KCPD & Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Solve Fugitive Serial Killer Case

Image of Intelligence Analyst Darin Lee

At a news conference on Jan. 30, the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office announced their investigations into fugitive serial killer, Sharon Kinne, closing a case that began in the 1960s, stretching from Missouri to Mexico to Canada. Kinne died in January of 2022 of natural causes.

Each agency received an anonymous tip on Kinne in December of 2023, and each began an investigation not knowing the other agency was also working the case. When KCPD and JCSO learned they were both investigating Kinne, they were able to work together to fill in gaps and come to conclusions about Kinne’s whereabouts and the case.

Intelligence analyst Darin Lee was KCPD’s investigator. Sergeant Dustin Love led JCSO’s investigation.

This is the timeline of events:

·      In March of 1960, Kinne reported hearing a gunshot while in the bathroom and found her husband, James Kinne, shot in the back of the head in their bedroom. She claimed their 2-year-old daughter, accidentally shot him while playing with a firearm. James was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

·      In May of 1960, Patricia Jones was reported missing by her husband, Walter Jones, who had an affair with Kinne. After Kinne claimed to be pregnant, Jones ended their relationship.

·      Also in May, Kinne met her former lover John Boldiz. They went to Phelps Road near I-70, where Sharon showed him the body of Patricia Jones, who had been shot four times with .22 caliber bullets. When Boldiz proposed going to the police, Kinne insisted he take her home first.

·      During questioning at Phelps Road, Boldiz admitted Kinne had been present when the body was found.

·      On May 31, 1960, Kinne was arrested for the murders of Patricia Jones and James Kinne.

·      In June of 1961, Kinne was found not guilty by a jury for the murder of Patricia Jones.

·      For the murder of her husband, Kinne was found guilty at trial and sentenced to life on January 11th, 1962.

·      In March of 1963, the Missouri Supreme Court reversed Kinne’s conviction, granting her a new trial, and she was released on a $25,000 bond.

·      In September of 1964, Kinne fled to Mexico with a new boyfriend.

·      On September 18, 1964, Kinne shot a man in a Mexico City hotel room and was arrested for murder. Authorities found a High Standard .22 caliber pistol in her room, which KCPD ballistic experts later linked to the murder of Patricia Jones.

·      Kinne was convicted of murder and sentenced to 13 years in a Mexican prison. While incarcerated, Sharon failed to appear in court for the murder of James Kinne, leading to a capias warrant for her arrest issued by Jackson County.

·      On December 7, 1969, Kinne escaped from a Mexican prison and was never found despite a wide search.

·      On February 2, 1970, Kinne married James Glabus in Los Angeles.

·      In December of 2023, KCPD and JCSO received an anonymous tip about Kinne, who appeared to live in Alberta, Canada, as Diedra Glabus and had died in January of 2022.

·      Through countless hours, forensic genealogy, and fingerprint analysis, it was discovered that Kinne and Glabus were indeed the same person.

·      On May 31, 2024, fingerprints confirmed the identity exactly 64 years after her initial arrest. Kinne died from natural causes on 01-21-2022 in Alberta, Canada.

After learning of the investigation, the Kinne family released this statement:

“On behalf of Kinne family, we would like to state how happy we are that this chapter in our family history can be closed.

“Sharon was a woman that never faced the consequences of her actions, leaving them for her children to deal with. She caused great harm without thought or remorse.

“Hopefully, this closure will allow the family a chance to heal from her traumatic legacy.” 

 Spokesman for Kinne Family (1/28/2025)

 Kinne was the subject of one of the longest currently outstanding warrants for murder in the Kansas City area and one of the longest outstanding felony warrants in U.S. history. The case is officially closed.

Kinne’s disappearance drew worldwide attention, yet her whereabouts from 1969 to 1979 remain a mystery. Investigators welcome any information about Kinne. You can remain anonymous and contact the KCPD, JCSO, or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. Tips can also go to Crime Stoppers.