History  Detectives  Special  Investigations:  Airs  9:00  p.m./8:00  p.m.  Central  on  PBS    

July  1:  Civil  War  Sabotage?      

1,800  people  died  when  the  SS  Sultana  exploded  on  April  27,  1865—more  than  perished  on  the  Titanic  in  1912.  Why,  then,  do  so  few  people  know  about  the  worst  shipwreck  in  U.S.  history?  And  what  caused  the  explosion  that  took  so  many  lives?    The  Civil  War  was  finally  over,  and  most  of  the  passengers  aboard  the  Sultana  were  Union  soldiers  happily  returning  to  their  families  from  Confederate  prison  camps.  But  the  number  of  

people  on  board  far  exceeded  the  ship’s  capacity—they  barely  had  room  to  stand,  and  the  Sultana  was  dangerously  overloaded.      At  2:00  a.m.  three  of  the  steamship’s  four  boilers  exploded,  setting  the  Sultana  ablaze  and  catapulting  passengers  into  the  Mississippi  river  to  their  deaths.  It  was  a  tragedy  on  a  massive  scale,  yet  little  is  known  about  what  really  happened  that  night.    Was  it  an  act  of  Confederate  terrorism?  Faulty  machinery?  Dangerous  conditions?      Meeting  with  survivors’  descendants  to  learn  new  details  about  the  explosion  and  tracing  historical  records,  the  History  Detectives  uncover  a  tale  of  incompetence,  bribery,  politics  and  nepotism  that  leads  all  the  way  to  President  Lincoln  and  the  White  House.  Can  they  solve  the  mystery  of  the  SS  Sultana?    July  8:  The  Disappearance  of  Glenn  Miller    

As  Glenn  Miller’s  musical  career  soared,  he  traded  in  his  commercial  success  for  a  military  uniform  to  entertain  US  troops  during  World  War  II.  Then,  on  a  foggy  afternoon  on  December  15,  1944,  he  took  off  from  England  heading  for  France.  His  plane  vanished  over  the  English  Channel  and  Miller  was  never  seen  again.      Since  that  fateful  day,  Glenn  Miller’s  disappearance  has  remained  a  mystery.  Did  friendly  fire  destroy  the  plane?  Was  Miller  involved  in  espionage?  Was  he  on  a  secret  mission  to  end  the  war?  Recent  discoveries—including  logs  from  the  time  of  the  flight—give  the  History  Detectives  fresh  leads  and  new  clues  to  explore.  Along  the  way,  they  learn  of  the  unusual  role  Glenn  Miller  and  his  music  played  in  winning  hearts  and  minds  during  World  War  II.  Can  they  find  out  what  happened  to  this  beloved  bandleader  once  and  for  all?    

History  Detectives  Special  Investigations:  Airs  9:00  p.m./8:00  p.m.  Central  on  PBS    

July  15:  Texas  Servant  Girl  Murders    

In  1884,  a  string  of  gruesome  murders  terrorized  the  people  of  Austin,  Texas.  Two  years  before  Jack  the  Ripper  struck  London,  a  killer—or  possibly  multiple  killers—brutally  attacked  and  murdered  eight  women  in  their  beds.  The  heinous  crimes  stopped  as  abruptly  as  they  began,  and  the  slayings  have  remained  unsolved  for  over  a  century.    

Could  this  be  one  of  the  first  known  serial  murders  in  the  United  States?  Why  were  those  responsible  never  brought  to  justice?  Six  of  the  eight  victims  were  African  American—were  the  crimes  racially  motivated?      Armed  with  modern  forensics,  the  History  Detectives  interview  the  descendants  of  the  murdered  women  and  enlist  the  help  of  modern-­‐day  experts  in  an  effort  to  solve  this  historical  whodunit.  Can  they  finally  crack  the  case?    July  22:  Who  Killed  Jimmy  Hoffa?  

 On  July  30,  1975,  notorious  teamster  boss  Jimmy  Hoffa  disappeared  without  a  trace.  At  the  time,  he  was  one  of  the  most  powerful  men  in  the  country.  Because  of  his  union  leadership,  many  working  Americans  considered  Hoffa  their  hero,  but  there  were  just  as  many  people—including  members  of  the  mafia  and  the  Nixon  administration—who  wanted  him  gone.      For  decades,  people  have  searched  for  clues  about  what  happened  to  Hoffa  and  why.  Was  he  murdered?  If  so,  who  pulled  the  trigger?  After  serving  prison  time  for  fraud  and  attempted  bribery,  Hoffa  was  pardoned  by  President  Richard  Nixon—did  the  White  House  have  something  to  do  with  his  disappearance?    

Recently  declassified  FBI  files  and  interviews  with  people  close  to  the  story  give  the  History  Detectives  some  new  insights  into  this  historic  cold  case,  including  evidence  of  corruption  at  the  highest  levels.  Can  they  find  out  what  really  happened  to  Jimmy  Hoffa?