The team reopens the 2003 triple murder of married restaurant owners Tom and Della Lincoln and their employee 17-year-old Derek Jackson[a] after the prime suspect provides an alibi for the night the killings took place.
The team investigates the 1943 death of 22-year-old factory worker Alice Miller when her great-niece, a newspaper reporter and a friend of Lilly's, meets former colleagues who voice suspicions about a possible cover-up.
The team examines the 1979 death of an 17-year-old unidentified teenage runaway after a battered wife accuses her husband of murder and turns over a snuff film that presumably features him committing the crime.
When human remains are found in a tunnel leading out of a former state penitentiary, the team reinvestigates the circumstances surrounding the 1968 murder of convict Hank Dempsey, who died while attempting to escape the night Johnny Cash performed live from Folsom State Prison.
All songs featured in this episode were performed by Johnny Cash.
The team reopens the 1991 double murder of illegal Cambodian immigrants Sen and Channary Dhiet at the request of their daughter Kara, who witnessed the crime and recently found an Internet auction listing for her mother's gold bracelet.
The team reinvestigates the 1990 murder of 12-year-old Rita Baxter when a recent death at a local swimming hole is discovered to be a copycat. The investigation reveals some disturbing secrets of potential suspects, from abusive parents to teen drinking to bullying.
The team reopens the 1983 murder of 25-year-old Jeff Kern at the request of his former lover, an AIDS survivor, who hopes to find closure before his upcoming wedding. The team learns that the victim's relationship with his family and friends was strained due to his outspoken views on gay rights and the AIDS crisis.
This is the second highest-rated episode with more than 18 million viewers.
A troubled man asks the team to reopen the 1953 murder of his father, Elliot Garvey, a schoolteacher who was killed the same day that the Rosenbergs were executed, after learning that his mother lied about who he was. The team learns that the teacher was suspected of holding communist views due to his support for civil rights in schools and was slated to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee shortly before his death.
Song featured in the intro: "Your Mouth's Got A Hole In It" by Buddy Morrow
The team begins the hunt for a serial killer when the reinvestigation of 31-year-old mother and wife Janet Lambert's disappearance in 1985 leads to the discovery of eight more victims, all of whom were found decapitated.
The serial killer, later identified as George Marks, walks, and the cases are continued in the season 2 finale episode The Woods, where his fate is decided.
The team reinvestigates the 2000 murder of New Haven, Connecticut prosecutor Greg Vizcaino at the request of his widow, who is determined to disprove embezzlement allegations made by a former colleague.
The team reopens the 1978 murder of Matthew Adams, a 20-year-old medical student turned cult member whose death was ruled a suicide after his sister brings forward new evidence linking him and the cult to a recent homicide. The investigation soon uncovers dark secrets from both the cult and the victim's family.
The team reopens the 1976 murder of Jerry Stone, a 24-year-old underdog boxer who died during a match after a referee on his deathbed confesses to having been paid to allow the match to turn deadly, but dies before he can give a name.
The team reopens the 1987 murder of Kayla Odoms, a 6-year-old girl who was killed in a drive-by shooting, when the long-lost murder weapon is turned in as part of a gun buyback program. The team begins the daunting task of tracing the gun back to its previous owners in an effort to find the original shooter.
The team reopens the 1969 murder of 19-year-old Ellie McCormick after the number one suspect, a fugitive draft dodger and her boyfriend, is arrested on his return from Canada. However, the team's investigation leads them down new avenues that suggest the boyfriend was framed, as well as the pressures of being drafted during the Vietnam War.
The team reopens the 1993 death of Colin Miller, a mentally disabled teenager who was hit by a train, when drawings of his death are found next to his grave, implying he might have actually been murdered. The team learns that the victim had a turbulent home life.
The team reopens the 1998 murder of Kyle Bream, a 9-year-old boy who was kidnapped from a department store fitting room and later found dead in a lake, after Stillman's brother, a priest, recounts a dead man's confession related to the death. The team learns that the boy may have been a victim of child sex trafficking, and his death may be related to the more recent murder of a prominent businessman.
The team reopens the 1982 murder of Lindsey Chase, a troubled surgeon's wife who was killed in her home after her personalized ring is found on the finger of a dead junkie. The investigation may exonerate the victim's husband, who claims he was wrongfully convicted of her murder due to his troubled behavior.
The team reopens the 1995 death of 32-year-old Sloane Easton, a young mother and struggling alcoholic, whose death was ruled "accidental" after the victim's sister learns that a group of college students may have accosted her sister on the night of her death.
Haunted by a childhood memory, Jeffries asks Lily to help him reexamine the 1963 murder of Zeke Williams, a 16-year-old African-American boy who was found dead in an alleyway. When it is discovered his family had moved into a predominantly white neighborhood prior to his death, the team investigates the possible racial tensions surrounding his death.
The team investigates the 1985 death of 26-year-old mill worker Joe Young when his nephew James, a convict whom Lilly arrested for murdering his grandmother[b], claims he met a recent parolee who admitted to stealing money off the body.
All songs featured in this episode are preformed by John Mellencamp.
The team reopens the 1977 murder of Mike Cahill, a hotel doorman, in the hopes of linking a soon-to-be-released serial killer to the murder in order to prevent him from walking free.
When an old truck containing human bones is pulled from the Delaware River, the team reopens the 1932 case of Billie Duccette, a missing 17-year-old girl who was presumed dead. The team discovers that the truck was owned by a Prohibition-era bootlegger and that the victim may have been involved in a forbidden love affair.
Song featured in the finale: An original composition by Michael Levine, which can be found on the Cold Case Original Soundtrack under the title "Best Friends." An original poem is heard over the music.
This was the first episode to feature an original song that was made for the show.
The discovery of nine human skulls leads the team back to serial killer George Marks, whom they were unable to incriminate months earlier. When the detectives decide to reinvestigate the murder of his mother, 33-year-old Simone Marks, in 1972, he emerges from hiding to face Det. Rush one-on-one where he is shot dead.
