Plot Synopsis

FORENSIC FILES, which has been a mainstay on HLN in re-airs for years, is now being produced in-house by HLN under the guidance of executive producer Nancy Duffy. The series, now titled FORENSIC FILES II, debuted on Sunday, February 23, 2020 from 10-11pm ET/PT on HLN, with the first two of 16 new episodes. In the series opener (10pm), "Buried Secrets," a fire leads investigators to reexamine an unusual death. Then, in the night's second new episode (10:30pm), "On the Rocks," a young woman's naked body is discovered in a remote area leading forensic investigators on a search for clues to her identity and the identity of her killer.


Season 2 of FORENSIC FILES II premiered on Sunday, July 11, 2021 from 10-11pm ET/PT on HLN. Episodes include:

"The Obsession" (Lisa Ziegert): The mysterious murder of young teacher's aide leaves a hole in the heart of her small community in Agawam, Massachusetts. As the rumor-mill about suspects churned, the actual perp slipped further away. But generations of investigators and a scientific breakthrough leads to a shocking end to a tragic case.

"The Ink Beads" (William Sparkman): 51-year-old father, and teacher, Bill Sparkman is found hanging naked from a tree with the letters "FED" scrawled on his chest. With barely any evidence to work with, investigators turn to these letters for answers... which leads to a surprising conclusion that no one saw coming.

"The Rise" (Lori Leonard): A single mom looking for love vanishes without a trace. Foul play is tragically confirmed when a large pickup truck toolbox opens to her body stuffed inside. Homicide detectives investigate men she matched on dating sites, another man she met at work, and finally, a lover with a secret and violent past. Can forensic evidence connect the dots and lead to justice under the law?

"Ten of Hearts" (Jody Loomis): A 20-year-old woman sets out on her bike and never returns. Her body found just a few miles from her house in Snohomish County, Washington, with a gunshot wound to the head. Who would do such a thing? Years go by without any hard evidence or leads, until a new generation of investigators and modern technology breaks the case and finally puts a face to the killer.

"Heavy Metal" (Lee Hartley): In 1982, 37-year-old, Navy lieutenant Lee Hartley is murdered while deployed out to sea. Cause of death? Arsenic poisoning. Investigators discover lee had more than his fair share of enemies aboard the ship. But it takes years before investigators discover what really happened to Lee and who, ultimately, was behind this brutal murder.

"Knots" (Lecia Schollmeyer): A building manager finds the violated and lifeless body of a young woman in the bathtub of her first apartment. When questioned, an ex-con living downstairs lies to police. But the lies alone do not prove murder and the case goes cold. Then a new forensic tool examines the old evidence. Will science point to a hidden suspect and crack the case?

"Family Ties" (Traci Hammerberg): On a brutally cold winter night in 1984, a young woman is found viciously murdered on the side of a rural Wisconsin driveway. The victim, Traci Hammerberg, had been out with friends for a night of drinking and partying. What happened? Detectives initially have plenty of suspects, but the investigation would remain unsolved. Until nearly three decades later, when forensics from an unrelated crime helps breaks the case.

"The Reunion" (Landy Martinez): A murder victim's final moments are caught on tape. The crime scene looks like a clear robbery-murder. Text evidence at first points to a jilted lover, but will his alibi check out? Now police identify a second suspect with a possible motive of deadly revenge. Forensic technology and DNA evidence combine in an attempt to make the case.

"The Orange Shorts" (Monica Schmeyer): A mortally wounded woman crawls to call 911. Her husband who wants a divorce she will not give him, gets a hard look from police. But he says he has an airtight alibi for the exact time of the murder. The intricate forensic science of ballistics is brought to bear to and draws s a direct connection to an unexpected conclusion.

"Personal Penmanship" (Gail Fulton): A deeply religious librarian, wife and mother named Gail Fulton is shot execution style in the quiet suburbs of Michigan. Surveillance video reveals it was trio of killers that took her down. Is there more to Fulton's background? Eventually, detectives get a break: a handwritten note. But will it provide enough clues to catch the mastermind behind this horrific killing?

"Full Circle" (Yolanda Sapp, Nickie Lowe, Kathy Brisbois): In 1990, three sex workers are brutally murdered and left along the banks of the Spokane river. A serial killer was on the loose - and detectives had few clues. Animal hairs, fibers and a fingerprint were found, but for years the perp was never identified. More than 20 years later there's a break in the case- and an arrest is finally made, but no one could have ever imagined who was behind this sinister crime.

"Incendiary" (Ebb "Doc" Whitley): An early morning house fire kills the only doctor in the small town of Iaeger, West Virginia. Who -or what - could have led to this? An arson investigation quickly leads to the arrest of Jason lively, the son of the doctor's long-time nurse. But when Jason's alleged accomplice walks free, the prosecutor is worried this might have been a miscarriage of justice.

(Susan Woods): He is a criminally charged sex offender and a murderer who attacks in a terrifying rage. This predator manages to evade capture for years, but he leaves a critical piece of evidence behind - his palm print. Detectives are determined to do whatever it takes to put a name and a face to the print.

(Charles Nieman): A hearing impaired 77-year-old on a road trip is attacked by a thief and shot to death Why? Because the man cannot hear his assailant's demands. Random murders are Among the hardest crimes to solve, but investigators are determined to bring this killer or killers to justice. Can advances in ballistics testing crack the case?


FORENSIC FILES II returned for its third season with back-to-back new episodes on Sunday, February 27, 2022 from 10-11pm ET/PT on HLN. Episodes for Season 3 include:

"Pulp Friction" (Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 10pm): A massive explosion claims the life of a California farmhand. Authorities think it's an accidental death, but analysis of debris shows it's a bomb. Investigators have few suspects until they hear ominous rumors about a jealous rage.

"Sole Mate" (Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 10:30pm): When a beautiful college student is stabbed to death in her Knoxville apartment, suspicion immediately falls on her roommate. A bloody shoeprint left by the killer exposes a murderer with no history of violence and no reason to kill.

"Marked for Murder" (Sunday, March 6, 2022 at 10pm): Someone targets members of law enforcement in a peaceful Texas county. Numerous suspects emerge and murders continue as detectives race against time. Finally, a single bullet casing uncovers the bizarre reason the killer wanted revenge.

"Words Matter" (Sunday, March 6, 2022 at 10:30pm): An Illinois mother and her two young children are brutally murdered in their beds. Lurid threats are spray painted all over the walls of the crime scene. Detectives discover death threats sent to the family, exposing an unlikely killer.

"Last Dance" (Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 10pm): A young Texas teenager and her boyfriend are brutally attacked on Valentine's Day. She is found dead while her boyfriend escapes. The case goes cold for nearly 50 years before a new forensic test exposes a family man with a dark secret.

"Dog Proof" (Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 10:30pm): Three Indiana construction workers are found shot dead at a work site. Detectives find few suspects, but have one key clue: one of the killers stepped in dog feces during the murders. If detectives can find his shoes, they've got their man.

"Mix Matched" (Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 10pm): A Texas ex-con resolves to live a clean life after his release from prison. When he's later arrested and convicted for a bloody murder, he insists he's innocent. From behind bars, he's determined to use forensic science to prove his case.

"Matter of Time" (Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 10:30pm): An extremely successful California career woman keeps falling ill and doctors can't determine why. When she dies, they still have no explanation, until they find a key figure in her life who has been lying about his past.



FORENSIC FILES II returned for the second half of its third season with back-to-back episodes on Sunday, July 31, 2022 from 10-11pm ET/PT on HLN:

"Blanket Denial" (Sunday, July 31, 2022 at 10pm): A 24-year-old old criminology student who left a SoHo bar intoxicated is found raped, murdered handcuffed, gagged, and wrapped in a blanket alongside a desolate road in East New York, Brooklyn. Police investigate everyone at the bar to find the killer.

"Unraveled" (Sunday, July 31, 2022 at 10:30pm): When a 79-year-old woman is found shot to death in her own home, investigators initially suspect her long-time husband and a violent neighbor with a penchant for threats. But shell casings recovered at the scene and a high-tech database reveal the killer to be the last person anyone suspected.

"First Impressions" (Sunday, August 7, 2022 at 10pm): A young single mother is abducted from a gas station and later found stabbed to death near an oil field. Detectives use shoe and tire impressions to weed out numerous suspects to find their killer.

"Toxic Environment" (Sunday, August 7, 2022 at 10:30pm): When a 23-year-old Marine collapses and dies, doctors initially believe a heart attack is to blame. But when arsenic is found in some of his organs, prosecutors charge his wife with murder. A quick-thinking attorney and toxicology testing uncover the truth and ensure that justice prevails.

"Lost Connection" (Sunday, August 14, 2022 at 10pm): When an 18-year-old girl is abducted while talking on a pay phone, forensic evidence found on her clothing points police in the direction of a suspect who confesses that he didn't act alone.

"In Deep" (Sunday, August 14, 2022 at 10:30pm): A Los Angeles based kidnapping, ransom, and murder ring run by Russian immigrants is exposed when a pair of retired scientists use sonar equipment to locate its victims at the bottom of a reservoir.

"A Shot in the Dark" (Sunday, August 21, 2022 at 10pm): Patients at the VA Hospital in Clarksburg, WV, keep dying after experiencing shockingly low blood sugar levels. An investigation into their deaths reveals that an overnight nurse is injecting patients with lethal doses of insulin.

"Tell No Tales" (Sunday, August 21, 2022 at 10:30pm): A 70-year-old, retired veteran is found dead on his boat after a bad sea storm. Investigators later discover he was killed during an attempted robbery after winning $400 in Keno.
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Season 4 of FORENSIC FILES II debuted with two new episodes on Sunday, July 9, 2023 from 8-9pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. Experts piece together strange clues and microscopic evidence to solve the most puzzling criminal cases, proving there is no such thing as a perfect crime. Episodes include:

"The Maidenwater Murder" (Sunday, July 9, 2023 at 8pm): When a true crime hobbyist connects a Utah Jane Doe to an Ohio missing persons case, detectives are hard-pressed to solve the decades-old murder.

"Men in Black" (Sunday, July 9, 2023 at 8:30pm): An upscale apparel store in Bethesda, Md., is the site of a gruesome scene when an employee is killed and her co-worker is battered and tied up, but surveillance video and blood evidence shed further light on the crime.

"Lil Miss Murder" (Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 8pm): Eight days after she disappeared on her way to a family ski trip, an 18-year-old woman's partially nude body is found floating in a river in Wyoming; years later, DNA technology uncovers dark secrets that led to her demise.

"Killer Alibi" (Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 8:30pm): California police are baffled when an innocent man's DNA is found at the scene of a deadly home invasion, and authorities team with the man's defense attorney.

"The Scent of Death" (Sunday, July 23, 2023 at 8pm): A young Colorado mother suddenly vanishes on Thanksgiving Day. When police trace her cell phone, it leads them to a surprising character with an even more surprising story.

"Murder Mark" (Sunday, July 23, 2023 at 8:30pm): A young mother is found murdered in her home. From the onset, there are two suspects with ample motive, but an unusual interview and security camera footage has investigators pivot in a horrifying new direction.

"The Murder Irons" (Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 8pm): When the 18-year-old desk clerk of a beachfront condo is found brutally murdered analysts use brand-new mitochondrial DNA technology to prove the killer's identity.

"True Bugs" (Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 8:30pm): uly 4th weekend leads to tragedy for a California family. To catch a killer, detectives use an unorthodox technique -- analyzing bug fragments -- to help put a murderer behind bars.