HISTORY DETECTIVES SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS Begins July 1

History Detectives SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, a new take on a PBS favorite, delves into the past this summer to explore some of America's most intriguing mysteries. Four episodes introduce the fresh perspective of a new detective and focus on a single story per hour. HDSI, the reformatted eleventh season of HISTORY DETECTIVES, debuts Tuesday, July 1-22, 2014, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET on PBS. Also debuting on July 1 isTIME SCANNERS at 8:00 p.m.

In each episode of History Detectives SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, veteran detectives Tukufu Zuberi and Wes Cowan join forces with new host Kaiama Glover to probe a single iconic mystery from America's past. What was behind the tragic sinking of the SS Sultana, one of the worst maritime disasters in U.S. history, at the end of the American Civil War? Can the detectives solve the mystery of one of the country's first recorded serial killings, the Austin Servant Girl Murders of the 1880s? What led to the mysterious vanishing of big band leader Glenn Miller during World War II? Who killed Jimmy Hoffa - and why?

The HDSI team brings modern forensic Science and cutting-edge tools to these historical conundrums. As they discover new evidence, sift through clues and crisscross the country in search of answers, they uncover fresh leads and information to tell captivating stories from a new angle.

"We're giving the History Detectives a broader mission this season," says Bill Gardner, Vice President of Programming and Development for PBS. "They're using modern technology to solve some of the toughest cold cases in U.S. history, and what they uncover is pretty surprising."

The hosts of History Detectives SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS are:
Wesley Cowan, independent appraiser and auctioneer; Tukufu Zuberi, professor of sociology and the director of the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania; and Kaiama Glover, professor of literature of the French-speaking Caribbean and sub-Saharan West African cinema at Barnard College, Columbia University.

View past episodes of History Detectives on our website at pbs.org/historydetectives. "Like" History Detectives on Facebook . History Detectives SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS is a co-production of Lion Television and Oregon Public Broadcasting for PBS.