Accidental deaths, suicides, disappearances and fires: they’re an everyday part of an insurance investigator’s job. But these cases shouldn’t be taken at face value. Forensics has become a vital tool in exposing insurance fraud.

Drowning deaths often look like accidents and over time water can destroy the few clues the killer may have left behind. Investigators must turn to forensic science to solve homicides in which the victims were found in bodies of water.

When murderers hide or destroy the remains of their victims, forensic scientists must reconstruct the scenes and prove murder for an absent witness.

Coroners play a vital role in piecing together the final moments of someone’s life. Los Angeles County coroner Julie Wilson provides an in-depth look into the science of death, as well as the techniques and methodology used by coroner investigators.

Often, criminals misuse the trust they’ve built with their victims to commit heinous misdeeds. A family discovers the mummified remains of a pregnant woman; a nurse notices an unusually high number of deaths in an ICU unit and suspects foul play.

Insurance torchings, mob burnouts and arson murders: these crimes are designed to take all clues with them. But a case can be built from ashes. Arson investigators do everything from gathering physical evidence to mounting undercover operations.

Contract killings allow someone to establish the perfect alibi. By hiring someone else to do his or her dirty work, a person can deflect guilt or twist the truth. Forensics is changing that, leading investigators to the employers of killers.

A murdered woman is found stuffed in the boot of her car, and a routine investigation reveals a wife may not have abandoned her family on purpose. When everyday substances reveal hidden clues that break a homicide case, those substances become the elements of murder.

There’s an old saying that a burden shared is a burden halved. But when people team up to commit murder, the weight of their guilt remains just as heavy. Investigators must rely on forensic science to capture partners in crime.

Poisoners are the most dangerous culprits in the crime world: smart assassins. They rely on their devious stealth and must put their victims at ease to earn their trust. And, usually, they don’t stop at just one victim.

What does it take to prove murder if the victim cannot be found? Forensic investigators must go to great lengths to catch the killer when the victim is only presumed dead.

Sometimes, seemingly small and insignificant clues – three hairs, microscopic fibers, a paint chip – become a victim’s silent witness and help solve even the most baffling of cases.

Forensic psychologists delve into the minds of serial killers, explaining why, most often, they can be a friendly neighbor or a tenacious co-worker – the ones who hide their darkness better than anyone else.

The Texas Rangers were established in the 1800s to protect settlers from Native Americans. That role has evolved greatly over time to keep up with a changing society. Today, their job includes solving murders with advanced forensics labs.

Some people don’t care who they kill; they just want to hurt innocents. Bombers, snipers and spree killers: these murderers are the hardest to catch because they have no connection to their victims, people in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sometimes, cooperation from people who are not associated with a crime in any way is the only link between a criminal and the clues left behind for forensic experts. This episode examines cases in which good Samaritans help solve puzzling crimes.

Even ordinary objects, when used to kill, carry enough evidence for forensic scientists to piece together the most complicated murders. In this episode, criminals are brought to justice with evidence found on mundane, household objects.

Handwriting Analysis: Every pass of the pencil leaves a little of ourselves behind. Taking the time to evaluate documents can tell the difference between suicide and murder.

Some killers choose to hide their victims and investigators must then rely on forensics to uncover proof of murder. From identifying remains to uncovering post-mortem clues, medical examiners are integral in solving some of the most brutal crimes.

Often, a killer will build the victim’s trust before he or she attacks. In this episode, New Mexico police search for a missing teenager who disappeared from a local skating rink. Authorities suspect the two friends she was last seen with.

Solutions to atrocious crimes can hinge on the smallest of clues. Even with advanced technology, vision remains an important tool. Forensic investigators must train their eyes to find the full story of a murder written in a single scrap of evidence.

Sometimes arson fires are set to cover a different, more heinous crime – such as murder. But killers are wrong to think that fire destroys all vital clues. Arson investigators can pull evidence from scorched rubble to ignite the flames of justice.

Even the most puzzling cases can be solved with the tiniest of residue left behind at the crime scene. Trace evidence and paint analysis can be used to track down a serial killer or dog hair can be used to link separate murders to a single suspect.

When abduction turns to murder, forensic science is a vital key to finding justice for the victims of a kidnapper’s deadly intentions.

The elements of nature can reduce a body to bones in a matter of weeks. Combining art and science, forensic anthropologists can give victims a face long after they’ve been forgotten.