Cold Case - Season 3

Lilly reopens the 1988 murder of a teen who died on his graduation day after being run down by an unknown driver. The probe is prompted after the victim's daughter, who was abandoned at birth and is now a teen herself, is confronted by a man who claims to be her real father and wants to take her away. Joining the investigation is Josie Sutton, a detective who transfers to the cold-case unit following an alleged sex scandal.

Lilly investigates the 2004 death of an 18-year-old woman who was killed in a frat-house fire. A picture the girl took with her phone shortly before she died shows her being held down and alcohol being forced down her throat. The overweight girl was humiliated by the frat guys and one of them may have killed her. The probe leads to a city councilman who was there that night.

Lilly reopens a 1978 case in which a young man was stabbed to death outside a theater where the slasher flick "Halloween" was playing. At the time, the unsolved murder was thought to have been committed by a copycat killer influenced by the film. But when the victim's mother comes forth with new evidence, Lilly doesn't buy the copycat angle. Shortly before the man died, he proposed to a friend who was paralyzed. His mother believes that proposal led to his death.

A 20-year-old Negro League All-Star player is beaten to death outside of Connie Mack Stadium in 1945 with his own bat after hitting the game-winning home run against an all-white major-league team. The case is reopened after Jeffries' nephew inquires about the murder. The investigation reveals that the victim had a run-in with a racist white player after the game and with a threatening black player before the contest.

Lilly investigates the 1954 murder of a woman who was allegedly bludgeoned to death shortly after being released from an asylum. The case is reopened after an elderly woman dies and her estranged son claims the deceased is not his mother. The probe reveals that his mom was the 1954 victim. She was committed to the asylum after nearly killing herself and her son in a house fire that she set. Also, Valens learns the truth about Josie's past.

Four of five teen brothers are gunned down separately over a six-year period, beginning in 1999. After the latest shooting, Lilly reopens the other three unsolved cases and recalls that the 1999 murder was her first homicide investigation. The probe reveals that the brothers were involved with dangerous gangs and that revenge may have played a factor in their deaths.

The 1999 case of a 24-year-old woman who was the co-CEO of a start-up Internet company who was found dead in a rowing scull on a city river. Lilly reopens the case when a threatening letter addressed to the woman turns up on a computer that was donated to a school. The investigation reveals that the woman's company was losing millions and that she wasn't well liked by her employees. Meanwhile, Valens believes a man who threw a woman into a river from a bridge may have killed Elisa as well.

The 1973 murder of a Vietnam prisoner of war who was slain seven months after he returned home is reopened after a box of POW bracelets with the victim's name on them turns up in the cellar of a drug house. The investigation reveals that the soldier had difficulty adjusting to life back home and may have gotten into drugs. Stillman, who served in Vietnam, takes the case personally and becomes determined to find the killer.

Evidence in the 1965 death of a 4-year-old girl washes ashore.

Danny probes the closed case of a 2001 killing of the popular owner of a local deli.

In 1988, a young man is gunned down on a highway after his car is hit from behind and a woman riding with him is wounded. The case was thought to be a routine carjacking until the woman disappeared from the hospital where she was being treated. In 2006, the probe is reopened when the woman is spotted in Atlantic City and she's brought in for questioning. The investigation reveals that the woman and the married victim were having an affair and planned to run away with each other.

The apparent 1994 suicide of a high-school student who fell from the school's roof after serving detention with three other students is reinvestigated when new information is discovered. At the time of the victim's death, a scrap of paper thought to be a suicide note was found next to the body. But now an additional piece of paper is found that indicates the victim thought his life was in danger.

The 1968 death of an 18-year-old girl who apparently fell down a flight of stairs backstage at a debutante ball is investigated after her mother comes forward with new information. A local art dealer, who back in 1968 escorted the victim at the ball, is accused of killing his wife by pushing her down the steps. The mother believes it isn't a coincidence that both victims died in the same way. Lilly becomes convinced, too, but there isn't any evidence to prove it.

Lilly investigates the 2000 murder of a bank teller, who was gunned down during a robbery by thieves wearing Johnny Cash masks and carrying sawed-off shotguns, after the same bank is hit again by robbers wearing similar masks and equipped with identical weapons. The probe reveals that the victim may have known her killer. Back at headquarters, a man from Lilly's past shows up and wants to rekindle their relationship.

The 1998 murder of a young Colombian woman who was a drug mule is reinvestigated when the victim's handler is arrested after returning to Philadelphia for his brother's wedding. Lilly soon learns that Valens knew the victim because he worked undercover on a drug case in which the dead woman was involved.

A man who calls himself John Doe comes into the station and tells Lilly that he abducted and buried a 17-year-old boy alive in 1980. At first, Lilly doesn't know whether to believe him or not. But after she realizes he is telling the truth, she comes to a horrific conclusion: the man has abducted another victim, who may still be buried alive.

A rising female tennis player is strangled to death in her college dorm room in 1973 after defeating the school's top-ranked male player in a "Battle of the Sexes" fund-raiser. Lilly reinvestigates the case when the victim's sister brings in new evidence that suggests her sibling may have been poisoned earlier. Also, Vera's wife tells him that their 12-year marriage is over.

An actor appearing in a local production of "Cabaret" is shot and killed on opening night in 2002 outside of the theater. The case is reinvestigated after a gun, the same caliber used in the murder, is found in a dresser that was a prop in the play. The probe reveals that the victim, engaged to be married, may have been falling in love with his leading lady and that he made the mistake of standing up to the show's demeaning director.

A woman's body is found in a ravine on Christmas Day in 1929. Lilly decides to reinvestigate the unsolved crime after the victim's great-granddaughter comes in and asks for help in solving the murder. Lilly partly takes on the case to distance herself from her mother, who shows up to tell Lilly that she is getting married and that she wants Lilly to be her maid of honor. As for the case, it's learned the victim had a baby out of wedlock and needed money to support the child.

The 1994 rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl is reinvestigated after a death-row inmate convicted of the crimes who is scheduled to be executed in three days calls Jeffries claiming that he's innocent. His statement is given weight by the fact that the arresting officer in the case just committed suicide because he was about to be exposed as a dirty cop. The convict claims the officer framed him.

The unsolved 1945 death of a woman reporter thrown in front of a train during an alleged robbery is reopened when new evidence suggests she was murdered by someone she knew. The investigation reveals that the victim made enemies on her job at a city newspaper and that she was in love with a concentration-camp survivor. On the night of her death, she planned to meet someone, possibly her killer, at the train station. Also, Jeffries is disciplined and put on desk duty.

The 1984 murder of an emergency-room doctor who was shot in the chest in an alley is reinvestigated after a former junkie comes forward with new information. The woman claims she saw a white man shoot the victim, but a homeless black man was arrested for the crime after he was found wearing the dead man's shoes. The probe reveals that the doctor had a gambling problem and was broke. Also, Valens takes action when a suspected child molester is spotted in a park.

Lilly reopens the 2005 murder of a man who was a counselor to troubled teens at a rehab house. The victim was killed by a shotgun blast through his front door just two weeks before he was to testify in court about a murder he witnessed at the rehab house. During the probe, Lilly feels a strange connection to the dead man, and it clouds her judgment in the case to the point of perhaps compromising the investigation.