Season 12

1998–1999

Sep 17, 1998 · 60m

How would you react if your daughters were kidnapped? What if they were taken to another country by your ex-husband, who's been accused of sexually abusing them? Cheryl Lamare had to face this terrifying dilemma. And she's had to face it for nine years. She's been trying to get her daughter Jamie back any way she can. In 1989, he ex-husband Stan Voulgarelis, a Greek citizen, kidnapped their two daughters and took them to Greece. Within a few months, Cheryl was able to retrieve the older one, Ellie. But she couldn't find Jamie, and has been unable to bring her back. Follow her as she tries to get her daughter back with the help of a team of private detectives. 48 Hours reports on a woman who refuses to give up. Follow her to Crete, where she and a team of ex-commandos and detectives try to retrieve her daughter. Will the ex-husband outfox them again? Or will she be reunited with a daughter she last saw nine years ago?

E2. The Curse of Small Town U.S.A.

Sep 24, 1998 · 60m

Methamphetamine is a powerful, cheap drug and it is a growing problem in some surprising parts of America. Unlike crack cocaine, which primarily targeted the inner-city during its reign of terror in the 1980's, crank is making it's mark in Small Town, U.S.A. The drug's users range from middle class and well-educated people to teens -- even mothers who have passed on their addictions to their babies. One of the reasons crank is growing so quickly is that methamphetamine is easily produced in makeshift labs from inexpensive raw materials. In addition, users experience a "high" lasting up to 30 hours -- much longer than many other drugs. "Methamphetamine may be the worst drug ever to hit America," says retired General Barry McAffrey, the nation's Drug Czar. "It's expanding in a very bizarre manner. It's all over the Midwest. It's in Idaho, Arizona, Hawaii, San Francisco, Southern California. It's now showing up in Georgia." Crank's explosive growth is being fueled by mass production labs run by Mexican nationals. Authorities say they produce up to 95% of the crank on America's streets. CBS News 48 Hours took a close look at methamphetamine on Thursday, and found a drug that threatens to tear apart the lives of countless Americans. Could your community be at risk?

E3. Nature's Fury

Oct 1, 1998 · 60m

After ravaging parts of the Caribbean and Florida, Hurricane Georges recharged and slammed into the Gulf of Mexico, flooding the Gulf Coast with rain measured in feet instead of inches. Property damage from the storm -- which once packed 174 mile-an-hour gusts -- are expected to reach the $2 billion mark. With at least 300 confirmed dead in the Caribbean, the human costs are incalculable. But even with such grisly statistics, Hurricane Georges was by no means the most powerful or costly storm to blow through this part of the world. And even in a field as unpredictable as the weather, it is a virtual certainty that the coming years will bring more hurricanes, more damage and more death. What causes these monstrous storms to form? If a hurricane were headed your way, would you know what to do? On Thursday, CBS News 48 Hours took an in-depth look at hurricanes and the path of misery left in their wake.

E4. Save My Child

Oct 8, 1998 · 60m

Imagine that your 11-year-old son has just accidentally set himself on fire, and has burns over much of his body. You would probably want him treated at a pediatric emergency room, which specializes in children's injuries. Six years ago, there were no such facilities. Today there are more than 350, and the field is growing. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is one of the country's busiest, with about 80,000 visits a year. 48 Hours went behind the scenes at Cincinnati Children's Hospital for a firsthand look at two days and nights of fast-paced lifesaving.

E5. Breaking Point

Oct 15, 1998 · 60m

What would you do? Your child is failing school, taking drugs or running away for months at a time? Some parents are responding by taking drastic action, and sending their teen-agers away for months, sometimes years, to special rehabilitation schools. CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at several of these programs.

E6. Torn By Hate

Oct 22, 1998 · 60m

Last month, Americans' sense of security was shattered when a gunman opened fire at a Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles. This crime and similar acts have increased awareness of a growing trend: The number of hate groups is increasing, according to experts. "Last year the number of hate groups went up 20 percent," says Mark Potok, a spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks such groups. "It was a dramatic rise." CBS News 48 Hours explores this phenomenon, focusing on the recent shooting in Los Angeles and a Pennsylvania family forced to flee from racists intent on terrorizing them. Survivors' Stories: Victims and their parents speak out for the first time in the aftermath of the shootings at the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles. 48 Hours Correspondent Susan Spencer reports. Hate Hits Home: Bonnie Jouhari, a fair housing advocate in Reading, Penn., is threatened by a hate group for her efforts to integrate housing and fight racial harassment. This campaign of intimidation forces Jouhari and her daughter Dani to relocate. Jouhari's enemies find out where she moved and continue their campaign. Find out Jouhari's response to these threats in an exclusive CBS.com interview.

E7. Dad's Double Life

Oct 29, 1998 · 60m

Scheduled: A report on Elizabeth Welsh, who discovered that her presumed-dead ex-husband was actually alive and living in Texas.

E8. A Family Accused

Nov 3, 1998 · 60m

Scheduled: A look at a past investigation into a Massachusetts day-care center. Correspondents include Harold Dow and Susan Spencer.

E9. Samantha's Choice

Nov 5, 1998 · 60m

Ten-year-old Samantha Frazer has a very big decision to make. Should she live with the woman who is fighting to adopt her and whom she's grown to love, or her birth mother, who abandoned her years ago and ran off across the country? The choice is hers. CBS News 48 Hours examines what happens when parental rights clash with a child's desire for a happy home.

E10. Searching For Immortality

Nov 12, 1998 · 60m

For thousands of years, humans have dreamed of finding the secrets to long life, even immortality. Until now, the dream has been elusive. But scientists and doctors are beginning to understand the fundamental mechanisms that cause the human body to grow, and to deteriorate. Will we one day clone ourselves? Or will we simply inject ourselves with hormones that keep us permanently spry? CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at some modern attempts to sidestep death. Some will amaze you, others may cause you to scratch your head in wonder.

E11. My Father's Killer

Nov 18, 1998 · 60m

How would you react if you were given the power of life and death over the man who brutally killed your father in cold blood, and then tried to kill you? Eleven years ago, Suezann Bosler watched a stranger stab her father to death, and then try to kill her. After the murderer was caught and convicted, Suezann went on a remarkable crusade to save him from the death penalty. CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at this incredible case of forgiveness triumphing over hate.

E12. Cry Rape

Nov 19, 1998 · 60m

Like most high schools, Grosse Pointe North High is a place full of hormones and insecurity. Sexuality and social pressure can make for a volatile combination. Sometimes that combination leads older guys to take advantage of younger girls eager for acceptance. But is there a difference between mistreating vulnerable young girls. CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at this question, taking viewer to Grosse Pointe, a small, well-to-do suburb near Detroit, where four high school seniors are accused of rape by a group of freshman girls.

E13. Surviving Divorce

Dec 3, 1998 · 60m

It's mind-boggling: About half the couples who get married in this country will also split up. Divorce is an enormous problem in America, for the people getting divorced, for their friends and families, and especially for their children. CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at Divorce, American-Style. You'll meet divorced couples who are trying to stay close for the sake of their children; couples who can hardly stand to be in the same room with each other; mediators who try to keep a painful separation from costing more than it should, both emotionally and legally; divorce experts who tell you how to deal with an angry or annoying ex-spouse; and, most heartbreaking of all, the children of divorced couples, who through no fault of their own, must find a way to grow up in a ruptured family. You'll meet a variety of people, all of them struggling with divorce in one way or another.

E14. Royals Among Us

Dec 10, 1998 · 60m

Ask the average person about royalty and they'll probably think you're talking about Princess Diana or Queen Elizabeth. But royals are everywhere: in the industrial slums of England, in Brooklyn, even selling perfume on QVC. There are even a few royals who still live in palaces, surrounded by servants and opulence. CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at this wide world of royalty, which can be very strange indeed.

E15. Whiz Kids!

Dec 16, 1998 · 60m

A seven-year-old who reads Robert Frost and breezes through college calculus. A 15-year-old who may be a female Tiger Woods. A 16-year-old who already has a Number 1 country song. They're all prodigies, and you'll meet them this Thursday, when CBS News 48 Hours shows you what it's like to be a young genius. Life can sometimes be very difficult for these child prodigies. Their unique talents can put enormous pressure on them. Other children taunt them as freaks, adults sometimes see them as threats, or as curiosities. Sometimes being normal is an elusive dream.

E16. Class of 2000

Dec 17, 1998 · 60m

Four years ago, in cities and towns across America, millions of teen-agers entered the ninth grade. At the same time, CBS News began an in-depth examination of this group, the Class of 2000. The goal: To present a portrait of our country's problems and promise as seen through the eyes of these students. CBS News' 48 Hours completes this four-year project with a look at several remarkable young men and women.

E17. The Killer Next Door

Jan 7, 1999 · 60m

What causes someone to become a serial killer? And can such a person be rehabilitated? This week, CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at the gripping story of a cold-blooded serial killer about to go free after only 20 years in prison - and the victims who want desperately to keep him in jail. Donald Miller was the quintessential boy-next-door. Growing up in a quiet middle class neighborhood in East Lansing, Michigan, Don seemed completely normal. Although he grew up in the mid-70s, when many of his classmates were growing their hair long and dabbling in drugs, Don was a clean-cut straight arrow. He served as a youth minister at his church. He went to the local college, Michigan State University, where he played trombone in the school marching band. He dated a girl who went to his church, Martha Sue Young. But Don Miller wasn't the normal boy-next-door. He became a serial killer.

E18. Binge

Jan 14, 1999 · 60m

Find out about a 16-year-old recovering alcoholic; a mother who fights to stop the crowds of underage American drinkers who converge on Tijuana, Mexico; an undergrad who celebrated his 21st birthday with 24 shots of hard liquor and ended up dead; and a man who's made it his mission to educate teens about alcohol advertising. Their stories bring an up-close view of how alcohol bears a destructive influence on young lives. 48 Hours reports.

Study after study shows that juries put a great deal of faith in the testimony of expert witnesses. A good expert witness can swing a verdict one way or another. But how reliable are they? CBS News 48 Hours' "Expert Witness" takes a look at several incredible cases in which experts made the difference - sometimes helping the innocent prove their innocence, other times helping send the innocent to jail.

E21. My Daughter's Killer

Feb 4, 1999 · 60m

CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at the incredible story of a mother who is determined to confront, face to face, the condemned murderer who brutally killed her daughter 12 years earlier. Will he agree to meet her? If the meeting happens, will she be able to forgive him? Among the memorable people you'll meet on this Thursday's show: For more about programs devoted to reconciliation between victims and offenders, see our catalog of web sites. Jonathan Wayne Nobles: a 37-year-old convict who is on Texas' death row for two murders he committed 13 years ago. In 1986, Nobles, an ex-con with a history of drug abuse and mental illness, broke into a house in Austin, Texas, and stabbed to death two young women, Kelly Farquhar and Mitzi Kurland. Caught soon after, Nobles was convicted and sentenced to death. Paula Kurland, Mitzi's mother, who is still grieving over her daughter's untimely death. Paula believes that a face-to-face meeting with her daughter's killer might help her put the past behind her. She wants to go to death row and have a conversation with Nobles, telling him exactly how he's ruined her life. Says Kurland: "We've been sentenced to prison for 12 years and it's time for us to be free . . .It's going to help me close a chapter and hopefully get on with my life."

E22. A Time To Kill: Sterling Barber

Feb 11, 1999 · 60m

Scheduled: Bill Lagattuta is the correspondent for a report on modern-day attempts to solve crimes of the past. Included: how a Massachusetts state trooper solved a 20-year-old murder case; comments from the victim's family.

E23. Never Forget II

Feb 18, 1999 · 60m

Four family members in a rural community were brutally killed in the middle of the night. A teen-age waitress was found beaten to death. A young immigrant girl disappeared without a trace. 48 Hours examined three long-unsolved murder cases that stymied police and haunted families. 48 Hours initially started reporting on one of these cases in 1996. Find out how hard work and new technology can play a role. Here's an update. In December 1978, four members of the Huling family were shot and killed in their rural home. One young boy, Bill Huling, survived. No one was arrested. Correspondent Erin Moriarty reports on the investigators trying to crack the case years later. With the help of a 48 Hours broadcast, new witnesses emerged. Investigators focused on a convicted murderer and rapist named Joe Ture, and took a second look at a mysterious toy car. Police explored a connection between the Huling case and the murder of a young waitress. Reyna Marroquin left El Salvador in 1966, eager for a new start to New York. Then she disappeared. Her family never knew what happened. Susan Spencer tells the story. When Marroquin's body was found last year hidden in an industrial drum, detectives went to work. Could they unravel a 30-year-old mystery?

E24. Second Hand Man

Feb 22, 1999 · 60m

Clint Hallam, a charismatic 49-year-old, lost his right hand in an accident 15 years ago. Since then, he dreamed of being able to play the piano with two hands once again. Last September in Lyons, France, Hallam became the first human to undergo a hand transplant. CBS News' 48 Hours examines what happens when cutting-edge medical technology gets mixed up with stubborn human nature.

E25. Obsessed

Feb 25, 1999 · 60m

Imagine being so worried about germs that you feel compelled to wash your hands dozens of times a day, or so concerned about giving the correct change that you count the coins over and over before you give them to the cashier. That is the sort of thing that happens to those who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an illness that afflicts almost five million Americans. CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at this strange malady. You'll meet men and women who must battle their obsession every minute of every day. "Imagine yourself having some kind of feeling that comes over you," says one sufferer. "Just imagine the feeling's overwhelming, makes you panicked; you're just terrified." Among the unforgettable people you'll meet on this week's show: Howie Mandel: the comedian and talk show host who has been fighting a fear of germs all his life. As host of a daily talk show, he is forced to greet strangers all the time. This creates problems, especially when the guests have just been sick, as happened recently when actress Carmen Electra appeared on the show. (Howie decided to forego the usual host-guest kiss.) Howie deals with his obsession without psychological help. He has a special guest house in his backyard, to which he repairs when his wife or children are sick. But Howie says he is content: "I couldn't be happier. I'm probably the most happy neurotic person in the world." Jeremy Lyons, a 16-year-old tenth grader from Milwaukee who is so terrified of germs that he takes three-hour showers. In December, he enrolled at Rogers Memorial Hospital, which has a specialized program to treat OCD. His treatments include drugs as well as behavior therapy to "immunize" him to the situations he fears most. Slowly, Jeremy gets better. Mary Ellen Fridl, a 59-year-old widow and grandmother who has at least 125 obsessions. Among her many demons: contamination obsessions, washing compulsions, religious obsessions, and fear that she hasn't given the correct cha

E26. Pain Killers

Mar 4, 1999 · 60m

CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at pain. For millions of Americans, pain is an everyday fact of life, a force that must be dealt with every minute of every day. Whether the pain comes from a poorly understood neurological disease, a migraine, or a blown-out knee, it can be overwhelming. We'll introduce you to people who must deal with tremendous levels of constant physical pain. Then we'll show you some of the new scientific approaches that could help these people live normal lives again. Among the extraordinary people featured on the show: Picabo Street: the charismatic gold medal-winning skier, who badly injured both legs in a race last year. We follow her through her arduous rehabilitation, as she tries to recover her lost strength and mobility. Rebecca Olivares, a 32-year -old businesswoman who has been stricken with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), an enigmatic disease that sends pain shooting into her legs and leaves her barely able to walk. Both Rebecca and Picabo are being treated by the same doctor, and they strike up a friendship. Over their months of rehab, they become closer and closer. They take a vacation together to a spa in Arizona, and Rebecca decides that she will attempt to scale a 45-foot high rock-climbing wall. Before she'd come down with RSD, she'd been an avid rock climber, and she wants to conquer this obstacle. Amazingly, she does it, and in the process gives herself - and Picabo - a sense of the power of the human will. Robert Garcia, a 33-year-old man who also suffers from RSD. His case is much more severe, racking his entire body with awful pain, as well as tremors and seizures. Having tried all the available therapies, Robert is at the end of his rope. But an innovative doctor, California neurosurgeon Jacob Chodakiewitz, offers to try a new procedure, that will implant an electrode deep into Robert's brain, and a small generator into his chest. Known as deep brain stimulation, this approach can sometimes short circuit the

E27. $trike it Rich

Apr 1, 1999 · 60m

Almost everyone dreams of that big break, of making millions. Be your own boss! Own a yacht! Invent a groundbreaking device that will help the world and make you a lot of money. This week, CBS News 48 Hours takes a look at several people who have hit the big time, one way or another. Cybersex Sells:: Meet two online entrepreneurs who are making loads of money from the unbridled lust of Web surfers. A Designing Woman: Buxom beauty Shoshanna Lonstein first gained fame as Jerry Seinfeld's teenage girlfriend. Now she is making her mark, and a lot of money, as a clothing designer. Grandma's Goo: Sculptor and inventor Patricia Billings, 72, may have come up with a revolutionary building material that is impervious to fire. Tales From The Cryptographer: 17-year-old Sarah Flannery, who lives in a small Irish village, has a talent for math. She's so talented, in fact, that she's come up with a new cryptographic code that may change the way business is done on the Internet.

E28. Who Killed JonBenet?

Apr 8, 1999 · 60m

On Dec. 6, 1991, just before midnight, an Austin, Texas, police officer reported a fire at a yogurt shop on the north side of town. Inside authorities found the burned bodies of four teen-age girls: Eliza Thomas and Jennifer Harbison, both 17, who were store employees; Sarah Harbison, Jennifer's younger sister, 15; and Amy Ayers, 13, who had stopped by to visit at closing time. The girls had been shot. The case consumed the Austin community. Since then, police have searched for the killers and hit numerous dead ends along the way. Over the years, there were dozens of suspects. Correspondent Erin Moriarty reports on this long, difficult case.

E29. Ultimate Risk

Apr 15, 1999 · 60m

CBS News' 48 Hours investigates the often under-regulated world of human medical testing. According to many critics, research subjects can end up in worse condition than before they began. Drug Money: Correspondent Susan Spencer reports on Richard Borison and Bruce Diamond, two men who set up a fake drug testing operation and deceived patients, drug companies and the state of Georgia. Here To Help? Correspondent Erin Moriarty reports on the case of Shalmah Prince, a manic depressive woman who checked herself into a hospital for treatment. Instead of being treated for that condition, she ended up participating in a study of an experimental psychosis drug.

E30. After The Tears

Apr 24, 1999 · 60m

The investigation of the Columbine High School shooting massacre continues; influences of music, weapons and self-respect programs.