In a bizarre and grisly case that has captured global attention, a woman from Melbourne, Australia, has pleaded guilty to charges related to the possession and attempted sale of human remains.
The story, which unfolded in early 2025, began when a dog vomited up human toes, leading authorities to uncover a macabre collection hidden within the walls of her home. Here’s what we know from multiple news sources reporting on this unsettling incident.
Joanna Kathlyn Kinman, a 48-year-old mother of five from Lilydale, a suburb northeast of Melbourne, stood before the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on March 17, 2025, according to the Daily Star.
She pleaded guilty to one count of offensive conduct involving human remains after police discovered she had stashed two human toes in a jar of formaldehyde inside her home’s walls.
The toes, which she allegedly intended to sell for $400 on an online black market, were just the tip of the iceberg. Alongside them, authorities found a pig trotter, an alligator claw, a bird skull, and even baby teeth belonging to her own children.
The case came to light after a dog, brought to an animal shelter where Kinman once worked, regurgitated the toes.
The Daily Mail reports that the dog had belonged to a deceased owner, and its gruesome expulsion horrified shelter staff. One worker was so disturbed that she left for the day, while Kinman reportedly volunteered to cover her shift.
Seizing the opportunity, she retrieved the toes from a bin where they had been discarded, later telling police, “And it was a toe and I thought ‘cool, it’s a toe.’”
Kinman’s intentions went beyond mere possession. According to The Guardian, she was active in online communities, including a Facebook group called “Bone Buddies Australia,” where members discussed the buying, selling, and processing of animal and human remains.
The Daily Star notes that she had expressed interest in a television show about trading human body parts, hinting at a fascination that may have driven her actions.
Her plan to sell the toes for a hefty sum underscores the existence of a shadowy online trade in such items, a detail that has shocked authorities and the public alike.
During her court appearance, Kinman’s lawyer argued that she was already suffering significant punishment due to widespread media coverage, with her name “spat out to the world at large,” as reported by the Daily Mail.
The case has indeed garnered international interest, with outlets like the New York Post picking up the story and emphasizing its grotesque nature.
The hearing was paused to assess Kinman for a community order, suggesting that while her actions were illegal and disturbing, the court is considering alternatives to incarceration.
This incident raises questions about the regulation of human remains and the ethics of their trade.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Kinman claimed the toes originated from the animal shelter, but how they ended up in the dog’s stomach remains unclear.
Was the deceased owner involved in something sinister, or was this an isolated oddity? The case also highlights the psychological toll on those who stumbled into it—shelter staff were left reeling, and the community of Lilydale is grappling with the notoriety.
