The Wild Story of a Mother-Daughter Killing Duo Is Explored in a New 20/20 Special

Diane Staudte and her daughter Rachel confessed to poisoning their family. Now Diane is speaking out in a 20/20 special. Here's what we all know.

In 2012, over a five-month period in Springfield, Mo., Diane Staudte, together with her daughter Rachel, systematically poisoned contributors of her own circle of relatives the use of antifreeze. First, they killed Mark Staudte, Diane's husband and Rachel's father. Soon they turned their points of interest onto Rachel's 26-year-old autistic brother Shaun, killing him as neatly. The try to murder Rachel's sister Sarah Staudte (then 24) did not work as deliberate, however it left her with bodily and neurological harm. The youngest daughter, 9-year-old Brianna, was it seems that left untouched by her mother and sister.

After an nameless tip from her pastor led the police to Diane, both she and Rachel shockingly confessed what they did. What used to be mentioned throughout the confessions of Diane and Rachel Staudte, and what will Diane disclose in a new 20/20 special about the crimes?

(L-R) Diane Staudte and Rachel Staudte

What did Diane Staudte say in her confession?

To say these confessions are haunting is in point of fact now not doing them justice, despite the fact that justice is ultimately served. Once the police were informed of Diane and Rachel's possible involvement in the crimes, they introduced Diane in for questioning. True crime YouTube channel That Chapter included Diane's confession in their episode about the case.

In the recorded confession, Diane is sitting along with her fingers crossed, wearing a floral shirt. She's being interrogated by means of Springfield Police homicide detective Neal McAmis, whose voice is measured and calm. In truth, while asking questions, it nearly sounds as though they're simply two buddies catching up. The very first thing Det. McAmis asks about is Diane's marriage to Mark. "It was not what you'd call a good marriage," she informed him. Diane further stated that buddies told her she must kick Mark out.

According to Diane, she used to be afraid that if she requested Mark to leave, he would kill himself. Regarding daughter Sarah, Diane stated she didn't glance that dangerous and the most effective guilt expressed was no longer taking her to the ER sooner. Diane referred to as her daughter difficult, virtually as if she's laying the groundwork for the police to grasp why she did it. What Diane did not like was the incontrovertible fact that Sarah graduated from school however nonetheless lived at home, with a growing mountain of debt.

Staudte family

In Diane's phrases, "after a while you get tired of doing everything for your kids." The most effective time Diane lit up all over the interrogation was once when her daughter Rachel was introduced up. She spoke about her in such an intense method that Det. McAmis asked Diane if Rachel was concerned in the murders. "Rachel wouldn't hurt a fly," she advised him.

Diane begins calling herself a "horrible mother" because she "knew they were drinking antifreeze." At this point, Diane made it sound as if Mark, Shaun, and Sarah have been willingly eating antifreeze, till Det. McAmis mentioned, "You knew Diane, that they were drinking antifreeze, because you were giving it to them." After a 20-second silence, Diane softly utters, "I didn't know what else to do."

At this level, the main points come tumbling out of Diane. She finds to Det. McAmis that she was once putting the antifreeze into Shaun and Sarah's sodas over the direction of two days. When questioned about Mark, Diane's knee-jerk reaction was once that she didn't do it, but sooner or later admits to poisoning him as well. Why did she do it? Because she didn't like her children. Shaun and Sarah would argue often and "trash the house." Diane also could not stand Mark, who didn't have a stable task however was as an alternative in a band.

Diane Staudte interrogation via Det. McAmis

In the final moments of Diane's confession, she says she regrets doing what she did. "I've screwed up everybody. I've screwed up my whole family." While Diane's confession used to be cold yet quite remorseful (even if she later mentioned it used to be a false confession that was once pressured out of her), Rachel's confession was once chilling.

Rachel Staudte's confession was chilly.

While Diane was being wondered by means of authorities, detectives have been looking out the Staudte's house. There, they discovered Rachel's diary hidden in her closet. People reported that a June 2011 entry (a yr ahead of Mark's demise) mentioned, "It’s sad when I realized how my father will pass on in the next two months...Shaun, my brother will move on shortly after. It will be tough getting used to the changes,” the entry read, “but everything will work out.”

Rachel apparently agreed to help poison her father, but had some reservations about killing Sarah and Shaun. She told Det. McAmis, "Shaun we argued on a lot because I nonetheless assume we can have put him in assisted living, however [Diane] wanted him out." Rachel further said, "Sarah was similarly unneeded. We will have discovered some place else for her. [Diane] was once very adamant that Sarah used to be just a burden."

Perhaps the most shocking revelation is the reason why Diane and Rachel brought Sarah to the hospital. "I didn’t want any other one to die in the area,” she advised McAmis, "because houses are nasty after somebody’s died in it." Rachel additionally said the plan was to in the end kill her little sister Brianna as a result of Rachel "wouldn't be able to take care of her."

Rachel and Diane were charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one rely of attack. Diane is serving a lifestyles sentence with out parole for first-degree homicide and first-degree attack after getting into an Alford plea, which "acknowledges that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict her without admitting guilt."

In March 2015, Rachel plead to blame to second-degree homicide in trade for testifying towards Diane if she ever went to trial. Rachel used to be sentenced to two life prison phrases plus 20 years, however can be eligible for parole after Forty two years

Diane Staudte 20/20 interview

In the 20/20 special featuring Diane's first interview since being sentenced, she does not seem to have a sense of responsibility. Diane is asked what she would say to Sarah, whose was completely broken after being poisoned. "I'm sorry for what she went through," Diane says.

Notice how she says "for what she went through" and no longer "for what I did." Diane then expands her "apology" to incorporate the indisputable fact that she's sorry for what everyone goes through, herself incorporated. It's a mess. Diane additionally suggests that in all probability she was poisoned and that she "can't rule it out."

20/20's Home Sweet Murder airs on Friday, Feb. 25 at 9 p.m. EST on ABC and is available to move on Hulu the following day.

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