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Carmela Knight's murder case took a devastating turn when her husband David Knight and his acquaintance Graham MacDonald were arrested as the perpetrators behind plotting the gruesome murder. Carmela, 39, was assaulted and strangled to death in September 2014 by MacDonald. He later burned her body inside the garage of her Pebblestone Crescent home in Ontario, leaving no evidence behind.
After following the suspects for weeks, the cops went undercover in a sting operation called Mr. Big to get a confession out of the killer. A few months later, both the mastermind behind the plot and the hired killer were arrested by cops and were eventually convicted of first-degree murder, arson, and conspiracy to murder charges. The victim's brother-in-law, Matthew Knight, was also named as a suspect.
Authorities were able to secure a confession from MacDonald that made it crystal clear how the two men planned to commit murder. NBC Dateline will take a fresh look at the case, sharing new insights on the successful sting operation and the murder. The episode, titled Fire & Ice, airs on October 28, 2022, at 10 pm ET.
How did authorities extract a confession from Carmela Knight's killer Graham MacDonald?
Authorities kept tabs on David Knight and weeks after Carmela Knight's murder, they learned that he was planning to move to Florida and settle down with his sons there. They discovered that he was preparing to enroll his children in school and buy a home there. David was also attempting to collect a life insurance policy that was purchased in the victim's name.
Meanwhile, authorities also started closing down on Graham MacDonald, who they believed to be an accomplice in the case. Unbeknownst to him, MacDonald was the target of a Mr. Big Sting, an undercover police operation designed to obtain a confession regarding his role in Carmela Knight's murder. He made friends with an undercover police officer who moved into the same motel he was in.
The investigative model, developed in Canada, has undercover police officers engage with a suspect, become friendly with him, and recruit him to join a gang led by a crime boss, Mr. Big. Police acquire the target's confidence while gathering data about the crime. The target is given an ultimatum to either confess to the crime or risk being kicked out of the organization.
The undercover officer managed to persuade MacDonald to talk about the murder and his involvement, but they still had to acquire a full confession. In this case, Mr. Big, also known as Uncle Dan, informed the suspect that he knew a friend who was dying of cancer and was prepared to confess to the crime in exchange for money.
Graham MacDonald reportedly told the undercover officers,
"I had my bases covered. I thought I did an OK job. Obviously, it didn’t work out like a professional hit man, all nice and smooth."
MacDonald later provided certain information that only the murderer would know. He claimed that David Knight hired him for his wife's murder and had offered him $100,000 in cash as well as a position with his new Florida business. However, David failed to pay him the money given that he himself was penniless at the time.
MacDonald added,
"There was supposed to be funds involved that I never seen. I found out after the fact the guy was broke."
David Knight and Graham MacDonald were arrested in connection to Carmela Knight's murder in 2015
In February 2015, David Knight called Graham MacDonald, asking him to plan a meeting so that he could pay a portion of the sum that was initially offered. Authorities, who were were keeping a close eye on both suspects, were present at the time of the meeting. David gave Graham $5000 cash and a rosary which had Carmela Knight's DNA on it. They were both arrested not long after.
A few months later, evidence linking the victim's brother-in-law, Matthew Knight, to the killing surfaced. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to acting as an accessory to the murder.
Both MacDonald and Knight were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years after being found guilty of first-degree murder of Carmela Knight in their respective trials. MacDonald's trial ended in early 2018, while Knight's conviction was announced by a jury a year later. Additionally, both men were found guilty of conspiracy and arson.
NBC Dateline will discuss Carmela Knight's murder-for-hire case and the sting operation that helped bring the perpetrators to justice in the upcoming episode on Friday, October 28, at 10 pm ET.
