Toe-Tally Disturbing: Aussie Mom Busted for Plot to Sell Human Toes Online

Selling toes for cash? That's a real low point. A mother of five narrowly avoided jail after admitting she took two human toes — regurgitated by dogs at an animal shelter — and planned to sell them online for $250. Her bizarre scheme unraveled when police found the digits preserved in a jar at her home.

A Terrifying Discovery

The bizarre chain of events began in February 2024 when two dogs were brought into a Melbourne animal shelter where Kinman worked as a ranger. The animals had been taken from their home after their owner died of natural causes. By the time authorities found the body, the pets had partially consumed it.

Shortly after arriving at the shelter, the dogs became ill — and vomited up what turned out to be the man's toes. Prosecutor Melissa Sambrooks said Kinman was not present at the moment of the incident, but "went searching for the toes in an outdoor trash bin," according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

She reportedly found two "clearly identifiable" human toes and took them home in a jar of formaldehyde. During a phone call to her daughter, Kinman allegedly said she planned to sell them online and had found she could earn around $400 AUD — roughly $250 USD.

A House of Horrors

When police received a tip and searched Kinman's home, they found the preserved toes alongside a collection of other morbid curiosities — including a guinea pig trotter, a bird skull, an alligator claw, and even her own children's teeth.

Officers also discovered Kinman was a member of a Facebook^® group called "Bone Buddies Australia," where members reportedly traded preserved specimens. She had previously sold "wet specimens" of a stillborn puppy and kitten, and owned a book titled "A History of Punishment and Torture."

"I thought, 'Cool, it's a toe,'" Kinman reportedly told investigators during her interview, 9News reported, adding she knew someone who collected "weird things."

A Slap on the Wrist?

Magistrate Andrew Sim called the case "astounding" and "entirely odd," according to the ABC. "You were dealing with body parts of a deceased person. 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."

Still, Sim ruled that Kinman would not serve time behind bars, issuing an 18-month community corrections order instead. "By the barest of possible margins you will not be going to jail today," he told her.

Kinman's defense attorney, Rainer Martini, said she was deeply regretful, had lost her job, and was being ostracized by her community. "It was a purely spur-of-the-moment decision and the consequences have been significantly negative to her," Martini said, according to the ABC.

Kinman made no comment outside the courthouse.

Toe the Line — Or Else

While the case sparked widespread disgust, legal experts say it may serve as a warning to others with similar "curiosities." As Magistrate Sim put it, there needs to be a clear message of deterrence. "It's astonishing — her behaviour," he said, according to 9News.

References: Mother of 5 Avoids Jail After Plotting to Sell Dead Man's Toes for $250 Online: Reports | Woman narrowly avoids jail after plotting to sell dead man's toes online | Woman planned to sell dead man's toes found in dog vomit, court hears