Episode
Forensic Files: Past Lives
Overview
The body of a wealthy American businessman was found in his rental car. Teeth and bone fragments were the only remains. When the victim's wife files an insurance claim for $7 million, investigators seek the help of a renowned forensic anthropologist.
Details
- Series
- Forensic Files
- Season
- Season 8
- Episode
- Episode 31
- Air date
- 2004-02-18
- Runtime
- 23 min
Episode context
Past Lives is Episode 31 in Season 8 of Forensic Files. It aired on 2004-02-18. The runtime is 23 min.
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Episode 30: Flower Power
Two different men called police to report the same murder. Apparently, neither one knew that the other had called. The investigation uncovered even more unusual circumstances.
Episode 32: Over and Out
A pipe bomb rips through a rural home killing a young man and seriously injuring his mother. A lot number on a 9-volt battery and the remnants of a mailing label found on a computer's hard drive enabled investigators to determine who sent the bomb, and why. [also marked as S8:E22]
More episodes from this season
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.
Episode 33: Death by a Salesman
No one in a quiet residential community saw or heard anything unusual the day one of their elderly neighbors was brutally attacked and murdered. Fingerprints found at the crime scene and surveillance video from a security camera help investigators to apprehend the presumed killer within twelve hours, even though he'd already left the state on a bus, headed for New York City. [also marked as S8:E23]
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 34: Web of Seduction
On November 8, 1999, Bruce Miller was found shot to death in the office of the Michigan auto-salvage shop he owned. There were no clues or forensic evidence found at the scene. But computer forensic experts found evidence of a crime that had everything - sex, lies and a video tape. [also marked as S8:E24]
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 35: Grounds for Indictment
A drive-by shooting leaves one man dead and another seriously wounded. Cell phone calls and shell casings point to a suspect, but authorities are unable to place him at the crime scene. When a forensic geologist compared soil from the crime scene with soil found in the wheel wells of the suspect's car, he proved that dirt is anything but dumb.
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 36: Dueling Confessions
When teenager Rosemary Anderson is found dead on the side of the road, her boyfriend eventually confesses to her murder, but in a strange twist, so does another man – serial killer, Eric Edgar Cooke. It would take the passage of another forty years, an author, and an expert in the field of pedestrian accident reconstruction to determine who was telling the truth. [also marked as S8:E26]
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 37: Traces of Truth
A high school gym teacher mysteriously left town, without saying goodbye to anyone. He later sent letters to explain why. But a closer forensic look at those letters, and a microscopic piece of tissue, gave investigators an entirely different explanation for where he went and why.