Programs such as Law and Order and CSI have acquainted most people with modern techniques for solving crimes. But for most of our past, sleuths did as much as they could to investigate crimes, but they lacked the most basic tools. There wasn’t much the sheriff, part-time constable, justice of the peace, and coroner could do, except rely on obvious physical evidence and witnesses. However, as the scientific age arrived, great advances in police science allowed detectives to crack complex cases. This one-hour program draws on notorious crimes and real mysteries from yesteryear. It discusses how science, technology, and professional police practices helped detectives catch and convict criminals and close once unsolvable cases.
