Anatomy of a Crime

Program Title: Anatomy of a Crime
Telecast date: every Thursday
Telecast Time: 9pm
Channel: Astro, Channel 732
Program synopsis:
In the past decade Asia has experienced its fair share of dramatic criminal acts that have caused widespread horror and revulsion.

Anatomy of a Crime is a six-episode series focusing on crimes that have caused chaos in some of the region’s most important cities. The series uncovers the painstaking detective and forensic work that helped solve the cases. It addresses vital questions such as exactly what happened, who were the perpetrators and how were they brought to justice?

The series covers a variety of crimes, ranging from terrorist bombings in Bali, Jakarta, and Manila to high-profile murder cases in Hong Kong and Singapore. The crimes of a prominent kidnapper in Taiwan are also examined.

The work of police forensics investigators is highlighted in detail. Each episode shows how vital evidence is collected froma crime scene using the latest techniques and how police painstakingly build up a case against those the guilty parties.

The series includes re-enactments of the crimes backed up by computer-generated images explaining key aspects of the cases. Anatomy of a Crime also uses archive footage, and interviews with witnesses and experts to piece together a gripping account of some of the most important and disturbing crimes in Asia.

Jakarta Bombers, 2 Dec
Just days before the so-called smiling assassin, Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, was set to hear the court’s verdict on his role in the 2002 Bali bombings, other members of Jemaah Islamiyah were preparing to destroy more lives.

This time, however, the bombers would strike in the light of day and in Indonesia’s thriving capital city, Jakarta. At 10 seconds past 12.44pm on August 5, 2003 – the time recorded on the JW Marriott hotel’s security camera – a blue van with a powerful bomb inside it exploded in the international hotel’s driveway.

Detonated by a suicide bomber, the explosion killed 12 people and injured 144. Just 10 months after the devastation of the Bali bombings, Indonesia was for the second time under the world’s microscope. How could Jemaah Islamiyah have once again executed such a plan?
Anatomy of a Crime dissects piece by piece the police investigation into the bombing and reveals how they discovered the identity of the suicide bomber, the expert bomb-maker and the overall masterminds behind the attack.

The Hong Kong Rogue Cop, 9 Dec
When Hong Kong police were summoned to the aftermath of a fatal shoot-out in a pedestrian underpass one night in March 2006 they had no idea it would turn out to be one of the most bizarre and sensational cases in the force’s history.

One policeman was found shot dead at the scene with another officer badly wounded. A third unknown man wearing a wig was lying fatally injured on top of a rusty revolver. The police were later shocked to discover that the third man – Tsui Po-ko – was an off-duty Hong Kong police officer. He was eventually exposed as a serial killer and christened “The Devil Cop” by the media.

Anatomy of a Crime traces how forensic investigators discovered that Tsui’s rusty gun had been used to murder another policeman in 2001. They followed his trail to a bank robbery in which he had used the same gun to shoot dead a security guard. Investigators also used psychological profiling techniques to gain an insight into the delusional world of the expert marksman Tsui, who was secretly fascinated by soccer gambling and prostitutes.

The Body Parts Murder, 16 Dec
Walking along the banks of a river on a typical Singapore morning in June 2005, a cleaner on his rounds uncovered a ghastly find – a female’s lower torso, packed away in brown cardboard box.
Police and forensics specialists were in a race against time to piece together the body parts, and the clues to the gruesome case – including sifting through three tons of garbage.

And just when the police thought they had their man, it was discovered that he has a twin brother, also in Singapore, throwing crucial DNA findings into doubt. For the safe and staid city-state of Singapore, the lurid details of an adulterous love affair, murder and dismemberment shocked and titillated the nation in equal measure.

Even after the victim and killer were both identified – investigators still had to answer one crucial question – was it as the killer claimed, a Romeo and Juliet suicide pact gone horribly awry, or was it simply a cold and calculated murder? Anatomy of a Crime reveals how the forensic techniques of the day combined with classic police work solved one of the most heinous crimes in Singapore’s history.

The Rizal Day Bombings, 23 Dec
As thousands of Filipinos flocked to attend celebrations in Manila to honour their national hero, Jose Rizal, the joyous mood was to be cruelly smashed. A bomb suddenly went off in a train taking passengers to a Rizal Day event in the city square. As screams filled the air, another bomb exploded at the Plaza Ferguson, less than 100 metres away from the US embassy.

Before the hour was over, another three explosive devices went off in the vicinity. In all 22 people died and there were more than a hundred injured. What was supposed to be a day of joy had turned into one of the worst attacks in the history of the Philippines.

Anatomy of a Crime unravels how the investigators used bomb fragments as evidence to link the acts to a number of militant groups. The investigators also gained support from the most unexpected sources to help crack the case, which took more than seven years to solve.

The program is also available in Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin subtitle.