Antifreeze Murders Case: Where is Mark Staudte’s Killer Wife Today? – When Mark and Shaun Staudte died in 2012, the police and their friends assumed it was due to natural causes.
However, authorities became suspicious after receiving a surprising tip from an unlikely source. The deaths are chronicled on ABC News’ 20/20: Home Sweet Murder,’ which depicts how an investigation led to the arrest of Mark Staudte’s wife, Diane Staudte.
Let’s take a look at how the cops tracked down the criminal and find out where Diane is now.
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Diane Staudte: Who Is She?
Diane and Mark were high school sweethearts who married and made their home in Springfield, Missouri.
Diane worked primarily as a nurse, but she also played the organ at Redeemer Lutheran Church on the side, and Mark was the lead singer of a local band.
Naturally, Mark’s job did not provide him with a steady income, and Diane quickly found herself shouldering the entire household’s burden.
Brianna, Shaun, Sarah, and Rachel were the couple’s four children. While Rachel was portrayed as the all-around superstar, the show also revealed that Briana has a learning problem and Shaun has autism.
Their sister Sarah, on the other hand, had graduated from college but was unemployed at the time.
When Mark Staudte died abruptly in April, everything in the Staudte household changed dramatically.
His death was certified natural, and Diane utilised the money from his life insurance to relocate herself and her children to a better home. However, the family was shocked to learn of another death when Shaun, then 26 years old, died unexpectedly in September of 2012.
When speaking about her daughter Sarah Staudte, Diane Staudte told @DebRobertsABC, “I’m sorry for what she went through but you know I’m sorry for what everybody goes through.” #ABC2020 https://t.co/KHFe5wPjYH
— 20/20 (@ABC2020) February 26, 2022
Shaun had been suffering from body discomfort, nausea, and diarrhoea for at least three weeks before his death, according to sources, therefore it was determined that he died of natural causes.
Life went on for months, and detectives didn’t think much about Mark and Shaun’s deaths. However, everything was flipped entirely upside down when officials got an anonymous tip in early 2013 claiming that the fatalities were more complicated than they appeared.
Sarah wasn’t doing well, according to the informant, who seemed to hint at homicide.
The police quickly contacted Sarah’s doctor, who informed them that they believed her was suffering from gradual poisoning.
As a result, investigators opted to speak with Diane Staudte after receiving clear evidence of a suspected double murder. Diane appeared to be completely unaware of the situation at first, insisting that she had no knowledge of poisoning.
However, as the authorities interrogated her, she began contradicting herself, claiming that her husband and son were drinking antifreeze to commit suicide, according to the episode.
The cops weren’t pleased, and it wasn’t until they pressed Diane that she admitted to putting antifreeze in her husband’s and son’s drinks.
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With Diane in custody, the cops executed a search order at her home and discovered Rachel’s diary. They discovered that she had jotted down the dates of her father’s and brother’s murders inside the house.
Investigators hauled her in for questioning because it was evident she was complicit in the scheme. Rachel, too, broke down during a tense interview and confessed to assisting her mother in the atrocities.
She went on to say that they looked into a variety of options, including toxic plants, but decided on antifreeze because it was tasteless and undetectable. As a result of their thorough confession, the police arrested both of them and charged them with murder.
What happened to Diane Staudte? Where Is She Today?
Diane and Rachel both pleaded guilty to two charges of first-degree murder after being brought before the court.
As a result, Diane was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release in 2016, while Rachel was sentenced to 42 and a half years in prison.
Diane Staudte is presently detained at the Chillicothe Correctional Center in Chillicothe, Missouri, after being convicted of a single count each of second-degree murder, first-degree murder, and first-degree assault.