Scott Lee Kimball, the infamous FBI informant turned serial killer, stands as a haunting figure in criminal history. This article delves into the dark and twisted life of Kimball, from his early criminal activities to his manipulative role as an informant, and the chilling murders that define his legacy. Brace yourself for a chilling journey through the life and crimes of Scott Lee Kimball.

Introduction

Scott Lee Kimball, a name that reverberates with deception and intrigue, has captured the public’s fascination due to his complex web of lies and manipulation. Once an FBI informant turned notorious serial killer, Kimball’s story blurs the boundaries between truth and fiction. With a criminal past that led him to become a valuable asset for law enforcement agencies, he exploited their trust for his own sinister purposes. In this in-depth article, we delve into the life and crimes of Scott Lee Kimball, unraveling the dark secrets that have left an indelible mark on the annals of criminal history.

Early Life and Criminal Beginnings

Scott Lee Kimball, born on September 21, 1966, in Boulder, Colorado, exhibited a troubling proclivity for deceit and criminality from a young age. As he transitioned into adulthood, Kimball engaged in a string of fraudulent activities, ranging from check forgery to identity theft. With an uncanny knack for manipulation and a charming demeanor, he honed his skills as a con artist, successfully executing elaborate scams that eventually drew the scrutiny of law enforcement agencies.

When he was 10 his mother, Barb, came out as a lesbian, leading to his parent’s divorce; his father, Virgil, left the state and remarried. Kimball was strongly affected by the divorce. In his early adolescence, he had his first encounter with law enforcement when police were called to the house after he fired a gun out the window at neighboring houses.

Kimball and his younger brother Brett took refuge at their grandmother’s mobile home. A neighbor of hers, Theodore Peyton, took advantage of their situation and began sexually abusing both of them at a cabin he owned in Nederland. Peyton’s abuse progressed from having Kimball touch him and photographing the boy naked to tying Kimball up and raping him, recording the episode on film. Peyton threatened to kill his father, who lived in Montana if he told anyone. Peyton continued abusing Kimball when he would return to Boulder on weekends after he had moved to Hamilton, Montana to attend high school and live with his father and brother.

The abuse ended when Kimball was 23 and shot himself in the head in a suicide attempt. The bullet glanced off his skull, but the wound, which left a visible scar on his forehead, was severe enough that he was in critical condition for several days. A cousin, Ed Coet, remarked that Kimball came out of the experience changed as if he had “lost his conscience”. Afterward, Kimball and several other boys whom Peyton had molested reported him to Boulder police. Peyton was arrested, convicted of seven counts of sexually assaulting a child, and imprisoned. Kimball continued to feel a deep sense of shame, “less of a man” for it, according to a former girlfriend.

Kimball wrote a letter to the judge, begging him to sentence Peyton to additional prison time, stating, “he has denied me my right to a normal, healthy innocent childhood. He has damaged my life forever.” When asked about the abuse and its effect on Kimball in 2010, Peyton said only “That was a long time ago”.

Later on, Kimball’s foray into criminal behavior commenced with check forgery, a deceptive practice that involved the creation and use of counterfeit checks to illicitly obtain funds. Exploiting the vulnerabilities in financial systems, he would pass off these fraudulent checks as legitimate, orchestrating schemes that allowed him to reap illicit gains. At the age of 22, he faced a conviction for passing fraudulent checks, marking his first felony offense in Montana. Upon returning to Colorado, he resorted to house burglaries. In addition, Montana charged him with operating an illegal hunting outfitting business. This initial venture into criminality served as a harbinger of the deceit and fraudulence that would pervade Kimball’s life.

In 1993, Kimball entered into a brief first marriage that ultimately ended in failure. However, in the same year, he married Larissa Hentz and relocated with her to Spokane, Washington. During their marriage, they had two sons before eventually divorcing in 1997. Hentz vividly remembers the frequent visits of process servers to their home due to Kimball’s involvement in scams within the logging industry. Those who partnered with him and fell victim to his deceit often resorted to legal means to recover their lost money. Hentz recalls Kimball always finding excuses, refusing to take responsibility for his actions. Shockingly, even her dentists and the bishops at her church were among the victims of Kimball’s fraudulent schemes.

Despite their divorce, Kimball and Hentz maintained a relationship for an additional two years. However, it came to an abrupt end when Hentz accused him of rape. Kimball claimed that Hentz made false accusations in an attempt to secure full custody of their sons. After Hentz failed a lie detector test, no charges were filed. Prosecutors deemed the case “complicated” as the couple had continued to engage in consensual sexual relations following the alleged incident.

In the following year, 2000, Kimball violated the terms of his probation for a previous fraud conviction, resulting in the revocation of his previously suspended sentence and his return to prison in Montana. A year later, he fled from a halfway house and committed theft by stealing a truck and the cash register from his employer, a gas station, where he was on work release. Disturbingly, shortly after these events, Kimball returned to Spokane and broke into Hentz’s house. He proceeded to kidnap her and subject her to rape once again. Hentz took immediate action by filing charges, leading to the issuance of an arrest warrant.

Little did anyone suspect at this stage that Kimball’s criminal exploits were merely a prelude to a far more sinister path he would soon embark upon. The alluring world of deception and fraud would soon give way to a chilling reign of terror as Scott Lee Kimball’s true nature as a serial killer began to emerge.

Informant Status

After fleeing to Alaska, Kimball resorted to assuming his brother’s identity and became engaged to another woman while continuing his fraudulent activities, particularly check fraud. His forgery skills allowed him to write forged checks worth $25,000. Once again, he was apprehended, arrested, and ultimately convicted. While serving his sentence in federal prison, Kimball managed to persuade FBI agents to recruit him as an informant, thereby avoiding trial for the charges in Spokane. The FBI denies any interference in this matter, with the agent responsible for handling Kimball in Alaska claiming ignorance of the Spokane charges.

During his incarceration, Kimball learned of a fellow inmate’s plan to orchestrate the murders of a federal judge, a prosecutor, and a witness involved in the inmate’s own fraud case. Kimball, recognizing an opportunity to assist law enforcement, shared this information with the FBI. Together with an undercover agent, they recorded conversations between the inmate and his girlfriend, who believed they were hiring hitmen. Consequently, the inmate and his girlfriend were arrested on multiple felony charges in March 2002.

Kimball continued to offer his assistance to the FBI by providing information on other cases. He claimed that another inmate had confessed to the murder of federal prosecutor Thomas Wales in his Seattle-area home the previous year. In light of Kimball’s safety concerns, he was transferred to a low-security federal prison in Littleton, Colorado, where he disclosed details of a fellow inmate’s alleged plot to kill witnesses in an important trial related to an ecstasy distribution ring. Carle Schlaff, the FBI’s liaison to the prison, saw potential in Kimball’s ability to infiltrate criminal circles and viewed him as a credible witness. Due to Kimball’s previous cooperation as an informant, his file did not contain records of the rape and kidnapping charges against him.

In March 2003, shortly after the disappearance of Jennifer Marcum, the first of Kimball’s four known victims, he pleaded guilty to the Alaska fraud charges in a Colorado federal court. The court agreed to seal the records to safeguard Kimball’s identity as an informant. The following day, the FBI flew him to Seattle for a monitored conversation with a man Kimball had identified as the killer of Thomas Wales. However, the conversation failed to provide the desired information, and Kimball’s credibility came under scrutiny. Despite this setback, Kimball passed a lie detector test when questioned about his involvement in the Wales case.

After Kimball returned from consulting prosecutors in Alaska regarding the Flowers case, Schlaff sensed unease in Kimball’s behavior. Upon checking Kimball’s online file, Schlaff discovered a new warrant from Spokane, although the charge was minor. Frustrated by doubts about Kimball’s reliability expressed by Seattle agents and prosecutors in the Ennis case, Schlaff decided to terminate Kimball’s role as an informant. Kimball was arrested by Denver police upon his return from Alaska, and it was revealed that the Spokane charge pertained to a probation violation related to his address reporting. Kimball then claimed to possess information about the disappearance of Jennifer Marcum, alleging that Ennis’s partner had murdered her and divulged the details to him.

While a DEA investigator remained skeptical of Kimball’s claims, he passed a subsequent lie-detector test. During his sentencing in December, prosecutors informed the judge that Kimball might still assist in solving the Marcum case and requested the lightest possible sentence. Kimball was fined $5,000 and ordered to pay restitution to a Wells Fargo bank branch in Cordova, Alaska, amounting to nearly $8,300. Judge Marcia Krieger sentenced him to three months in prison, taking into account the time he had already served. Kimball was also placed on probation for three years, effectively ending his formal role as an FBI informant, although voluntary cooperation with the bureau remained a possibility.

Judge Krieger, while adhering to the plea agreement and Federal Sentencing Guidelines, expressed reservations about Kimball’s evasiveness concerning his own finances, particularly the payments he received from the FBI. She perceived this as duplicity, stating that Kimball seemed willing to expose others but reluctant to take full responsibility for his own actions. Despite her reservations, Judge Krieger granted the downward departure from the guidelines, reducing Kimball’s sentence to time served.

This symbiotic relationship between Kimball and the FBI created a dangerous dynamic, blurring the lines between law enforcement and criminality. As the FBI relied on his insider knowledge to dismantle criminal organizations, Kimball skillfully played both sides of the coin, using his position to further his hidden agenda. While Kimball’s collaboration with the FBI may have initially seemed like a positive turn in his criminal narrative, it was ultimately a disconcerting manifestation of his insidious nature. The trust bestowed upon him by law enforcement would be shamelessly exploited as he continued to pursue his dark desires under the protective guise of an informant.

The enigmatic world of Scott Lee Kimball, informed by both his criminal past and his role as an informant, was a treacherous tapestry woven with deceit, manipulation, and the darkest of intentions. The intricate dance between law enforcement and the criminal mind would soon culminate in a series of chilling murders that would expose the true depths of Kimball’s malevolence.

Betrayal and Murder

After being released on a $10,000 bond in 2002, Kimball moved in with Barb and her partner. He sought financial gain by engaging in house flipping and establishing an organic beef distribution company. With a capital infusion of $65,000 from his mother and brother, Kimball embarked on a business venture that involved frequent travel throughout the state to purchase beef from ranches and cattle auctions. During this time, his ex-wife returned to Colorado, harboring a lingering fear of him but permitting him to have contact with their children. In addition to his personal ventures, Kimball received payment from the FBI, receiving the first installment of $50,000. The bureau also equipped him with a cell phone equipped with an earpiece for recording purposes.

Tragically, over the next two years, Kimball admitted to the murder of at least four individuals, three of which occurred while he was an officially recognized FBI informant. Among the victims were two girlfriends of inmates in Englewood, whom Kimball befriended after his release. Another victim was his own stepdaughter. Additionally, he was alleged to have attempted to harm his own son, although no charges were filed in relation to this incident due to legal complications. To this day, the body of his second victim, Jennifer Marcum, remains undiscovered.

LeAnn Emry

LeAnn Emry, a woman from Centennial, Colorado, also fell victim to Kimball’s deadly web. Kimball convinced LeAnn to accompany him on a supposed business trip, but her fate was sealed. He murdered her and concealed her remains in a remote area, leaving her friends and family devastated and searching for answers.

During one of their initial meetings, Kimball informed Schlaff about an inmate named Steve Holley, who was serving time for bank robbery and had a history of escape attempts. Kimball revealed that Holley was planning another prison break. Acting promptly, Schlaff alerted the prison authorities, resulting in Holley’s placement in solitary confinement. However, unbeknownst to Schlaff, Kimball himself had initiated the escape plan. Their scheme involved Kimball driving his truck to the prison wall, causing a diversion while Holley climbed a ladder thrown over the wall. Once free, they intended to flee to Mexico. As part of the plan, Kimball instructed Holley to establish contact with his girlfriend, LeAnn Emry, upon his release. Similarly, he instructed Emry to comply with Kimball’s directives.

Emry, a 24-year-old native of Idaho who had grown up in Colorado, had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder during her teenage years. Like had a brief marriage to a man who was incarcerated at the time, leading her to become involved with individuals associated with drugs and other criminal activities. Towards the end of 2002, around the same period Kimball was meeting with Jennifer Marcum, he reached out to Emry, involving her in scams related to the theft of credit card-related checks discarded by local post offices. With Holley unable to make or receive phone calls while in solitary confinement, Emry increasingly relied on Kimball, despite acknowledging his dangerous nature in an email to a cousin, stating that if one did not provoke him, he would be a loyal friend.

About a week after writing the email, on January 16, 2003, Emry returned to her parent’s residence in Centennial, Colorado, and packed her car, claiming she was going on a caving trip to Mexico—a hobby of hers. While her parents perceived this as a positive sign that she was moving forward with her life, she showed them a childhood photo where she appeared visibly uncomfortable, remarking that it represented how she currently felt. Soon after departing, Emry contacted her sister, informing her to remember that she loved her in case anything happened.

Contrary to her announced plans, Emry and Kimball spent the following week traveling through four different Western states, stealing checks amounting to $15,000. They frequently used Emry’s credit card for gas expenses and purchased a Toshiba laptop at Best Buy. On January 27, Emry called her parents, informing them that she would be extending her stay in Mexico. In reality, she had returned to Colorado. This would be the last communication they received from her.

Emry seemed to be in the Denver area, as she purchased and mailed a gift certificate to her sister from there on the same day. That evening, she checked into a hotel in Grand Junction, where a clerk recognized her from a photo. However, the clerk noted that her hair had been cut short and dyed dark, a departure from her long, blonde hair depicted in the picture.

From the hotel, Emry placed a call to a cousin, engaging in a two-hour conversation. She expressed concern that if Kimball (whom she referred to as “Hanable”) discovered their discussion, he would harm them both. However, she claimed to be relatively safe as she was with corrupt police officers, although she could not disclose her location. The call concluded with a reminder to her cousin to remember her love in case something happened. Two days later, on January 29, Emry checked out of the hotel.

According to Kimball’s later testimony, he drove with Emry to Bryson Canyon in Utah’s Book Cliffs. Once there, he proposed going hiking together. They ascended a wash that led to a dead-end box canyon, and from there, climbed a cliff face. Emry noticed a sudden change in Kimball’s demeanor, after which he instructed her to undress and kneel on the rocks. He then shot her in the head with a handgun she had purchased for him a few days prior during their crime spree.

The following day, Emry’s abandoned car was discovered near the town of Moab, approximately 40 miles away from Grand Junction. Unaware of any trouble, Emry’s parents only became concerned when Holley contacted them two weeks later, expressing his worry about not hearing from LeAnn. Howard Emry, LeAnn’s father, replied that he and his wife had not heard from her either and commenced their investigation. Holley mentioned an FBI agent who had been in contact with LeAnn, but when Howard contacted the agent, he denied any knowledge of Holley’s claims. The police showed little enthusiasm to pursue the case, citing LeAnn’s status as an adult capable of making her own decisions, compounded by her background, according to Howard Emry.

The Emrys traced their daughter’s whereabouts by examining her credit card records, which revealed that she had never traveled to Mexico as initially indicated. The cousin whom Emry had spoken to before vanishing shared LeAnn’s emails, in which she expressed repeated fear of Kimball (Holley declined to identify Kimball when asked, cautioning Howard that doing so would endanger the entire Emry family). When gasoline purchases made on LeAnn’s credit card in California emerged from the days after her departure from Grand Junction, Howard held onto the hope that she was still alive. However, upon scrutinizing the actual receipts, he realized that the signatures did not match hers. Despite this, the police remained reluctant to take decisive action on the case.

Jennifer Marcum

One of Kimball’s victims was Jennifer Marcum, a 25-year-old woman from Aurora, Colorado. After establishing a relationship with her, Kimball lured Jennifer to his apartment, where he strangled her to death. Her disappearance remained a mystery until the truth about Kimball’s actions came to light.

At an earlier meeting, Kimball informed Schlaff about his plan to personally eliminate the witnesses against Ennis after his release from prison. The next step involved introducing Kimball to Ennis’s partner through Jennifer Marcum, Ennis’s girlfriend, who would then provide him with the gun to carry out the killings.

Within two weeks of his release, Kimball made contact with Marcum, a 25-year-old woman who had recently moved to Denver from Illinois with her young son. Marcum, working as a stripper and living with her son’s father in Colorado Springs, was intrigued by Kimball’s offer to manage one of his coffee shops in Seattle. However, Schlaff prohibited Kimball from engaging in a sexual relationship with Marcum to avoid potential complications if they had to testify against Ennis or others involved in court.

Marcum informed Ennis about Kimball’s coffee shop proposal, and Ennis suggested she accept the offer and move to Seattle. After that conversation, Marcum disappeared, and no one except Kimball heard from her again. During a recorded dinner conversation, Marcum expressed disdain for one of the witnesses against Ennis but did not discuss any plans for violence. Kimball later claimed that Marcum had informed him she was traveling to New York to buy a revolver and kill Ennis’s partner, as they both had connections there.

After the dinner, Marcum moved her belongings to Kimball’s home in preparation for the supposed move to Seattle. However, both Marcum and Kimball’s cell phones showed no activity the following day, and Marcum’s green Saturn was found abandoned at the airport. Despite these suspicious circumstances, Kimball provided Schlaff with a lease agreement allegedly signed by Marcum, allowing him to use her furniture in exchange for payment.

Two months later, while driving with Schlaff to meet Ennis’s partner, Jason Price, Kimball mentioned that he had heard Marcum was dead. This surprised Schlaff, as he was unaware of any danger she might have faced. Kimball could not provide further details about her death when questioned.

Marcum’s parents grew concerned when she stopped returning their calls, and her abandoned car was discovered. In 2004, they learned about the furniture rental and contacted the police. The FBI alerted Schlaff about the search and provided him with Kimball’s contact information. Marcum’s father, Bob, met with Kimball, initially having a cordial conversation. However, Kimball’s demeanor became unsettling, and he claimed that Ennis had killed Marcum, showing Bob pictures of her body. Kimball even approached Marcum’s mother at her hotel, making disturbing offers related to her daughter’s case.

After these encounters, both Marcum’s parents were convinced that Kimball was responsible for their daughter’s death.

Kaysi McLeod

Kaysi McLeod, a 19-year-old woman from Lafayette, Colorado, was tragically ensnared in Kimball’s twisted game. Pretending to be her boyfriend, he manipulated her into meeting him. Once in his clutches, he mercilessly ended her life. The search for Kaysi became a harrowing ordeal for her loved ones as they confronted the chilling truth behind her disappearance.

In early January 2003, Lori McLeod met Kimball while playing poker at the Lodge Casino in Black Hawk. Kimball’s caring demeanor toward his mother, who had multiple sclerosis, impressed McLeod, and they developed a liking for each other. After exchanging phone numbers, Kimball portrayed himself as an FBI agent, even showing her a fake badge and a laptop with the bureau’s seal. They went on their first date on Valentine’s Day, shortly before Jennifer Marcum disappeared.

McLeod accepted Kimball’s explanation for his occasional secretive behavior, believing it was due to the confidentiality requirements of his supposed FBI work. He hinted that his involvement related to a potential murder case involving a young woman named Jennifer. However, McLeod’s primary concern revolved around her troubled 19-year-old daughter, Kaysi, who had a history of running away, credit card fraud charges, and methamphetamine addiction. At the time McLeod met Kimball, Kaysi seemed to be making progress, staying clean, living with her mother, making new friends, and working part-time at a nearby Subway.

Kimball attributed his June 2003 arrest as part of an elaborate scheme to maintain his FBI cover. McLeod, shaken by the revelation, believed him since he was released without apparent charges. In August, Kimball claimed he was going on a hunting trip.

During Kimball’s absence, Kaysi disappeared. After Kaysi missed a shift at Subway and couldn’t be reached on her cell phone, McLeod attempted to file a missing persons report but was told by the police that Kaysi, being an adult, could disappear as long as she didn’t break the law. When Kimball returned a few days later, he consoled McLeod by echoing the police’s reasoning, assuring her that Kaysi would eventually return home. He also promised to use his FBI connections to assist in locating Kaysi.

There were some indications supporting Kimball’s claim that Kaysi was still around. McLeod discovered one of Kaysi’s necklaces hanging on her doorknob, and the owner of their rented property informed her that Kaysi and her boyfriend had been seen driving by.

As McLeod continued her search for Kaysi, she encountered Kaysi’s boyfriend, who revealed that the last time he saw her was when she left with Kimball for work from the motel where they had been staying. Kimball had been covering their expenses. This led McLeod to suspect that Kimball might know Kaysi’s whereabouts and could be in contact with her.

Shortly after these events, Kimball proposed to McLeod, suggesting that marriage would help them move on from Kaysi’s disappearance and potentially aid in finding her. They got married at a drive-through wedding chapel in Las Vegas, with Kimball’s mother assisting them in taking out life insurance policies, with Kimball as the sole beneficiary. In September, they embarked on a honeymoon camping trip in the Kremmling area, not far from where Kaysi’s remains would be discovered years later.

Alleged Attempted Murder of Justin Kimbal

During the first year of their marriage, significant strain weighed upon their relationship. Kimball’s absences grew even more frequent, and when he was home, he exhibited emotional abuse towards his older son, Justin, who possessed a gentle personality. Kimball deemed this as feminine and would often mockingly refer to him as “Susie” to express his disapproval.

One evening in July 2004, Kimball and the boys were in the backyard digging holes. Suddenly, Cody, the younger son, rushed inside and alerted McLeod to call 911 as Justin appeared to be injured, possibly with a broken leg. Kimball entered, carrying Justin in his arms, mentioning something about his back. While McLeod dialed emergency services, she informed the dispatcher of a possible injury. However, before the call could be completed, Kimball swiftly put Justin in the car and drove away, causing McLeod to assume her husband was taking Justin to the nearest hospital and informing the dispatcher accordingly.

Upon arriving at the hospital, McLeod and Cody found Justin on a gurney, experiencing convulsions, nausea, and surrounded by blood. The nurse informed McLeod that the fall had caused a severe injury. McLeod explained that Justin had been injured at her house and she was unaware of any fall. The nurse clarified that when Justin arrived, his father had claimed that the boy fell out of the car. Kimball entered the hospital and added that Justin had also been struck on the head by a metal grate. According to Kimball’s account, Justin had intended to open the car window but mistakenly opened the door, resulting in him falling out of the car at a speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Kimball expressed doubts about Justin’s chances of survival.

After spending two weeks in an induced coma, Justin miraculously survived. When he regained the ability to speak, his first words were, “Why did Dad do this to me?” He recollected his father dropping the grate on him and then pushing him out of the car. The neurosurgeon treating him suggested that the injuries might have impacted his memory. Law enforcement initiated an investigation; however, due to the injuries occurring in different jurisdictions, it was unclear which agency should take the lead. Consequently, no charges were filed, much to the dismay of Justin’s mother.

Terry Kimball

In a shocking act of cold-blooded violence, Kimball targeted and murdered his uncle, Terry Kimball. After a heated argument, Scott Lee Kimball shot Terry multiple times, ending his life. This familial murder highlighted the depths of Kimball’s depravity and underscored the extent to which he was willing to go to protect his dark secrets.

Kimball’s uncle, Terry, traveled from Alabama to assist in taking care of Cody while Justin remained hospitalized. Lori harbored a strong dislike for Terry due to his regular drinking habits and tendency to walk around the house naked. Additionally, his obesity and social awkwardness added to her discomfort. Among his belongings transported in his tractor-trailer was a briefcase containing thousands of dollars in cash, which he had withdrawn from his savings account after a previous divorce. Terry occupied Kaysi’s room and began discussing a potential business venture with Scott at Faith Farms, another meat-related enterprise Scott had established the year before.

Back in Alabama, Terry’s wife, Karen Johnson, pleaded with him not to relocate to Colorado. Over the course of their 11-year marriage, they had established a comfortable routine, and she felt it was an inopportune time to disrupt their lives. She also remembered Terry’s previous attempt at partnering with his nephew in a logging venture in Washington, which had ended with Terry returning to Alabama following a prolonged argument with Scott. Johnson anticipated a similar outcome this time.

Lori didn’t have to endure Terry’s presence for long. One day, upon returning from work, she discovered that the furniture had been rearranged. Scott had taken a white leather couch with a visible stain and placed it outside. When Lori inquired about the stain, Scott explained that one of Terry’s dogs had vomited on it. However, she doubted that it was dog vomit and expressed her skepticism to her husband. Scott suggested that perhaps Terry had vomited on the couch himself and blamed the dogs. Nevertheless, the matter was inconsequential since Terry, after winning money in the Ohio state lottery, had allegedly met a stripper and decided to relocate to Mexico. Lori found it implausible that any woman could find Terry attractive, regardless of his financial situation, and she greatly appreciated his continued absence.

Shortly thereafter, Karen Johnson, frustrated by her lack of communication with her husband, initiated divorce proceedings in the hope that it would provoke a response. She contacted the Kimball residence around Labor Day weekend to inquire about Terry’s whereabouts. Lori relayed Scott’s account of Terry running off to Mexico. The divorce papers, sent to the Kimball household, were returned, and the divorce was finalized the following year.

In the weeks following Terry’s disappearance, his bank detected suspicious activity on his credit card, which was later traced back to Scott. Furthermore, Scott used his uncle’s name to purchase 21 head of cattle from a ranch in Brush for nearly $12,000 in November. The ranch reported the incident to the state Department of Agriculture after Kimball failed to make the payment. Terry’s bank also discovered that over a four-month period, more than $23,000 in fraudulent checks had been issued from his account. The bank reported the matter to the FBI, although it remains unknown what action, if any, the bureau took.

A year after Terry Kimball vanished, his brother Virgil, Scott’s father, received an email from an address associated with “terrykimball@yahoo.com.” In the message, Terry claimed to be enjoying his time in Mexico and expressed a reluctance to return. No further communication occurred thereafter.

Investigation and Revelations

As the number of missing persons connected to Kimball grew, law enforcement agencies became suspicious of his involvement. Authorities began to unravel the web of lies he had meticulously woven, leading to his arrest in 2002 on charges unrelated to the murder. Kimball was eventually convicted of fraud and sentenced to prison, but the true extent of his crimes was yet to be fully exposed.

By the end of 2005, Kimball’s marriage to McLeod had reached a point of deterioration. He spent more time away from home, displayed less interest in finding Kaysi, and made McLeod feel inadequate with his constant criticism. She suspected he was involved in an affair with a woman in California, where he frequently traveled. Throughout that summer, Kimball made two false allegations of domestic violence, leading to McLeod’s arrest on both occasions. McLeod claimed that these incidents were fabricated so that Kimball could move his waitress girlfriend into their house. Eventually, Kimball moved out and rented a small house in Lafayette. He convinced his girlfriend to purchase a gun for him since his felony conviction prevented him from legally acquiring one. He promised to teach her how to hunt with the rifle but never returned it to her.

In January 2006, an optometrist in Lafayette became concerned when he didn’t receive his bank statement. He visited the bank to inquire about his business’s money market account and discovered the significant activity of which he was unaware. Over the preceding three weeks, $83,000 had been deposited into the account, and $55,000 had been written in checks, with most of them made out to Kimball’s beef company, which shared an office with his mother’s insurance agency nearby. Bank security camera footage revealed Kimball making the deposits. Local police conducted an investigation but were unable to speak with Kimball as he had already left the state. Employees at Barb Kimball’s office informed Detective Gary Thatcher that they had seen some of the optometrist’s mail on Kimball’s desk. A search of Kimball’s office unveiled evidence that he had stolen the optometrist’s statements, which were stored in an insecure closet along with discarded sheets featuring forged signatures and counterfeit subpoenas targeting Lori McLeod. Kimball had also manipulated his mother’s notary stamp to falsify a lien release on a car he had severely damaged in an accident the previous month. When authorities searched Kimball’s sublet home, they discovered a trailer for which he had collected a $10,000 insurance payment after falsely reporting it as stolen.

Detective Thatcher approached Lori McLeod, who appeared anxious but agreed to accompany him to the police station for an interview. During the interview, McLeod called her husband on speakerphone, pretending to be at home in the bathroom while Thatcher listened in. She deceived Kimball by lying to the police. Kimball requested that she retrieve some of his work-related mail, and the call concluded.

After the conversation, Thatcher inquired about Kimball’s occupation to McLeod. She informed him that her estranged husband worked for the FBI, disclosing his display of a badge in the past and encounters with other FBI agents who would provide him envelopes filled with cash. Thatcher suspected that Kimball might be impersonating an agent as part of his elaborate schemes.

McLeod also informed Thatcher about her suspicions regarding Kaysi’s disappearance and her growing belief that Kimball was responsible. Following the interview, Thatcher contacted detectives in Louisville, near Boulder, to discuss the incident involving Justin. In March, he contacted the FBI to notify them of Kimball’s potential impersonation. His call connected him with Schlaff, who sarcastically expressed surprise at hearing news of his former informant’s involvement in additional check-related crimes but also mentioned Marcum’s disappearance. After Thatcher informed Schlaff about Kaysi McLeod’s disappearance after she was last seen with Kimball, they realized that in addition to being a con artist and forger, Kimball might also be a serial killer.

Thatcher and FBI Agent Jonny Grusing convened to build a case against Kimball, whose precise whereabouts remained unknown. They were in the process of preparing an arrest warrant for his numerous probation violations when they managed to speak with Brett Kimball. Brett revealed that his brother had given him several firearms, an illegal act. This information alone constituted an additional charge, prompting the immediate issuance of the arrest warrant by the FBI.

Through Lori McLeod, Grusing and Thatcher obtained Kimball’s new cell phone number. The FBI traced the number to a neighborhood in Riverside, California, where he had been residing with the girlfriend McLeod suspected he had in that area. The local police were alerted about the upcoming arrest operation. On the afternoon of March 14, Kimball departed in his pickup truck, accompanied by federal marshals in an unmarked vehicle.

With Nickelback’s “Rockstar” blaring from the stereo, Kimball accelerated and attempted to escape, closely pursued by the police. He contacted his girlfriend, who implored him to surrender, but he refused, claiming to possess knowledge that the police would kill to keep hidden. He led them south from Riverside, through the Coachella Valley towards the Salton Sea, eventually leaving the main roads near the small farming town of Mecca. After running out of gas in a field 260 miles (420 km) from the starting point of the chase, he briefly threatened suicide during a phone call with Schlaff before finally surrendering three hours after the pursuit began.

Kimball was transported back to Colorado briefly for his arraignment on charges there before being taken back to Montana to serve time for his previous abscondment from a halfway house. Additionally, he received an additional two-year prison sentence. In May, he returned to Colorado briefly to plead guilty to the weapons charge that led to his arrest, expressing his desire to break the cycle he was trapped in. He was sentenced to ten months in prison, followed by six months in another halfway house, to be served after his Montana sentence was completed.

Thatcher and Grusing saw these sentences as an opportunity to build a murder case against Kimball for the disappearances of McLeod and Marcum. However, when interviewed in Montana, Kimball denied any knowledge of their whereabouts. Kimball’s second wife, Hentz, reiterated her rape allegations against him and also suspected him of attempting to poison her. A former cellmate of Kimball’s from Montana, who later worked for his meat business, recalled a conversation in which Kimball asked about the traceability of “fake titties” and later asked him to take something from a body, which the man refused to do. This similarity to what Kimball claimed Ennis had told him struck the detectives.

Prosecutors in Boulder were preparing charges against Kimball for his recent scams and violations of previous suspended sentences and probation. Although Colorado law allowed for quadrupling the sentences for habitual criminals like Kimball, they were uncertain if they could secure the lengthy prison term they believed he deserved for the murders. Their breakthrough came when Lori McLeod, who had been evicted from the condo she shared with Kimball, discovered Kaysi’s handwritten schedule from her last week at work. McLeod began to suspect that the signs indicating Kaysi was alive had been orchestrated by Kimball.

McLeod contacted the police, and their searches uncovered further evidence linking Kimball to Kaysi’s disappearance, including her work hat and personal date book. They also found a receipt for food in a Colorado town dated the day after Kaysi was last seen, coinciding with a weekend when Kimball had told Schlaff he was scouting terrain for a hunting trip. Among Kimball’s belongings were documents related to a Yahoo! email account set up in his late uncle’s name and a laptop purchased by Emry during their crime spree. Disturbing materials, such as rape pornography, were found on the laptop and desktop. Clippings about the “BTK Killer” Dennis Rader, who tortured his victims, were also discovered. A photograph on the laptop depicting a smiling young woman raised suspicions of another potential victim.

During interviews, Kimball remained evasive, and the detectives could not reveal what they already knew. Kimball mentioned that Kaysi had died from a drug overdose, possibly on national forest land. In April 2007, while investigating a possible murder, Grusing mentioned the case to rangers in Routt National Forest, near Walden. They informed him that a hunter had recently discovered a human skull belonging to a young woman. DNA testing confirmed it was Kaysi McLeod’s remains.

With proof that one of the missing individuals seen with Kimball was dead, Grusing and Thatcher had some leverage. Prosecutors determined that Kimball’s recent forgeries and financial crimes warranted a 48-year sentence, taking his habitual offender status into account. They offered Kimball a deal: if he pled guilty to those charges and revealed the locations of the other bodies, he would face only one count of second-degree murder, with the sentence running concurrently with the fraud charges. Refusal meant facing separate charges for all the murders, potentially including the death penalty.

Kimball accepted the deal and led them to LeAnn Emry’s body in Utah. On the way back to Denver, he revealed the burial location of his uncle Terry in Vail Pass. However, he was uncertain about Jennifer Marcum’s body, claiming he had forgotten where he had hidden it. Investigators suspected he was withholding the location for future negotiations. As only two of the three remaining bodies had been found, the deal was off.

Before his October 2009 sentencing, Kimball caused disruption by circulating forged FBI summaries of interviews with people associated with him, suggesting immunity for Ennis and attributing the murders to imprisoned drug dealers whose business they had encroached upon. Kimball’s cousin pleaded guilty to all four murders and received a 70-year sentence. Kimball, in a statement read by his lawyer, blamed the FBI for pushing him into a criminal world without guidance or support. The FBI later confirmed that the summaries were forged by Kimball during his confinement.

Other Crimes

Following Kimball’s sentencing, prosecutors and investigators publicly expressed their belief that the four murders he confessed to were likely not his only victims. Boulder County DA Stan Garnett revealed that Kimball had bragged to others about killing “dozens” of people, and while his tendency to exaggerate made it difficult to verify those claims, there was a possibility of some truth to them. Assistant DA Katharina Booth, who prosecuted the case, acknowledged that the four victims were individuals on the fringes of society, making it less likely for their disappearances to be quickly noticed. Kaysi McLeod’s father also highlighted the significant period of time between Kimball’s initial arrest and his eventual capture, suggesting that he could have been involved in more crimes during that period. Detective Grusing further noted that the speed and proficiency with which Kimball carried out the murders he was convicted of indicated prior experience.

The FBI held strong suspicions that Kimball was responsible for two other murders. In September 2010, it was reported that the bureau was investigating him as a potential suspect in the murder and mutilation of Catrina Powell, a young woman with a troubled life, whose body was found in Westminster in October 2004, coinciding with the period when Kimball lived in the area under FBI supervision. Additionally, three months later, Kimball informed a cousin that he had been considered a suspect in the West Mesa murders in New Mexico, which occurred during the same timeframe when he resided in the Denver region. However, he denied any involvement in those cases.

Five years later, a former cellmate of Kimball’s at Sterling Correctional Facility in northeastern Colorado informed the FBI that Kimball and another inmate had approached him to plan an escape by helicopter and carry out the murder of two individuals outside the prison, including a former business associate targeted by Kimball. After the other inmate’s parole in 2017, he continued cooperating with the FBI to gather evidence against both Kimball and his accomplice. On the scheduled day of the escape in September, Kimball and the other inmate awaited the helicopter in the prison yard but were instead arrested. They faced charges of attempted escape and solicitation to commit murder. Eventually, the solicitation charge was dropped when the local district attorney involved in the case was indicted on drug charges. However, Kimball pleaded guilty to the attempted escape in 2020 and received a concurrent four-year sentence. He was transferred to the high-security Colorado State Penitentiary near Cañon City, where he was placed in a 20-hour lockdown.

Legacy and Aftermath

In subsequent years, investigators painstakingly pieced together Kimball’s dark history. The true magnitude of his crimes shocked the public and law enforcement alike. Kimball’s sinister acts led to the discovery of the remains of his victims in various locations across the American West. His actions also raised serious questions about the vetting process and oversight of informants within law enforcement agencies.

In 2008, Lori McLeod obtained an annulment of her marriage to Kimball. During his sentencing, she expressed her belief that Kaysi had forgiven her and, therefore, she was willing to forgive her daughter’s killer. Since then, Kimball has entered into another marriage, but his wife is also incarcerated in a Kansas prison for child abuse. Remarkably, they have never had the opportunity to meet in person.

Theodore Peyton, who had sexually abused a teenage Kimball, leading to a suicide attempt that left a permanent scar on his forehead and caused lasting negative effects, passed away in January 2017. Peyton’s body was discovered outside his cabin in Nederland. The cause of death was determined to be heart disease, with other chronic conditions contributing to his passing. Peyton had served five years of a seven-year sentence after Kimball and his other victims came forward, although he managed to evade registering as a sex offender until the late 2000s.

FBI Internal Investigation & Kimball in Prison

In response to the need to assign responsibility, the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) initiated an internal investigation. In 2012, during a hearing in Washington, D.C., Schlaff, the FBI agent in charge of handling Kimball, faced severe criticism for his actions. The OPR questioned why he had been unaware of the rape and kidnapping charges brought against Kimball by Hentz, as well as his involvement with rape pornography and prostitutes. Ennis, another key figure, informed investigators that he had never asked Kimball or Marcum to commit murder on his behalf. Schlaff explained that the bureau’s investigations of potential informants typically did not extend into those areas. The OPR found fault with Schlaff’s decision to continue using Kimball after the Seattle incident, and he was ultimately suspended for three weeks. The suspension was later reduced to two weeks on appeal, but it effectively marked the end of Schlaff’s FBI career. Prosecutors no longer wanted him to testify, and his superiors in the Denver office did not want him involved in any more criminal cases. In 2013, Schlaff left the bureau and pursued other careers, including taxidermy and private security. In 2020, he returned to law enforcement and joined the Fairplay police. Schlaff believes he was made a scapegoat for Kimball, particularly since two other agents had initially handled him but faced no disciplinary action.

Kimball’s value as an informant was limited, even in the one case where his information led to a conviction. The inmate Arnold Flowers, whom Kimball had claimed was plotting to have a witness, a prosecutor, and a judge killed, was found guilty only of witness tampering. The jury considered Flowers’ statement about everything being fine if the witness didn’t testify too ambiguous to support an attempted murder charge. In 2016, Flowers was sent back to prison after being convicted of wire fraud, and he remains incarcerated as of 2021.

In early 2011, Kimball wrote a detailed handwritten letter to his family, providing additional information about the deaths of his four victims. The letter differed slightly from his previous accounts, and a copy was also received by the FBI.

Kimball admitted responsibility for Emry’s death, which he had previously attributed to someone else. He now claimed that he had shot her twice when she attempted to escape. Regarding Marcum’s death, he had previously stated that he had facilitated someone else’s killing of her in a Utah canyon and had been present at the scene. However, he now confessed to preparing a fatal heroin “hot shot” for her. Kimball once again confessed to killing Terry Kimball. As Coet, who discussed the contents of the letter with the media, noted, although his cousin may not have been completely truthful, he had admitted to a greater role in the killings than before. Coet expressed hope that Kimball’s letter indicated a need for mental health care and suggested that Kimball may have experienced a religious awakening and was seeking redemption.

In a 2021 interview with The Atavist, Kimball provided two more varying explanations for the killings of Marcum, McLeod, and Emry. Initially, he claimed that the three women were blackmailing him or threatening to expose his criminal activities to the FBI. Later, he claimed that the murders were committed on behalf of a biker gang and implicated his uncle as a child molester. However, none of these claims could be substantiated.

During the same year, it was reported that Kimball had been transferred out of the Colorado prison system. Although the state’s Department of Corrections confirmed the transfer, they did not disclose the new location. Searching Kimball’s name on the department’s website yielded no results. However, a search on the Federal Bureau of Prisons website revealed that he had been moved to United States Penitentiary, Coleman, located in central Florida. No explanation was provided for the relocation.

Conclusion

Scott Lee Kimball’s story is a haunting reminder of the inherent dangers posed by those who manipulate trust for personal gain. From his early criminal exploits to his role as an informant turned serial killer, his life was a complex tapestry of deceit and violence. The legacy of his crimes serves as a sobering reminder of the need for increased vigilance in the recruitment and management of informants within law enforcement. Scott Lee Kimball will forever be remembered as a chilling embodiment of the blurred lines between good and evil, trust and betrayal.