Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Saunders, 31, was last seen in Heidrick, Ky on August 5, 2015. According to Kenny’s father, he hadn’t heard from him in nearly three months when he reached out to Kenny’s girlfriend, Marlene, she told him that Kenny had gone to Jacksonville, Fl for a job.
At the time of Kenny’s disappearance, he had a relationship and two children with a woman by the name of Marlene. I want to clarify because I have read a Topix thread regarding Kenny, where people seem to be confused; Marlene was his girlfriend and mother of his children but she was not his wife. He had previously been married but was estranged from his wife, Sunnie, but they still maintained a close friendship.
The last time Sunnie spoke with Kenny was in July 2015. He seemed stressed, but when she asked if he was okay, he simply said: “At this second no, but I will be…”
According to witnesses, the situation between Kenny, Marlene, and her family was quite volatile. He was beaten up, shot at, and threatened to be killed and never found. Marlene had even threatened to keep the children from seeing him. He refused to leave them, regardless of the threats that were made toward him.
Now, knowing of the threats, you would think that the police would be hot on the trail on this entire family…but I haven’t been able to locate anything that states that they have even really investigated them. I was, however, able to find out that neighboring residents hadn’t seen Kenny in over two years. They also never contacted the local police in the area of Florida where he was purportedly headed to for work. His family had to do that.
In 2015 there were several times that missing posters were put up around the Barbourville, Ky area, but someone tore them all down shortly after.
Since his disappearance, Marlene has moved to Florida. It doesn’t appear that she’s made any efforts in the search for Kenneth. She has been and remains to be, unwilling to help attempt to locate the man that is the father of her two children.
So…do you think a loving, doting, father of two that literally, from the sounds of it, endured hell to be with his children would suddenly just leave them, and vanish into nothing? Why haven’t local media outlets made any attempt to get his name and face in the headlines? Why aren’t the police being more aggressive with pushing for information about his disappearance?
Kenny’s family and friends have tried endlessly to get his story on the local news stations, but they seem to be ignoring everything. This seems like something a good journalist would want to get their hands on. But if they won’t tell his story, then others will…
There are always more questions than answers in situations like these. I don’t know if someone involved in Kenny’s disappearance is being protected by law enforcement, or if the detectives at the time that he went missing, were simply negligent.
Please, if you have any information, regardless of how inconsequential you may think it may be, contact the Knox County Sheriff’s Office at 606-546-3181.
In 7/2019 LE searched Marlene’s parents’ property based on several tips, but it seems nothing was found.
Finding Kenneth Facebook Page
The Mountain Advocate
NamUs
Kenneth Saunders Topix
Websleuths
01/26/2021 – no updates available
