On August 8, 2003, Shelly Knotek and her husband David were apprehended at their residence in Raymond, Washington. The couple was suspected of carrying out a series of brutal murders spanning nearly a decade, and it was their own daughters who had reported them to the authorities.

After a quick investigation, law enforcement officials discovered that while Shelly had a well-documented history of violent and abusive behavior, David's past was relatively less ominous. However, he did admit to killing Shelly's 17-year-old nephew, Shane Watson, but only after Shelly had given him instructions to do so.

Upon the arrest of both individuals, the couple's daughters primarily placed the blame on their mother, holding her accountable for the heinous crimes committed. They viewed David as a feeble man who was unable to stand up for himself against Shelly's dominant and controlling behavior.

The Love Between David And Shelly

In April 1982, David Knotek was struck by Shelly's beauty, considering her to be the most stunning woman he had ever encountered. At that time, Shelly was a young, twice-divorced mother of two daughters, Sami and Nikki. David had previously served in the Navy and was working in the construction industry.

The Knoteks tied the knot in 1987 and had a child two years following their marriage. They projected an image of a conventional and happy family to the world.

Nonetheless, Shelly's verbal and physical abuse towards David started not long after their wedding, and David was powerless to stop her. According to one of their daughters, "I love him, but Dave is a very feeble man. That's why my mother was able to dominate him."

Unfortunately, David was not the sole family member who suffered from abuse by Shelly. In truth, Shelly's daughters bore the brunt of the abuse, but the guests invited to the Knoteks' home were subjected to the most severe mistreatment.

Shane Watson, Shelly's 13-year-old nephew, came to live with David and Shelly in 1988, shortly before the birth of their daughter Tori. Shane's mother struggled with substance abuse, while his father was frequently incarcerated.

But very quickly Shane realized he had reached a different type of hell.

Shelly Knotek began disciplining Shane in a similar manner to her treatment of her own daughters, using a punishment called "wallowing." This involved making the children lie in the dirt at night while being doused with cold water. The customary approach was to have the girls wallow while being confined to either a dog crate or a chicken box.
She made Knotek's younger daughter, Nikki, a teenager, dance naked with Shane and made the girls chop off tufts of their pubic hair to humiliate them.

And to keep her family in check, Shelly Knotek would flick the switch after every brutal, cruel deed and offer them unrelenting love.

The Knoteks extended their hospitality to Kathy Loreno, a family acquaintance who had lost her job in the same year that Shane came to live with his aunt and uncle. However, Shelly also subjected Loreno to mistreatment.

Initially, Shelly showered her longtime friend with affection and attention, but it didn't take long for her to also subject Loreno to humiliation, drugging her with tranquilizers and depriving her of food.

Shelly found pleasure in causing harm to others, leading to her becoming arrogant. Although she displayed all the traits of a psychopath, she has never been officially diagnosed as one.

First Murder In The Family

After living with the Knoteks for six years, Loreno had lost 100 pounds, spent most of her time working in the nude, and slept in the basement close to the boiler.

David Knotek participated in the torture of Loreno, assisting in duct-taping her limbs and pouring bleach on her open sores.

In 1994, according to David Knotek, Loreno allegedly died from choking on her vomit after enduring years of abuse. However, to avoid drawing suspicion to themselves, he and Shelly did not seek medical help for her or report her death. Instead, they burned Loreno's body in their backyard and scattered her ashes in the Pacific Ocean.

Shelly Knotek warned her family, "If anyone discovers the truth about Kathy's fate, we will all be arrested." However, in February 1995, Shane approached Nikki with several Polaroid photographs of Kathy that he had taken over time. The disturbing images showed Kathy covered in bruises and sores. Shane also revealed his plan to turn over the photos to the authorities.

Young and terrified, Nikki informed her mother of Shane's scheme.

Shelly convinced David Knotek to shoot the teenager in their backyard, and once again, they burned the body and scattered the ashes.

Daughters Report Parents to the Authorities

By 1999, Sami and Nikki had become young adults and moved out of the house, leaving Tori Knotek, the youngest child of David and Shelly Knotek, as the sole remaining resident at home. At this time, Ron Woodworth, a 57-year-old veteran who identified as gay and struggled with drug abuse, arrived on the scene.

David Knotek was working on a contract project 160 kilometers away from home. When Ron Woodworth first arrived, he was welcomed warmly like their other guests, but soon Shelly began to mistreat him. 
She subjected Woodworth to humiliating acts, such as drinking his own urine and prohibiting him from using the bathroom inside the house. On one occasion, she even forced him to jump from the roof of their two-story home.

According to Tori, the smell was reminiscent of bleach and decaying flesh, as though it were causing his skin to burn off. This pungent odor was the result of the boiling water and bleach that Shelly used to "treat" Woodworth's wounds. He continued to emit this offensive odor for an entire month.

In August 2003, Woodworth succumbed to his injuries and passed away. Shelly kept his body in a freezer for four days until David returned home to deal with the situation. During that same week, Sami, Nikki, and Tori were at Nikki's house in Seattle, where they made the decision to report their parents to the authorities.

In the end, David Knotek faced one charge of first-degree murder in relation to the deaths of Shane and Kathy, while Shelly was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Ron and Kathy.

All of the accused individuals agreed to plea bargains that resulted in reduced sentences, except for Shelly. Instead, she opted for a rare Alford plea, which enabled her to maintain her innocence while admitting guilt. By taking this route, Shelly avoided a trial by jury that could have fully exposed the extent of her criminal actions.

22 years in prison were imposed on her. David Knotek was given a 15-year term.

He was granted parole in 2016 after spending 13 years in prison.

Shelly demonstrated excellent behavior during her time in prison and was on the brink of an early release. However, her parole request in June 2022 was denied, and her sentence is now scheduled to end in 2025.