The FBI Files

In Richmond, VA, two bank robbers escaped after opening fire on officers responding to the call. When the FBI arrived, agents found one bank teller dead, another wounded; the bank’s security guard had been shot four times, yet was still alive.

In 1993, a 74-year-old man is found suffocated in his home with his credit cards stolen. Investigators were alerted that the killers had used the man’s credit cards and with this information, the FBI was able to link the crime to an escaped prisoner.

An innocent Milwaukee teen was kidnapped by four gunmen who demanded $30,000 from his family to guarantee his safe return. The victim’s family contacted police and the FBI was brought in to help retrieve the boy,

In December 1981, a New Jersey State Trooper was shot to death on the side of Interstate 80. Fingerprints on the suspect’s vehicle pointed to a fugitive wanted on bank robbery charges.

In the 1980s, an illegal drug operation known as the “K Street Crew” opened its doors in Washington, DC. Leader Vincent Hill ran the organization without mercy. The FBI created a task force to put an end to their deadly dealings.

In 2000, the FBI was overwhelmed with investigations in Seattle, which had the third-highest number of bank robberies in the nation. Agents focused on a series of heists in which two armed men seemed to know where the banks stored their money.

After an Arkansas State Trooper is shot and killed, officers catch the murderer and find weapons and explosives in the man’s vehicle. Testing of the weapons leads them to a stand-off with a racist, anti-Semitic paramilitary group.

In 1992, a Washington, DC professor was shot and killed as she tried to get into her car, the latest incident in a series of violent carjackings. One week later, a man robbed a bank and security cameras captured the same vehicle as the getaway car.

In 1987, Cuban prisoners at the Atlanta Federal Prison used homemade weapons to overthrow the staff. Soon, the inmates controlled most of the buildings, taking over 100 hostages. The FBI was forced to negotiate with the hostiles to end the standoff.

In the spring of 1997, a killer preyed on senior citizens in the quiet town of River Parish, Louisiana. Victims were robbed, beaten, shot and left for dead. FBI agents soon connected the violent crimes to an area mechanic with a gambling problem.

In 1996, a series of bank robberies in Texas and California were linked by FBI who then established a modus operandi. A year later, the robbers took hostages during a heist in Las Vegas and the FBI was tasked with ending their spree.

In a suburb of Las Vegas, two robbers ambushed an armored car, killing both guards and seizing thousands of dollars. Authorities linked the crime to a series of armed robberies on gambling houses, including the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

In 1997, two men used a sledgehammer to break into a Camden, NJ, home. Police tracked the suspects to a nearby park but the criminals were able to escape after a shootout. When new clues emerged, the FBI was called in to locate the suspects.

This special episode examines previous cases to learn about the investigative techniques and innovations used by the FBI.

In the 1970s, a Croatian terrorist group linked to the National Resistance party committed acts against non-supportive Croatians living in the US. With the help of an informant, the FBI convicted members of crimes ranging from conspiracy to murder.

In 1994, a rash of home invasions plagued the Detroit area. Each time, masked men disguised as police officers broke in with assault rifles and stole money and jewelry. But when one homeowner shot back, the identity of the intruders was revealed.

In 1985, a Lebanese terrorist and his accomplices hijacked Royal Jordanian Flight 405 in Beirut. Several Americans were on board. The FBI worked with other agencies to form Operation Goldenrod, a task force to bring the mastermind to justice.