CALGARY — For half a century, Diedra Glabus lived a quiet life in the small town of Taber, Alta., three hours southeast of Calgary. She was married, had a family, worked as a Realtor and died three years ago at the age of 81. It was only after her death, though, when her secret life and real name became public. Glabus was, in fact, a fugitive killer and prison escapee named Sharon Kinne, involved in cases spanning from Missouri to Mexico to Canada.
Kinne also went by Jeanette Pugliese and was known as La Pistolera in Mexico. Before her 25th birthday, she was charged with killing her Missouri husband, her boyfriend’s wife, and later, a man she’d picked up at a bar in Mexico. After her third killing, she was sentenced to 13 years in prison but managed to escape in 1969, disappearing from sight.
“I would love nothing more (than) to one day sit across the table from her, and I would like to pick her brain,” said Sgt. Dustin Love of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, speaking at a joint news conference with Kansas City Police. “It’s unfortunate we couldn’t catch her when she was alive. She was really good at what she did.”
Law enforcement received an anonymous tip about Kinne just last December, igniting interest after her passing. “I have already extended my apologies to both sides of the family for not being able to catch her during her life,” Love said. “It just so happens someone had the tip but was not willing to release it until after her death.”
The Alberta RCMP assisted the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Kansas City Police during their investigation. Cpl. Troy Savinkoff noted, “We helped coordinate, but they managed to identify her through their means without our assistance. She was able to stay very, very low key over all those years, starting anew with her life and relationships. It’s quite the story.”
Obituaries reveal the couple moved to Taber in 1973, where they owned a motel and established their Century 21 real estate agency. The mayor of Taber, Andrew Prokop, did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Kinne’s case holds the record for the longest outstanding murder arrest warrant in Kansas City’s history and remains one of the longest-running felony warrants across the United States.
After the revelations came to light, her family issued a statement expressing mixed feelings. “We would like to state how happy we are to see this chapter close,” they said. “Sharon was a woman who never faced consequences for her actions and left her children to deal with the aftermath. She caused great harm without thought or remorse. Hopefully, this closure will allow our family to heal from her traumatic legacy.”
According to Savinkoff, the tale is compelling enough to inspire literature. “It reads like a novel. Someone will publish something,” he added, highlighting the twisted notions of crime and identity.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on January 31, 2025.