''Homicide Hunter'' (also known as ''Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda'') is an American crime documentary television series which aired on the

Investigation Discovery Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries, similar to corporate sibling HLN. It is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery's netw ...

(ID) television network for nine seasons, totalling 144 episodes. The series showcases the career of retired

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...

, Colorado,

police department The police are a constituted body of people empowered by a state with the aim of enforcing the law and protecting the public order as well as the public itself. This commonly includes ensuring the safety, health, and possessions of citize ...

detective

Joe Kenda Joseph Patrick Kenda (born August 28, 1946) is a retired Colorado Springs Police Department detective lieutenant who was involved in 387 homicide cases over a 23-year career. He solved 356 cases, a closure rate of 92%. He was featured on the Inve ...

, often played by Carl Marino. Kenda joined the department in 1973 and was promoted to detective in 1977 and assigned to the burglary division. However, after solving a double shooting which veteran detectives believed was unsolvable, he was assigned to the homicide division. The case was presented in the Season 4 finale "My First Case". Kenda states he solved 387 cases (other sources state he solved 356 of 387 cases). At the time of his retirement in 1996, he was the commander of the department's major crimes unit. The cases are told by Kenda in his trademark deadpan manner, with touches of dry humor. Re-enactments feature actor and former

deputy sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is commonly ...

Carl Marino portraying a younger Kenda, and narration by Josh Casaubon. Episodes also featured contextual contributions by witnesses to the crimes, family and friends of the victims, members of law enforcement and the media, and others. Though the program is reviewed for accuracy, Kenda does not read from a script for the series saying he vividly recalls his cases. ''Homicide Hunter'' debuted on October 25, 2011. In May 2019, Kenda announced in a video posted on the show's official Facebook page that the ninth season of ''Homicide Hunter'' would be its last. However, he is still committed to working with Investigation Discovery. Kenda recounted that at age nine during a visit to the

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

Zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

, he experienced what he calls an

epiphany Epiphany may refer to: Psychology * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany seaso ...

: "There was a big sign, and it read, 'Around this corner is the most dangerous animal on earth' ... and it was a

mirror A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera ...

from ceiling to floor. Everyone was looking in the mirror, and everyone was wondering, 'Well, what is this about?'" The ninth and final season premiered on August 28, 2019. The final episode aired on January 29, 2020.

Episodes

Season 1 (2011)

Season 2 (2012)

Season 3 (2013)

Season 4 (2014)

Season 5 (2015–16)

Season 6 (2016–17)

Season 7 (2017–18)

Season 8 (2018–19)

Season 9 (2019–20)

Ratings

On Tuesday, November 12, 2013, during the third season, ''Homicide Hunter'' reached a new peak with 1.3 million viewers and ranking No. 8 in ad-supported cable programs. Ratings continued to grow, with the Tuesday, August 18, 2015, Season 5 premiere setting a then-record for Investigation Discovery, delivering 3.8 million viewers and making it a Top 5 cable program in its time period. During the 2017 calendar year, which included the last seven episodes of the sixth season and the first 13 episodes of the seventh season, the series averaged 1.9 million viewers, part of a then nine-year network-wide trend of Investigation Discovery steadily increasing its ratings.

References

2010s American documentary television series Television shows set in Colorado 2011 American television series debuts American English-language television shows 2010s American crime television series American non-fiction television series Investigation Discovery original programming True crime television series 2020 American television series endings

External links

Official Facebook page
* * {{YouTube, p=PL5ZSqdgaeKOzWBylRm9R0kpVavy8oEvf8