Say the name Lt. Joe Kenda to someone on the streets of Falcon and it might ring a bell ñ or not, but the name is highly recognized by thousands of fans of the television show, ìLt. Joe Kenda ñ Homicide Hunter.îThe star ñ Joe Kenda ñ lives in Falcon.The show began airing on Investigation Discovery in 2011 and quickly became a hit. Viewers couldnít get enough of Kendaís straight-forward delivery and his dry sense of humor. ìIím a nice person,î he said. ìUnless I think youíve killed someone. Then Iím not a nice person.îAfter retiring from the Colorado Springs Police Department more than 15 years ago, Kenda was launched into stardom and is recognized by fans on a regular basis. He hasnít let it go to his head. ìIím still me,î he said. ìIím the same guy I ever was.îKenda hails from Herminie, Pa., a coal mine town 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. Growing up in the heart of mining country, his family tree bears a number of coal miners, including his uncle, father and grandfather. ìMy grandfather was killed in a coal mine in 1933,î he said. ìI decided as a young man that was not for me.îAfter graduating from Greensburg Central Catholic High School in 1964, Kenda went to the University of Pittsburgh. In 1967, he married his high school sweetheart, Kathy, and shortly thereafter graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. Kenda continued his education at Ohio State University, where he earned a masterís degree in international politics in 1970. ìMy dream was to work for the Foreign Service,î he said. But during what Kenda described as a classified briefing at the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Va., he decided the Foreign Service was ìnot for himî and pursued other interests.From a young age, Kenda was always fascinated with crime. ìI thought that murder must be the worst crime,î he said. ìBecause the worst thing can happen to you if you do it.î His interest peaked after a family trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo. Kenda remembered a sign near the zooís primate house that read, ìAround this corner is the most dangerous animal on Earth.î When he turned the corner, he was staring into a mirror. ìAnimals kill because they have to survive,î he said. ìHumans kill because they want to. Once youíve killed then it is just numbers. It is a dangerous thing to do and that was what was intriguing to me.îReady to start a new career, the Pennsylvania native was also ready for a new place to live. Kenda, whose mother was originally from Colorado Springs, spent his summers visiting his grandmother in Colorado. ìI always said to myself, ëIf you ever get old enough and smart enough, youíll live here.íî In 1973, Kenda, his wife and two children, moved to Colorado Springs, where he joined the Colorado Springs Police Department.Kenda worked his way up the ranks to detective and eventually became the commander of the homicide department. He spent a total of 23-plus years with the police department, 19 years working in homicide. ìI loved the work,î he said. ìMy wife ñ not so much.îToward the end of his career, Kenda said his wife was convinced he was going to be killed on the job. After working late one night, Kenda came home to find all the lights on and his wife waiting up for him. ìI walk in the door, and she is on the sofa and she is in tears,î he said. ìAnd I said, ëWhat is the matter?í And when she is really angry she calls me by my last name, and she said, ëKenda, I cannot wait for you anymore.íî In 1993, he and his wife moved to Falcon and three years later he retired. Kenda said he had a rough start entering retirement. ìI went through two years of withdrawal,î he said. ìAnd I had to lose the ëvenom.í And I had a lot of that.îIn 2008, Patrick Bryant, a producer in Denver, had an idea for a show that would consist of murder cases told through the personal experience of a local police detective. After one failed attempt using a Denver police officer, Bryant contacted Kenda because he had seen Kendaís 1994 appearance on the national televised program, ìTurning Point,î with Diane Sawyer. ìI ignored him,î Kenda said. ìBut my wife finds out and she immediately says ëYou should call him.íî Upon continued encouragement from his wife, Kenda eventually contacted Bryant.The showís producers made a six-minute pitch reel starring Kenda and presented it to two networks: 20th Century Fox and Discovery. Discovery bought the rights to the show and has already aired two seasons of the show for a total of 16 episodes. Kenda said the network is still in talks about season three.Kenda said when he first started shooting, producers asked him to read a script and were a bit shocked when he refused. ìIím not an actor. Iím a policeman.î he said. ìIf you want me to tell you about this case, I will. If you want me to read that, get somebody else.î Kenda suggested shooting 15 minutes of film without a script. ìIf you donít like what you see,î he told producers. ìIíll read your script.î Kenda has been going without a script ever since.He gives producers 30 of his past cases to read, and they pick the top 10 they feel are best suited for television and will attract the most viewers. The first episode was shot in Hollywood; however, when it was not well-received by fans, they relocated to Colorado Springs. They shoot the episodes March through August, and the shows air beginning the following October. It takes Kenda four hours to shoot each episode. ìIím in the basement of the Pioneer Museum,î he said. ìItís a document (archive) room.îHis show is aired all over the world. Kenda said season one played in Canada last summer and season two is currently running in India. In a couple months, season two will be aired in the United Kingdom, as well as Western Europe. ìIím surprised at how this has been received,î he said. ìIím very surprised that it is as successful as it is. I would have never believed it. I still donít believe it, but it is true.î Kenda said the showís Nov. 27 episode received the highest rating for a prime time show of any kind in the history of the Discovery network.Kenda said he thinks Discovery is ìone of the most successful media businesses on the planet,î operating in 220 countries and territories; with 1.8 billion customers; and broadcasting in 400 languages. ìThey are enormous,î he said. ìAnd Iím part of that.îìLt. Joe Kenda ñ Homicide Hunterî airs on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on Investigation Discovery.
