Forensic Science Resource Guide: Videos

This list of streaming videos, which includes popular theatrical release titles such as Disney films, can be requested through Prospector. Instructions below.

The use of blood spatter evidence has become widespread, and investigators now employ sophisticated tools to link killers and victim through the blood of both. Follow two cases that illuminate the current state of this technique.

April 2003, the new FBI Crime Lab was opened and dedicated to the memory of all crime victims. At 500,000 sq. ft. and equipped with the most modern equipment, it is considered one of the finest crime labs in the world. All the efforts are focused on using modern forensic science in order to solve crimes.

FINGERING THE KILLER heads to Connecticut to examine two representative cases.

A collection of real-life cases where experts offer different opinions of what actually happened based on the evidence provided, and the viewer is invited to reach his own final verdict.

Historical overview of crime science and how forensic science is used in criminal investigations in preparing for court testimony.

This program debunks pop-culture stereotypes and illuminates the real-world chemistry, biology, and physics of criminology. Exploring three main forensic science disciplines-field work, lab analysis, and medical examination-the program shows how crime scenes are defined and protected; how blood, DNA, fingerprints, cloth fibers, spent ammunition, and other forms of physical evidence are gathered and studied; and how autopsies, dentistry, toxicology, and psychology come into play.

With the expertise of Dr. Jennifer Gardy, a molecular epidemiologist at British Columbia's Centre for Disease Control, this program sifts through the science, sleuthing, and strangeness that make up the world of forensic investigation. Dr. Gardy shows how the latest technologies can partner with nature's own detection devices to help law enforcement track down the truth. But the film also emphasizes another secret of crime solving that must be implemented alongside high-tech laboratory work: careful, patient observation.

From the DNA work that recreates the face of a killer, to the hair analysis that can reveal where you live, the series profiles the cutting-edge techniques of today, before examining their origins in some of the strangest cases in the forensic casebook. Each is placed in its historical context, revealing the wider picture of science, technology and culture that resulted in the key forensic discoveries. This intriguing, in-depth study is a comprehensive look at the vital evidence that builds a case. Whether analysing fingerprints and fibres, or scrutinizing pistols and poison, Catching History's Criminals is the definitive take on a fascinating subject.

This high quality production explores a range of important chemical analysis techniques, including chromatography, mass spectrometry, infra-red and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). It explains how chemical principles are applied in the various analysis techniques and how it is possible to identify very specific chemical elements and compounds using them. Students of Chemistry will find the structure of this outstanding resource, together with the graphics and other visual imagery, engaging and effective in explaining the range of concepts covered.

This pilot episode of Crime 360: Welcome to Homicide minutely details the investigation into a murder in Richmond, Virginia. The mystery begins as Detective Shane Waite is called to a local apartment complex where a bound murder victim is found inside the trunk of his car. There are no known witnesses or original crime scene; we watch as forensic evidence is gathered from the body and physical evidence is discovered in the car. A 911 tip from witness finally helps move the investigation to a conclusion.

A surprising number of criminals are identified once the forensic fingerprint unit turns up at the crime scene. In this video segment, learn how advances in science are improving a practice that has enabled police to catch criminals for over one hundred years, and meet the scientists who are developing a better way to lift fingerprints from tricky materials.

This program provides a comprehensive introduction to the application of forensic science to crime scenes where human remains have been found. Promoting a team approach to crime scene analysis, Scott Fairgrieve, Tracy Oost, and Gerard Courtin, faculty members of the Department of Forensic Science at Laurentian University, cover the following topics: the decomposition timeline, identifying human remains, identifying burial sites, locating remains via grid-based searching, establishing the crime scene, forensic botany, forensic entomology, forensic anthropology, and special considerations for dealing with remains that have been exposed to water or fire. An excellent tool for training police officers, coroners, medical examiners, firefighters, forensic scientists, and students.

This A&E Special traces the origins of four critical weapons in the war against crime: ballistics, trace evidence, polygraph tests, and psychological profiling. Stories of headline-making crimes such as the "Mad Bomber" investigation in New York during the 1950s help show how these techniques were developed and refined, while dramatic reenactments introduce viewers to innovators like Calvin Goddard, the father of modern ballistics, and Leonard Keeler, the designer of the portable polygraph machine.

This fascinating documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at the secret and secretive world of forensic science. Visiting Scotland Yard's laboratories-reputedly the finest such laboratories in the world-the program shows how modern technology can turn a particle of sand or a piece of thread into a clue that leads to solving a crime.

This five-part series goes inside the Forensic Science & Criminal Investigation program at the U.K.’s renowned University of Central Lancashire. Each episode focuses on a particular group of students as they sift through mock-ups of real-world crime scenes and put theory to the test in complex lab work. Featuring many practical skills and investigative processes needed to work in the criminal justice field, the series also helps shed light on career opportunities and choices.