ID Sets Premiere Date for the Final Season of HOMICIDE HUNTER

INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY SETS PREMIERE DATE FOR THE FINAL SEASON OF 
HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA 

New to HOMICIDE HUNTER? Click here to catch up on Kenda's most personal and most impactful cases 

(Silver Spring, Md.)— Money, sex or revenge. Over his remarkable 23-year career with the Colorado Springs Police Department, Lt. Joe Kenda has identified those three motives for murder as the pillars that drive people to do unspeakable things, each one a fatal catalyst behind the stories he recounts in HOMICIDE HUNTER. With a 92% solve rate, one of the highest case closure rates in the country, Joe Kenda has helped bring answers to 356 families searching for justice in their loved one’s murder. In each episode, he cracks open his case files using an eidetic memory that recalls even the smallest of details with an intense, deliberate drawl and cool, no-nonsense demeanor that leaves viewers hanging on every word. The storytelling process of HOMICIDE HUNTER has become a personal journey for Lt. Kenda as he chips away at painful memories that have long been suppressed, revisiting the crimes that defined his career…and have since recurred in his nightmares. In the final countdown with 20 more harrowing hours, Investigation Discovery’s hit series HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA returns for its ninth and final season on Wednesday, August 28 at 9/8c.

“Since 2011, Joe Kenda’s storytelling has provided valuable information, gripping entertainment and, even, inspiration to audiences everywhere, and in turn, I believe we have provided Joe a small sense of therapy, if you will,” said Henry Schleiff, Group President of Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, American Heroes Channel and Destination America. “It is bittersweet as we begin to say farewell to this series, HOMICIDE HUNTER, but we are excited about what we have coming up with Joe’s next chapter on Investigation Discovery and look forward to sharing the announcement of that new project with his devoted fans soon.”

“As this is real life, the stories that I have left in my case files are either too simple or simply too gruesome to tell on television,” said Lt. Joe Kenda. “I always wanted to go out at the top of my game, and I can assure you that season nine is just that. I am grateful and humbled for this HOMICIDE HUNTER journey…thank you for letting me entertain you.”

In the season nine premiere, the body of Cynthia McLuen, a vibrant young mother, is found frozen solid in a deserted cemetery. An exhaustive investigation fails to produce any viable suspects, and the case goes cold for three years. When Kenda reopens the investigation, he quickly uncovers new evidence suggesting that Cynthia might not be the suspect’s only victim. In the pattern of violence, Kenda recognizes the sinister hallmark of a serial killer. “Cynthia” will premiere on Investigation Discovery on Wednesday, August 28 at 9/8c, and will have a pre-premiere on IDGO released a week before the linear premiere, beginning August 21.

Leading up to and throughout the final season, fans can follow along for behind the scenes content, special Kenda callouts, and fan giveaways by following #HomicideHunter across Investigation Discovery's social platforms at Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Clips and personal Kenda updates will be shared on the Homicide Hunter fan page and Lt. Joe Kenda's Twitter, while an exclusive interview with Lt. Kenda will be featured in the Crime Obsession Facebook Group.

ABOUT JOE KENDA

Lt. Joe Kenda, a 23-year veteran of Colorado Springs Police Department, reveals chilling memories of murders that still haunt him in the hit Investigation Discovery series HOMICIDE HUNTER. After 21 years of catching killers in the violent crimes unit, 19 of them served as a homicide detective, Kenda has memories that two decades of retirement, and even the best therapist in the country, can't bury. During his tenure, Kenda and his team solved 356 of his 387 homicide cases, resulting in a 92% solve rate, one of the highest closure rates in the country. 

HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA is produced by Jupiter Entertainment for Investigation Discovery. For Jupiter Entertainment, Stephen Land is executive producer and Todd Moss is co-executive producer. For ID, Thomas Cutler is senior executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Jane Latman is executive vice president of development, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is Group President, Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel, and Destination America.

About Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading crime and justice network on television, delivering the highest-quality programming to approximately 85 million U.S. households. From harrowing crimes to in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries behind these “real people, real stories”, the always revealing network challenges our understanding of culture, society and the human condition. The #1 network for women in all of cable, ID’s programming is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD), as well as anytime and anywhere through the network’s TV Everywhere offering,  IDGo. For exclusive web content and bonus material, fans can follow ID on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or check out the network’s true crime blog, CrimeFeed. 

Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Available in 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Discovery delivers over 8,000 hours of original programming each year and has category leadership across deeply loved content genres around the world. For additional information about ID, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com

INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY SETS SINISTER SUMMER LINEUP WITH FOUR ALL-NEW SERIES AND FIVE RETURNING FAVORITES

INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY SETS SINISTER SUMMER LINEUP

WITH FOUR ALL-NEW SERIES AND FIVE RETURNING FAVORITES

(Silver Spring, Md.)— Investigation Discovery (ID), America’s leading mystery and suspense network, announced today the premiere of four all-new series and the return of five fan-favorites to heat up the summer true-crime obsession. The number one cable network for women, ID’s captivating mid-summer programing slate starts by diving into DARK WATERS: MURDER IN THE DEEP (Tuesday, July 31 at 10/9c), a thrilling new series that takes viewers deep into the world of murder on the water. Next up on ID’s summer schedule is SOMEONE YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW (Thursday, August 2 at 10/9c), featuring true stories of those closest to you hiding dark secrets that end with a killer you’d never expect.

Then, ID has viewers listen in on some of the most haunting audio recordings involved in an investigation with the all-new series THE DEVIL SPEAKS (Tuesday, August 21 at 10/9c). Lastly, finding a new home on ID is THE LAST DEFENSE (Sunday, September 2 at 8/7c), a provocative two-night special that explores and exposes flaws in the American justice system, starting with the case follows Darlie Routier as she attempts to be cleared of the murder of her two sons. After 20 years on death row in Texas and a contentious debate over the fairness of Routier’s trial, THE LAST DEFENSE delves into Routier’s troubled past and traces the path that lead her to death row.

Five of ID’s signature series also return for new seasons this summer: THE PERFECT MURDER, FATAL VOWS, EVIL LIVES HERE, MURDER BY NUMBERS and viewer favorite HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA.

ID’s full summer programming slate is listed below in order of air date:

NEW SERIES

DARK WATERS: MURDER IN THE DEEP

New Series Premieres Tuesday, July 31 at 10/9c

DARK WATERS takes viewers deep into the world of maritime murders. Despite its promise of beauty and tranquility, the sea is a lawless world where jealousy, greed and rage surface and where no one is safe. Every episode of DARK WATERS unfolds like an anxiety-inducing thriller putting viewers on the edge of their seat.

SOMEONE YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW

New Series Premieres Thursday, August 2 at 10/9c

In homicide cases, it's seldom strangers you need to worry about, it’s those closest to you. Even when the killing appears to be random, there can be something more sinister lying beneath the surface: a calculated plot, set in motion by someone close; someone hiding in plain sight; or someone leading a double life. What if the killer could be SOMEONE YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW?

THE DEVIL SPEAKS

New Series Premieres Tuesday, August 21 at 10/9c

THE DEVIL SPEAKS uses real audio recordings to peel back the layers of a case. From police interviews to recorded phone calls and voicemails, these recordings are a launching-off point as friends and family connect us with the victim and law enforcement officers walk us through the investigation. In the end, a final piece of chilling and revealing audio is the lynchpin to helping solve the investigation.

THE LAST DEFENSE

Two-Hour Special Premieres Sunday, September 2 at 8/7c

Following its premiere on ABC, THE LAST DEFENSE, executive produced by Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, explores and exposes flaws in the American justice system through emotional, in-depth examinations of the death row cases of Darlie Routier and Julius Jones. The series seeks to trace the path that led both Routier and Jones to their places on death row, while taking a deep look into their personal stories.

RETURNING SERIES

THE PERFECT MURDER

New Season Premieres Thursday, July 26 at 9/8c

Detectives are given new cases every day, but every once in a while they are faced with the most diabolical, perplexing murder cases to land on the desks - the kind that can make or break careers. These ingenious killers are every detective's worst nightmare. From planting false evidence to writing anonymous letters to police, these murderers will stop at nothing to stay one step ahead and get away with THE PERFECT MURDER.

FATAL VOWS

New Season Premieres Saturday, August 11 at 10/9c

Spite, greed, backstabbing, and betrayal. When marriages fall apart, divorce can turn ugly…or even deadly. Hosted by Stacy Kaiser, a licensed psychotherapist and relationship expert, and Dr. Brian Russell, an attorney as well as a forensic and clinical psychologist, FATAL VOWS explores tumultuous, shocking, and high-stake divorces and the deadly murders linked to them.

EVIL LIVES HERE

New Season Premieres, Monday, August 13 at 9/8c

What if the person closest to you were a devil in disguise? Would you see the signs? EVIL LIVES HERE tells the true, heart-stopping stories of people who shared a home with a killer. In each case, they see suspicious signs that something is amiss...something they can't quite put their finger on. Sometimes, they turn a blind eye to those signs, not wanting to know where it came from. Eventually, they must come face to face with the horrible truth: that the person they loved, the person they trusted, is a monster.

MURDER BY NUMBERS

New Season Premieres Tuesday, August 14 at 9/8c

Each episode of MURDER BY NUMBERS begins with the discovery of a body and the onset of an intense investigation. After following the clues, investigators quickly focus on a likely suspect. But just as viewers ease into the standard procedure of a true-crime procedural through the eyes of detectives, they are plunged into yet another chilling, suspenseful, cinematic storyline where a second body is discovered. This shocking revelation not only eliminates the original suspect, but it sends the investigation on a harrowing journey into the depths of pure criminal evil.

HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA

New Season Premieres Wednesday, August 29 at 10/9c

HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT JOE KENDA is a riveting non-fiction investigative series of murder cases told through the personal experience of retired detective, Lieutenant Joe Kenda. With his personal interviews and compelling storytelling style, Kenda captivates us with the details of a different investigation each week, beginning from when he got the homicide call to when the case was closed. Unlike many true-crime shows, this series delivers the realities of the emotional and psychological effects of a murder on the investigator. Set in Colorado, a state known for its suburban lifestyle, these murders are all the more compelling because they are stories of homicide that can happen to anybody.

About Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading crime and justice network on television, delivering the highest-quality programming to approximately 85 million U.S. households. From harrowing crimes to in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries behind these “real people, real stories”, the always revealing network challenges our understanding of culture, society and the human condition. The #1 network for women in all of cable, ID’s programming is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD), as well as anytime and anywhere through the network’s TV Everywhere offering, IDGo. For exclusive web content and bonus material, fans can follow ID on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or check out the network’s true crime blog, CrimeFeed.

Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Available in 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Discovery delivers over 8,000 hours of original programming each year and has category leadership across deeply loved content genres around the world. For additional information about ID, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com

DETECTIVE JOE KENDA REVISITS CRIMES THAT DEFINE HIS CAREER IN THE SEVENTH SEASON OF ID’S HIT SERIES HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA

DETECTIVE JOE KENDA REVISITS CRIMES THAT DEFINE HIS CAREER IN THE SEVENTH SEASON OF ID’S HIT SERIES
HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA

-- Kenda’s Autobiography “I Will Find You: Solving Killer Cases from My Life Fighting Crime” Releases on Tuesday, September 26 -- 

(Silver Spring, Md.) — Murder changes the life of a victim, the convicted killer, and their families… but what about the investigator? Enter retired homicide detective Lt. Joe Kenda, who spent 23 years with the Colorado Springs Police Department and has seen his fair share of madness, mystery, and murder. With one of the highest case closure rates in the country at 92 percent, Kenda’s crime-solving process has helped bring closure to many heartbroken families. In each episode, he cracks open his case files using an eidetic memory that recalls even the smallest of details, with an intense, deliberate drawl and cool, no-nonsense demeanor that leaves viewers hanging on every word. The storytelling process of HOMICIDE HUNTER is a personal journey for Kenda as he chips away at painful memories that have long been suppressed. With 20 hours of Kenda catching killers, Investigation Discovery’s hit series HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA returns for its seventh season on Wednesday, August 23 at 9/8c.

“Someone once said that truth is stranger than fiction. As we embark upon another season of HOMICIDE HUNTER, I certainly found that to be true,” said Lt. Joe Kenda. “Yet here we are. More stories from the lives of ordinary people who became entangled in extraordinary events, and a therapeutic journey for me from a life of investigating violent crime. I hope you enjoy these windows into people's lives and the events that changed them forever.” 

 

In the premiere episode airing on Wednesday, August 23 at 9/8c, it's the night before Halloween when Lt. Joe Kenda and the Colorado Springs Police Department are faced with a real-life nightmare. High school student Benny Messina is found barely clinging to life. As doctors race Messina into surgery, he makes a shocking revelation: another young man named Robert has also been shot. Unsure if Robert is still alive, Kenda and his team execute a rescue mission in a remote, wooded corner of Colorado Springs to find this victim before it's too late. The investigation unravels a twisted tale of just how far a father would go to save his son’s reputation.

Other cases explored this season include the poisoning of a high school math teacher, an infant kidnapping, and the bombing of a bank where not a penny was taken.

ABOUT JOE KENDA

Lt. Joe Kenda, a 23-year veteran of Colorado Springs Police Department, reveals chilling memories of murders that still haunt him in the hit Investigation Discovery series HOMICIDE HUNTER. After 21 years of catching killers in the violent crimes unit, 19 of them served as a homicide detective, Kenda has memories that two decades of retirement, and even the best therapist in the country, can't bury. During his tenure, Kenda and his team solved 356 of his 387 homicide cases, resulting in a 92 percent solve rate, one of the highest closure rates in the country.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY “I WILL FIND YOU”

In his upcoming new book “I Will Find You: Solving Killer Cases from My Life Fighting Crime,” Lt. Joe Kenda shares the deepest, darkest, and never-before-revealed case files from his two decades as a homicide detective. Kenda’s book will remind readers that crimes like these are very real and can happen even in our own backyards. Filled with the macabre, complex cases that still haunt Kenda, “I Will Find You” reveals details that are just too gruesome to air on television and will shock readers like the best horror stories as Kenda divulges insights into the actions, motivations, and proclivities of nature's most dangerous species.

On sale September 26, 2017, wherever books are sold. 

Center Street publishes in such general market categories as Current Events, Politics, Self-help, Motivation, Health and Fitness. An imprint of the Hachette Book Group, Center Street maintains offices in New York and Nashville.

 

HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA is produced by Jupiter Entertainment for Investigation Discovery. For Jupiter Entertainment, Stephen Land is executive producer and Todd Moss is co-executive producer. For ID, Thomas Cutler is senior executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Jane Latman is executive vice president of development, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is Group President, Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel, and Destination America.

About Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading mystery-and-suspense network on television. From harrowing crimes and salacious scandals to the in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries behind these “real people, real stories,” the always revealing network challenges our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. One of our nation’s fastest growing cable networks, ID delivers the highest-quality programming to approximately 85 million U.S. households and is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD). For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or twitter.com/DiscoveryID. Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world’s #1 pay-TV programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories.