The Butcher Of Aberdeen: 5 Chilling Facts About Katherine Knight, Australia's Most Notorious Female Killer

The case of Katherine Knight remains one of the most disturbing and infamous chapters in Australian criminal history, a story so grotesque it continues to shock the public and true crime enthusiasts worldwide. As of December 14, 2025, Katherine Mary Knight, the former abattoir worker known as 'The Butcher of Aberdeen,' continues to serve her unprecedented sentence as the first woman in Australia to be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Her crime—the ritualistic slaying, skinning, and attempted serving of her partner, John Price—set a horrifying new benchmark for domestic violence and brutality in the nation. This article delves deep into the life, volatile relationships, and ultimate crime of Katherine Knight, exploring the background of the woman behind the monstrous act. We will examine the details of the murder that horrified a nation and look at her current status inside the correctional system, providing a fresh, detailed perspective on a case that is often revisited but rarely fully understood.

Biography and Volatile Relationships of Katherine Knight

Katherine Mary Knight was born on October 24, 1955, in Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia, alongside her twin sister. Her early life was marked by a turbulent and violent upbringing, a pattern that would tragically echo throughout her own adult relationships. This early exposure to violence is often cited by criminal profilers as a significant factor in her later psychological development.

Early Life and Career

• Full Name: Katherine Mary Knight
• Born: October 24, 1955
• Place of Birth: Tenterfield, New South Wales (NSW), Australia
• Known Aliases: The Butcher of Aberdeen, The Cannibal Killer
• Occupation: Abattoir worker (Slaughterwoman)
• Victim: John Charles Thomas Price
• Crime: Murder (Convicted 2001)
• Sentence: Life Imprisonment without Parole
• Current Status: Incarcerated at Silverwater Women's Correctional Centre, Sydney, NSW

Knight's professional life as an abattoir worker, where she was skilled in using knives and processing carcasses, later added a chilling context to her crime. Her personal life was a string of intensely volatile and abusive relationships, characterized by extreme jealousy and sudden, brutal violence.

A History of Domestic Violence

Her first marriage was to Patrick Knight, with whom she had two children. This relationship was short-lived and reportedly ended due to her violent temper. She later entered into a relationship with David Saunders, which produced her third child. During a fit of rage, Knight reportedly hit Saunders with a frying pan, causing him to lose several teeth.

Her third significant partner was John Chillingworth. The violence escalated further when she reportedly stabbed Chillingworth with a pair of scissors and later ran him over with a car after he had left her. This pattern of escalating, targeted violence against her partners was a clear precursor to the tragedy that would later unfold in the small town of Aberdeen, NSW.

The Gruesome Murder of John Price: A Timeline of Horror

The final, and most catastrophic, relationship was with John Charles Thomas Price, a 44-year-old fellow abattoir worker and father of three. Their relationship was intensely on-again, off-again, primarily due to Knight's extreme jealousy and violent outbursts. Price had reportedly sought an apprehended violence order (AVO) against Knight just weeks before the murder, indicating his fear for his safety.

The Final, Fatal Night

February 29, 2000: Price had told Knight that he was ending their relationship for good. He reportedly went to bed, locking his bedroom door. In the early hours of March 1, 2000, Knight, who had a spare key, entered his home in Aberdeen, NSW.

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March 1, 2000: What followed was an act of sustained, ritualistic brutality that shocked even seasoned police officers. Knight stabbed John Price at least 37 times with a butcher's knife and a smaller knife, inflicting fatal injuries.

The Post-Mortem Atrocities

After the murder, Knight proceeded to commit a series of unimaginable post-mortem acts, drawing upon her professional skills as a slaughterwoman:

• Skinning: She meticulously skinned Price's body, hanging his flayed skin from a meat hook on a door frame. This act earned her the moniker "The Butcher of Aberdeen."
• Decapitation and Preparation: Knight decapitated Price, boiled his head in a large pot, and cooked portions of his flesh with vegetables, intending to serve them to his children as a final, horrific meal.
• The Discovery: Police discovered the scene after Price failed to turn up for work. They found Knight unconscious from an apparent overdose, lying next to the grotesque remains.

The Sentence: Life Imprisonment Without Parole

The sheer depravity and calculated nature of the crime led to an unprecedented legal outcome in Australia.

The Trial and Conviction

In 2001, Katherine Knight was tried and convicted for the murder of John Price. The details presented to the court were so horrific that they dominated headlines across the country. The presiding judge, Justice James Wood, described the crime as "a crime of exceptional heinousness and depravity."

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The court determined that the murder was not just a crime of passion, but a planned, ritualistic act of revenge. Price's family submitted a powerful victim impact statement, emphasizing the profound and permanent trauma inflicted by Knight's actions.

The Unprecedented Sentence

Knight was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a sentence rarely handed down in Australia, and a historic first for a female offender. The sentence reflected the court’s judgment that she was an irredeemable danger to the community.

Knight has since launched multiple appeals against her "no-parole" sentence, arguing that it is excessive and should be overturned. In every instance, including appeals to the High Court of Australia, her requests have been denied, with the courts consistently upholding the original sentence.

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Katherine Knight’s Current Status (2025)

As of today, Katherine Knight remains incarcerated in the maximum-security wing of the Silverwater Women's Correctional Centre in western Sydney. She is reportedly one of the most closely guarded and isolated inmates in the Australian prison system.

Life Behind Bars

Inside Silverwater, Knight is known to other inmates by her chilling moniker. Despite the passage of over two decades since her conviction, her case continues to be a subject of intense scrutiny and media interest, featuring in numerous true crime documentaries, podcasts, and books, including *Beyond Bad: The Life and Crimes of Katherine Knight*.

The state of New South Wales maintains a firm position on her sentence. Her crime was deemed so monstrous, so far outside the bounds of human decency, that the 'never to be released' order is considered a permanent reflection of the community's need for protection from her. Her eligibility for parole remains zero, ensuring that she will likely spend the remainder of her life within the walls of the correctional facility.