The woman's story seemed farfetched: A man wearing only underwear and gloves broke into the house, stabbed her boyfriend to death, and raped and terrorised her for hours afterwards. But the evidence at the scene supported her story, and investigators turned for help to the FBI and their criminal profilers.

The episode was rated 6.89 from 28 votes.

When a woman is found dead of a gunshot wound, police conclude that she was murdered by her husband. Investigators theorized the couple had argued, and during the ensuing struggle, the husband shot his wife in the back and then staged the scene to make it look like a suicide. Forensic scientists were able to piece together the clues and determine what really happened. In doing so, they proved once again that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.

The episode was rated 6.87 from 31 votes.

Two women, both murdered in the same state park. Indiana police feared it was the work of a serial killer until the forensic evidence pointed them in two different directions. Originally aired as Season 11, Episode 38.

The episode was rated 6.85 from 13 votes.

A woman vanished from her home on Prince Edward Island. Her abandoned car was found in a field; inside, the windows were spattered with blood. During the search for her body, police found a plastic bag containing a pair of sneakers and a bloody leather jacket. On the jacket were white hairs that investigators discovered had come from a cat. Forensic testing on a cat had never been done before anywhere in the world. This case made history: It was the first time that animal DNA was used to solve a crime.

The episode was rated 6.84 from 32 votes.

An employee of a dry-cleaner was raped and murdered in the store, and investigators thought themselves fortunate to have two eyewitnesses.

The episode was rated 6.84 from 19 votes.

When a teenaged girl goes missing, no one knows if she ran away or if she was the victim of foul play. Everyone’s worst fears are confirmed when a body is found at the bottom of an isolated ravine. Police scour the crime scene, hoping to find enough evidence to identify the killer. Originally aired as Season 14, Episode 10.

The episode was rated 6.84 from 43 votes.

A pharmaceutical tycoon's mail-order bride is found in her SUV in a half-frozen creek. Could a few flecks of sawdust and a shoe print determine whether a death is an accident or a homicide?

The episode was rated 6.84 from 43 votes.

When a successful real estate agent is brutally murdered, panicked townspeople begin looking over their shoulders and locking their doors. Weeks later, a witness comes forward who may have seen the killer, and police use forensic hypnosis to help him recall every detail of the man's appearance. His description is used to create a composite sketch, which police hope will draw the killer out of hiding.

The episode was rated 6.81 from 26 votes.

When a mother and her child are abducted during a carjacking, the crime is reported within minutes. Police know they have a small window of opportunity to find them and the clock is ticking.

The episode was rated 6.77 from 13 votes.

Three seemingly unrelated deaths proved to be serial murders. The killer had been careful - he used poison which had no taste or odour. Fortunately for investigators, it also had a unique chemical signature.

The episode was rated 6.56 from 16 votes.