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The Worst Episodes of 48 Hours

Every episode of 48 Hours ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of 48 Hours!

Worst episode
S34E30 The Killing of Cowboy Ray Green
5.023 votes
Best episode
S35E11 What Happened to the Perfect Child?
8.650 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 Worst Episode
    Click to reveal
    48 Hours Season 34 Episode 30 - The Killing of Cowboy Ray Green
    5.0/10(23 votes)

    S34:E30

    Dani Green claimed the family dog killed her ex-husband, Ray, but when police arrived at the home there was no sign of man or dog. Dani told police they could search anywhere on the grounds -- except for a large toolbox. Correspondent Peter Van Sant reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. 48 Hours Season 28 Episode 10 - The Two Faces of Todd Winkler
    5.2/10(12 votes)

    S28:E10

    Todd Winkler, a former fighter jet pilot, claims he was defending himself when he stabbed his wife to death with scissors.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. 48 Hours Season 27 Episode 14 - Perilous Journey
    5.1/10(11 votes)

    S27:E14

    An examination of the sometimes-shady business of international child adoptions.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. 48 Hours Season 33 Episode 2 - The Hollywood Ripper on Trial
    5.3/10(12 votes)

    S33:E2

    Part 2: Four young women attacked, only one survivor. "48 Hours" correspondent Maureen Maher has been on the trail of serial killer Michael Gargiulo for more than a decade. How "48 Hours" helped crack one of the cases.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. 48 Hours Season 31 Episode 30 - Dark Side of the Mesa: Update
    5.2/10(11 votes)

    S31:E30

    Convicted of killing his wife in 2004, a bombshell twist gives an Arizona man a second shot at freedom. Will a jury set him free? "48 Hours" correspondent Susan Spencer has the latest in the case.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. 48 Hours Season 31 Episode 15 - Grapes of Wrath
    5.6/10(16 votes)

    S31:E15

    Ambition, greed and gunshots at a Napa Valley winery. How did a bag of cash -- almost $1 million -- lead to murder in a vineyard? CBS News correspondent Tracy Smith investigates.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 BEST Episodes of 48 Hours

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  7. 48 Hours Season 24 Episode 2 - fugitive@hotmail.com
    5.3/10(11 votes)

    S24:E2

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. 48 Hours Season 23 Episode 14 - Thou Shalt Not KIll
    5.6/10(14 votes)

    S23:E14

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. 48 Hours Season 27 Episode 16 - Death At Soho House
    5.8/10(18 votes)

    S27:E16

    Did the son of an Oscar-winning songwriter strangle his swimsuit designer girlfriend in a chic New York City hotel or was her death an accident?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. 48 Hours Season 18 Episode 30 - The Pretender
    5.3/10(10 votes)

    S18:E30

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. 48 Hours Season 27 Episode 29 - End of the Trail
    5.6/10(13 votes)

    S27:E29

    The 2008 murder of Carol Kennedy in Arizona is investigated. The victim was beaten to death in her remote Prescott-area home.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. 48 Hours Season 35 Episode 10 - A Promise to Ahmaud
    5.6/10(13 votes)

    S35:E10

    When Ahmaud Arbery was chased by three White men and shot in the street, his mother laid him to rest promising to get him justice. The promise is fulfilled when the men are found guilty. CBS News correspondent Omar Villafranca reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. 48 Hours Season 12 Episode 32 - Murder For Hire?
    5.3/10(9 votes)

    S12:E32

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. 48 Hours Season 31 Episode 1 - The Widow on Solway Road
    5.6/10(11 votes)

    S31:E1

    One woman, two husbands dead under strange circumstances - could she be that unlucky? "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty investigates.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. 48 Hours Season 38 Episode 4 - The Depraved Heart Murder
    6.3/10(37 votes)

    S38:E4

    Sarah Harris was a bright, young Maryland woman who dreamed of a career in medicine. On the morning of Jan. 26, 2022, she was found unresponsive on the floor of the home she shared with her boyfriend, Dr. James Ryan. Ryan told police it was an overdose, but Harris’ family believed he was responsible. Contributor Nikki Battiste reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. 48 Hours Season 26 Episode 4 - The Preacher's Passion
    6.3/10(29 votes)

    S26:E4

    An actress is dead and her preacher boyfriend prays for answers. Maureen Maher reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. 48 Hours Season 21 Episode 21 - Deadline for Justice
    5.6/10(9 votes)

    S21:E21

    The 2002 murder of Abilene, Texas, news reporter Jennifer Servo and the 1991 rape and murder of Patricia Scoville in Vermont are investigated.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. 48 Hours Season 29 Episode 12 - Road to Redemption
    5.8/10(11 votes)

    S29:E12

    48 Hours looks at the 1990 murders of Richard and Nancy Bishop Langert by David Biro in Chicago, Illinois. It examines how Nancy's sister Jeanne through her Christian faith has learned to cope with the deaths and has even forgiven her sister's murderer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. 48 Hours Season 29 Episode 19 - Target Justice
    5.8/10(11 votes)

    S29:E19

    A Texas town on edge -- someone was killing prosecutors. Was it a gang hit or could the killer be one of their own? "48 Hours" correspondent Richard Schlesinger investigates.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. 48 Hours Season 27 Episode 3 - Death at Cottonwood Creek
    6.3/10(24 votes)

    S27:E3

    Did a loving wife slip and fall off a cliff while posing for a snapshot or did her husband want more than a good picture? Peter Van Sant investigates.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. 48 Hours Season 25 Episode 25 - The Writing on the Wall
    6.0/10(13 votes)

    S25:E25

    An investigation into the 2009 murders of the wife and two sons of a security chief for Joyce Meyer Ministries.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. 48 Hours Season 19 Episode 23 - Love Lost
    5.6/10(8 votes)

    S19:E23

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. 48 Hours Season 27 Episode 7 - Relentless
    5.9/10(11 votes)

    S27:E7

    A heartbroken mother launches a one-woman psychological warfare campaign to taunt her daughter's alleged killer - but can she get him to crack? Peter Van Sant investigates.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. 48 Hours Season 33 Episode 23 - Broken Hearts
    6.4/10(31 votes)

    S33:E23

    A story of tragedy and triumph -- the murder of a young woman and how her killer's heart saves the life of a dying woman.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. 48 Hours Season 35 Episode 26 - The Plot to Kill Jamie Faith
    6.4/10(30 votes)

    S35:E26

    An airline manager is shot dead while walking his dog. Who was the puppet master plotting his murder? “48 Hours” correspondent Peter Van Sant reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Worst Episodes Summary

"The Killing of Cowboy Ray Green" is the worst rated episode of 48 Hours. It scored 5.0/10 from 23 votes. Written and directed by Unknown, it aired on April 25, 2021. This episode scored 0.2 points lower than the second lowest rated, "The Two Faces of Todd Winkler".

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