
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.

Pieces of plastic the size of sand hold clues to a bombing.

A speck of bicycle paint and a speck of nickel left over from a collision with a twice-convicted child molester's car provide critical clues in the murder of a 9-year-old.

At first glance it appears a young woman suffocated, but further investigation shows the scene was staged.

In Lorton, Va., police attempt to determine who abducted 5-year-old Melissa Brannen after she disappeared from a Christmas party, but cannot be certain until they match hair from a rabbit-fur jacket Brannen wore that day.