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The Best Episodes of 48 Hours

Every episode of 48 Hours ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of 48 Hours!

Binge this in 36d 2h•Peaking at 9.1/10

This newsmagazine series investigates intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all aspects of the human experience. Over its long run, the show has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, driven the reopening — and

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    48 Hours Season 33 Episode 4 - The Murder of Kelsey Berreth
    9.1/10(14 votes)

    #1 - The Murder of Kelsey Berreth

    S33:E4

    A mom vanishes and now her fiancé is in jail awaiting trial for her murder. His former rodeo queen girlfriend says she knows what really happened. CBS News correspondent Nikki Battiste reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. 48 Hours Season 27 Episode 30 - One Last Hug
    8.9/10(14 votes)

    #2 - One Last Hug

    S27:E30

    A breakup, one last hug. Was a college student walking into her own murder?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. 48 Hours Season 19 Episode 30 - Deadly Obsession
    8.8/10(8 votes)

    #3 - Deadly Obsession

    S19:E30

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. 48 Hours Season 20 Episode 20 - Caught in the Crossfire
    8.7/10(10 votes)

    #4 - Caught in the Crossfire

    S20:E20

    Police looks into the involvement of a man whose wife was found dead after their marriage fails.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. 48 Hours Season 35 Episode 11 - What Happened to the Perfect Child?
    8.6/10(45 votes)

    #5 - What Happened to the Perfect Child?

    S35:E11

    After a young girl is adopted from Russia, her American parents come to believe she is capable of murder and return her. Years later, "48 Hours" contributor Troy Roberts learns her surprising story.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. 48 Hours Season 22 Episode 1 - Kidnapped - Shawn Hornbeck's Incredible Story
    8.5/10(11 votes)

    #6 - Kidnapped - Shawn Hornbeck's Incredible Story

    S22:E1

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of 48 Hours

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  7. 48 Hours Season 32 Episode 6 - In the Name of Hate
    8.5/10(17 votes)

    #7 - In the Name of Hate

    S32:E6

    A brilliant Ivy League student is murdered after he went to a California park with a former high school classmate. Was he killed because he was gay and Jewish? Correspondent Tracy Smith investigates.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. 48 Hours Season 32 Episode 7 - What Happened in Apartment 4C?
    8.3/10(32 votes)

    #8 - What Happened in Apartment 4C?

    S32:E7

    Joey Comunale, a successful 26-year-old from Connecticut did what many young people do every weekend -- go clubbing in New York's hot Meatpacking District. Comunale ended the night at an after-party that seemed like any other ... but this time, he disappeared.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. 48 Hours Season 33 Episode 16 - “48 Hours Live to Tell”: Murder on Prom Night
    8.3/10(11 votes)

    #9 - “48 Hours Live to Tell”: Murder on Prom Night

    S33:E16

    A survivor deals with the trauma after her stepbrother is convicted of killing her family in order to go to the prom. CBS News' Jim Axelrod reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. 48 Hours Season 34 Episode 7 - The Final Days of JJ and Tylee
    8.3/10(16 votes)

    #10 - The Final Days of JJ and Tylee

    S34:E7

    The untold story of how investigators found Lori Vallow’s missing children – buried on Chad Daybell’s property. CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. 48 Hours Season 19 Episode 17 - Blaming the Babysitter
    8.2/10(8 votes)

    #11 - Blaming the Babysitter

    S19:E17

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. 48 Hours Season 29 Episode 2 - Hannah Graham: Deadly Connections (1)
    8.2/10(14 votes)

    #12 - Hannah Graham: Deadly Connections (1)

    S29:E2

    "48 Hours" goes inside the investigation of the death of the UVA student and the evidence that links the alleged killer to other crimes spanning a decade. Susan Spencer reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. 48 Hours Season 29 Episode 3 - Hannah Graham: Stalked by Evil (2)
    8.2/10(12 votes)

    #13 - Hannah Graham: Stalked by Evil (2)

    S29:E3

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. 48 Hours Season 33 Episode 25 - Lizzie Borden Took an Axe...
    8.1/10(22 votes)

    #14 - Lizzie Borden Took an Axe...

    S33:E25

    Did Lizzie Borden really hack her parents to death? A surprising answer and an inside look at the haunting crime scene. Erin Moriarty reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. 48 Hours Season 21 Episode 19 - A Long Way From Home
    8.0/10(9 votes)

    #15 - A Long Way From Home

    S21:E19

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. 48 Hours Season 23 Episode 23 - A Killer Defense
    8.0/10(12 votes)

    #16 - A Killer Defense

    S23:E23

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. 48 Hours Season 24 Episode 8 - Chasing the Barefoot Bandit
    8.0/10(15 votes)

    #17 - Chasing the Barefoot Bandit

    S24:E8

    An investigation into the alleged criminal activity of 19-year-old Colton Harris-Moore, dubbed the Barefoot Bandit.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. 48 Hours Season 26 Episode 19 - Cold as Ice
    8.0/10(13 votes)

    #18 - Cold as Ice

    S26:E19

    Can a childhood memory of a friend's murder solve a 55-year-old case? Correspondent Erin Moriarty goes inside the investigation of what authorities say is the oldest cold case ever prosecuted in the U.S.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. 48 Hours Season 30 Episode 30 - Murder in the Mansion
    8.0/10(15 votes)

    #19 - Murder in the Mansion

    S30:E30

    It was one of the most notorious cases in Texas history -- an ambush in a mansion that killed two and wounded two others -- and to this day, no one has been held accountable. Correspondent Maureen Maher investigates

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. 48 Hours Season 32 Episode 9 - Defending DJ
    8.0/10(16 votes)

    #20 - Defending DJ

    S32:E9

    "48 Hours" goes inside a family’s mission to restore their son’s reputation seven years after he was fatally shot by a police officer. CBS News special correspondent James Brown reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. 48 Hours Season 35 Episode 9 - A Killer in the Family Tree
    8.0/10(26 votes)

    #21 - A Killer in the Family Tree

    S35:E9

    When a woman uploads her DNA to a genealogy website, authorities show up at her door. Is there a double murderer in her family tree? "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. 48 Hours Season 35 Episode 12 - Who Killed Rachael DelTondo?
    8.0/10(12 votes)

    #22 - Who Killed Rachael DelTondo?

    S35:E12

    A man on police radar for the shooting death of a school teacher is convicted of murder in a different case. Both times the victims had been out for ice cream. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. 48 Hours Season 18 Episode 2 - The Ghosts of El Segundo
    7.9/10(11 votes)

    #23 - The Ghosts of El Segundo

    S18:E2

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. 48 Hours Season 24 Episode 3 - The Whole Truth
    7.9/10(16 votes)

    #24 - The Whole Truth

    S24:E3

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. 48 Hours Season 29 Episode 17 - Ryan Ferguson: Wrongfully Convicted
    7.9/10(14 votes)

    #25 - Ryan Ferguson: Wrongfully Convicted

    S29:E17

    Convicted of murder at 19 -- 14 appeals and 10 years later, he's free. They got it wrong. End of story? Not yet. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty investigates.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"The Murder of Kelsey Berreth" is the best rated episode of "48 Hours". It scored 9.1/10 based on 14 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 10/5/2019. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "One Last Hug".