Mother, Son Charged in Killing of Businessman

Already accused of killing a wealthy Manhattan widow, a mother and son team of alleged con artists were quietly charged last month with killing a businessman in Los Angeles and dumping his body in a trash bin.

Prosecutors say that Sante Kimes, 63, and her 23-year-old son, Kenneth Kimes, killed 63-year-old David Kazdin of Granada Hills and left his body at Los Angeles International Airport in March 1998. The prosecutors say Kenneth Kimes fired the fatal shot.

The Kimeses had known Kazdin for 20 years, officials said. Allegations of real estate fraud by the mother and son using Kazdin’s name emerged during the investigation into his death.

Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti, would not comment on the charges Wednesday except to say that the Kimeses will not be extradited to face Los Angeles charges until the New York trial is completed.

Officials in New York say that the mother and son killed Irene Silverman, 82, in an attempt to acquire her $3-million mansion on Manhattan’s posh East Side.

When they were arrested last year shortly after Silverman’s disappearance, the Kimeses allegedly had the victim’s keys, Social Security card, passport and old payroll stubs. Silverman’s body has never been found.

Police say that a search of a car the Kimeses allegedly bought with a bad check turned up a ledger with the names of several people, three of whom are either missing or dead. One of the three was Kazdin.