Snapped: Women Who Murder - Sante Kimes

Episode Date: May 16, 2021

The mysterious disappearance of an elderly New York socialite leads to the investigation of Sante Kimes and her son, Kenny.Season 27, Episode 22Originally aired: August 30, 2020Watch full episodes of Snapped for FREE on the Oxygen app: https://oxygentv.app.link/WsLCJWqmIeb See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hi, I'm Lindsay Graham, the host of Wonder East Podcast American Scandal. Our newest series looks at the story of OxyContin, a popular painkiller that helps spur an epidemic of addiction and drug abuse, in which prompted a broad campaign to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable. Listen to American Scandal on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Born into poverty, she clawed her way to the top of society. She was hunting for a millionaire. They had homes in HALALULU.

They had homes in the Bahamas. She was living the high life. Determined to give a better life to her son, she raised him with a silver spoon and an arsenal of charm. He was spoiled. He was entitled. He had those movie star looks. with a silver spoon and an arsenal of charm. You spoiled his time. He had those movie star looks. She taught him to be charismatic. But their life of luxury becomes a life on the edge

when a New York millionaire goes missing. There's something more to this. We need to really investigate it further. Everybody started thinking the same thing. This is going to be a bad further. Everybody started thinking the same thing. This is going to be a bad one. The national media soon takes notice when the missing person's case collides with a coast-to-coast manhunt for murder suspects.

They'd have to trail the people all across the country. Home was going to open to a pebag and see his foot. There was a box of bullets. We found plastic handcuffs. Key drew her into the apartment. I think he zapped her with a stun gun. As a crime spree is exposed, investigators discover that truth is stranger than fiction.

How they saw it, they were going to get away with it. It's absolutely crazy. They were purely, purely evil. It was the biggest case of the decade for sure. July 5, 1998. Around 4 p.m., on-call detectives at NYPD's 19th precinct, settle in for a quiet evening at the office on this holiday weekend. Everyone is out of town. There was just three of us.

We were just catching up on old cases and paperwork. A female officer called upstairs, said I got a guy here, came in a couple of times. He's a property manager, this older woman Irene Silverman is missing. He was very insistent, something had happened to her,

and she was missing for sure. A detective heads down to meet with Jeff Feig, who explains he is the business manager for 82-year-old Irene Silverman, the owner of a townhouse in an exclusive area of the Upper East Side. Irene Silverman's's address extremely prestigious. Steps from Madison Avenue, three quarters of a block from Central Park,

surrounded by king makers and presidents. Jeff says earlier that day, he'd received a frantic phone call from one of Irene's housekeepers, Arizona. Her housekeeping staff could not find her. She was 82 years old, so she didn't go out alone. Not a long time because she never, he stressed that, never left the house. Miss Lady Ivory and Silvamit was, um,

beloved by all her neighbors. It appears that they were always looking out for her. Where is Ivory and Silvamit? Where is Irene so? Irene Zambele was born in New Orleans on April 17th, 1916. While her family didn't have much money, they had enough to send Irene to dance lessons. Somewhere along the line, Irene's mother decided that she was going to study ballet. In another era we might have called her a ballet mother. Irene's talent allowed her to pursue a professional dancing career in New York. They decided that they're going to stay in New York. Her mother used to sew costumes in order to pay for her daughter's classes. I really think it was her mother sort of investing her ambitions in her daughter.

In 1932, the hard work paid off when Irene was offered a spot in the radio city music called ballet. She was not a rocket, but she was in the ballet company. This was a very good job, if you were ballet dancer, because it was a full-time job. Irene's charisma drew interest from New York's upper crust. She had a wonderful personality. Everybody gravitated towards her. She had a lot of admirers.

She was gregarious, and she was charming and attractive. Of all her potential suitors, Irene fell for a wealthy real estate man named Samuel Silverman, who was 10 years her senior. She met her prince charming. Irene married him, and she quit dancing. She and her husband got married in 1941. I think she became very much kind of a part of his world.

They spent a lot of time traveling. There was a property in Hawaii. There was also a house in Paris. They had lots of property. Despite their homes around the world, Irene knew she wanted to plant a house They had lots of property. Despite their homes around the world, Irene knew she wanted to plant roots in the city that launched her prosperity. In 1957, a limestone townhouse

off Madison Avenue caught Irene's eye. A very majestic townhome in the Upper East Side in Manhattan. Very expensive, only where the rich and wealthy lived. It's beautiful, beautiful inside. It's just one of those magical places. She had to really convince her husband to buy it. She just felt in love with this building. With no children to keep her busy, Irene became the ultimate hostess.

She was very much engaged with her husband's career. After all, her husband was a wealthy man. There was entertaining at dinner parties. She made that mansion a destination in New York City. And this is New York City. You don't get to make something a destination unless you really, really stand out. Jesus' whole court in her house,

you would have all kinds of people, writers, doctors, lawyers, entertainers, all be in her entourage. But in 1980, Irene's glamorous life lost its lustre when her beloved husband Samuel died of cancer at age 72. After he died, she began, as I say, to spread her own wings and cultivate more of her friendships. Irene also reinvented her beloved townhouse. She decided to convert the townhouse into apartments, and she would rent them to tenants.

By the time she reached her early 80s, Irene no longer entertained like she used to, but her few close friends marveled at her vivacious spirit. She seemed very young. I mean, her ribbon, the red hair. It was just something girlish about her. She had very few needs. She didn't go out. She had like four or five friends which I think kind of energized her.

She had enough to live on, enough to be happy in a little world. Which is why her business manager, Jeff Feeig, is so concerned when Irene disappears without notice on July 5th, 1998. Why would she be missing? I was totally shocked. I mean, this was very, very mysterious. He was fat, and she never left her a role, enough for coffee, enough for a paper.

She never left. It seemed that something was wrong right from the start. This is not a woman who disappears. Detectives agree to look into the case because of Irene's advanced age, but senior detectives aren't worried. No detective wants to catch a missing person. It's a lot of work, and usually they turn up, and they're fun.

I was a junior detective. I was the youngest guy, and my partner's that night, we're senior detectives, and they're like, hey, kid, you're up. So that's how I caught that case. I'm sure the detectives are kicking themselves in the ass that didn't take that case because it was the biggest case of the decade for sure if not New York City as obscene. Coming up, could a mysterious tenant hold the answers

to Irene's disappearance? She would tell her friends that he's avoiding my surveillance cameras. She mentioned to the staff how she's going to get the guy in one beat out. But a surprise lead sends the investigation in an unexpected direction. They had locked them up for a fugitive warrant

from a stolen car case in Utah. We have a serious crime. It's definitely more than just a missing person case. After building manager Jeff Feegg reports his employer, 82-year-old socialite Irene Silverman missing, NYPD's 19th precinct opens a case. On July 5, 1998, detectives arrive at Irene's upscale townhouse just a block from Central Park. It was a huge house and had nooks and crannies and closets and everything else.

So we called the Unifolomed offices and then we began to search for the house. Maybe she's in the alley. Maybe she went to go take out the garbage and she fell. Or maybe she's in a bathroom, one of many bathrooms. When they don't find her anywhere in the house, detectives cast a wider net. The entire hall was checked thoroughly, surrounding houses.

There was a building on a construction behind her, which I can dumpster. She had lived in the neighborhood for years and years and years. So if by any chance, she wandered off, there would have been someone who knew her, who recognized her, with the shops around and everything and would have brought her back. At that point, everybody started thinking the same thing. This is going to be a bad point.

Still, detectives have no proof of foul play. Our house was not particular, but it wasn't like the scene where I would say it was a struggle. We had no blood stains. We had nothing. Detectives call in Irene's extensive household staff to learn more about Irene's day-to-day activity. And we're made. There were people that worked in her kitchen, dog walkers and everything else.

Irene had a lot of people coming through that house. There could be any number of people that had an issue with Irene Sullivan. They starred by interviewing Aricella, the housekeeper who initially sounded the alarm. The housekeeper said said Irene had a fourth of July party the night before. She was in good spirit, she was in good health. She had woken up the next morning and had spoken to her housekeeper several hours went by.

The housekeeper did not see Irene. Got suspicious and noticed she was not anywhere in the building and she would not go out by herself. That's when they called the authorities. Aricella and other staff members have nothing but good things to say about their employer. She had a loving staff, her assistant, and the staff really liked her,

because she treated them well. Irene was a great woman, you know, really someone to be admired. Clearative suspicion. Detectives asked the staff for any potential leads. Well, Irene was a great woman, you know, really someone to be admired. Clearative suspicion. Detectives ask the staff for any potential leads. One of the first questions that investigators ask is there anybody that you know that would want to hurt this woman. They say it has been some suspicious activity

with a particular tenant who was renting a room out in the building. He came in and used the name Mani Garrett. According to staff members, Mani's assistant, Eva Guerrero, had called Irene in May about securing a room for her boss. A few days later, 23-year-old Mani arrived for an interview with Irene. It was $6,000 a month, and you paid her in cash with something that she liked, and she

rented the apartment to him without getting references, which is something she had never done before. Irene's staff says that on June 14th, she allowed Manny to move into apartment 1B on the condition that he provide references the following day. Days went by and the references never came, and she would ask him for them and he would make up another story as to why they weren't there or why he wasn't providing them.

I even knew not too long after that there was something wrong with this guy. She didn't feel comfortable. The people who rented the apartment loved Irene so much, they would socialize together. Manny Garan wasn't friendly with her staff and wasn't very talkative. She had a couple of housekeepers who were never able to go into Manny Garan's apartment

because he wouldn't let them in. So the housekeepers would tell Irene, your tenant and apartment 1B, is not allowing us to go in there to clean the apartment, which is another red flag. Irene used to tell Jeff that she used to see his feet underneath the door,

and noticed that he was looking out of the people listening. She would tell her friends that he's avoiding my surveillance cameras, and he would sneak in through the hallway to get to his apartment or cover his face. Irene Staff says that many's assistant Eva Guerrero was the only person allowed in his apartment. This very suspicious older woman would come to visit him.

Irene felt that he was up to no good. According to staff members, within a week, Irene had had enough of Manny and his bizarre assistant, Eva. She mentioned to the staff how she's going to get the guy in one beat out. She didn't like him at all. He was on everybody's bad list and short list. So the police started looking for Manny Garen.

Detectives knock on the door of Room 1B. When Manny fails to answer, Irene's housekeeper unlocks it. Investigators find a messy apartment, but no tenant. Manning Aaron was missing, too. We're thinking, yeah, there's something going on here. There's something more to this. We need to really investigate it further. Detectives head back to the station

and run Manning's name through their database, hoping for a hit. We tried to get information on him. We were doing all kinds of name checks, background checks on the name Mani Garen and nothing came back. We had one of the witnesses from the staff go down and do a police sketch with him that was later put on the local networks on the news. You know, we were searching for this guy.

The headlines at the time said, do you know where I ring silver minutes? The headlines at the time said, do you know where Irene Silverman is? On July 6, the media coverage pays off when investigators receive a lead from an FBI agent. It was watching TV that morning and saw Irene Silverman's name broadcast as a missing person. The night before I had arrested two individuals

that had in their possession documentation broadcast as a missing person. The night before I had arrested two individuals that had in their possession documentation from Iving self-man to include tax returns, or Blue Cross Blue Shield, health care card. I mean, just a lot, a lot of documents. I believe it might have been a deed or property information at that time, so they became number one suspects.

The FBI agent explains that the suspects were taken into custody for a completely unrelated matter. They had locked them up for a fugitive warrant from a stolen car case in Utah. At this point, it's escalated. We have a serious crime. It's definitely more than just a missing person case. Coming up, Irene's missing person's case

is just the tip of the iceberg. The investigation totally goes, we have all these things going on. This one they knew was Arson. I mean, insurance companies weren't gonna pay for nothing. I laid at mine that they might have committed some sort of mode of Alain Los Angeles. episode with David Letterman available four weeks early on Wondery Plus. It's like a late night talk show hangout, but with a smart list twist.

We are diving deep into David Letterman's incredible career in the moments that shaped him into the beloved icon he is today. Our interview with David Letterman was reported live in Brooklyn in front of thousands of our biggest fans from our smart list tour. This is the fourth of 10 interviews with new episodes releasing every Thursday.

We're talking with celebrities and icons like The Great, Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Mark Cuban, Jimmy Kimmel, so many more. Join us for an unforgettable conversation that will have you laughing, pondering and quite possibly contemplating growing a beard like Letterman's. I know I have. You can listen to these episodes four weeks early and add free on Wundry Plus, find Wundry Plus in the Wendry app or on Apple Podcasts.

[♪ Music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, two suspects in custody for stealing a car were found with personal documents belonging to missing New York socialite Irene Soverman. They passed a bad check when they bought a car in Utah, and detectives from Utah hooked up with NYPD over here, so I immediately went with my partner down to Manhattan Criminal Court in regards to Irene Silva. We knew there was a direct connection between these two things. Investigators learn that the two suspects in Irene's disappearance

may be hiding something even more sinister. It was later learned that they might have committed some sort of motor, Alain Rorsangilist. The investigation totally goes, that they might have committed some sort of motor on Enroce Angeles. The investigation totally goes, you know, like, superhighway. Now we have all these things going on. My partner, I get on an airplane from Los Angeles,

and we fly out to New York. The detectives from the LAPD begin to lay out how their investigation started four months earlier on March 14, 1998. A homeless man is digging through an apartment complex dumpster looking for cans. The homeless guy actually opens up a bag and sees a foot. In the corner, identified the person as David Caston.

And David Caston had died of a single gunshot one to the back of the head. Detectives learned that David Kastin is the owner of a local printing press. My partner had been apocking to the victim's daughter, Linda. Linda tells police that about a month and a half prior, her father had received an unwanted surprise. the victim's daughter, Linda. Linda tells police that about a month and a half prior, her father had received an unwanted surprise.

David Kassen opens up his mail and finds out he has a mortgage for house he doesn't know. Linda says her father recognized the property's Las Vegas address. It was the former home of his deceased friend, Kenneth Kym Sr. David Kastin, they used to socialize together, play pool together. He's like, what is going on here?

He writes a letter to the loan company saying, I have no idea what this is about. According to Linda, the bank claimed to have notarized documents with David's signature on them. He said, if you have any documentation, it had to have been forged because this is not my doing. Less than a month after the bank opened up a forgery investigation, the house in question burned to the ground on January 31, 1998. ATF investigators determined the fire was intentionally set.

The insurance companies weren't going to pay for nothing. This one they knew was ours. Linda tells police that as her father worked to prove he was a victim of forgery, he was contacted by the wife of his deceased friend. She demanded that he put an end to the forgery investigation, or else. There were some phone calls that David Kassen had received from this woman, Sante Kimes. She was being threatening to him.

From there, we started doing follow-up on who Santethei time to us. Born in 1934 to pour immigrant sharecroppers, Saunthei singers yearned for a life of luxury. She wanted for things and she didn't have the money to pay for them. She was a product of a grifter, her father, who's kind of connoisseur. She was a girl in a street store, I've shared a bit of eat. Her fate changed in 1947, when 13-year-old Sante

was adopted by a loving couple. They'd notice this child who's not being supervised at Walt, they'd come to her in a rowing. They were a middle class family, but very loving and provided her with nice clothes and made sure she got a good education. After graduating high school in 1952, Sante married and divorced twice, and in 1962 she had a son named Kent Walker.

In between husbands, she made money anyway she could. When I was like nine, eight, mom would have me crawl through windows. I was small. I could break into housing, get what she wanted. All the food we ate was shopped with. She'd still cars. Determined to achieve the wealth and status she'd always dreamed of, Sante searched for a partner who could fulfill her desires. Mom had made very clear that she was hunting for a millionaire. Mom had got her...

so for job, if we want to call that, as being a reporter, for an amazing called millionaire magazine. I know mom used that to help for her hunt. In 1971, Sante finally snared her prize. When she interviewed 56-year-old Kenneth Kines, a recently divorced businessman worth nearly $20 million. She had an appearance that was flashy. She looked like Elizabeth's daughter.

The fun and the excitement that mom was able to bring, I think that's where her to come. They had homes in Hallalulu. They had homes in the Bahamas. So she was living the highlight. On March 24th, 1975, Sante gave birth to her second son, Kenneth Kymes Jr., and raised him as a reflection of herself. She taught him to be cunning, she taught him to be charismatic when he needed to, she taught him to manipulate people.

He was spoiled, and he was always taught that no one's better than he was entitled to stuff. I think that she did want to give Kenny the material things that she lacked as a child. With a family and a life of luxury, it seemed Santa finally had everything she'd ever wanted. Most people would be pretty happy with it, but that was good enough for mom. There was always on a con, always on the lookout. I remember when we were white, we lived on a beach front house, but we had two cabs of the likes in the drive when one of them was stolen. Mom stole it.

Whenever the cops came calling, Sante's wealthy husband would hire expensive attorneys to bail her out. I don't think it proved it, but he did a stopper from doing it. Mom had a rap sheet along the jar in my leg, and she was just so convinced she was always able to get herself out trouble. Sante's luck ran out as did her access to Ken's wealth when her husband suddenly passed away from an aneurysm in 1994. Kenneth Kym Sr. dies.

Apparently leaving nothing to Sanjay and Kenneth Kym's, leaving it to his children from his previous marriage. So now, Sanjay used to living the high life, is not. She wasn't going to get a job at all, so she came up with all kinds of schemes. From petty theft to real elaborate schemes, insurance schemes, she used to manipulate Ken Senior. Now what did she do? She turns her target to Ken Junior, her son, right? As poor kid got sucked into her web.

They were a consummate mother and son, conned team, and she taught Kenny very well. Did their latest scheme include the murder of former family friend, David Kazden? Now, four years after Kenny Sr's death, detectives trace Sante to a house in an LA suburb. But when they arrive, the landlady says Sante and her son Kenny have just skipped town.

They had quickly moved out. It seemed like we were just missing by hours. And we didn't know where they had gone. Within days, LAPD detectives get a tip from a man named Sean Little. Sean tells detectives he'd been living in a homeless shelter when Santana and Kenny Kimes offered him work and a place to stay. Then, on March 13, Kenny asked Sean to help him with a mysterious task. Sean Little says, I don't know where we were going, and we go out to this house, and we park,

and Kenny tells me just to stand outside. He said that he saw Kenny go to the front door and go inside the house, and then he says he hears a gunshot. And that point Kenny comes out, and he hollers at Sean to come in the house. So Sean goes in the house, and he sees Cowsdon down in the kitchen. Sean says Kenny then asked him to help dispose of the body. Sean claims he was afraid of what might happen to him

if he refused to follow Kenny's lead. They put Mr. Casson's body in the back of the car, and they drove down near the airport, and from there, they ended up taking the body out of the truck of the car, throwing it into the dumpster, and then they drove away from the scene. Following Sean's statement, LAPD detectives contact federal authorities and begin tracking the mother's son duo.

It isn't long before their name's surface in Utah, where Sante stole a car right off the lads. They had provided a car dealership, a bogus check. With a bolo out on the stolen vehicle, authorities across the country have an eye out for the Khyme's duo. Finally, on July 5, 1998, the FBI apprehends Sante and Kenny outside of a New York street fair.

When Kenny and his mother were brought in, they were obviously very, very nervous. They kept saying, well, why are we being arrested? I told them we had a future of warring from Utah. And you can see the side relief coming across on that point. He's like, oh, that's all it is. Not a problem. Let's go to the court now. I'll pay whatever fine.

However, the crime of stealing a car quickly evolves into a much more serious situation when FBI agents search Santa's purse and discover Irene Silverman's personal documents. All the while, NYPD detectives have been searching for Irene's mysterious tenant, Manny Garen, and his assistant, Eva Guerrero. We did a lot of search and no one could find them. But little did they know that the two were already in custody.

Coming up, investigators uncover what appears to be evidence of a deadly scheme. They're the shopping list. Milk, orange juice, shower curtain, stun gun. Had things people don't normally keep in the car unless they were up to no good. And a crucial identification is finally made. We have a photo we shot by reading staff.

They say, yeah, that's many, yeah. July, 1998. 64-year-old Sante Khymes and her son, 23-year-old Kenny, are in the custody of law enforcement in New York City. Though the mother and son are suspected in the Los Angeles murder of David Cazden, NYPD officers are focused on uncovering the duo's involvement in Irene Silverman's disappearance. They start by interviewing Kenny. When we were interviewing him, we were limited on time because, you know, it was an emergency.

We had Irene Silverman who could still be alive somewhere. My partner and I were talking to him and he's denying it, denied even knowing Irene. We were in that cell with him for a long time. And he started to tear up, and I thought we had him. And then all of a sudden, it's like a sheep came over me and he turned to stone. And that was it. He just shut down, so I don't want to speak to my lawyer.

At the FBI building a few blocks away, Sante Khymes dodges questions during her own interrogation. Sante was professing her innocence to anyone who would listen. I don't know what you're talking about, why are you doing this to us? When Sante was asked, why do you have Irene Silverman's

belongings, she said, oh, well, we're good friends. She gives me her papers to hold for her once in a while. But it's clear to detectives that Sante is lying. As we were getting further and further into the investigation, you couldn't possibly think that she was innocent. Not at all. As NYPD detectives continue to press Sante, she asks for an attorney.

Despite being stone-walled by Sante and Kenny, NYPD detectives are sure about one thing. They've found their original suspects, Mani Garen and Eva Guerrero. We have a photo of Kenny. Now we show up. Irene's death, they say, yeah, that's Mani Garen. Good police work pays off. And, that's Mani Garen. Good police work pays off.

And they realize that Mani Garen was kind of kind. NYPD detective searched the suspect's stolen vehicle for clues that might point them to Irene Silverman. They had things people don't normally keep in the car unless they were up to no good. There was a box of bullets. We found plastic handcuffs. In the backseat, we find wigs, a lot of clothes, a lot of different outfits.

A whole bunch of papers, information on how to get a deed, how to obtain a deed. Most disturbing of all, the trunk is completely empty except for a plastic liner. They have all this property in the back seat that everyone could see walking by, but yet the trunk is empty. It definitely told me that they were making room for something. That was when I realized these guys really, really did something to himself now.

Despite their suspicion, there's no physical evidence to back it up. We were not able to find any sort of blood. We were not able to find any sort of DNA that we laid it back to Irene Silverman. We didn't have a body. So, convicting someone on circumstantial evidence without a body is not impossible, but it's tough.

NYPD detectives get a break on July 23, 1998, from the security director of a hotel where Santé and Kenny stayed just before their arrest. The director of security at the Plaza Hotel at the time called us and said, listen, I have a check bag here that Kenny checked at the hotel, so we flew over there, and that was the key to this whole case. Inside the bag, detectives find the deed to Irene Silverman's house, which appeared to sign over the property

to Sante and Kenny. All the information, how much to sell, you know, it was just to transfer. Their scheme was to steal Irene Silverman's house from her. Also inside the black bag, detectives find over a dozen notebooks with Sante's handwriting. We also recovered sketches of Irene's signature, you know, like a practice sketch.

It's a sheet of paper Irene Silvamine, Irene Silvamine written all over it. The rest of the notebooks read like a manual for murder. Documentation of Irene's whereabouts every day. 8 a.m. was in the lobby of the building. 10 a.m. had breakfast with one of the staff members. They had a social security number. They had a shopping list. Milk, orange juice, shower curtain, stun gun.

Overwhelmed. It's like staring in the face. There's no other alternative. They definitely killed her. We had the means, we had the motive, and we spent a lot of time and a lot of man hours trying to find her. Detectives believe the motive for the scheme was to perpetuate the extravagant lifestyle Sante had struggled her entire life to achieve and maintain and Kenny had been raised to value above all else. It's just rich kids syndrome wanted again to maintain a lifestyle that they were going to be more than comfortable with. Kenneth wanted to please mother so that she can also have that sort of lifestyle. Though N.Y. PD investigators are unable

to locate Irene's body, the circumstantial evidence is compelling enough to indict Sante and Kenny for Irene's murder. The mother's son duo is also formally charged with the murder of David Cazden in California. I was one of those moments, you just, you're upset, but I actually felt released. I didn't need a trial to convince me

that they were killed who was going on. Police are searching for an 82-year-old millionaire. The national media seizes the coast to coast story, and Sante and Kenny waste no time mounting their defense from jail. Kenny went on 60 minutes with his mom, Sante, and like she always did, is profess her innocence that her and her sweet boy could never do such a thing. All of her glow and charm and sophistication,

everything that Sante Times was really came out. Coming up, as grisly details emerge in court, one defendant cracks under the pressure. You were looking at the death penalty? His mother stood behind him, screaming at him, do it. He just decided she'll bite the bullet. After a lifetime of scamming and swindling, Sante Kimes and her son Kenny face murder charges in New York and California.

We charge them with a whole slew of charges. Grand loss and he scheme took different, you know, obviously the homicide, forgery, possession of forage instruments, there's just tons of charges at the DA's. It's a complicated case charges at the DA's. It's a complicated case, so you want to put every charge on them. They were going to try them in New York

before they sent them back to LA to face any additional charges. Facing 84 charges in New York alone, Santé and Kenny's trial for the murder of Irene Silverman begins on February 15th, 2000. Prosecutors claim that the pair murdered the well-known millionaire in order to get a hold of her $7 million town home. They ensured about how worked.

For no reason, it's agreed. Just pure greed. How they thought they were going to get away with it is absolutely crazy. The defense argues that prosecutors have unfairly targeted the times just to close the silverman case. You might make a real argument that just because I may rob you doesn't mean that I'm the one who caused your disappearance and your death.

There's certainly no evidence to suggest that she died at the hand of Sante Conch or Kenny Conch. On May 18, 2000, the jury returns a verdict. Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty. Great feeling. A lot of work, a lot of sweat, you know, at all paid off. These three lead detectives worked like pit bulls to pull together the cake. And it worked. A murder conviction with nobody. We were static. We were very, very happy.

The DAs, the detectives, we celebrated. In June 2000, Kenneth is sentenced to 125 years in prison, while Sante is sentenced to 120 years. He and his to crime was just the rule agreed that was involved. You know, they did this poor woman. It's a struggle out of chords in people. You know, I think Santé immediately started thinking about the next step and started rationalizing why her conviction should be vacated.

For prosecutors, the next step is to extradite Kenyansante to California to be tried for the murder of David Castan. Sante and Kenny were fighting extradition, because we now, we wanted to bring them to Los Angeles for our trial. And they were looking at the death penalty here. With the possibility of the death penalty looming ahead, Kenny finally opens up about his crimes. We have a good case on him.

He wants to save himself from being on death row. And the good thing he can do for his mother is keep her up death row. So he just decides he'll bite the bullet, confess to it, say everything that happens. In 2003, in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table for both him and his mother. Kenny agrees to tell prosecutors everything,

starting with the murder of Irene Silverman. Shante was the impetus, the scheme, the plot. Everything was hard. Kenny just carried out her wishes. Kenny says his mother saw a listing for a room in Irene's townhouse and posed as his assistant to secure him a room under the name Mani Garan. After living there for a few weeks to observe Irene's habits,

Kenny and Sante paid her a visit on July 5, 1998. He drew her into the apartment. I think he zapped it with a stun gun. He strangled her, and his mother stood behind him, screaming at him, doing any, doing any, inciting him to commit the murder. Despite his confession, total closure on Irene's case proves unattainable.

He indicated that he did get rid of the body, but he didn't know where it was. He wasn't familiar with Georgie. He took NYPD out of where he thought he had placed the body, but that didn't hand out properly. I feel bad with him for the final remains, you know, a second closure. Not only does Kenny confess to killing Irene Silverman and David Castin, but he also stuns investigators when he adds that he murdered a Bahamian banker named Siyad Ahmed at his mother's request.

I left a trail of people all across the country to agree. I know that there would have been more people that she would have killed after Irene Silverman because she needs to keep funneling the money to herself. In 2004, Sante is tried in California for the murder of David Casden. After Kenny's shocking testimony, she has found guilty and receives an addition She is tried in California for the murder of David Casden. After Kenny's shocking testimony, she is found guilty and receives an additional life sentence. I was not surprised.

I was depressed. I was sad. You know, no one wants to see their family go to jail for us for lives, but they deserve it. I have been asked so many times why am I doing the things that she did? People don't like my answer, but it's just who mom was. On May 19, 2014,

Sante Kimes dies of heart failure in a New York prison at the age of 79. She died in prison. That's justice, 100%. All we have to do now is wait for Kenny to die in prison. That's justice, 100%. All we have to do now is wait for Kenny to die in prison. Chantin and Kenneth Cahne's ranked when it comes on an evil scale as a 10 out of 10.

They were purely, purely evil. I remember Irene's generosity, her love of life, her acceptance of herself, of her past, of her present, and the pleasure she took in other people. She was a happy person, and that's what she was able to share. Kenny Kimes is currently 45 years old and serving a life sentence at Clinton Correctional Facility in Danna Mora, New York. Kenny and Shonte are the prime suspects in dozens of other cases.

There has never been enough evidence to prosecute them. Shahn Little was never charged in connection to the murder of David Castan. Irene Silverman's body has never been found. For more information on snapped, go to oxygen.com.