This episode takes us to Bristol, where police launch a major missing persons enquiry following the disappearance of 25-year-old Jo Yeates. Days later, the body of the young woman is discovered by dog walkers on Christmas Day, and immediately the case becomes a murder enquiry. As investigators find no sign of forced entry into Jo’s flat, they conclude the killer must be someone known to her. \n\nDetectives initially hope DNA samples would lead them to her killer, but when the evidence doesn’t reveal any further leads, they turn to Dr Kelly Sheridan, an expert in fibre analysis. By inspecting Jo’s clothes and fibres found in her flat, Kelly’s evidence is crucial in identifying and convicting the killer. With interviews from Dr Sheridan and news reporter Ronke Phillips. \n\nIn Wolverhampton, teenage sex worker Marcella Davies is reported missing after failing to collect her baby from her childminder. Tireless police work eventually uncovers a suspect, but without finding Marcella’s remains, the likelihood of conviction is low. Police turn to forensic archaeologist Professor John Hunter to search and excavate potential deposition sites, including a wood yard the suspect had access to. Alongside colleague and archaeozoologist Umberto Albarella, John and the team make discoveries, including bone fragments and teeth, that can be linked back to Marcella. Their work not only returns Marcella to loved ones but convicts a dangerous killer.
Source: BBC 1
Series 1: 15. 60s Dna And Fibres Around The World
A 50-year-old cold case murder is solved by DNA and the tenacity of an expert witness, and a murder investigation is solved by tracking unusual blue fibres around the world.
13-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 12. Pollen, Chalk And Dna
How expert analysis of nettles and soil helped catch the killer of the Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, and how advances in DNA techniques finally solved the m ...
12-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 11. Text Messages And Dna
Analysis of text messages reveal a husband’s plot to cover up his wife’s murder, and traces of DNA on decades-old evidence help bring justice to the family of a murd ...
11-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 9. Cerium And Cctv
We reveal how the power of forensic science not only found a killer, but also freed an innocent man. Forensic evidence is a powerful tool. So powerful, that if it’s misint ...
10-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 5. Pollen In A Field And Fibres In A Car Crash
When smouldering human remains are found in a field in Hertfordshire, a policeman’s hunch and a diligent expert witness help catch the killers. \n\nNot every expert witne ...
09-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 6. Dna, Fibres And Bones
In this episode, we reveal how the tenacity of a team of forensic scientists helped finally catch the killer of two children in Brighton. Also, when bones were discovered on moo ...
06-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 8. Soil On A Spade And Stones In A Shoe
Soil on a spade helps catch the killer of a young woman from Swindon, who for years evaded justice and a stone stuck in the sole of a shoe helps solve a murder in Manchester.
05-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 3. Forensic Imaging And Msn Chat
This episode uncovers the forensic imaging expertise behind the eventual capture of Michael Hardacre, the 'Rochdale ripper'.\n\nIn the summer of 2000, a series of attacks in Roc ...
04-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 2. Blood Under Paint And Gait
A skilled expert witness does more than just analyse existing evidence. They guide detectives towards new clues that can turn a case. That is what happened in the case of Lynett ...
03-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 1. Soil And Insects
This episode travels to Edinburgh to look at the fascinating story behind one of Scotland’s longest-running investigations, the World’s End murders, a double murder ...
02-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 14. Paint Materials And Blood Patterns
Forensics analysis by an art expert proves paintings by a well-known Cornish artist are fake, and spattered blood in a hotel bedroom helps catch the killer of a father of three.
11-11-2021
BBC 1
Series 1: 3. Forensic Imaging And Msn Chat
This episode uncovers the forensic imaging expertise behind the eventual capture of Michael Hardacre, the 'Rochdale ripper'.\n\nIn the summer of 2000, a series of attacks in Roc ...
04-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 2: 3. The Curry Killer And The Body On The Beach
Following the unexplained death of a man in Yorkshire, found alone in his home with no signs of forced entry or a struggle, police were at a loss to explain his death. They turn ...
13-09-2023
BBC 1
Series 4: 6. Murderers, Messages And The Breakfast Killer
In this episode, we take a look at how phone data can unlock a case and provide a solid link between the suspects and a horrific murder. \n\nIn early 2023, emergency call handle ...
30-04-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 15. 60s Dna And Fibres Around The World
A 50-year-old cold case murder is solved by DNA and the tenacity of an expert witness, and a murder investigation is solved by tracking unusual blue fibres around the world.
13-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 2 (reversions): Episode 2
We travel to Manchester to investigate the unexplained death of a single mother, Karen Doubleday, found dead in the woods. Investigations reveal she has been strangled and stamp ...
26-11-2024
BBC 1
Series 1: 12. Pollen, Chalk And Dna
How expert analysis of nettles and soil helped catch the killer of the Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, and how advances in DNA techniques finally solved the m ...
12-06-2025
BBC 1
Series 1: 4. Fibre Trails And Diamonds
With so many forensic techniques available, detectives and expert witnesses can sometimes disagree on how best to search for evidence. In 2006, a team investigating three notori ...
26-07-2022
BBC 1
Series 4: 15. Buried Secrets
A woman’s body is found in a remote location in South Lanarkshire in 2005 by a dog walker. She is identified as Emma Caldwell, a 27-year-old sex worker, who has been missi ...
16-05-2025
BBC 1
Series 3: 2. A Watery Grave And The Dangerous Date
When the body of a farmer is found in a lake, a bioarchaeologist helps police reveal how he got there. Meanwhile, when a man is accused of intentionally spreading the HIV virus, ...
27-05-2025
BBC 1