"48 HOURS: BLAMING MELISSA" IS SATURDAY'S #1 PROGRAM WITH VIEWERS AND ADULTS 25-54

48 HOURS: "Blaming Melissa" was Saturday's #1 program with viewers and adults 25-54, the demographic that matters most to those who advertise in news, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for Feb. 28.

At 10:00 PM, 48 HOURS posted an audience of 5.68 million viewers and a 1.5/04 with adults 25-54. Compared to the previous week, 48 HOURS was up +15% in adults 25-54 (from 1.3/04) and added +410,000 viewers (from 5.27m, +8%). 48 HOURS was up +15% in adults 25-54 and +4% in viewers compared to the same night last year.

Saturday's broadcast featured Erin Moriarty and 48 HOURS' investigation into the case against Melissa Calusinski, a day care worker who was convicted of killing a toddler in her care. Calusinski was working at a child care center when the boy went unconscious. She was unable to wake him. Her sister began CPR. The boy died. Calusinski was later interrogated by police for nine hours without a lawyer. She denied having anything to do with the boy's death dozens of times, but then confessed to dropping the toddler in a way that may have caused the injuries consistent to the medical examiner's report.

Calusinski was tried and convicted of murder, largely on the fact that she confessed, and that the Lake County, Ill., Medical Examiner's report said the child suffered from injuries to his head consistent with what she said happened in her confession.

After she was convicted, a new medical examiner examined the original autopsy report and found the original coroner made mistakes.

Attorney Kathleen Zellner believes Calusinski was wrongfully convicted. Zellner specializes in wrongful convictions and successfully fought for the release of Ryan Ferguson, a Missouri man convicted of killing a local newspaper sports editor. Ferguson was freed from prison after 13 appeals.

48 HOURS: "Blaming Melissa" is produced by Gail Abbott Zimmerman. Charlotte A. Fuller is the field producer. Richard Barber is the producer-editor. Gary Winter and Atticus Brady are the editors. Judy Tygard is the senior producer. Susan Zirinsky is the senior executive producer.

Follow 48 HOURS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Listen to 48HOURS podcasts at Play.it.