The First 48 Presents Critical Minutes

Critical Minutes looks at three cases from The First 48 that take place in the brutal underworld of illegal drugs. In Tulsa, a homeless dealer is ambushed on a dark trail. In Cincinnati, an elderly man is strangled in his apartment. And a parking lot drug deal in Atlanta turns into a shootout that leaves two men dead.

Examines three cases where homicides were committed in the name of love. First, in Dallas, a couple is shot to death on their doorstep, and detectives have to track down the killer as he goes on a multi-state crime spree. Then, in Louisville, a hearing-impaired man is stabbed in his doorway. And finally in Tulsa, a woman's body is found in a trash can. Can her death be linked to the murder of her fiance the year before?

Veteran homicide detectives search for answers after a woman is killed in her Dallas home, a reluctant witness weighs whether to name the shooter in a homicide case in Memphis and a man gets shot in his own doorway in Dallas.

Homicide detectives attempt to understand puzzling motives for murder after a woman is attacked as payback for someone else, a barber is shot by someone who appears to be a friend and a man is targeted for defending a friend.

Rookie detectives lead their first investigations in three cases from "The First 48" archive; in Louisville, Ky., a rookie leans on video surveillance to find a convenience store killer.

In Memphis, a woman is dragged to her death in broad daylight; in Harris County, a young mother is found with her throat slashed; in Miami, an ongoing battle between two gangs feels impossible to curtail as the body count rises.

A look back at three First 48 cases where the victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time. In Tulsa, what appears to be a case of road rage turns out to be something else entirely. Then, a man is stabbed to death in his car and Tulsa detectives have a hard time believing his friend’s story of what happened. And investigators in Harris County must get to the bottom of a car wash shooting that leaves a man dead.

Three stories from The First 48 where a plan proved deadly for unwitting victims. In Dallas, a man is lured to his death in an abandoned apartment; a homeless man in Miami is brutally beaten with a rock; and a Tulsa woman’s plan to help her sister goes horribly wrong.

Three stories from The First 48 where a plan proved deadly for unwitting victims. In Dallas, a man is lured to his death in an abandoned apartment; a homeless man in Miami is brutally beaten with a rock; and a Tulsa woman’s plan to help her sister goes horribly wrong.

Three cases from The First 48 that were driven by revenge and resentment. In Mobile, a man is executed in a parking lot months after an altercation; in Harris County, TX, pressing charges in an attempted robbery leads to a man’s brutal murder; and in Tulsa, a gang member goes on the hunt after being called a name.

When there are no witnesses, homicide detectives face an uphill climb to find the truth. First, detectives in Cincinnati come across a bizarre homicide at an apartment fire. Then, in Memphis, solving a preacher’s murder hinges on a single fingerprint. And a Tulsa woman found dead leaves police a clue that might solve her own murder.

A look back at three cases from The First 48 where forensics played a pivotal role in solving homicides. In Harris County, detectives rely on fingerprints to solve a father's carjacking and murder. In Charlotte, NC, a slain woman's family finds justice through DNA; and in Minneapolis, ballistics is the key to solving a man shot during a street fight.

Three cases from The First 48 where things get out of control in a heated moment. In Birmingham, a man's body is found burned after an argument with a friend; in New Orleans, a man with cancer gets a ride home that ends in his murder; and in Tulsa, a man visiting his son is killed in a jealous rage.

Three different approaches to suspect interviews are featured from The First 48. First, detectives in Cleveland sit down with friends and the suspect in the murder of a young mother, then the boyfriend of a missing woman is questioned in Harris County with hopes of finding the woman alive, and detectives in Memphis change strategy in an effort to get their murder suspect to talk.

Three cases from The First 48 that feature families enveloped in personal tragedies. In New Orleans, two cousins have a deadly fight, in Memphis, a young couple disappear and their uncle's home holds a clue, and in Dallas, a woman brutally turns on her sister-in-law.

This episode looks back at three cases that stayed with detectives. In Dallas, a man is dismembered and burned and dumped in a lake. Then, in Tulsa, two kids find their mother dead in her car. And in Dallas, two friends are found burned in a car.

In Memphis, Tenn., a man is killed when he tries to break up a fight; in Miami, a well-intended kid is shot at a nightclub; in Tulsa, Okla., a young woman loses her life for something she had nothing to do with.

In Tucson, Ariz., a homeless woman is brutally gutted under a highway underpass; the suspect's motive haunts investigators; in Tulsa, Okla., the shooting of a man sets off a chain of events unlike anything Tulsa Homicide has ever seen.

In New Orleans, close friends fight over money and one of them ends up dead; in Florida's Broward County, an elderly man makes a fatal mistake with some new friends; in Dallas, childhood friends have a wild night that ends in tragedy.

In Kansas City, detectives discover two women in an abandoned garage; in Dallas, investigators use a surprising clue to bring their killers to justice; in Miami, one marina is linked to two murders that share a shocking connection.

In New Orleans, a night out ends with a deadly morning after a random encounter; in Tulsa, an argument over a cellphone escalates into a double homicide; in Birmingham, a breakup goes very wrong in a public park.

In Tulsa, multiple cameras help crack open a case; in Atlanta, a key witness provides a crucial lead after seeing surveillance footage of the suspect on the news.

A beloved barber is caught in the crossfire of a long-standing gang rivalry; a young man returns home during his lunch break and is killed by an armed burglar; an old woman opens her home to a man searching for his lost dog and pays a deadly price.

Three of The First 48's most memorable cases featuring surveillance video are highlighted: in Cleveland, Ohio a robbery leaves an innocent man dead at the shop where he worked; in Dallas, an encounter on an elevator seals the shocking fate of a woman heading home for the day; and in Memphis, revenge is served in video surveillance that tells a misleading story.

Looks back at three cases that erupted in the heat of the moment. In Kansas City, a confrontation with a baseball bat escalates to murder. Then, in Harris County, a man's Easter visit with his ex-wife turns deadly. And in Atlanta, a mother watches in horror as her family is destroyed in a flash of violence.

In Tulsa, a shooting in a motel parking lot leads investigators to undertake an undercover operation to capture the suspect; in Tulsa, the investigation into the shooting of a former Marine leads to a dangerous car chase and apprehension.

In New Orleans, a robbery takes a rookie months to unravel; in Phoenix a first time detective with only one clue traces a random fender bender that sparks a horrible turn of events; in Atlanta the new guy tracks the suspects in a drug deal.

The gruesome rape and murder of two women in an abandoned house haunts investigators; detectives work to identify the suspects who drowned a local couple; a woman who was burned alive fights to survive so she can identify her assailants.

A confrontation turns deadly in Memphis, Tenn.; in Cincinnati, a single mother is torn between work and home; in Tulsa, Okla., a family dispute takes a dark turn; in Atlanta, an interrogation room interview turns emotional.

In Tulsa, a key witness denies knowing anything about a brutal homicide until confronted with evidence that proves otherwise. In Dallas, a suspect shocks detectives with a confession they didn't see coming. In Atlanta, Detective Quinn has an uphill battle in the interview room with a suspect who appears to be targeting and killing homeless people.

In Memphis, the tragic murder of 6 people in the same house on Lester Street tears a family apart. In Tulsa, the strange disappearance of a former Navy vet finally provides answers after almost 2 years. And in Atlanta, the brutal shooting of a young engaged couple on the side of the road haunts investigators.