
Eagle-eyed technical experts prove there is no such thing as a perfect crime as they assemble the pieces every criminal leaves behind. Dramatic crime re-creations and, sometimes, part of the investigations are a staple of the series. Some of the re-creations include alternate versions of the crimes, which are disproved by science. The show's episodes follow each case from the initial investigation until it reaches its legal resolution.

In a small South Carolina town in 1991, 17-year-old Crystal Faye Todd, a popular high school student, is raped, murdered and dumped in a deserted field; with few leads, authorities test the DNA of several friends, and one match shocks everyone.

A quiet waitress who hasn't been to work in two days vanishes without a trace; police suspect a date gone wrong.

When young prostitute's body turns up in an Ohio waterway, authorities have one tiny clue which could point to her killer, but face huge challenges due to her policemen clients and DNA evidence being washed away.

The search for a missing exotic dancer led police to an isolated 75-acre site where someone had been shot and cremated, thus destroying all evidence... almost; piece of a foot provided enough DNA for a genetic profile and positive ID.