My Story and Biography Kenneth L. Mains is a United States Marine

My Story and Biography Kenneth L. Mains is a United States Marine

My Story and Biography
Kenneth L. Mains is a United States Marine Corps Veteran, Detective and Forensic Criminologist.
Detective Mains uses a unique and particular combination of forensic science, criminal investigation,
forensic psychology, victimology, crime reconstruction, crime scene assessment and criminal profiling
to solve cases.
After investigating several cold case homicides, Detective Mains realized that there was a need for more
professional organizations that were dedicated to solving cold cases. Detective Kenneth L. Mains
founded The American Investigative Society of Cold Cases (AISOCC) in 2013 to assist law enforcement
members and victims’ families in solving the plethora of unsolved cold cases.
Throughout his law enforcement career, Detective Mains has investigated a variety of criminal activity
to include illegal narcotics, financial, property and white collar crimes. He has been recognized by the
Pennsylvania Courts as an expert in the area of illegal narcotics. He has also investigated numerous
violent crimes including robberies, homicides, cold cases, equivocal death and missing persons.
Additionally, Detective Mains investigated public and political corruption and the intricacies of criminal
organizations such as the Blood and Crips' street gangs as well as the American Mafia or La Costa
Nostra; to include famed mafia boss Russell Bufalino and his connection to the disappearance of Jimmy
Hoffa.
His law enforcement career has consisted of working as a member of the Williamsport Bureau of Police,
Lycoming County Drug Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Lycoming County of
Pennsylvania’s District Attorney’s Office.
During his tour with the United States Marine Corps, he was assigned primarily with the Special
Operations Training Group (SOTG), II Marine Expeditionary. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree
(BS) in Criminal Justice from Lock Haven University and has taken Master Degree course work in
Forensic Criminology with an emphasis on Criminal Profiling.
Detective Mains also holds professional memberships in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences,
the Mid-Atlantic Cold Case Homicide Investigator's Association, the International Association of
Forensic Criminologists (formerly the Academy of Behavioral Profiling) and the Pennsylvania
Homicide Investigators Association. He has had professional training in Criminal Law, Criminal
Investigations, Forensic Criminology, Criminal Profiling, Medicolegal Death Investigation, Cold Case
Analysis for Law Enforcement, D.E.E.P Undercover Narcotics Investigations, Advanced Crime Scene
Investigations, Sex-Related Homicide Investigations, Practical Homicide Investigations, among others.
Detective Mains has been awarded a number of awards to include Police Officer of the Year by the
Williamsport Bureau of Police and the Gallantry Star for “Acts of Distinguished Bravery” by the
Williamsport Fraternal Order of Police. He is also a three time recipient of the Williamsport Bureau of
Police’s Officer of the Quarter Award.
Kenneth L. Mains grew up in a middle class home with his parents, older brother and younger sister.
The environment was a joyful and yet structured one. Neither parent drank alcohol or did drugs and by
all accounts, was very loving and doting parents. Mains’ father owned a very successful electronic repair
shop and his mother was a housewife. Mains loved and enjoyed sports growing up and was an avid
baseball, basketball, wrestler and football player. Mains was particularly close with his father growing
up and they would often be seen practicing baseball together and watching their favorite television
show, Unsolved Mysteries.
However, at age fifteen, things began to change. He still read his true crime books about Charles
Manson, Ted Bundy and Jeffrey MacDonald wishing he could investigate these crimes, but now Mains
would rather drink alcohol and party then play baseball or watch Americas Most Wanted with his family.
Mains instead grew his hair long, looked for fights and lived on the edge while partying all the time.
Mains’ father, a USMC and Vietnam veteran, did not approve of this change in his son. However, he
tried very hard to let Mains “live” his own life and make his own decisions. Although Mains tried very
hard to cling to his family and the sports that he loved so much, the party scene began to tear Mains
away from his family as it does to a lot of teenagers.
Mains 1992
At the age of seventeen, Mains was kicked out of his home after disagreements with his father. Mains
recently learned he was about to father a child with his girlfriend and this lead to tension between father
and son. Mains lived in his friend’s car for a week while still attending high school before he was able to
secure a small apartment. Mains only went to school for half of the day during his senior year in high
school and worked the other half at a restaurant washing dishes in order to support him and his son. This
precluded Mains from playing any organized sports and only lead to more drinking and partying. Mains
eventually graduated from Penns Valley High School in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania in 1992.
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Mains enlisted in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) when he was seventeen, immediately after
graduating High School. He wanted to be a Military Police Officer because he knew this would be a step
in the right direction to investigate unsolved murders and mysteries but he couldn’t do that until he was
nineteen years of age, per their regulations. Mains knew that if he waited two more years before
enlisting in the Marine Corps there was a potential he could get in trouble as a young “ruffian” who
liked to drink beer, listen to heavy metal music, drive fast and chase women.
So instead, he changed his MOS to administrative based on his father’s advice. Mains believed this was
because of his father’s experience as a Marine in Vietnam, a way to try to keep his son safe. He was
stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for his entire 4 years. The majority of the tour was with the
II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) Special Operations Training Group (SOTG). SOTG consisted
of a small, elite group of Marines who trained other units and made them Special Operations Capable
(SOC). Mains possessed a Secret Clearance Level and would gather and disseminate intelligence to his
commanders while handling administrative duties for the entire unit. He remained an expert marksman
throughout his enlistment. Mains excelled in the Marine Corps and was routinely sought out for complex
tasks and to assist high level commanders. Mains received letters of recommendations from Officers
including a high level Brigadier General who praised him for his work ethic, confidence, and
perseverance.
1992
In 1996, Mains returned home to Pennsylvania after being honorably discharged from the US Marines.
Mains immediately began to hang out with those same characters he had left in his wake four years ago.
The street fighting and party scene was back for Mains as he again donned long hair and earrings to
accompany him with his bottle of Yukon Jack. For a number of years, he worked small jobs such as
being a bartender, a bouncer and even worked with his father and brother in the family business. He was
living in a one bedroom, stone hunting cabin in the middle of the woods. He enjoyed nature, animals and
wanted to experience solitude while experiencing the excess of life through the masked veil of Jim
Morrison. However, Mains always knew he wanted to be a Detective and investigate unsolved cases,
this never changed since childhood and he knew he wouldn’t accomplish that living alone in the middle
of the woods partying with these people who were going nowhere in life.
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Mains finally realized that if he wanted to become a detective and investigate Cold Cases in Law
Enforcement, he had to go to college and further his education. In 2000, he put himself through college
at the Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, studying Criminal Justice. He routinely
made the Dean’s list for academic excellence while maintaining an above average GPA.
In 2003, while in his junior year of college, he took his first and only police exam. It was for the
Williamsport Bureau of Police in Williamsport, PA. He placed second out of approximately seventyfive applicants and was offered the job. Initially, he was hesitant because he had not finished college yet
(he had one more year left) and knew it would be hard to pick it up again if he did decide to leave. After
speaking about the situation with his father, whom he still maintained a close relationship with; he
decided to take the job as a Police Officer for the Williamsport Bureau of Police Department. His father
asked that he promise to finish his degree eventually.
Class President Speech 2003
At the Police Academy, Mains was elected Class President and was awarded a certificate for being
voted the “Best Leader” by his peers. After graduation, he started as a patrolman for the Williamsport
Bureau of Police from 2003-2005. Mains married his girlfriend he had been dating since 2003.
2005 Officer of the Quarter
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Mains had made many drug arrests while a patrol officer between 2003-2005, so it was only natural that
he work narcotics full-time. In 2006, he was hand-picked by the Chief of Police and Captains and
assigned to the Lycoming County Drug Task Force as an undercover officer. Mains grew his hair out
(Once again), past his shoulders, pierced both ears (Once again) and played the drug part by going to
bars every week and drinking to excess and making connections to the drug trade. This all came pretty
natural to Mains but was no doubt a risky endeavor both professionally and personally as there is a fine
line between good and evil.
Undercover 2007
Although this professional life was excelling, this lifestyle and drug assignment took its toll on Mains’
personal life. His wife left and divorced him in 2007. If that wasn’t enough bad news, Mains’ unit, the
Lycoming County Drug Task Force, was being investigated for possible corruption. Mains’ supervisors,
a Corporal and Lieutenant, were arrested and all the other police officers who were assigned to the unit,
were removed …except one.
Undercover 2008
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Mains was the only police officer who did not get arrested or removed from the unit, although no one
else had anything to hide either. His peers and superiors knew his integrity was above reproach and he
was asked to stay and somehow keep the unit running. Mains, with the help of a Lycoming County
Detective from the District Attorney’s Office took on the work of six investigators to keep the unit
running and continue to arrest drug dealers and make the community safe. Mains’ integrity was never
compromised or brought into question and he excelled in this new position.
2008 Officer of the Year
In 2008, he was approached by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). They asked if he was
interested in working for their “Safe Streets Task Force” as an undercover agent. He initially declined
the offer because he was content working where he was but then realized that working for the FBI was
something that he just couldn’t pass up and quickly reconsidered. It was during this time Mains
investigated public corruption and La Costra Nostra (American Mafia) activities within the United
States. In particular, Mains investigated famed Mafia boss, Russell Bufalino and his connection to
Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance. Mains also did a two year investigation of a US Congressman’s ties to
the American Mafia.
In 2011, Mains was approached by the Lycoming County PA District Attorney’s Office to work as a
County Detective. It was understood that his emphasis would be on Cold Cases and in particular, the
Gail Matthews Homicide (Gail and her five year old daughter were murdered in 1994). The District
Attorney was familiar with his work on the Dawn Miller missing person case and was impressed with
his dedication, perseverance and skill. Mains agreed to this assignment and has been there since.
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Mains did finish his college education in 2011 and got his Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal
Justice from Lock Haven University. He fulfilled his promise to his father in doing so. After that, he
decided to enroll in Forensic Criminology graduate courses, specifically Criminal Profiling, in order to
educate himself further on cold cases and investigations.
Mains also reunited with his wife in 2009 and added a daughter, Brooke Leeann, to their family in 2011.
He rarely leaves his farmette, his animals or his family. He stopped drinking alcohol in 2009, having an
occasional beer about once a year depending upon the occasion. “I came to the realization that every bad
decision I ever made in my life, I was under the influence of alcohol, so I just quit.” He now enjoys his
favorite beverage in excess every morning, afternoon and night…coffee.
“I truly believe that solving cold cases is my purpose on earth. I believe it is easy to be good at
something if you are passionate about it and have the skill set to accomplish the mission. Well, I have a
passion for unsolved cases and I have that skill set to solve them so that is what I do!”
“I’ve always said that if I could have one wish it wouldn’t be for world peace or money … It would be
to know the answer to every unsolved mystery in the universe. I have a natural curiosity for the
unknown and that is what drives me.”
“I am living proof that you can accomplish your goals if you maintain focus, inspiration and desire.
There will always be bumps in the road, however its how you navigate those bumps that allow you to
persevere and become successful in life.”
Respectfully –
Kenneth L. Mains
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