Mother of 5 Avoids Jail After Plotting to Sell Dead Man's Toes for $250 Online: Reports

• Joanna Kathlyn Kinman has avoided jail time after plotting to sell a dead man’s toes online, according to multiple reports
• Kinman found the toes while working at an animal shelter in Melbourne, Australia, after two dogs vomited the human remains of their owner in February 2024
• The mother of five was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order on Monday, March 17

An Australian woman has narrowly avoided jail after plotting to sell a dead man’s toes on an online black market, a court has heard.

On Monday, March 17, Joanna Kathlyn Kinman, 48, of Melbourne, Australia, pleaded guilty to offensive conduct involving human remains and was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order, according to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

The mother of five had been working as a ranger at an animal shelter in Melbourne in February 2024 when two dogs vomited the toes and other remains, according to ABC, 9News and U.K. newspaper The Guardian.

The dogs were taken to the shelter after their owner, whose name has not been revealed, died of natural causes, per The Guardian. According to ABC, prosecutor Melissa Sambrooks said the man had died for “some time”, and the pets ate parts of his body before he was found.

The animals then “became ill and vomited up human remains” when they were taken to the shelter, Sambrooks said.

Kinman collected the “clearly identifiable” human toes from the trash and took them home with her, per the outlet.

9News reported that Sambrooks said Kinman was not present when the dogs vomited but went searching for the toes in an outdoor trash bin.

“She located two human toes and took them home and placed them in a jar containing formaldehyde,” Sambrooks said.

The outlet added that Kinman later told her daughter her plans to sell the toes and that she discovered she could earn around $254 ($400 Australian dollars). 

However, after a tip-off from an unknown source, police arrived at the woman’s home, where she admitted to the plot and her possession of the remains.

She also revealed that the toes were located in a jar alongside other items including a bird skull, guinea pig trotter, alligator claw and her children’s teeth.

Authorities went on to find that Kinman was part of a Facebook group called ‘Bone Buddies Australia,’ which is used to trade specimens online, per 9News.

According to ABC, the court was told that Kinman was an “avid contributor” of the group and had previously sold “wet specimens” of a stillborn puppy and kitten.

She also reportedly had a book called A History of Punishment and Torture.

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According to 9News, Kinman told police during an interview, “I know someone who collects weird things … I thought ‘cool’ it’s a toe.”

While the deceased man’s son is aware of Kinman’s crime, he reportedly chose not to tell other relatives due to the news being too much for them to handle.

Kinman’s lawyer Rainer Martini said his client was regretful for her actions, adding that she had suffered from abuse following media coverage of the case, per the outlet.

“She has regretted fulsomely … not just for herself but for the impact on the family of the deceased,” Martini said, per 9News.

Addressing the defendant in court, Magistrate Andrew Sim said, “By the barest of possible margins you will not be going to jail today.”

“You were dealing with body parts of a deceased person,” he continued. “That person would have expected they would have been treated with dignity and respect by any person who came into contact with their remains. You failed to do that.”

PEOPLE has contacted Ringwood Magistrates’ Court and Victoria Police for comment.