How to Commit the Perfect Murder

2007, Crime  -   83 Comments
7.33
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Ratings: 7.33/10 from 72 users.

How to Commit the Perfect MurderModern forensic science should make it impossible to commit murder and get away with it. But how easy would it be to outfox the detectives? With the help of top forensic scientists, and real-life murder investigations, we explore whether it's possible to commit a perfect murder.

The body is the most important piece of evidence in any murder. Pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd reveals the crucial clues that give away the secrets of a suspicious death. Dr Lee Goff can work out a time of death from just a few maggots on a corpse. To really understand the way a human decomposes he relies on experiments - and dead pigs make ideal human models.

And what is the perfect murder weapon? Probably Agatha Christie's favourite - poison. It leaves no marks on the body, and the victim may not even realise what has happened until it's too late. But there still might not be a perfect murder. The world's most notorious poisoner - Harold Shipman - was eventually caught. (Excerpt from bbc.co.uk)

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83 Comments / User Reviews

  1. Sus

    Complete annihilation of the body. If there is no body then there is no murder.

  2. Subhajit Saha

    The police can't catch you when you kill and hide a dead body. Since there will be no corpse, it will not be known as murder. Then the only way for the police to survive is to close the case saying they are missing. And once he is proven missing by the police, no one will dare to suspect you. The only thing you have to do after hiding the corpse is to make a beautiful story and tell it to the police. And yes, since you committed the murder, you have to buy some false witnesses.
    However, if you tell the whole story to anyone, then you are likely to be caught...
    (It’s my personal thinking I might be wrong.)

  3. micheal

    The perfect murder would not require to hide or distort the body. You would want the death to look like somebody just died of natural causes or a sudden heart attack. Something like potassium OD to cause a heart attack.

    1. SM

      it would cause tissue damage (unlike natural heart attack); once it's established in autopsy, the police will easily round up suspects(most likely the close ones, especially with some medical background)

    2. tabitha

      insulin overdrive
      (if they aren’t diabetic)

  4. Johnny Cellucci

    Someone should have used spell check

  5. kim

    To the CBS's Mary Carlvi. Otis Livingston and Cindy Hsu was talking about Mary Calvi private life, they set you up!

  6. Mandy Brown

    The perfect murder is one that would be classed as a natural death.. & we really dont know how many of them there are do we???

    1. Ste

      Use a diabetics insulin.. 15mins later eithout sugar there gone from natural causes and no dna no nothing.. autopsy shows they wiyld have been diabetic and didnt managebthere sugars

  7. Llamafjo8

    This is so strange lol

  8. Adal

    Considering today's technology there is no perfect murder; only murders that have not been solved...yet. One thing for sure, if two people know a secret it is not a secret. So, loners have the advanage.

  9. fido

    First, all of us die...it sucks, but thems da facts. Murder is helping someone die earlier than they were suppose to. It is not something that happens to only the murder victim since we all die. It is sad and most of us can't really understand that we WILL die...we think maybe we will be lucky and it won't happen to us.
    Now, to help someone go where they are going to go anyway is not as horrible when you think in terms of reality. But to assist the early death of someone at random is terrible. On the flipside, what if the person you help die early just got done raping a 5 year old? AND...likely that person will rinse and repeat? What about a person who posts videos of him or herself beating, strangling, burning dogs, cats, and other animals to death? AND that person will likely rinse and repeat?
    You get my point now?
    Since you now understand that the abuser exemplified above WILL LIKELY die upon reaching 75, 80, 85 of natural causes, is it really that wrong to help them leave the planet a decade or more earlier?
    It actually is the RIGHT thing to do BECAUSE innocent children and animals would not be future victims if THE ABUSER happened to die early.
    To agree, you definitely have to be intelligent and open minded and think MORE about the suffering of the victims rather than the untimely death of the abuser.

    1. Meanmachine000

      I agree with you ma maan... Colab with me and we can make this world a better place

  10. Torsha Chatterjee

    I think if you murder someone and make it look like it was a sudden death then it will be a pretty good one. In the dead of the night after committing the murder go to the next room and sleep. In the morning pretend to discover the death and call up relatives saying he died of a heart attack..have a funeral and forget all about it.

  11. hi

    its fake

  12. someone

    the perfect murder is using a frozen weapon and then to thaw it out. then after that its a game of using things to cover your entire body and MAKE SURE you use gloves

  13. Joseph Whaley

    Well i really hate to do this but my baby sister april haynes... A nurse.
    And my nease robin truitt ...a bump or was till they murdered my mother... Who was not a very nice person. But ... Sounds like u guys might could solve it. I do have a little evidence and im sure its aprils 3th victam and robins 1st and its all about money. Can yall solve this? Got Facebook pics
    But dont have no education.

    1. Anjli

      Try to seek help of cyber police and trace call .

  14. Cadence

    well this was weird but helpful XD towards umm...murderers .-.

  15. Angel

    A perfect way to dispose of the body and your evedence is grind it all up your cloths that you had on at the time and the human you killed and feed it all to pigs. Pigs will eat anything or you can kidnap the person preferably a drifter or homeless tie the hands behind there back and there legs together than let dogs attack or a way I once thought of comiting the perfect murder : break into the house as stated before with a hair net I would use a panty hose holds it all in and tight on your head and hides distinct marks on face than get you shoes that you never owed or worn in your life where them 2 sizes smaller or biger to eliminate your shoe size to shoe print found at scene of crime and cloths you don't ever wear and you can dispose of easily than slip some muscle relaxers hydro 10s are good in there gallon of milk or can of coke or any open beverage in fridge (pills must be crushed and ground of course) and once they drink it it will act quick belive me those pills are amazing than once there out of it heavily fill up tub with water and than put the body in there stage it as an accidentall death due to the strength of the pills and we'll the tub. Than you go check wich beverage that person drink and empty in sink to be on extra safe side than leave back to your place start a fire pit in the back yard and throw all evidence in there to burn and never be seem again call friends over and have party around the fire. The toxicology report will show hey he was on muscle relaxers around the time of death and leave some pills on a desk or dresser in the bedroom of victim of coarse wear gloves and disposable clothing and shoes 2 size smaller who cares if your toes hurt nether that that getting cought:

    1. Tom

      Nice ;)

  16. Mike

    It's not getting away with murder. It is how you deal with it

  17. Becky Lynn

    The perfect murder can be done without getting your hands dirty and its legal just ask the FBI!! (Doxing) organized gang stalking

  18. Zoe

    But, Xbow, then the murderer would have to find out a means of getting rid of all the clothes he/she would be wearing. Forensics would eventually catch up with him/her. Why not just commit the murder naked???

    1. a person

      wear specific clothes that you discard later. wear huge puffy gloves, extra large shoes, and the tightest clothes ever. Scarf and thick clothing also recommended. Make sure you've never worn these clothes before, and make sure to discard them in someone else's yard (preferably not your nextdoor neighbor)

  19. jonh

    let time do its work. in the long run we all be dead. Why murder a 70 year old guy, risking spending the next 20 years in jail ? In the years he will be dead by natural causes.

  20. Vanette

    I love forensics and not so soon there won't be a single thing in a person's dying that the whole forensics world will not be able to figure out. I'm sure With the use of computers, all the amazing medical tools, people's past history stored for the world to record, and the data base on all past types of deaths and how, who where and when also all being added to a data bases, there's not a single illness, accidental death, suicide or purposely caused death that this amazing database and use of a structured outline of procedures put into the pre-presumed data already in this deathly by cause data field that can not be figured out.

    I mean, twenty years ago, we didn't even think DNA forensics were possible, so what stops us from putting all the physical, psychological and past history of each person, the rules of modern genealogy, the data of each areas distinct physical and geographic knowledge, plus all kinds of other data used to solve crimes all over the world...well, who knows what can be solved? Just takes the work of a few geniouses to put all the data into one computer and to connect it to robots and medical machinery then connect it into all world available data bases to make it happen. It would eliminate slouch te, man hours and guessing.

    Oh and scott, the one who commented above about, how "God see's everything?", even if it were true what does this have to do with solving the problem? As for your moral issue, if God sees knows all, why them does he allow sickness, death, murder, etc...??? If GOD is so powerful, none of the discovery would be necessary, after, if he were such a good and moral GOD?

    1. Ima

      God tests those whom He loves and God does not burden a soul more than what he can take.

  21. MuchMoreToLearn

    This is a ridiculous and misleading documentary.... Take a look at the number of unsolved murders - they solve only about 60% of murders in the US - not even counting those that manage to avoid scrutiny by appearing to be suicides or accidents. Give me a break with this nonsense.

  22. Tom Carberry

    Get elected president and you can kill as many children, women, and men as you like. Just ask Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. These three men killed more people than all the murderers in the history of the US combined.

    1. Jason Hope

      hitler, stalin, mussolani, hannibal, your argument is invalid.

    2. Hurlex

      Somebody doesn't understand "history of the US".

    3. Connie

      LOL! Good observation!

    4. John Smith

      Ok the new paradigm is "hitler, stalin, mussolani, hannibal, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton" have all killed lots of people. Happy? Lets hold hands and sing kumbaya.

  23. D N

    The trick to getting away with murder is not concealing the murder, but preventing any charge from sticking in court. Creating enough reasonable doubt and keeping silent if you ARE questioned should let you walk.

  24. ProudinUS

    What the h*ll is going on in this world!??? Doc.s showing how to murder.....the correct way!.......well it is for educational purposes. You think they would throw in on how to commit the dumbest murder and then flip the titles.

    Well, since they don't have a dumb murder guide video, I feel it is my duty as an active member of Dummies-n-the Room to illustrate how a secret society of retards found a way to kill. Here's a few.
    > Dummy +photo: MURDER and a Resume!<
    1.) Go into a market and grab the victims hair. Then forcefully drag them outside and make them lay on the ground while you pick up a Pogo stick and begin to hop around a few times to get some rythm going and then jump for joy on their face while singing some gangster rap.

    2.) Stop at a bridge toll booth around rush hour and grab the toll booth attendent and throw him off the bridge. Get back in your car and wait patiently in line until it's your turn to pay.

    3.) Bring your enemy into a crowded church and drown them in the Baptismal water telling the pastor your just cleansing him of his sins!

    4.) Take an enemy behind one of the targets at a shooting range and beat them to death with the blunt end of a pistol.

    This is only for entertainment puposes only.
    copyright: ???? dumb ldt.

    1. Corebare32

      What kind of idiotic BS was that? U make no sense at all genius.

  25. Daemous Abadonus

    If the experts in this docu. are that good, then where were they during Casey Anthony's murder trial? And there sure does seem to be an aweful lot of people out there that have gotten away with murder. 9/11 is still unsolved.

    1. Winston Smith

      "9/11 is still unsolved" -This is true...but at least we know Islamist radicals could not have rigged wtc 1 2 & 7 with high tech thermitic explosives. So at least we know, with complete certainty, at least a bit of what did not happen.

      The easiest way to get away with murder is to have absolutely no connection to the victim.
      I cannot even kill insects.. so I can't even imagine killing another person.

    2. Derek

      Anthony trial, that's easy, as a forensic scientist myself, they had NO evidence of murder BY Casey Anthony. No mechanism of death, no evidence of abuse history with Caylee, nothing. The defense's drowning scenario cannot be disproved. Nonetheless, the burden of proof is on the State to prove beyond a reasonable double to a moral certainty. They did NOT prove their case...it's as simple as that. If you want to debate the forensic evidence...please do.

  26. Derek

    Kinda funny how even watching this documentary could be used as evidence against anyone dumb enough to try to put this hypothesis to execution. The FBI can track your search history for 5 years, trace it to your IP address, proxy servers don't work for the most part. LOL you better be watching this from the library under someone else's card.

    I thought it was really entertaining! I'm a big Hitchcock buff so this is cool. The narrator's voice was chilling.

    1. tim dean

      they cn track your search history...but how do they prove it was you searching?

    2. susan daihatzu

      they can't...most computers in households especially with large families such as i, and constant social occasions where random people search constantly with their grubby fingers occur. The reality is they can't prove it. The only reason killers are locked up, is because they were found guilty without reasonable doubt.

      many killers are unsolved and many people are framed or wrongly accused. This world we live in is nutty and full of violence, i dont like it but thats how it is.

      the fbi and other crime stopping organizations implement fear into society as a preventive measure for homicides. They aren't robots and they aren't gods, they are flesh and blood like you and i and every other killer.

      The biggest disadvantage that they have, is they have something to lose. They are constantly busting their asses off and taking that stress home to their families in hopes that it will pay off and they have something to show for. this is what spawns corrupt cops extortion racketeering you name it.

      cops are no different than any other human being. they are rapists killers thieves but worse. They are protected by the government, and put on higher pedestals to seem untouchable and all righteous.

      stay the f*ck out of the prisons, they want to enslave the human race and suck the money and freewill out of us all!!!!

      be smart, and do your research, tell nobody, no friends no therapists. You are not a human being living among other human beings. you are the ultimate predator living a life of tricks and traps and deceivers.

      LOL sorry my s*upid little bro got on here hahaha. is there a "how to commit the perfect sexy time" video?

  27. Gdfgfh Sfsfsdf

    I feel like this documentary over-estimates the competence of the autopsy technicians, forensic scientists, and legal system.

  28. q_bit

    Ok so now we know how to kill someone, how about a documentary on the best ways to have sex with them afterwards?

    1. knowledgeizpower

      Umm you're not serious right? As far as the having sex with them afterwards?

    2. GoughLewis

      haha lol Discovery channel should do it...

  29. Xercès Des Stèles

    funny how the matter is approached as if there was no unsolved murder mysteries. the perfect murder is killing someone in front of everybody but no 1 knows its u. they may have an idea but no proof. owned !

  30. Itanimulli

    "I'm very fond of throwing people down holes"...... Umm, ok.

    1. Steve

      Yeah holes are good but remember to cover them. Dry off the dirt to reflect the current surroundings. Plant things, introduce worms and criters and then a little running water. The results are a nice little garden to give you years of enjoyment in your old age.
      Seriously, you're comment cracked me up, thanks.

  31. Itanimulli

    ....

  32. Drake

    This doc is like a Handbook to would be killers. I do not think the documentary serves a positive purpose.

    1. Dave Rhodes

      Forewarned is forearmed.

  33. henrymart81

    Anyone want to compare notes?

  34. Dilpreet

    The documentary is trying to discourage you from attempting 'a murder', by providing tons of examples from previous murders cases where the murderer has been caught. Im sure there is over a hundreds of thousands of unsolved cases, where people successfully got away with murder. Don't fall under the propaganda of this documentary my friends! :)

  35. Daab Baad

    good

  36. Binary Catfish

    Interesting. I too question the motive of these film-makers in showing the general public what mistakes murderers make that gets them caught.

    Did no one else notice that it's a British show with a TON of American content? If it was an American show with a ton of British content, they would not have a naked penis visible on the cadaver model. What's with all the nakedness on British TV? :P

  37. Miles Lord

    This was cool. If I ever really want to whack someone, I'll re-watch this first.

  38. Other Ryan

    Why? WHY!? Why would anyone set out to formulate the perfect murder? And then document how it would go down?

  39. adifferentscottandaaron

    @aaron
    You're dumb.
    And here's why: first, you dont know that there is no god; second, if there is a god that doesn't necessarily mean that humans are the center of the universe; and third, it sounded like Scott was making a joke and thers's no point in starting a mind-numbing religious dicussion on a video about forensics.
    Your ideas are unorigional and they bore me.

  40. aaron

    Scott, there is no God. It may be a scary concept that man is not the centre of the universe, but it is nevertheless true.
    Just thought you should know.

  41. rachelnico

    good doc, but im sure there are tonnes of perfect murders out there we don't know about. there also have to be lots of convictions which people are actuallyinnocent

    1. Xbow

      The interpretation of DNA is considered to be ironclad evidence. So I guess the guy/gal that wants to commit the perfect murder should do it from a long way away. I suggest a scoped bolt action rifle and sub caliber paper patched bullets that wont be marked by the rifling and it would be obligatory for the shooter to police up his/her brass and the firing point, no matter how distant, would have to be sanitized (the best place would be from well inside an enclosed area). And the shooter should make every effort to isolate himself from the environment with: a hair net, latex gloves, a painters disposable coveralls and the like (no exposed skin). And in any case everything used in the crime that could provide trace evidence would need to be destroyed.

      But even with all that there is the random chance that the shooter will unknowingly be observed setting up his/her position or breaking it down or moving away from it or to it. So in the end the best hope for the would be killer is to pray for a bit of incompetence and lethargy on the part of the police. This incompetence and lethargy is almost assured if the target is unimportant as in an average citizen.

      If the killer knows the target well he/she will more than likely be contacted by the police. If you are contacted you are a suspect hence at no time should he/she even attempt to play verbal judo with the police...that's what lawyers are for. And at all times: I don't remember XXXXX. What is this about? And I want a lawyer present are wonderful responses. less talking equals less chance to be discovered. As we have all seen in so many books and films what foils most criminals is not hard evidence or DNA it is what comes out of their mouths.

    2. Derek

      Apparently you have never heard of frangible ammunition.

      Secondly, the worst place would be inside of a closed area. Powder, soot, etc. deposits would be more concentrated. It would also be enclosed from the elements and therefore help preserve evidence. Just the opposite of what you would want...

      And much more...

    3. tim dean

      how can dna be ironclad? they come back with a 1 in 240 trillion chance its the perp. This alone proves incorrect as there are only 6 billion people in the world. I would be instructing council to point this out that it just cant be accurate.

  42. lesa

    the perfect murder...the zodiac killer...booyah

    1. Cheyenne Gallagher

      Hahaha not a chance. Try the perfect incompetent police force. BOOYAH!

    2. Derek

      Luckily, most investigations are barely conducted by the police. The majority of evidence is collected, processed, and testified by us.

  43. eetwo

    Did they ever catch the Baghdad Sniper?

  44. Henry

    I'm surprised to see so little comments. I thought this doc would ignite a slew of comments.

  45. Scott

    God sees everything!

    1. Dave Rhodes

      Really, then why doesn't he do something?

    2. Sue Dykhuis

      too bad God doesn't step up to the plate and stop a murderer.
      guess God is too busy making sure the right team wins a big football game.

    3. New

      Why is it up to God to stop murderers? You either have free will or you don't. if you have free will, mankind chooses to disobey God. If God does not exist and you have freewill, morality is illusory as you are simply a cosmic accidental collection of molecules.

      If you do not have freewill, then the question is moot.

      However, if you are a material atheist, then evolution is your ONLY option and 'murder' is nothing more than natural selection by another animal, Homo sapien and you cannot have a foundation to deem it morally wrong.

      So, which are you?

  46. Joshua

    I am all for the free flow of ideas, the asking of all possible questions, the contemplation of all possible subjects. And I mean really, really all for, all about, in support of, in complete agreement with unbounded inquiry and discussion. Even if those questions and subjects are socially questionable. In fact, ESPECIALLY if those questions and subjects are socially questionable. That said, this can give some disturbed people some very bad ideas.

  47. Spider

    I thought about this for years now.
    1st of all - the right victim. You can't go killing a celebrity or a public figure and expect not to be pursued. Killing a homeless person is much easier. And they make it easy themselves. Just use poison. I doesn't even need to be untraceable. There's a lot of stuff out there you can use. Put it in a sandwitch or inject it into a fruit, or even dissolve it into a bottle of something. Then give it to the homeless person.
    It probably helps if you do this in a town outside your area, and using clothes you don't normally wear, just in case of witnesses. Ofcourse, make sure you leave no prints.
    However, all of these aren't really necessary as nobody would require any investigation. Even if they did perform an autopsy and trace the poison, considering all the things they eat, homicide wouldn't really be their first guess.
    The only real problem is if you do this on many victims and over a short period of time.
    So, be careful about that, and happy killing!

    1. sam

      tUPAC, BIGGIE SMALLS? Both huge celebrities that got killed with out being pursued. You never know. I think its stupid to call murder perfect.

  48. Henry

    Does anyone realize that psychos will watch this and use this info. to commit better murders?

  49. Neil

    the perfect murder would be one without a motive, where the body was never found (perhaps buried in a deep grave in the middle of the desert or encased in concrete deep under the ocean)and where no one was aware it even took place.

    What about picking up a drifter in an isolated area. Poisoning them so they die without making a mess and then having them put in concrete and buried into the desert? No one would notice a drifter was missing. Even if they did there is no body to find. Even if they do find a body it would be hard to link to someone because they wouldn't have any link to the individual.

    1. Sue Dykhuis

      I once read a book that had a perfect crime. The weapon was a frozen leg of lamb. The victim, a cheating husband. The murderer, his pregnant wife. She hit him on the head with the frozen leg of lamb. Then put it in the oven to roast, using the oven on/off timer. She went out of the house, shopping for clothes and for ingredients to serve with a roasted leg of lamb -- her husband's favourite dinner. Came home. Her husband was, can you believe this, dead on the floor! She called the police to report her husband dead at home. They came. While they were checking the home, she told them she needed to be occupied 'cause she was so crazy with grief and had to be doing something to keep her busy. One officer suggested she make dinner so later she would have proper food to eat. The police & detectives checked out eveything, looking for clues, especially the weapon. Found nothing. Wife was hysterical, crying, as she was making dinner, asking "how this could be? Did they think someone he had arrested in the past held a grudge big enough to kill him?" The police officers and detectives were co-workers of her husband. How could they not help her find the murderer? Try as they might, they could not. They asked where she was that day. She mentioned being out getting groceries, etc. Came home, found him dead. Called them. She was told they would have to check that what she said was true. In the meantime, dinner was ready. Crying, upset, she asked if they would join her in eating dinner as she did not want to be alone. All ate the delicious dinner she made. After dinner, helped her clean up and then one of them threw out the trash which included the bone of the leg of lamb they had for dinner. Months went on; the baby was born. All her husband's co-workers supported her through this and celebrated the birth of her son. They attended the baptism and other events in her baby's life. After two years of searching, they came to the conclusion that yes, her husband was murdered, killed in his own home and yes, they had no idea who did it, what the weapon was and where it could be hidden. They concluded he was the one who let the murderer into his home and later, the murderer let himself out of the house. Since the victim knew the murderer and let him in, it could one of many people he would let into the house on any occasion thus DNA in the house would match many. They concluded that none of the DNA pointed to which person could have murdered him.

      The loving wife never let on and 8 years later, married a collegue of her late husband (who, we hope for his sake is not the cheating kind).

      I love it.

    2. New

      That conclusion doesn't comport. Just because you let someone into your house does not mean he knew the 'suspect'. Secondly, DNA evidence is always collected no matter how remote the possibility because DNA enters several databases, with the possibility of familial DNA searches or John Doe warrants.

      If a hit came up, they would interview that person anyhow. Or, they would at least interview all the 'many' people from that household.

      Since woman generally do not commit murder 'out of the blue', she would always be the preliminary suspect and although motive is irrelevant in criminal trial, it may show a history that generated the end actions.

      Also, a murder weapon is not always needed for a conviction. During autopsy, contusions and hematomas would most likely uncover the mechanism and cause of death. Manner of death would most likely follow from the above as death at the hands of another, homocide.

      In that case, every person that had access to that house would need to be eliminated. Interviews with friends and family would most likely uncover the disdain the wife had leading up to the murder. Again, fingerprints, trace, DNA, etc. would have been collected and used to eliminate all people.

      Sounds to me like the writer doesn't really understand forensics or crime very much...

    3. Derek

      Perhaps you should review Locard's Principle of Exchange...EVERY contact leaves a trace...

    4. Daniel Gulzar

      Derek yes you are correct. However I fail to see the point you are trying to make. As a recent graduate in Forensic Science from DMU (Leicester), I can tell you that if the body was buried in a remote location in the desert whilst encased in concrete the likilyhood of finding the body would be incredibly slim. Therefore the fact that trace amount of evidence may have been left on the body is insignificant if the body is not found. As Neil stated the murder of a drifter wouldn't attract to much attention and therefore one could consider a drifter a perfect victim.