The Staudte Family

0:00 Hi, I'm Tina and I'm Emma. And if there's one thing I've learned in over twenty years of being a mom, some days you're gonna feel like killing your mom, and some days you'll feel like killing your kid. Welcome to Love Mary Kill, a bonus Mother's Day episode. Well, Hi, Emma, Hi Mom. I'm just gonna say if you want to introduce yourself, but I guess you just said mom. So everyone knows you are my oldest guest. I am Tina's oldest daughter. I am surprised that you agreed to do this me too, but you know, it's always good to try new things and I like to be involved. How do you feel having international superstars as parents? It feels pretty great. I brag about you guys all the time. I'm just kidding. We are not international superstars. Know, you and your brother have both been very supportive and we appreciate that. Yeah, I think it's awesome that you guys started this from the ground up and you work so hard at it. Yeah, it's been It's been a lot of fun. So you've had some major life achievements lately. Do you want to talk about those just for a second. Sure? So I just graduated from college with a degree in early childhood education as your GPA. Do you want the people to know, Let's just say you graduated suma cum laure which

1:36 we're very proud of you for. Thank you, and you were very this is the saddest thing ever, but you were really sick. I was really sick, and you were not able to participate in graduation. It was really sad. It was sad. I was mostly sad because I had a cute outfit planned. That's the worst part, not that you got to wear two chords. I mean that outfit's the most important thing, let's be real. Well, and then the morning of graduation, I came down with what you had and I remember laying there because you were when you went to bed the night before, you were so determined. You're like, I'm going to graduation tomorrow, no matter why. And then I started feeling horrible and I was like, oh, I don't know if there's no way I'm going to be able to sit through graduation. And then you said there's no way I can sit through graduation either. So that was kind of war breaking. But this weekend we should have you wear You're cute outfit and we can go out to dinner and you can put you will take pictures. We haven't done that yet, but we should do that. Yeah, I'd like to do that.

2:35 And yeah, I was an awful upper respiratory virus. My voice is still a little crispy from it. So if I have local fry, just know that this is not my normal timbre. And you already have a job that you started this week? Yes, I did, and I'm very excited. You're a star. And how did how did your first week go? It was amazing. It was the best first week I've had at any job, and I feel incredibly lucky. That is great to hear. Okay, so you made me a snack? I did. Do you want to talk about it real quick? Sure? So it's a recipe I've been wanting to make for some time. I found it on the subreddit Old Recipes, and it is called peanut butter bread. It's a very butter bread. It's a very simple recipe. Flour, baking powder, peanut butter, honey. We don't have to Okay, I don't know, but it's a it's not a yeast bread, right, it's not a yeast bread. Okay, I will.

3:32 Let's we're going to take a quick break and we're gonna have Have you tried it yet? Yes? I did? Oh you did. Okay, I'm gonna try real quick. Well. That was really good. God, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I yeah, I don't think I would have picked this out myself to make, but it's really good. Yeah. Maybe I would throw some chocolate chunks in it, okay, or a chocolate drizzle on top. But I think it's really good good. And yeah, I think it's kind of like banana bread consistency, but without the banana taste. And I really don't like banana bread. You don't. I think banana bread all the time and you never want to eat it. Yeah, so this is a good alternative. Well, thank you for the bread, and thank you for being here, Thanks for having me. We cover a lot of sad and tragic stories about dysfunctional families, but this is one of the saddest I've ever heard. It reminds me of the quote at the beginning of Anna Corenna.

4:31 All happy families are alike. Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Ready, I'm ready. Diane Richter was born in nineteen sixty two to a devout Lutheran family in Springfield, Missouri. She showed her musical prowess at an early age when she began playing the piano at three years of age. Growing up, Diane was quiet and awkward, same Diane. After high school, she attended a luth college in Kansas and studied nursing. Mark Staddi was born in nineteen fifty one in Saint Louis, Missouri. Mark's father was in the military, which forced the family to move off and around the world.

5:12 Mark studied communications at Saint John's College in Winfield, Kansas, but after graduation he decided to pursue a music career. Diane and Mark met in nineteen eighty five at a bluegrass music festival in Kansas. Mark was eleven years Diane senior. Like Diane, Mark was quiet and reserved. Music was an important part of both of their lives. Mark was very talented. He sang, played multiple instruments, and wrote his own songs. He was the lead singer and guitarist of a local blues band, Messing with Destiny. Mark was easy going and well loved in his community. Diane preferred to display her musical talents in church. Mark and Diane were married on December twenty eighth, nineteen eighty five, just months after they met. Stotti's first child, a son named Sean, was born in nineteen eighty six. Sean had seizures as a young child, constantly worring his parents. Two more children followed, both daughters, Sarah, born in nineteen eighty eight and Rachel, born in nineteen ninety.

6:15 In nineteen ninety four, the Staudy family moved to Springfield, Missouri. Located in southwest Missouri, Springfield, the heart of the Ozarks, calls itself a big small town. It is known to be a warm and welcoming community, often called the buckle of the Bible Belt. There's a church on every corner. Springfield, made up of five counties, is home to almost five hundred thousand. The city offers one hundred five parks and Ozark's Greenway, a linear trail system that integrates with the city's growing by grout system. Springfield also boasts an airport, an art museum, a zoo, and a minor league baseball team, and is home to bass Pro shops in Johnny Morris's Wonders of Wildlife Museum, and Aquarium, Missouri State University, Drury and evangel Universities, Ozark's Technical Community College, and two nationally recognized Top one hundred integrated health systems.

7:11 I may have gone to the chambro of Commerce and gotten that information. Is Ozark's Technical Community College like a notable institution of Yes, I'm sure it is. A Guess who is Springfield's most famous past resident their most famous son. You're probably not going to guess it, but I have no clue. Brad Pitt, Oh, it came from Springfield, Missouri. There's a rumor that he may or may not have a house there. Interesting. Diane was the breadwinner for the family. She worked as a cardiac nurse and was very active in her church, Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church in Springfield. Diane said Mark could never hold down a job. He sometimes worked as a bartender or at other odd jobs, but Mark never held a steady job. It would have been fine if he'd been a stay at home parent, but Mark wasn't good at cooking, cleaning, or meeting his children's emotional or physical needs. Diane accused Mark of irresponsible spending, drinking, and doing drugs, but his friends say that it isn't true. He liked to play his music and have a drink or two, but he was in control. The Stouty family moved to Springfield in nineteen ninety four, in part because Diane's family lived in Springfield and could help with the children. Brianna, the youngest child, was born in two thousand and one, completing the family. Of the four children, Diane strongly favored Rachel. Rachel was intelligent and musically gifted. She sang and played several instruments. Mark and Diane were very proud of her. She was the golden child. Diane and Rachel bonded over the music program at their church. They

8:46 were both deeply involved. Diane had been the church organist for over thirty years at Holy Redeemer. On Good Friday twenty twelve, Mark sixty one suddenly fell ill with flu like symptoms. Mark was scheduled to record with his band that week. His bandmates recalled that he was unfocused and disoriented during rehearsal, His skin was sallow, and he couldn't keep food down. The day before his death, on April seventh, Sean Stowdy wrote in his journal, my father is slowly getting sicker. His voice is slurred, his walking is wobbly. Seawn was very concerned about his father. By April eighth, Easter Sunday, Mark was gravely ill. When Diane and the children arrived home after church, they found Mark unconscious. Diane called nine one one, but when the paramedics arrived, it was too late. Mark was dead. Diane wrote on Facebook quote for all my friends on Facebook, this past Sunday evening, Mark, my husband of twenty seven years, reached his eternal home. None. She included a Bible verse John chapter fourteen, verse one through four. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, so what I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you.

10:03 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am. At his memorial service, Mark's friend and bandmate said Diane showed no emotion. He said it was like she was hosting a party. There was no sadness. I thought it was just her way of grieving. Mark's death was ruled to be from natural causes because of his unhealthy lifestyle. He was an overweight smoker who ate badly and never exercised. There was no autopsy. Mark's body was cremated. Okay, So in a lot of the cases we cover, if the body is cremated, it's because the spouse has requested for it to be cremated, and oftentimes they're trying to hide something because you can always exhum a body. Do you know what exzooming a body means.

10:54 I don't want to insult you, but do you know what that means to exam a body? It means to dig it up. Oh, so there is a physical body remaining, they can exhum it and then detect you know, if there was a afarious means of death. Right. Jeff Sippy, the pastor at the Stoudiest church and a friend of the family, told twenty twenty quote, there was nothing in me that believed that it was of the natural cause. I didn't believe that he died of a stroke, a heart attack, or in his sleep. I just didn't. There's nothing scientific, there's nothing professional about my observation. But my first words were, no way, he did not just die. End quote. What do you think I don't know. I mean, it sounds like he did have an unhealthy lifestyle, but it was just he was just sick, right, flu like symptoms and flew like symptoms, and after like he's came became ill on Good Friday and he died by Easter. So within forty eight hours he passed away.

11:56 Okay, that's definitely questionable. I forgot to say the top of the episode. But there is a reason that I picked this case for our Mother's Day episode. I figured there's a little for shadowy. The studies lived in a modest, nine hundred square foot home. Do you have a picture on your head of what nine hundred square feet is? Yeah, pretty cozy, It would be pretty small. Yeah, so I think nine hundred square feet is probably about the size of our basement. Okay, So imagine there's four kids and two grown ups and that's you know, their living quarters, their bedrooms, their kitchen, and that would be pretty cramped right right. It was cluttered and disorganized. There was a lot of fighting for space and privacy amongst the family members. The children had been a constant challenge for Diana. Mark Sean was developmentally delayed in fifth grade. He was diagnosed with autism. Sean also suffered from seizure disorder. Sarah had severe separation anxiety. Diane called her a difficult child. Rihanna, the youngest, was developmentally delayed and had learning disabilities. Rachel, the third child, was the easiest and most self sufficient.

13:13 But Diane said all of her children had their gifts. All my kids were a joy. Have you ever heard little professors syndrome? They all have their little special interests. So in Sean's case, Sean enjoyed reading about Sweden architecture, mechanics. What about Sarah? They spoke French. Rachel was into Japan. She plays multiple instruments, so she played in the church band as well, The Two of You. Was she talented? I think so, yeah, very talented. And Brianna was into dinosaurs and cats. She was gifted with computers. After Mark's death, Diane received a twenty thousand dollars life insurance payout. She and the children moved into a bigger home in a nicer neighborhood, and Diane began to work from home as a claims handler for an insurance company. As the family settled into their new home, five months after Mark's death, Sean became mysteriously ill with flu like sim shows. I'm sorry to laugh, but it's funny to see your expressions. Well, I have a thought. Okay, I don't know if it's too early to come in, but yeah, why don't you just hold on to your Okay, you just want to you know where this is going? Right? I think I might. You're just much more expressive than my usual podcast partner. Days later, on September Tewod twenty twelve, Diane found twenty six year old Sean dead

14:46 on his bedroom floor again after returning home from church. Diane again took to Facebook to notify friends and family. She wrote, quote to my Facebook friends and family, it is hard for me to come up with the right words, but here goes. On Sunday, my oldest child, Sean died. Although he had been sick lately, we thought he was getting better. Thank you to those who have called or messaged me. Please continue to pray for us during this time. End quote. Diane said it was hard for me to come up with the right words. Well, she doesn't say anything nice about her son at all. She just says he died, And you know, didn't you think that was kind? Of weird, Yeah it was.

15:28 There was no memorial service for Sean. His body was cremated like Marx had been. Not long after Shawn's death, Rachel posted a picture of her mom on Facebook, sitting cross legged and smiling, with a caption that read, don't think I've seen my mom Diane so chilled out like this in a long time. That's weird. What's weird that she posted that two days right after Shawn's dath is just a couple of days, Yeah, and her mom's all relaxed and chilled out right, And like, did she ask Rachel to post that? I don't know. So. There was an autopsy after Sean's death. The manner of his death was ruled to be natural causes by the coroner, just like his dance has been. The pathologist believed he had died from a seizure when no one was at home. A mysterious ring of blood appeared around his mouth. Mark also had the same ring of blood around his mouth.

16:21 The autopsy revealed that Sean had a congenital kidney defect and that he'd also suffered some brain damage in his life. In December twenty twelve, Sarah's Dottie graduated from Missouri State College with honors with a degree in French. Diane posted a picture of her on Facebook with the heartfelt caption, congrats Sarah. Well, I didn't even get a post, so I think that was pretty generous. There wasn't a picture to post. I you, we haven't taken a picture yet, and I don't have a personal account of Okay, you deserve that and so much more. I'm just not but would you agree that Congrats Sarah? Like you know not. We're really proud of you and you worked so hard. Just congrats Sarah. Yeah, that's a little weak. Despite earning her college degree, Sarah was in no rush to get a job, unlike my beautiful daughter. Diane grew frustrated with her oldest daughter. She warned her that her student loan payments would begin soon. Diane didn't want to be stuck making the payments on Sarah's loan. On June ninth, twenty thirteen, Diane rushed Sarah twenty four, to the hospital. She was near organ failure for the third time, and fourteen months a member of the Staddy family was gravely ill. A doctor who treated Sarah told twenty twenty quote she was the sickest of the sick. He'd never seen a twenty four year old so sick.

17:44 Sarah was treated for multiple organ failures and was put on life support. She was in dire condition and she wasn't expected to survive. Doctors were confused about what caused her illness. Diane requested the hospital stop treatment. They didn't, but despite Sarah's dire condition, she gradually began improving. Diane's behavior at the hospital was odd and off putting to staff. She was laughing and joking and talking about an upcoming vacation to Florida. She said she was going to take the vacation regardless of Sarah's situation. Dianne posted again on Facebook quote asking for prayers for my daughter. Sarah is in critical condition in the ICU Tonite.

18:27 What would you think if you were Diane's Facebook friend at this point, I would be a little suspicious. Other people were starting to get suspicious as well. On June eleventh, twenty thirteen, two days after Sarah's hospitalization, an anonymous call was placed to the Springfield Police Department. A call came from the pastor of the Stoddeis Church, Jeff Sippy. Oh Boy, we'll be back after a break. What do you think is going on at the Stoddy house? Why is everyone getting sick? I am getting flowers in the attic vibes here if you know what I mean. I actually have never read Flowers in the Attic. It may surprise you. Oh well, if anyone wants to read it and doesn't want a spoiler to get ahead. The book fifty years old at this point, So I mean arsenic poisoning. Oh, this is what I'm thinking. Who is poisoning? I guess we've made it pretty obvious the mom. Yeah, there's no incest involved in this case as far as I know, But just the similarities between how quickly the illness started with all of the family members brings a bell for me. Right after the tip from the pastor, an investigation was opened into the deaths of Mark and Sean Stoudy. Investigators talked to the doctor who was treating Sarah and said her symptoms

19:59 were suspicious and maybe the result of heavy metal poisoning. Testing for heavy metals isn't something a normal toxicology screening looks for. The sample must be sent to a separate lab. Shawn's autopsy results were revisited. Tissue samples had been saved from his autopsy, which allowed for a more thorough toxicology screening. Initially, the pathologists thought Sean could have died from heavy metal poisoning or arsenic okay, I was close, but neither was found. However, the presence of ethylene glycol was found, So you were close. I was close, and in flowers in the attic. The mom gives them doughnuts and the doughnuts have powdered sugar on the top, and the powdered sugar contains arsenic. So I'm wondering how the ethylene glycol was You are delayed to find out. Oh boy, keep going. Anti freeze or ethylene glycol is the perfect poison. At least it was until twenty twelve. It has a sweet taste that is attractive to small children and pets. It is less and undetectable in food or drink.

21:03 The symptoms of ethylene glycol poisoning include nausea, vomiting, decreased level of alertness, and slurred speech. It's a slow and brutal death. The symptoms are often confused with other ailments. In December twenty twelve, the Consumer Specialty Products Association and Humane Society Legislative Fund announced that anti freeze manufacturers in the United States agreed to voluntarily add a bitter flavoring agent, rendering it less enticing to pets and children. Before this legislation was passed, as many as ten thousand animals a year were killed by drinking anti freeze. Isn't that horrible? It really is? And I should say I did a little bit of research, but I'm not positive, but I think that not all anti freeze actually has that bittering agent. I think you can still find some that has that spey taste.

21:55 That's interesting because I mean, I've never tasted it, but I didn't know that it happened sweet taste. Don't taste it. No, I'm not planning on it, but yeah, a lot of people would put it like, you know, you're in your garage and you know you're working, you're changing your aunt to freeze, and they would leave it in like a pan in the garage and then their dog or toddler would happen upon it. That's so sad. Yeah, But I believe that they bought it online, and they bought it online on purpose because they thought that it was less likely to contain the bittering agent that way. Hmm okay. Diane fifty one voluntarily went to the police station for questioning with Detective Neil mcamis on June twentieth, ten days after Sarah had been admitted to the hospital. Diane was calm at first, but then as questions focused on her actions, she became uncomfortable. Diane tried to explain Mark's stath away as a possible drug overdose. She said he had some shady friends. When asked about Sean, she said he suffered from seizure disorder and had suffered from several strokes in his life. She said that he was experiencing suicidal thoughts and had googled ways to take his own life.

23:03 She told detective mcamos that Sarah was bipolar and had threatened to slit her wrists before. The detective kept telling Diane she was a good person and that good people make mistakes sometimes when they reach a breaking point. He was very kind and sympathetic to her. That's how they get you, That's how Detective mcgamos said, quote, I had to be very careful in speaking with her because this is someone who has just been terribly unlucky that her family has had these terrible tragedies, or is this something a lot more sinister. It was a very fine line I had to walk during that interview end quote. As the interview progressed, things weren't adding up, so Detective mccamos turned up the heat.

23:45 Mccamos told Ozark first quote, I began putting a little bit more pressure on her. Diane had a career in nursing, and when she couldn't really explain why this was going on, some of her explanations didn't make sense, so I put a little pressure on her just to see where it would go. It was a real gradual chipping away at her story, and eventually it started to unravel and it seemed to just slip more and more. And then she starts talking about anti freeze unquote, so tell me about it, Dinair. There's a lot of bar arguments. Could it really shortened? Sweet?

24:29 I knew they were drinking anti freeze, an Michelleman, I didn't want a tanker man. Daniel right now, is your achieance too to make some of this somewhat right? Because you're going to want people to see that you're remorseful and that you know you're sorry for what you did. And you knew that they were drinking and a freeze. You knew that they didn't We both know that you knew, Diane, that they were drinking in a freeze because you were giving it to them. Didn't know what else to do? They really do? What were you putting it in? Cop problem? How much would you put in just a little gap? You're saying Mark is the first one.

25:48 There's nobody before Mark, not in your past, live or not any Okay, Mark's the first one. And it just got started. You said you hated his guts and couldn't take him anymore. Hated his guts here she that was intense. Yeah, that was a that was a very tough interview. There sounds so eerie too. Her tone of voice, She's I think she's really creepy. Yeah. So Diane explained that she didn't know what to do. She couldn't get her husband and kids out of the house, and they were getting in the way of her work and peace of mind. She snapped. She said she hated her life. Diane said of Mark, I hated his guts. He would throw things at me. He would throw things at the kids. I guess I'd had enough. However, later in an interview again with twenty twenty, Diane said that she didn't remember having that conversation.

26:49 To me, one of the weirdest things is she talks about like how she knew they were drinking anti freeze to take their own lives, and she claimed that she saw them do it. It's very weird. It is very weird. I promise I will stop you if I ever see you drinking aunt to freeze. Diane said that someone she refused to say who, for her own safety, forced her to poison her family. She said no one knew the depth of her suffering. When detective mc amis asked Diane why she took Sarah to the hospital when she barely clung to life and not let her die at home like Mark and Sean, Diane said she didn't want quote another one to die at home. Houses are nasty after somebody has died in it end quote. She told the detective that after Sean died, they had been spooped after they thought they'd had a haunting incident after Rachel had moved into Shawn's room.

27:41 I hope Sean haunted the heck out of them. Diane said that Rachel was not aware of her plan to kill her family, that she'd acted on her own, and after her confession, Diane was arrested. Rachel twenty two. You remember Rachel, she's the third one and she's the Yeah, she was the golden Yeah. She was brought in for questioning and told about her mother's arrest. And basically, what has happened is your mom isn't killing your dad and your brother and trying to kill your sister with poison? Take some time, HM, and Mom said this too, But obviously I have to answer these questions. You didn't have any involvement in any of this stuff.

28:37 Don't take don't take it the wrong way, but I have to ask those questions. Okay, Mom never confided in you that she was doing this. Never, and from what I califeina I diet from you, that thought didn't even enter your mind. I know you said she was frustrated, but I kind of thinking as you didn't think she was frustrated to the point where she wouldn't do something like this, right, what do you think? I mean? It's hard to say because she was just crying pretty much the whole time, which I don't know. I mean, she has every right to be sad, but well, Rachel denied any involvement, and she was very quiet during most of the interview. Do you think she was involved? I don't know if I can say, but I think there's a chance. After Diane's arrest, a search warrant was executed at the Staddy home. Police found their home to be messy, cluttered, and chaotic. A jug of anti freeze was found in the garage next to a six pack of Coca cola. A lavender floral journal was found in Rachel's bedroom, which contained mind blowing information about the murders of Mark and Sean. Rachel was complicit, after all in the murders, it seemed. In an entry from June thirteenth, twenty eleven, Rachel wrote, quote, it's sad when I realized that my father will pass on in the next two months. Sean my brother will move on shortly after.

30:00 It will be tough getting used to the changes, but everything will work out end quote. A note was discovered that Rachel had penn that said quote, Once upon a time there was six, Now there are only three. Only the quiet ones will be left. My mother my little sister and me end quote. Oh my goodness, Okay, another flowers in the attic connection I've made here. The eldest daughter is basically the sole survivor in that book and on the whole book for me. Well, she writes a poem like that that rhymes Oh maybe Rachel was a fan of VC Andrews. Maybe she was. I want to look this up and read it because it is it's really similar. Interesting. Rachel was summoned back to the police station the next day for another round of questioning. This time, detective mcgamis was armed with her journal entries. Were you ever suspicious of your mom? No? You know it sounds like you and hear from talking to her that you and her were pretty good buddies. Is that right? You guys are real close, almost best friend kind of. Did she ever mention anything at all? No?

31:14 So she never told you specifically that she wanted to hurt your dad, your brother, or your sister. Do you recognize this? Yeah? I remember this. What is that little journal thing? Who's journal? Mine? Your journal? So you wrote this then? Is what you're telling me? Okay, no more lies or untruth. We need to be honest about everything. You understand what is this. I'd had a lot of really bad dreams about them dying. I talked to mom about it, and she mentioned she was thinking of hurting them. So you said you'd been having some dreams about them dying, and you told your mother about this. What did you tell your mother? That I would look back, that that it'd be easy, that that'd be to Heaven's moon and we could move on. I don't like

32:52 Rachel's vibe. No, I don't like Diane's vibes. Rachel went on to say that her father and brother were a drain and the family. Mark spent money recklessly and he partied all the time. Rachel claimed that she didn't want to kill Sean. She thought that he could have gone to assistant living, but Diane wanted him out of their lives for good. The decision to kill Sarah arose because she lacked the ambition to get a job despite graduating from college. She had no way to pay back her loans and that was weighing heavily and Diane. So when did the plan to kill Sarah come about? May? June, May or Jen And so why was it decided to kill Sarah?

33:37 Oh? The fact that she basically lived in the back then room and didn't like have any dunction to get a job. I'm not certain. One probably has her own issues with her what about you? Yes, but I don't know. It's just it's chilling, isn't it. It really is. She's so cold about it all. Rachel tried to explain away her journal entries as if they were had been dreams, but she knew that really didn't make sense. She said that Diane was the mastermind behind the poisonings and her mother was the one who decided to use anti freeze. Although Rachel had researched discrete poisons while she was at Missouri State College, Detective mccamis said, quote, both Rachel and her mother said they did a lot of research. They looked into poisonous plants. They said, they looked into other methods of poison and said they eventually decided to go with anti freeze because they could get tasteless anti freeze. Can I ask a question, Yeah, do you know what Rachel's doing with her life at this point? Well? I do, yes, Okay, because well, at this point, you mean, at the point in the story she's a college student and oh, Okay, so if she hasn't graduated yet, no, I think she was also at Missouri's yet.

35:04 She was at Missouri'ska where her sister had gone. Diane put the anti freeze and Mark's gatorade, but used coke for Sean and Sarah. She would unscrew the caps, put a tablespoon of anti freeze in and then reseal the cap, and Rachel knew not to drink the cokes that had been previously unscrewed. She admitted to once giving her father a tainted gatorade, but when pressed by the detective, she confessed it was more like three or four times. Detective mccamis believes that Rachel was more involved than she admitted to. Rachel said Diane was the only family member who understood her. I think they both really just felt like they were the only ones that got each other. You know, they were the ones that were just like I'm just like us. Although we do have like the redhead thing. We're both very vibrant redheads, was very sensitive and vibes. We're both very pale and blue. I mean we do look similar, but yeah, I think we do have that bond, which is great. Yeah, this part's gonna make you mad. Look at me, don't look at the script. But what about the youngest daddie, twelve year old Brianna? Was she safe from her mother and sister? When when were you guys gonna feel Brianna some time after Shara? And how are you going to do that? Well, she liked, Rupia could easily have gone the same way that we did with the others. We didn't really going to

36:39 any new ways. Isn't that horrible? Yeah? And that was Rachel. How is she so lack a days ago about it? I don't know. Shockingly, Sarah's health began to improve after twenty four hours. She survived, but suffered brain and organ damage. She had to relearn many everyday tasks. She lives in an assisted living facility and requires a full time caregiver. She will never fully recover from the damage of the anti freeze poisoning. At the sentencing hearing, Sarah addressed her mother, quote, I forgive my mom for what she did to me, But she not only took away my dad and my brother, but she took away my lifestyle and independence end quote. She told Deborah Roberts quote, I wish I could slap them both and called them b words. End quote. She did say that to B words all.

37:35 Sarah is very hurt and angry, and who can blame her. I'm sorry for what she went through, but I'm sorry for what everybody goes through. I'm sorry for what I had to go through. Are you saying that you were poisoned as well? I can't rule it out? And what a horrible excuse for a human being and mother. So Diane thinks she was poisoned. I mean, she's she's said some really really weird things since she's well spoiler alert, she's going to go to prison, but she has said some really weird things since she's been in prison. Diane and Rachel were both charged with two counts of murder and one count of assault. They both pleaded not guilty.

38:22 Prosecutors pitted Diane and Rachel against each other, trying to get them to testify against the other. Diane's case was a death penalty case. She was considered the brains behind the operation and had planned the deaths. Rachel just went along with her mother, so she was up against two life sentences plus twenty years in prison, not the death penalty. Who do you think cout a deal with the prosecution first, I'm gonna say, Rachel. Yeah. On January twenty first, twenty sixteen, two and a half years after her arrest, Diane, at the last minute, to avoid the death penalty, knowing there was a mountain of evidence against her, took an Alfred plea. Do you know what an Elford plea is? You probably don't. That's a tricky thing. I bet our listeners know because we've had a couple of high profile cases where the defendant has taken an Elford plea. What it means. It's not an admission of guilt, but it's an acknowledgment that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to convict you. It's like they know there's no way that a jury is not going to find me guilty, so I'm going to take this plea.

39:25 Okay. So I'm a bit confused about this still, and I don't know if it's just an abstract concept because I'm not into true crime. But what's the point if you have all this evidence and you admit you're not guilty? Like, why is that a thing? It's a very nuanced concept, and the law is tricky. Dad and I always talk about how we need to go to law school to be able to understand it all. And I don't really quite understand it, but a lot of people have. They take an Alford plea because it's a lesser sentence, And in this case, Diane took it because she didn't want to be killed. She didn't, you know, she didn't want the death penalty, right, Okay, So Diane showed no remorse for killing her husband and son and for disabling her daughter, causing her permanent brain damage. In twenty eighteen, Diane was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Rachel addressed the court and publicly apologized to her sister Sarah. She tearfully said, quote, I'm sorry I couldn't find the courage to stand up for what was right, to go for help and protect you. I can try and change and become a better person. I want you to know that you're an inspiration to me. Thank you for showing me who I can't be. End quote. Rachel, unlike her mother, seemed to be remorseful. She will be eligible for parole in twenty fifty five, when she is sixty five years of age. She doesn't seem like you were buying Rachel's heartfelt statement there no no, but a lot of times it does

40:58 feel like when people are reading their statements in front of the court room that sometimes they do come off as artificial and maybe hoping that the judge will take pity on them, and the judge here wasn't having it. The twenty twenty two interview with twenty twenty is the only time Diane has spoken publicly about her crimes. It's a chilling interview, and she expresses no remorse and makes ridiculous accusations. She presents with flat affect and is very careful of what she says. When first questioned, Diane claimed that she killed her husband because someone was threatening her, but she refused to name them. She said she was told by this mysterious person quote no hospitals, no doctors, or I will kill you. End quote. She denied any culpability. There is no proof that anyone other than Diane and Rachel were involved in the murders of Mark and Sean and the attempted murder of Sarah. She claimed that Mark was involved in drug trafficking and those people were after her and her family. She said, quote Mark was with some people that are just very dangerous. People have disappeared.

42:05 I was told in jail that Mark had been green lighted to be killed by a hitman. I'm saying somebody probably came in and gave him something. End quote. She said that Sean took his own life. When shown a picture of Sarah, Diane said, oh, wow, she's gained wake. That's the most expressive she's been in anything I know. And it's such like a horrible, meanlike mom thing to say, you know, yeah, and she like put her daughter in the hospital. She's permanent, she has permanent disabilities. And that's her statement, Like, Oh, it looks like she's, you know, overcome a lot of things, and she looks healthy, and oh she's trying so hard in therapy and no, oh wow, she's Yeah, it's disgusting. She said she's sorry for all that Sarah has gone through, and she hopes she is happy. Sarah said she loves her mother and sister, but also hates them. She has no contact with them. At Diane's sentencing hearing, she said, quote, I prefer to be a survivor than a victim. I forgive my mom for what she did to me, but she not only took away my dad and brother, but she took away my lifestyle, livelihood, and my independence. End quote. So that's pretty much the story of the Staudi family. Wow, isn't it sad? Yeah?

43:29 That was really sad. Rihanna was sent to live in a foster care and I don't believe she has any contact with her mother or sister, and she was given a new identity. Okay. Diane and Rachel occasionally exchanged letters. They reside in different prisons. Rachel is incarcerated at the Women's Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center. Diana is incarcerated at the Chili Cothee Correctional Center in Chiliicothee, Missouri. I hope I said that right, Rachel has a her conviction. She argued, quote, when lawyers were appointed, my fear of men was not accommodated, leaving to miscommunication, coercion, and mental dress.

44:10 Being in an interview room alone with a male detective was like being flailed alive. End quote. So I knew that this quote was there, and then when I went back and watched the interviews, I thought, you know, she actually seems fine. I don't think I mean, she was under a little bit of dress, but I think she was fine. So what do you think of this case? What do you think Diane's motive was. I mean, I do question whether Mark was abusive to Diane and the children. I think he was verbally abusive. I think the whole house was just it just sounds like they were all at odds with each other. You know, they didn't have a lot of space, they didn't have a lot of money, and you know, Mark, he didn't work other than his music gig where you know, he probably made little to no money. That I understand that Dane was probably super stressed out. Yeah, it sounds like maybe she just had a low tolerance for that type of stress and it just got to her and one of the kids were you know, like twenty six, twenty two, and twenty four. And I'm not excusing her behavior even a little bit, but I think she was under a lot of stress. I feel like Diane was genuinely stressed with what was going on, and for whatever reason, her and Rachel kind of trauma bonded over that and they thought they were better than the rest of the family too. Right, Yeah, that bothered

45:40 me with the whole mental illness with the other children, how dismissed they were of that, And yeah, like Sean could have been put in assisted living, and you know, Sarah would have gotten a job eventually. And Brianna was a bait. I mean, you know, gratefully she wasn't killed. Yeah, she was only eleven or twelve, right, so really it was really a sad story, right, Yeah, I hope she's okay now. So I think we have a pretty good mother daughter bond. Yeah, I would agree, And I've never really felt like getting rid of any family members. You've never come to me and said okay, snow, I can't. Like That's why I can't get into true crime as much, because I just can't put myself in these mindsets and it's just it's gross to me. Yeah, you're not a true crime person. Really, I'm a softie. I like, I like, but yeah, anyone else, I just we don't even really listen to our podcast I used to when I would clean do What did we do to offend you? Oh? Nothing, I just I don't listen to podcasts much anymore. Yeah, you did have a job where you were cleaning houses and then you listen to us quite a bit. Then, Yeah, it was. It was almost comforting at that time. We'll rest in peace to Sean and Mark and I feel horrible about what happened to Sarah.

47:01 Yeah, she seems like she's she's doing pretty well, but she'll never be able to live on her own. So there's this thing I keep saying online and social media, would you rather be in the woods with a bear or a man? Have you heard this? I haven't, No, Okay, so a lot of people are just women, you know, asking women would you rather be in the woods with a bear or a man? I mean it depends on the man, and it depends on the bear. I mean, if it's Paddington Bear, then I'm going to be in those woods with that bear. I don't think. I don't think Paddington hangs out in the woods though. I think he's in like a nice little English cottage somewhere.

47:45 I mean, this is a hypothetical, so it doesn't have to be realistic. Well, you get the gist of the question, right, Like a lot of women are saying, yeah, I like my odds better with a grizzly bear than a man. So it's just a random man. You don't know if it's going to be yeah, yeah, you don't, right, and you don't know if the bear is a domesticated bear or a grizzly bear. Okay, but they're both approximately the same size and weight. Allry, I guess I'd take my chances with the bear. Then you think so, yeah, I mean, I've never come face to face with the bear, and I think that the bear would pick up on my vibes and know that I'm I'm chill. I hate that women are never safe and we have to make these choices all the time, and we always have to be aware that you know of our circumstances. Yes, well, thank you for doing this. It was it was fun to do it with you. It was fun. I was nervous, but you did great. You're a great daughter.

48:44 You're a great person. I get it from my mama. No, you don't. You're a good person on your own. I love you. I'm proud of you. You're a great kid. You've been pretty great your whole life. We've had some we've had some blips, for sure. Those teen years weren't so easy. I know Mother's Day is kind of a tricky holiday for a lot of people, and I'm thinking of you and sending you at our listeners love, and I've talked to so many of you, and I know your great parents and your great moms, and I respect you guys. And I wanted to say that one of our very good listener friends, Cindy, lost her mom this week and we're thinking of you, Cindy, and we love you. Do you have anything you want to say before we go? Yes? I do. Be nice to my mom please, and my dad for what it's worth. Anytime they get a rude comment, I hear about it and it hurts my feelings for them because they try their best.

49:45 So that's all I have to say. Be nice to them, please, do you know what I ninety nine point nine nine percent of our listeners are just really sweet and amazing. But thank you for saying that and having our backs. We appreciate you. I love you, I love you, and I love da. Maybe you'll come back for fathers. Maybe brother if you can't get my brother, Yeah, brother was like nope, nope. Well please rate, review, follow and subscribe, find us on social media, or send us an email at Lovemarykill at gmail dot com, and please consider supporting us on Patreon dot com slash Lovemrykill one tier five dollars a month for early ad free access and a monthly bonus episode until next time. Don't kill your Kid, Don't kill your Mom. The competing with the