Best Episodes of Forensic Files
Forensic Files
Forensic Files profiles intriguing crimes, accidents, and outbreaks of disease from around the world. Follow coroners, medical examiners, law enforcement personnel and legal experts as they seek the answers to baffling and mysterious cases, which have been ripped from the headlines. Forensic Files puts a new spin on the "whodunit" genre and will satisfy the most ardent true-crime buffs.
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Find out which episodes of the show Forensic Files have been rated the best.
The ranking is not based on the rating of a single person but on the opinion of thousands of social media users.
This guarantees you a holistic view of the best episodes of Forensic Files.
The episodes of Forensic Files are ranked in descending order of their best rating. The rating can vary from 10 (very good) to 1 (very bad).
Moss, Not Grass
Air date: 2005-12-21 | Season 10 Episode 29
A young woman was found dead on a golf course in the Bahamas. The grass on that course was so distinctive, it had evidentiary value. The evidence led police to two suspects. Each blamed the other, and they had to find out who the killer was.
8.087/10
23 votes
The episode Moss, Not Grass was rated 0.604 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Plastic Fire
Air date: 2003-07-19 | Season 7 Episode 41
Georgia resident Sheila Bryan, who was convicted of killing her mother in a car fire, is granted a new trial. An expert fire witness shares an opinion on how the fire ignited which differs from the prosecution's theory and, if verified, would clear Bryan of any culpability. [also marked as S7:E50]
8.083/10
24 votes
The episode Plastic Fire was rated 0.6 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Family Ties
Air date: 2009-07-17 | Season 13 Episode 25
When court clerk Peter Porco doesn't report to his work in November 2004, a courts officer is ordered to the Porcos' family home in Bethlehem, NY. Inside the home he finds murdered Peter Porco and his barely alive wife Joan who had both been savagely attacked with a fireman's axe. Eventually police can prove the crime was committed by the couple's son Christopher Porco.
8.074/10
27 votes
The episode Family Ties was rated 0.591 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Grounds for Indictment
Air date: 2004-12-02 | Season 8 Episode 35
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.
8.067/10
30 votes
The episode Grounds for Indictment was rated 0.584 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Shoe-In for Murder
Air date: 2010-03-19 | Season 13 Episode 42
On May 12, 1994, Crystal Perry was viciously murdered in her home in Bridgton, Maine. Michael Hutchinson, 32, was found guilty of murder in the 1994 slaying at Perry's home.
8.059/10
17 votes
The episode Shoe-In for Murder was rated 0.576 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Saving Face
Air date: 2004-10-13 | Season 9 Episode 23
When a woman disappeared without a trace, there were two possible explanations: kidnapping or murder. Concern was heightened when police learned that two other women had vanished under similar circumstances. Careful investigation, the talents of a forensic artist, and DNA profiling enabled police to link the crimes to a single suspect – an immigrant known to prey upon vulnerable women. [also marked as S9:E25]
8.031/10
32 votes
The episode Saving Face was rated 0.548 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Bad Blood
Air date: 2001-09-17 | Season 6 Episode 18
In 1992, in a rural Canadian community, Dr. John Schneeberger is accused of sedating and sexually assaulting two of his female patients. DNA tests show him to be innocent, but the women persist with their claims; 7 years later, a private investigation leads to a surprising discovery.
8.0/10
43 votes
The episode Bad Blood was rated 0.517 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Northern Exposure
Air date: 2004-12-08 | Season 9 Episode 24
Hikers near Anchorage, Alaska discovered a body wrapped in sheets edged in orange stitching. Authorities hydrated the fingers and obtained a fingerprint, enabling them to identify the victim. Clinging to the sheet, they also discovered a tuft of red carpet fibers – threads of evidence, which led them straight to the killer. [also marked as S9:E30]
8.0/10
30 votes
The episode Northern Exposure was rated 0.517 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Family Interrupted
Air date: 2010-04-02 | Season 13 Episode 43
On December 10, 2003, in a murder-for-hire scheme, Thomas "Bart" Whitaker hired Chris Brashear, his college roommate, to kill his family so he could inherit the estimated $1.5 million family estate.
8.0/10
20 votes
The episode Family Interrupted was rated 0.517 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Separation Anxiety
Air date: 2010-01-08 | Season 13 Episode 39
Tracey Frame, 35, was convicted of killing David Nixon in April 2002 after he planned to end their relationship.
8.0/10
17 votes
The episode Separation Anxiety was rated 0.517 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Dinner and a Movie
Air date: 2003-10-26 | Season 8 Episode 10
Time of death becomes pivotal after a pregnant woman is found murdered in her air-conditioned bedroom. A striking 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. (also marked as S7:E51)
7.962/10
26 votes
The episode Dinner and a Movie was rated 0.479 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Office Visit
Air date: 2010-03-05 | Season 13 Episode 40
A surgeon is stabbed to death, and the most likely suspect is seen in a restaurant at the time of the murder. Episode documents the murder of Brian Stidham.
7.958/10
24 votes
The episode Office Visit was rated 0.475 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Needle in a Haystack
Air date: 2009-08-28 | Season 13 Episode 28
7.95/10
20 votes
The episode Needle in a Haystack was rated 0.467 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
The Day the Music Died
Air date: 2007-11-14 | Season 12 Episode 7
Seattle police had no suspects in the violent murder of post-grunge singer, Mia Zapata. More than a decade would pass before the evidence collected by an extraordinarily prescient medical examiner could be used by forensic scientists to identify the killer.
7.947/10
38 votes
The episode The Day the Music Died was rated 0.464 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Once Bitten
Air date: 2003-07-10 | Season 8 Episode 7
During the early morning hours of December 29, 1991, a woman is murdered in a Phoenix bar. At the crime scene, investigators find a shoe-print, several foreign hairs, and unknown fingerprints. But they believe the most telling piece of evidence is the bite mark on the victim's chest. Based on his bite pattern, a local postman is charged, tried and convicted of murder, but he maintains his innocence. Ten years into his sentence, improved technology yields new information about old evidence, and earns him another trial. [also marked as S7:E45]
7.944/10
36 votes
The episode Once Bitten was rated 0.461 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Badge of Betrayal
Air date: 2004-09-22 | Season 9 Episode 18
The body of a young California co-ed was found under an isolated ramp of the Interstate, and San Diego police had no idea who would want this girl dead. But their questions would be answered when they discovered a tiny, unique fiber on the victim's clothing, which led them straight to the most unlikely of killers.
7.909/10
33 votes
The episode Badge of Betrayal was rated 0.426 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Scratching the Surface
Air date: 2003-05-24 | Season 7 Episode 33
Forensic scientists work with the only clue recovered from a multiple-victim shooting: a 12-gauge shotgun. Scientists use unique methods to lift the serial number from the weapon in order to trace it to its owner. [also marked as S7:E40]
7.88/10
25 votes
The episode Scratching the Surface was rated 0.397 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Sphere of Influence
Air date: 2003-09-20 | Season 8 Episode 23
When an 11-year-old girl disappears from a small town in a remote area of Alaska, investigators wonder if she'd been attacked by a bear or become lost in the dense woods, but neither turned out to be true. Her body is discovered 10 days later; she'd been sexually assaulted and shot twice at close range. A tip from an eyewitness leads police to a suspect, and trace evidence found at the crime scene convinces the jury of his guilt. [also marked as S8:E13]
7.875/10
24 votes
The episode Sphere of Influence was rated 0.392 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Wood-be Killer
Air date: 2006-03-15 | Season 10 Episode 41
A killer tried to incinerate and destroy everything that could link him to his crime. But in doing so, he inadvertently created new forensic evidence, evidence which came to light with a technique never before used in a criminal investigation.
7.87/10
23 votes
The episode Wood-be Killer was rated 0.387 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Frozen in Time
Air date: 2003-03-08 | Season 7 Episode 22
The 1991 disappearance of Newport Beach, CA, resident Denise Huber stumps investigators. Three years later, Arizona residents call police to report John Famalaro, who has kept a Ryder rental truck in his driveway, which they suspect is stolen. Upon further investigation, police find a body within a freezer inside the truck, which they conclude is Denise Huber.
7.867/10
15 votes
The episode Frozen in Time was rated 0.384 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Fishing for the Truth
Air date: 2004-10-31 | Season 9 Episode 26
A two-man shrimp boat sank when a fast-moving, violent storm struck the Louisiana coast. The captain drowned, and the deckhand was rescued fourteen hours later. He told the Coast Guard that the captain's foot had become entangled in the fishing nets; they tried frantically to free him, but they failed. The deckhand was considered a hero until the captain's body was found. Eventually, the public discovers that he was coerced into confessing to the captain's murder.
7.862/10
29 votes
The episode Fishing for the Truth was rated 0.379 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
The List Murders
Air date: 1996-12-12 | Season 1 Episode 12
In 1971, John List left a note with the bodies of his mother, wife, and three children in his mansion ballroom, funeral organ music blaring from a central sound system, and disappeared. Eighteen years later, all detectives had to work from is an outdated photograph of List. In 1989, the popular television series America's Most Wanted commissioned an age-scaled bust of List to aid viewers in identifying the confessed murderer. Dr. Frank Bender, nationally-recognized artist and sculptor, worked with forensic psychologist Richard Walter to develop a profile of the aging List. The final bust was so keenly accurate that 350 viewers called with tips, one of which led to List's arrest.
7.86/10
57 votes
The episode The List Murders was rated 0.377 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Point of Origin
Air date: 2004-10-27 | Season 9 Episode 21
In 1984, California firefighters had battled ten arson fires in three weeks. When cigarettes and a scrap of paper connected the southern California fires to several fires further north, the hunt was on for a dangerous pyromaniac. Investigators finally found a fingerprint, and it pointed to a most unlikely suspect.
7.857/10
28 votes
The episode Point of Origin was rated 0.374 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Missing Pearl
Air date: 2001-05-28 | Season 6 Episode 2
In 1991, Maine resident Pearl Smith is missing after an argument with her husband Bill Bruns. Despite pleas from her children, police insist on treating it as a routine missing person's case. But, when an investigation turns up a blood trail that leads to the couple's basement, police are sure they'll find the victim's body. Initially, they find nothing and the case stalls, until new forensic technology helps investigators find the body. The investigators first use luminal over the cleaned carpet to reveal the blood spatter on the floor and a path down to the basement. Then, they use ground penetrating radar to scan the basement for radiation; they found three feet down, excavated rusted sand everywhere except in a certain area. The body had absorbed the rust and was found there.
7.854/10
41 votes
The episode Missing Pearl was rated 0.371 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.
Grave Danger
Air date: 2006-11-01 | Season 11 Episode 16
A young man was killed in a mysterious car crash, but the evidence at the scene led investigators to believe it was not an accident. Forensic science revealed what really happened, and the truth devastated three families.
7.852/10
27 votes
The episode Grave Danger was rated 0.369 points better than the Forensic Files show average of 7.483.