Hosted by Bill Kurtis, American Justice looks at groundbreaking criminal cases, presenting viewers with an inside look at the case through the eyes of those directly involved, ranging from law enforcement officers to the victims.
American Justice (Season 5)
Cop Killers (Episode 1)
Air date: 1996-01-17
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Notorious recent cases provide the focus for an examination of cop killings and what can be done to protect those in uniform.
The Chicago Mob (Episode 2)
Air date: 1996-02-07
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Chicago crime bosses; Al Capone; Anthony "Joe Batters" Accardo; Sam Giancana; Gus Alex.
The Sam Sheppard Story (Episode 3)
Air date: 1996-02-15
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Dr. Sam Sheppard is convicted of murder in 1954 and retried in the '60s.
Murder in the Family (Episode 4)
Air date: 1996-03-06
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: The cases of the Freeman brothers and Jeffrey Howarth highlight an examination of murder in the family.
Vegas and the Mob (Episode 5)
Air date: 1996-04-10
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: How Bugsy Siegel and others built a glittering gambling mecca from barren desert; includes an interview with former casino manager Frank Rosenthal.
Long Island Railroad Massacre (Episode 6)
Air date: 1996-04-24
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: In 1993 Colin Ferguson methodically shoots passengers aboard a Long Island Railroad commuter
Bounty Hunters (Episode 7)
Air date: 1996-05-11
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Bail bondsmen hire bounty hunters to capture fugitives.
The Pamela Smart Story (Episode 8)
Air date: 1996-05-25
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Schoolteacher Pamela Smart enlists a student to kill her husband.
John Wayne Gacy: Buried Secrets (Episode 9)
Air date: 1996-06-05
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: John Wayne Gacy's lawyers discuss the man, the crimes and the case now that his execution has lifted the constraints of their attorney-client privilege.
When Cops Kill (Episode 10)
Air date: 1996-06-19
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Technology creates police weapons designed to stun rather than kill.
Hot Pursuit (Episode 11)
Air date: 1996-07-17
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Strict departmental policies govern high-speed police chases.
Great Crimes & Trials: John Christie of Rillington Place (Episode 12)
Air date: 1996-07-28
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: In the 1950s, England reels over the case of serial killer John Christie.
Denis Nilsen: The Kindly Killer (Episode 13)
Air date: 1996-08-18
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: A British serial killer lures young men to his apartment and dismembers them.
Mob Hit Men (Episode 14)
Air date: 1996-08-21
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Interviews with Nicholas "The Crow" Caramandi, former hit men and other experts highlight an examination of the mob hit man. Host: Bill Kurtis.
Bamber Family Murders (Episode 15)
Air date: 1996-08-25
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Recalling the Bamber family murder case, considered by some to be almost the perfect crime.
Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker (Episode 16)
Air date: 1996-09-01
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Richard Ramirez rapes, mutilates and tortures more than 25 California victims.
The Menendez Murders (Episode 17)
Air date: 1996-09-04
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Three juries consider the murder cases against Erik and Lyle Menendez.
Hammersmith Murders: Jack the Stripper (Episode 18)
Air date: 1996-09-22
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: The murders of six prostitutes end with a man's suicide.
I Confess (Episode 19)
Air date: 1996-09-25
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Confessions play a part in three unique criminal cases; coercion; admissibility.
James Hanratty: A6 Murder (Episode 20)
Air date: 1996-09-29
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: After James Hanratty is hanged for a murder, a man confesses to the crime.
To Catch a Killer: Homicide Detectives (Episode 21)
Air date: 1996-10-02
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Profiling the lives of men and women who choose to work as homicide detectives.
Disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (Episode 22)
Air date: 1996-10-06
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: The twisted career and mysterious disappearance of the union boss.
Caryl Chessman (Episode 23)
Air date: 1996-10-13
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Clever criminal who spent the last 12 years of his crusading against execution.
The McKay Kidnapping (Episode 24)
Air date: 1996-10-20
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: The cruel story of mistaken identity in the Muriel McKay kidnapping case.
Black Panther (Episode 25)
Air date: 1996-10-20
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: A woman is kidnapped and murdered after inheriting a fortune.
Free to Kill: The Polly Klaas Murder (Episode 26)
Air date: 1996-10-23
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: The case of Polly Klaas highlights an examination of repeat offenders who are set loose upon society.
Kennedy Assassination (Episode 27)
Air date: 1996-11-17
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Theories abound concerning President Kennedy's death.
Massacre of the Tsar (Episode 28)
Air date: 1996-11-17
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: The controversial story of the 1918 murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family
Death Row Women (Episode 29)
Air date: 1996-11-20
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: How society ultimately copes with the prospect of executing a woman.
Neville Heath: The Lady Killer (Episode 30)
Air date: 1996-11-24
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: Englishman Neville Heath was hanged for murder.
The Defenders (Episode 31)
Air date: 1996-12-04
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: The United States is the only country to provide free legal counsel for poor defendants.
Rise of the Mafia (Episode 32)
Air date: 1996-12-08
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: An examination of the Gambino crime family and its bloody 30-year war with the other gangland families of New York.
The Great Midwest Gangs (Episode 33)
Air date: 1996-02-10
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: In the Depression-torn dust bowl of the 1930s, a new kind of desperado is born. Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger, and Bonnie & Clyde become as well-known and admired as movie stars.
The Kidnappers (Episode 34)
Air date: 1996-03-09
Runtime: 43 min
Overview: For bigger payoffs, criminals turn from bank robbery to kidnapping.
Seasons
Episodes 6
Episodes 27
Episodes 27
Episodes 23
Episodes 34
Episodes 17
Episodes 3
Episodes 7
Episodes 11
Episodes 3
Episodes 3
Episodes 6
Episodes 11
Episodes 8
Episodes 14
Episodes 9