Serial Killer Theresa Knorr: The Disturbing Truth Behind The Afflicted



There are times when you watch a movie that is based on a true story, that you scratch your head and just say no way. Some of the depraved, disgusting and violent acts depicted in movies just cannot be true. One such film that left me feeling this way was The Afflicted from Midnight Releasing. However, after a couple emails with them on another subject, the passed on the name of the actual person and case which the movie was based. Yes, it seems, as some of the flick was fictional (the ending), but the majority of the story was indeed based on fact.


This lady, Theresa Knorr, was that immoral and evil. Born in 1946, Knorr was convicted of torturing and murdering two of her children and was sentenced to two-consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty to save herself from the Death Penalty. Incredibly, some of the most intense parts of movie are in fact true. The story arc of the mother shooting her daughter, leaving her to rot in the bath tub handcuffed to the soap dish, nursing her back to health before torturing her by performing surgery to remove the bullet with alcohol and a box cutter, you guessed it, true, as was burning her body along the roadside. The same can be said of the death of another daughter, who was forced into prostitution by her mother, tortured, locked in a closet until her death by dehydration and starvation some days later.


As a fan of horror, stories like this that are mostly true are much more disturbing than the slasher films I grew up on. In a weird twist, it seems like religious fanaticism lay at the heart of these and other torturous crimes that are too hard to even imagine. Unfortunately, these tales are truly the mantra behind the statement that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, especially when you consider she is eligible for parole in 2027. The Afflicted is a disturbing movie that honestly captures the darkness in this story. I definitely applaud Midnight Releasing for pushing the boundaries with films that stay true to the brutal depths of human darkness.


Comments

  1. I really want to see this movie now. I haven't heard of this case myself but thank you for the great review. I quite surprised actually as I watch a ton of Crime Scene Investigation Channel as well.

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    1. You totally should watch it it's a really good movie except the ending is fake but it's really good but of course sad.

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    2. I cried for a lot of the movie... I grew up watching horror movies and true crime shows and have never seen anything this f@#$ed up

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    3. Couple of typos there....It was a twisted movie And I hate religious people more. Sorry about the confusion.

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    4. that movie was messed up but a good movie

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    5. Couldn't bring myself to watch this movie. As my dad's cousin she lived with us in 1964 after first husbands death. She was very demanding and mom took me on bus ride around the city when she got angry at mom for something. My grandma finally got her father to take her in after she almost cause my mom's neverous breakdown cause of her fear of her. Glad dad died before this came to light.

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    6. This lady actually lived with your family?

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  2. It was an intense movie... It was hard to watch, and may be more difficult now that I know it is true.

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  3. Rather bizzarre.
    If you want, check out discovery id's dramatization of the real story.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=gdHcGdpHAQM&NR=1

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  4. this movie was disturbing and hard to watch!! its unbelievable crazy that a human let alone a mother could do such torture!!!.

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  5. This one was disturbing... I also liked Chained - not the same, but a disturbing film about a serial killer and a child.

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  6. This movie was barbaric by far it was not as bad as the other movie I watched called Girl Next Door. So sick how people can do this to there own children.

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    1. Yep I watched the girl next door and was shocked at what I was watching how even she involved her own children in the torture

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  7. This movie was very disturbing and intense to watch.

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  8. This movie had me crying. How could a mother do such horrendous and Barbaric things to her own children? I had a hard childhood but even though, I knew and felt my mothers love. She never Beat us, but we did have some hard times, my siblings and I. At the very beginning of the movie it states that it's based on a true story. I was truly appalled after watching the movie and doing research on the case afterwards. My heart bleeds for children who are abused in any way. Im crying just thinking of the things those poor tortured souls go through.

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  9. Absolutely horrific sickening true story on the Knorr family. I'd be pleased to murder that rotten piece of crap and laugh all the way to jail.

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  10. There is evil and there is mental illness. I have seen both. I did not die, no one went to jail, nor did I make the news, but I exist. When death does not occur. The world sweeps evil under the rug. OlThey say "Get over it" "Move on with your life" and so on. This is so wrong. I am quite sure many serial killers and murderer's heard the same crap from people who don't know.Psychologist aren't traim ed for suicidal patients or would be murders. I wish I could help the afflicted,because the mass majority are clueless.

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  11. Was very intense. there is another one by jack ketchum called Girl Next Door which is a true story as well and super intense, I cried and almost could not watch the whole movie.

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    1. The girl next door is a spin off an american crime thats a true story and it showed.more of what really happened .both about the same family..i cryed

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    2. An American crime is about Sylvia Likens and Gertrude Bonesweski (spelling) whereas this is based on Theresa Knor, recounted by Terry Knorr her only surviving.daughter at the time both sad story however different

      there are also a lot of differences between The Afflicted and the real Knorr story. Theresa Knorr killed her husband at the age of 20 and re-married. Her second husband left her and the kids later on. Theresa Knorr was also heavy set, dirty and had long dark hair that went down to her hips during the time of the.murder. those posted pictures are only taken after she flees.to Salt Lake City took a job as a personal.nurse.and made quite a bit of money and revamped herself. She was a disgusting, selfish, jealous, twisted, evil and narcissistic woman.

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    3. It was a lot worse in real life than what the movie portrayed...I know because I was there. My sister married one of her sons...I was thirteen and came to their home several times a week.....very sad.

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    4. just because u married one of the sons u think u can get pitty cus of what happend to them? aint got shyt to do with u its about them kids not the chick one of em married noone cares u are irrelavant...

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  12. This movie made me cry. How can someone be so cruel?????!!!! And this was based on a true storie?? She should have gotten the death penalty regardless if she pleaded guilty. I was deeply disturbed by this movie.

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  13. The woman was clearly mentally disturbed. This is disturbing, but to be honest I hated the movie. If this movie is spot on with what really happened I'll be really dissapointed in these children. They grow up till their in their late teens with lack of abuse, then suddenly the mom goes wonkers. I can see that, but what I cannot see is them not physically fighting back. Why was there no red flag being raised when a kid cries abuse and suddenly they are snatched from school. This isn't just the mothers fault. Its everyone's fault in a way. Though the mother does deserve a lethal injection. Some don't deserve to continue living draining tax payers money in jails.

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    1. Disappointed in the children? CHILDREN? I'm emphasizing that word because these children were physically, verbally and emotionally abused from the time they were very young. It wasn't "as bad" and escalated over time but you're either very uninformed or just naive. And that's an understatement. These children were tortured, 2 of them murdered by their mother in front of the others. Please..... knowledge, get some. Good lord.

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  14. When I saw this movie the storie felt familiar to me. It is because I had seen this case in ID investigation. I believe it was on the show deadly women. I as well to the lover of movies that are terror/ psychology I recommend The girl next door. it is available and Netflix.this movie was very intense it made me cry there 2 versions of this movie the other 1 is called American crime but I like the version of the girl next door the story was compelling I thought I was going to be bored with itbut it was the other way I could not stop watching it even though I wanted to .I have to find out what happened at the end and it was very intense I'm sad.

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  15. For a mother to allow herself to do such retched things to ones own daughter is beyond my understanding. I have heard about killings and murders and domestic beatings but never have I in my 16 years of life seen something that made me want to kill my self. To know that by the year "2027" this could almost be legal makes me wish to never have children. This woman was sick, twisted, disturbed. I am sorry for the past but my children will never engrave such a future.

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  16. March 17, 2013
    If your Mother is this sick, twisted, and evil and you stand by and do nothing about it, you too must be to some degree sick, twisted, and evil too. To let your siblings die like that by her hand and do nothing makes you guilty too.

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  17. If she is eligible for parole in 2027 shame on the government an city and state this has occurred in its funny how Charles Manson got people to kill for him and he is on death row and how the lady from the true story monster who was actually raped and tortured and nearly killed... that triggered her to do what she did and this bitch Theresa tortures and kills two of her daughter's with the help of her son's who was not charged at all and its actually been said she gets parole if I was the president of the United states everyone who had anything to do with the justice of these to girls would be out of a job....

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  18. Ask any of my brothers and sisters... our 'sick' mother used religion in an ungodly manner. She sent my oldest brother into my dads workshop where she forced him to make the very paddles that she would beat us with. There are so many elements of this movie that send chills through me.

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  19. I just watched this movie and have also watched "the girl next door" a while back. I have seen religious and emotional abuse and physical abuse when I was growing up from my mother. Those of you who have never been through it talk big, but you don't know until you are in a situation what it is like to walk on eggshells everyday and to be told you are nothing. It yes it is fun to fantasize about what you would do to someone like this woman but in reality when you have grown up with it and see what she is capable of you are just happy it is someone else instead of you. It doesn't mean that you don't care about your siblings, it just means your fear overrides empathy. This is brainwashing to the max when you experience mental and spiritual abuse like this from birth. This story is believable to those who have lived through emotional and spiritual abuse because it exists. It doesn't always escalate to the point of death or permanent physical damage, but it easily can. Mental illness cannot be fixed with a happy pill and a therapist especially when it is a very manipulative parent who knows how to manipulate authority figures. Only an abusive personality would blame another sibling would blame a sibling for not standing up to an abusive parent.

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    1. Yes. Every day is so stressful. Its like ur 6, 7, 8 years old can't even play, laugh, talk w/siblings, invite friends over because everything u do u get yelled at, slapped, or beaten. I think the worse was not knowing what was going to happen each day. We were afraid to use the bathroom and even eat meals. It was so stressful & lonesome. We were locked in our rooms constantly. I'm so sory u went through it. Its never easy to talk about. No matter how many people were involved in the picture no one ever said anything to our family. My siblings & I lived in fear from age 3 when we could understand fear till we all slowly left. Its a long time to be afraid. You know?

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  20. crazy movie, can't believe it was really based on a true story. that women should be left to rot for what she did to her kids & her husband.

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  21. I seen the re inactment of this true story on wicked woman I like seein all the stories that I know are based on true stories in movies cause it helps me understand the movie more but they are always sad and crazy stories. This ones a gud movie but I think nothing tops the movie an American story that is also based on true events that one is about jenny and sylvia beniszwki

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  22. These all interest me cause I like to study this stuff and read deep into wat actually happened and where these ppl are in life now. Wicked woman always have twisted wicked stories but I no the stories are real when I look them up and study it. The snowtown murders is gud as well ans is real about johnny bunting

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  23. believe it or not my mother used to work with her....she lived on auburn blvd. here in sacramento california....i first heard of it on a show on tru tv or id discovery..and that's when my mother said she used to work with her at the old folks home...crazy stuff...

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  24. I pray I don't run into any of her descendants, considering I live in the very city this crazed person was born in!

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  25. I've seen the surviving daughter Terry talk about these horrific tortures on cold case files, deadly women, wicked. She went for help even after she escaped the home and the lazy popo didn't believe her. Its unfortuneate that Terry the daughter ended up dying of a heart attack a few years back.

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  26. Theresa Knorr had nothing to do with religion - she was a twisted woman who had borderline personality disorder. Trying to link her activities with religion is a ridiculous leap for the director to make as Theresa was a non-religious person. Check out her TRUE story before seeing the movie which takes great liberties with the facts.

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  27. Theresa Knorr was an evil caniving witch-that is no mum,she deserved 4life sentences and at the end of that punishment do to her what she put those poor kids of hers through poor souls may they rest in peace from this awful woman whom they considered a mother yet were homebound&tortured-give her the DEATH SENTENCE no way does this evil thing called a woman-deserves to even breathe after what she did!she'll rot in HELL it was a very hard movie to watch,but to think she's getting released makes ME want to be there waiting for her-not empty handed neither!torturous monster!how could she do such awful awful unforgivably sick things such as making your child prostitute and shoot&starve them?that is inhumane!ty

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  28. I hope your calling it stupid b.c it made you angry and you cant come up with other words to describe your disbelief of their actions. Because this movie was far from 'stupid' in the real sense, it was fascinating how the evil of one person can manipulate so many and do so many horrific acts upon people you 'love'.

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  29. this movie was jaw dropping, eye poppng out good! this lady is a true demon seed who does not ever deserve to see the light or dark of day.

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  30. This movie is crazy asf but it was good really amazing but I didn't know at first that it was a true story but still a great movie

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  31. Really sad. My mother grew up sexually abused by her mother, raped by family members, etc. I was lucky that my father gained custody after their divorce. By the time I was 8 social sevices removed us from his home because of the abuse he inflicted on his girlfriend. Luckily by then my mother could hold it together a bit. Now she claims to be an inpath for god. A witness. I do not understand really and have domewhat given up on her as she gave up on my brother after being diagnosed with schizophrenia at 18 and then giving up on my sister at 16 for stealing. We are very lucky compared to the family depicted in the movie. She never physically abused us, she tried her best but could not do it. Now she tries to turn us against each other, it does not work for my sister and I but my brother is very fragile and wants her acceptance.
    I

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  32. Couldn't watch it all. It was all to familiar except I had to put up with both parents.

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  33. anyone recommend any movies like this. im shocked at how disturbing this is.

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  34. av just watched the real documentry on youtube

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  35. Ummmm...yes the mom was evil, but for grown children (4 of them) aid their obviously sick twisted mom into torturing & killing one another.
    .... they don't seem so innocent. To sleep soundful at night while your sisters are dying in a tub or closet
    ....come on...
    4 kids....1 sick mother....this was not about survival of fear, because fear, survival would've made them ban together to fight or flee. This was a way of life for them, their mind was just as warped as the mother's

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    1. How do you think their minds got that way? These kids were abused, tortured is a better word, and manipulated their entire lives.
      Anybody that blames the children in this case knows nothing about it or abuse. The one daughter that went to Child Services was returned to the home, tortured, at length, and murdered in front of them. The system failed them. Their mother was literally a monster but children were supposed to fix it? When the very real consequence was death if they tried?
      Good god.

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  36. Most of the comments here are as expected. Shock, disbelief, horror that it's real. Empathetic.
    But the few I've seen blaming the children are unbelievable to me. This woman was so horrible they were still afraid of her as adults because they were broken. She abused them in such twisted ways it's almost unimaginable. Yet, it happened.
    Don't throw blame around unless you know the whole story and if you're blaming, you clearly don't.

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  37. I kind of thought so too. Like wtf! 4 kids. They were all around 16 years old! Why in the hell wouldnt they ban together and beat mamas ass. Or just all leave???

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  39. I seen this story told by one of her sons on a Discovery+ show called Evil lives here season 6 episode 2 So very sad!

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