“48 Hours” team shares their most memorable episodes

Every murder investigation “48 Hours” covers has meaning, but there are some cases we can’t shake. They challenge us, haunt us, and appear in our dreams. 

To celebrate the show’s 35th anniversary, we’d like to share the collection with you. Here are six episodes to get you started:

“Crosley Green Comes Home,” reported by Erin Moriarty

The emotional homecoming of a man imprisoned for nearly 32 years. A judge ruled he was wrongfully convicted of murder, but is he home for good? Questions linger about the witness who blamed him. “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty has the latest on the case she’s covered for more than two decades. | Aired: April 17, 2021

“I can’t sleep at night because of this case,” says “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty. “After decades of investigation, it has become apparent that Crosley Green did not get a fair trial. He was convicted of shooting a man in a deserted orange grove, but the case against him is wildly flawed. I am committed to reporting on Crosley’s story for as long as it takes. Through it all, Crosley is a man of incredible patience and grace.”

“Death by Text,” reported by Erin Moriarty

Inside the groundbreaking case of a crime of the digital age — a young woman convicted of involuntary manslaughter because she used text messages to encourage a friend to take his own life. | Aired: May 28, 2022

“I’d never seen a case like this,” says Moriarty. “The verdict stunned legal experts – in effect the jury decided words could be a murder weapon. Conrad’s mother granted ’48 Hours’ a rare interview and our report presented the most complete portrait of a gentle young man who struggled with social anxiety. Would Conrad (Roy) be alive today if he hadn’t met Michelle (Carter)?”

“Devil’s Island,” reported by Peter Van Sant

An ex-Marine with a secret life and a secret wife. A five-year investigation turns up shocking DNA evidence. Is the one-time hero a killer, too? | Aired: Jan. 21, 2017

“Yvonne Baldelli disappeared from a tropical Panamanian island in 2011. The last person to see her alive was her ex-Marine boyfriend, Brian Brimager,” “48 Hours” correspondent Peter Van Sant explains. “I got involved in this fascinating investigation early on, with Yvonne’s family certain she’d been a victim of foul play. We’re with the family step-by-step as they discover that emails sent from Yvonne — allegedly from Panama — actually were sent from where Brian Brimager was now living in California. I confront him on camera in a supermarket parking lot.” 

“Last Seen in Breckenridge,” reported by Natalie Morales

In 1982 the bodies of Annette Schnee and Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer were found outside a luxe ski town. A man rescued from a snowdrift the night of the murders turned out to be their killer. | Aired: Nov. 19, 2022.

“The story was remarkable because this was a 40-year cold case that was finally solved thanks to the perseverance of great detectives over decades,” says “48 Hours” contributor Natalie Morales. “And the way the case was solved was also an incredible story in and of itself! It’s also a story that gives hope to victims’ families that even when they believe all hope is lost that with the right people on the case and thanks to technological advancements, justice prevails.”

“Gabby Petito: The Untold Story,” reported by Jericka Duncan

“48 Hours” explores Gabby Petito‘s final days and the missed warning signs that might have saved her. | Aired: Sept. 17, 2022

“This broadcast highlighted domestic violence in relationships and also brought awareness to how missing persons cases are not always covered the same, depending on the race, age and sex of the victim,” says “48 Hours” contributor Jericka Duncan.

“Eric Smith: Gambling on a Killer,” reported by Jim Axelrod

When he was 13 years old, he committed an unthinkable crime. 28 years later, Smith is out on parole. What’s next for him? | Aired: March 26, 2022

“I started covering this case in 1993 as a young producer,” says “48 Hours” executive producer Judy Tygard. “One child, Eric Smith, had killed another, Derrick Robie. It would be years before any of us had any real understanding of why. I think of Derrick often and I have long admired the strength and grace of his family. I think of Eric, too, and wonder if he’d gotten help could both boys have been saved.”