Plot Synopsis

In each one-hour episode of REASONABLE DOUBT, retired homicide detective Chris Anderson and no-nonsense defense attorney Melissa Lewkowicz reopen a closed case, uncovering evidence previously overlooked by police -- or barred by the court -- to help discover if justice was served to the victim and their families. Anderson uses his years of hard-hitting investigative experience to track down witnesses, examine crime scenes and confront the convicted one-on-one, while Lewkowicz scours every detail of the trial and questions anyone who testified -- or should have. As their investigation progresses, new witnesses, pieces of evidence, and other clues come forward to pose the case of guilt or innocence of a convicted murderer. Each new development for or against the perpetrator's guilt multiplies the suspense as viewers grow closer to the ultimate verdict. In the premiere episode, up-and-coming hip-hop artist McKinley "Mac" Phipps was on the fast track to fame when a young fan named Barron Victor Jr. was shot and killed at one of his concerts in 2000. Mac was convicted of the murder but his parents believe he's the victim of old fashioned southern justice. They turn to Chris and Melissa to reopen the investigation to see if they should continue to fight for their son's innocence or accept the jury's verdict once and for all.

The sophomore season of REASONABLE DOUBT premiered on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. In the second season, retired homicide detective Chris Anderson teams with his new partner, criminal defense attorney Fatima Silva, to pore through evidence, interview witnesses and consult experts previously overlooked by police or barred by the court. At the end of each episode, the determined investigators evaluate their findings and either offer the convicted's family hope for an appeal, or clarity to accept the guilty verdict. 2011 was the year 19-year-old KC Grondin got his first girlfriend. It's also the year he was charged with her murder. In the season opener Chris and Fatima reopen the case to see if KC's family is right to believe that his conviction was a grave injustice, or if the prosecution got it right and KC was an angry teenager driven to kill for lust and money. Other cases profiled this season include: a down and out twenty-something accused of murdering her parents for money; a newlywed found guilty of drowning his wife in their bathtub; a rapper who was convicted of killing a fan in a crowded nightclub; a pest control worker who was convicted of brutally murdering a 71-year-old socialite; a serial cheater who was found guilty of killing his wife in a seedy motel room; and more.

Season 3 of REASONABLE DOUBT premiered on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at 10pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. Driven by a desire to get to the truth, retired homicide detective Chris Anderson and criminal defense attorney Fatima Silva team up once again for the 10-episode third season to help families who are convinced that their loved ones were wrongfully convicted of murder. In the season opener, "When the Gun Went Off," Kathy Middleton died from a gunshot in her own home, and police had three options: it was an accident, suicide, or her husband, Ken, killed her. After a bizarre alibi where Ken claims he was polishing a gun and passed out only to awaken to find his wife dead with a gunshot wound, the police decide on option three. Ken is now serving life in prison, but his son and grandson are convinced that he was wrongfully convicted. Other cases investigated this season include: the case of Celeste Beard, who didn't pull the trigger on her husband, but who is locked up for life for being the mastermind behind it all; Michael Crump, a small-time drug dealer whose family insists isn't capable of the murder for which he was put away; hero or cold-blooded murderer Claude Garrett, who claims he was trying to rescue his girlfriend from a fire, but a jury convicted him of setting it with a motive for murder; Tracy Lee Fortson, whose family claims she was framed for the murder of her boyfriend who was shot, stabbed, and encased in 800 pounds of cement; Mike Johnson who was convicted of killing his ex and her unborn baby with a pipe bomb when she opened a package at her door; and more.

REASONABLE DOUBT returned for its fourth season on Monday, July 12, 2021 at 10pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. Retired homicide detective Chris Anderson teams with criminal defense attorney Fatima Silva, to pore through evidence, interview witnesses and consult experts previously overlooked by police or barred by the court. At the end of each episode, the determined investigators evaluate their findings and either offer the convicted's family hope for an appeal, or clarity to accept the guilty verdict. In the season opener, "A Murder in Cave Creek," Justin Lunsford, convicted of murdering a popular bartender after a night of sex and drugs, insists he's innocent. Now his brother and wife are asking Chris and Fatima to join their fight to free Justin.
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Season 5 of REASONABLE DOUBT premiered on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. On a mission to uncover the truth behind these potential judicial missteps, retired homicide detective Chris Anderson and criminal defense attorney Fatima Silva team up once again with open minds and objective lenses to piece together the puzzling facts. The two pore through evidence, interview key witnesses and consult previously overlooked experts to reveal the unbiased truth and ensure the right person is behind bars for the crime committed. Each episode culminates in an emotional reckoning with reality as Chris and Fatima either provide the families hope for an appeal, or the crushing reality that their loved one is rightfully convicted of murder. In the season opener, "Guiltless or Heartless," respected California probation officer Rodney Patrick McNeal gets a life sentence for murdering his pregnant wife in a fit of rage. With limited physical evidence, the conviction has never sat well with his family who are convinced McNeal was wrongfully convicted. In a desperate, last-ditch appeal, McNeal's daughter and sister have asked Chris and Fatima to take a second look at the case to see whether McNeal is an innocent man doing time for someone else or whether he is right where he belongs. Additional investigations this season include: the case of Laverne Fields, a woman convicted by a jury for murdering her husband as he lay in bed, despite her children insisting that he had died by suicide ("Prison Moms" premieres August 16); Joel Atkin, a 2009 fateful wrong turn that led to a petty argument and spur of self-defense that leaves one man dead and Atkin behind bars ("Bringing Guns to a Fist Fight" premieres August 30); Russell Holbrook, convicted of murdering Melissa Howard after a 10-year investigation and fighting to reclaim his innocence ("Murder Without Motive" premieres September 6); Garrett Arrowood, convicted of killing his aunt during a robbery gone wrong despite the family insisting that two con men were involved ("Aunts and Artifacts" premieres September 13); and more.