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Pickering mother-of-two Carmela Knight was found burned inside the garage of the house she shared with her husband in September 2014.
Months later, her husband, David Knight, and another man were arrested in connection to the case. Authorities alleged that David orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot to get his wife out of the way to secure a future with his Floridian girlfriend.
Both men were eventually found guilty of first-degree murder, arson, and conspiracy to murder in the gruesome murder case. They were sentenced to life in prison after their respective trials, where they remain imprisoned to date.
On Friday, Dateline on NBC will delve into the case. It will throw light on the essential information surrounding the case and the Mr. Big Sting operation that helped authorities acquire confessions from the perpetrators. The episode, titled Fire & Ice, will air on October 28, 2022, at 10 pm ET.
Five crucial facts about Carmela Knight's 2014 murder-for-hire case
1) Autopsy revealed that Carmela Knight was beaten and strangled to death
The hired killer Graham MacDonald confessed that. he attacked Carmela Knight while she was returning from work on September 15, 2022. He reportedly beat her up before strangling her to death.
Later, he poured gasoline all over her body and lit her up in the house garage to get rid of the evidence that would have otherwise indicated towards a homicide.
Carmela's body was discovered by firefighters in the garage. An autopsy revealed that she died of blunt force trauma and strangulation prior to burning in the fire.
2) Carmela learned about David's affair with a Florida woman
Sources state that the victim found out about her husband, David Knight's affair with a woman from Florida. He had been making future plans with the woman, while seeking divorce from Carmela at the time of the murder. Carmela also wanted custody of their two young sons along with support.
David's girlfriend, Jill Hartman, claimed that she was unaware of his marital status. However, she said that she believed that he was a divorcee when they first met in St. Petersburg two years before the incident.
3) David Knight was planning on moving to Florida immediately after the murder
Carmela Knight's husband David intended to wrap up all the loose ends in Canada before relocating to Florida. He had plans of starting up his own construction business and spending time with his girlfriend in the warm weather of Florida.
Within a few months of Carmela's death, investigators found his plans to purchase a home in Florida and that he was organizing the enrollment of his children in a school in the state. David was also reportedly attempting to claim a hefty amount in the life insurance policy listed under Carmela's name.
4) The husband offered a hundred thousand dollars to the hitman
According to reports, David Knight offered Graham MacDonald, an acquiantance, $100,000 and an employment opportunity in Florida in exchange for him carrying out the murder. MacDonald later admitted as much to undercover police investigators.
He is currently incarcerated for life after being found guilty of first-degree murder in February 2018.
5) Carmela Knight's brother-in-law pleaded guilty to accessory to murder charges
Carmela's brother-in-law Matthew Knight claimed that he had his doubts about brother David and the killer Graham from the initial stages of the investigation. He also said that he once heard his brother plot Carmela's murder.
In 2017, Matthew pleaded guilty to accessory to murder charges on the grounds that after the murder, he helped the killer, assisting him with money and other resources.
In David Knight's 2019 trial, Matthew contradicted his own claims. He stated that he was unaware of his brother's murder conspiracy before it occurred and had no involvement in it. He asserted that he only made the statement to enter a plea deal and settle the charges filed against him.
NBC Dateline episode on Carmela Knight's death airs on Friday, October 28, 2022,
