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Cloak of Deceit

Documentary

21

Jul 27, 2004

For seven years, a trio of men robbed one bank after another. They always got away before the police arrived and they left no evidence behind. But the way they stood and the clothes they wore told a story that could be read by forensic scientists.

Full Episodes

Season 9, 30 episodes

Police investigate a discarded sleeping bag containing bloody sneakers and a purse, which eventually leads to the body of a young woman. A mark found on the victim's body enables police to track the killer.

21m Dec 20, 2004

Hunter or Hunted,

A woman is killed while walking her dogs in the woods. Since she has no enemies and her husband has an alibi, police assume it's a hunting accident — until they find a strange letter, allegedly written by the woman before her death.

21m Aug 13, 2004

An Alaskan police officer finds a woman's body while on routine patrol of a public park. During the autopsy, the medical examiner preserves the portion of her rib cage which sustained the fatal wound.

21m Jun 8, 2004

No Corpus Delicti,

A woman disappears without a trace. Even though foul play is suspected, the leads don't pan out and the trail turns cold. Twenty years would pass before police are able to link a clump of hair discovered in an isolated area with the missing woman.

21m Jun 14, 2004

When a talented television news anchor is shot to death outside her home, it appears to be a crime of passion perpetrated by an obsessed fan.

21m Jun 20, 2004

Burning Desire,

Investigators sift through the ashes of a fire which killed a 40-year-old woman. The fire appears to have been started by an unattended cigarette. On closer look, forensic scientists discover the cause was far more complicated.

22m Jun 26, 2004

Cloak of Deceit,

For seven years, a trio of men robbed one bank after another. They always got away before the police arrived and they left no evidence behind. But the way they stood and the clothes they wore told a story that could be read by forensic scientists.

21m Jul 27, 2004

A young woman suddenly becomes critically ill, eventually leaving her unable to walk. A bone marrow test reveals the cause: arsenic poisoning. Investigators must determine if the poisoning was caused by groundwater contamination or something sinister.

21m Jul 8, 2004

Residents of Noel, Missouri were stunned to learn that their bank had been robbed and the bank president was missing. His body was later found floating in a lake, securely bound to a chair with duct tape.

22m Jul 7, 2004

A young couple decided to celebrate their first wedding anniversary with a camping trip to Mount Hood. During the trip, the husband was shot and killed. Later, his wife told two different versions of the events which led to his death.

21m Jun 20, 2007

Making the Collar,

The body of 16-year-old Leanne Tiernan was discovered nine months after she disappeared. Forensic scientists found clues that painted a virtual portrait of her killer.

22m Jul 21, 2004

The Financial Downfall,

A beautiful young woman falls to her death from a cliff overlooking the ocean. Initially, investigators think it was a tragic accident. But after a forensic examination, police uncover a very different picture of what happened.

21m Jun 27, 2007

A Daughter's Journey,

Haunted by the disappearance of her mother, a young woman undertakes an investigation of her own. In her mother's diary, she discovers a dark family secret that might explain the disappearance.

22m Aug 10, 2004

California police had several suspects in the robbery and brutal murder of an elderly couple. Ten years later, a determined forensic scientist used material from a dentist's office to uncover ballistic evidence that had been overlooked.

21m Aug 22, 2004

Pinned by the Evidence,

After a street fight takes the life of a national wrestling champion, police must determine if he was killed in cold blood or in self-defense.

21m Aug 23, 2004

A 19-year-old woman was found dead in her car; the scene had been staged to make murder appear to be suicide. During their investigation, police discovered the victim was involved in a love quadrangle, giving several people a motive to kill her.

21m Aug 23, 2004

Buried Treasure,

A man disappears one year to the day after beginning an affair with his friend's wife. 15 years later, with the help of a metal detector, police find evidence that would prove what had happened and who was responsible.

21m Aug 24, 2004

Badge of Betrayal,

When the body of a young woman is found under an isolated highway ramp, a unique fiber on the victim's clothing leads San Diego police straight to the most unlikely of killers.

22m Aug 25, 2004

Deadly Matrimony,

A go-go dancer told her family she needed to get away for a while and then she simply disappeared. Investigators were suspicious, because she took neither her car nor her clothes. 20 years later, her family received a call that changed everything.

22m Sep 21, 2004

A Colorado hunter is the victim of a well-planned crime. Investigators suspect two weapons and two killers. But forensic evidence points them in a different direction — one much closer to home.

21m Sep 28, 2004

Point of Origin,

In 1984, California firefighters battled ten arson fires in three weeks. When cigarettes and a scrap of paper connected the case to similar fires further north, the hunt was on for a dangerous pyromaniac.

22m Oct 12, 2004

Seeds for Doubt,

In 2002, a small community in upstate New York was devastated when Patty Wlasiuk died in a truck accident. But burdock seed pods found in her hair and on her clothes indicated that this was no accident — it was cold-blooded murder.

22m Oct 26, 2004

When a woman disappeared without a trace, there were two possible explanations: kidnapping or murder. Careful investigation, a forensic artist and DNA profiling enabled police to find a single suspect, who was known to prey upon vulnerable women.

22m Oct 6, 2004

Northern Exposure,

Alaskan hikers discover a body wrapped in sheets which were edged in orange stitching. Investigators find a tuft of red carpet fibers clinging to the sheet — threads of evidence which lead them straight to the killer.

22m Oct 12, 2004

Silk Stalkings,

Prompted by news of a flight attendant's brutal murder, the son of a previous victim contacts police. Both murders have similar MOs, and biological evidence proves that these were serial killings.

21m Dec 7, 2004

Fishing for the Truth,

A two-man shrimp boat sinks when a fast-moving, violent storm strikes the Louisiana coast. The captain drowns, but the deckhand is rescued fourteen hours later. The crewman is hailed as a hero — until the captain's body is discovered.

21m Dec 28, 2004

For Love or Money,

When a wealthy real estate tycoon goes missing, it appears to be foul play. In his will, he leaves instructions in case he should die under violent circumstances — which were carried out after a hiker comes across his bullet-ridden skull.

22m Oct 30, 2004

South of the Border,

The murder of an American tourist in a Mexican resort draws law enforcement resources on both sides of the border. At first glance, the motive appears to be robbery, but careful analysis of the forensic evidence points to something more sinister.

22m Jun 19, 2004

Police are led on a wild goose chase when the wife of a prominent banker is kidnapped. An entomologist's unexpected discovery leads to a new suspect — and the realization that ordinary office equipment can leave extraordinary clues.

21m Nov 11, 2004

Walking Terror,

A neighbor watched as a man stabbed his wife, pushed her into the swimming pool and held her head under water. The husband, however, had no recollection of the crime. A jury would have to decide between evidence and the mysteries of the mind.

22m Jul 3, 2004