Forensic Sciences: Medical Detectives Part 2

When Peggy Carr died of an undiagnosed ailment and her two sons became violently ill, medical tests indicated that all three were poisoned by thallium, leaving her husband, Pye, under suspicion. In this program, an FBI specialist creates a psychological profile of the killer—a profile that does not match Pye Carr. Using the results to widen the list of possible perpetrators, the Carrs’ next-door neighbor, an unemployed chemist and convicted felon, is charged with the crimes. (Instructional DVD 24 minutes)

Ten women fell victim to a serial rape/murderer, but an eleventh made her escape and went to the police. In this program, multidiscipline forensic analysis leads investigators to the perpetrator-at-large. Hair samples, tire tracks, a photograph taken by an automatic teller machine, eyewitness testimony, and red carpet fibers all contribute to capturing the brutal killer and linking him to the crimes. (Instructional DVD 24 minutes)

A sudden, dense fog caused seven multi-car accidents on a major highway. Was it an act of nature or an act of negligence? In this program, meteorologists determine whether the fog is natural or man-made. Computer simulations and analysis of satellite photographs ruled out all possible sources--except for a local paper plant. The investigation led to a $12-million lawsuit filed by the families of the accident victims. (Instructional DVD 24 minutes)

Ruby Morris disappeared, apparently without a trace. This program demonstrates the application of luminol and pherophalin tests to reveal blood patterns; of "reverse paternity" DNA tests to identify the blood as Ruby’s; and of ballistics, which indicated that the stains were caused by two shots. Fearing a charge of murder, her adulterous husband desperately confessed to having disposed of his wife’s body after she committed suicide—but this contradicted his prior testimony, leaving him as the prime suspect. (Instructional DVD 24 minutes)

When a couple disappeared, investigators pushed the envelope of forensic science to solve what proved to be a double murder. This program presents the use of a resistivity survey, in which an electrical current is employed to detect earth disturbance; the measurement of the exponential decay of pollen from trees and plants; soil analysis; sonar scans; blood testing; and fiber analysis to re-create the crime and identify the killer: the couple’s son. (Instructional DVD 24 minutes)

Graham Backhouse told the police that his neighbor planted the bomb that injured Backhouse’s wife and that he shot and killed him in self-defense during a struggle. In this program, forensic experts read the signs and come up with an entirely different story. Blood splashes at the crime scene, wool fibers from a sweater, and a doodle that appears on a threatening letter—allegedly from the neighbor—reveal that Backhouse sent the letter to himself, attempted to kill his wife for her insurance money, and killed his neighbor to divert suspicion. (Instructional DVD 24 minutes)

In this program, a lengthy and convoluted police investigation links a charred female body found in a dumpster to her murderer: a male exotic dancer. An autopsy confirms the gender, indicates a dental condition called mesiodens, and reveals bullet fragments in the skull; a ballistics analysis traces the bullet to the gun of the chief suspect; and blood, hair, fibers, and body tissue found in the trunk of his car match the corpse. (Instructional DVD 24 minutes)

When a teacher was charged with sending 42 obscene letters to Jo Anne Chambers, a fellow teacher at her own school, the letters were promptly sent to a forensic laboratory for analysis. In this program, DNA tests on residual saliva found on the stamps reveal that the receiver herself was the true sender. The initial suspect was exonerated and has filed notice to sue Chambers. (Instructional DVD 24 minutes)

When several people died after taking over-the-counter painkillers, an investigation was launched. In this program, forensic experts analyze the medication using spectrometer testing, discovering an algaecide used in aquariums; trace the purchase of the algaecide to several local residents; and identify the fingerprints of one of the suspects in a library book about poisoning. These results, combined with a failed lie detector test, prompted charges not only in the medication deaths but in the death of the suspect's husband several years earlier. (Instructional DVD 24 minutes)

When two letter bombs and a car bomb exploded in Salt Lake City, police searched for the identity of the perpetrator and his possible motives. In this program, forensic experts examine the crime scene where the third victim, Mark Hofmann, was wounded—and in the process connect forged documents sold by Hofmann to the victims killed in the first two blasts, providing the lethal motive: a cover-up for his illegal transactions. (Instructional DVD 24 minutes)

If diatoms—single-celled organisms that live in water—found on the body of a 13-year-old boy prompted a forensic pathologist to rule death by drowning, where was the crime committed? In this program, the local police and Interpol work together to trace the diatoms to a creek near the victim’s home—and to the car of a known sex offender who, after drowning the boy, drove the body to the location where it was found. (Instructional DVD 24 minutes)