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Cold Cases (Part 1)
s03e18 · 2025-08-08
Running · US
The First 48 Presents Critical Minutes
A&E Documentary
What it is
The First 48 Presents Critical Minutes looks back at some of the most unforgettable moments in the series' history. Hosted by former First 48 detectives, each episode presents different cases previously featured on the show, all with a common theme.
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20 this season · 58 totals02e01 Murder in the Family 2022-08-02 00:00
Murder in the Family
Three cases from The First 48 that feature families enveloped in personal tragedies. In New Orleans, two cousins have a deadly fight, in Memphis, a young couple disappear and their uncle's home holds a clue, and in Dallas, a woman brutally turns on her sister-in-law.
s02e02 Interrogations: Lies and Tells 2022-08-09 00:00
Interrogations: Lies and Tells
Three different approaches to suspect interviews are featured from The First 48. First, detectives in Cleveland sit down with friends and the suspect in the murder of a young mother, then the boyfriend of a missing woman is questioned in Harris County with hopes of finding the woman alive, and detectives in Memphis change strategy in an effort to get their murder suspect to talk.
s02e03 Heat of the Moment 3 2022-08-23 00:00
Heat of the Moment 3
Three cases from The First 48 where things get out of control in a heated moment. In Birmingham, a man's body is found burned after an argument with a friend; in New Orleans, a man with cancer gets a ride home that ends in his murder; and in Tulsa, a man visiting his son is killed in a jealous rage.
s02e04 Forensics Don't Lie 2022-08-30 00:00
Forensics Don't Lie
A look back at three cases from The First 48 where forensics played a pivotal role in solving homicides. In Harris County, detectives rely on fingerprints to solve a father's carjacking and murder. In Charlotte, NC, a slain woman's family finds justice through DNA; and in Minneapolis, ballistics is the key to solving a man shot during a street fight.
s02e05 No Witness 2022-12-16 02:00
No Witness
When there are no witnesses, homicide detectives face an uphill climb to find the truth. First, detectives in Cincinnati come across a bizarre homicide at an apartment fire. Then, in Memphis, solving a preacher's murder hinges on a single fingerprint. And a Tulsa woman found dead leaves police a clue that might solve her own murder.
s02e06 Unfinished Business 2022-12-23 02:00
Unfinished Business
Three cases from The First 48 that were driven by revenge and resentment. In Mobile, a man is executed in a parking lot months after an altercation; in Harris County, TX, pressing charges in an attempted robbery leads to a man's brutal murder; and in Tulsa, a gang member goes on the hunt after being called a name.
s02e07 Deadly Plans 2022-12-30 02:00
Deadly Plans
Three stories from The First 48 where a plan proved deadly for unwitting victims. In Dallas, a man is lured to his death in an abandoned apartment; a homeless man in Miami is brutally beaten with a rock; and a Tulsa woman's plan to help her sister goes horribly wrong.
s02e08 Fatal Friendship 2 2023-01-06 02:00
Fatal Friendship 2
Friendship is usually a good thing--but when it goes bad, it can be fatal. Detectives in Atlanta find a woman's body in a trashcan; in Louisville, a domestic dispute turns into a homicide investigation; in Birmingham, doing a favor for a friend costs one man his life.
s02e09 Wrong Place, Wrong Time 3 2023-05-05 01:00
Wrong Place, Wrong Time 3
A look back at three First 48 cases where the victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time. In Tulsa, what appears to be a case of road rage turns out to be something else entirely. Then, a man is stabbed to death in his car and Tulsa detectives have a hard time believing his friend's story of what happened. And investigators in Harris County must get to the bottom of a car wash shooting that leaves a man dead.
s02e10 The Case That Haunts Me 5 2023-05-12 01:00
The Case That Haunts Me 5
Three haunting cases from The First 48 archive that stuck with investigators long after the arrest. In Memphis, a woman is dragged to her death in broad daylight, then, in Harris County, a young mother is found with her throat slashed, and finally, in Miami, an ongoing battle between two gangs feels impossible to curtail as the body count rises.
s02e11 Rookies 2 2023-05-19 01:00
Rookies 2
Rookie detectives lead their first investigations in three cases from The First 48 archive. In Louisville, a rookie leans on video surveillance to find a convenience store killer. In Atlanta, a new detective utilizes facial recognition software to try and solve his case. And, another young investigator tackles a love triangle in Louisville.
s02e12 Shocking Motives 2023-08-25 00:00
Shocking Motives
Three cases from The First 48 with puzzling motives. In Tulsa, a woman is brutally attacked as payback for someone else, then, in Dallas, a barber is gunned down by someone who greets him as a friend. And finally, in Atlanta, a man sticks up for a friend and becomes the target.
s02e13 The Pros 2023-09-01 00:00
The Pros
Three cases from The First 48 where veteran homicide detectives show how it's done. In Dallas, a woman is brutally attacked and killed in her home; in Memphis, a longtime investigator needs to convince a reluctant witness to give up the triggerman in a shooting; and back in Dallas, a detective leans on his interrogation skills to solve the murder of a man shot in his doorway.
s02e14 In the Name of Love 2023-09-08 00:00
In the Name of Love
Examines three cases where homicides were committed in the name of love. First, in Dallas, a couple is shot to death on their doorstep, and detectives have to track down the killer as he goes on a multi-state crime spree. Then, in Louisville, a hearing-impaired man is stabbed in his doorway. And finally in Tulsa, a woman's body is found in a trash can. Can her death be linked to the murder of her fiance the year before?
s02e15 Unfinished Business 2 2023-09-15 00:00
Unfinished Business 2
Three cases that look at what happens when people become obsessed with revenge. In Cleveland, a man is gunned down in broad daylight and detectives learn it could be connected to another homicide. Then, in Harris County, a teenage girl is lured to her death by someone she considered a friend. Finally, in Louisville, a man filled with rage unleashes a cascade of bullets on a house full of sleeping people.
s02e16 Under the Influence 2024-03-01 01:00
Under the Influence
Critical Minutes looks at three cases from The First 48 that take place in the brutal underworld of illegal drugs. In Tulsa, a homeless dealer is ambushed on a dark trail. In Cincinnati, an elderly man is strangled in his apartment. And a parking lot drug deal in Atlanta turns into a shootout that leaves two men dead.
s02e17 Women Who Kill 2024-03-08 01:00
Women Who Kill
Three homicide cases that examine how and why some women kill. In Tulsa, a woman is shot just outside her home and detectives are shocked by their suspect. In Birmingham, a mother of three is shot in front of her young children. And in Charlotte, when a couple is suspected of stabbing a man in his car, detectives need to determine who is telling the truth.
s02e18 All For Money 2024-03-15 00:00
All For Money
Three cases from The First 48 archive that explore how money can lead to deadly fallouts. In Harris County, a Navy veteran is killed after coming home to a burglary in progress. In Mobile, a mother vanishes on a trip to the casino. And in Dallas, a man is brutally murdered with a hammer.
s02e19 On the Run 2024-03-22 00:00
On the Run
Homicide suspects go on the run to avoid the consequences of their actions; the police search for two gunmen responsible for a mass shooting; investigators worry an escaped convict might flee the country; a robbery goes awry.
s02e20 The Case that Haunts Me, Part 6 2024-03-29 00:00
The Case that Haunts Me, Part 6
Investigators look into the deaths of two men who were brutally attacked with a hammer while they were asleep; a detective hopes to solve a triple homicide; a detective ventures into the world of homelessness to find a killer.