American Justice

- Season 5

(1996)

American Justice host Bill Kurtis narrates an hour long look at some of the more infamous cases of criminals who are "cop killers". Included are the case of Ronald Ray Howard. Howard claimed that he was influenced by the rap music of Tupac Shakur when he shot and killed a Texas State Trooper in 1992. And the 1991 shooting death of another Texas officer of the law, Constable Darrel Lunsford. Lunsford's murder was recorded by the dashboard camera of his own patrol cruiser. American Justice also interviews other officers of the law as well as prosecutors, and takes a ...

"The Chicago Mob" profiles Windy City crime bosses, including Al Capone, who became Chicago's gangland kingpin in his 20s; 1960s gangster Sam Giancana; and Anthony Accardo, reportedly the trigger man at the 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

A detailed examination of the case of Dr. Sam Sheppard, the Cleveland surgeon convicted of murdering his wife in 1954. Included: crime scene photos; the investigation and trial; legal appeals resulting in Sheppard's release; his son's effort to exonerate him.

Investigating homicides committed against parents by their children. Included: the case of David and Brian Freeman, who killed their Allentown, Pa., parents in 1995; Jeffrey Howorth, who shot his parents in 1995.

How organized-crime figures built a "Niagara Falls of money" in Las Vegas in the 1930s and '40s, which they enjoyed until "paradise came crashing down." Included: an interview with casino manager Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, who inspired the Robert De Niro character in "Casino."

An examination of the 1993 "Long Island Rail Road Massacre," in which six commuters were killed and 19 wounded by gunman Colin Ferguson, who was convicted of six counts of murder. Included: talks with eyewitnesses, jurors and police officers.

A look at the work of bounty hunters, or "fugitive recovery agents," who track down individuals who jump bail. Included: interviews with bounty hunters and footage from actual arrests. Also: training and licensing

American Justice chronicles the case of Winnacunnet High School media coordinator Pamela Smart. Smart, who was 22 years old, had an affair with a 15 year old student at the same school and seduced him into murdering her husband. The case against Smart, her lover, and his three friends from the same Hew Hampshire school who had helped him commit the murder grabbed the attention of millions of Americans as the story unfolded.

A report on the U.S. Government's battle to break up a mob drug operation through a mammoth FBI investigation leading to Sicily, Zurich, the Midwest and New York City pizzerias. Included: interviews with FBI agents, attorneys, drug-enforcement agents and Italian government officials.

Examining cases in which police actions resulted in the death of a citizen. Included: trial footage; police photos; interviews with police officers. Also: weapons designed to stun, not kill.

An examination of high-speed chases conducted by law-enforcement agencies via land, air and sea, with an analysis of five pursuits. Also: the policies governing chases and the techniques utilized to ensure safety.

The case of Clarence Brandley, a west Texas man wrongfully convicted of a 1980 murder and sentenced to death. Included: alleged collusion between police, prosecutors and judges; legal appeals and two stays of execution; Brandley's second trial and release from Death Row. Interviewed: Brandley, his attorneys, the judge from the first trial, a private investigator, Brandley's brother.

Recalling Philadelphia's bloody mob wars of the 1980s and early '90s. Interviewed are Mafia hit men who later became witnesses against their former bosses. Included: comments from prosecutors and FBI agents.

An investigation into the 1985 Bamber family murders in England, in which Jeremy Bamber killed his adoptive parents, his sister and her twin sons in hopes of inheriting his family's fortune.

An examination of the "Night Stalker" murders that haunted Southern California during the summer of 1985, in which Richard Ramirez killed 13 persons. He was subsequently sentenced to death for the crimes.

A report on the 1989 killings of Kitty and Jose Menendez, and the murder trial against their sons, Lyle and Erik. Included: the "abuse excuse" used by the defense; and comments from jurors, who discuss reasons why the brothers' first trial ended in a hung jury.

Recalling the case of the unidentified serial killer British police called "Jack the Stripper," who's believed to be responsible for the murders of six prostitutes in London in 1964.

A look at the use---and abuse---of confessions in murder cases. The hour examines unique cases in which confessions played a key role, such as the "Central Park jogger" case. Included: examples of videotaped confessions.

Recounting the case of James Hanratty, who was hanged, many believe wrongly, for the shooting deaths of two lovers in London.

Graphic footage accompanies this look at homicide detectives on the job. Among the cases investigated is a 1994 quadruple murder in Virginia Beach, Va.

The unexplained disappearance of labor leader Jimmy Hoffa (1913-75?). Included: his controversy-filled life and evidence regarding his fate.

Recalling the 1969 kidnapping of Muriel McKay, the wife of a newspaperman. McKay's body was never found, and immigrants Arthur Hosein and his brother, Nizamodeen, were convicted of the crime.

Using the slaying of Polly Klaas, the Petaluma, Cal., 12-year-old, to examine law-enforcement methods designed to deal with repeat offenders. Included: aggressive policing techniques and laws around the country.

The execution of Nicholas II and his family by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

A look at the daily routines of women sentenced to death includes interviews with condemned inmates, and families and friends of victims. Also: a visit to death row in an Alabama prison.

The case of Neville Heath, a British Air Force officer executed in 1946 for the murders of two young women.

Judging the effectiveness of publicly funded defense lawyers for poor and indigent defendants.

Chronicling the power struggles between New York's Gambino family and rival clans. Included: the conflicts among top Gambino bosses that culminated in the 1985 murder of Paul Castellano on the order of John Gotti.