American Justice — Season 5
A look at groundbreaking criminal cases, presenting viewers with an inside look at the case through the eyes of those directly involved, ranging from law enforcement officers to the victims.
About this season
A look at groundbreaking criminal cases, presenting viewers with an inside look at the case through the eyes of those directly involved, ranging from law enforcement officers to the victims.
Episodes (34)
1. Cop Killers
Aired 17 January 1996 • 43 min
Notorious recent cases provide the focus for an examination of cop killings and what can be done to protect those in uniform.
2. The Chicago Mob
Aired 7 February 1996 • 43 min
Chicago crime bosses; Al Capone; Anthony "Joe Batters" Accardo; Sam Giancana; Gus Alex.
3. The Sam Sheppard Story
Aired 15 February 1996 • 43 min
Dr. Sam Sheppard is convicted of murder in 1954 and retried in the '60s.
4. Murder in the Family
Aired 6 March 1996 • 43 min
The cases of the Freeman brothers and Jeffrey Howarth highlight an examination of murder in the family.
5. Vegas and the Mob
Aired 10 April 1996 • 43 min
How Bugsy Siegel and others built a glittering gambling mecca from barren desert; includes an interview with former casino manager Frank Rosenthal.
6. Long Island Railroad Massacre
Aired 24 April 1996 • 43 min
In 1993 Colin Ferguson methodically shoots passengers aboard a Long Island Railroad commuter
7. Bounty Hunters
Aired 11 May 1996 • 43 min
Bail bondsmen hire bounty hunters to capture fugitives.
8. The Pamela Smart Story
Aired 25 May 1996 • 43 min
Schoolteacher Pamela Smart enlists a student to kill her husband.
9. John Wayne Gacy: Buried Secrets
Aired 5 June 1996 • 43 min
John Wayne Gacy's lawyers discuss the man, the crimes and the case now that his execution has lifted the constraints of their attorney-client privilege.
10. When Cops Kill
Aired 19 June 1996 • 43 min
Technology creates police weapons designed to stun rather than kill.
11. Hot Pursuit
Aired 17 July 1996 • 43 min
Strict departmental policies govern high-speed police chases.
12. Great Crimes & Trials: John Christie of Rillington Place
Aired 28 July 1996 • 43 min
In the 1950s, England reels over the case of serial killer John Christie.
13. Denis Nilsen: The Kindly Killer
Aired 18 August 1996 • 43 min
A British serial killer lures young men to his apartment and dismembers them.
14. Mob Hit Men
Aired 21 August 1996 • 43 min
Interviews with Nicholas "The Crow" Caramandi, former hit men and other experts highlight an examination of the mob hit man. Host: Bill Kurtis.
15. Bamber Family Murders
Aired 25 August 1996 • 43 min
Recalling the Bamber family murder case, considered by some to be almost the perfect crime.
16. Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker
Aired 1 September 1996 • 43 min
Richard Ramirez rapes, mutilates and tortures more than 25 California victims.
17. The Menendez Murders
Aired 4 September 1996 • 43 min
Three juries consider the murder cases against Erik and Lyle Menendez.
18. Hammersmith Murders: Jack the Stripper
Aired 22 September 1996 • 43 min
The murders of six prostitutes end with a man's suicide.
19. I Confess
Aired 25 September 1996 • 43 min
Confessions play a part in three unique criminal cases; coercion; admissibility.
20. James Hanratty: A6 Murder
Aired 29 September 1996 • 43 min
After James Hanratty is hanged for a murder, a man confesses to the crime.
21. To Catch a Killer: Homicide Detectives
Aired 2 October 1996 • 43 min
Profiling the lives of men and women who choose to work as homicide detectives.
22. Disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa
Aired 6 October 1996 • 43 min
The twisted career and mysterious disappearance of the union boss.
23. Caryl Chessman
Aired 13 October 1996 • 43 min
Clever criminal who spent the last 12 years of his crusading against execution.
24. The McKay Kidnapping
Aired 20 October 1996 • 43 min
The cruel story of mistaken identity in the Muriel McKay kidnapping case.
25. Black Panther
Aired 20 October 1996 • 43 min
A woman is kidnapped and murdered after inheriting a fortune.
26. Free to Kill: The Polly Klaas Murder
Aired 23 October 1996 • 43 min
The case of Polly Klaas highlights an examination of repeat offenders who are set loose upon society.
27. Kennedy Assassination
Aired 17 November 1996 • 43 min
Theories abound concerning President Kennedy's death.
28. Massacre of the Tsar
Aired 17 November 1996 • 43 min
The controversial story of the 1918 murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family
29. Death Row Women
Aired 20 November 1996 • 43 min
How society ultimately copes with the prospect of executing a woman.
30. Neville Heath: The Lady Killer
Aired 24 November 1996 • 43 min
Englishman Neville Heath was hanged for murder.
31. The Defenders
Aired 4 December 1996 • 43 min
The United States is the only country to provide free legal counsel for poor defendants.
32. Rise of the Mafia
Aired 8 December 1996 • 43 min
An examination of the Gambino crime family and its bloody 30-year war with the other gangland families of New York.
101. The Great Midwest Gangs
Aired 10 February 1996 • 43 min
In the Depression-torn dust bowl of the 1930s, a new kind of desperado is born. Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger, and Bonnie & Clyde become as well-known and admired as movie stars.
102. The Kidnappers
Aired 9 March 1996 • 43 min
For bigger payoffs, criminals turn from bank robbery to kidnapping.