What did Carmela Knight's husband do and where is he now? Charges explored ahead of NBC Dateline

An upcoming episode of NBC Dateline is scheduled to revisit the tragic murder-for-hire case of Carmela Knight, whose charred body was found inside the garage of her Pebblestone Crescent, Ontario, home in September 2014. However, an autopsy revealed that she had visible signs of trauma on her body. The episode, titled Fire & Ice, airs this Friday, October 28, 2022, at 10 pm ET.

The ensuing investigation into the suspicious death revealed that her estranged husband, David Knight, plotted the incident to be with his Floridian girlfriend. He hired an acquaintance named Graham MacDonald to murder his wife. Moreover, the victim's brother-in-law, Matthew Knight, was also named as a suspect.

David and Graham were charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and arson. They were found guilty and are currently serving time in prison. Meanwhile, Matthew also pleaded guilty to acting as an accessory to the crime.

This article will discuss further details of Carmela Knight's case.

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Carmela Knight's burned body was found in the garage of their Pickering home

Carmela Knight, 39, was brutally murdered at her home in Pickering, which she shared with her husband, David Knight, on September 15, 2014. About five years later, her husband was found guilty of first-degree murder in February 2019.

It was alleged that in order to begin a new life with his lover in Florida, David reportedly hired a man to kill Carmela while the couple was on the verge of divorce. The victim learned about the accused's affair and was seeking a divorce, along with custody and support for their two young sons.

On the afternoon of September 15, 2014, while Carmela, a mother-of-two, was returning from work, Graham MacDonald, the hired killer, attacked her, beat her, and strangled her to death. Later, he poured gasoline all over the victim's body and lit the garage on fire to get rid of all evidence and signs of a murder.

Meanwhile, David Knight, the mastermind behind the plot, was preparing to leave Canada and relocate to Florida where his girlfriend lived. He was arranging to purchase a house in the US state and enroll his children in school just a few months after the fire. Additionally, he was attempting to acquire the paperwork necessary for him to claim the sizeable life insurance money in Carmela's name.

His attempts were ultimately foiled, in large part due to the work of police officers who kept a close eye on Knight and infiltrated the social circle of his accomplice, MacDonald. As a result, they were able to obtain a confession from MacDonald that made it crystal clear how the two men planned to commit murder.

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Where is Carmela Knight's husband and the convicted killer in the murder-for-hire case?

By February 2015, Carmela Knight's husband, David, and the hired killer in the case, Graham MacDonald, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and arson. A few months later, more evidence surfaced linking the brother-in-law, Matthew Knight, to the killing. About a year and a half later, in 2017, he pleaded guilty to acting as an accessory to the murder.

While David was due to stand trial, Graham was found guilty of first-degree murder in February 2018. About a year later, after a long and rigorous trial, the former was also convicted of all the charges. Although the current whereabouts of those involved in the killing of Carmela Knight remain unclear, it is likely that the two are still serving time in prison given their respective life sentences.

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Learn more about the brutal, murder-for-hire case of Carmela Knight on Friday's Dateline episode.