The WORST episodes of Dateline NBC

Every episode of Dateline NBC ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Dateline NBC!

Dateline presents in-depth coverage of news stories. Rather than just reading news reports, as most news shows do, the reporters for this show research their subjects and interview the people closely involved to create an informative work of investigative journalism.

Last Updated: 5/1/2025Network: NBCStatus: Continuing
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#1 - The Girl with the Blue Mustang

Season 18 - Episode 39 - Aired 4/30/2010

A popular college freshman is gunned down in her car for no apparent reason. Police had no clues: no fingerprints, no information about trouble in Michelle O'Keefe's life. Then an unexpected source comes into the picture. Keith Morrison reports.

Missing Mickey
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#2 - Missing Mickey

Season 21 - Episode 19 - Aired 1/29/2013

After college student Mickey Shunick went missing last summer, her sister was the tip of the spear in the multinational search, and now opens up about the case.

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#3 - 10 Scariest Escapes from Death

Season 16 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/2/2008

Along Came Jodi
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#4 - Along Came Jodi

Season 21 - Episode 36 - Aired 3/1/2013

The trial and murder conviction of Jodi Arias and the salacious relationship that ended in tragedy.

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#5 - It Could Happen to You

Season 21 - Episode 28 - Aired 3/3/2013

After having their dreams of winning the lottery come to fruition, five people discuss the unique ways in which they've decided to use the newly found fortune, while Donald Trump discusses different ways this sudden wealth should be handled.

Intersection; Taken (2013)
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#6 - Intersection; Taken (2013)

Season 21 - Episode 29 - Aired 3/17/2013

An in depth and uncensored look in to a controversial new intervention program lasts over the course of a year as eight drug dealers are given a rare opportunity to reform their criminal ways after being arrested in a typical middle class area. Also, Brittany Tavar disappears from her home, along with her dogs, leavings friends and family baffled and worried.

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#7 - Fatal Visions

Season 17 - Episode 42 - Aired 5/29/2009

Correspondent Josh Mankiewicz investigates the case of the 2001 drowning of a woman inside her own bathtub which has seen many twists and turns throughout the years.

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#8 - Murder in the Moonlight

Season 14 - Episode 25 - Aired 8/9/2006

A man is accused of killing his beautiful wife on a moonlit beach walk and then shooting himself to cover up the crime, Dennis Murphy reports.

Rossen Reports; The Fugitive
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#9 - Rossen Reports; The Fugitive

Season 21 - Episode 30 - Aired 3/24/2013

Correspondents investigate fire alarms not working properly, ingredients in household products like shampoos and toothpaste, and personal information available online; Chris Hanson reports on the FBI manhunt for Jason Derek Brown.

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#10 - Sandy: Rescue & Recovery

Season 21 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/2/2012

Dateline offers a special report on the devastation in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. It visits areas of New York and New Jersey that are struggling to restore power and repair damage. It also interviews people who have been hit hard by the disaster and looks at an effort to stop the New York Marathon

Trouble in Paradise
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#11 - Trouble in Paradise

Season 21 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/18/2013

After his neighbor was murdered, American software mogul John McAfee fleed tropical paradise Belize, and Keith Morrison travels there to try to uncover what really happened, and finally tracks down the fugitive millionaire for an extensive interview.

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#12 - Phony Rockefeller

Season 21 - Episode 33 - Aired 4/17/2013

Mike Taibbi takes a detailed look in to the life and history of con man Clark Rockefeller with interviews of lead detectives during his murder trial and those who personally knew him best.

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#13 - Appointment for Murder

Season 16 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/16/2008

A doctor was found dead in his Chicago office -- and he'd been the focus of an obsession that had lasted for years

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#14 - Bitter Pill

Season 18 - Episode 33 - Aired 4/26/2010

When a mother of two died after a fender-bender, her loved ones were left shaking their heads and looking for answers. The more they learned, though, the more it seemed that it wasn't her accident that needed investigating, but her marriage.. Dennis Murphy Reports.

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#15 - Deadly Sanctuary

Season 17 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/20/2009

An investigative report on the death of a female parishioner inside the office of the county church, which shocked the congregation and left them suspicious to why this happened. Was this death a murder or maybe a suicide? Correspondent Keith Morrison reports.

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#16 - Wild, Wild Web; Shattered

Season 21 - Episode 38 - Aired 5/17/2013

The hidden world of online classified ads; A newlywed father-to-be dies in a fall from his 25th floor apartment

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#17 - Family Portrait

Season 18 - Episode 73 - Aired 8/30/2010

A husband is found dead in a stable in what appears to be a horse accident. But when bullet casings and a bloody pipe are found nearby, blame shifts to his wife, whose daughter and son accuse her of plotting the murder and convincing her son to commit the crime.

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#18 - Behind Closed Doors: Harris

Season 21 - Episode 39 - Aired 5/22/2013

After being sexually assaulted by her own husband, Crystal Harris takes matters into her own hands. Ultimately, her bravery impacts the lives of many other women. Andrea Canning reports.

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#19 - Justice for Sparkle

Season 17 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/6/2009

A story as old as Romeo and Juliet, but with an unpredictable ending.

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#20 - The Perfect Catch

Season 20 - Episode 57 - Aired 6/15/2012

A look is taken at the story of Esther Pilgrim, the woman who was conned by former rap star Tim Dog in an online dating scam, and how she plans to get revenge.

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#21 - Haunted Memories

Season 20 - Episode 36 - Aired 4/8/2012

A divorced mother of four children, who was accused of a heinous crime and then served 15 years in prison for the same wrongdoing even though there are many that claim the horrible crime never actually happened.

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#22 - Deadly Trust

Season 20 - Episode 38 - Aired 4/13/2012

A millionaire from Newport Beach who was murdered in 1994, the investigation went cold, but 15 years later his widow and an ex-football player were arrested for the crime.

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#23 - My Kid Would Never Do That: Driving

Season 20 - Episode 40 - Aired 4/22/2012

A Penn State professor and consultant to MADD, investigate what really happens when teenagers start driving; teenagers are tested in three different and potentially dangerous driving situations.

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#24 - Sean's Story

Season 20 - Episode 41 - Aired 4/27/2012

Meredith Vieira interviews 11 year-old Sean Goldman, the boy who was kidnapped by his mother when he was four and taken to Brazil, about the entire ordeal, the repercussions in his life now, and what it's like to live with his biological father.

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#25 - My Kid Would Never Do That: Cheating

Season 20 - Episode 42 - Aired 4/29/2012

Natalie Morales and Rosalind Wiseman, an expert on teen ethics and behavior, investigate what happens when teens are confronted with the temptation to cheat: tests include using cell phones during tests and changing scores in athletic drills.