48 Hours
Season 14
TV-14
This newsmagazine series investigates intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all aspects of the human experience. Over its long run, the show has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, driven the reopening — and resolution — of cold cases, and changed numerous lives. CBS News correspondents offer an in-depth look into each story, with the emphasis on solving the mystery at its heart.
Where to Watch Season 14
42 Episodes
- Service Please!E1
Service Please!America may be moving toward becoming a service economy. But just how good is the service customers get these days? As part of an investigation of growing consumer dissatisfaction in America, 48 Hours goes behind the scenes of some old-fashioned service providers, such as moving, restaurant and telephone companies, and investigates some new, high tech operations. The Price May Be Right: Priceline has become one of the most recognized names on the Internet, thanks largely to an ad campaign featuring the rather unique singing style of William Shatner. 48 Hours Correspondent Erin Moriarty reports on whether this Web discounter is living up to customer expectations. Best Buy? Read Fine Print: When you shop at some Best Buy stores, you may hear an aggressive sales pitch for something you may not even want - not a toy or an appliance or a computer, but a Best Buy performance service plan, a kind of an extended warranty. Sorry Wrong Number: Correspondent Steve Hartman reports on just what type of assistance is served up these days by directory assistance. - Gold RushE2
Gold RushThey are drawn to California's Silicon Valley, New York's Silicon Alley, and places all over the country where Internet and high-tech work abounds. These Internet entrepreneurs and employees work long hours for hefty pay. But how long will their good fortune last? In fact, some indications show the market has already slowed some. 48 Hours reports from the frontlines of the Internet frontier. Avici's Coming Out Party: What's it like to be a hotshot Web entrepreneur? Who are these people striking it rich on the Internet? 48 Hours decided to find out. Last summer, Correspondent Erin Moriarty tracked the co-founder of a Massachusetts company taking the very risky gamble of going public. See how Larry Dennison's Avici Systems fared. Are the glory days of the Internet over? For one company, they came to an abrupt halt. In Learning From Boo's Scare, Correspondent Anthony Mason reports on one Internet worker's experience at a glitzy high-spending fashion Web site called Boo.com. Space In The Valley Is Dear: With so many striking it rich, a housing crunch has cropped up in Silicon Valley, where a cool million doesn't buy you much. Harold Dow reports on how high the real estate market has climbed. - The Enemy WithinE3
The Enemy WithinWhy did Vicki Robinson, a single mother and real estate agent with no enemies, disappear? That's the question police initially asked in July 1998. When her daughter vanished, too, and two of her friends were tracked using her mother's credit card, police suspected foul play. As this mystery unfolded, 48 Hours' Peter Van Sant tracked not only what happened in a cold-blooded crime but why. He explored the volatile dynamics of family relationships after a divorce: How could two people so close, grow so far apart - to the point of no return? The elusive truth may lie somewhere between a mother's struggle to raise a daughter alone, and a daughter's need to be loved. Missing: Vicki Robinson was gone. So were her van and her daughter Valessa. Follow the clues analyzed by police. The Confessions: After Valessa Robinson and her two friends were captured, they all confessed - but they didn't tell the same story. Who was telling the truth? Trial and Verdict: In 1999, Valessa's murder trial began. Was she an innocent bystander or a cold-hearted participant? It was up to the jury. What did it decide? The Road Not Taken: Valessa hadn't known her mother had planned for her to attend a school for troubled youth. See what one girl says about the difference the school can make. - A Grandmother's Mission aka Deadly Truth
E5A Grandmother's Mission aka Deadly TruthDr. Mary Howell is probably the last person you'd expect to be unraveling a 17-year-old murder case, but it's one that still haunts the 87-year-old still-practicing chiropractor. On the night of June 4, 1983, her daughter Peggy and husband Doug Ryen, both 41, were savagely hacked to death in the affluent California community of Chino Hills, along with their 10-year-old daughter Jessica and a friend who happened to be spending the night, Christopher Hughes. Floyd Tidwell, then the sheriff of San Bernadino County, described it as one of the most brutal, senseless crimes. Howell's grandson, 8 and 1/2-year-old Josh, was also found in the carnage, his throat cut, but somehow he survived. He was rushed to Loma Linda Hospital. While Howell and a frightened community mourned, the search for the killers was on. Initially the sheriff was looking for several people because of the number of victims and the injuries, he said. The killer or killers left no fingerprints; nothing was taken from the Ryen house, except for the family's station wagon. Then they got a break. While searching what they thought was a vacant house next door to the Ryen house, the sheriff's deputies found evidence that someone had been hiding out there. When they checked phone records, they discovered that two phone calls had been made by a Kevin Cooper, a convicted burglar who had escaped from a minimum-security prison nearby two days earlier. - Heroes Under FireE6
Heroes Under FireOn December 2, 1999, a vacant warehouse caught fire in Worcester, Mass. As many as 40 firefighters tried to put out the blaze. Some entered the building, trying to rescue a homeless couple believed to be inside. But firefighters searched for them in vain. First two firemen, then two more became lost in the smoky haze. Heavy black smoke, fueled by the petroleum lining of the cold storage lockers, poured from the lockers and into the stairway; it was impossible to see. District Chief Mike McNamee made a tough call: He ordered everyone out. But when it was all over, the fire had claimed six of Worcester's bravest. More than 12 hours passed before the conflageration was finally controlled. Then the nation mourned the fallen heroes at a ceremony attended by firefighters from across the country. In the weeks following the blaze, the building that had taken such a terrible toll on the city finally surrendered to a demolition crew, and the remnants of the old Cold Storage Warehouse were torn down and cleared away. Now, almost a year and a half later, the lot is vacant, with just a thin layer of gravel to mark the outline of where the six-story warehouse once stood. A fence now surrounds the site, and there's a kind of make-shift memorial: tributes, reminders, personal expressions of people touched by this tragedy. Worcester will never forget. - The Fight to ForgiveE10
The Fight to ForgiveForgiveness doesn't always come easily, even during a season of good will. In some cases, however, it can provide a chance to shed the burden of anger and move on with life. 48 Hours presents three stories of individuals who have overcome considerable obstacles to make peace with their past. The Prodigal Father: When Jon Dupre was 14, his father, a prominent attorney, walked out on the family. Correspondent Bill Lagattuta reports on how Dupre, who now has a family of his own, decided to look for his father after having not seen him for 20 years. A Soldier's Story: Correspondent Peter Van Sant reports that 30 years after the Vietnam War, Paul Reed was still tormented by the experience of having served. Then Reed found in his wartime knapsack something that was to have a dramatic impact on his life. My Dad's Killer: At age 15, Tim Streett of Indianapolis witnessed a murder in his family's driveway. Years later, Streett was still grieving and desperately unhappy. Then, one evening while driving, he had an epiphany. - Great DamesE11
Great DamesThey are women of distinction, from all walks of life, making a difference, doing so on their own terms, each with her own unique perspective. 48 Hours has chosen some "great dames," if you'll pardon the expression (no disrespect intended.) They're not just talented and accomplished; their achievements are marked by sheer will and resiliency. These women have staying power. They demonstrate dignity and grace, style but also substance. They live life with a sense of fun as well as purpose. Dynasty's Queen: Joan Collins is the most popular difficult lady in television history. She knows that fame for her only comes with playing these types of characters. Her latest project: a television movie These Old Broads. Madame Secretary: Think you know Madeleine Albright? Think again. While in the world of diplomacy she's a nonstop, tough-talking, globe trotting diplomat.She's also appearing in a televison commercial dancing! We get to know the woman who deals with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and then goes home puts on her flannel nightgown, grabs some cottage cheese and watches TV. The Unsinkable Debbie Reynolds: She's made famous movies and lost fortunes famously. Find out why she still takes to the stage. Heloise Hears A Hint: Long before there was Martha Stewart, there was Heloise, with her hints for homemakers. When she died, her daughter Ponce took over. Does the royal highness of household hints have a dirty little secret of her own? We'll tell you. Urban Legend: She's one of the most important women in Washington, D.C. But she's never held a press conference, never been to a state diner and never asked for a campaign contribution. So why is Gloria Wilderbraithwaite so important? The Silver Belles: At 80 to 95 these great dames are not only still kicking they're still dancing. They began dancing in the '30s as part of the famous Apollo Theatre and Te Cotton Club, and they're still at it. We get to know these high steppers in their old sto - David's JourneyE12
David's JourneyImagine you're living inside a bathroom for more than two years. And that the confinement is self-imposed. Sound implausible? That's the reality of a 27-year-old man who shared his experiences with 48 Hours. 48 Hours provides a rare view into obsessive-compulsive disorder with a profile of David. Once he studied philosophy in college; he dropped out two years ago when his fears overtook him. A Cell of His Own Choosing: David confines himself to one room, his parents' bathroom. Why? He fears he'll contaminate others. His parents feed him flattened food that can slide under the door. His parents wrestle with how to best help him. Eleventh Hour Chat Dr. Michael Jenike answered questions about treatment options on a 48 Hours chat after the show at 11 p.m. ET. Read the transcript here. A Giant Step Forward: Sometimes progress is measured in small increments. In David's case, it's a question of whether he'll open the bathroom door. A Doctor Makes A House Call: Miles away in the Boston area, Dr. Michael Jenike runs the country's first in-house treatment facility for obsessive-compulsive disorders. If David can't go outside to come to him, Dr. Jenike opts to visit. Not Clean Enough: Helena is obsessed with her own fear: that others are dirty. That is why she shuns her elderly mother. Can Dr. Jenike's clinic help her? Trapped In A Basement: Another one of Dr. Jenike's patients struggled with a need to confine himself - until he had a breakthrough. Find out how Ed Zine wrestled with his obsession to stay in the cellar. - CybercrimeE14
CybercrimeThe Internet has become a haven for some of the oldest scams in the book. Among the criminal offenses in cyberspace, 48 Hours reports, are adoption fraud, pyramid schemes and Internet pen pals. Preying on Hope:The Mostroms thought the Internet was the answer to their frustrating search to adopt another child. But they found themselves caught in a web of deception and fraud that shattered their dreams. Prosperity at a Price: It was a deal that sounds too good to be true. An e-mail solicitation for easy money leads to a labyrinth of big promises and pyramid schemes. Forbidden Love: The Collins' were happy when their 14-year-old son found a friend online he could confide in. Tara Hulin was a 30-year-old mother of two who suffered from the same mental condition as Chad. But when the relationship became more than friendly, authorities stepped in. Was it love or sexual assault? - Slim ChanceE21
Slim ChanceDespite leading the industrialized world in obesity, America is obsessed with being thin. Fashion magazines are filled with unrealistic - and for many, unattainable - images of the perfect body, fueling a billion-dollar industry of exercise fads, diet books and nutritional supplements. The Kindest Cut:Debbie Mackenzie was desperate to lose weight. So she decided to take a radical step: she got gastric bypass surgery. Did it work? Find out. Beauties' Ugly Secret: Famous for their pinup calendars, the Barbi Twins made a handsome living displaying their bodies. But they were hiding a dangerous diet secret. Now they reveal it. Weight Of The World: Owen McKibbin, one of the top male models in the country, has been featured on countless covers of men's magazines. To maintain his physique, he follows a grueling regimen of diet and exercise. But increasingly large numbers of men are taking dangerous shortcuts, and are suffering from severe eating disorders. At Your Own Risk: Margo Ellis lost 107 pounds; she says she owes it all to an herbal diet supplement. But Doug Hanson believes that same supplement is partly responsible for his wife's death. Is ephedra safe? - Dead Certain aka Save Our Father
E23Dead Certain aka Save Our FatherJerry Jones spent a decade behind bars proclaiming his innocence after being convicted of killing his wife. And with the help of his devoted daughters he got a second chance to clear his name. But as 48 Hours reports, Jones' freedom was short-lived. Two years after his release, he was again facing murder charges. In 1988, the Jones family seemed to be living the American Dream. Jerry, a successful pharmaceutical salesman, and his wife Lee were raising two teen-age daughters and a young son. But on the night of Dec. 3, Lee Jones met a gruesome fate when she was stabbed to death as she prepared to take a bath in their suburban Seattle home. Shortly after Lee's death, the stunned and grief-stricken children were hit with another tragedy: their father was being charged with murder. - Campus InsecurityE24
Campus InsecurityIn April, hundreds of thousands of high school seniors will have to decide which college and university to attend. One of the things they probably won't consider is safety on campus. 48 Hours looks at the hidden dangers of university life. A Deadly Haze: Last winter, Steven Petz, a freshman at Ferris State University in Michigan, was pressured into drinking 27 shots of liquor as part of his initiation into an unauthorized fraternity. He later died from alcohol poisoning. Six of his fraternity brothers were charged with crimes, including manslaughter. Will they be convicted? Sound The Alarm: It may be one of the best-kept secrets on college campuses. Almost 2,000 campus fires, like the one that claimed lives at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, occur each year. Seton Hall survivor Ken Simmons, who thought his only college worries would be over grades, describes his experience. 48 Hours reports that there are no national regulations requiring sprinklers on campus. Missng Bryan: Do universities do enough to watch students? Some parents say no. Find out about the case of one student who disappeared and was later found dead. His parents say the school delayed informing them that he was missing, and are suing the school. - Sleep TightE25
Sleep Tight48 Hours reports on the strange world of sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 7 of 10 adults say they have frequent sleep problems, while half have symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights a week. Researchers say that sleep is being directly linked to quality of life. 48 Hours looks at drowsy drivers - is it crime to drive tired? After her daughter was killed by a sleepy driver, Carole McDonnell is on a crusade to make it a crime to fall asleep while driving. Not sure why you're gaining weight? You may be "sleep eating," raiding the refrigerator while you are asleep. One man let 48 Hours put cameras in his house. The cameras caught him eating a variety of foods, including brownies and soda. Later, he has no memory of his munching. Does snoring contribute to ADD? New research suggests that it could. Snoring is also linked to sleep apnea - a disorder that prevents the flow of oxygen from reaching the lungs. Sleep apnea causes sufferers to wake up repeatedly, destroying restful sleep. New research suggests that there may be a link between this problem and attention deficit disorder. For some people, sleep can be too much of a good thing. Those who suffer from Kleine-Levin Syndrome sometimes sleep for days or weeks at a time. No one knows the cause of this strange disease. Spencer Searin, a 15-year-old from Florida, talks about trying to overcome the problem. Patti Teel claims she has created a new way to get any child to sleep. She combines lullabies with relaxation techniques, and says her method is almost foolproof. 48 Hours puts the game to the test. - The Road BackE26
The Road BackBeing a celebrity isn't always easy. For some, the stress can be overwhelming. 48 Hours reports on five famous people who have faced crisis and persevered. A duchess, a race-car driver, a comedian, a boxer and a model reveal that their success did not grant them immunity from adversity. But all are making their way back from misfortune and mistakes. After being imprisoned for rape and banned for biting Evander Holyfield's ear, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson says he is turning over a new leaf. He wants his children to look up to him. "I want them to be people of dignity. I want them to have respect. I always show them the right thing to do. I tell them daddy is a monster on television but that is not who he is at home." Tyson, who dropped out of school in the 9th grade, has become an enthusiastic reader. Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, earned contempt from the royal family and was humiliated by the press for her troubled marriage, financial problems and weight gain. "They wanted me to be a certain way and I wouldn't fit into that," she says now. Exiled from the palace, Ferguson pulled herself up by her bootstraps, fought back and launched a lucrative career in America, as a spokesperson for Weight Watchers and other companies. Kyle Petty is a key member of a famous auto-racing family. Last May, Petty lost his 19-year-old son, Adam, in a race-car crash. Adam, who was just hitting his stride as a driver, died just a month after Kyle lost his grandfather, Lee, the family patriarch who helped build auto racing into the biggest spectator sport in the world today. Kyle and his family were devastated by the loss of Adam but were able to work through their grief. "I hope I never get over it," Kyle says. "I pray every night that it hurts as bad tomorrow as it hurts today because that way, then I know that I'm as close to him as I always have been." Taunted as "overweight Kate" when she was 12, Kate Dillon did what many self-conscious young girls do: - Against All Odds IIIE27
Against All Odds III48 Hours profiles ordinary people who have faced extraordinary tests of survival. Among the people you'll meet: Four people who survived a jumbo jet crash in Taiwan in 2000. They tell how they lived a terrible crash that killed almost half of the passengers when the jet crashed into some construction equipment during a storm. John Diaz: A producer who has made more than 1,000 music videos, Diaz was on the plane when it crashed. "Right next to my feet the wall and the floor started to split, and then the next thing I know there's fire shooting right up next to my leg and that's when I undid my belt and stood up and screamed 'Move! Everybody move!'" John Courtney and his wife, Deborah Brosnan, scientists traveling from a coral reef conference in Bali back to the U.S. By chance, the couple changed seats just before takeoff. If they hadn't, they would have died. They tell how they lived through the fireball that swept through the cabin after the jet crashed into some construction equipment. Once they exited the plane, they led a group of survivors to safety. "You wonder if it really comes to a difficult situation, "Will you panic, will you run away, will you stop and help? What will you do when your life is on the line," says Courtney. "We were there so we got tested. We came through. Am I proud of myself? Yeah." John Wiggins, a salesman whose product is, ironically, airplane interiors. Although he survived, the experience affected him, and he says he doesn't know if he will be able to fly anytime soon. Also on the show: Tillie Tooter, an 84-year-old Floridian who survived more than three days trapped in her car, which had crashed off a highway into a swamp. "Now everybody knows that in Florida, you've got terrifying alligators, you've got snakes, you've got all kinds of critters," she says. "I was afraid to fall asleep because I felt that if anything crawled in, I could at least kick it away with my feet. I was up the entire time." And meet four - Bitter Pill: A Wife on TrialE29
Bitter Pill: A Wife on TrialIn 1988 in Washington state, Stella Nickell was convicted of killing her husband Bruce, and Sue Snow, a bank manager, by putting cyanide in Excedrin capsules. The crime was chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years earlier. Seven people died in that case, which was never solved. That case moved Congress to enact tough tampering laws. Nickell was the first to be convicted under it. Now, private detective Al Farr and his partner Paul Ciolino are on a mission to prove what they both firmly believe: Nickell is innocent. Farr says that there is no credible evidence against her. 48 Hours reports on the search. "I am not guilty," says Nickell. "And I won't quit fighting until I prove it." - Medical MysteriesE31
Medical MysteriesOver the past century, many medical problems have been solved or tamed: polio and influenza, for example. But many more such mysteries continue to vex researchers, as well as those who suffer from them. 48 Hours takes an inside look at a few of these enigmas. Melissa's Story: After an auto accident, a young Colorado woman named Melissa Holley is paralyzed. She travels to Israel to undergo an experimental procedure that may allow her to walk again. She is the first human subject for the treatment, which tries uses hormones to encourage the spinal nerves to regrow. Will it work? Threatening to kill the pilot and take the airplane down, a responsible family man goes berserk on an Alaska Airlines flight. Did an encephalitis virus in his brain cause him to lose control? A dedicated father finds that his son is afflicted with a rare genetic disease. He begins a long, exhausting quest for a cure, raising money and encouraging research. Can he help save his son? Hope Young, music therapist and founder of the Center for Music Therapy in Austin, Texas, uses music to help treat brain injuries. She and her staff treat patients suffering from Parkinson’s, Alzheimers, traumatic brain injury, Tourette’s syndrome, autism, depression and several other diseases. They usrhythm and melody to relieve symptoms and, in some cases, offer hope for a cure. - Murder They Wrote: While Innocents Slept
E33Murder They Wrote: While Innocents SleptThis is a story of passion, greed, violence and death - a story so compelling that it attracted the attention of one of America's most insightful true-crime writers. Garrett Wilson was well-liked by others and loved by women - a man who seemed devoted to his children. But it turns out, all of that was just one side of what his accusers say was a very dark mirror into his true life. Who is the real Garrett Wilson? Correspondent Peter Van Sant first reports on this 48 Hours Mystery. - Murder They Wrote: The End of the Dream Pt. 1E34
Murder They Wrote: The End of the Dream Pt. 1On Thanksgiving eve, 1996, in Seattle, Wash., just after 5:30 p.m., the biggest bank robbery in American history got under way. The robbers fled with more than $1.08 million. The heist was linked to a charismatic robber, known as "Hollywood," who had eluded police for four years while robbing 18 banks. But this would be his last stickup. Within 24 hours, he was hiding out in a dark camper in a strange backyard, surrounded by SWAT teams. His style and panache caught the attention of bestselling author Ann Rule, who wrote a book about his life, "The End Of The Dream." 48 Hours Murder They Wrote reports on the fascinating story of a remarkable bank robber. - Murder They Wrote: The End of the Dream Pt. 2
E35Murder They Wrote: The End of the Dream Pt. 2Scott Scurlock’s family was never quite sure what he did for a living. "Scotty was someone my sister and I used to laughingly call the master of disinformation," says his sister Suzanne Scurlock. She says he told his family he worked in construction. But in 1991, Scurlock, then 36, was looking for a new line of work. His drug-dealing days behind him, Scurlock needed money - and lots of it. Local waitress Pam Oates says he had expensive tastes. "He always ordered real expensive champagne. And he always left you a $100 tip. He was always so generous." She thought he might be a drug dealer. Perhaps inspired by the recently released film "Robin Hood," which he loved, Scurlock decided to try bank robbery. For help, he approached an old college friend named Mark Biggins. Craig Eidsmoe, Biggins’ friend and the best man at his wedding, says that Biggins was an unlikely bank robber: "I would have imagined him being a kindergarten teacher long before being a bank robber... He was just a real, sweet, kind fellow and he wasn't real adventurous. He wasn't a risk-taker." - Murder They Wrote: Precious Angels
E37Murder They Wrote: Precious AngelsThe gruesome murder of the two eldest Routier boys resulted in a huge amount of evidence. There was blood throughout the family room and kitchen, both of which were in disarray. There has been debate whether evidence acquisition was handled properly by investigators. Police photos show that key evidence was displaced, likely by police at the scene. In addition, the court reporter responsible for taping the proceedings and creating the transcript has admitted that the transcript is flawed and that the audiotapes of the original case are missing. Routier's attorneys say that these issues indicate she is entitled to a new trial. On June 6, 1996, Darlie and Darin Routier's two sons, Devon, 6, and Damon, 5, were stabbed to death in their house. Darlie was badly cut on the neck and arms. Police arrested Darlie and charged her with capital murder. Darlie Routier is either a loving mom falsely accused of a heinous crime, or a cold-blooded murderer. - Murder They Wrote: Double JeopardyE38
Murder They Wrote: Double JeopardyThere is no mystery about who killed Brenda Shaefer. Everyone in Louisville, Ky. knows that Mel Ignatow did it. The mystery is why Ignatow is still a free man. It's a question that has consumed writer Bob Hill. "The guy got away with murder, absolutely got away with murder, and 13 years later, he's still walking around getting away with murder," says Hill. A newspaper columnist for 26 years, Hill was so enraged by the murder that he wrote a book about it: "Double Jeopardy." As Erin Moriarity reports for 48 Hours, the story started on Sept. 24, 1988, when 36-year-old Brenda Schaefer disappeared. Her car was found abandoned the next day less than half a mile from where she lived with her mom and dad.
