How old is Joe Kenda? Homicide Hunter solved 92 per cent of his cases

Joe Kenda is back on our screens for three new Homicide Hunter specials, which has some viewers wondering about his age.

The retired homicide detective has become a familiar face on-screen for his Homicide Hunter series, which reflects on cases he solved while working for the Colorado Springs Police Department.

This week Kenda returned for the first of three Homicide Hunter specials, which revisit cases that have finally been put to rest.

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Homicide Hunter specials focus on cases that kept Kenda ‘up at night’

This week Kenda returned to the Investigation Discovery channel as the first of his three new Homicide Hunter: Never Give Up specials aired.

The two-hour episode, which aired on Wednesday (August 17), looked back on the case of Darlene Krashoc, a Fort Carson soldier whose body was found behind a Colorado restaurant in March 1987.

The specials were announced in July and will follow three cases that kept Kenda “up at night.” 

Each investigation has been solved, with Kenda narrating the events that led him to crack the case.

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Homicide Hunter ran for nine seasons

The three specials follow the nine-season run of Homicide Hunter: Lt Joe Kenda, which aired for almost a decade between 2011 and 2020. 

The show looked back on cases Kenda solved and brought them to life through dramatic re-enactments and interviews.

The ninth season aired in August 2019, with the last of its 20 episodes running in January 2020. 

The series was announced as its last as Kenda told the Post Gazette there weren’t enough cases to support another season.

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How old is Joe Kenda?

The retired homicide detective is 75 years old and will celebrate his 76th birthday in November 2022. 

Born November 14, 1946, Kenda hails from Herminie, Pennsylvania. He went to college in his home state, attending the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied political science. He furthered his studies at Ohio State University, where he earned his masters in international studies. 

He began working at the Colorado Springs Police Department in 1973 and remained there for 23 years – 19 years as a homicide detective – before retiring.

Kenda investigated 387 cases and closed 356 of them – a 92 per cent solve rate.

Amber Peake

Amber is a freelance writer on The Focus who mainly covers anything celeb, music, and entertainment related. Having graduated with a BA (Hons) in Journalism from Brunel University in 2020, she has spent the last two years reporting the latest celeb news and pop culture trends across leading and national publishers. Starting her career at Express.co.uk as a showbiz reporter, Amber began contributing on The Focus in 2021. As well as her work on the site, she has also written across other GRV Media publications, including both Reality Titbit and HITC. When she's not scrolling endlessly on TikTok, you'll find Amber wrapped up in yet another DIY crafting project.