Offender Record · OFF-2026-109
Sante Kimes (photo from the Radford University biography)
Sante Louise Singhrs
Also known as Sandy Chambers, Santee, Sandra Louise Singhrs, Sandra Louise Walker, Dragon Lady
Sex
Female
Race
White
Height
5'5"
Born
1934
Custody
Deceased
States
CA, BS, NV, NY, US, OK, HI
Custody
Sante was sentenced to 120 years in the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women located in New York on June 27, 2000. She was listed as not eligible for release before 2119. She died from natural causes on May 19, 2014.
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Summary of the record
Sante Kimes (née Singhrs; July 24, 1934 – May 19, 2014), also known as the Dragon Lady, was an American murderer, con artist, robber, fraudster, serial arsonist and suspected serial killer. In 2000, Sante Kimes was tried and convicted together with her son on 118 charges, including the murder of Silverman. In 2004, after Kenneth Jr. made a plea deal in the 1998 murder of David Kazdin in Los Angeles, agreeing to testify against his mother in exchange for neither facing the death penalty, Sante was subsequently convicted of the Kazdin murder. She maintained her innocence until her death from natural causes on May 19, 2014.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Mar 09, 1998, Los Angeles, California
Murder in the first degree
Los Angeles County · Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County · Arrested Jul 05, 1998 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life without parole
In 2004, Sante Kimes was convicted in California of murder in the 1998 death of businessman David Kazdin, whose body was found in a trash bin. Kenneth Kimes said his mother planned Kazdin's killing and sent him to do the job. He testified that he shot Kazdin in the back of the head at close range. His mother decided to kill Kazdin, an old friend, after Kazdin found out that she had taken out a $280,000 loan by forging his signature.
SourcesSante Kimes, convicted with son of murder, dies in prison; Mother, son get life for killing L.A. businessman
Offense date Jul 05, 1998, New York City, New York
Murder in the second degree
New York County · Supreme Court of New York, New York County · Arrested Jul 05, 1998 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 120 years to life
In 2000, Kimes and her son, Kenneth Kimes, were convicted of murder in connection with the disappearance of Irene Silverman, an 82-year-old widow and former Radio City Music Hall Rockette. Authorities said the Kimeses conspired to steal Silverman's $7 million Manhattan town house and other possessions. After a struggle, Silverman was shot in the head with a stun gun that had paralyzed her, and then Kenneth had strangled Irene with his own hands.
SourcesPeople v Kimes (2006 NY Slip Op 09134); Sante and Kenneth Kimes Trial: 2000; Sante Kimes, convicted with son of murder, dies in prison; Sante Kimes, convicted murderer, dies in prison at 79
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
2
Victims convicted
0
Victims confessed
3
Victims suspected
Active years
1998–1998
Victim profile
Elderly, Acquaintances
Stated motive
Financial gain
Range from home
interstate
Accomplice
Yes
Education
high school
Marital history
Married, Divorced, Separated
Children
2
Died
2014-05-19 · natural
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
BS
Bahamas
approx. 1992 – 1994 · Kenneth Kimes Sr. died 1994
CA
Los Angeles, California
approx. 1937 – 1947 · Lived with mother and siblings
Sacramento, California
approx. 1952 – 1954 · Moved with friend Ruth
San Francisco, California
approx. 1953 – 1954 · Lived with friend Ruth
Santa Barbara, California
approx. 1954 – 1955 · Attended University of California, took journalism class
Sacramento, California
approx. 1956 – 1965 · Lived with husband Edward Walker; first house fire in 1960 for insurance fraud
Burbank, California
approx. 1964 – 1966 · Moved to condo
Los Angeles, California
approx. 1966 – 1967 · Lived with boyfriend Clyde; burned multiple properties for insurance
Pleasanton, California
approx. 1986 – 1989 · Federal prison for involuntary servitude, transporting illegal aliens
HI
Honolulu, Hawaii
approx. 1975 – 1979 · Lived with Kenneth Kimes Sr.; burned house in 1978 for insurance
NV
Carson City, Nevada
approx. 1947 – 1952 · Adopted by Edwin and Mary Chambers; graduated high school in 1952
Las Vegas, Nevada
approx. 1979 – 1998 · Moved for fresh start; rented undocumented workers; burned property in 1998
Las Vegas, Nevada
1985 – 1986 · Clark County, Nevada Jail for slavery/servitude charges
NY
New York, New York
Jun 1998 – Jul 05, 1998 · Rented apartment in Irene Silverman's townhouse on Upper East Side; arrested July 5, 1998
Bedford Hills, New York
2000 – 2014 · Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women; died May 19, 2014
OK
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
approx. 1934 – 1937 · Born here
US
Washington, Columbia
approx. 1989 – 1989 · Transferred to serve mink coat sentence
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1998 green Lincoln Town Car – Stolen
1998 – 1998
On the day Silverman was reported missing, Sante and Kenneth Kimes were arrested in New York City on an unrelated warrant for writing a bad check to a car dealer who'd sold them a green Lincoln Town Car.
Timeline
Jul 24, 1934
Sante Kimes was born Sante Louise Singhrs July 24, 1934 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
1947
Sante was adopted by Edwin and Mary Chambers along with a boy Howard and moved to Carson City, Nevada; her name was changed to Sandy Chambers.
1952
She graduated from Carson High School in 1952.
1957
Sante reunited with a former boyfriend from high school, Edward Walker, and married the following year; they had one son, Kent Walker.
1961
After a 1961 shoplifting conviction in Sacramento, Sante separated and reconciled intermittently with Walker.
1965
She opened several credit cards in different names, racking up $20,000 in debt; when police caught on to her scam she was charged with 17 counts of grand theft.
1975
The Kimes family moved to Honolulu.
Aug 03, 1985
Sante and Ken Kimes were arrested on 17 charges of involuntary servitude and transporting illegal aliens.
Dec 30, 1985
Sante escapes from jail.
Feb 10, 1986
The slave trial begins, and Sante is convicted of 14 counts of slaveholding, escaping from prison, and transporting illegal aliens. She was sentenced to 5 years in a high security prison.
1989
In 1989, Sante was released from prison.
Mar 09, 1998
On March 9, 1998, Kazdin was murdered at his Los Angeles residence, with a bullet in the back of his head.
Jul 05, 1998
On July 5, 1998, an 82-year-old widow, Irene Silverman, disappeared from her Manhattan townhouse. Silverman's passport and other papers were found with the Kimeses when they were arrested at a Manhattan hotel that night.
Feb 14, 2000
Silverman trial begins.
May 18, 2000
Sante and Kenny found guilty of all 118 counts brought against, including the second degree murder of Irene Silverman.
Jun 27, 2000
Sante is sentenced to 120 years in the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women located in New York.
2004
Sante was later sentenced to life in prison for the Kazdin murder.
Jan 14, 2004
Sante Kimes was convicted in California of murder in the 1998 death of businessman David Kazdin.
May 19, 2014
Sante Kimes died from natural causes on May 19, 2014.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
News report · Wikipedia ·
Sante Kimes“In 2000, both were tried and convicted together on 118 charges, including the murder of Silverman.”
News report · CBS News ·
Sante Kimes, convicted with son of murder, dies in prison“In 2004, Sante Kimes was convicted in California of murder in the 1998 death of businessman David Kazdin, whose body was found in a trash bin, and she was later sentenced to life in prison.”
News report · Washington Post ·
Sante Kimes, convicted murderer, dies in prison at 79“Sante Kimes, who along with her son made up a notorious grifter team convicted of the murders of a wealthy widow in New York and a businessman in Los Angeles, died May 19 in her prison cell at age 79.”
Court record · New York State Law Reporting Bureau ·
People v Kimes (2006 NY Slip Op 09134)“Sante Kimes was convicted of murder in the second degree (three counts), robbery in the first degree, burglary in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree (two counts).”
News report · NBC News ·
Mother, son get life for killing L.A. businessman“Kenneth Kimes said his mother planned the killing and sent him to do the job. He testified that he shot Kazdin in the back of the head at close range.”
Other · Radford University, Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Kimes, Sante“Sante and Kenny found guilty of all 118 counts brought against, including the second degree murder of Irene Silverman.”
News report · Encyclopedia.com ·
Sante and Kenneth Kimes Trial: 2000“After three months of lurid testimony, the jury handed down verdicts on May 18, 2000. Sante Kimes was convicted on 58 criminal counts; Kenneth Kimes was found guilty on 60 separate charges.”
Discussion
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