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Sharon Kinne

Sharon Kinne was convicted in Mexico in 1965 for killing Francisco Paredes Ordoñez and was long suspected in two 1960 Missouri deaths — her husband James Kinne and Patricia Jones — of which she was acquitted (Jones) and convicted then retried without final resolution (James Kinne) before fleeing to Mexico. She escaped a Mexican prison in 1969 and lived undetected in Canada under an alias until her 2022 death, confirmed by fingerprint match in 2025.

Illustrative

Sharon Kinne (born Sharon Elizabeth Hall, November 30, 1939 – January 21, 2022) was an American woman convicted in Mexico of homicide and long suspected in two additional deaths in Independence, Missouri, during the 1960s. She became the subject of what is described as the longest outstanding felony arrest warrant in Kansas City, Missouri history.

On March 19, 1960, Sharon's husband James Kinne was found fatally shot in the head in the couple's Independence home. Sharon said the couple's two-year-old daughter, Danna, had accidentally shot him while playing with his firearm; police, unable to disprove this, initially ruled the death accidental. On May 27, 1960, the body of Patricia Jones, a 23-year-old file clerk and wife of one of Sharon's boyfriends, Walter Jones, was found shot multiple times in a secluded area near Independence by Sharon and another boyfriend, John Boldizs. Investigators determined Sharon had contacted Jones the day she disappeared and was the last known person to speak with her. Sharon was arrested on May 31, 1960, and charged with Jones' murder; the death of James Kinne was reopened as a homicide charge as well.

Sharon was tried separately for each death. In June 1961 she was acquitted of murdering Patricia Jones after the jury found the prosecution's circumstantial case insufficient. In January 1962 she was convicted of murdering James Kinne and sentenced to life imprisonment, but the Missouri Supreme Court overturned the verdict in 1963 over jury-selection procedural issues. A second trial in March 1964 ended in mistrial after a juror's connection to a prosecutor's law partner was discovered. A third trial in July 1964 ended in a hung jury, deadlocked seven to five in favor of acquittal. Sharon was released on bond pending a fourth trial scheduled for October 1964.

Before that trial, in September 1964, Sharon traveled to Mexico with Francis Samuel Pugliese, traveling under the name "Jeanette Pugliese." On the night of September 18, 1964, she shot and killed Francisco Paredes Ordoñez, a Mexican-born American citizen, at a hotel in Mexico, and wounded a hotel employee who responded to the gunfire. Ballistics later linked the weapon used to the gun that had killed Patricia Jones in 1960, though Sharon could not be retried for that acquitted charge. She was convicted of Ordoñez's homicide in October 1965 and sentenced to ten years, later increased to thirteen years on appellate review. When she failed to appear for her rescheduled fourth Missouri trial, a warrant was issued for her arrest in October 1964, which remained outstanding.

Sharon escaped from Iztapalapan prison in Mexico City on December 7, 1969, during an unexplained blackout, and an intensive manhunt failed to locate her. In February 1970 she married James Thomas Glabus in Los Angeles, and by 1973 the couple had relocated to Taber, Alberta, Canada, where Sharon lived under the name "Diedra Grace Glabus," later "Diedra Ell" after a third marriage, running a motel and later a real estate business. She died in Taber on January 21, 2022. Her identity was confirmed by Jackson County, Missouri investigators via fingerprint matching in January 2025, more than 50 years after her disappearance.

Start hereVIDEO*im back* When Blaming it on the baby is a good idea - Sharon kinne | Mystery & Makeup Bailey SarianBailey Sarian · YOUTUBE · 41 min

Key facts

Victims
Francisco Paredes Ordoñez, Patricia Jones, James Kinne
Date
1962
Location
Independence, Missouri, USA (case origin); killing of Francisco Paredes Ordoñez occurred in Mexico City, Mexico
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1939-11-30

    Sharon Elizabeth Hall born in Independence, Missouri.

  2. 1956-10-18

    Sharon marries James Kinne.

  3. 1960-03-19

    James Kinne found fatally shot in the head at the couple's Independence, Missouri home; death initially ruled accidental.

  4. 1960-05-27

    Body of Patricia Jones found shot near Independence, Missouri, by Sharon and John Boldizs.

  5. 1960-05-31

    Sharon arrested and charged with the murder of Patricia Jones.

  6. 1961-06

    Sharon tried and acquitted for the murder of Patricia Jones.

  7. 1962-01

    Sharon convicted of the murder of James Kinne and later sentenced to life imprisonment.

  8. 1963-03

    Missouri Supreme Court overturns the James Kinne conviction and orders a new trial.

  9. 1964-03

    Second trial for the murder of James Kinne ends in mistrial.

  10. 1964-07

    Third trial for the murder of James Kinne ends in a hung jury.

  11. 1964-09

    Sharon travels to Mexico with Francis Samuel Pugliese under the alias "Jeanette Pugliese."

  12. 1964-09-18

    Sharon shoots and kills Francisco Paredes Ordoñez in a Mexico City hotel and wounds an employee, Enrique Martinez Rueda.

  13. 1964-10

    Sharon fails to appear for her fourth Missouri trial; an arrest warrant is issued and her bond is forfeited.

  14. 1965-10-18

    Sharon convicted in Mexico of the homicide of Francisco Paredes Ordoñez; sentenced to ten years, later increased to thirteen.

  15. 1969-12-07

    Sharon escapes from Iztapalapan prison in Mexico City during a power outage.

  16. 1970-02

    Sharon marries James Thomas Glabus in Los Angeles, California.

  17. 1973

    Sharon and Glabus relocate to Taber, Alberta, Canada, where she lives under the alias "Diedra Glabus."

  18. 1982-03

    Sharon marries William "Willie" Ell, becoming known as "Diedra Ell."

  19. 2022-01-21

    Sharon dies in Taber, Alberta, of coronary artery disease, with Alzheimer's disease listed as a contributing factor.

  20. 2025-01-17

    U.S. authorities publicly announce fingerprint confirmation that "Diedra Glabus/Ell" was Sharon Kinne.

Best coverage

Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.

VIDEO

Bailey Sarian / 41 min

*im back* When Blaming it on the baby is a good idea - Sharon kinne | Mystery & Makeup Bailey Sarian

People

  • Francisco Paredes Ordoñez

    VICTIM

    Mexican-born American citizen shot and killed by Sharon Kinne in a Mexico City hotel on September 18, 1964; Kinne was convicted of his homicide in 1965.

  • Patricia Jones

    VICTIM

    23-year-old file clerk found shot to death near Independence, Missouri, on May 27, 1960; Sharon Kinne was tried and acquitted of her murder.

  • Francis Samuel Pugliese

    CHARGED

    Traveled to Mexico with Sharon Kinne under the alias "Jeanette Pugliese"; held on charges of illegal entry and carrying an unlicensed gun, later cleared and deported to the U.S.

  • James Kinne

    VICTIM

    Sharon Kinne's husband, found fatally shot in the head at their Independence, Missouri home on March 19, 1960.

  • Sharon Kinne

    CONVICTED

    Convicted in Mexico in October 1965 of the homicide of Francisco Paredes Ordoñez; acquitted in 1961 of the murder of Patricia Jones; convicted in 1962 of the murder of James Kinne with the verdict later overturned, followed by a mistrial and a hung jury in subsequent retrials.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Sharon Kinne was convicted in Mexico in 1965 for killing Francisco Paredes Ordoñez and was long suspected in two 1960 Missouri deaths — her husband James Kinne and Patricia Jones — of which she was acquitted (Jones) and convicted then retried without final resolution (James Kinne) before fleeing to Mexico. She escaped a Mexican prison in 1969 and lived undetected in Canada under an alias until her 2022 death, confirmed by fingerprint match in 2025.
Where did the crime happen?
Independence, Missouri, USA (case origin); killing of Francisco Paredes Ordoñez occurred in Mexico City, Mexico.
Who was convicted?
Sharon Kinne (Convicted in Mexico in October 1965 of the homicide of Francisco Paredes Ordoñez; acquitted in 1961 of the murder of Patricia Jones; convicted in 1962 of the murder of James Kinne with the verdict later overturned, followed by a mistrial and a hung jury in subsequent retrials.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICSharon KinneWikipedia · 2026-07-18
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage of Sharon Kinne's identification in Taber, AlbertaCBC News · 2026-07-18
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage of Sharon Kinne's disappearance and Mexican prison escapeCBS News · 2026-07-18

Record history

First published
JUL 18, 2026

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