Son of a Grifter
Kent Walker with Mark Schone
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1998 · New York, New York
Irene Silverman & the Kimes case
The story behind Son of a Grifter
Wealthy New York homeowner Irene Silverman disappeared in 1998. Sante Kimes and her son Kenneth had targeted her property through an elaborate fraud scheme. They were convicted of her murder and related crimes even though her body had not been recovered. The investigation revealed plans to take control of her home using forged documents.
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The Story
When1998
WhereNew York, New York
In this collection35 resources
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A Little Thing Called Murder — U.S. viewing options
JustWatch · U.S. viewing guide
A dramatized interpretation; compare it with the reporting.
The Sante & Kenny Kimes Jr. Case & The Murder of Irene Silverman
Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
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Where are they now?
1 itemsAbout these sources
Dated updates, not live custody records. Check the source date before treating information as current.
Los Angeles Times · May 20, 2014
Sante Kimes — died in prison in 2014
Sante Kimes died in prison in May 2014.
Entry updated:
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Nicknames & media names
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
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Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Lifetime, Wow!
A Little Thing Called Murder
A film blogger reviews A Little Thing Called Murder, the dramatization of Sante and Kenneth Kimes’s crimes.
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
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Books
1 itemsKent Walker with Mark Schone
Son of a Grifter
A nonfiction account of this case. See the linked edition for publication details and available formats.
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Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
JustWatch · U.S. viewing guide
A Little Thing Called Murder — U.S. viewing options
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
TV & documentaries
2 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
IMDb · TV episode
Blood & Money — High Society Schemers (2023)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Listed release: 2023. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
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Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
IMDb · TV episode
World's Most Evil Killers — Sante & Kenneth Kimes (2020)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Listed release: 2020. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
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Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Audiobooks
Listen to a book connected to this story. Each edition below is matched to its author and audiobook source.
Audiobook
Son of a Grifter : The Twisted Tale of Sante and Kenny Kimes, the Most Notorious Con Artists in America: A Memoir by the Other Son
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
JustWatch · U.S. viewing guide
A Little Thing Called Murder — U.S. viewing options
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
The Sante & Kenny Kimes Jr. Case & The Murder of Irene Silverman
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released April 23, 2026. About 50 minutes.
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American Criminal
Sante Kimes | Final Dynasty
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released October 17, 2024. About 49 minutes.
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Killer Psyche
Matriarch of Murder: Sante and Kenneth Kimes' Trail of Death, Part I
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released December 12, 2023. About 50 minutes.
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Once Upon A Crime
Murder in the Family: Sante and Kenny Kimes
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released November 21, 2017. About 73 minutes.
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The Killafornia Dreaming Podcast
#099 The Tale of the Grifters: Sante & Kenny Kimes
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released July 23, 2019. About 133 minutes.
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Unlawful Acts
Killed for Her Fortune? The Chilling Irene Silverman Murder Case
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released April 30, 2026. About 62 minutes.
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Show 9 more podcasts
She Goes by Jane: A True Crime Podcast
150: The White Elephant: The Disappearance of Irene Silverman, Pt 1
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released September 1, 2026. About 45 minutes.
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Serial Killers & Murderous Minds
SERIAL KILLER: Sante Kimes Pt. 2
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released January 22, 2026. About 48 minutes.
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Snapped: Women Who Murder
Sante Kimes
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released May 16, 2021. About 44 minutes.
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White Collars, Red Hands
Murder with Mother- Sante and Kenneth Kimes
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released March 21, 2025. About 56 minutes.
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She Goes by Jane: A True Crime Podcast
151: The Man in the Mansion: The Disappearance of Irene Silverman, Pt 2
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released September 8, 2026. About 39 minutes.
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The Midnight Pour
Who Was The Strange Tenant in 1B? | The Case of Irene Silverman
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released August 20, 2026. About 13 minutes.
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Crime at Bedtime
The Mother, The Son, and the Con - Sante and Kenneth Kimes
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released June 25, 2025. About 26 minutes.
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Muriel's Murders
6. Sante Kimes: Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Released May 7, 2025. About 60 minutes.
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Rotten Mango · Stephanie Soo
Rotten Mango — Irene Silverman & the Kimes case (Episode 98)
Episode 98 discusses Irene Silverman & the Kimes case. The official episode page identifies this case and provides the show’s listening options. Contains descriptions of violence; this is podcast commentary, not a court record.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Where would you start?
Choose your reading route, then share a question with your community.
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Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
3 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
Library of Congress · Free Article
[Assistant district attorney Connie Fernandez questioning Mengistu Melesse as Sante Kimes is tried for the murder of Irene Silverman in New York City]
Publicly accessible source material and historical context related to this story.
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Open Library · Catalog / Availability
Son of a Grifter: The Twisted Tale of Sante and Kenny Kimes, the Most Notorious Con Artists in America by Kent Walker
Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
The Mother, The Son, And The Socialite
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
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Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Newspaper clippings
1 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
The Guardian · 1999-11-20 · Page 77
A long-form account of Silverman’s disappearance
Alix Kirsta reconstructs Silverman’s life and disappearance in a newspaper magazine investigation.
Opening part of a continued 1999 feature, before the later convictions.
Newspaper ReportingAccess Varies · Check Source
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Read the original at Newspapers.com. Access and subscription requirements are set by the archive.
Open full clipping at Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
4 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · Library record · 2001
Son of a grifter : the twisted tale of Sante and Kenny Kimes, the most notorious con artists in America : a memoir by the other son
Walker, Kent, 1962- · Schone, Mark, 1960-. A library catalog record for a book connected with Irene Silverman & the Kimes case. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
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Internet Archive · Library record · 1999
The mother, the son, and the socialite : the true story of a mother-son crime spree
Havill, Adrian. A library catalog record for a book connected with Irene Silverman & the Kimes case. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
CNN Newsroom Live : CNNW : November 17, 2024 11:00pm-12:00am PST
The archive indexes this broadcast under Irene Silverman. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
How It Really Happened : CNNW : November 17, 2024 7:00pm-8:00pm PST
The archive indexes this broadcast under Irene Silverman, Kenneth Kimes. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Court opinionArchive copy
People v. Kimes — Irene Silverman murder appeal
New York appellate review of the prosecution of Sante and Kenneth Kimes for Irene Silverman’s murder and associated offenses.
- Court / agency
- New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
- Document date
- December 7, 2006
- Hosted by
- Justia
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
8 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Moms And Mysteries Podcast
The Devil Wore White: Sante & Kenny Kimes and the Murder of Irene Silverman
Video from Moms And Mysteries Podcast covering the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Length: 43:59.
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Real Crime
Mommy Dearest: Mother and Son's Deadly Crimes
Video from Real Crime covering the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Length: 43:31.
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Oxygen
Wealthy Elderly New York Woman Goes Missing | Blood & Money | Oxygen
Video from Oxygen covering the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Length: 8:01.
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Absolute Crime
The Mother And Son Serial Killers With 117 Charges | World’s Most Evil Killers | Absolute Crime
Video from Absolute Crime covering the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Length: 44:26.
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Ray William Johnson
She Will Kill You
Video from Ray William Johnson covering the Irene Silverman & the Kimes case case. Length: 9:09.
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Facebook · Creator community
The Killafornia Dreaming Podcast — Facebook group
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “#099 The Tale of the Grifters: Sante & Kenny Kimes.” This discussion group covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. Group rules or membership approval may limit access.
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Show 2 more social media
Facebook · Creator channel
The Killafornia Dreaming Podcast — Facebook page
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “#099 The Tale of the Grifters: Sante & Kenny Kimes.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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TikTok · Creator channel
The Midnight Pour — TikTok channel
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “Who Was The Strange Tenant in 1B? | The Case of Irene Silverman.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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