The First 48 poster

TV series

The First 48

2004TV-1430 seasons7.9 / 10

The First 48 follows detectives from around the country during these first critical hours as they race against time to find the suspect. Gritty and fast-paced, it takes viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations with unprecedented access to crime scenes, autopsies, forensic processing, and interrogations.

Streaming, rental and purchase options

Where to watch in United States

Checked Jul 22, 2026

The First 48 is available to stream on DirecTV On Demand, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, Peacock Premium, Philo, Prime Video, Hoopla, Pluto TV, Spectrum On Demand, The Roku Channel, and Tubi in United States. You can also rent or buy it from Google Play, Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. Use the direct links below to open the provider.

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Synopsis

The First 48 follows detectives from around the country during these first critical hours as they race against time to find the suspect. Gritty and fast-paced, it takes viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations with unprecedented access to crime scenes, autopsies, forensic processing, and interrogations.

Season 5 episodes

Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.

← Season 4

Episode 1

Fatal Pickup / Bad Neighbor

45m

In Detroit, a double shooting in a vacant lot leads Lieutenant John Morell and Sergeant LaNesha Jones to an unlikely suspect—a 61 year old man. And in Dallas, Detective Eddie Ibarra must unravel the complex life of a victim riddled with bullets and dumped in a downtown park.

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Episode 2

Up in Smoke / Shot in the Dark

45m

In Memphis, a truck fire brings Sgt. William Ashton and the homicide team to the scene of a double murder. When the smoke clears, Ashton must track down a series of suspects in pursuit of the killer. In Kansas City, Kansas, Det. Bill Michael works the murder of a woman found dead in the street. With few leads to go on, he's wondering how to find the killer when anyone could be a suspect.

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Episode 3

Blood Trail / 50G Murder

45m

In Memphis, Tennessee, a woman is brutally stabbed and left for dead in the street. When a witness comes forward with the license plate number of a van she saw driving from the scene, the homicide team must employ unique tactics to lure the suspect in. In Dallas, Texas, Detective Rick Duggan investigates the murder of an elderly man, shot inside his dental clinic. Investigators have little to work with until a woman comes into headquarters with information that seems too good to be true.

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Episode 4

Live to Tell / Field of Lies

45m

In Miami, Ricardo John catches his first case as lead detective: a young woman apparently raped and murdered in a vacant lot. In Dallas, Detectives Scott Sayers and Kenneth Penrod investigate a home invasion that left one man dead and his fianc e critically wounded. The case hangs on whether the surviving witness can identify her attackers.

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Episode 5

Stray Bullet / Payback

45m

A family man is shot dead inside his apartment. Detective Kim Sanders and Paul Ellzey believe that the shooter killed the wrong man. They must find the intended target before the killer does; rookie Detective Mario De Los Santos gets his first big case-- a triple homicide. He finds himself in the middle of a cycle of violence that threatens to spin out of control.

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Episode 6

The Good Book / Nightmare

45m

In Miami, Detective Manny Castillo is investigating a brutal double homicide. The key to the case could be a surviving third victim, who is clinging to life after being shot multiple times. In Dallas, detective PE Jones faces the ultimate whodunit when he finds the charred remains of a body in a burning car. With 35 years as a cop under his belt, Jones uses old-fashioned footwork to find justice.

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Episode 7

To Die For / Highway Revenge

45m

In Memphis, Tennessee, Sergeant Caroline Mason takes it personally when a 75-year-old man is shot dead in her old neighborhood. In Detroit, a man is found dead behind the wheel on Interstate 96 and Sergeant Mike Russell tracks a notorious gang to find the killer.

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Episode 8

Final Investment / Writing on the Wall

45m

A well-loved neighborhood investor is shot and the only eyewitness is a young girl on her way home from school. Sergeant Mitch Oliver and his team must persuade the girl's mother to let her talk to police; the murder of a homeless man appears to involve the notorious Mississippi-13 gang.

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Episode 9

Silenced

45m

In Dallas, Detectives Bob Ermatinger and Ken Penrod investigate the murder of an unidentified young woman found shot to death at White Rock Lake. In order to identify the victim and begin tracking down her killer, the detectives must rely on the few leads they have, from a cell phone found at the crime scene to the clothes the victim was wearing.

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Episode 10

Last Dance / Deadly Deal

45m

Detective Robert Quirk is investigating a gang shooting that left two dead and four with gunshot wounds. When surveillance tapes fail to identify the shooter, detectives must rely on witnesses for information; Detective Robert Blehm is working the murder of a suburban man found dead in his pickup truck with a fist full of dollars and drugs.

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Episode 11

Hard Fall

45m

A former airline executive is stabbed to death in his car. Rookie Detective Mario De Los Santos tracks two suspects and finds out that both the suspect and his victim shared promising futures-and a deadly vice.

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Episode 12

Reversal of Fortune / Running Scared

45m

Detective Rick Duggan must unravel the mystery of a body rolled up in a carpet and dumped on the side of a road; Detective Fernando Bosch takes it personally when a 66-year-old Cuban man is shot dead in the street.

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Episode 13

Missing Witness / Who's Knocking

45mfinale

In Miami, a man is gunned down at close range in broad daylight. Detective Freddie Ponce and his team follow a blood trail at the scene to an apartment complex, where they believe the suspect is hiding out. In Cincinnati, Detectives Doug Lindle and Matthew Thompson investigate the murder of a man shot outside his apartment. They learn that moments before the murder, the victim received a house call from a stranger. They must uncover the identity of the unexpected visitor to find the killer.

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Episode information updated Jul 24, 2026

More about The First 48

Cast

Dion GrahamNarrator

Production details

Status
Returning Series
Series type
Documentary
Episodes
603
Original language
English

Networks & production

  • A&EUnited States
  • ITV EntertainmentUnited States

Themes

murder investigationtrue crime