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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!

Best episode
S35E11 What Happened to the Perfect Child?
8.650 votes
Worst episode
S34E30 The Killing of Cowboy Ray Green
5.023 votes
Top season
Season 16
9.0avg
Binge time
36d 20h
1170 episodes
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons40

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Click to reveal
    48 Hours Season 35 Episode 11 - What Happened to the Perfect Child?
    8.6/10(50 votes)

    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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  2. 48 Hours Season 32 Episode 7 - What Happened in Apartment 4C?
    8.3/10(37 votes)

    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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  3. 48 Hours Season 33 Episode 4 - The Murder of Kelsey Berreth
    9.0/10(13 votes)

    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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  4. 48 Hours Season 27 Episode 30 - One Last Hug
    8.7/10(15 votes)

    S27:E30

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

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. 48 Hours Season 32 Episode 6 - In the Name of Hate
    8.4/10(18 votes)

    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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  6. 48 Hours Season 33 Episode 28 - Crosley Green's Hard Time
    7.9/10(40 votes)

    S33:E28

    A Florida man remains in prison two years after his 1990 murder conviction -- which his lawyers call a "racial hoax" -- is overturned by a federal judge.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of 48 Hours

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  7. 48 Hours Season 20 Episode 20 - Caught in the Crossfire
    8.7/10(10 votes)

    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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  8. 48 Hours Season 33 Episode 25 - Lizzie Borden Took an Axe...
    8.1/10(22 votes)

    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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  9. 48 Hours Season 30 Episode 30 - Murder in the Mansion
    8.2/10(17 votes)

    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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  10. 48 Hours Season 29 Episode 2 - Hannah Graham: Deadly Connections (1)
    8.2/10(16 votes)

    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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  11. 48 Hours Season 34 Episode 7 - The Final Days of JJ and Tylee
    8.2/10(16 votes)

    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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  12. 48 Hours Season 22 Episode 1 - Kidnapped - Shawn Hornbeck's Incredible Story
    8.4/10(12 votes)

    S22:E1

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. 48 Hours Season 19 Episode 30 - Deadly Obsession
    8.8/10(8 votes)

    S19:E30

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. 48 Hours Season 35 Episode 9 - A Killer in the Family Tree
    7.9/10(29 votes)

    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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  15. 48 Hours Season 35 Episode 17 - Mystery on County Road M
    7.8/10(37 votes)

    S35:E17

    Todd Kendhammer says his wife was killed in an accident -- a pipe flew off a truck and crashed into their car. Authorities say the scene was staged. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. 48 Hours Season 29 Episode 3 - Hannah Graham: Stalked by Evil (2)
    8.2/10(14 votes)

    S29:E3

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. 48 Hours Season 33 Episode 16 - “48 Hours Live to Tell”: Murder on Prom Night
    8.4/10(10 votes)

    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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  18. 48 Hours Season 26 Episode 3 - Collision Course
    7.8/10(31 votes)

    S26:E3

    A car crash leaves a young Air Force vet dead - but her boyfriend alive. The crash didn't kill her, what did? Susan Spencer reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. 48 Hours Season 28 Episode 12 - Murder in Pinyon Pines
    7.8/10(27 votes)

    S28:E12

    A California couple is shot dead, a daughter's body found burned in a wheelbarrow - after seven years investigators think they have solved the case, but a courtroom bombshell changes everything.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. 48 Hours Season 24 Episode 8 - Chasing the Barefoot Bandit
    8.0/10(16 votes)

    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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  21. 48 Hours Season 32 Episode 9 - Defending DJ
    7.9/10(19 votes)

    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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  22. 48 Hours Season 35 Episode 4 - #LindasStory
    7.8/10(23 votes)

    S35:E4

    The "voice" of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe goes viral in the search for her killer. CBS News correspondent Tracy Smith reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. 48 Hours Season 36 Episode 10 - The Case Against Michael Politte
    7.7/10(32 votes)

    S36:E10

    At 14 he was accused and later convicted of murdering his mother. But he claims he knows who the real killer is and he’s still out there. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. 48 Hours Season 26 Episode 19 - Cold as Ice
    8.0/10(14 votes)

    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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  25. 48 Hours Season 39 Episode 2 - Murder in the Parking Garage
    7.7/10(31 votes)

    S39:E2

    For years, Kenneth Fandrich told everyone he knew that he was being stalked by the nicest man in town. In 2023, after his wife calls 911 to report her husband missing, police discover his lifeless body in his car, parked inside a corporate parking garage. "48 Hours" contributor Natalie Morales reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"What Happened to the Perfect Child?" is the best rated episode of 48 Hours. It scored 8.6/10 from 50 votes. Written and directed by Unknown, it aired on December 4, 2021. This episode scored 0.3 points higher than the second highest rated, "What Happened in Apartment 4C?".

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