Trace of Evil

December 2000: 19-year-old Rachel Manning was murdered in Milton Keynes. Two men were wrongfully convicted, but new advances in forensics proved that evil always leaves a trace.

Attacking in broad daylight, the `M25 Rapist' became synonymous with fear and triggered one of the biggest manhunts in British history. All the police had to go on was a trace.

The Pittsburgh Police Force and the FBI raced against time to locate missing 13-year-old Alicia Kozakiewicz. The only trace that could be found to help with their investigation were cyber forensics which led them to locating her.

When the body of a child is found, Boston State Police have no leads, but with the help of the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, a trace is found.

Edinburgh, October 1977: Christine Eadie and Helen Scott vanish without a trace. The police never stopped hunting for justice, even changing the law to bring justice.

Digital forensics, traditional police work and a good old fashioned stake out stop a killer in his tracks, when all he's left is a digital trace.

When women start to go missing, the city of Baton Rouge goes into lock-down. Investigators and family members work together to find that illusive trace of evil.

Just as Baton Rouge starts to feel safe they discover a second serial killer is at work. However, when he leaves a trace at a scene, and the police find it, they get an unexpected breakthrough.

The body of actress Gemma McCluskie was discovered in the Regent's Canal, dogged detective work and detailed forensic examination lead police to her brother Tony.

Tracie Andrews purportedly witnessed the murder of her boyfriend, Lee Harvey, in a country lane on the night of 1st December 1996; but all was not what it seemed.

When a young couple were found executed in their home in October 2015, at first there were no apparent leads. The murderer, however, had left crucial evidence behind.

In late 1992, an attack led to an investigation which would last nearly a quarter of a century. Over time, DNA profiling helped to close a case which detectives feared would never be solved.

When a box containing human limbs was discovered in Florida, an investigation started that tested forensic capabilities, with detectives desperate to discover who the victim was.

When the body of a child is found, Boston State Police have no leads, but with the help of the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, a trace is found and the police continue with their investigation.

David Jackson left his home to buy beer and cigarettes. He was never seen again. For 15 years his disappearance remained unsolved, until one investigator broke the case wide open.

The murder of Lynette White led to the longest murder trial in British history at the time. Find out how police work and DNA eventually led police to her killer.

By September 1973, with three murders in just three months, South Wales Police realised they were looking for Wales' first documented serial killer.

Rachel O'Reilly was savagely murdered in her home, in what looked like a burglary gone wrong. A ground-breaking investigation finally put her killer behind bars.

15-year-old Janet Commins was savagely murdered, her body hidden in undergrowth. 40 years later, DNA profiling eventually helped to catch the killer.

After body parts were found in a Dublin city canal, a broad forensic investigation was needed to identify the victim, and lead police to those responsible.

The mutilated bodies of two women sparked a massive police manhunt. With advances in forensic science, investigators brought Ireland's only living serial killer to justice.

The murder investigation surrounding the death of a young, defenceless woman led police to another case, where the science of DNA profiling helped to unravel the truth.

A killer, who identified then murdered his victims, caused a manhunt which lasted nearly three decades. The science of DNA eventually led to his capture.

A popular, healthy, 60-year-old woman suffered a sudden, painful death. Detectives managed to trace the killer, despite their calculated and elaborate web of deceit.

A killer, who stalked and gained his victim's trust, enticed her to her death. Almost two decades later scientific advances brought the perpetrator to justice.

Beverly Therrien and her two lodgers were found beaten to death and despite the killer's careful planning, investigators identified and linked him to the crime.

In 2000, Rachel Manning was found murdered and the suspects were convicted, however the convictions were overturned 7 years later. With new advances in forensics, the true culprit is finally caught.

The attacks of the M25 rapist triggered one of the biggest man-hunts in British history. But, crime always leaves a trace, and forensic advances eventually led to his downfall.

The story of how the Pittsburgh Police and the FBI harnessed cyber forensics to locate missing 13-year-old Alicia Kozakiewicz who had been abducted by 38-year-old Scott Tyree.

The tragic story of a child, born into neglect, who was lost in the system, but found, thanks to the huge advancements made in forensic composites, reconstructing an identity through drawing.

This episode explores one of the longest running investigations in modern British history. It tracks the advances in forensic technology that eventually led to the murders being solved after 37 years.

The story of how police managed to stop a most unlikely killer, who appeared to be embarking on a bold crime spree, and how digital forensics, and good old fashioned police work led to arrest.

On May 31st 2002, Charlotte Murray Pace was found stabbed to death in her home in Sharlo, Baton Rouge. DNA evidence was so strong that the prosecutor decided to hang the whole case on it.

The story of how a deeply disturbed and twisted serial killer was stopped in his tracks by the tire mark he left at the scene of one of his crimes.

The body of Eastenders actress, Gemma McCluskie was discovered in the Regents canal in 2012. Dogged detective work and detailed forensic examination eventually led police to her killer.

Tracie Andrews witnessed the murder of her boyfriend, in a country lane in 1996, but all was not what it seemed. Within weeks the spotlight turned on Tracie herself.

A 1992 attack led to an investigation which would last nearly a quarter of a century. In time, the science of DNA profiling helped to close a case which detectives feared would never be solved.

When a box containing human limbs was discovered in Broward County, Florida, it kickstarted a multi-jurisdictional and multi-agency investigation that tested forensic capabilities.

When the bludgeoned body of Paul Gault was discovered lying in a pool of blood in an upstairs bedroom of his house, Northern Ireland police began to uncover the facts behind a brutal murder.

In 1988, 24-year-old David Jackson left his home in Pembroke Pines, Florida, to buy beer and cigarettes. He was never seen again. For 15 years his disappearance remained unsolved.

The case of the brutal murder of Lynette White which became the longest murder trial in British history and how familial DNA eventually led police to her killer.

September 1973, with three murders in just 3 months, South Wales Police realized they were looking for Wales’ first serial killer. A twenty-eight year investigation finally uncovered the perpetrator.

The case of an Irish woman, Rachel O’Reilly, her savage murder, and the groundbreaking investigation that put her remorseless killer behind bars.

The case of a brutal murder, a terrible injustice, and how a new, dedicated police team and DNA profiling eventually caught up with the killer, 40 years after the crime was committed.

The story of a barbaric murder and how smart police work and a broad forensic investigation not only identified the victim, but ultimately led to the people responsible.

This case, involving Ireland’s only living serial killer, was brought to a close after nearly two decades, with the help of advances in forensic science.

The story of the violent death of a young, woman, how her murder investigation led police to another case, and how the science of DNA profiling played a central role in unravelling the truth.

The story of a manhunt, which lasted nearly three decades. How the killer identified and then murdered his victims…. And how the revolutionary science of DNA eventually led to his capture.

The story of the excruciating and sudden death of a healthy 60-year-old woman and how detectives traced the killer, despite their calculated and elaborate web of deceit.

A killer stalks and gains his victim’s trust, and investigators keep the case open for almost two decades, until scientific advances allow them to bring the perpetrator to justice.

The story of the murder of three unsuspecting victims and how, despite the killer’s meticulous planning, investigators were able to identify and link him to the crime.