Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda - General Discussion

[Dr.OO7]

7 hours ago, Annber03 said:

I think about that whenever there's a story involving children. No way in hell could I even begin to deal with that kind of horror. I truly don't know how the officers who work such awful cases handle it (and the fact that some can't is not at all surprising to me). 

Kenda himself has said that it's the crimes against children that affected him the most. "White hot angry", as he put it.

[Dr.OO7]

Tonight's episode was very good, as always.

It's interesting. Kenda never fired his gun, yet he was tangentially involved in several officer-involved shootings.

I'm glad that they interviewed the cop in question. It was moving to see that he was still affected by it all these years later. And I'm glad that Kenda himself stated "It's not an easy thing to take a life". I've come to realize that I really don't like how easily TV cops get over shooting someone, even if it was absolutely necessary.

Tonight's episode. . .

Wow. So THAT'S the story of Kelsey Grammar's sister. Even hearing the last name didn't clue me in.

It's amazing how many infamous crimes Kenda was tangentially involved in.

Edited January 16, 2020 by Camille

[andromeda331]

Did anyone notice in the episode when the woman that called 911 to tell them about the crazy guy in the church. She never once said the name of the church? I watched the scene and then rewind it to be sure. Nope, she never told them the name of the church. Yet somehow the cops managed to find it. 

[UncleChuck]

On 1/9/2020 at 11:06 AM, Camille said:

It's interesting. Kenda never fired his gun

Joe stated that he pulled his weapon over 20,000 times in his career, yet never fired a shot.  He was a policeman in Colorado Springs for 23 years, so that would mean he pulled his gun about 869 times per year.  If he worked every day (365) he would have drawn his weapon almost 2.5 times every day.

Congrats on never shooting, Joe--but that seems to be a whole LOT of gun-pulling!

[Gobi]

17 minutes ago, UncleChuck said:

Joe stated that he pulled his weapon over 20,000 times in his career, yet never fired a shot.  He was a policeman in Colorado Springs for 23 years, so that would mean he pulled his gun about 869 times per year.  If he worked every day (365) he would have drawn his weapon almost 2.5 times every day.

Congrats on never shooting, Joe--but that seems to be a whole LOT of gun-pulling!

I wonder if he meant to say 2,000 times? That would seem more reasonable. 

[Dr.OO7]

There are only two episodes left, 1/22 and 1/29.

[andromeda331]

Second to last episode of the series aired on Wednesday. That poor elderly woman robbed, raped and murdered. 

The last episode airs this coming Wednesday and it looks like its going to the last case Kenda ever worked and that he's referenced in articles. 

[Dr.OO7]

They watered down Kendra's breaking moment. In real life, he almost strangled the guy to death.

I loved seeing Kenda himself participate in the footnote reenactments.

[andromeda331]

42 minutes ago, Camille said:

They watered down Kendra's breaking moment. In real life, he almost strangled the guy to death.

I loved seeing Kenda himself participate in the footnote reenactments.

Yeah, other officers had to pull him off. I'm still sorry to see the show end. I really loved it and Kenda's remarks. It was nice to see Kathy and their kids back for the last episode. My dad has PTSD from Vietnam and it was amazing to hear how all four talking about it. It was so similar to our experiences. Although I do wonder if they left a few things out. With my dad when the sudden switch came we learned to avoid him until it was over. When it was over it was like it never happened and he was back to his normal self. Since it was never mentioned until the mid 90s none of us had any idea what was going on including my dad. Kenda keeping it all in not wanting to burden his family with what he saw, the sudden switch, and how he couldn't control it. That was all the same as my dad he didn't want any of us to know anything about the horrors he saw. But like with Kenda opening up about it helped so much.

I wish they had told us what the new show would be. 

[Annber03]

Whew. That was a heavy hour. 

Those nightmares he described having. Jesus. I sympathize with his wife's frustration at him not wanting to open up to her about this stuff, but I also totally don't blame him one bit for not wanting to share such gruesome images with his family. Especially not his children. His spouse would be one thing, she's an adult, she would find a way to handle it. But yeah, no way in hell would I ever think to tell my children about those kinds of scary dreams if I had them. 

(It was especially disturbing just how detailed those dreams got. Like, it's one thing to see a dead person, but to see them in a state of decomposition? YIKES. I don't know how he kept going after that, 'cause if that were me, that would be enough of a message that I needed to quit right there.)

Those cases, though. Those poor, poor children. The mention of the boy holding the stuffed animal was what really got to me-something about seeing stuffed animals in these kinds of stories just hits me right in the heart. It's clear how much that case affected Kenda, too-he got visibly teary recalling it here, and it's been 30 years.

Also, I've clearly been watching too many of these kinds of shows, because I immediately suspected a murder/suicide, too. What a tragic story. I feel for the poor landlord who had to come across that scene. 

And then that creep who abused his grandson. Yeah, I think a lot of people would react the way Kenda did, or at least have the urge to do so. I'm glad that he was able to finally realize, though, just how much this job was affecting him, and was able to step away when he could. Somehow it doesn't surprise me that he didn't even bother with a retirement party. 

It also sucks that he couldn't even fully enjoy being a bus driver because of the horrible images he was left with. I do get a kick out of him doing that for a time, though-I liked his joke that that was the first job where people were happy to see him :p.

And I'm also glad that doing this show did a lot to help him deal with all these painful memories and cases (and potentially helped those watching, too, which is cool), and that his life with his family remains stable and strong. They all seem like a lovely, supportive bunch. His final words of gratitude were very nice, too. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by Annber03

[Esmeralda]

Quote

They watered down Kendra's breaking moment. In real life, he almost strangled the guy to death.

I loved seeing Kenda himself participate in the footnote reenactments.

I read a bunch of articles before watching the show and he said that these were the only things that they didn't keep accurate - I guess the network thought leaving viewers with that idea of Kenda might make them not want to watch the new show.  He also said the episodes he wouldn't talk about were ones including children, so the commercials had me thinking the little boy would be alive, so I was REALLY shocked when he wasn't.  But especially when he was dressed in pajamas that his son wore when he was that age, you can see why it continued to haunt him. I'm so glad that doing this show helped him with the PTSD - I hope it helps others who suffer from it to find someone/something that can help.

I bought Kenda's book for my Nook and can't wait to get myself some more Kenda!

 

[catlover79]

I thought the finale was very well done. It was great to see Kathy, Dan and Kris all there. The narrative neatly wove the case into what finally led Joe to retire several years later. My heart melted to see Joe the bus driver in the reenactment scene. I look forward to what he and ID will be collaborating on next.

[mmecorday]

Joe Kenda is an amazing story teller. That's what made this show so successful. I imagine that first day of freedom was like the start of a new life for him. I'm glad he knew when the job had gotten the best of him and it was time to leave for the sake of his sanity and his family. If I had been in the room with that pedophile grandfather who said his grandson had initiated the molestation, I probably would have broken a chair over that old man's head.

 

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

I bought Kenda's book for my Nook and can't wait to get myself some more Kenda!

Do yourself a favor and also get the audio book read by the man himself! I also bought the book first (the hard copy) and read it immediately, but when I realized there was an audio version, I was so happy that I'd be able to hear not only the soothing deep voice, but the well-placed dry snark! 

[Dittohead]

I'm going to really miss this show, including  Carl Marino, who finally  showed some emotion in the last episode! 

 

 

[catlover79]

Yesterday, Joe posted a video on Twitter and FB. He offered words of encouragement, and added that he and Kathy are just fine. Check it out - it's great!! (So help me, I still can't figure out how to embed tweets!!)

https://mobile.twitter.com/LtJoeKenda/status/1243178849883566080

[CrystalBlue]

Lt. Joe Kenda is back in Homicide Hunter Season 9, released on Hulu July 1, 2020.  There are 20 new episodes.  This will be the final season as the decision has been made to end the show and there won't be a Season 10.

[andromeda331]

Joe Kenda's new show is called American Detective starting January 4th but will only be available on Discovery+. 

TV Talk: Westmoreland County native Joe Kenda’s new series will help launch discovery+ streaming service | TribLIVE.com

 

[chenoa333]

On 12/3/2020 at 7:36 PM, andromeda331 said:

Joe Kenda's new show is called American Detective starting January 4th but will only be available on Discovery+. 

TV Talk: Westmoreland County native Joe Kenda’s new series will help launch discovery+ streaming service | TribLIVE.com

 

Thank you for the info! I love Kenda!

[Jeeves]

On 12/3/2020 at 8:36 PM, andromeda331 said:

Joe Kenda's new show is called American Detective starting January 4th but will only be available on Discovery+. 

TV Talk: Westmoreland County native Joe Kenda’s new series will help launch discovery+ streaming service | TribLIVE.com

Too bad. I looked at the offerings on Discovery +. It's a sh*t ton of dreck that I don't watch on the TV channels I already pay for, plus Kenda. Not worth six bucks a month. My love for Kenda is obviously not limitless, lol.

[CrystalBlue]

Joe Kenda interview about his new series "American Detective with Lt. Joe Kenda" and more wisdom from Joe.

[Jeeves]

Well, I was wrong. Imagine that. 😂 I switched to a different mobile phone carrier, and got a year of Discovery+ for free. To my pleasant surprise, there's a LOT of programming that I like. I thought it was weighted heavily toward TLC freak shows and the Magnolia Empire, but there's so much more. Including a bunch of DIY network shows. 

And, of course, Joe Kenda. Sweet!

[andromeda331]

2 hours ago, Jeeves said:

Well, I was wrong. Imagine that. 😂 I switched to a different mobile phone carrier, and got a year of Discovery+ for free. To my pleasant surprise, there's a LOT of programming that I like. I thought it was weighted heavily toward TLC freak shows and the Magnolia Empire, but there's so much more. Including a bunch of DIY network shows. 

And, of course, Joe Kenda. Sweet!

You are so lucky!

[andromeda331]

January 20th on ID Discovery will be the second episode of Joe Kenda's new show American Detective.

[Dr.OO7]

On 1/10/2021 at 10:55 AM, andromeda331 said:

January 20th on ID Discovery will be the second episode of Joe Kenda's new show American Detective.

I like it. It's the same format, just simply telling other detectives stories instead of his.

I wish they weren't limiting it to Americans. I'm sure his counterparts in Canada/the UK/Australia, etc have some harrowing stories of their own.

[andromeda331]

13 hours ago, Dr.OO7 said:

I like it. It's the same format, just simply telling other detectives stories instead of his.

I wish they weren't limiting it to Americans. I'm sure his counterparts in Canada/the UK/Australia, etc have some harrowing stories of their own.

I finally got to watch season one on ID Discovery. It was really good. I agree that it would be great to hear from Detectives in Canada/the UK and elsewhere. Crime Stories on Mystery has a lot of Canadian murders. Kenda still has his humor which is good.  My dad and I still watch Homicide Hunter on Demand a lot. I wonder if they were planning for awhile to switch to detectives beyond Colorado Springs. A lot of the later seasons Kenda isn't really a part of or has a very small role in it. I wonder if they were testing the audience with that to see if ratings dropped or not. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think they branched out for the same reason the show ended, they ran out of stories that they could air.   Some are so horrible, that they simply couldn't air them,    Or they were so obvious who did it, and were caught so quickly, that it didn't make any suspense.     

I would like it if Kenda was the narrator on some international cases.    

[deirdra]

8 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I think they branched out for the same reason the show ended, they ran out of stories that they could air.   

That and it may have deterred tourism or people looking for a place to move to in Colorado. Colorado Springs was starting to look like the crime capital of the US.

[andromeda331]

On 12/9/2021 at 11:00 AM, deirdra said:

That and it may have deterred tourism or people looking for a place to move to in Colorado. Colorado Springs was starting to look like the crime capital of the US.

Its the Wild West.

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 12/9/2021 at 12:00 PM, deirdra said:

That and it may have deterred tourism or people looking for a place to move to in Colorado. Colorado Springs was starting to look like the crime capital of the US.

I lived in Colorado Springs for 8 years, and some neighborhoods there are very bad.     Even places that were very nice during the day, weren't a good place to be after dark.      If I ever could afford to move back, there are only a few parts of town I would consider, but not only for crime reasons.      

Some cases, like the poisoning of Barbara Lewis, a teacher, by Scott Wade Matheson show (in my opinion) that if you have enough money, you can get away with ruining someone's life.    He was originally sentenced to many years in prison, it was changed to juvenile offender status, and he was out in society a few years later. 

  His rearrest in 2019 was spectacular.    Mrs. Lewis died in 2017 or about then, and suffered the effects of what he did to her since the poisoning in 1994 that was shown on Homicide Hunter.  For some reason, Matheson was called Cameron on the show.     

Edited December 11, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Dr.OO7]

On 12/11/2021 at 3:40 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Colorado Springs was starting to look like the crime capital of the US.

Heh. That reminds me of the jokes made about Cabot Cove in "Murder, She Wrote", wondering how such a cute and quaint little town in Maine had a murder rate 3 times more than that of major cities like New York and Chicago.

[chenoa333]

On 12/9/2021 at 10:00 AM, deirdra said:

Colorado Springs was starting to look like the crime capital of the US.

I blame it on Chris Watts. I know he lived in Frederick CO but my true crime ears always perk up when I hear "Colorado" and another missing/murdered woman. Of course CW is locked up and cannot kill again but he really put Colorado on the gruesome crimes map. 

[Dr.OO7]

On 1/1/2022 at 1:24 PM, chenoa333 said:

I blame it on Chris Watts. I know he lived in Frederick CO but my true crime ears always perk up when I hear "Colorado" and another missing/murdered woman. Of course CW is locked up and cannot kill again but he really put Colorado on the gruesome crimes map. 

There was an interview with Kenda where he mentioned seeing him on the news and instantly knowing that he was guilty based off of his body language.

(Hell, *I* knew it without any LEO training, though that's just from the statistics I know about female murder victims, especially if they're pregnant--9/10 times, it's the husband/boyfriend)

That's a question I'd like to ask him, if he ever found himself watching the news and instantly knowing someone's guilty and that the story they're telling is bullshit.

[Annber03]

21 minutes ago, Dr.OO7 said:

There was an interview with Kenda where he mentioned seeing him on the news and instantly knowing that he was guilty based off of his body language.

(Hell, *I* knew it without any LEO training, though that's just from the statistics I know about female murder victims, especially if they're pregnant--9/10 times, it's the husband/boyfriend)

My mom's told a story about how my grandma had that reaction upon seeing Susan Smith on TV when that case broke. They were watching the press conference with her pleading for her kids' return and my grandma pointed at the TV and said, "She did it." There's definitely been some criminals who don't exactly hide how shady they are, or don't do as good a job at trying to appear innocent as they think they do. 

Edited February 26, 2022 by Annber03

[Dr.OO7]

28 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

My mom's told a story about how my grandma had that reaction upon seeing Susan Smith on TV when that case broke. They were watching the press conference with her pleading for her kids' return and my grandma pointed at the TV and said, "She did it." There's definitely been some criminals who don't exactly hide how shady they are, or don't do as good a job at trying to appear innocent as they think they do. 

My sister said the same thing, stating that there was no way that a black man could have been driving around with two little white kids, especially in a small Southern town, without the cops stopping him immediately.

I was only 15 when that happened and still very naive about the fact that women could do that to their own children, but rewatching the numerous interviews that she gave, it's painfully obvious--she never looks into the camera (ergo, no eye contact), and her tears are forced and fake. There's even a clip from right before the first interview she and her husband did. The prosecutor was watching and caught a brief moment where she was clearly GIGGLING and whispering to him "We're going to be on TV!"and stated that he instantly knew what she'd done.

[Annber03]

35 minutes ago, Dr.OO7 said:

My sister said the same thing, stating that there was no way that a black man could have been driving around with two little white kids, especially in a small Southern town, without the cops stopping him immediately.

Exactly. That, and most carjackers are there for the car and the car alone. They're certainly not going to run off with the car and two kids, 'cause the kids are just going to get in the way. Unless they're specifically there for a kidnapping, no criminal wants to schlep a couple kids around with them (to say nothing of how many criminals are well aware of how people who take and murder children are treated in prison, so yeah, they're not going to want to deal with that). 

If a carjacker were going to hurt anyone in that scenario, it'd be Susan. She's the adult, she has more means to fight back, she's more of an immediate threat to stopping their crime. And, sad to say, she probably would've been at risk of sexual assault, too. 

Quote

I was only 15 when that happened and still very naive about the fact that women could do that to their own children, but rewatching the numerous interviews that she gave, it's painfully obvious--she never looks into the camera (ergo, no eye contact), and her tears are forced and fake. There's even a clip from right before the first interview she and her husband did. The prosecutor was watching and caught a brief moment where she was clearly GIGGLING and whispering to him "We're going to be on TV!"and stated that he instantly knew what she'd done.

I was 10, and I do have vague memories of hearing about that case in the news, but I never saw any of the news footage or anything. 

But seeing that press conference as an adult, yeah, it's pretty obvious she's faking the whole thing. A lot of criminals have pulled that "forced tears/scrunch up their face to look like they're trying to be emotional" thing, and it amazes me that they think they can get away with that, 'cause most people just aren't that good of actors. 

That bit about her giggling. Yikes. Indeed, it is tough to imagine a mother doing that to her own kids, but sadly, of course, she's far from being the first woman to do that, and she won't be the last :(. 

Edited February 26, 2022 by Annber03

[Dr.OO7]

12 hours ago, Annber03 said:

That bit about her giggling. Yikes. Indeed, it is tough to imagine a mother doing that to her own kids, but sadly, of course, she's far from being the first woman to do that, and she won't be the last

Diane Downs LAUGHED while reenacting how a "bushy-haired stranger" ambushed her and her three kids and shot them all, killing one and severely crippling the other two. She conveniently escaped with nothing more than a scratch on her arm.

While there's no law about how people should react when someone they love is a crime victim, Incriminating Indifference is a damning trope. Kenda and the other detectives have frequently cited this as the reason they're suspicious of people.

[Dr.OO7]

On 2/25/2022 at 11:06 PM, Annber03 said:

And, sad to say, she probably would've been at risk of sexual assault, too

That's what made one of the detectives suspicious--he asked her about that and again, she giggled, "Oh no, it wasn't anything like that."

On 2/25/2022 at 11:06 PM, Annber03 said:

carjacker were going to hurt anyone in that scenario, it'd be Susan. She's the adult, she has more means to fight back, she's more of an immediate threat to stopping their crime.

Steve Harvey of all people did a comedy bit about that, claiming that he himself knew she was guilty when he saw her on the news and she didn't have any signs of having been in a struggle, something highly unlikely for a woman who would naturally be fighting tooth and nail to protect her children.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Dr.OO7

[Dr.OO7]

I'm really enjoying the new season of American Detective (is there a separate thread?). I like that he's featured more female detectives, including an African-American one.

That said, it feels even MORE like a typical episode of Homicide Hunter, only with him serving as the narrator.

[andromeda331]

On 7/27/2022 at 8:20 PM, Dr.OO7 said:

I'm really enjoying the new season of American Detective (is there a separate thread?). I like that he's featured more female detectives, including an African-American one.

That said, it feels even MORE like a typical episode of Homicide Hunter, only with him serving as the narrator.

So am I. The last episode with Latisha being murdered by her friends was so horrible. Her poor mom even searched the apartment where she was possibly still alive or at least her body was in the closet and she had no idea. The guy who's apartment it was hugged the mother.

[RoxiP]

In the Dallas area we have Darlie Routier...some women are so scary because on the surface they look so normal!

[chenoa333]

On 10/6/2022 at 7:47 AM, RoxiP said:

In the Dallas area we have Darlie Routier...some women are so scary because on the surface they look so normal!

I have heard of DR. What a piece of feces.

You can't trust anyone anymore. I think most people feel more at ease with females but trust who you know and have known for a very long time. This world is saturated with evil people. Male and female. All ages, shapes and looks. 

[RoxiP]

On 12/24/2019 at 8:09 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm watching the marathon, and the Barbara Lewis poisoning case.    Why are they giving the poisoner a fake name?   Scott Wade Matheson, called Cameron in the show.   To end up with a sentence of six years was a travesty of justice (it was reduced on appeal). 

The attitude in Colorado Springs, that rich kids don't deserve jail, is a big reason that I never moved back there.     If your parents live in a multi million dollar home, then you're not going to jail for long, if at all.          

I just watched that episode this weekend.  The reduced sentence was okayed by Mrs. Lewis.  She is a nicer woman than I could ever be!  

[andromeda331]

14 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

I just watched that episode this weekend.  The reduced sentence was okayed by Mrs. Lewis.  She is a nicer woman than I could ever be!  

Same here. After everything she went through. I couldn't be that nice. 

[CVZZ]

Really enjoyed American Detective but miss ol’ Carl Marino, even if his acting was “wooden”. Anyone know what happened to Carl?

[oliviabenson]

On 10/6/2022 at 10:47 AM, RoxiP said:

In the Dallas area we have Darlie Routier...some women are so scary because on the surface they look so normal!

She killed 2 of her kids?

[CrystalBlue]

On 12/3/2022 at 5:05 PM, CVZZ said:

Really enjoyed American Detective but miss ol’ Carl Marino, even if his acting was “wooden”. Anyone know what happened to Carl?

Carl is listed on IMDb and is on social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.  So he's alive and well! 😀

[BetyBee]

It seems like Joe Kenda is beloved, but I have to admit that after watching one episode a night for several weeks, I'm sick of his cocky behavior. Last night we watched "New Year's Evil" about the murder by strangers of a young man outside a convenience store. He was beaten to death with firewood. A woman came out of the crowd with valuable information on the license plate of the offenders' vehicle. Modern day Joe mocked her mercilessly, stating that she was probably not very intelligent even when sober. There was no need for that. Of course, the writers do try to fill the time with endless repetition, so maybe they put those words in his mouth. I also get sick of the blonde reporter who shares Captain Obvious information. Sometimes Joe's observations make me laugh, but often I'm just sick of his know-it-all attitude. 

[oliviabenson]

Is there a separate thread for American detective?

[Dr.OO7]

On 10/11/2022 at 12:16 PM, chenoa333 said:

You can't trust anyone anymore. I think most people feel more at ease with females but trust who you know and have known for a very long time. This world is saturated with evil people. Male and female. All ages, shapes and looks. 

If evil women didn't exist, there wouldn't be shows like "Deadly Women" and all the other female-themed shows on "Investigation Discovery".

I don't deny that it still stuns me to see that women are just as capable of the same level of cruelty and violence as men are.