Mon Nov 18 03:40:00 UTC 2024: ## Son of Notorious ‘Dragon Lady’ Killer Confesses, Blames Childhood for Crimes

**SAN DIEGO** – Kenneth Kimes, son of infamous criminal Sante Kimes, has given a harrowing account of his life as an accomplice to his mother’s crimes, confessing to the 1998 murder of New York socialite Irene Silverman. In an interview with CNN from his prison cell at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, Kimes, 49, expressed deep regret and blamed his turbulent childhood for his actions.

Kimes and his mother, known as the “Dragon Lady,” were convicted of Silverman’s murder, a crime that was part of a long string of offenses including arson, insurance fraud, a shooting in California, and suspected murder in the Bahamas. Their criminal history also includes a human trafficking operation in the mid-1980s, for which Sante Kimes served prison time. Evidence found in their car after their arrest in New York, including Ms. Silverman’s belongings and a forged deed to her property, implicated them in her death, though they initially denied involvement.

In 2004, Kimes confessed to killing Silverman, revealing he strangled her while his mother distracted her. He received a plea deal in exchange for his testimony, implicating his mother. He stated his confession stemmed from fear of the death penalty, not a desire to betray his mother. He last saw his mother before her death in 2014 while serving her sentence.

Kimes described a childhood rife with lies and FBI raids, highlighting the significant impact of his mother’s 1985 imprisonment for kidnapping and enslaving domestic workers. He recounted his mother’s manipulative charisma and a brief period of stability after his father’s death until his mother manipulated and withheld news of his death from him. Kimes now believes his life of crime is a result of a lack of intervention during his troubled childhood, urging for increased prevention efforts for children at risk. He expressed remorse for his actions and offered an apology to the victims’ families. “My whole life and criminality is a study on the outcome of lack of prevention,” he stated.

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