A Case 30 Years in the Making Finally Gets Justice in “Homicide Hunter: The Man with No Face”

In the final installment of the HOMICIDE HUNTER trilogy of specials, Lt. Joe Kenda confronts one of the most unlikely killers of his career. In his signature storytelling style, Joe Kenda leads viewers through the labyrinthine case of a young mother found raped and murdered, only for her killer to finally be convicted thanks to DNA evidence three decades later. HOMICIDE HUNTER: THE MAN WITH NO FACE premieres on Wednesday, March 8 from 9-11PM ET on Investigation Discovery, streaming the same day on discovery+.

In 1988, young mother Mary Lynn Vialpando is found raped and murdered in the heart of one of the most historic neighborhoods in Colorado Springs. At the time, Kenda was a Sergeant and the Supervisor of the Homicide Unit, assigned Vialpando’s case. When every promising lead goes up in smoke, the case goes cold, leaving it as one of the few that the legendary detective couldn’t close. Although forensic evidence was new technology at the time, Kenda and his team meticulously processed and stored the evidence, putting faith in a science that wasn’t fully developed yet.

In 2018, a routine DNA database search by Colorado Springs PD matched the evidence collected by Kenda and his team at the crime scene decades ago. James A. Papol was arrested after analysis matched him to semen found on Vialpando’s body, and he pleaded guilty in May, 2021, putting an end to another of Joe Kenda’s unsolved crimes. This premium, two-hour special, HOMICIDE HUNTER: THE MAN WITH NO FACE, bridges the gap between the different generations of detectives, highlighting how Kenda and his team’s thorough investigations and precise evidence collection led to detectives being able to solve the case when science made it possible.

Viewers can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #HomicideHunter.

HOMICIDE HUNTER: THE MAN WITH NO FACE is produced by Jupiter Entertainment for Investigation Discovery.

About LT. JOE KENDA

Lt. Joe Kenda, a 23-year veteran of the Colorado Springs Police Department, spent 21 years chasing killers as a homicide detective and commander of the major crimes unit. While on the force, Kenda and his team solved 356 of his 387 homicide cases, getting a 92 percent solve rate – one of the highest in the country. After retiring from law enforcement, he starred in “Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda,” a true-crime television series that ran for nine seasons on ID, captivating viewers the details of the cases, all from his photographic memory. Then, tipping his cap to detectives who answered the call, Kenda’s next television project, “Homicide Hunter: American Detective,” is currently in its third season on ID. Both series are available for streaming on discovery+. He has written two books, “I Will Find You” and “Killer Triggers,” and his first nonfiction novel, “All Is Not Forgiven,” comes out this summer.