By Erin Pearson
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
A Melbourne mother who put a dead man’s toes in a jar to sell them on the black market had a treasure trove of other “oddities” in her house.
Lilydale woman Joanna Kathlyn Kinman, 48, appeared in Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on Monday to plead guilty to a single charge of offensive conduct involving human remains.
The court heard Joanna Kinman was a member of Bone Buddies Australia, an online group for “skull and bone enthusiasts”.Credit: AAP
The court heard Kinman worked as a ranger at an animal shelter, where her job involved after-hours collection of stray and seized animals.
Leading Senior Constable Melissa Sambrooks said that on February 19 last year, two dogs that had partially consumed the toes after their owner died from natural causes were seized and taken for an assessment.
While at the facility where Kinman worked, the dogs became ill and vomited up the remains.
Sambrooks said shelter staff cleaned up the vomit and placed it and the remains, which included two human toes, in a general waste bin. When a distressed staff member left work early, Kinman remained behind to lock up, taking the opportunity to search the wheelie bins.
“She located two human toes and took them home and placed them in a jar containing formaldehyde,” Sambrooks said.
The following day, Kinman called her daughter and told her about the toes, saying she had researched selling them on the internet and believed she could get $400 for them.
When police arrived and asked if she had the remains, the court heard, Kinman pointed to a glass shelf behind her, where the toes were “suspended in a clear liquid”.
“The jar was positioned among other oddity items, including a guinea pig trotter, an alligator claw, a bird skull and baby teeth belonging to the accused’s children,” Sambrooks said.
The court heard further inquiries found Kinman was a member of Bone Buddies Australia, an online group for “skull and bone enthusiasts” to swap and sell specimens or share their finds with others.
Sambrooks said Kinman was an avid contributor to the site and used it to sell a wet specimen of a still-born kitten and puppy and a book titled the History of Punishment and Torture.
Kinman had also taken part in discussions about road kill and a television show focused on the trade of human remains, the police prosecutor said.
The mother of five made full admissions to police about the toes, telling them she was curious and was known to collect weird things.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Andrew Austin, from Yarra Ranges police, said the incident had left the deceased person’s family distraught.
The shelter and dog owner cannot be named for legal reasons. The recovered remains were sent to the coroner.
Defence lawyer Rainer Martini said his client had been subjected to online abuse since the incident was made public and had lost her job. Martini said it was spontaneous, unplanned behaviour with nothing to suggest Kinman would reoffend. He said she had expressed enormous regret over her actions.
Magistrate Andrew Sim said he was struggling to understand the offending.
“It’s just astounding that she would not have understood … that her conduct was criminal in nature,” he said. “That taking two toes that had been vomited up … would not be the wrong thing to do … there’s no real explanation.
“It’s just astonishing that she’s engaged in this behaviour, that’s put her liberty in jeopardy, to be blunt. Entirely odd behaviour.”
Kinman, who had faced up to two years’ jail, was convicted and placed on an 18-month community corrections order. She must also perform 150 hours of unpaid community work.
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