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“The Devil Wore White”: Dateline NBC Revisits the Chilling Crimes of Sante & Kenny Kimes May 29 2026

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Dateline NBC returns to one of the most infamous true crime stories in modern American history with “The Devil Wore White,” airing Friday, May 29, 2026, at 9/8c. Reported by Keith Morrison, the episode revisits the extraordinary case of Sante Kimes and her son Kenneth “Kenny” Kimes Jr., a mother-son criminal partnership that left a trail of fraud, deception, violence, and murder across the United States. What began as the disappearance of an elderly Manhattan socialite ultimately exposed decades of criminal activity that stretched from New York to California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Bahamas.

The case captivated the nation because of its scope and the unusual relationship at its center. Investigators, prosecutors, and journalists described Sante as a manipulative mastermind who controlled nearly every aspect of her son’s life. Kenny became her closest accomplice, carrying out schemes that ranged from forgery and fraud to murder. The pair’s arrest in 1998 revealed not only the fate of Irene Silverman but also a broader pattern of crimes that had gone undetected for years.

Sante Kimes Built a Life Around Fraud and Manipulation

Long before her name became associated with murder, Sante Kimes had established a reputation as a career con artist. Born Sante Louise Singhrs in Oklahoma City in 1934, she spent decades moving between states while engaging in theft, insurance fraud, forgery, and arson. Those who knew her often described her as charismatic and persuasive. She cultivated the image of a wealthy socialite and frequently presented herself as someone connected to powerful people and exclusive circles.

Her criminal history expanded after she married wealthy motel owner Kenneth Kimes Sr. Despite having access to substantial financial resources, Sante continued committing fraud. Authorities later uncovered schemes involving staged fires, forged documents, and stolen identities. In the 1980s, she was convicted on federal slavery charges after prosecutors proved she recruited undocumented women as domestic workers and then kept them under conditions resembling forced servitude. She served several years in prison, but her criminal behavior resumed after her release.

Kenny Kimes Grew Up Under His Mother’s Influence

Kenneth Kimes Jr. was born in 1975 and spent much of his childhood surrounded by instability and criminal behavior. According to later interviews, he experienced a chaotic upbringing in which the family frequently moved and often found itself under investigation by law enforcement. His father attempted to provide some structure, but Sante remained a dominant force in the household.

After Sante’s imprisonment in the 1980s, Kenny lived with his father and experienced what he later described as the most stable period of his life. That stability ended when Kenneth Kimes Sr. died from a brain aneurysm in 1994. Kenny later claimed that his mother concealed the death from him for months while she accessed accounts and managed financial matters. Following his father’s death, Kenny left college and became increasingly involved in his mother’s criminal enterprises. Over time, investigators concluded that he had transformed from a devoted son into a willing participant in increasingly dangerous crimes.

The Disappearance of Irene Silverman Shocked New York

The crime that finally brought down the Kimes family began in the summer of 1998. Irene Silverman, an 82-year-old widow, former ballerina, and prominent Manhattan socialite, lived in an elegant Upper East Side townhouse. To avoid living alone, she rented several apartments within the building to tenants. One of those tenants introduced himself as Manny Guerrin. In reality, he was Kenneth Kimes Jr. using a false identity.

Silverman soon became suspicious of her tenant. Witnesses later reported that she had considered removing him from the property. On July 5, 1998, she disappeared without explanation. Friends and employees immediately knew something was wrong because Silverman maintained regular contact with those around her and rarely changed her routines. Her disappearance launched a major investigation that quickly focused on the mysterious tenant and the older woman frequently seen visiting him, later identified as Sante Kimes.

Investigators Uncover a Complex Scheme

As detectives examined the case, they discovered evidence suggesting Silverman had been targeted for her wealth and valuable real estate holdings. Authorities alleged that Sante and Kenny planned to take control of her multimillion-dollar townhouse through forged documents and identity theft. Evidence recovered during the investigation included forged deeds, recordings of Silverman’s phone conversations, and detailed notebooks outlining fraud schemes involving numerous victims.

When the pair were arrested shortly after Silverman’s disappearance, investigators found an alarming collection of items inside their vehicle. Authorities recovered weapons, disguises, handcuffs, large amounts of cash, forged documents, and personal property belonging to Silverman. Detectives believed the evidence demonstrated extensive planning and preparation. Although Silverman’s body was never found, prosecutors argued that the totality of the evidence pointed directly to murder.

A Trail of Victims Across the Country

The investigation into Irene Silverman’s disappearance led authorities to examine other suspicious deaths connected to the Kimes family. One of those victims was David Kazdin, a Los Angeles businessman whose body was discovered in a dumpster near Los Angeles International Airport in March 1998. Prosecutors alleged that Kazdin had threatened to expose a mortgage fraud scheme involving forged signatures and stolen property. According to investigators, Sante ordered her son to eliminate the threat. Kenny later admitted to shooting Kazdin in the back of the head.

Authorities also linked the pair to the disappearance of banker Syed Bilal Ahmed in the Bahamas. Ahmed managed offshore financial accounts connected to Sante and had reportedly become aware of irregularities involving those accounts. During later testimony, Kenny confessed to participating in Ahmed’s murder, although no formal charges were filed in that case. The allegations strengthened prosecutors’ argument that the Kimes family used violence whenever financial schemes were threatened.

The Mystery of Elmer Holmgren

Another figure connected to the Kimes story was attorney Elmer Holmgren. He became involved with Sante during an investigation into a suspicious fire at her Honolulu property in 1990. Federal investigators believed Holmgren had information about the alleged arson and had begun cooperating with authorities. According to family members, Holmgren warned relatives that he feared for his safety shortly before he vanished.

For decades, his disappearance remained one of the many unanswered questions surrounding the Kimes family. Later accounts from Kent Walker, Sante’s older son, suggested that Sante and Kenneth Kimes Sr. privately discussed killing a man who matched Holmgren’s circumstances. No one was ever charged in connection with his disappearance, but the case continues to be viewed as one of the most disturbing loose ends in the broader Kimes saga. NBC’s reporting has revisited the mystery in recent years as investigators and family members continue seeking answers.

Convictions Without a Body

The trial over Irene Silverman’s disappearance became one of the most closely watched criminal proceedings of its time. Prosecutors faced the challenge of proving murder without recovering a body. They relied on forensic evidence, financial records, forged documents, witness testimony, and the extensive materials seized from the Kimeses. Despite the absence of physical remains, jurors found the evidence overwhelming.

In 2000, Sante and Kenny were convicted not only of murder but also of dozens of related charges, including conspiracy, robbery, burglary, forgery, and grand larceny. The jury returned guilty verdicts on 118 counts. Both received sentences exceeding 100 years, effectively ensuring they would spend the remainder of their lives in prison. The case became one of the most notable examples of a successful murder prosecution without a recovered body.

Kenny’s Confession and Sante’s Final Years

The legal saga continued after the New York convictions. Facing prosecution in California for David Kazdin’s murder, Kenny eventually entered a plea agreement. In exchange for avoiding the death penalty for himself and his mother, he testified against Sante and admitted his role in multiple killings. During his testimony, he described how Irene Silverman was attacked and killed, providing details that investigators had long suspected but could never fully prove.

Sante continued to deny responsibility for the murders. During court proceedings, she accused investigators and prosecutors of misconduct and insisted she was being framed. Judges and prosecutors rejected those claims. Following her conviction in California, she returned to New York to continue serving her sentence. She died in prison in 2014 at the age of 79. Kenny remains incarcerated at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in California, serving life without parole.

Why the Kimes Case Still Fascinates the Public

More than two decades after their convictions, the story of Sante and Kenny Kimes continues to attract attention because it combines elements rarely seen in a single criminal case. The investigation involved missing persons, financial fraud, forged identities, arson, suspected serial killings, and one of the most unusual mother-son relationships ever examined in a courtroom. The crimes stretched across multiple states and countries, creating a criminal saga that seemed almost impossible to believe.

Dateline NBC’s “The Devil Wore White” revisits that story through interviews, archival footage, and testimony from people who witnessed the events firsthand. Keith Morrison’s report examines not only the disappearance of Irene Silverman but also the psychological bond that kept Kenny loyal to his mother despite the destruction left behind. The result is a portrait of greed, manipulation, family loyalty, and violence that remains one of the most notorious true crime cases in American history.

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Ryan Gill

Ryan is a passionate follower of true crime television programs, reporting on and providing in-depth investigations on mysteries in the criminal world.

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