The Gruesome Tale of "Australia's Hannibal Lecter": Katherine Knight
Katherine Knight, a deeply psychotic and troubled woman nearly killed two of her husbands before finally committing one of the most grotesque murders in Australia's history
Background
As with any small town, an unexpected scandal is a sure way to set the gossip train in motion. This was the case for the town of Aberdeen, Australia, in the mid-1950s.
A local woman by the name of Barbara Roughan, wife of Jack Roughan and mother of the couple’s four sons, was caught having an affair with Jack’s coworker, Ken Knight.
The community looked down upon Barbara for her adulterous ways, and when this pressure became too much to bear, she left town with her affair partner. Her four sons did not accompany their mother; two stayed with their father, and the youngest two were sent to Sydney to live with their aunt.
On October 24th, 1955, Ken and Barbara welcomed their first children: twin girls. The youngest of these was Katherine Mary Knight.