Detectives follow the timeline of a victim’s last 24 hours
About the Last 24
The Last 24 (also called A Time to Kill) is a fairly typical true crime show that uses the framework of the last 24 hours of a victim’s life to recount the investigation into their murder.
The show focuses on whether or not the alibis of various suspects in the victim’s circle fit into the their timeline and time of death. Detectives investigating the case first narrow down the time of death, then go through each of the suspects’ alibis and days, looking for points where they intersect with the victim’s last 24 hours.
The Last 24 provides a window into the investigative process and illustrates how detectives rule out suspects, often having to go back to someone they had initially discounted. Despite the timeline framing device, it has all of the usual nuts and bolts of a true crime series: re-creations, narration, outside experts (criminology, psychology, forensic pathology, law, and others), and some police interviews, but very little attention paid to the trial. Many of the cases are covered in other shows, such as Dateline.
The Show Elements
Seasons: 5 (2018-)
Where to stream: True Crime Network, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery+
More shows like The Last 24/A Time to Kill: Dateline: The Last Day
See also this list of true crime shows
✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✓ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends
True Crime Docket 