#85 Michelle Knotek — "The House That Hurt People”

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🎙 Episode 85: “Michelle Knotek — The House That Hurt People”
Standalone Episode

Michelle Knotek didn’t kill with knives or rage.
She used manipulation, isolation, and slow, invisible cruelty.
She took in the vulnerable—friends, family, boarders—and offered them safety. What she delivered instead was psychological torture, starvation, humiliation… and, eventually, death.

In this episode, we walk through the haunted halls of her home, where kindness was a weapon, silence was a sentence, and escape was never an option.
From Kathy Loreno to Ronald Woodworth to her own nephew, Shane Watson—Michelle didn't just erase people… she made them feel like they erased themselves.

This is not a story about a violent explosion of rage.
This is the story of a woman who took her time.

📍 Location: Raymond, Washington
📅 Date of Crimes: 1991–2003
👥 Victims: Kathy Loreno, Ronald Woodworth, Shane Watson
⚖️ Conviction: Two counts of second-degree murder, one count of manslaughter, multiple counts of assault and criminal mistreatment
🔒 Sentence: 22 years in prison (released in 2022)

📚 Sources:
Washington State v. Michelle Knotek, court transcripts and plea documents
Testimony from Nikki Knotek
CBS News, The Seattle Times, The Daily Chronicle
Department of Corrections records
Forensic evidence and investigative reports
Recorded interviews with law enforcement and family members

🎧 Murderess Podcast is written and hosted by Sidney Smith.
🎙 In conjunction with Sidney Smith Cre8tiv, LLC, this is a You Hear Good Things production.
📅 New episodes released weekly.