Latest news with #Sambrooks
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mother of 5 Avoids Jail After Plotting to Sell Dead Man's Toes for $250 Online: Reports
Joanna Kathlyn Kinman has avoided jail time after plotting to sell a dead man's toes online, according to multiple reports Kinman found the toes while working at an animal shelter in Melbourne, Australia, after two dogs vomited the human remains of their owner in February 2024 The mother of five was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order on Monday, March 17 An Australian woman has narrowly avoided jail after plotting to sell a dead man's toes on an online black market, a court has heard. On Monday, March 17, Joanna Kathlyn Kinman, 48, of Melbourne, Australia, pleaded guilty to offensive conduct involving human remains and was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order, according to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The mother of five had been working as a ranger at an animal shelter in Melbourne in February 2024 when two dogs vomited the toes and other remains, according to ABC, 9News and U.K. newspaper The Guardian. The dogs were taken to the shelter after their owner, whose name has not been revealed, died of natural causes, per The Guardian. According to ABC, prosecutor Melissa Sambrooks said the man had died for 'some time", and the pets ate parts of his body before he was found. The animals then "became ill and vomited up human remains" when they were taken to the shelter, Sambrooks said. Kinman collected the "clearly identifiable" human toes from the trash and took them home with her, per the outlet. 9News reported that Sambrooks said Kinman was not present when the dogs vomited but went searching for the toes in an outdoor trash bin. "She located two human toes and took them home and placed them in a jar containing formaldehyde," Sambrooks said. The outlet added that Kinman later told her daughter her plans to sell the toes and that she discovered she could earn around $254 ($400 Australian dollars). However, after a tip-off from an unknown source, police arrived at the woman's home, where she admitted to the plot and her possession of the remains. She also revealed that the toes were located in a jar alongside other items including a bird skull, guinea pig trotter, alligator claw and her children's teeth. Authorities went on to find that Kinman was part of a Facebook group called 'Bone Buddies Australia,' which is used to trade specimens online, per 9News. According to ABC, the court was told that Kinman was an "avid contributor" of the group and had previously sold "wet specimens" of a stillborn puppy and kitten. She also reportedly had a book called A History of Punishment and Torture. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. According to 9News, Kinman told police during an interview, "I know someone who collects weird things ... I thought 'cool' it's a toe.' While the deceased man's son is aware of Kinman's crime, he reportedly chose not to tell other relatives due to the news being too much for them to handle. Kinman's lawyer Rainer Martini said his client was regretful for her actions, adding that she had suffered from abuse following media coverage of the case, per the outlet. "She has regretted fulsomely ... not just for herself but for the impact on the family of the deceased," Martini said, per 9News. Addressing the defendant in court, Magistrate Andrew Sim said, "By the barest of possible margins you will not be going to jail today.' "You were dealing with body parts of a deceased person,' he continued. 'That person would have expected they would have been treated with dignity and respect by any person who came into contact with their remains. You failed to do that." PEOPLE has contacted Ringwood Magistrates' Court and Victoria Police for comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Australian animal shelter ranger admits trying to sell human toes
An Australian woman has pleaded guilty to offensive conduct involving human remains after she planned to sell on the black market human toes that she had recovered from dog vomit. The woman was a ranger at an animal shelter in the south-eastern state of Victoria when two dogs regurgitated the toes and other human remains in February 2024, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported on Monday. The dogs had been surrendered to the shelter after the death of their owner, who died of natural causes before his pets ate parts of his body, the agency said. Prosecutor Melissa Sambrooks said Joanna Kinman was not present when the dogs regurgitated the remains, but searched a bin looking for the digits. "She located two human toes and took them home and placed them in a jar containing formaldehyde," Sambrooks said, according to the AAP. She then discussed a plan to sell the toes online with her daughter. The woman reportedly believed she could get as much as $400 Australian ($253 US) for the remains. Police arrived at her home after a tip-off from an unknown source. Kinman admitted possessing the remains and intending to sell them online, showing police the jar, which was beside other oddities including an alligator claw, a bird skull, guinea pig trotter and her children's teeth, AAP reported. Police found Kinman was a member of the "Bone Buddies Australia" Facebook group, commonly used to buy, swap and sell specimens online. Kinman was an avid contributor to the site, Sambrooks said, and had previously sold "wet specimens" of a stillborn kitten and puppy. The dead man's relatives are unaware of the crime, with his son choosing to shield them from the investigation, AAP reported. Kinman, who is yet to be sentenced, faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
The Guardian
17-03-2025
- The Guardian
Woman who planned to sell human toes regurgitated by dogs pleads guilty in Melbourne court
A woman who planned to sell human toes on an online black market after dogs regurgitated them has pleaded guilty in a Melbourne court. Joanna Kathlyn Kinman was employed at a Victorian animal shelter as a ranger when two dogs vomited up the toes and other remains in February 2024. The dogs had been surrendered to the shelter after the death of their owner, whose name was suppressed. The man died of natural causes before his pets had eaten parts of his body. Kinman faced Ringwood magistrates court on Monday where she pleaded guilty to offensive conduct involving human remains. The 48-year-old was not required to speak during her appearance and was supported by her 17-year-old son. The police prosecutor Sen Const Melissa Sambrooks said Kinman was not present when the dogs regurgitated the remains, but searched a wheelie bin looking for the toes. 'She located two human toes and took them home and placed them in a jar containing formaldehyde,' Sambrooks said. Later, during a phone call with her daughter, Kinman discussed how she planned to sell the toes online and said research suggested she could get as much as $400. Police subsequently arrived at her Lilydale home after a tip-off from an unknown source. Kinman made full admissions to possessing the remains and intending to sell them online. She showed police where the jar with the toes was located, beside other oddities including an alligator claw, a bird skull, guinea pig trotter and her childrens' teeth. Police found the mother-of-five was a member of the 'Bone Buddies Australia' Facebook group, commonly used to buy, swap and sell specimens online. Sambrooks said Kinman was an avid contributor to the site and had previously sold 'wet specimens' of a stillborn kitten and puppy. It was not revealed where those remains were sourced. During her police interview, Kinman told officers she was curious about the toes and took them because 'I know someone who collects weird things ... I thought 'cool' it's a toe'. Many of the dead man's relatives were unaware of the crime, with his son choosing to shield them from the investigation, saying his family had already suffered enough, the court heard. Kinman's lawyer Rainer Martini told magistrate Andrew Sim his client had also been impacted by her 'spontaneous' crime. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion He said she lost her job and had her name spread online by a community which was 'unsurprisingly repulsed by her behaviour'. 'She has regretted fulsomely ... not just for herself but for the impact on the family of the deceased,' Martini said on Monday. The magistrate said it was 'hardly surprising' Kinman – who had studied psychology as well as animal science – lost her job over the 'entirely odd behaviour'. 'I find it remarkable that someone of the accused experience and education would not know it was an offence,' Sim said. 'It's astounding that she didn't understand taking two toes that had been vomited up by one or two dogs from a deceased person and sell them on the internet was the wrong thing to do. I'm still struggling to understand – it's astonishing – her behaviour.' Sim adjourned the hearing until Kinman could be assessed for a community corrections order. The maximum penalty for the charge was two years in prison, but both the prosecutor and Kinman's lawyer agreed she should be assessed for a corrections order. She was expected to be sentenced later on Monday. Kinman declined to comment to reporters outside court.
