Forensic History: Crimes, Frauds, and Scandals

Overview

Investigate history’s most notorious crimes through forensic science in this 24-lecture course, from Jack the Ripper to modern political scandals.

Course No. 1174

Professor Elizabeth Murray, a forensic anthropologist, reveals how cutting-edge science unravels mysteries spanning two centuries—with case studies from Hollywood deaths to Nazi war crimes.

Course Content

Infamous Murders & Mysteries

1. Jack the Ripper’s London (31 min)
   • How 1888’s unsolved slayings revolutionized crime investigation

2. Black Dahlia & Lust Murders (30 min)
   • The gruesome 1947 case that shocked America

• Hollywood Deaths: Fact vs. Fiction (31 min)
  • Bruce Lee, George Reeves, and Bob Crane

Forensic Breakthroughs

4. Tylenol Murders (1982) (30 min)
   • Cyanide-laced pills and product tampering forensics

5. Eyewitness Testimony Flaws (30 min)
   • How DNA overturned wrongful convictions

6. Romanov Family Forensics (30 min)
   • Solving the 1918 execution mystery

Crimes of Power

7. Political Assassinations (31 min)
   • From Yasser Arafat to Olof Palme

8. Nazi War Crime Evidence (31 min)
   • Buchenwald’s “Witch” and human experiments

9. Sports & Political Scandals (31 min)
   • Lance Armstrong to presidential corruption

Future of Forensics

10. Cold Case Revolution (30 min)
    • How unidentified remains get names

11. Frauds & Forgeries (31 min)
    • Fake art, documents, and historical hoaxes

12. Forensic Tech Evolution (33 min)
    • From fingerprinting to digital evidence