
Season 5 (1996)
A look at groundbreaking criminal cases, presenting viewers with an inside look at the case through the eyes of those directly involved, ranging from law enforcement officers to the victims.
Episodes: 34
Star Cast: Bill Kurtis ,
Episodes List

Ep.1 Cop Killers
Air Date: 1996-01-17
Notorious recent cases provide the focus for an examination of cop killings and what can be done to protect those in uniform.

Ep.2 The Chicago Mob
Air Date: 1996-02-07
Chicago crime bosses; Al Capone; Anthony "Joe Batters" Accardo; Sam Giancana; Gus Alex.

Ep.3 The Sam Sheppard Story
Air Date: 1996-02-15
Dr. Sam Sheppard is convicted of murder in 1954 and retried in the '60s.

Ep.4 Murder in the Family
Air Date: 1996-03-06
The cases of the Freeman brothers and Jeffrey Howarth highlight an examination of murder in the family.

Ep.5 Vegas and the Mob
Air Date: 1996-04-10
How Bugsy Siegel and others built a glittering gambling mecca from barren desert; includes an interview with former casino manager Frank Rosenthal.

Ep.6 Long Island Railroad Massacre
Air Date: 1996-04-24
In 1993 Colin Ferguson methodically shoots passengers aboard a Long Island Railroad commuter

Ep.7 Bounty Hunters
Air Date: 1996-05-11
Bail bondsmen hire bounty hunters to capture fugitives.

Ep.8 The Pamela Smart Story
Air Date: 1996-05-25
Schoolteacher Pamela Smart enlists a student to kill her husband.

Ep.9 John Wayne Gacy: Buried Secrets
Air Date: 1996-06-05
John Wayne Gacy's lawyers discuss the man, the crimes and the case now that his execution has lifted the constraints of their attorney-client privilege.

Ep.10 When Cops Kill
Air Date: 1996-06-19
Technology creates police weapons designed to stun rather than kill.

Ep.11 Hot Pursuit
Air Date: 1996-07-17
Strict departmental policies govern high-speed police chases.

Ep.12 Great Crimes & Trials: John Christie of Rillington Place
Air Date: 1996-07-28
In the 1950s, England reels over the case of serial killer John Christie.

Ep.13 Denis Nilsen: The Kindly Killer
Air Date: 1996-08-18
A British serial killer lures young men to his apartment and dismembers them.

Ep.14 Mob Hit Men
Air Date: 1996-08-21
Interviews with Nicholas "The Crow" Caramandi, former hit men and other experts highlight an examination of the mob hit man. Host: Bill Kurtis.

Ep.15 Bamber Family Murders
Air Date: 1996-08-25
Recalling the Bamber family murder case, considered by some to be almost the perfect crime.

Ep.16 Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker
Air Date: 1996-09-01
Richard Ramirez rapes, mutilates and tortures more than 25 California victims.

Ep.17 The Menendez Murders
Air Date: 1996-09-04
Three juries consider the murder cases against Erik and Lyle Menendez.

Ep.18 Hammersmith Murders: Jack the Stripper
Air Date: 1996-09-22
The murders of six prostitutes end with a man's suicide.

Ep.19 I Confess
Air Date: 1996-09-25
Confessions play a part in three unique criminal cases; coercion; admissibility.

Ep.20 James Hanratty: A6 Murder
Air Date: 1996-09-29
After James Hanratty is hanged for a murder, a man confesses to the crime.

Ep.21 To Catch a Killer: Homicide Detectives
Air Date: 1996-10-02
Profiling the lives of men and women who choose to work as homicide detectives.

Ep.22 Disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa
Air Date: 1996-10-06
The twisted career and mysterious disappearance of the union boss.

Ep.23 Caryl Chessman
Air Date: 1996-10-13
Clever criminal who spent the last 12 years of his crusading against execution.

Ep.24 The McKay Kidnapping
Air Date: 1996-10-20
The cruel story of mistaken identity in the Muriel McKay kidnapping case.

Ep.25 Black Panther
Air Date: 1996-10-20
A woman is kidnapped and murdered after inheriting a fortune.

Ep.26 Free to Kill: The Polly Klaas Murder
Air Date: 1996-10-23
The case of Polly Klaas highlights an examination of repeat offenders who are set loose upon society.

Ep.27 Kennedy Assassination
Air Date: 1996-11-17
Theories abound concerning President Kennedy's death.

Ep.28 Massacre of the Tsar
Air Date: 1996-11-17
The controversial story of the 1918 murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family

Ep.29 Death Row Women
Air Date: 1996-11-20
How society ultimately copes with the prospect of executing a woman.

Ep.30 Neville Heath: The Lady Killer
Air Date: 1996-11-24
Englishman Neville Heath was hanged for murder.

Ep.31 The Defenders
Air Date: 1996-12-04
The United States is the only country to provide free legal counsel for poor defendants.

Ep.32 Rise of the Mafia
Air Date: 1996-12-08
An examination of the Gambino crime family and its bloody 30-year war with the other gangland families of New York.

Ep.101 The Great Midwest Gangs
Air Date: 1996-02-10
In the Depression-torn dust bowl of the 1930s, a new kind of desperado is born. Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger, and Bonnie & Clyde become as well-known and admired as movie stars.

Ep.102 The Kidnappers
Air Date: 1996-03-09
For bigger payoffs, criminals turn from bank robbery to kidnapping.