Best Episodes
The First 48 is a hit true crime docu-series that follows detectives during the hours immediately following a homicide. It is available to watch on A&E and first aired back in 2004. After 24 seasons, The First 48 has created some unforgettable episodes. Below, we’ll be ranking the best episodes of The First 48 and why they have earned their spots on the list.
From the shocking twists and turns of the case, to the heartbreaking stories of the victims and their families, the show has created some truly moving and captivating episodes. Each episode is filled with intense moments that keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
So, without further ado, let’s jump right into the ranking and see which episodes made the cut as the best of the best of The First 48.
Written by Sophie and last updated on feb 13, 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!
In Atlanta, a young man is killed in an apartment when a scheme to make easy money goes wrong; a beloved mother is murdered in a drive-by shooting leading St. Louis detectives to a neighborhood turf war.
The episode was rated 7.13 from 30 votes.
Five young lives are ruined when a plan to score some easy money goes horribly wrong.
The episode was rated 7.21 from 48 votes.
In Atlanta, a young man is missing and presumed dead after a mysterious turn of events; in Tulsa, a mother-to-be shields a potential killer.
The episode was rated 7.24 from 33 votes.
Desperate to stop the senseless shootings in her community, Detective "KeeKee" Taylor must find out why the latest teen victim was wearing a ski mask when he was killed.
The episode was rated 7.25 from 16 votes.
When a man is found shot to death in the back of his truck, detectives hope a dating app is the key to finding his killer.
The episode was rated 7.28 from 36 votes.
Tulsa detectives head to Texas to chase down two suspects after they kill a young father of two.
The episode was rated 7.29 from 31 votes.
In Gwinnett County, a young man is caught in the crossfire when his twenty-first birthday spins out of control.
The episode was rated 7.31 from 29 votes.
When a teenager is found shot and dumped in the street, detectives struggle to figure out who he is and where he was killed.
The episode was rated 7.33 from 33 votes.
In Gwinnett County, a beloved special education teacher is gunned down in broad daylight when the suspects' plan to score some easy money spins out of control.
The episode was rated 7.42 from 12 votes.
When a man is shot on the side of the road, clues lead Detective Jason White to an ongoing crime spree, in his 100th case for Tulsa Homicide.
The episode was rated 7.43 from 14 votes.
In Tulsa, one man is killed, and another is injured when a dispute over stolen marijuana plants turns deadly.
The episode was rated 7.45 from 38 votes.
Two murders within hours of each other at the same apartment complex leave Mobile Homicide scrambling to find the culprits.
The episode was rated 7.47 from 34 votes.
In Tulsa, Okla., Detective White needs a former student to tell the truth about a shooting at an apartment complex. In Gwinnett, Ga., a man is shot in front of his friend as a robbery takes a deadly turn.
The episode was rated 7.53 from 38 votes.
In Gwinnett County, a veteran and a rookie detective untangle a web of lies as they work to solve a young woman’s mysterious death. Can they untangle a web of lies in time to reveal the killer?
The episode was rated 7.70 from 23 votes.
A man living at an extended-stay hotel is shot dead in his room after a night of gambling with friends turns into more than anyone bargained for. In Mobile, a young woman helps a friend in need and pays the ultimate price. (The original broadcast listing used the title "Killer of a Kind Heart/Dead Man's Hand" but the title cards in the episode and the rebroadcast listings use "Killer of a Kind Heart/Friend in Need.")
The episode was rated 7.71 from 17 votes.
