Programs such as Law & Order and CSI have introduced most people to modern crime-solving techniques. But for most of our past, sleuths did as much as they could to investigate crimes, but they lacked the most basic tools. There wasn’t much the sheriff, part-time constable, justice of the peace, and coroner could do, except rely on obvious physical evidence and witnesses. However, as the scientific age arrived, great advances in police science allowed detectives to crack complex cases. This one-hour program, “CSI-The Historical Edition, draws on notorious crimes and real mysteries from yesteryear. It discusses how science, technology, and professional police practices helped detectives catch and convict criminals and close once unsolvable cases.
