Episode
Forensic Files: Sphere of Influence
Overview
When an 11-year-old girl disappeared from a small town in a remote area of Alaska, investigators wondered if she'd been attacked by a bear or become lost in the dense woods. It turned out neither was true.
Details
- Series
- Forensic Files
- Season
- Season 8
- Episode
- Episode 23
- Air date
- 2003-10-08
- Runtime
- 23 min
Episode context
Sphere of Influence is Episode 23 in Season 8 of Forensic Files. It aired on 2003-10-08. The runtime is 23 min.
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Episode 22: Bound for Jail
A woman is found dead in a ravine, but crucial crime scene evidence had been washed away by severe thunderstorms. Twice, the trail turned cold. Almost 20 years later, an old hat and a chip of stainless steel brought the killer to justice.
Episode 24: Nailed
Just weeks before a witness is to testify against the man accused of sexually assaulting her, she is murdered in the front yard of her own home. Investigators immediately suspect her attacker, but they don't have enough evidence to prove his guilt.
More episodes from this season
Episode 21: The Big Chill
For years, a woman suffered from what appeared to be the unpleasant side effects of lithium, a drug prescribed to treat bipolar disorder. When she died, investigators had to determine if her death was due to natural causes, suicide, or murder.
Episode 25: Sign of the Zodiac
For six years, a serial killer prowled the streets of New York City. He wrote letters to police and The New York Post, indicating he would kill twelve people, one for each astrological sign.
Episode 20: All the World's a Stage
Police are dispatched to the scene of a shooting, and discover the victim's husband is one of their own: a homicide detective who says his wife accidentally shot herself in the head. The detective maintains he called 911 immediately, but the evidence seems to indicate otherwise. [also marked as S8:E10]
Episode 26: Letter Perfect
A healthy young man dies mysteriously in his sleep. There are no signs of trauma or injury, but toxicology tests reveal a lethal dose of lidocaine in his blood. Investigators find a suicide note, and presume he killed himself until a forensic linguist examines the note and determines that what the victim said is less important than how he said it.
Episode 19: Breaking News
A young TV news producer is raped and murdered in her apartment. Police identify two suspects, but both are cleared of any wrongdoing. The case stalls for more than a year, and then investigators turn to the Commonwealth of Virginia's DNA Databank.
Episode 27: True Lies
In the summer of 1986, Kathleen Lipscomb's body was found on a deserted road outside of San Antonio. Months passed, then years, and the crime was never solved. Then Kathleen's family hired a private investigator, who discovered her diary.
Episode 18: Hair of the Dog
With no forensic evidence inside a murder scene, investigators were baffled. But they suspected that the victim's dog had witnessed the crime. If she had, forensic scientists would have to find a way to find out what the dog had seen.
Episode 28: Bed of Deceit
A retired police officer is discovered in his bed, dead of a single gunshot wound to the head. His wife first says the motive was robbery; then she tells police he committed suicide. It would take careful examination of the evidence at the crime scene, the tape from a bank surveillance camera, and forensic textbooks found in the victim's home to write the final chapter of this real-life whodunit. [also marked as S8:E19]
Episode 17: Brotherhoods
Two men were murdered, while sleeping in their bed. One night later, an arson fire destroyed a family planning clinic. Investigators wondered, wherether some shards of glass, paintchips and a chicken feather, could link for what appeared to be, two separate crimes.
Episode 29: Smoke in Your Eyes
A suspicious fire swept through an apartment killing two young women. The cause of the fire and the identity of the victims were unclear. But a closer look at the fire scene revealed something hidden in the ashes.