Sharon Kinne, an American woman charged with three killings who vanished from a Mexican prison more than 50 years ago, has died in Canada under an assumed identity, authorities revealed on Thursday. Kinne, who had been living as Diedra Glabus, passed away of natural causes on January 21, 2022, in Alberta, Canada, confirmed Sgt. Dustin Love of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Kinne’s criminal saga began before she turned 25, with charges related to the deaths of her husband James Kinne in Missouri, her boyfriend’s wife, Patricia Jones, and a man she met in a bar in Mexico, Francisco Ordonez. Her escape from a women’s prison in Mexico on December 7, 1969, had left her whereabouts unknown until a recent anonymous tip led to her identification.
During a news conference, Sgt. Love expressed a mix of disappointment and fascination over Kinne’s elusiveness, stating, “I would love nothing more than to one day sit across the table from her, and I would like to pick her brain. So, yeah, it’s unfortunate we couldn’t catch her when she was alive. She was really good at what she did.”
Kinne’s family, through a statement read by authorities, acknowledged the closure her death brought, lamenting the lack of accountability for her actions, “Sharon was a woman that never faced the consequences of her actions, leaving them for her children to deal with. She caused great harm without thought or remorse.”
A Troubled Past:
The First Killing: In March 1960, James Kinne was found shot in their home in Independence, Missouri, with Sharon claiming their toddler accidentally fired the gun. This death was initially ruled accidental but later re-examined.
Patricia Jones’ Murder: A few months later, after an affair with car salesman Walter Jones, Sharon allegedly lured Patricia Jones, Walter’s wife, to her death. Despite being charged, she was acquitted in a trial surrounded by public and media interest.
Conviction and Escape: Convicted for her husband’s murder in 1962, her conviction was later overturned due to jury selection issues. After a hung jury in a retrial, she fled to Mexico, where she killed Ordonez and was sentenced to 13 years before escaping.
Life Under Alias: Over the years, Sharon Kinne married multiple times, lived under various aliases, and managed to start new families, with her trail going cold until recently.
The identification of Kinne was facilitated by comparing fingerprints from her funeral to those from her criminal records. Her life post-escape, especially the period from 1969 to 1979, remains partly a mystery, with law enforcement still seeking information.
The case has been featured in numerous media, including podcasts, TV shows, and the book “I’m Just an Ordinary Girl: The Sharon Kinne Story,” reflecting public fascination with her life and crimes. All charges against her were dropped posthumously this week.
The investigation underscores the long-term impact of such crimes on families on both sides, with authorities and family members alike seeking closure from this long-standing mystery.
