"No body, no crime." That was the motto con artist Sante Kimes used, but that didn't stop a jury from convicting her and son Kenneth of the 1998 murder of New York socialite Irene Silverman. Armed with a strong circumstantial case that included disguises, Silverman's passport, and documents proving they were trying to bilk her out of her $7 million townhouse, she was convicted, despite the fact that Silverman's body was never found.

The absence of a body presents some huge obstacles in mounting a murder case, because forensic evidence recovered from a victim is often useful to prosecutors, and defense lawyers often argue that the victim may not even be dead. Courttv.com looks at cases where prosecutors rose to the challenge, building a case strong enough to win a conviction even without a key piece of evidence –the victim's body.