorr is detailed. Although her father confessed to murdering her, the police soon poked holes in his story, leaving the case unsolved for 14 years. New suspect Hadden Clark was heard talking to himself, which gave investigators a clue where Michelle was killed.
7x26 - Palm Print Conviction
June 25, 2002
The 1996 investigation into 48-year-old Martha Hansen's murder in Anchorage is helped by a legal requirement that bars have video cameras installed on the premises. Using video, hair and blood evidence, investigators determine who her murderer was.
7x27 - A Vow of Silence
October 10, 2002
n 1994, friends reported that Jack Reeves' mail-order bride Emelita Villa had disappeared. The police centered their suspicions on Reeves and, while pursuing leads, uncovered information linking him to the deaths of two former wives.
7x28 - Elephant Tracks
October 17, 2002
The murders of an elderly couple, Edward Kowalzck and Gertrude Thompson, leave detectives stumped until, two years later, they receive a major break. A jeweler looking through old newspaper clippings recognizes a necklace the female victim wore as having been pawned in her own shop. [also marked as S7:E14]
7x29 - A Bag of Evidence
April 26, 2003
The tragic murder of 9-year-old Jessica Knott is investigated; a garbage bag leads investigators to her killer. [also marked as S7:E34]
7x30 - Tooth or Consequences
May 3, 2003
An investigation into the disappearance of Katie Poirier is stymied, but they find a few charred remains including a tooth. The unique properties of the filling in the tooth helps investigators identify her remains.
7x31 - The Sniffing Revenge
May 10, 2003
The investigation into a suspicious death hits a dead end when the autopsy indicates that no foul play was involved. But a telephone tip and the sensitive nose of a forensic examiner indicate otherwise. [also marked as S7:E38]
7x32 - Sleight of Hand
May 17, 2003
On March 13, 1981, 86-year-old Enid Whittlesey is found murdered in her Los Angeles home. The suspect eludes arrest for 16 years but that changes; however, when investigators learn the culprit is left-handed, putting a new spin on old facts. [also marked as S7:E39]
7x33 - Scratching the Surface
May 24, 2003
Forensic scientists work with the only clue recovered from a multiple-victim shooting: a 12-gauge shotgun. Scientists use unique methods to lift the serial number from the weapon in order to trace it to its owner. [also marked as S7:E40]
7x34 - Fire Proof
May 31, 2003
A serial arsonist is responsible for numerous fires that caused millions of dollars worth of property damage and the deaths of three people - described as the worst arson spree in US history. More than 75 Seattle-area arsons are probed before he was discovered, partly through the use of forensic hypnosis.
7x35 - X Marks the Spot
June 7, 2003
The use of the computers by law enforcement is detailed in this look at a series of crimes in St. Louis that stumped the local police and the FBI. (also marked as S7:E44)
7x36 - All Charged Up
December 10, 2002
Using an anonymous letter and geographic profiling, investigators in Philadelphia close in on a serial rapist who attacks victims who live on upper floors of apartment buildings. When they hear of similar cases in Colorado, a cleverly obtained DNA sample confirms their suspicions. [also marked as S7:E18]
7x37 - Breaking the Mold
December 11, 2002
In Dripping Springs, TX, March 1999, a 3-year-old boy develops serious respiratory problems and then his father later shows signs of early Alzheimer's disease. A chance encounter with a stranger kicks off an investigation into the cause. [also marked as S7:E19]
7x38 - House Call
June 28, 2003
A murder investigation in St. Petersburg, Florida, crosses jurisdictions from New York to Jamaica. The police use cell phone mapping, wiretapping and a host of forensic evidence to find a surgeon's killer. [also marked as S7:E47]
7x39 - Marathon Man
July 5, 2003
After a man's body is discovered a few miles from his home, authorities trace the crime back to his house and question his wife. (also shown as S7:E48)
7x40 - The Sniper's Trail
July 12, 2003
Details the case of the Beltway sniper attacks, a 3-week shooting spree which left 10 people dead in the Washington, D.C. area.
7x41 - Plastic Fire
July 19, 2003
Georgia resident Sheila Bryan, who was convicted of killing her mother in a car fire, is granted a new trial. An expert fire witness shares an opinion on how the fire ignited which differs from the prosecution's theory and, if verified, would clear Bryan of any culpability. [also marked as S7:E50]
7x42 - Last Will
July 26, 2003
Authorities are able to apprehend a kidnapper because he allowed his victim, 17-year-old Shari Smith, to write a will on a telltale pad of paper. [also marked as S7:E52]

7x1 - The Cheater

7x2 - Forever Hold Your Peace

7x3 - Reel Danger

7x4 - Who's Your Daddy

7x5 - The Alibi

7x6 - A Bite Out of Crime

7x7 - Purr-fect Match

7x8 - Bio-Attack

7x9 - A Shot in the Dark

7x10 - Without a Prayer

7x11 - A Clutch of Witnesses

7x12 - Scout's Honor

7x13 - A Touching Recollection

7x14 - A Leg to Stand On

7x15 - Partners in Crime

7x16 - Within a Hair

7x17 - Chief Evidence

7x18 - A Bitter Pill to Swallow

7x19 - Sip of Sins

7x20 - Telltale Tracks

7x21 - Ghost in the Machine

7x22 - Frozen in Time

7x23 - Cold Storage

7x24 - The Metal Business

7x25 - Dressed to Kill

7x26 - Palm Print Conviction

7x27 - A Vow of Silence

7x28 - Elephant Tracks

7x29 - A Bag of Evidence

7x30 - Tooth or Consequences

7x31 - The Sniffing Revenge

7x32 - Sleight of Hand

7x33 - Scratching the Surface

7x34 - Fire Proof

7x35 - X Marks the Spot

7x36 - All Charged Up

7x37 - Breaking the Mold

7x38 - House Call

7x39 - Marathon Man

7x40 - The Sniper's Trail

7x41 - Plastic Fire

7x42 - Last Will

S0: Specials

S1: Season 1

S2: Season 2

S3: Season 3

S4: Season 4

S5: Season 5

S6: Season 6

S7: Season 7

S8: Season 8

S9: Season 9

S10: Season 10

S11: Season 11

S12: Season 12

S13: Season 13

S14: Season 14