For the most part, these episodes are what you expect - a crime is committed, the police at the time can't pin it on anyone (mistakes were made, or there simply wasn't enough evidence, etc). Some are more entertaining than others - sometimes you can tell Bill Kurtis and company avoided talking to the obvious suspect till time is running out, just so they'd have 60 minutes of air time.
However, I found the circumstance in the episode (Love and Hate) to be extraordinary. The original investigator - who was black - is shunted aside by a white supervisor. 30 or so years later they find the necessary evidence to make an arrest. The current detective calls the original investigator out of retirement to make the arrest. The end is almost anti-climatic - 2 arrests, 2 convictions, 1 died in jail, the other will.
However, I found the circumstance in the episode (Love and Hate) to be extraordinary. The original investigator - who was black - is shunted aside by a white supervisor. 30 or so years later they find the necessary evidence to make an arrest. The current detective calls the original investigator out of retirement to make the arrest. The end is almost anti-climatic - 2 arrests, 2 convictions, 1 died in jail, the other will.