Michelle Knotek was born on April 15, 1954, in Raymond, Washington. She grew up in a small town where she faced various challenges in her family life. There is limited information about her parents and childhood. However, it is known that she had a troubled upbringing, which may have influenced her later actions.

As a teenager, Michelle struggled with her identity and her relationships with others. She eventually left her home in search of independence. During her youth, she made choices that led her to connect with various people, including those who would later become part of her adult life.

In her early twenties, Michelle became a mother. She had three children, but the details about her parenting and family dynamics are not well documented. Over time, she experienced ups and downs in her life, which affected her personal relationships.

In the early 1990s, Michelle met David Knotek. They married and began a life together in Raymond. This period marked a significant change in her life, as she developed friendships with people around her. Many of these individuals would later come to live in her home.

The horrors committed by Michelle Knotek and her husband David Knotek came to light in 2003, when the couple’s then-latest boarder, Ronald Woodworth, was reported missing. Woodworth had moved in with the Knoteks around 2001 and was subjected to extreme abuse under the guise of “discipline” and “rehabilitation.” Witnesses reported seeing Woodworth forced to perform outdoor labor in his underwear, jump from rooftops onto gravel, and suffer untreated injuries. Michelle allegedly poured boiling water and bleach on his wounds. He was eventually murdered in 2003, and David Knotek buried his body on the property, claiming Michelle told him that Woodworth had died by suicide.

When police began investigating Woodworth's disappearance, they uncovered evidence implicating the Knoteks in not only his death, but also in the earlier disappearances of Kathy Loreno and Shane Watson. Loreno had vanished in 1994, three years after she moved into the Knotek household. According to David Knotek, she died after choking on her own vomit following beatings, and he disposed of her body by burning it. Michelle had falsely claimed for years that Loreno had run off with a truck driver.

Shane Watson, Michelle’s 19-year-old nephew, had been living with them since 1988, but also went missing in 1994, shortly after Loreno’s death. David later admitted to shooting Shane with a .22 rifle, allegedly because Michelle was furious that Shane had photographed the abuse of Loreno. David stated that he burned both Shane and Kathy’s bodies and scattered their ashes at the beach.

The final count of known victims included three individuals, each manipulated and brutalized within the Knoteks’ home. While David Knotek committed the physical killings in two of the three cases, he did so under the psychological dominance and instigation of Michelle. Prosecutors described Michelle’s behavior as showing an “extreme indifference to human life,” characterized by prolonged, sadistic abuse and deception.

In 2004, both Michelle and David Knotek accepted plea agreements to avoid trial. Michelle entered an Alford plea, acknowledging that there was sufficient evidence for a conviction but not admitting guilt. She was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter, receiving a 22-year sentence. David was convicted of second-degree murder in Shane Watson’s death and received 15 years in prison. Michelle appealed her sentence but was denied.

Michelle Knotek served 18 years at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor and was released on November 8, 2022. David Knotek was released on parole in 2016 after serving approximately 13 years.