Cold Case Files

Watch Cold Case Files

  • TV-MA
  • 2003
  • 10 Seasons
  • 8.0  (1,819)

Cold Case Files is a gripping true crime series that aired on A&E in 1999, hosted by veteran journalist Bill Kurtis. The show takes viewers on a journey inside some of the most challenging and long-forgotten criminal investigations in American history. Each episode of Cold Case Files features a high-profile unsolved crime, which has been reopened by law enforcement authorities to bring closure to the victim's family and to bring the perpetrator of the crime to justice. The show's unique format is presented from the perspective of the detectives who originally investigated the case and who are now working to solve it. The episodes take viewers through the initial clues, interviews, and crime scene photos, as well as staged reenactments and interviews with the surviving family members of the victims. It is a compelling blend of expert police work and cinematic storytelling that has made it one of the most popular true crime series of all time. Each episode of Cold Case Files takes viewers through a specific case, examining every angle and detail of the investigation. From witness testimony to forensic evidence, every clue is explored in depth to determine the most likely suspects and build the strongest case for prosecution. The show's style of storytelling creates an immersive experience for viewers and keeps them engaged throughout the episode, creating a connection with both the detectives and the victims' families. The show covers a wide range of cases, including crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and even disappearances. Each episode is exhaustively researched, with experts and professionals called in to provide insight into the different aspects of the case. The process of investigation is carefully detailed, and viewers are taken into the mindset of the detectives who are working tirelessly to solve the case. The show also highlights how detective work has evolved over the years, with advancements in forensic science and technology. In many cases, the cases originally went unsolved due to lack of evidence or inability to connect the dots. However, with the evolution of DNA testing and other forensic techniques, previously unsolvable cases have been solved, bringing long-awaited closure to the families of the victims. One of the most compelling aspects of Cold Case Files is the human element of the series. The cases chosen for the show are not just any old crimes, but rather ones with a particularly emotional impact on the victims' families. Many of the cases go back decades, and the families have been living with unanswered questions for years. The show allows them to tell their stories and offers hope that their loved one's killer may finally be brought to justice. Throughout the series, Bill Kurtis delivers a steady and authoritative presence as the host of the show, thoughtfully guiding viewers through each case. His vast experience as a journalist and his calm and measured demeanor make him the ideal host for the show. Kurtis provides important context and insight into each case, but never detracts from the work of the detectives. In conclusion, Cold Case Files is a groundbreaking true crime series that set the standard for similar shows to come. Its unique storytelling format, rigorous research and dedication to finding justice for the victims have made it a classic in the true crime genre. Its success has also spawned spinoff series and primetime specials, making it a true cultural phenomenon.

Cold Case Files
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Seasons
Taken In Tacoma
33. Taken In Tacoma
September 24, 2022
When 13-year-old Jennifer Bastian is abducted and murdered in August of 1986, residents of Tacoma panic. This is the second young girl killed in five months. Convinced a predator is loose, Police embark on a 32-year enquiry to catch the killer.
Vanished In Virginia
32. Vanished In Virginia
September 17, 2022
When a 30-year-old mother, Lisa Gaudenzi, fails to report for duty in Virginia, the Army lists her as AWOL. Her family immediately suspects foul play. They embark on a 13-year quest for answers before an eyewitness blows the case wide open.
Death Of A Hero
31. Death Of A Hero
September 10, 2022
A fire in January 2007 claims the life of WWII vet Bennie Angelo. A closer look at the crime scene reveals Bennie was dead before the fire, bumping an arson case up to homicide. Leads are few and the case sits on ice - until a witness comes forward.
Gone In a New York Minute
30. Gone In a New York Minute
September 3, 2022
In a city of eight million, landlord Bruce Blackwood disappears without a trace in March 2006. Though there is no body, the NYPD is sure this is a homicide and they, along with Bruce's brother Ed, spend the next nine years searching for answers.
Murder In The Midwest
29. Murder In The Midwest
August 27, 2022
The body of Lori Nesson is found in a ditch in 1974, yet her death is not ruled a homicide. But Lori's sister knows this has to be murder. After 4 decades, the cause of death is changed to homicide.
Killer in the Storm
28. Killer in the Storm
August 20, 2022
After a young mother's death in 1988 goes unsolved, her older sister promises to solve the crime, no matter how long it takes, so she sets about on a quest for answers to determine who killed the victim in her own home and why.
Lone Survivor
27. Lone Survivor
May 13, 2022
In early 1984, three-year-old Vanessa Bennett becomes the lone survivor of her family's brutal murder. Initial investigators suspect a serial killer is at large, but decades pass before DNA narrows the suspect pool to one man.
Missing And Murdered
26. Missing And Murdered
May 6, 2022
In Cree culture, a promise is sacred. When Cree woman Shirley Soosay goes missing in 1980, her niece Violet promises her grandmother that she will bring Shirley home. But Violet never dreamed the search for Shirley--and justice--would take a lifetime.
The Lost Patient
25. The Lost Patient
April 29, 2022
In 1979, Janie Landers disappears from a home for the impaired; when Janie's body is found, there are many suspects but it is years before the killer and the atrocities in the facility are revealed.
'til Death Do Us Part
24. 'til Death Do Us Part
April 22, 2022
Just two years into their marriage, Chuck and Cheryl Hall are torn apart when Chuck finds Cheryl murdered. Though Cheryl's family is certain they know her killer, the law isn't as sure. After several decades, a DNA match erases all doubt.
A Is For Arson
23. A Is For Arson
April 15, 2022
When firefighter Gary Parks is killed in a fire ruled arson, the investigation into his death shifts to homicide. A serial arsonist is thought to be the culprit; but it will take a dogged detective following his gut to track down the real killer.
The Bone Keeper
22. The Bone Keeper
April 8, 2022
When human bones are discovered in the woods in December 1985, it puts an end to the search for missing teen David Reed; skull fractures point to murder, but it will be decades before investigators can find David's killer.
Queen of the Ozarks
21. Queen of the Ozarks
April 1, 2022
In June 1985, a 20-year-old Sucker Day Festival Queen is found brutalized. The small community of Nixa, Missouri, is certain her blood is on the hands of a local wealthy businessman, but after 25 years DNA reveals the true killer.
Cold Ashes
20. Cold Ashes
March 25, 2022
When a deadly house fire claims the life of a family in rural Oklahoma, investigators suspect foul play and it sends a mother on a decades-long crusade to find out what happened to her missing teenage daughter and best friend.
Written In Blood
19. Written In Blood
March 18, 2022
In July of 1970, the brutal murder of single mom Loretta Jones leaves four-year-old Heidi Jones motherless. Nearly 40 years later, Heidi vows to solve her mother's cold case and calls on an old high school friend to help her find justice for Loretta.
One Tough Mother
18. One Tough Mother
March 11, 2022
In July 1997, the brutal murder of 19-year-old Tiffany Johnston rocks the small town of Bethany, Oklahoma. DNA points to her killer over a decade later and leads investigators across state lines to Texas--to the buried bodies of two other missing women.
Sisters In Death
17. Sisters In Death
March 4, 2022
March 1984. Jack Kennedy discovers his daughters brutally murdered. Their mother and niece spend their lives keeping the case alive. DNA leads nowhere. Thirty years later, an informant gives up a name. But the family's ordeal is far from over.
The Clock Strikes Murder
16. The Clock Strikes Murder
February 25, 2022
When 23-year-old Tonya McKinley is found brutally murdered on New Years Day 1985, a little boy is left motherless. A family must wait 35 years for advancements in forensic science to finally catch a killer using familial DNA.
Friday Night Ghosts
15. Friday Night Ghosts
February 18, 2022
In late 1983, the bodies of five people abducted from a local fast food restaurant are found brutally murdered in an oil field. The main suspect is long believed to be a well-connected local man, until new evidence reveals the true killers had been hiding in plain sight for decades.
Dark Angel
14. Dark Angel
February 11, 2022
Thirteen days after Pam Pitts disappears in 1988, her charred body is found at a popular hangout spot in the Arizona desert; when a second victim is discovered in a mineshaft, detectives suspect the killer may have known them both.
Eyes of a Killer
13. Eyes of a Killer
February 4, 2022
On February 2, 2010, two masked gunmen commit a violent robbery and shoot Michael Temple Jr., rendering him a quadriplegic for five years before his death. In this unusual cold case, DNA from a knife is used to create a sketch of the killer.
Woman in the Woods
12. Woman in the Woods
January 21, 2022
In August 1972, the body of Jody Loomis is found in the woods. 34 years later, the killer's DNA is recovered from Jody's old clothing but it isn't matched until 2018, when genetic genealogy helps point to one suspect--whose guilt must be proven in court.
A Lesson In Homicide
11. A Lesson In Homicide
January 21, 2022
When a beloved schoolteacher is found murdered in her Neptune, New Jersey apartment in the fall of 2009, suspicion is cast on her soon to be ex-husband. Long after the case goes cold, a detective embarks on a mission to help the man clear his name and track down the real killers.
Suspicious Minds
10. Suspicious Minds
January 14, 2022
Just after the last day of school in 1984, 15-year-old Reesa Trexler is found murdered in her grandparents' home. For decades, a stalled investigation only fuels the town rumor mill, pointing an accusing finger at Reesa's 13-year-old sister, Jodie.
Murder by Moonlight
9. Murder by Moonlight
January 14, 2022
Easter Sunday of 1992, the body of missing woman Lisa Ziegert is found in a field. The investigation yields hundreds of leads but no true suspect. After more than two decades on ice, the case is revived when DNA phenotyping puts a face to the killer.
Ice Cold in Denver
8. Ice Cold in Denver
January 7, 2022
On a bitter morning in 1980, radio intern Helene Pruszynski is found brutalized in a snowy field. After 37 years of fruitless leads, investigators tap into a public genealogy website that leads them across the country to the killer they've been hunting.
Love and Hate
7. Love and Hate
January 7, 2022
Near what's known as the hanging tree, the mutilated body of Timothy Coggins is found in late 1983. The investigation is thwarted and the case freezes for over 30 years until a newly elected sheriff vows to bring the killers to justice.
The Devil in Disguise
6. The Devil in Disguise
September 24, 2021
23-year-old teacher Irene Garza was a former beauty queen and devout Catholic who vanished the evening before Easter after giving confession. Residents of her close-knit border town did their best to find her, but after a series of false leads, her body was found floating in a drainage canal clearly the victim of a violent sexual predator. At the time, a key witness hinted that a member of the Catholic clergy may have been responsible, but the clue remained buried for 42 years until a former priest comes forward with a damning confession from another man of the cloth that reveals a sinister coverup.
The Heartland Killer
5. The Heartland Killer
September 17, 2021
Women from small towns along the Mississippi River were killed in 1980s and the case remains unsolved up to this day.
The School Teacher
4. The School Teacher
September 17, 2021
When 25-year-old schoolteacher Christy Mirack is found brutally murdered in her Lancaster, Pennsylvania, apartment in 1992, there is no shortage of suspects. Frustration and fear mount as each person is ruled out, one by one, and eventually the case goes cold. Twenty-six years later, in 2018, cold case detectives get a break when a relative of the killer uploads DNA to a public genealogy website. This story features a rare interview with the victim's brother and the forensic genealogist who helped crack one of state's first cold cases to be solved by familial DNA technology.
Missing in Altoona
3. Missing in Altoona
September 3, 2021
When Sherry Leighty goes missing in 1999, her family is left wondering how a dedicated mother of three could vanish without a trace. A decade later, the cold case heats up when Sherry's sister launches a social media campaign to help solve her sister's mysterious disappearance. An online tip unearths the killer truth and a sinister family secret. Featuring an interview with Shelly Leighty, who never gave up on solving her sister's case, along with rare home video of Sherry and her family.
Devil at the Door
2. Devil at the Door
August 27, 2021
When 36-year-old computer programmer Lisa Valdez fails to show up for work, her apartment manager finds her brutally murdered in her tiny studio. Her body is riddled with stab wounds, the walls are covered in blood. Evidence shows the killer cut off her long, dark hair, taking it as an apparent trophy.
The Voice in the Lake
1. The Voice in the Lake
August 20, 2021
When 31-year-old real estate appraiser Mike Williams mysteriously vanishes while duck hunting in the Florida swamps in December of 2000, authorities suspect he accidentally drowned. For sixteen years Mike's disappearance remains a mystery. The case heats up when police receive a distress call from the victim's wife in 2016. Featuring interviews with detectives and the victim's mother as well as rare footage of the crime scene and recorded audio confessions with the accused, the episode explores how the disappearance unfolded into a sinister plot to cash in on millions of dollars of life insurance.
Description

Cold Case Files is a gripping true crime series that aired on A&E in 1999, hosted by veteran journalist Bill Kurtis. The show takes viewers on a journey inside some of the most challenging and long-forgotten criminal investigations in American history. Each episode of Cold Case Files features a high-profile unsolved crime, which has been reopened by law enforcement authorities to bring closure to the victim's family and to bring the perpetrator of the crime to justice.

The show's unique format is presented from the perspective of the detectives who originally investigated the case and who are now working to solve it. The episodes take viewers through the initial clues, interviews, and crime scene photos, as well as staged reenactments and interviews with the surviving family members of the victims. It is a compelling blend of expert police work and cinematic storytelling that has made it one of the most popular true crime series of all time.

Each episode of Cold Case Files takes viewers through a specific case, examining every angle and detail of the investigation. From witness testimony to forensic evidence, every clue is explored in depth to determine the most likely suspects and build the strongest case for prosecution. The show's style of storytelling creates an immersive experience for viewers and keeps them engaged throughout the episode, creating a connection with both the detectives and the victims' families.

The show covers a wide range of cases, including crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and even disappearances. Each episode is exhaustively researched, with experts and professionals called in to provide insight into the different aspects of the case. The process of investigation is carefully detailed, and viewers are taken into the mindset of the detectives who are working tirelessly to solve the case.

The show also highlights how detective work has evolved over the years, with advancements in forensic science and technology. In many cases, the cases originally went unsolved due to lack of evidence or inability to connect the dots. However, with the evolution of DNA testing and other forensic techniques, previously unsolvable cases have been solved, bringing long-awaited closure to the families of the victims.

One of the most compelling aspects of Cold Case Files is the human element of the series. The cases chosen for the show are not just any old crimes, but rather ones with a particularly emotional impact on the victims' families. Many of the cases go back decades, and the families have been living with unanswered questions for years. The show allows them to tell their stories and offers hope that their loved one's killer may finally be brought to justice.

Throughout the series, Bill Kurtis delivers a steady and authoritative presence as the host of the show, thoughtfully guiding viewers through each case. His vast experience as a journalist and his calm and measured demeanor make him the ideal host for the show. Kurtis provides important context and insight into each case, but never detracts from the work of the detectives.

In conclusion, Cold Case Files is a groundbreaking true crime series that set the standard for similar shows to come. Its unique storytelling format, rigorous research and dedication to finding justice for the victims have made it a classic in the true crime genre. Its success has also spawned spinoff series and primetime specials, making it a true cultural phenomenon.

Cold Case Files is a series that is currently running and has 10 seasons (206 episodes). The series first aired on June 30, 2003.

Where to Watch Cold Case Files

Cold Case Files is available for streaming on the A&E website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Cold Case Files on demand at Google Play, Apple TV and A&E.

  • Premiere Date
    June 30, 2003
  • IMDB Rating
    8.0  (1,819)
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