When a young mother and her infant son are found dead in a cornfield, the obvious suspect is the husband and father of the victims.  But some insects found on the bodies reveal a vital clue, as does a long, blonde hair found on the victims. To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

A talented television news anchor was shot to death outside her home; it appeared to be a crime of passion, perpetrated by an obsessed fan. A police dog tracked the scent of the killer through the adjacent woods and back to the crime scene. Could the murderer be one of the onlookers, watching the police conduct their investigation? To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

When their trailer catches fire, the young husband heroically rescues his wife and infant son.  A month later, his wife is beaten to death in a bedroom of his parents’ home.  The cut window screen points to an intruder, but the lack of supporting evidence compels investigators to look beyond the obvious.  To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Two years after a girl was murdered, a tiny drop of blood and burned bones lead police to her murderers. To learn more about how HLN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Several high-powered legal officials are victims of mail bombs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a hit-and-run boating accident caused the death of a popular young man, investigators faced the daunting task of searching for one boat among 1,200 others. They asked anyone who had seen the accident to come forward. The man who responded did much more than witness the crash; he was a passenger in that other boat. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

A mother used her knowledge from murder mystery shows to determine who severely injured her young daughter in a hit-and-run accident. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Fire sweeps through a mansion, killing two children, and all evidence leads to the mother. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The investigation of the disappearance of a woman leads police to a suspect. But police could not find the victim’s body. Finally, police discover a charred tooth. Superimposed images and a dental filling give investigators the proof they need. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

When a college co-ed vanished without a trace, her fellow students were concerned about her safety… and their own. Weeks later, the body of an unknown female was discovered 700 miles away in the ashes of a barn fire, and an alert police officer realized the two crimes might be connected. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A young woman is found dead in her apartment.  There’s little evidence at the scene, leads don’t pan out and the case turns cold... until police discover a link between their prime suspect and an unsolved murder committed six years earlier in different state.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

How unlucky could one man be?  His wife had taken her own life, and his college sweetheart had killed herself in much the same fashion fourteen years earlier.  Investigators had to determine if this was a bizarre coincidence, or an attempt to get away with murder... twice. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

In 1984, a couple set off for a camping trip but got lost and fell asleep at a scenic overlook in Virginia See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

After he got into the home, the assailant used an axe to kill the husband and critically injure his wife. Nothing was taken, so this wasn't a robbery. A DNA profile from skin cells collected hundreds of miles away would reveal the killer's identity and his motive for murder. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A chemist suddenly starts to suffer from foot pain, partial numbness, and hair loss, and eventually dies. Could he have been poisoned? See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The woman in the back of the truck was flailing her arms, screaming. They thought she was doing something dangerous for the fun of it. But when they found a jacket near a pool of blood, they knew what they'd seen wasn't a joy ride; it was an abduction.

Doctors don't know why the young scientist is gravely ill. When tests finally reveal the cause, it's too late to save him. Police hope that lab analysis of his hair - showing when attempts were made on his life and what was used - will lead to the killer.

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.  Her body was discovered 10 days later;  she’d been shot twice at close range, and sexually assaulted.  A tip from an eyewitness led police to a suspect, and trace evidence found at the crime scene convinced a jury of his guilt.

A nurse experienced flu-like symptoms. She visited the doctor for a check-up and learned she was HIV-positive. In the end, science was able to determine not only how she had been infected, but also by whom. The worst part: It wasn’t an accident.

A security guard disappeared from his post without a trace; his remains were found a year later in a remote camp site. More than a decade would pass before a phone call breathed life into the cold case, and a paint smear on the bottom of the victim's boot helped scientists determine what happened during the last hour of his life.

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.

Time of death becomes pivotal after a pregnant woman is found murdered in her air-conditioned bedroom. A similarity between her death and an HBO movie gives forensic examiners the clues they need to thaw out the alibi of a cold-blooded killer.

In 1984, hundreds of people in The Dalles, Oregon became ill with food poisoning.  Local, state and federal disease detectives slowly unraveled the medical mystery.  Along with a unique strain of bacteria, they discovered a religious cult's bizarre plot to overthrow the government -- using germ warfare.

The man suffered a slow, agonizing death over a period of days.  His wife maintained he killed himself, but police were skeptical... especially when they learned her first husband died when he was only 38-years-old, and she refused to consent to an autopsy.

When a dedicated, well-respected teacher disappeared, police had to determine if she’d gone on vacation without telling anyone, or if she was the victim of foul play.  Investigators turned to forensic science, hoping to find the answers they needed.