The First 48 Presents Critical Minutes

Detectives use DNA evidence to search for the person responsible for raping and murdering a homeless woman; investigators claim that a footprint located on the victim's back disproves the suspect's claims of self-defense; a grandfather is shot.

Three cases from The First 48 archive where witnesses bravely shared case breaking information. First, in Dallas, a young woman found executed in a field is tied to another recent murder. Then, in Tulsa, footage from a double shooting in a motel reveals an important eyewitness. Finally, in Atlanta, after a gang related shooting a community must decide if they are going to fight back.

A Dallas retiree is found mysteriously stabbed to death in his own bed; then, a grisly murder outside a local Cincinnati bar sends shockwaves among its patrons; finally, a father is ambushed and gunned down in a restaurant parking lot in Tulsa.

Three Tulsa cases where the suspects are female. A killer unknowingly leads detectives to a body. An innocent mother is viciously murdered with a butcher knife. Then, a homeless couple is taken in by a friend, but when he ends up dead, the woman makes a fateful choice.

Three cases from The First 48 archive where friends turned into enemies. First, in Cleveland, a backyard hangout turns deadly in broad daylight. Then, in Tulsa, a young man risks his life to save a friend's. Finally, in Gwinnett County, Georgia, a family man is killed by those he trusted most.

We revisit three cases from The First 48 archive where disputes escalated to violence, and ultimately ended in homicide. First, a vengeful shooting spree in Tulsa leaves 2 slain. Then, a young mother in Dallas intervenes in a domestic dispute and pays with her life. Finally, a Tulsa man visits his ex-girlfriend and winds up dead.

In New Orleans, a double-shooting on Bourbon Street leaves only one survivor and the hope he can name the suspect. In Birmingham, when a young man and his girlfriend are shot in his home, only she survives. Detectives must determine if the suspects she named are indeed the killers. And in Gwinnett County, when a man stabbed more than 20 times survives, detectives must await his recovery to get answers.

Three cases from The First 48 archive where cameras were the best witness. First, in Tulsa, surveillance captures a group of people en route to a deadly shooting. Then, in Harris County,Texas, a turf war heats up as the camera looks on. Finally, in Cleveland, a brawl in front of six cameras leaves a hardworking father dead.

We revisit three cases from The First 48 archive that expose the dark and deadly side of love. First, love turns lethal when a Tulsa couple's argument escalates to double murder. Then, investigators discover jealousy may be the motive behind a man's stabbing death. And finally, a love triangle ends in murder.

Three cases from The First 48 that went cold, frustrating detectives. In Harris County, when a dancer is found murdered in her home, detectives wonder if the killer is someone she knew. Then, in Tulsa, when a young mother goes missing, her family fears they may never get answers, until a break in the case four years later. And, in Miami, when a homeless man is brutally killed, investigators worry a community's fear of gang retaliation will block their pursuit of justice.