The heart-wrenching case of eight-year-old Sarah Payne, who was abducted and murdered. A forensic ecologist finds a vital link between the suspect and the gravesite. And an expert witness analyses blood at the scene, where remains are found in a freezer

A twisted killer throws two suitcases containing severed remains into a canal, and it’s down to a 3D-scanning expert to uncover the crucial evidence needed to convict him. And a forensic entomologist helps prove a suspected case of extreme dog neglect.

When a body is found in a wheelie bin dumped in a lake, can a cell site analyst track the suspects’ movements and help put them behind bars? And when a man disappears in the Highlands, a soil expert unearths the grim truth that identifies his killers.

When a violent gang use a secret language to discuss a fatal attack, police turn to a forensic linguist to crack their code. And one of the biggest cannabis growing operations ever seen in the UK is brought down with the help of a drugs expert.

Will untying the knot of a dressing gown cord used to kill Mary McLoughlin 35 years ago finally reveal the identity of her killer? And when a student’s body is found in a suitcase, a soil expert’s analysis of muddy shoes helps solve the case.

In a horrifying case of mistaken identity, a man is stabbed to death in his home. Can an intelligence analyst help convict the suspects? And when a teenager is found beaten to death, a trace evidence specialist helps police confirm the murder weapon.

Nearly 30 years after six-year-old Rikki Neave was brutally murdered, the cold case is reopened and evidence from a soil expert proves crucial in convicting his killer. And a wildlife forensic scientist helps police in an illegal ivory investigation.

When fire crew discover a woman’s body in a burning flat, a blood spatter analyst uses a risky and untested method to reveal key evidence. And a Welsh cold case is solved when, for the first time, familial DNA is used to identify a serial killer.

A teenager is found dead in the woods. A pathologist analyses her stab wounds to shed light on the attack, and when remains are found in Scotland, a crack team of experts nail the killer.

The devastating case of a gunman fatally shooting a young girl in Liverpool. An image analyst helps detectives unmask the notorious killer. When valuable antique coins are dug up illegally, two expert witnesses help police to convict the suspects.

A mother and child disappear in 1976, only leaving a burnt-out car behind them. Over 40 years later, can a blood analyst help police finally bring their killer to justice? And a cell data specialist is called upon to plot the movements of six suspects.

The brutal, unsolved murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common shocked the nation. Ten years on, can a forensic team using new DNA technology identify the killer? And a trace expert’s analysis of glass fragments from a beer glass connects a suspect to a vicious assault.

A young boy is beaten to death, but his killer evades justice. Three decades on, a pollen expert finds a crucial link between a suspect and the brutal murder. And after a vicious attack leaves a man dead, can a blood and fibre analyst help trace the killer?

A disabled woman is brutally murdered, and her neighbour is the prime suspect. Can a consultant doctor help police put him behind bars? And a linguistics expert provides vital evidence to convict a man who’s stalking and harassing his ex-partner

The 2005 murder of a Glasgow woman goes cold, but 17 years on, can a Dutch soil expert help to finally bring the killer to justice? And when a man is suspected of stabbing his housemate, a blood analyst employs an unusual technique to crack the case.