Homicide Hunter

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Homicide Hunter (also known as Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda) is an American crime documentary television series which airs on the Investigation Discovery (ID) television network. The series showcases the career of retired Colorado Springs, Colorado, police department detective Joe Kenda. Kenda joined the department in 1973 and was promoted to detective in 1977 and assigned to the burglary division. However, after solving a double shooting veteran detectives believed was unsolvable, he was assigned to the homicide division. The case was presented in the Season 4 finale "My First Case". Kenda states he solved 387 cases (other sources state he solved 356 of 387 cases. At the time of his retirement in 1996, he was the commander of the department's major crimes unit.

The cases are told by Kenda in an extemporaneous narrative, in anachronistic re-enactments with actor and former deputy sheriff Carl Marino portraying a younger Kenda, and narration by Josh Casaubon. Episodes also feature contextual contributions by witnesses to the crimes, family and friends of the victims, members of law enforcement and the media, and others.

Homicide Hunter debuted on October 25, 2011. To date, 103 episodes over 7 seasons have been produced.

Kenda recounted that at age nine during a visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo, he experienced what he calls an epiphany: "There was a big sign, and it read, 'Around this corner is the most dangerous animal on earth [...] and it was a mirror from ceiling to floor. Everyone was looking in the mirror, and everyone was wondering, 'Well, what is this about?'"

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Episodes

Season 1 (2011)

Season 2 (2012)

Season 3 (2013)

Season 4 (2014)

Season 5 (2015-2016)

Season 6 (2016-2017)

Season 7 (2017-2018)

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Ratings

On Tuesday, November 12, 2013, Investigation Discovery had its best night ever for Homicide Hunter, delivering 1.3 million viewers and ranking No. 8 in ad-supported cable programs.

On Tuesday, August 18, 2015, Investigation Discovery shattered network records with the Season 5 premiere, delivering 3.8 million viewers and making it a Top 5 cable program in its time period.

During the 2017 season, the series remained a top performer with an average of 1.9 million viewers.

As of 2015, Homicide Hunter was airing in 183 countries.