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Revision as of 08:02, 15 January 2007 by 203.214.14.219 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Sante Kimes (born Sante Louise Singhrs on July 24 1934) is an American woman who is infamous for the murder of Irene Silverman, an 83-year-old New York City socialite. Sante Kimes was also convicted in California of killing David Kazdin, a business associate of her husband. Her name is pronounced as "Shahn-Tay".
In 1998, with her son Kenny, Sante Kimes perpetrated a scheme whereby she would assume Irene's identity and then appropriate ownership of Silverman's $7.5 million high-class boarding house. Both Sante and Kenny were found guilty, in 2000, of the crime, despite the fact that Silverman's body was never found.
A made-for-TV movie, Like Mother, Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes (2001), was made starring Mary Tyler Moore as Sante Kimes and Jean Stapleton as Silverman. In 2006, another television movie, A Little Thing Called Murder, was shown on the Lifetime television network, starring Judy Davis as Sante Kimes and Jonathan Jackson as Kenny. This version was seen to be more exaggerated then the previous one, though the actual facts and crimes are still kept intact.
Sante Kimes is currently serving a life sentence at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in New York. Both she and Kenny are also serving additional life terms after being convicted in California for the death of Kazdin.
An autobiography by Sante's other son, Kent Walker, reveals many facts about his mother, her personality and her crimes from his point of view. His book, Son of a Grifter (ISBN 0-06-103169-0), was a national bestseller and winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best Fact Crime book in 2002.