The BEST episodes of 48 Hours season 12
Every episode of 48 Hours season 12, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of 48 Hours season 12!
Television's most popular true-crime series, investigating shocking cases and compelling real-life dramas with journalistic integrity and cutting-edge style.
#1 - Kidnapped: A Year Later
Season 12 - Episode 36 - Aired 7/1/1999
A year after Cheryl Lamare's latest rescue attempt, 48 Hours Correspondent Susan Spencer finds out what happened to some of those involved. Still in Crete with his daughter Jamie, Stan Voulgarelis insists that he has never sexually abused her. During a visit, he urged Spencer to talk with Jamie alone to ask if she had been sexually abused. She insisted that she liked living with her father, and that he had never touched her inappropriately. Jamie has a message for her mother: "She shouldn't try to come back and get me because I'll go only when I want to go." But shortly after our program aired a year ago, a young woman named Lisa contacted 48 Hours. She said she was a stepdaughter from Stan's previous marriage, and she had a shocking claim.
Watch Now:Amazon#2 - Murder for Hire?
Season 12 - Episode 32 - Aired 5/13/1999
On Nov. 7, 1997, Sheila Bellush, a mother of six, was brutally murdered in her Sarasota, Fla., home. Police found a multitude of clues at the scene, including fingerprints. Within weeks, three men had been arrested. But the crime was not a robbery, and the three men had never met Bellush before. Why would they want to kill her? Was it a murder for hire? Her ex-husband, wealthy San Antonio businessman Allen Blackthorne, frequently golfed with one of the men arrested in the crime. Witnesses say he was very angry at his ex-wife. Weeks before the murder, he hired a private investigator to locate Bellush. While the three men languished in jail, Blackthorne, who says he is innocent, continued to play golf. CBS News 48 Hours examines a case of murder, guilt and the intricacies of the criminal justice system. A Brutal Murder: Why would anyone want to murder Sheila Bellush? She was a wonderful woman and a devoted mother, her family says. Peter Van Sant reports from Sarasota, Fla.
Watch Now:Amazon#3 - Who Killed JonBenet?
Season 12 - Episode 28 - Aired 4/8/1999
For more than two years, a modest house on the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado has been one of the most infamous addresses in America. It is the house where six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was brutally killed on the day after Christmas 1996. But after almost 28 months, the murder remains a mystery as authorities filter through heaps of physical evidence. CBS News Correspondent Bernard Goldberg takes an inside look at the investigation for 48 Hours. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#4 - The Shame of Rush Springs
Season 12 - Episode 42 - Aired 8/2/1999
CBS News 48 Hours examines the case of two Oklahoma boys who shot and killed their brutally abusive father. Everyone in Rush Springs knew what was going on at the Dutton place. But no one stopped it. So the two boys took matters into their own hands. Is what they did murder or self-defense? 48 Hours delves into this moral quandary, and examines how a small town could allow the situation to get this far.
#5 - The Curse of Small Town U.S.A.
Season 12 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/24/1998
Methamphetamine is a powerful, cheap drug and it is a growing problem in some surprising parts of America. Unlike crack cocaine, which primarily targeted the inner-city during its reign of terror in the 1980's, crank is making it's mark in Small Town, U.S.A. The drug's users range from middle class and well-educated people to teens -- even mothers who have passed on their addictions to their babies. One of the reasons crank is growing so quickly is that methamphetamine is easily produced in makeshift labs from inexpensive raw materials. In addition, users experience a "high" lasting up to 30 hours -- much longer than many other drugs. "Methamphetamine may be the worst drug ever to hit America," says retired General Barry McAffrey, the nation's Drug Czar. "It's expanding in a very bizarre manner. It's all over the Midwest. It's in Idaho, Arizona, Hawaii, San Francisco, Southern California. It's now showing up in Georgia." Crank's explosive growth is being fueled by mass production labs run by Mexican nationals. Authorities say they produce up to 95% of the crank on America's streets. CBS News 48 Hours took a close look at methamphetamine on Thursday, and found a drug that threatens to tear apart the lives of countless Americans. Could your community be at risk?
#6 - After the Tears
Season 12 - Episode 30 - Aired 4/24/1999
The investigation of the Columbine High School shooting massacre continues; influences of music, weapons and self-respect programs.
#7 - Teacher's Pet
Season 12 - Episode 46 - Aired 8/12/1999
We expect that teachers, whose job is to nurture and guide children, will always have the best interests of their charges at heart. But sometimes teachers go astray: Sexual contact between teachers and students has increasingly become an issue. These relationships are disturbing, not least because they are sometimes complex. Tonight, in "Teacher's Pet," 48 Hours reports on several such cases, examining the difficult questions these cases raise about responsibility and coercion.
#8 - A Time to Kill: Sterling Barber
Season 12 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/11/1999
CBS News 48 Hours introduces you to Sterling Barber, a young man accused of murder. Barber, who was 17 when the incident occurred, admits that he killed the man, Douglas Wyatt, but claims he stabbed him in self-defense after Wyatt tried to rape him. Unconvinced, a jury convicted him of murder and the judge sentenced him to life in jail, plus 40 years. Barber appealed his case. What will happen? And who is in the right? 48 Hours Correspondent Richard Schlesinger reports from Georgia.
#9 - A Family Accused
Season 12 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/3/1998
There is no doubt that sexually abusing children is a terrible crime. But what about the damage to those who are falsely accused of such crimes? In the 1980s, in an effort to protect children, investigators used methods that are now controversial, leading to some convictions that are now being questioned. CBS News 48 Hours reports on the Amiraults, a family accused of sexually abusing numerous children while running a daycare center in Massachusetts. But did they actually do any of the things they are accused of?
#10 - Expert Witness
Season 12 - Episode 20 - Aired 1/28/1999
Study after study shows that juries put a great deal of faith in the testimony of expert witnesses. A good expert witness can swing a verdict one way or another. But how reliable are they? CBS News 48 Hours' "Expert Witness" takes a look at several incredible cases in which experts made the difference - sometimes helping the innocent prove their innocence, other times helping send the innocent to jail.
#11 - My Father's Killer
Season 12 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/18/1998
How would you react if you were given the power of life and death over the man who brutally killed your father in cold blood, and then tried to kill you? Eleven years ago, Suezann Bosler watched a stranger stab her father to death, and then try to kill her. After the murderer was caught and convicted, Suezann went on a remarkable crusade to save him from the death penalty. CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at this incredible case of forgiveness triumphing over hate.
#12 - Torn By Hate
Season 12 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/22/1998
Last month, Americans' sense of security was shattered when a gunman opened fire at a Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles. This crime and similar acts have increased awareness of a growing trend: The number of hate groups is increasing, according to experts. "Last year the number of hate groups went up 20 percent," says Mark Potok, a spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks such groups. "It was a dramatic rise." CBS News 48 Hours explores this phenomenon, focusing on the recent shooting in Los Angeles and a Pennsylvania family forced to flee from racists intent on terrorizing them. Survivors' Stories: Victims and their parents speak out for the first time in the aftermath of the shootings at the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles. 48 Hours Correspondent Susan Spencer reports. Hate Hits Home: Bonnie Jouhari, a fair housing advocate in Reading, Penn., is threatened by a hate group for her efforts to integrate housing and fight racial harassment. This campaign of intimidation forces Jouhari and her daughter Dani to relocate. Jouhari's enemies find out where she moved and continue their campaign. Find out Jouhari's response to these threats in an exclusive CBS.com interview.
#13 - Breaking Point
Season 12 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/15/1998
What would you do? Your child is failing school, taking drugs or running away for months at a time? Some parents are responding by taking drastic action, and sending their teen-agers away for months, sometimes years, to special rehabilitation schools. CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at several of these programs.
#14 - Ultimate Risk
Season 12 - Episode 29 - Aired 4/15/1999
CBS News' 48 Hours investigates the often under-regulated world of human medical testing. According to many critics, research subjects can end up in worse condition than before they began. Drug Money: Correspondent Susan Spencer reports on Richard Borison and Bruce Diamond, two men who set up a fake drug testing operation and deceived patients, drug companies and the state of Georgia. Here To Help? Correspondent Erin Moriarty reports on the case of Shalmah Prince, a manic depressive woman who checked herself into a hospital for treatment. Instead of being treated for that condition, she ended up participating in a study of an experimental psychosis drug.
#15 - Nature's Fury
Season 12 - Episode 53 - Aired 9/16/1999
As Hurricane Floyd makes its way up the East Coast, 48 Hours reports on the havoc that this and other such storms can cause: "Nature's Fury." Rescue On The High Seas: Correspondent Susan Spencer tells the story of a hazardous Coast Guard rescue operation that took place five years ago during Hurricane Gordon. Blowing In The Wind: To get a sense of the power a hurricane can pack, CBS News Correspondent Jose Diaz-Balart went into a wind tunnel for 48 Hours this week. What do 115 mph winds really feel like? Chasing Floyd: While everyone else in Floyd's path headed for safe ground, meteorologist Josh Wurman went into the danger zone -- all in the name of science. CBS News Corresondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.
#16 - The Confession
Season 12 - Episode 31 - Aired 5/6/1999
Stephanie Crowe had a bright future. By all accounts, she was good student, had a lot of friends, and got along well with her parents and two siblings. at the age of twelve, she was already winning awards for her volunteer work. But in January of 1998, all that came to an end when she was brutally murdered, stabbed nine times while she slept in her bedroom. Stephanie's parents were beside themselves with grief. But it got worse. Days later, their 15-year-old son Michael and two of his friends were arrested for the crime. Police explained Michael and one of his friends had confessed and implicated the third. But then Michael and his friend recanted, saying they had been pressured into confessing by an overzealous police department. Did the three boys kill Stephanie Crowe? Or did the police overstep their bounds while rushing to make an arrest? 48 Hours takes an in-depth look at this tale of murder, family solidarity, and the limits of police interrogation techniques.
#17 - Price of Perfection
Season 12 - Episode 33 - Aired 5/27/1999
Teen-agers undergoing plastic surgery, a bodybuilding routine that dominates one man's waking hours, a fear of gaining weight that leads to a girl's heart attack and blindness and an obsession with nose size that keeps another man from leading a normal life: In one form or another, all of these people are pursuing physical perfection. 48 Hours takes a look at some people who will do almost anything to achieve their vision of perfection. But have they gone too far? Has our society. Alicia Mitchell seems like a typical teen-ager. But she has struggled so much with eating disorders that she has been hospitalized more than 50 times. Is 16 too young to have cosmetic surgery? Not for some girls. Meet some teen-agers so unhappy with their looks that they are going under the knife. As a kid, Rob Ashton was chubby and shy. Now he's a bodybuilder who lets nothing get in the way of bigger pecs and better muscle definition. Is he sacrificing too much, even his health? Two men are so convinced that they are ugly they have shut out the world. They suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD. Can intensive treatment and a new drug regimen help them break out of a warped self-image? Find out.
#18 - Class of 2000: Driven to Extremes
Season 12 - Episode 34 - Aired 6/10/1999
In the aftermath of the Littleton tragedy, many Americans began to ask how such young people could plan and commit such a horrible act. As part of its ongoing examination of the Class of 2000, CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at teens and violence. You'll meet all sorts of teenagers: heroes, violent felons, and some more or less normal kids who are just trying to find their way in a confusing and scary world.
#19 - Desperate Measures
Season 12 - Episode 35 - Aired 6/24/1999
Imagine that you have an incurable disease and you are searching for a solution. Is there any path you wouldn't take, any remedy you wouldn't try, when you're desperate for a cure? CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at some unusual and alternative healing methods. Do these strategies work? Or are they fool's gold, sold to those who are most in need of real help? Miraculous Oil? When the religious pictures at her home in Worcester, Mass., started dripping oil, Linda Santos decided that it was a sign from God. Now her house is mobbed by pilgrims, many desperate for a cure. But is this a "miracle" or a hoax? Cancer Cure, Or Snake Oil? Some cancer patients think that 714-X is a wonder drug. They say it got rid of their disease when traditional methods couldn't. But the drug has never been tested, and is illegal in the United States. Does it work? Feel The Energy: Gene Egidio says that his touch can heal. He's created a big business out of it. But does it work? And how often? Healing Sounds: Can a soothing sound help cure cancer or relieve chronic pain? Some people, including some respected doctors, say yes. How does this novel treatment work?
#20 - Wild Things
Season 12 - Episode 37 - Aired 7/6/1999
It's a nonstop adrenaline rush. A trip to strange places that you've never even imagined. It's 48 Hours Adventures! The premiere, "Wild Things," introduces you to scuba divers who swim with sharks, runners who sprint from bulls, and a woman who takes care of baby elephants. Running With The Bulls: Correspondent Erin Moriarty takes viewers to Pamplona, where runners sprint just a few feet ahead of charging bulls. New York City bar owner Joe Distler understands the adrenaline rush well. He has been participating in the event for more than 30 years. Watch as Distler does it again. Adventurous Links: Want to find out how you can run with the bulls? Or how to help save orphaned elephants? The Web can tell you, and we've gathered the best sites here. Lightning Strikes: Correspondent Russ Mitchell explores the amazing power of lightning. You'll meet Gretel Erlich, who was hit by lightning on her cattle ranch in 1991. She almost died, and talks about how the experience changed her. Taking Care Of Baby: Correspondent Susan Spencer profiles a woman who finds new families for baby elephants orphaned by poachers and farmers in Africa. Dipping Into The Volcano: In Hawaii, Spencer meets volcano researcher Carl Thornber, who gets very close to what he studies. He once lived 200 yards from Kilauea, the best-studied volcano in the world. When it erupts, other residents flee, but Thornber gets in closer, to where the lava temperatures rise above 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit. Swimming With The Sharks: Correspondent Harold Dow reports on a group of divers who go swimming with sharks off the Bahamas. Known as a "shark rodeo," this spectacle is both beautiful and terrifying.
#21 - Multiple Choice
Season 12 - Episode 38 - Aired 7/8/1999
What is it like to be an exact copy of another human being? 48 Hours examines this fascinating question, exploring the lives of twins as well as quadruplets. 48 Hours' "Multiple Choice" introduces you to some twins who for more than 40 years didn't even know each other. You'll also meet a woman who was determined to bear her quadruplets, even if it endangered her own life. And you'll learn the truth about Correspondent Erin Moriarty and her twin sister Sheela. Identical or fraternal twins? Find out. When Cathy Cimoch found out she was pregnant with quadruplets, she decided she'd try to have all four. But the difficulties prove tremendous. Will her babies survive? Many identical twins - even those raised separately - are remarkably alike, down to their hairstyles. But others are drastically different. What determines these outcomes? Is it genes, or environment? For more than 40 years, Erin Moriarty and her sister thought they were identical twins. But are they? Or was the doctor who delivered them mistaken?
#22 - Murder, Madness, Insanity
Season 12 - Episode 39 - Aired 7/12/1999
Should wrongdoers who are mentally ill be treated in the same way as are calculating, cold-blooded murderers? And what happens when a killer, judged insane, then claims to be cured and asks for freedom? CBS News 48 Hours has examined these cases: On July 17, 1988, Michael Hayes, then a 24-year-old moped repairman in Forsyth County, North Carolina, gunned down nine people at a crossroads, killing four. He was soon caught, and confessed, telling authorities that God had told him to kill demons. Found not guilty by reason of insanity, he was sent to the state mental hospital. Now he says he is no longer mentally ill and should be allowed to work unsupervised off hospital grounds. His longtime lawyer agrees. But the relatives of his former victims don't want him freed and the psychiatrist hired by the state thinks Hayes is still dangerous. What will happen? In 1975 Philadelphia lawyer Jay Centifanti shot his wife five times. He claimed insanity and never went to prison. Now a crusader for the mentally ill, he says he leads a normal life. Did the system work, or did he get off easily? What would possess a mother to kill her newborn child? Authorities say that some mothers fall victim to an altered state known as postpartum psychosis, in which mothers are not aware of what they are doing to their children. One of these mothers is Dawn March, who drowned her 22-week-old daughter Shawna. March was sent to a mental hospital. What happened to her?
#23 - Against All Odds
Season 12 - Episode 40 - Aired 7/13/1999
It is 29,028 feet of foreboding rock and ice: Mt. Everest. It has challenged and sometimes beaten even the bravest climbers. Among those who were willing to try: a 51-year-old professor who has only one foot. Last year, that climber, Tom Whittaker, tried to leave his footprint on Everest as the first disabled climber to make the ascent. 48 Hours Adventures takes you along as Whittaker takes his shot in "Against All Odds."
#24 - Sixth Sense
Season 12 - Episode 44 - Aired 8/5/1999
Do ghosts exist? Can we communicate with the dead? Do humans live more than one lifetime? 48 Hours puts the paranormal world to the test. Is any of this stuff really real? Ghosts For Guests? Leland French is sure that his historic house, McRaven, is haunted. Find out what two parapsychologists, who investigate claims of hauntings, think about these ghosts. Tapping Into Past Lives: Dr. Brian Weiss is a Yale-trained psychiatrist who believes that hypnotism can help people remember their past lives. Correspondent Bernie Goldberg reports. Spiritual Switchboard: George Anderson used to be a telephone operator. Now he claims to communicate with the dead. What happens when 48 Hours puts him to the test? Psychic For Cops: Annette Martin says she has helped police solve many mysterious crimes. Among those who believe in her ability is retired Detective Rich Keaton. But what seems psychic to Martin seems like good questioning and good luck to a veteran debunker. Remote Viewing Up Close: Those who believe they have extrasensory perception powers claim to see events and places far out of immediate range. They are also called remote viewers. Onis put to the test by Correspondent Harold Dow.
#25 - Who Killed Allen Griffen?
Season 12 - Episode 45 - Aired 8/9/1999
CBS News 48 Hours examines the case of Allen Griffen, an 11-year-old Iowa boy who died from a treatable disease. Whose fault is his death? His parents? His doctors? Should his parents - put on trial for allowing his death to occur - be held responsible? As 48 Hours explores how a controllable medical problem could get so far out of control, you'll learn more about the following individuals: Allen Griffen, a fourth-grader in Johnston, Iowa. On May 22, 1989, he died of peritonitis, a treatable intestinal disease. He weighed about 45 pounds when he died. Terry and Jean Griffen, Allen's parents. The Griffins say they had no idea that their son was in danger of dying. They say they think about their son's death every day. But Iowa authorities, who said the signs of danger were obvious, charged the pair with willfully depriving their son of medical care. The couple faced 10 years in prison. Carla Fultz and Bill Price, the Griffens' lawyers. They argued that Allen's doctors didn't adequately communicate the danger to the boy or his parents. Dr. Thomas Bennett, who served as the Iowa state medical examiner. He said on the stand that Allen was a victim of "medical neglect." Allen Kaufman and Jeffrey Stahl, two of Allen's doctors. The Griffens' lawyers argued that these two are really at fault in Allen's death. Ultimately, the Griffens were found not guilty of neglect. They considered adopting another child, but never did. Following their acquittal, the Griffens sued Allen's doctors for malpractice. The case was settled out of court.