1 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:16,279 Speaker 1: Diversion audio. A note this episode contains mature content and 2 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: descriptions of violence that may be disturbing for some listeners. 3 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: Please take care in listening. July twenty sixth, two thousand 4 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: and nine was the perfect summer day. It was a Sunday, 5 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: and the highway was packed with families returning to the 6 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: city from weekend trips upstate. Station wagons stuffed with coolers, 7 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: camping equipment, and screaming children vied for their piece of 8 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:51,599 Speaker 1: the road. Frances Bagley and his wife Jean were one 9 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: of the cars traveling on the freeway that day. They 10 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: were returning home from a trip up to Delaware County 11 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: when they noticed a red forward Windstar driving behind them. 12 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: The car got closer and closer until it was right 13 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: on their tail. The driver flashed her lights and honked repeatedly. 14 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: Jean braced herself for a crash. As the vehicle came 15 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: within a hard stopping distance of their back bumper. The 16 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: Windstar swerved to the right. It tried to pull up 17 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 1: onto the grassy shoulder and pass them. As the minivan 18 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: edged off the road, the driver seemed to reconsider and 19 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: dove back into traffic. There was something oddly precise about 20 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: the driver's movements. She moved in and out of the lanes, 21 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: almost as if she were doing it with a purpose. 22 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: The Bagglies watched in horror as the other cars swerved 23 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: out of her way, allowing the red minivan to zigzag 24 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: its way down the crowded highway. Jean and Frances didn't 25 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: catch a glimpse of the driver's face as she sped 26 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: by them, but there were plenty of other witnesses who did. 27 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: What they described was a middle aged woman with an 28 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: oddly placid expression. She sat in the driver's seat with 29 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: her back straight and her hands gripping the steering wheel. 30 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: At ten and two, she looked forward, unblinking, focusing intently 31 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: on the road in front of her. As one witness 32 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: would later put it, she didn't stop, she didn't slow down, 33 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: she didn't move. I thought it was some one who 34 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: was dead set on killing themselves. Welcome to the greatest 35 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: true crime stories ever told. I'm Mary Kay mac braer. 36 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 1: To day's episode, We're calling Diane Schuller the Wrong Way Home. 37 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: It's the story of an ordinary suburban mom who did 38 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: something extraordinarily terrible and how the people who were left 39 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: to pick up the pieces found themselves, asking the same 40 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: question over and over again, why more after the break? 41 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: When I listen to true chrome stories, even when I 42 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: watch very fictional horror movies, I want an actual ending, 43 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: no ambiguous was it all a dream? Closing scenes in 44 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 1: fiction that's lazy writing. Nothing will get me to quit 45 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: a TV show faster than a cliffhanger ending. It's not 46 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: a cliffhanger. You just didn't finish the story, and that 47 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: means you don't believe in your show enough to trust 48 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: that your audience will return if you give them an 49 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: answer to the question you've been posing all along. What 50 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: they don't tell you unless you're in a writing class, 51 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: is that real life doesn't have that tidy causality. Event 52 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: A doesn't ever directly cause event B, and all conclusions 53 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 1: have been chosen. You have to transpose the meaning when 54 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: you tell the story, otherwise it's just a list of 55 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: shit that happened. The example I always used when teaching 56 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: creative writing was this, real life, the queen died and 57 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: then the king died. In writing, the queen died and 58 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: then the king died of grief. We add the causality 59 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: when we tell us story, whether we mean to or not, 60 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: fiction or nonfiction. The telling of the story is what 61 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: makes the cause and effect. It's why the answer to 62 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 1: who done it is so easy to spot after the fact. 63 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: We know what happened, so in retrospect we can build 64 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:27,119 Speaker 1: the narrative with relevant details and leave out almost everything else. 65 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: On the other hand, journalism has to put the lead 66 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: at the top. Leaving it till the end implies too much, 67 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:43,480 Speaker 1: and a plot is a creative device. Basically, there are 68 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: no true stories. Life is too subjective to have three acts, 69 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: or even five. If you want to be fatalistic, you 70 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: could say that everything that happens is random. We get 71 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: to decide the meaning based on how we tell the story, 72 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: like Joan Diddyon said, and we tell ourselves stories in 73 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: order to live. So we avoided telling this story about 74 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: Diane Shuller for a while because the causality is so 75 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: subjective that it seems to not exist. There are too 76 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: many theories that leave too much unanswered, and that bothers me. 77 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: But we're telling it now because this is an important 78 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: story and it needs a conclusion. So bear with me 79 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: as I walk you through what happened, because it did happen. 80 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: Maybe you'll find a narrative thread that I couldn't see. 81 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: When people describe Diane Schuller, the person they remember was 82 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:52,479 Speaker 1: a domestic machine. Diane took care of everything. She made 83 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: sure the car got washed, the gutters got cleaned, and 84 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: the kids got picked up from soccer practice, and she 85 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: did it all with a smile on her face, without complaint. 86 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: Diane was born in nineteen seventy three in Floral Park, 87 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: New York. Floral Park is a quiet suburb on the 88 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: eastern edge of Long Island. It's the kind of small 89 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: East Coast town where everyone knows everyone, where people know 90 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: their roles and they don't question them. Diane's mother left 91 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: the family when she was only nine. Though she was 92 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: the youngest child, Diane was the girl of the house, 93 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: and that meant that the role of mother figure passed 94 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: to her. She became the one who cleaned the kitchen 95 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: and did the laundry, who took care of her three 96 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: older brothers. If Diane resented all that responsibility, she did 97 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: not show it. In fact, she seemed to take to 98 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: the role. Diane liked being in control. Floral Park is 99 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: the kind of town where most women are married with 100 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: children by their early twenties, but Diane never dated much. 101 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: For a while, it must have seemed like the whole 102 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: marriage and family thing just wasn't going to happen for her, 103 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: so Diane focused on other things. She spent a few 104 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: years attending Nassau Community College, but dropped out after getting 105 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: an administrative job at an East Coast television network called Cablevision. 106 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 1: It was exactly the kind of move that an organized, efficient, 107 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: take charge sort of person might make. At Cablevision, there 108 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: was room for Diane to grow. Before long, she wasn't 109 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 1: the assistant anymore. Someone else was assisting her. She moved 110 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: up to the role of corporate accounting executive, and soon 111 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: she was making six figures. Her life was going well, 112 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: and then at a friend's wedding in nineteen ninety six, 113 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: Diane met Danny. Daniel Schuler was handsome and fun. He 114 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,680 Speaker 1: loved camping and fishing, and he was on his way 115 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: to becoming a public safety officer for the Nassau County 116 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: Public Parks Department. But more important than any of that, 117 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: he and Diane just clicked from the start. In one interview, 118 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: Danny's mother described how Diane made all the decisions. Danny 119 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 1: was like her eldest son. Look, it takes all kinds 120 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: and if it worked for them, it worked for them. 121 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: Diane and Danny bought a beige split level with a 122 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: big yard and a small town of West Babylon. It 123 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: was just twenty miles away from the house where Diane 124 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: grew up. In two thousand and four, Diane gave birth 125 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: to a son, Brian, and then two years later she 126 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: had a daughter, Aaron. Diane settled into the role of matriarch, 127 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: the same role she'd always played, only now it was 128 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: her own house and her own family. Diane made sure 129 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: that her kids never had to worry about their mother 130 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: abandoning them. The house in West Babylon seemed like a 131 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: happy one. There were parties and cookouts in the big backyard, 132 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 1: picture perfect Christmases and Easter dinners, and Diane presided over 133 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: all of it. She was the one who decorated the 134 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:15,680 Speaker 1: house and sent out the Christmas cards. She made Valentines 135 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: for her brothers and nieces, photo albums for their in laws. 136 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: She made most of the money, paid the bills, cooked dinner, 137 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: and took the kids into bed, all without a word 138 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: of complaint. After all, Diane liked being in charge. She 139 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: was good at it, and she had to be good 140 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 1: at it. In July of two thousand and nine, Danny 141 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: and Diane planned to take their two kids and three 142 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: nieces on a camping trip up to Hunter Lake Campground 143 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: in the Catskills. The nieces were the three daughters of 144 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:59,559 Speaker 1: Diane's older brother, Warren Hants. There was eight year old Emma, 145 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 1: seven year old Allison, and five year old Katie. Diane 146 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: was always close with her brother Warren and his wife Jackie. 147 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: The two families often spent time together, but the Hants 148 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:16,079 Speaker 1: adults were not exactly camping people, which same, so they 149 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: decided to sit the trip out. Diane was going to 150 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: borrow Jackie's larger car and drive all five children to 151 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: the campsite on her own. On Friday, Danny left early 152 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,839 Speaker 1: to set up the camp site. A few hours later, 153 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: Diane drove to the Hanses to pick up their three girls. 154 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: Diane and the kids piled into Jackie's red Ford Windstar, 155 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: and Jackie Hans waved goodbye as they drove away. Jackie 156 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: was prone to anxiety, so perhaps it wasn't surprising that 157 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: she felt a pang of nerves when she learned Warren 158 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 1: and Diane's father would not be joining the trip. She 159 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: dismissed the thought as irrational. The campsite was only a 160 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:06,320 Speaker 1: few hours away, and besides, Diane was one of the 161 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: most responsible people she knew. Jackie could trust Diane. The 162 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: last weekend of July two thousand and nine was a 163 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 1: beautiful one. Danny, Diane, and the kids spent it fishing, hiking, 164 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: and swimming in the lake. When Sunday rolled around, they 165 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: were tired, happy, and ready to go home. According to Danny, 166 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 1: he woke up around six am and went down to 167 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:49,560 Speaker 1: the dock to clean out his boat. Diane was up 168 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 1: around seven cleaning, packing, and doing what needed to be 169 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 1: done so they could hit the road before traffic got bad. 170 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: By nine point thirty they were ready to leave. Danny 171 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 1: got into his truck with the dog. Diane and the 172 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: kids followed behind in the minivan. The owner of the 173 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: campground bid them goodbye. She remembered hugging Diane, and everything 174 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: seemed perfectly normal in a way. This moment when Danny 175 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 1: and Diane's path diverged is where the mystery begins. What 176 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: exactly happened after that point is anyone's guess. While many 177 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 1: of the events of July twenty sixth, two thousand and 178 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: nine remain a mystery, there are some things we can 179 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 1: piece together from the various people who encountered Diane Schuler 180 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: that day. Danny headed straight home and put in a 181 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: load of laundry, while Diane and the kids stopped for 182 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: breakfast at a McDonald's about fifteen minutes from the campsite. 183 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: Diane bought breakfast for the kids and coffee and an 184 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 1: orange juice for herself. The employees at the McDonald's remembered 185 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 1: Diane her son Brian, wanted to order chicken nuggets, but 186 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,079 Speaker 1: they didn't serve them that early, so Diane asked to 187 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 1: speak to a manager. It seems like Diane was unusual 188 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: for and I want to speak to the manager type, 189 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,679 Speaker 1: because according to the employees, she was perfectly reasonable. She 190 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 1: was polite, sane, and sober, just determined to get some 191 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: chicken nuggets for her son. Diane and the kids were 192 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 1: in and out of the McDonald's within half an hour, 193 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: no small feat for a single adult with five children. 194 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: The next record of their journey comes from a gas 195 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 1: station at eleven Diane stopped at a Sonoko and went 196 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 1: into the Minimore to ask if they stalked tylan al 197 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: or aspirin. The clerk told her they didn't have anything, 198 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: and Diane left without incident. The clerk remembers her seeming normal, 199 00:14:48,400 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 1: just like everyone else. There's a video of Diane and 200 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: walking into the mini mart, grainy footage of her striding 201 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: confidently into the store and surveying the aisles of chips 202 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 1: and candy. She does seem normal, but then you can 203 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:15,200 Speaker 1: never quite know what's going on under the surface. At 204 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: eleven thirty seven, Emma, the oldest of Diane's nieces, called 205 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: her father on Diane's cell. She told him they hit 206 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: traffic and would be getting home later than planned. Then, 207 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: at twelve oh eight pm, Jackie Hans called Diane to 208 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: ask what time they'd be arriving. It was an ordinary conversation. 209 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: They chatted about logistics, Diane asked about getting tickets for 210 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: a play that Emma was in. After a few minutes, 211 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 1: they hung up. Jackie wasn't worried, as far as she knew, 212 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: there was no reason to be. But the next time 213 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: Emma called her mother, there was very clear cause for concern. 214 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 1: When Jackie picked up. Emma said there's something wrong with 215 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: Aunt Diane. Jackie could hear her other daughters crying in 216 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: the background. She asked Emma what was going on, but 217 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: the eight year old was too upset to give her 218 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: a real answer. Before Jackie could get any more information, 219 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: Diane took the phone from Emma. She told Jackie that 220 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: the kids were just playing around, being silly. Diane's words 221 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: sounded slurred as she continued talking. Jackie noticed that her 222 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 1: sentences were incoherent. Jackie was growing increasingly panicked. She asked 223 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: Diane to give the phone back to Emma, but Diane 224 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 1: ignored her. Soon the call was cut off. Jackie's husband 225 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: and Diane's brother, Warren, arrived home just as the call ended. 226 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: He called Diane back right away. They stayed on the 227 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 1: phone for eight minutes as Diane drove through a toll 228 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: booth and then pulled over at a rest stop. Warren 229 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: told his sister not to go anywhere. Then he got 230 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: her to hand the phone back to Emma, who read 231 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 1: him the nearby road signs. Warren thought they must be 232 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: just beyond the tappan Zee Bridge, near the village of Terrytown. 233 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 1: It was only forty five minutes away. He told Diane 234 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: to stay where she was he was coming to get her. 235 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: That was the last time anyone ever spoke to Diane. 236 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 1: Half an hour after Warren left his house, calls flooded 237 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:32,479 Speaker 1: into nine one one. There was a woman driving seventy 238 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,919 Speaker 1: five miles an hour down the Taconic State Parkway and 239 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:45,719 Speaker 1: she was going the wrong way. The north and southbound 240 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 1: lanes of Taconic State Parkway are separated by a wide, 241 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: grassy median. The road wasn't made for cars going seventy 242 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,919 Speaker 1: or eighty miles an hour, and it's obvious the narrow, 243 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: twisting highway has a reputation for being a scary road. 244 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: For whatever unknown reason. After the call with her brother, 245 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:18,640 Speaker 1: Diane exited the freeway headed back north. She drove fifteen 246 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:22,679 Speaker 1: miles in the opposite direction of her home before entering 247 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: the Taconic State Parkway at one thirty three pm via 248 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 1: an exit ramp. People who witnessed her driving said that 249 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 1: her expression was almost serene, that she drove in a 250 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: straight line without swerving or veering off course. Diane raced 251 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:45,119 Speaker 1: down the two lane highway for almost two miles, unfazed 252 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:47,439 Speaker 1: by the honking cars that lurched out of her way 253 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 1: as she barreled down on them. Finally, one of those 254 00:18:52,080 --> 00:19:06,879 Speaker 1: cars didn't make it out of her way. Guy Bastardi 255 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: was driving up to his sister's house in Yorktown Heights 256 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 1: for dinner along with his eighty one year old father 257 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 1: and a family friend. Seven miles from their destination, a 258 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: GMC driving in front of them swerved out of the 259 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 1: way to avoid Diane's minivan. There was no time to react. 260 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: Guy's car collided head on with Diane's minivan in a 261 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 1: blast of tearing metal. The Windstar rolled down the grassy 262 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 1: slope beside the highway and burst into flames. Guy bas 263 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:43,879 Speaker 1: Stardi's car was flung in the opposite direction. It skidded 264 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:46,879 Speaker 1: across the two lane freeway and was hit by the 265 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 1: stun driver of a Chevy Tracker. The occupants of that 266 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: car escaped with only minor injuries, but seven of the 267 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:58,120 Speaker 1: nine people and the other two cars were killed on impact. 268 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 1: Five year old ca Katie was rushed to the hospital, 269 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: but she died soon after her arrival. The only survivor 270 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:11,160 Speaker 1: was Diane's five year old son, Brian. The media frenzy 271 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: began almost immediately. By eleven PM, reporters arrived at the Bustardes' home. 272 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:21,680 Speaker 1: The following morning, a media mob gathered outside the Hans's house. 273 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: Donations to the families came flooding in, including nearby restaurants 274 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:31,480 Speaker 1: that provided food for the Hans girl's funeral. Thousands of 275 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 1: people attended the wake, and a local priest pulled strings 276 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:38,080 Speaker 1: so that the girls could be buried right away alongside 277 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 1: their aunt and cousin. Reporters questioned whether there was enough 278 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:46,119 Speaker 1: signage at the exit ramp. A few speculated that Diane 279 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: may have been trying to kill herself, but for the 280 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,360 Speaker 1: most part, those covering the crash did not blame Diane. 281 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: She was painted as a loving and responsible parent. As 282 00:20:57,119 --> 00:21:00,239 Speaker 1: far as anyone could see. Diane was just as much 283 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 1: a victim as anyone else, which leaves the question why 284 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:08,440 Speaker 1: did this happen? Maybe there weren't as many wrong way 285 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: signs as there could be, but there were signs. Why 286 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 1: didn't she try to pull off the road when she 287 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: realized she was going the wrong way? Why did she 288 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 1: go fifteen miles in the wrong direction? How did she 289 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 1: end up on the Taconic in the first place. As 290 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 1: the investigation proceeded, a different story started to emerge. Investigators 291 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 1: soon managed to track down witnesses who encountered the forward 292 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: Windstar earlier in the day. They spoke to one couple 293 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:42,439 Speaker 1: who remembered seeing the car around eleven thirty am, just 294 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 1: half an hour after Diane was at the Sunoco station, 295 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 1: seeming perfectly normal. Several drivers saw the minivan honking, aggressively, 296 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:56,360 Speaker 1: tailgating other cars, and zigzagging between the lanes of traffic. Then, 297 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: at eleven forty five, just fifteen minutes before that very 298 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:04,639 Speaker 1: ordinary conversation with Jackie Hans, a couple reported seeing the 299 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: car pulled over by the side of the road. Diane 300 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:11,160 Speaker 1: appeared to be standing beside it, vomiting into the grass. 301 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:15,400 Speaker 1: Another couple reported a similar story from a half hour later. 302 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 1: Diane pulled over with her hands on her knees, apparently 303 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 1: throwing up. And there was another clue. After accident, reconstructionists 304 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 1: moved the seats from the minivan, they found a broken 305 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 1: vodka bottle. Then came the autopsy report. According to the report, 306 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,680 Speaker 1: Diane's blood alcohol content was zero point one nine percent, 307 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: well past the legal limit of point zero eight. There 308 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,640 Speaker 1: were six grams of undigested alcohol still in her stomach, 309 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 1: and a high level of tetrahydrocannabinol. That's THHC, the part 310 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,199 Speaker 1: of pot that gets you high. The conclusion reached by 311 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: the medical examiner was that Diane consumed the equivalent of 312 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,879 Speaker 1: ten drinks that day and smoked within an hour of 313 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: the crash. After the details of the autopsy came out, 314 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: the backlash was swift and fierce. People were furious with 315 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: Diane Schuler. The New York Post reported rumors that Diane 316 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 1: was a drinker and her marriage was on the rocks. 317 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: They claimed the campground where Danny and Diane took the 318 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: kids was a known party spot. Hateful messages from people 319 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: all over the country filled Danny's social media feed. The 320 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:52,879 Speaker 1: Bustardi family thought Diane was a murderer and suspected that 321 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:56,400 Speaker 1: Danny knew she was drinking. They wondered if the Hanses 322 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:58,679 Speaker 1: could have known as well, if that was why they 323 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:03,159 Speaker 1: drove to get Diane rather than immediately calling nine one one. 324 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,479 Speaker 1: Danny was an ordinary guy, and suddenly he was thrust 325 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 1: into the spotlight. He needed someone to help him handle 326 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:16,440 Speaker 1: the national media machine. Enter Dominic, Barbara Dominic, Barbara was 327 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:20,880 Speaker 1: a Long Island lawyer famous for defending high profile clients. 328 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,400 Speaker 1: At least at the time, that's what he was known for. 329 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: These days, he's remembered for his multiple arrests for extortion 330 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 1: and assault. Of everyone in this story, he's the only 331 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,920 Speaker 1: one who strikes me as a true villain. Up until 332 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 1: he got involved, there was some tension between the Hanses 333 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 1: and Danny Schuler, but things got so much worse after 334 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:47,200 Speaker 1: Dominick entered the picture. As Jackie hans put it, quote, 335 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:51,919 Speaker 1: that's when the small rift between our families became a chasm. 336 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 1: On August sixth, Dominic called a press conference where a 337 00:24:55,920 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: deeply grieving Danny spoke about his late wife. He described 338 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:04,359 Speaker 1: Diane as a perfect wife and mother, an innately responsible person, 339 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:08,640 Speaker 1: and the love of his life. When he talked about Diane, 340 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 1: Danny's expression softened, and it was easy to believe that 341 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: he meant everything he said. But it definitely wasn't what 342 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: the grieving families wanted to hear, And what they found 343 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,399 Speaker 1: especially infuriating was what he said at the end of 344 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: the press conference. He said, listen to this. My heart 345 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 1: is clear. She didn't drink. She's not an alcoholic did 346 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 1: you get that I go to bed every night knowing 347 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:38,680 Speaker 1: my heart is clear. That sentence, more than any other, 348 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 1: enraged the Hands and Bustardi families, and it stoked the 349 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:46,919 Speaker 1: media's fascination with the case. Over the next few weeks, 350 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 1: Dominic Barbara lined up a series of media appearances for 351 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:55,760 Speaker 1: Danny and his sister in law, Jay Jay was married 352 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 1: to Danny's brother, but she was always close with Danny 353 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 1: and Diane, Aaron's godmother, and after the crash, she took 354 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:07,879 Speaker 1: up the cause of being Diane's defender. Every interview only 355 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: seemed to make things worse for Danny's reputation and inflame 356 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:15,679 Speaker 1: the animosity between the families. The Bustardes in particular, were 357 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: frustrated by the pace of the investigation into Danny's possible 358 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:22,640 Speaker 1: knowledge of Diane's drinking. Once they learned that there would 359 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 1: be no grand jury hearing, the family decided to file 360 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: a civil suit against Diane's estate and Warren Hands. The 361 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: case against Warren Hants might seem uncalled for, but apparently 362 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: the Bustardes needed to include them in the case because 363 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:42,120 Speaker 1: the mini van had belonged to Warren. Before the case 364 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:45,359 Speaker 1: could go to court, Danny filed his own suit against 365 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:49,879 Speaker 1: the State of New York and against Warren Hants. Danny 366 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: was more certain than ever that his wife had knowingly 367 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:56,720 Speaker 1: drunk ten shots of vodka and then gotten into a 368 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:01,720 Speaker 1: van with five children. Now claimed that the highway's poor 369 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 1: construction and lack of signage contributed to the accident, and 370 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: that the mini van Warren loaned Diane was in a 371 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: state of disrepair, making Warren quote vicariously liable. To me, 372 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 1: this lawsuit feels like the last grasp of a desperate man. 373 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: He was suing the state for building bad roads and 374 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:26,160 Speaker 1: Warren for loaning them a faulty car. Danny was also 375 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:29,760 Speaker 1: trying to get another medical examiner to exhume Diane's body, 376 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:34,119 Speaker 1: and he wanted to retest the results from the toxicology report. 377 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:36,879 Speaker 1: From what I can tell, there was nothing wrong with 378 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 1: the car, and the road had plenty of signs. Danny 379 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:43,800 Speaker 1: did eventually get the toxicology results retested, and they came 380 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,360 Speaker 1: back the same, But it didn't matter. All that mattered 381 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,399 Speaker 1: was that Danny was doing anything and everything he could 382 00:27:50,720 --> 00:28:02,120 Speaker 1: to avoid facing the truth. There are plenty of theories 383 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 1: about why what happened happened, one of the most popular 384 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 1: theories will call the tooth absess theory. Dominic Barbara said 385 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 1: that about a year before the accident, Diane was having 386 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:18,920 Speaker 1: severe tooth pain. She went to a dentist and was 387 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:22,159 Speaker 1: scheduled for a root canal, but left the dentist's office 388 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:26,800 Speaker 1: before the procedure could be completed. Diane didn't like accepting 389 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: help or admitting that she was in pain. She was 390 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: the kind of person who believed in toughing it out. 391 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:35,720 Speaker 1: If she was still in pain after that visit to 392 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 1: the dentist, she didn't tell anyone, but that didn't mean 393 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: nobody noticed. In the weeks leading up to the accident, 394 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:47,040 Speaker 1: friends and family members noticed Diane rubbing or holding her 395 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: lower jaw. If Diane did have an absessed tooth, and 396 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 1: if that infection spread to her brain, which I know terrifying, 397 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 1: it could have caused confusion and difficulty seeing. Maybe Diane, 398 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: in a state of delirium, grabbed the bottle of vodka 399 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: thinking it was water, or maybe she tried to use 400 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:12,120 Speaker 1: it to numb the pain from the abscess. After all, 401 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 1: she did stop for pain relief at the Sunoco. I 402 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: don't understand this mentality at all. But some people believe 403 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 1: that being on no medication is a moral statement. I 404 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: again don't personally understand that at all, especially because if 405 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: you're around these people then you have to hear about 406 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 1: their discomfort. This martyrdom is for the final record, completely unnecessary, 407 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: because you are suffering for nothing. According to her friends 408 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,760 Speaker 1: and family, Diane was definitely one of those people who 409 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 1: avoid medicine, and if she was trying to buy a 410 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:48,280 Speaker 1: pain relief, then something was very wrong. This brings up 411 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:51,400 Speaker 1: another of the theories about the crash, the idea that 412 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: Diane may have suffered some kind of stroke or aneurysm. 413 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 1: Most types of strokes would have been detected in the autopsy, 414 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 1: but there is one kind that doesn't cause permanent damage. 415 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 1: Dominic Barbara suggested that Diane could have suffered a transient 416 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: ischemic attack, a condition caused by a blockage of blood 417 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:15,560 Speaker 1: flow to the brain. This kind of attack usually only 418 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 1: lasts for one or two minutes, but in very rare 419 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 1: cases it can last up to twenty four hours. It 420 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: can also cause confusion and disorientation. As with the tooth 421 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:31,120 Speaker 1: absess theory, this attack could have caused Diane to drink 422 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: the vodka by mistake. These theories are both possible, but 423 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 1: they're not exactly plausible. They don't explain the marijuana in 424 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:45,240 Speaker 1: Diane's system or the reason that the vodka bottle was 425 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 1: in the car in the first place. But there's one 426 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 1: explanation that stands out above all the others because it 427 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 1: does account for those things. That's the theory that Diane 428 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: struggled with a substance abuse problem. In this theory, Diane 429 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: didn't drink ten shots of vodka during that last hour 430 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 1: of the day. She'd been drinking since she stopped at 431 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 1: the McDonald's at ten am. She drank vodka because it 432 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: was easy to hide. And Diane always hid her problems. 433 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: She hid tooth pain and emotional pain. And if she 434 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 1: did have a drinking problem, I'm guessing she would have 435 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: hidden that too. If you subscribe to the theory of Ockham's 436 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 1: razor the idea that the simplest solution is the most 437 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:35,320 Speaker 1: accurate solution, then yeah, she had a substance abuse problem. 438 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 1: And let's be honest here. As fun as it might be, 439 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:43,360 Speaker 1: life is not an Agatha Christie novel. No Owl knocked 440 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 1: her down the staircase, and OJ did it in this 441 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 1: version of events, Diane drank throughout the day, but if 442 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: she did, no one agreed to it in court. In 443 00:31:55,560 --> 00:32:00,560 Speaker 1: twenty fourteen, all of the Taconic State lawsuits were settled privately, 444 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: they talk about the case died down, and the families 445 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: who had been impacted by the crash went back to 446 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:23,680 Speaker 1: their separate lives. When we hear this story, we want 447 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 1: to think that there's some crazy explanation for Diane's behavior. 448 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:32,240 Speaker 1: It's always hard to see someone in a caregiving role 449 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:37,240 Speaker 1: as a killer, even if it is anavertent. We prefer 450 00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:39,920 Speaker 1: a story that portrays her as a victim rather than 451 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 1: the very complicated, damaged person she really was. But the 452 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: truth is there's no version of this story where Diane 453 00:32:49,240 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: isn't complicated. Thank you to Jackie Hans for her book 454 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:17,200 Speaker 1: I'll See You Again. That book, along with the film 455 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 1: There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane, was a great help 456 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 1: in writing this episode. Other sources include The Taconic Tragedy, 457 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:30,400 Speaker 1: A Son Search for Truth by Genie Bustardi, and several 458 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:33,719 Speaker 1: news articles. All of these sources are linked in our 459 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:37,440 Speaker 1: show notes. If you want to learn more, join me 460 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: next week on the Greatest True Crime Stories Ever. Told 461 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 1: for the bizarre story of Rebecca Vance. Vance was a 462 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 1: woman whose beliefs took her deep into the conspiracy theory 463 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 1: rabbit hole. That rabbit hole led her, her sister, and 464 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: her teenage son into the Colorado wilderness and left them 465 00:33:56,360 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 1: there to die. And the Greatest True Crime Stories Ever 466 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:11,719 Speaker 1: Told is a production of Diversion Audio. Your host is 467 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: me Mary Kay mcbraer and this episode was written by 468 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 1: Zoe Luisa Lewis. Our show is produced by Emma Dumouth 469 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: and edited by Antonio Enriquez. Our theme music is by 470 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:27,720 Speaker 1: Tyler Cash. Executive produced by Scott Waxman.