The mystery surrounding Sharon Kinne, a U.S. woman accused of three murders more than five decades ago, is poised to take a dramatic turn as authorities prepare to reveal new details about her life and disappearance. A news conference has been announced for Thursday, November 2, where Jackson County officials will discuss Kinne’s case—one that has bewildered investigators and enthralled the public since she escaped from a Mexican prison in 1969.
- Sharon Kinne's criminal history spans over 50 years.
- Authorities scheduled a news conference for updates.
- Kinne matched the fingerprints of a deceased woman.
- She was acquitted in her boyfriend's wife's murder.
- Kinne escaped from a Mexican prison in 1969.
- Known as "La Pistolera," she evaded capture.
Sharon Kinne, charged with the brutal killings of her husband, her boyfriend’s wife, and a man she met at a bar in Mexico, set off a complex legal saga beginning in 1960, when her 25-year-old husband, James Kinne, was found shot in the back of the head in their home in Independence, Missouri. Described as living a seemingly ordinary life with her young children, this unsettling event ignited a chain reaction that would lead to multiple accusations of murder against her.
On the fateful day of James’s death, Sharon claimed she heard their 2-year-old daughter asking her father about the gun when the fatal shot echoed through their home. The initial investigation deemed the death accidental, but the truth appeared murky as court testimonies later uncovered the couple’s troubled relationship and her extramarital affairs. After relying on a life insurance payout and the sale of their home to buy herself a new car, Kinne crossed paths with Walter Jones, a car salesman, only to have his wife, Patricia, turn up dead a little over a month later.
In June 1960, just months after Patricia Jones’s murder, Sharon was charged. An acquittal followed during her trial, with jurors applauding after they found her not guilty, despite the growing suspicions surrounding her. However, a shift occurred when she was eventually convicted of her husband’s murder in January 1962, though the Missouri Supreme Court later overturned this due to errors in jury selection, leading to a retrial that ended in a hung jury.
Seeking refuge, Kinne fled to Mexico City, where she would encounter Francisco Ordonez in a bar—an encounter that would end with his death and Kinne receiving a 13-year prison sentence for his murder. The tangled web of her life continued to fascinate the public; she was dubbed “La Pistolera,” or “The Gunslinger,” known for her defiance and charisma even behind bars. Reports highlight a striking interview from 1965 in which Kinne expressed a longing for a life beyond her constraints, saying, “I knew out there, out of Kansas City and Independence, that the world was going on its way someplace, and I wasn’t going anywhere.”
It was on December 7, 1969, that Kinne purportedly vanished from the prison in Ixtacalapan. Despite years of speculation, details of her fate remained elusive, fueling numerous stories, podcasts, and even a book titled, “I’m Just an Ordinary Girl: The Sharon Kinne Story.” This week, however, the FBI confirmed to local authorities that a woman who passed away in 2022—named Diedra Glabus—had fingerprints matching those of Kinne, hinting that the mystery might be drawing closer to resolution.
As the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office prepares to share information, they have expressed hope that the revelation will bring closure not just to the families of Kinne’s victims, but to all touched by her actions. The anticipation continues to build ahead of the upcoming news conference, as communities remember the murky past and brace for what might be the final act in Kinne’s decades-spanning saga. The case’s resurfacing serves as a reminder of unsettled legacies and the enduring questions of justice, identity, and resolution lingering in the wake of violent crime.
