Knight boiled John’s head on stove with vegetables and gravy (Image: undefined)
One of the most horrifying chapters in Australia’s criminal history unfolded just over a quarter of a century ago when slaughterhouse worker Katherine Knight butchered her partner John Price and tried to serve his remains as dinner to his children. She earned the chilling moniker of Australia’s “female Hannibal Lector”, a reference to the notorious character from Silence of the Lambs.
The gruesome scene was discovered by police in March 2000, after Price failed to show up for work. Officers intervened before Knight could serve the macabre meal.
Two plates bearing the names of Price’s children were found, each containing slices of Price’s rump accompanied by vegetables. The children were thankfully not present when New South Wales police arrived at the Aberdeen home, situated in the Upper Hunter Region of the state, sparing them further distress.
The small community was reportedly not only shocked by the sadistic nature of the crime but also by the identity of the perpetrator. On the surface, Knight seemed like an ordinary, average-looking mother and wife, but she embodied the phrase ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’.
Her deceptive appearance made her particularly dangerous and led many to underestimate her, reports the Mirror US.
CAPTION: Remembering Katherine Mary Knight, Australia’s ‘female Hannibal Lecter’, 20 years on.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-29/katherine-mary-knights-john-price-murder-remembered-20-years-on/12006996https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdd1uvku8pk (Image: NSW Police)
Sergeant Robert Wells recalled that the scene he encountered on the morning of March 1, 2000, will forever be imprinted in his memory, as he entered the property following reports of Price’s disappearance.
He told News.com.au: “By the time I got to the scene, Katherine was leaving in an ambulance. She had taken some pills. Not enough to kill her, but they made her sleepy. I walked inside and saw the human skin pelt hanging up, completely in tact in one piece. John Price’s decapitated and skinned body was lying on the floor in the loungeroom.
“We found his head, it had been boiled and cooked in a pot on the stove. There were a number of slices of rump, taken off his human rump, baked in the oven with some vegetables and put on plates. In all my years on the force, I’ve never once been called to a scene where a woman was violently beating up on a man. Most of the time, from my experience, it is men being violent towards their female partners. Katherine Knight was a very unique case.”
The mother-of-four had experienced a traumatic childhood growing up in a rural area – Knight was born in Tenterfield in October 1955, half an hour after her twin sister Joy. Her home life was severely troubled, including allegations of domestic violence, excessive drinking, and sex abuse.
Katherine Knight and John Price (Image: No credit)
Knight had claimed she suffered sex abuse by various men from a young age, but maintained her own father was not involved. At school, she was known for her Jekyll and Hyde character.
Classmates have recalled incidents where she acted as a bully, flying into what some described as a “murderous rage” when things didn’t go her way. However, some also noted that Knight could be attentive to her studies and even received accolades recognising her good conduct.
By the tender age of 16, Knight landed herself the “dream job” at an abattoir, feeding into her unhealthy obsession with knives. Before long, she was promoted and awarded her very own set of butcher knives, which she ominously displayed above her bed in every home, “in case she needed them”.
Knight’s tendency for appalling acts was most evident within her intimate relationships, combining elements of sadistic violence with jaw-dropping vindictiveness. Her marriage to David Kellet in 1976 quickly turned sour after she allegedly attempted to strangle him on their wedding night – his offence being dozing off after they’d had intercourse three times.
In one chilling episode, Knight is said to have destroyed all her husband’s clothes and footwear and struck him with a frying pan, infuriated by his lateness returning from a darts competition finale. Despite eventually leaving Kellett, Knight’s violent streak doggedly persisted, casting a dark shadow over her subsequent liaison with a man named David Saunders.
In a chilling precursor to later events, it’s alleged that in 1987, she gruesomely cut the throat of his two-month-old puppy right before Saunders’ eyes, as a twisted warning against infidelity. On another occasion, Knight reportedly struck Saunders with an iron and then proceeded to stab him in the stomach with scissors.
These harrowing acts of violence were merely the beginning of a dark path leading to murder. John Price, affectionately known as “Pricey” was well-regarded as a “top bloke” who was always ready to lend a hand to neighbours.
Initially, Knight appeared to treat her new partner well, and the couple shared what seemed like a passionate and loving relationship. However, this blissful phase was fleeting.
The house where the crime was committed (Image: ABC News)
Luke Taylor, a former detective who has since turned academic, spoke to News.com.au about the case: “She is the embodiment of Basic Instinct fame. Maternal instincts and stereotyped femininity at loggerheads with a violent, ‘maleness’ that was born from an abusive childhood.”
He continued, “What scares and interests so many Australians was reconciling so many male attributes to a female; abusive, domineering, abattoir worker, knife expert, outspoken. There were so many warning signs yet none were heeded.”
During the interrogation, police observed that Knight did not accept any responsibility for Price’s death, instead launching into a tirade about her history of abuse at the hands of men. Her past violent behaviour in relationships, often targeting smaller men, counted against her in court.
Katherine Knight made Australian legal history by becoming the first woman to receive a life sentence without parole. NSW Supreme Court Justice Barry O’Keefe handed down the sentence on 8 November 2001, stating that Knight “did not qualify for mercy” due to her “cruel, vicious behaviour.”
Katherine Mary Knight was dubbed Australia’s ‘female Hannibal Lecter’ for her gruesome murder (Image: MirrorUS)
Justice Barry O’Keefe declared: “She showed him no mercy. She has not expressed any contrition or remorse. If released, she poses a serious threat to the security of society. I’m satisfied beyond any doubt that such a murder was premeditated. I’m further satisfied in the same way that not only did she plan the murder, but she also enjoyed the horrific acts which followed in its wake as part of a ritual of death and defilement.
“I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that her evil actions were playing out of her resentments arising out of her rejection by Mr Price – her impending expulsion from Mr Price’s home which he wanted to retain for his children. The last minutes of his life must have been a time of abject terror for him, as they were a time of utter enjoyment for her.”
Knight, who is 69-years-old, is currently serving her life sentence at Silverwater Prison, a women’s correctional facility situated roughly 20km from the heart of Sydney.