Interview With HOMICIDE HUNTER Lt. Joe Kenda Ahead of Today's Season 9 Premiere

Last week, I was privileged to interview Lt. Joe Kenda of the series Homicide Hunter, which chronicles his 23 years of service in the Colorado Springs Police Department and his near 400 cases solved in his career. Each episode takes on a different case, and we get to hear firsthand from Lt. Kenda the step-by-step process of solving each homicide while we see the events acted out on the screen. The series has had eight seasons and will conclude after the ninth, which starts tonight on the ID channel. Tune in, and follow Lt. Joe Kenda through the last season of the series, but don’t worry, he’ll be back. Check out my interview below to find out how:

Jessica Fisher: Good afternoon Lt. Kenda, my name is Jessica Fisher, from the website GeekTyrant. Thank you so much for speaking with me.
Joe Kenda: Nice to meet you, Jessica. It’s my pleasure.

JF: First of all, I have to tell you that my mom is your number one fan. She wanted me to tell you.
JK: Tell your mother I get that a lot. Everyone says they’re my biggest fan. Someone has to be wrong. But who knows? Maybe your mother is the one.

JF: Maybe! (laugh) So, what made you want to become a detective?
JK: I wanted to do something meaningful with my life. Homicide is the worst thing that people can do to one another, and we know that because the worst is done to you when you commit it. You either get life in prison, or they kill you.

JF: Absolutely. Have you ever written any books about your experiences?
JK: Yes, I have. I wrote one book, and I’m working on a second one currently.

JF: Awesome! Did your work on cold cases inspire you to make the show?
JK: No. I didn’t think up the show. I was approached by them.

JF: Was the series cathartic in helping you retire?
JK: I was already retired, but I did like going back through and talking about them. I had never done that before.

JF: What made Carl Marino the perfect choice to play you? And did you have much say in casting?
JK: I had no part in casting. I just showed up one day, and they said, “This is who’s playing you,” and I said, “Oh, hello.”
JF: Do you think he’s good in portraying you?
JK: Yes, he’s very good.

JF: I watched the first episode of the upcoming final season, entitled Cynthia. So many of the cases are so heartbreaking. How did you cope with such a heavily emotional career?
JK: Yes, they are very sad. But I found that finding the person responsible was rewarding. The families never heal from having someone they love murdered. It leaves a hole in your heart. But I could tell a family, “This is who did it, and this is what’s going to happen to them.” That helped.

JF: What’s next for you with the end of your series?
JK: I.D. is creating a new series for me that will be out in Fall 2020. That’s all I can say about it so far.

JF: That’s so exciting! Lastly, if you go back and give young Joe Kenda a piece of advice, what would it be?
JK: (Laugh…) Be sure and cut the grass. They get so mad at you when you don’t cut the grass.

JF: Thank you so much for your career, and all that you have done in the law enforcement community. And thank you for sharing it on your show.
JK: You are more than welcome, Jessica. Thank you, and tell your mother hello for me.

This was such a great experience! Lt. Kenda is a class act, and I can’t wait to see how this series finishes up, as well as getting to see the next series he is lined up for. It’s such great news that when this show is finished, we have more to look forward to from the wealth of knowledge that is Lt. Joe Kenda.

Watch the first episode of season 9 of Homicide Hunter tonight, Wednesday, August 28, on Investigation Discovery, the I.D. channel.