Dateline: Season 20
Season 20 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Picks up essential narrative continuity directly following the events of Dateline Season 19.
- Character alliances, factions, and personal loyalties undergo significant shifts under escalating stakes.
- Addresses unresolved cliffhangers and thematic mysteries introduced during previous seasons.
- Establishes the primary seasonal conflict that drives serialized character arcs toward the finale.
Episode Guide
Season 20 Progress Shield
The Secret
Sep 23, 2011 · 90 min
Investigators search for a New Mexico mechanic who has been missing for eight years.
Strangers on a Train
Sep 30, 2011 · 90 min
When a woman disappears after an encounter on a train, her family hires detectives to investigate.
Someone Was Watching
Oct 14, 2011 · 43 min
In Someone Was Watching, Cristi Hall, who appeared to have a perfect thirty-year marriage to Chris, but was found dead in the backyard spa. In The Ballad of Mike & Dalia, a story-b
Deadly Retreat
Oct 21, 2011 · 43 min
In October 2009, James Arthur Ray, a renowned self-help author and speaker, held a "Spiritual Warrior" retreat in Sedona, AZ. Three people died during the retreat, and Ray was char
The Player
Oct 28, 2011 · 43 min
A couple meets at the craps table in Las Vegas. She was a beautiful trapeze artist and he was a professional poker player -- with a secret. Did he take a gamble that led to murder?
The Last Days of Michael Jackson
Nov 4, 2011 · 43 min
The case against Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray, is in the hands of the jury, who will decide whether he played a role in the death of the pop star.
Crossing the Line (2011)
Nov 11, 2011 · 43 min
A fatal car crash in Montana may not have been an accident after investigators find a revealing set of text messages.
The Mystery at Heath Bar Farm
Nov 18, 2011 · 43 min
Tom Foley is shocked to find himself the lead suspect in the case of his wife Darlene's murder. Thinking the case was over, the defense team is soon approached by a stranger with n
Missing in Paradise
Dec 2, 2011 · 43 min
A vacation in Aruba that morphed into a mystery, Robyn Gardner went missing and many presume she's dead.
After Midnight (2011)
Dec 9, 2011 · 43 min
Susan Cox Powell is a young mother from Utah who suddenly disappears on a winter night in 2009. Dateline NBC's Keith Morrison reports.
The Case of the Missing D.A.
Dec 16, 2011 · 43 min
10 Years ago, the accusation that Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused a child, came to the attention of Ray Gricar, the local district attorney. 3 years later Gricar we
The Town That Jobs Forgot
Dec 23, 2011 · 43 min
Millen, Georgia, a small industrial town so devastated by the Great Recession, its unemployment numbers peaked at 21% - more than twice the national average.
Deadly Triangle
Dec 30, 2011 · 43 min
The story of an unsolved case involving a woman's love triangle that ended in her husband's fatal stabbing in front of their home, but more than two decades later, detectives have
Overboard
Jan 6, 2012 · 43 min
Couple on a honeymoon cruise when George went overboard. An active, ongoing investigation. Royal Caribbean has conducted an investigation about what happened aboard the ship.
Jennifer Hudson & Secrets in a Small Town
Jan 8, 2012 · 43 min
Jennifer Hudson talks about her weight loss, healthy living tips, details of her upcoming nuptials, and more. Also the story of a mother who was found dead in her car off a lonely
Secrets in a Small Town
Jan 13, 2012 · 45 min
Investigators find an unlikely suspect in a woman's death.
Justice for Bonnie
Jan 20, 2012 · 43 min
A woman seeks justice for her 18-year-old daughter, who was raped and murdered in an Anchorage state park in 1994.
The Goldfinger Mystery
Jan 27, 2012 · 43 min
Police suspect a woman's estranged husband in her stabbing death, but surveillance video shows he was not at the scene.
Buried Secrets
Feb 3, 2012 · 43 min
A house guest with tales of grandeur and wealth weaves a web of deceit that ties him to a cold-case murder decades later. The 15-year-old case about the disappearance of David Jack
Suspicion
Feb 10, 2012 · 43 min
In the lead up to a murder trial, it begins to look like police arrested the wrong man.
A Family's Story
Feb 12, 2012 · 43 min
Two years after the disappearance of his wife, Josh Powell kills his two sons and himself.
Mystery at Moon Palace
Feb 17, 2012 · 43 min
TV producer Bruce Beresford-Redman and his wife Monica who were vacationing with their family at a luxury resort in Cancun Mexico in April 2010. But when Monica was later found dea
Mystery in the Master Bedroom
Feb 24, 2012 · 43 min
Millionaire developer Bob Ward dancing in his cell just days after his wife, Diane, was shot to death in their Florida mansion. Did the husband pull the trigger? The police think s
The Hansen Files - Daycare
Mar 2, 2012 · 43 min
Inner-workings of Reliable Day Care, a modern day "social norm" of American child rearing. Not all Day Care operators are who they seem to be and may actually be dangerous.
The Hansen Files - Pharmaceutical Drugs
Mar 4, 2012 · 43 min
The process pharmaceutical companies go through to get a new drug tested, approved, and available to consumers. It may not be as careful as people are led to believe.
Internal Affairs
Mar 9, 2012 · 43 min
In 2009 a Los Angeles police detective examines the cold case file on an attractive nurse, Sherri Rasmussen, who was murdered in her own home in 1986. At the time it looked like a
The Hansen Files - Lottery
Mar 11, 2012 · 43 min
A group of undercover investigators try to uncover the reason that some lottery retailers actually end up with winning tickets, while the customers who bought the tickets walk away
Over the Edge (2012)
Mar 16, 2012 · 43 min
A father is murdered in broad daylight after he dropped his son off at a daycare and the culprit is as surprising as the reason that the father was targeted for murder.
Murder in Broad Daylight
Mar 18, 2012 · 45 min
A man with a surprising motive shoots a father in broad daylight.
Taken (2012)
Mar 23, 2012 · 43 min
A young man with a new love goes missing, and family members and detectives crack the case by connecting a series of seemingly random crimes.
Trayon Martin; Insurance
Mar 25, 2012 · 43 min
Lester Holt travels to Florida to report the latest information on the story of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teenager who was killed by a neighborhood watch member; Chris Hansen conf
Silent Witness
Mar 30, 2012 · 43 min
Michelle Young, a 29 year-old woman from Raleigh, N.C., who was found murdered in her home while her husband was away on a business trip and why it took five years to convict the w
Silent Witness
Apr 1, 2012 · 43 min
Michelle Young was pregnant when she was brutally murdered while her husband was away.
Vengeance
Apr 6, 2012 · 43 min
A woman accuses her boyfriend of rape and finds herself on the wrong side of the law. A he said, she said case turns into a quest for revenge.
Haunted Memories
Apr 8, 2012 · 43 min
A divorced mother of four children, who was accused of a heinous crime and then served 15 years in prison for the same wrongdoing even though there are many that claim the horrible
My Kid Would Never Do That: Stranger Danger
Apr 15, 2012 · 43 min
A look into how much parents and children really know about the danger of abduction; as a test, elementary school children are offered a tour of an ice cream truck and a stranger a
Deadly Trust
Apr 13, 2012 · 43 min
A millionaire from Newport Beach who was murdered in 1994, the investigation went cold, but 15 years later his widow and an ex-football player were arrested for the crime.
Day of Reckoning
Apr 20, 2012 · 43 min
A man accused of murdering a prostitute in 2003. His wifevrecently testified against her husband and revealed that he confessed the murder to her before threatening her into silenc
My Kid Would Never Do That: Driving
Apr 22, 2012 · 43 min
A Penn State professor and consultant to MADD, investigate what really happens when teenagers start driving; teenagers are tested in three different and potentially dangerous drivi
Sean's Story
Apr 27, 2012 · 43 min
Meredith Vieira interviews 11 year-old Sean Goldman, the boy who was kidnapped by his mother when he was four and taken to Brazil, about the entire ordeal, the repercussions in his
My Kid Would Never Do That: Cheating
Apr 29, 2012 · 43 min
Natalie Morales and Rosalind Wiseman, an expert on teen ethics and behavior, investigate what happens when teens are confronted with the temptation to cheat: tests include using ce
While They Were Sleeping
May 4, 2012 · 43 min
The story of Ben Oxley, a 36 year-old who was murdered while he was asleep next to his wife, and new reports about how the accused murderer was able to break in to the house, and l
My Kid Would Never Do That: Discrimination
May 6, 2012 · 43 min
Despite the fact that the current generation of American children is the most diverse in history, some teens may not know what to do when confronted with racial and ethic discrimin
Secrets in the Suburbs
May 11, 2012 · 43 min
Jane Bashara, wife and mother of two from upscale Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, is found murdered in her Mercedes SUV that’s been left in a seedy Detroit alley. Her husband's secre
Stand Your Ground
May 13, 2012 · 43 min
A boy who claims that he is victim of bullying is charged with manslaughter; Colonel Greg Gadson shares his inspirational story; Chris Hansen investigates Tronix Country's business
Dead in the Water
May 20, 2012 · 43 min
Keith Morrison reports the story of Steven B., a radio DJ who was found dead in the waters off of Catalina Island, and why solving his murder took five years.
Poison (2012)
May 18, 2012 · 43 min
After a prominent attorney from Nevada is found murdered, the investigators were led to two suspects, but could not determine the nature of their relationship.
Sunday, March 20
Mar 20, 2011 · 43 min
A collection of people present for the wedding ceremony of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981 look back on the historic event.
The Mystery on Albion Road; The Girl Who Didn't Exist
Mar 25, 2011 · 43 min
A young woman is found severely injured in the middle of the road, but her injuries have robbed her of her memory of what happened to her. Also, a woman kidnapped as a child and ra
Who Killed the Radio Star?
Jun 3, 2012 · 43 min
A former radio DJ and multi-millionaire disappears from his yacht in the Pacific Ocean, but investigators discover he didn't drown.
Twisted
Jun 1, 2012 · 43 min
An Iowa mother, home alone with her three kids, is attacked and the confrontation turns fatal. But is the truth more twisted than anyone could imagine?
In the Middle of the Night (2012)
Jun 8, 2012 · 43 min
A college student is murdered in her Dallas condo. Although there are a few possible suspects, the case eventually goes cold. Years later, her friend’s calls to the police lead to
In an Instant
Jun 8, 2012 · 43 min
Keith Morrison reports the story of a young woman who died after having a spray tan.
Whispers in a Small Town
Jun 10, 2012 · 43 min
A look is taken at the story of a high school valedictorian who was murdered in Montana and the new witnesses who could change the 30 year-old story.
The Perfect Catch
Jun 15, 2012 · 43 min
A look is taken at the story of Esther Pilgrim, the woman who was conned by former rap star Tim Dog in an online dating scam, and how she plans to get revenge.
Buried Secrets
Jun 22, 2012 · 43 min
Officials identify a man's remains more than 20 years after his mysterious disappearance.
America Now: Lost in Suburbia
Jun 24, 2012 · 43 min
Dateline cameras roll as three formerly middle-class families confront poverty for the first time.
The Last Dive
Jul 6, 2012 · 43 min
Examines the case of Shelley Tyre who drowned mysteriously while scuba diving with a companion in the British Virgin Islands.
Deadly Conspiracy
Jul 8, 2012 · 43 min
Investigating the mysterious murder of a family patriarch.
The Night Lynsie Disappeared: Theater Shooting
Jul 20, 2012 · 43 min
The killing of 12 people in Aurora, Colorado during a screening of the new Batman movie. Also, A young college student vanishes late one night; ten years later, her mother's persis
Finding Booker's Place; Deadly Conspiracy
Jul 15, 2012 · 43 min
The story of two strangers who were brought together by a unique bond that goes back to the Civil Rights movement; an investigation of the murder of a family patriarch and the dete
Written in Blood (2012)
Aug 17, 2012 · 43 min
Tim Permenter calls 911 to report a horrible discovery; his girlfriend Karen Pannell, a one-time model and flight attendant, has been murdered in her kitchen. On the wall next to h
The Evidence Whisperer
Jul 20, 2012 · 43 min
A young woman from Southern California goes missing. Did she run away? Was she kidnapped? The police have suspects but no real evidence. It would take over nine years and the exper
The Confession (2012)
Aug 24, 2012 · 43 min
The heartbreaking case of Angie Dodge, an 18-year-old woman murdered in her home in Idaho Falls, Ind. Her mother fights to free the man (Chris Tapp) convicted of murdering her daug
Deadly Connection
Jul 13, 2012 · 43 min
The disappearance of a young woman from Denver and the near fatal attack of another young woman in a neighboring town. Keith Morrison reports.
The Inside Man
Sep 15, 2012 · 45 min
A fast-talking hood risks his life by going undercover in one of the country's roughest prisons to expose a suspected serial killer’s secrets.
The Devil & Bobbi Parker
Sep 21, 2012 · 45 min
A look is taken at a the story of an escaped convict and a deputy warden's wife who were found after a decade on the run and if she a hostage or accomplice.
The Secret
Oct 7, 2011 · 43 min
A troubled marriage, then suddenly a man disappears, leaving behind a daughter and step-son. The truth from a secret kept for over eight years. Andrea Canning reports.