Joe Kenda

Joseph Patrick Kenda, born on August 28, 1946, is a retired Lieutenant from the Colorado Springs Police Department, renowned for his significant contributions to homicide investigation. Over his distinguished 23-year career, which spanned from 1973 to 1996, Kenda played a pivotal role in 387 homicide cases, achieving an impressive 92% closure rate by successfully solving 356 of them.

Following his retirement, Kenda faced challenges adjusting to civilian life, leading him to work as a school bus driver for special needs children for a decade, beginning in 1998. His big break in the public eye came in 2011 when he became the host of the popular true crime series Homicide Hunter on Investigation Discovery. Over nine seasons, Kenda shared gripping accounts of his investigative work, employing a unique format that combined his unscripted storytelling with reenactments and insights from various individuals connected to the cases.

In January 2021, he expanded his television presence by hosting American Detective with Lt. Joe Kenda on discovery+, where he explored the experiences of fellow homicide detectives across the nation. He also featured in a special called Homicide Hunter: Never Give Up in August 2022, revisiting an unresolved case involving the murder of a soldier.

Beyond television, Kenda is an accomplished writer and actor, having penned two books, I Will Find You (2017) and Killer Triggers (2021), and appeared in the Netflix film Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie (2017).