On Friday, January 31, 2025, Dateline NBC presents The Devil Wore White, a riveting investigation into the disappearance of wealthy socialite Irene Silverman. What began as a missing persons case soon unraveled into a shocking saga of fraud, manipulation, and murder.
Correspondent Keith Morrison takes viewers inside the dark world of Sante and Kenneth Kimes, a mother and son whose crimes spanned decades and continents. From their luxurious façade to a trail of victims, the Kimes’ story is one of greed, control, and an unstoppable descent into violence.
Contents
The Early Life of Sante Kimes
Sante Kimes was born Sandra Louise Singhrs in Oklahoma City in 1934. Her childhood was marked by instability, abuse, and early signs of manipulative tendencies. After her father abandoned the family, her mother turned to prostitution, exposing young Sante to a world of exploitation.
As a teenager, she moved to California, where she was adopted and later married Edward Walker. Their marriage was marred by arson and fraud. Sante set fires to collect insurance money, a pattern that would define her life. After divorcing Walker, she sought out wealthy men, eventually marrying Kenneth Kimes Sr., a multimillionaire motel tycoon.
A Life of Crime with Kenneth Kimes Sr.
With access to her husband’s wealth, Sante orchestrated numerous fraudulent schemes. She introduced him as an ambassador, impersonated celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, and engaged in human trafficking by enslaving undocumented workers as house servants.
Despite their financial resources, the couple squandered millions on legal battles. In 1985, Sante was convicted of violating federal anti-slavery laws and sentenced to five years in prison. Upon her release, she resumed her criminal enterprises with their son, Kenneth Kimes Jr.
The Murder of David Kazdin
In 1998, the Kimeses targeted David Kazdin, a businessman who had once allowed Sante to use his name for real estate dealings. When Kazdin discovered she had forged his signature on a $280,000 loan, he threatened legal action.
Fearing exposure, Sante ordered Kenneth Jr. to eliminate Kazdin. Kenneth shot him in the back of the head in his Los Angeles home. His body was dumped near LAX, leading to an investigation that would later uncover their wider crimes.
The Disappearance of Irene Silverman
By 1998, the Kimeses had moved to New York, where they set their sights on 82-year-old Irene Silverman, a wealthy widow who owned a multimillion-dollar townhouse. Kenneth Jr. rented an apartment under a false identity, intending to steal her fortune.
On July 5, 1998, Silverman vanished. Investigators later determined that Sante had stunned her with a Taser before Kenneth Jr. strangled her. Her body was never recovered, but their attempt to forge ownership of her townhouse provided enough evidence to charge them with murder.
The Investigation and Arrest
Authorities arrested Sante and Kenneth Jr. on the same day Silverman went missing. Their Lincoln Town Car contained wigs, handcuffs, stun guns, and a forged deed to Silverman’s home. A detailed notebook outlining fraudulent schemes was also found.
Further investigation connected them to the murder of David Kazdin and financial crimes in multiple states. Witnesses came forward, exposing their past involvement in arson, fraud, and a suspected murder in the Bahamas.
The Trial and Convictions
In 2000, a New York jury convicted the Kimeses of Silverman’s murder along with 117 other charges, including grand larceny, conspiracy, and illegal weapons possession. Both received life sentences.
Kenneth Jr. later testified against his mother in a Los Angeles trial for Kazdin’s murder, securing another conviction. He admitted to multiple crimes, describing his mother’s controlling influence and detailing how she manipulated him into becoming a murderer.
Imprisonment and Death
Sante Kimes continued to protest her innocence, claiming a conspiracy against her. She died in 2014 while serving her sentence in New York. Kenneth Jr. remains incarcerated in California.
Their case stands as one of the most notorious examples of a criminal partnership fueled by greed and deception. Dateline NBC’s The Devil Wore White explores their shocking legacy, uncovering the depths of their crimes and the lives they destroyed along the way.
More Feature Articles
- “The Devil Wore White”: Dateline Reports on Sante & Kenny Kimes January 29 2025
- “Run, Run, Run”: 20/20 Reports on Alan Helmick Homicide January 31 2025
- “Dangerous Secret”: Dateline Reports on Brad McGarry Homicide February 1 2025
- “The ‘No Body’ Case of Dee Warner”: 48 Hours Reports February 1 2025
- “Death by Eye Drops”: 48 Hours Reports on Lynn Hernan Homicide February 1 2025
- “65 Seconds”: Dateline Reports on Heidi Firkus Homicide February 2 2025
- 60 Minutes Reports on “What Will Mitch Do?”, “Robert Lighthizer” & “A Psychedelic Journey” February 2 2025