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S6 E14 Treads and Threads

Documentary

TV-14

22m

Aug 19, 2001

For 15 months, a serial killer was strangling prostitutes in Florida, then taunting police by leaving the bodies in plain sight. The only clues were a tire impression and some threads.

Season 6, 29 Episodes

Missing in Time,

A woman is reported missing after a fight with her husband. Police suspect a man who reported a fire in his car. Two tiny drops of blood are found in the interior. Finally, a tiny clue inside the suspect's watchband helps solve the case.

In 1991, Maine resident Pearl Smith goes missing after an argument with her husband, Bill Bruns. When investigators find a blood trail that leads to the couple's basement, police are sure they'll find the victim's body.

Man's Best Friend?,

In 1989, 4-year-old April Loveless was found dead in the backyard of her Texas home. Her parents told police that she was attacked and killed by wild dogs. Investigators did not agree.

Hand Delivered,

In 1995, San Diego police are baffled by a pair of hands found in a dumpster. Through further investigation, they determine that the hands are those of missing person Don Hardin.

In 1993, Marie Robards suffered the loss of her father due to a heart attack — but it was more sinister.

In 1996, a federal agency ruled that Terri Strickland had intentionally set the fire that killed her 17-month-old son, Josh Hinson. Using the then-emerging resources of the internet, Strickland undertook her own investigation.

Mistaken For Dead,

In 1988, when a patient dies unexpectedly in the office of California neurologist Richard Boggs, police begin what they think will be a routine investigation. Soon they uncover a bizarre story of corpse stealing, fake identity and sexual perversion.

Frozen Evidence,

One investigator's quick thinking helps him capture a shoe impression made in snow before the evidence melts away. The shoe leads investigators to Peter Benedict and Frank Lanoue, who are convicted of aggravated assault and robbery.

In 1992, 22-year-old Dawn Bruce is brutally murdered in her Virginia apartment. Investigators notice a blood smear on a pillow case that appears to have been made by one of the killer's fingers.

Church Disappearance,

In 1981, 6-year-old Cassie Hansen disappeared from her Minnesota church during an evening service. After receiving a tip that an older man was seen carrying a small person, police found Cassie's body in a dumpster.

Professional photographer Charles Rathbun claims model Linda Sobek died during a consensual sexual encounter gone wrong, but Sobek's corpse and digital imaging tell a more sinister story.

In 1998, a Maryland murder mystery performance turns into a real whodunit when the badly burned body of Stephen Hricko is discovered in his hotel room.

In 1980, Michigan resident Shannon Mohr died in what her new husband, David Davis, reported to be a horseback riding accident. After her death, Shannon's family reported that Davis seemed far from grief-stricken.

Treads and Threads,

For 15 months, a serial killer was strangling prostitutes in Florida, then taunting police by leaving the bodies in plain sight. The only clues were a tire impression and some threads.

Killer's Cattle Log,

When police in the Great Plains are called about a dead body, a background check on the victim leads them into a bizarre web of homeless drifters, cattle auctions and bad checks — all fronted by elderly couple Ray and Faye Copeland.

Skin of Her Teeth,

In 1994, a human skull retrieved from an Ohio pond reveals a ghastly crime. Markings on the skull indicate that the victim had been stabbed multiple times and that the teeth had been removed with needle-nose pliers.

In 1996, when a fundamentalist group begins robbing banks near Spokane, authorities know immediately that they are dealing with experienced criminals.

In rural Canada, Dr. John Schneeberger is accused of sedating and sexually assaulting one of his female patients and his step daughter. DNA tests demonstrate that the doctor is innocent, but the patient insists that he sedated and raped her.

In the search for the killer of two Texas teenagers, a behavioral profile led to suspect Jason Massey. Hard science proved the profile was correct, and Massey was executed by lethal injection on April 3, 2001.

Root of All Evil,

A suspect's former lover comes forward with a fantastic tale of murder, mutilation and cremation. But there's no way to test the story's validity — until a plant pathologist and a dendrochronologist conduct tests where the cremation supposedly occurred.

Where the Blood Drops,

Susie Mowbray was charged in her husband's death. Her son was so convinced of her innocence that he enrolled in law school, studied all of the evidence and, eventually, discovered the truth of what really happened between his parents.

Sibling Rivalry,

In 1991, San Francisco pornographer Artie Mitchell was murdered in his home. His brother and business partner, who was found near the scene carrying a rifle, later confesses to shooting Artie.The question is whether the shooting was premeditated.

In 1981, New York correctional officer Donna Payant disappeared and was later found in a landfill. The medical examiner not only identified the cause of death, but also found an important clue.

Bagging a Killer,

In 1999, 9-year-old Valiree Jackson vanished on her way to school near Spokane. Her father, Brad Jackson, reported the disappearance and the entire community started searching for her abductor.

Double Trouble,

In 1995, when off-duty Maine State Trooper Vicky Gardner is attacked by Steven Fortin during a routine stop, it triggers a chain of events which jumpstart a stalled murder case in New Jersey.

Cats, Flies & Snapshots,

When 19-year-old Lori Auker left her Pennsylvania home for work and never arrived, it took space-age technology, cat hairs and insects to pinpoint the woman's abductor.

When Leann Fletcher is found dead, investigators use blood spatter analysis and forensic computing to find a motive for her murder: her husband, a prominent lawyer, was having an affair with judge Susan Chrzanowski.

Treading Not So Lightly,

By using techniques she saw on forensic science TV shows, a mother determines who was responsible for the accident that permanently injured her 4-year-old daughter.

Shopping Spree,

When a woman and her daughter didn't return home from shopping, her husband directed police to a nearby mall. The child's body was found, but there was no sign of the wife.

Details

Forensic Files

Documentary

TV-14

14 Seasons

23m

Forensic Files is the longest-running true crime series in television history. Evidence and interviews with experts help solve real crimes, disease outbreaks and accidents around the world.

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