Killer Triggers with Lt. Joe Kenda
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My special guest tonight is Lt. Joe Kenda who starred in Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, an American true-crime documentary series that ran for nine seasons on the Investigation Discovery network and was aired in sixty-nine countries and territories worldwide. He's here to discuss his new book called Killer Triggers that's available now on Amazon!
The most common triggers for homicide are fear, rage, revenge, money, lust, and, more rarely, sheer madness. This isn't an exact science, of course. Any given murder can have multiple triggers. Sex and revenge seem to be common partners in crime. Rage, money, and revenge make for a dangerous trifecta of triggers, as well.
This book offers my memories of homicide cases that I investigated or oversaw. In each case, I examine the trigger that led to death. I chose this theme for the book because even though the why of a murder case may not be critical in an investigation, it can sometimes lead us to the killer.
And even if we solve a case without knowing the trigger, the why still intrigues us, disrupting our dreams and lingering in our minds, perhaps because each of us fears the demons that lie within our own psyche -- the triggers waiting to be pulled.
With the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), Kenda eventually became a homicide detective. He worked in the CSPD homicide unit from 1977-1981 and 1984-1996. He ultimately led the homicide department. "I loved the work," he said. "My wife – not so much."[7] He investigated 387 homicide cases, solving 356, with a closure rate of 92%.[4] He credited his ability to close cases to being a student of human nature and being good at telling when people were lying.[10] In 1973, a young Hispanic female shot herself in her apartment building; when police arrived, they determined the woman had been dead for four days. This was the first time Kenda had seen a dead body, which shook him to the core. Kenda questioned whether or not he made the right decision becoming a cop saying, "I got home that night, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't do anything." The next day Kenda was sitting in his police car, and he decided that Law Enforcement was what he wanted to do.
In 1974, after not being allowed to partake in an investigation of a shooting that nearly ended his life, Kenda was even more motivated to become a detective. Kenda said he wanted to be a part of the resolution. Finally, in 1977, Kenda got his chance when he volunteered to take over an attempted murder case deemed unsolvable by veteran detectives. Detectives laughed at Kenda but ended up giving him the case. Kenda's only evidence was a bracelet with the name "Ingrid" engraved on it. As the days went by, Kenda questioned whether or not he would be able to solve the case, but he refused to give up. Kenda decided to travel to every jeweler in Colorado Springs that owned an engraving machine. Kenda was worried that the bracelet was made outside the city but refused to consider that possibility. Kenda eventually found the store, and while looking through receipts, he found the address belonging to Ingrid. He then looked up every incident at the address and discovered that Ingrid's boyfriend was 21-year-old, Fred Henry Swain. Swain had a very long criminal record, including assault with a deadly weapon and armed robbery. Kenda knew he had found the right guy, but he feared a lack of evidence would prevent an arrest warrant from being made; Kenda wrote a 17-page arrest warrant detailing everything about the case to convince a judge. The judge agreed, and Kenda headed out to make the arrest. Kenda and a fellow officer successfully arrested Fred Swain as he approached his residence.
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The most common triggers for homicide are fear, rage, revenge, money, lust, and, more rarely, sheer madness. This isn't an exact science, of course. Any given murder can have multiple triggers. Sex and revenge seem to be common partners in crime. Rage, money, and revenge make for a dangerous trifecta of triggers, as well.
This book offers my memories of homicide cases that I investigated or oversaw. In each case, I examine the trigger that led to death. I chose this theme for the book because even though the why of a murder case may not be critical in an investigation, it can sometimes lead us to the killer.
And even if we solve a case without knowing the trigger, the why still intrigues us, disrupting our dreams and lingering in our minds, perhaps because each of us fears the demons that lie within our own psyche -- the triggers waiting to be pulled.
With the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), Kenda eventually became a homicide detective. He worked in the CSPD homicide unit from 1977-1981 and 1984-1996. He ultimately led the homicide department. "I loved the work," he said. "My wife – not so much."[7] He investigated 387 homicide cases, solving 356, with a closure rate of 92%.[4] He credited his ability to close cases to being a student of human nature and being good at telling when people were lying.[10] In 1973, a young Hispanic female shot herself in her apartment building; when police arrived, they determined the woman had been dead for four days. This was the first time Kenda had seen a dead body, which shook him to the core. Kenda questioned whether or not he made the right decision becoming a cop saying, "I got home that night, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't do anything." The next day Kenda was sitting in his police car, and he decided that Law Enforcement was what he wanted to do.
In 1974, after not being allowed to partake in an investigation of a shooting that nearly ended his life, Kenda was even more motivated to become a detective. Kenda said he wanted to be a part of the resolution. Finally, in 1977, Kenda got his chance when he volunteered to take over an attempted murder case deemed unsolvable by veteran detectives. Detectives laughed at Kenda but ended up giving him the case. Kenda's only evidence was a bracelet with the name "Ingrid" engraved on it. As the days went by, Kenda questioned whether or not he would be able to solve the case, but he refused to give up. Kenda decided to travel to every jeweler in Colorado Springs that owned an engraving machine. Kenda was worried that the bracelet was made outside the city but refused to consider that possibility. Kenda eventually found the store, and while looking through receipts, he found the address belonging to Ingrid. He then looked up every incident at the address and discovered that Ingrid's boyfriend was 21-year-old, Fred Henry Swain. Swain had a very long criminal record, including assault with a deadly weapon and armed robbery. Kenda knew he had found the right guy, but he feared a lack of evidence would prevent an arrest warrant from being made; Kenda wrote a 17-page arrest warrant detailing everything about the case to convince a judge. The judge agreed, and Kenda headed out to make the arrest. Kenda and a fellow officer successfully arrested Fred Swain as he approached his residence.
Follow Our Other Shows
Follow UFO Witnesses
Follow Crime Watch Weekly
Follow Paranormal Fears
Follow Seven: Disturbing Chronicle Stories
Join our Patreon for ad-free listening and more bonus content.
Follow us on Instagram @mysteriousradio
Follow us on TikTok mysteriousradioTikTok
Follow us on Twitter @mysteriousradio
Follow us on Pinterest pinterest.com/mysteriousradio
Like us on Facebook Facebook.com/mysteriousradio]
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