By the time a sixth child, theresa terry, was born on. She was born on october 15, 1933, in albany, to the late harry schramm and adeline geary. I remember watching a tv interview when i was a little kid 19931997 ish about a woman whose mother had to scrub her sisters flesh off the floor of the closet. Ridgeway characterized theresas crimes as callousness beyond belief, and sentenced her to two consecutive life sentences. General information sex female race white number of victims 3 country where killing occurred united states states where killing occurred california. I read the true crime book whatever mother says a few years ago and that was hands down the most awful real life story i. Sometimes, the writing was stilted, or repetitious, and even contradictory. Theresa and robert knorrs marriage began to deteriorate after theresa began accusing her husband of having affairs. When her mother died in 1961, theresa went into a depression. A story of incomprehensible abuse delivered by an explosively violent mother of four. According to neighbors, the apartment was filthy and smelled of urine. Journey through the mind of a child that experiences a living hell, defined and defended by the twisted religious beliefs of her mother. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. But accused of imprisoning her children in a house of horrors.
Get full address, contact info, background report and more. Following sheilas disturbing death, william and terry severed ties with their mother, with the later making several failed attempts to bring her to book. According to terry, theresano longer the petite brunette she once washad turned insanely jealous of her pretty eldest. Discover book depositorys huge selection of hilda knorr books online. Theresa knorr, 74 sacramento, ca background report at. According to terry, theresano longer the petite brunette she once washad. Seasoned true crime author dennis mcdougal examines the chilling case of theresa knorr, her six children, and the horrific abuse they suffered at the hands of their mother in mothers day. Theres a an d ter ry apparently did not know they lived in close proximity and had no contact. Dennis mcdougal is the author of eleven books, including dylan. Kind of funny, in the wiki link, theresa knorr was the youngest child and devoted to her mother. The crosses lived a relatively happy life in the early 1950s. The 5foot, 4inch, 250pound knorr, who has been married.
A super friend by gwen connelly illustrator, dandi d. Theresa and terry apparently did not know they lived in close proximity and had no contact. She grown up to be a sick, murdering bitch and is turned in by her youngest daughtertheresa terry knorr. Theresa cross knorr was born on march 14, 1946 in sacramento, california. Proof americas got talent is totally fake nicki swift. It took me about 45 minutes into the movie before i realized that this movie was very loosely based on the life of theresa knorr and the horrors she inflicted upon her children. Whereabouts of teresa knorr cross, murdering monster.
Whatever mother says by wensley clarkson 1995 mother dearest by wensley clarkson 2007 a mother from hell by wensley clarkson 2011 mothers. She was born as theresa jimmie francine cross on march 14, 1946. But her youngest daughter, 16yearold terry, told police another story. Lawrence knorr was a recipient of one of these combbound volumes, triggering his interest in genealogy and family history. Americas got talent ran into a serious factchecking problem in season 7 when contestant timothy poes sob story about being a war veteran fell apart. The story of theresa knorr and her family is a shocking and disturbing one indeed. Theresa was a resident of saint joseph, missouri at the time of passing.
The front cover of teh book says this is a true crime classic. Dorothy theresa knorr saratoga springs dorothy theresa knorr, 80, passed away unexpectedly on wednesday, december 4, as a result of an automobile accident in clifton park. Wensley clarkson for years theresa knorr subjected her offspring to a variety of physical and mental tortures, culminating in her ordering her two sons to drug, torture and then burn alive one of their sisters. Paula lunt, laura logan, john doyle, owen blakely and david lacayo, and many others are family members and associates of theresa. Written in rules incisive style, bitter harvest is an outstanding chronicle of a crime investigation as well as a. Such is the case of theresa knorr, a mother and serial child abuser who murdered two of her daughtersand forced her two sons to help. Theresa knorr s childhood was not a very pleasant one and may have contributed to the kind of personality she grew up to become. I recommend anybody who hasnt read the book by wensley clarkson to get hold of a copy, theres plenty on amazon. After nine years of horrific abuse, knorrs youngest daughter terry turned her deranged mother into authorities. Suesan marline knorr, the eldest of robert and theresas children together, was born on september 27 1966, she was my sister.
Theresa knorr monster mother killers without conscience. Buy a super friend by gwen connelly illustrator, dandi d. Terry kno rr died in 2011, aged 41, of heart failure. In june 1985, theresa cross knorr dumped her daughter sheilas body in californias desolate high sierra. Theresa cross knorr is capable of killing her own children.
Conditions of use privacy notice interestbased ads. I doubt if anyone remembers watching that interview themselves, but the only true crime i have read about that resembles that story is about theresa knorr. I think shes a very underated actor who doesnt get the credit i think she deserves for her acting chops. Dennis donegal tells the true story of theresa cross knorr. The film follows the reallife events through a substantially.
Article by fisterroboto of directed by jason stoddard loosely based on the true crime novel whatever mother says, about the life of theresa knorr starring. I read this book at least 3 times if not more and have bought and given it away several times based on a true story. Hopefully some of you are aware of theresa knorr, the psychotic mother who abused her six kids and killed her two older daughters, suesane and sheila. The 2010 horror film the afflicted also titled another american crime is loosely based on the theresa knorr case. Theresa knorr was born theresa jimmie cross in sacramento, california. Suesan marline knorr 19661984 find a grave memorial. And theresa knorr, 47, was arrested wednesday in salt lake city, where she was taking care of an 85yearold woman and sharing her house. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Lew wasserman, mca, and the hidden history of hollywood, and the truecrime books angel of darkness and mothers day.
Theresa knorrborn march 14, 1946 is an american woman convicted of torturing and murdering two of her children while using the others to facilitate her crimes. Theresa knorrs heinous crimes were passed for fiction. Knorrs third child, suesan marline knorr, was born on september 27, 1966. According to terry, theresanolonger the petite brunette she once washad. One of the cases which can accurately describe the evil and degeneration that a mother can carry within her soul is the case of theresa knorr, who literally tortured her children, forced them to. Suesan was brutally tortured over a period of time by her mother theresa knorr. The true story of theresa knorr, the twisted child abuser who murdered her.
The gruesome true story of a murderous modernday medea in june of 1985, theresa cross knorr, with the help of her teenage sons, dumped the body of her daughter sheila in californias desolate high sierra. In 1984, knorr tried to remove the bullet from suesans back. For nearly nine years, theresa cross knorr got away with murder, until her youngest daughter, terry knorr graves, finally found a cop who believed the incredible story of her two murdered sisters. Hart, and michele grey leslie easterbrook plays the lead role of mother maggie, a disturbed mother of four who delivers an unimaginable level of abuse to her.
At a young age knorrs father was disabled because of parkinsons disease, leaving only her mother to work. Suesan contracted an infection, so knorr set her on fire alive, outside the city. Poorly written, which is odd since a reporter wrote the book, but a fascinating story. Suesan was extremely intelligent pulling in straight as the entire time she was in school this left her board most of the time. While at a grocery store, knorrs mother had a heart attack and died in her arms. About me the true story of terry knorr by theresa walker terry knorr on wednesday, april, 2011 at 3. Theresa knorr was a very evil mother and a horrible person. That story is all here, the shocking life of a woman whose violence, jealousy, rage, and domination led to a brutally heinous crime of ruthless ferocity. Theresa knorr all too frequently became the last line of defense against her illtempered husband. As government measures to control coronavirus covid19 come into force, its getting more difficult to ensure supply of our magazines through all usual retail outlets and its already difficult for some readers to visit their usual retailer.
After seeing this book plenty of times at my local used bookstore, i finally picked it up from my personal library. Finally, suesan was taken into the hills by her mother and two brothers, and set on fire. These are graphic, much more so than the others youve seen. Raising her five kids alone in a rundown section of sacramento, theresa cross knorr seemed like the ultimate survivor. Lately ive been very interested about this case and found out there are three books on it. Read on for an excerpt of mothers day and then buy the book. True crime master ann rule examines the tragic case of debora green, a successful kansas city doctor and mother who seemed to lead a life of love and success. Theresa knorrs birthday is 03011946 and is 74 years old. The bond between a mother and daughter is like no other. Newly divorced,and still trying to get over the abuse from childhood,and marriage. Theresa, a loner and jealous of her sister rosemary, competed for her mothers attention. Theresa was the younger of two daughters born to the couple. In 1983, theresa knorr shot her daughter suesan, 17, in.
She was a chronic alcoholic, which when combined with her anger issues, paranoia, and mental instability, proved to be a lethal mix that would claim the lives of two of her children and traumatize the rest indelibly. The story is told in the book whatever mother says. Mothers day and millions of other books are available for instant access. Theresa knorr is arrested in salt lake city where she is working as an inhome care nurse. It tells the tale of a theresa sanders,a young wife and mother of 1, living in sacramento, california and married to howard sanders.
Theresa caputo books list of books by theresa caputo. Swannie also had a son and daughter from a previous marriage. Theresa knorr was born on march 14, 1946 to jim and swannie gay cross in sacramento, california. Theresa s life story has been covered widely by the media and news outlets. Elaine passed in 1999, and lawrence has since updated the book based on correspondence between the two and lawrences subsequent research. Dont miss your regular copy of your favourite magazine. Whatever mother says by wensley clarkson, paperback. Discount prices on books by theresa caputo, including titles like good grief. She was the third daughter of criminal theresa knorr who killed two of her daughters and is serving life in prison. In one of the earlier chapters, it is said theresa was introduced to satanism. Theresa was born on august 5, 1970 and passed away on thursday, december 8, 2011.
But in the case of the knorr family, with deranged and deluded mother theresa knorr at its head, the. The true story of theresa knorr, the twisted child abuser who murdered her daughterswith the help of her sonstold by a former new york times reporter. Such is the case of theresa knorr, a mother and serial child abuser who. Theresa lost her mother, swannie cross at 15 to a heart attack.