The essential episodes of After the First 48

Watch these 15 in order and you've got After the First 48 — each pick states its reason.

  1. 01

    S01E01 · Pilot · October 7, 2008 · 1h

    Murder on the Interstate / At Close Range Update

  2. 02

    S01E10 · Season 1 peak · July 15, 2010 · 1h

    The Boogey Man7.5

    On March 26th, 2006, homicide detectives were called to the site of a burning car. Inside were the charred remains of 22-year-old Xenia Wilson, the mother of a four-year-old daughter. Detectives Rick Duggan and Randy Laboda closed the case by arresting three suspects: Jose "J.J." Verduzco, Chito Rojas and Ismael "Boogeyman" Moreno. Verduzco and Rojas pled guilty and agreed to testify against Moreno. The trial would take turns that surprised both defendant and prosecutor. And the case itself would have a tragic postcript.

  3. 03

    S02E02 · Top rated · June 23, 2011 · 1h

    Last Yard7.5

    University of Memphis football star Taylor Bradford was killed in his beloved Lincoln Town Car. At first police thought the motive was robbery. Then as they investigated, a love triangle emerged. Finally four men were charged with Bradford's murder. The first to go on trial wasn't even at the crime scene. Could prosecutors convince a jury to find him guilty of murder?

  4. 04

    S02E03 · Season 2 peak · August 11, 2011 · 1h

    Lester Street8.5

    In September of 2010, Jessie Dotson went on trial for one of the worst mass murders in Memphis history. He wasn't accused of killing strangers--he was brother, friend and uncle to the six people he'd allegedly murdered and three surviving children he'd allegedly beaten and stabbed. Even seasoned detectives were horrified by the bloody crime scene. Now, all of Memphis wanted an answer to the same question: How could only one man be responsible for such brutal carnage?

  5. 05

    S02E08 · Top rated · December 29, 2011 · 1h

    Bad Company7.5

    On a warm, clear night in the desert near Lake Mead, the body of a man--shot dead--was found in the middle of the road. When Las Vegas Metro homicide detectives began investigating the death, they had no idea the case would lead them to a conspiracy that involved five people. Or that it would take six years to bring down the man behind the murder.

  6. 06

    S02E10 · Top rated · January 26, 2012 · 1h

    Fifteen7.5

    Fifteen-year-old Juanita Payne was killed outside a party by a stray round from an AK-47. Detectives arrest a man they are sure is the killer. But the case begins to fall apart soon after. Will the alleged killer walk free?

  7. 07

    S04E01 · Season 4 peak · February 14, 2013 · 1h

    Into the Woods7.5

    After a 17-year-old girl is found with a bullet through the back of her head in the woods of Katy, Texas, a young man comes forward who claims to be an eyewitness. Investigators are shocked by the unusual deal he's made with the DA. Is the eyewitness telling the truth — or is he involved in the murder? And will the prosecution convince the jury that the defendant is the real killer?

  8. 08

    S05E02 · Season 5 peak · March 27, 2014 · 1h

    Burned Alive8.5

    A Houston woman is beaten, set on fire, and left to die in an attack that police investigators suspect was committed by someone the victim knew.

  9. 09

    S05E04 · Top rated · May 15, 2014 · 1h

    Burning Rage7.5

    In Birmingham, AL, a woman, her son and her young niece are stabbed more than 75 times then set on fire inside their apartment. Investigators zero in on the victims' relative. But at trial, the defense claims the suspect's IQ is too low to qualify for the death penalty. It would be up to the prosecution to paint a gruesome, vivid picture of this brutal crime to secure a capital murder conviction and the ultimate punishment.

  10. 10

    S06E08 · Season 6 peak · April 23, 2015 · 1h

    Twice Told Tale7.5

    It's a murder case that spans twelve years and centers on one 911 call. The victim says a name in the last moments of her life--will that be enough to convict her alleged killer.

  11. 11

    S07E02 · Season 7 peak · February 10, 2022 · 1h

    Chain of Death8.0

    A young mother and her friend are murdered in a parking lot, sending Tulsa detectives and prosecutors on a mission to put the shooter behind bars.

  12. 12

    S09E05 · Season 9 peak · December 14, 2023 · 1h

    Friends And Enemies7.5

    When three people are gunned down in a Tulsa home, detectives face two suspects, and a web of lies. Prosecutors are left with circumstantial evidence to clinch the case against a calculated, cold-blooded killer.

  13. 13

    S10E03 · Season 10 peak · November 21, 2024 · 1h

    Fatal Mistake7.5

    In Tulsa, there's little evidence and no clear motive after a beloved 24-year-old is gunned down in the backseat of a car; in a tragic case of mistaken identity, it's up to his friends to help detectives and prosecutors deliver justice.

  14. 14

    S11E01 · Season 11 peak · October 23, 2025 · 1h

    Bad Driver7.5

    When a beloved son and brother is murdered just feet from his home, his grieving family has one burning question: Why? It's up to a determined team of Gwinnett County investigators and the prosecutor to get their defiant suspect to talk.

  15. 15

    S12E01 · Season 12 peak · May 14, 2026 · 1h

    Broken Youth7.5

    When a beloved teenager is gunned down while hanging out with his friends, Tulsa Homicide Detectives depend on the public to help identify the suspects from security video. At trial, the defense claims the shooter was in fear for his life, and justice hinges on the jury's interpretation of what happened.

Shows like After the First 48

The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.

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