Forensic Files

10 Best Episodes of Forensic Files - Season 4

Forensic Files profiles intriguing crimes, accidents, and outbreaks of disease from around the world. Follow coroners, medical examiners, law enforcement personnel and legal experts as they seek the answers to baffling and mysterious cases, which have been ripped from the headlines. Forensic Files puts a new spin on the "whodunit" genre and will satisfy the most ardent true-crime buffs.

Written by Sophie and last updated on jan 08, 2023.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

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Forensic Files - S4E10

#13 - Core Evidence (Season 4 - Episode 10)

At 16 months of age, Anne Grace Gimmenstad became very ill and was rushed to the hospital, and within two weeks died. Following extensive medical examinations, it was determined that Anna had been the victim of the deadly bacteria E-Coli. Anna'a mother recalled a trip to the grocery store when Anna pointed excitedly at her favorite drink, Odwalla apple juice. As early as 1993, tests on samples of Odwalla juices found high levels of general bacteria. Federal and state inspections reports confirm that the company used two loads of apples with relatively high defect levels on the day the juice was made. The genetic markings on the E-Coli in the victims matched the bacteria found in the product bottled that day. Odwalla pleaded guilty to violating Federal food safety laws and agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine for the outbreak of E-Coli in its juices.

The episode was rated 6.94 from 32 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E12

#12 - With Every Breath (Season 4 - Episode 12)

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Merril Bahe and Florena Woody grew up in starkly different conditions on an Indian reservation that crossed the borders of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The couple soon engaged, and they moved into the Woody family home. On April 29, 1993, Florena started complaining of muscle aches in her back and shoulders. On May 6, her doctor gave her antibiotics for her condition. Florena later died; she simply drowned in the fluid generated by her illness. Doctors had no idea what had killed her. Meanwhile, Merril Bahe started experiencing similar symptoms, and on the day of Florena's funeral he was sent to the hospital, but died on the way there. Investigators found deer mice tested positive for a new form of the hanta virus. They determined that contact with the feces of the deer mice was what had caused the disease, and that when the feces dried, the deadly microbe became airborne.

The episode was rated 7.12 from 25 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E8

#11 - Body of Evidence (Season 4 - Episode 8)

Karla Brown was the youngest of three girls in the Brown family. After many failed relationships, Karla became engaged to Mark Fair. The couple began moving into their dream home in June 1978. On the morning of June 20, Mark left for work and Karla remained at home. When Mark and a friend returned home that evening, they found Karla dead. The condition of Karla's body told investigators that she was a victim of sexual assault; she had resisted, struggled, and was killed. The Police questioned Paul Main and John Prante, who lived across the street. They were considered low-level suspects. After a second autopsy, they were able to re-examine bite marks. A Computer enhancement gave a better view of the bite marks, and the science of forensic odontology identified John Prante. On July 15, 1983, five years after the murder, Prante was found guilty and sentenced to 75 years in prison.

The episode was rated 7.18 from 40 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E5

#10 - Innocence Lost (Season 4 - Episode 5)

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Five-year-old Melissa Brannen disappeared from a Christmas party in 1989. The fibers on her clothes were the only means for police to determine her abductor. Police grew suspicious of Cal Hughes who was washing his clothes at 1am when they came to his home. They searched his car and found several fibers similar to the clothes Melissa had worn to the party. However, there was no way to test the fibers until an investigator's wife remembered seeing Melissa's outfit in a catalog. The same outfit was taken from another customer and tested. The fibers matched and Cal Hughes was convicted of abduction with intent to harm.

The episode was rated 7.18 from 34 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E9

#9 - Accident or Murder? (Season 4 - Episode 9)

Clayton Johnson, a Nova Scotia schoolteacher, left for work on the morning of February 20, 1989. At 7.40 AM, the school bus arrived to pick up the Johnson children. At 7.51 Mrs. Molloy arrived to drop off her child at the Johnson home. She found Janice Johnson lying at the bottom of the basement stairs in a pool of blood. Clayton Johnson later married a 22-year-old member of his Pentecostal congregation. When homicide investigator Brian Oldford heard this, he became suspicious and decided to reinvestigate. He learned that Clayton had taken out a $125,000 life insurance policy on his first wife, Janice, shortly before she died. Clayton Johnson was charged with the first-degree murder. By examining the photos and nature of the injuries, they were convinced that she had fallen backwards. The accidental fall scenario would also account for the complete lack of defensive wounds on Mrs. Johnson or Mr. Johnson. Testimony was presented to the Canadian high courts and a decision is pending.

The episode was rated 7.18 from 28 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E1

#8 - Invisible Intruder (Season 4 - Episode 1)

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Police received a call from Darlie Routier one morning telling them of her two sons' murders. However, police were unsure about the validity of Darlie's story and began an intensive search of the crime seen. The police determined the killer by analyzing blood spatter, doing behavioral profiling and analyzing Darlie's 911 call. The evidence proved that Darlie killed her two oldest sons with a knife, inflicted wounds on herself, cleaned the evidence and created a story of a crazed intruder who had come in the house. Darlie's motive was to obtain the $5,000 each of her sons had in a bank account.

The episode was rated 7.20 from 40 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E7

#7 - Ties That Bind (Season 4 - Episode 7)

Two young boys were found tied and murdered with similar wounds within three months of each other. The rope used to tie the boys was very unique: it was made of left-over garbage in South Korea and used by the air force. Another clue turned up when one of the boy's brother was hypnotised and remembered a uniformed man in a tan car. Shortly after, someone noticed a strange car and gave the licence plate number to police. This vital information led to the conviction of John Joubert, an air force-enlisted man who carried the same exact rope used to bind the two boys.

The episode was rated 7.26 from 34 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E13

#6 - Slippery Motives (Season 4 - Episode 13)

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Ed and Julie Thigpen Post were a happy, successful couple. But the morning of June 3, 1986 would change the lives of Ed and Julie forever. At 7 am, Ed went for a 40-minute jog. Before leaving he drew a bath for his wife. At 7:40 am, Ed returned to the Omni Hotel, and at 7:43, he called the front desk and said that his wife had fallen in the bathtub and was not breathing. George Hollacher conducted a full-scale investigation in the background of Ed Post. The first red flag went up when the investigators discovered that Ed had a $700,000 life insurance policy on Julie. A second autopsy was performed by Dr. Paul McGarry. He found 36 areas of bruising, not noted during the original autopsy. The death was ruled a homicide and Ed Post was charged with the first-degree murder of his wife. The trial ended in 1989, and Ed was found guilty of first-degree murder. After serving six and a half years, Ed admitted to the drowning of his wife.

The episode was rated 7.28 from 25 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E6

#5 - Til Death Do Us Part (Season 4 - Episode 6)

The doctors at the hospital couldn’t determine the cause of Bobby Curley’s hallucinations and intense pain. At first, they treated it as a neurological disorder, but Bobby’s condition deteriorated. Something he was being given in the hospital wasn’t curing him, it was killing him.

The episode was rated 7.32 from 31 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E4

#4 - Cement the Case (Season 4 - Episode 4)

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Shirley and Ed Andronowich were regulars at a neighborhood bar. One night, Ed decided to leave early and Shirley wanted to stay. There was a brief argument, and Ed went home alone. The next day, Shirley’s badly beaten and mutilated body was found outside of a nearby high school. The murder weapon was a 55-pound piece of concrete. It was up to investigators to determine what had happened to Shirley Andronowich and who was responsible.

The episode was rated 7.37 from 30 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E2

#3 - The Killing Room (Season 4 - Episode 2)

Scott Dunn was missing and when the police sprayed his bedroom with Luminol, a scene of horrific violence emerged. Now investigators faced a daunting task: to prove Scott Dunn had been murdered, even though they had no body, no weapon, and no witnesses

The episode was rated 7.38 from 45 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E3

#2 - Ultimate Betrayal (Season 4 - Episode 3)

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Debora Green lost two children in a fire that burnt down her mansion late one night. Routine procedures occurred and both Debora Green and her previous husband Mike Farrar were questioned. Suspicions arose when Debora refused to cooperate during questioning. Police then questioned Mike and uncovered disturbing stories proving Debora was dangerous. She had poisoned Mike during their separation and told him he would only get custody of the children over their dead bodies. Debora's singed hair and the initial location of the fire proved her involvement in the arson.

The episode was rated 7.53 from 45 votes.

Forensic Files - S4E11

#1 - Haunting Vision (Season 4 - Episode 11)

On the evening of January 9, 1967, Lori Keidel, her two sisters, and her brother were left home alone while their father went to a nearby laundromat. Suddenly, a large blaze engulfed their brick ranch home. Only a few months earlier, the children's mother disappeared, and had made no effort to contact them. Finally, on June 9, 1993, Lori found the courage to tell police the vision that had possessed her for 29 years. The most shocking revelation was that Lori had witnessed her mother's death. On September 14, 1994, an eight by nine foot square of concrete was removed from the side yard, and a skeleton was found in the exact spot her youngest daughter remembered as being her grave. Gene Keidel was arrested for his wife's murder nearly 30 years after her death. Gene was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The episode was rated 7.63 from 35 votes.

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