Vulture:

Most former police officers don’t enjoy a retirement that involves any kind of celebrity, much less one that has yielded a signature wine inspired by their catch phrase, a book deal, and an annual namesake cruise to the Caribbean. But such is now life for 71-year-old Lieutenant Joe Kenda, whose Investigation Discovery series Homicide Hunter has made him a bona fide true crime star.

Kenda’s perch atop the roster of programming on the decade-old true crime powerhouse ID is secure (if not completely natural) in a lineup that includes Wives with Knives, Deadly Women and Stepford Lives of Stepford Wives. Homicide Hunter, true stories from his 23-and-a-half years on the job in Colorado Springs, attracted nearly two million viewers per week last season, its seventh, and shows no signs of slowing.

Really enjoyed this interview by Sarah Turcotte with Joe Kenda, the star of one of my favorite guilty pleasure shows, the hypnotic Homicide Hunter.

And yes, the Kenda Cruise is real. Top Stars being Lt. Joe Kenda and The Guy Who Plays Young Lt. Joe Kenda In The Reenactments.