Fishy happened here. Or just how fishy . Thats what police want to find out, in a stunning interrogation. Oh, dear god tonight, piecing together the secrets in a highly unusual family. The tellall diary. Their bedside reading . We had a book on ponce nous plants. The garage, always prepared for an emergency. Who as antifreeze in the summertime . And a very strange way of expressing sympathy. I didnt want another one to die in the house. And why is that . Because houses are nasty after somebodys died in it. So, who is left in the family, if they can survive long thuf . Did you think somebody else was going to be next . Talking on camera for the first time only to 20 20, the daughter who did live to tell. I consider them as killers who hate me. Whats wrong with these people . What were you thinking at that point . Oh, god, another one. A family plot. Good evening, thank you so much for joining us this saturday night. Im elizabeth vargas. David is away. Get ready for something you rarely see outside a courtroom. All the detective work that goes into catching a killer. It is an investigation that 20 20 worked on for two years. A bizarre family plot that culminates in the discovery of a secret diary. And this ominous line from it. That says so much. Only the quiet ones will be left. Heres deborah roberts. At the foothills of the o ozarks sits branson, missouri. Drive 45 miles north on old route 66 and youre in springfield, a tranquil college town, where the buckle of the bible belt meets beer joints. Here on paige street, in a modest 900 square foot home, diane and mark embody that unlikely mix of holy water and fire water. Shes the Church Organist down at redeemer lutheran. Hes the lead singer and guitarist of a local blues band, messing with destiny. Youll get the irony a little later. Together, the couple, former college sweethearts, are raising four kids in that small house. Six people, three small bedrooms, one bath. Tight quarters for what looks like a tight family. Did you get any sense of what their relationship was like . As far as i knew, marks life was great. Charles alexander is marks close buddy, and the drummer in the band. He was always happy with the kids. He was always happy with his wife. He loved him. He loved his family. It was just a great family. While things arent great for everyone, see, diane isnt just praying in church, shes paying the bills at home. Okay, mark picks up an occasional shift bartending, but diane, a nurse, is the breadwinner. She seemed to be stable, ended up supporting him, he was the househusband, stayed at home with the children. And if mark was a laid back mr. Mom, the actual mom of the house was civil, if a bit standoffish. Was diane friendly, warm . She was friendly to the point that i can tolerate you being in my driveway. As the years wear on, life just keeps hee s heaping more w on dianes slight shoulders. Support eing her family and dealing with challenges. Shawn has autism. Oldest daughter sarah, a college grad, is still at home with no job and a mountain of student debt. But inside that paige street pressure cooker, dianes beloved child is blossoming. 22yearold rachel, a star student. This is the relationship that would forge the whole familys fate. She congratulates her every time rachel had an accomplishment. When you look at it from the outside in, you look, thats a really close mother daughter relationship, and isnt that great . Ron davis took us to their home. And what was it about rachel that drew her mom to her so intensely, do you think . By all indications, rachel is an exceptional human being. Very smart. Very talented. Artistic. On facebook, diane raves about her beloved rachel. Her art, her academics. But nary a mention for her husband, mark, who in april of 2012 is finally having his moment in the spotlight. We had a good band. We were literally taking off. Hes flying high. Messing with destiny is booking semiregular gigs in branson, joining the Aretha Franklin impersonators who get marquee billing. It is also marks birthday weekend. These are pictures from rehearsal that night. Where charles notices that mark isnt quite himself. What did you think was going on with him . He was just so out of whack. And it wasnt like he was drunk or anything. He was just out of whack. He wasnt with us. Then, the next day, more odd behavior. He showed up at my door on saturday. I went, mark . He said, im here to celebrate my birthday. Only thing struck me out of place was his skin color. What did it look like . Yellow. His skin was actually a yellowish color. So, something was wrong with him. Something was wrong with him. Hes right. On easter sunday, diane comes back from church and finds her husband dead in bed. I was devastated. I was devastated. Did you have any inkling that anything was wrong . Did you get any clue that marks health might have been bad . No. Yet, diane tells authorities her husbands been sick and refused to see a doctor. Theres a curious ring of blood around marks mouth, but its not enough to alarm the medical examiner, who rules the death due to natural causes. Bit of a shock, but i thought, well, you know, he doesnt really exercise, doesnt really cook, so, probably not real Healthy Eating habits. There was no autopsy. There was no testing. He was cremated. His ashes were scattered at a lake. That was it. Diane organizes a memorial service. What was that like . Well, that was it was sad, it was a sad event. The wife wanted us to do a song, in his honor, so, we played the song. Marks favorite song, darkest hour. This is their audio reporting from that day. When i close my eyes i hope to find you as the family copes with marks sudden death, theres a small consolation. A 20,000 Life Insurance payout. Enough for diane to move the family to a new neighborhood and a larger home. They moved into this house right here. Oh. Big difference. It definitely is. Its a step up from where they were. When we come back, the family may have moved on up, but their bad fortunes are just beginning. The coroners van was in their driveway. Because whatever afflicted mark seems to run in the family. I said, it was impossible. I was floored. And eventually, police will suggest a different diagnosis. My husband died last year of a heart attack. D 20 20 saturday continues with more of a family plot. At redeemer lutheran church, pastor jeff sippy tends his flock with fervor and passion. We are jumping for jesus. And in the summer of 2012, devout organist Diane Staudte has good reason to lean on the pastors sermons for strength. Mary arose and went with haste in the hill country. And so, can you see a woman with a mission. Her husband, mark, has recently died. And shes just moved with her four kids to this friendly street, hoping to put that sadness behind them. Rhonda anderson, a church secretary, lives across the street. Did you see them going and coming . One day, the garage door was open, and i thought, im going to go over there and say hi. And just as i got over there, it was really like they looked at me and closed the garage door, really, because i could still seem them standing there. So, i dont think that they wanted to talk to anybody. Rhonda doesnt take it personally, leaving her private neighbors to themselves, until weeks later, one sunday in september, she looks out the window and is shocked by what she sees. The coroners van was in their driveway. A policeman said there was a death in the home. I was blown away. Once again, death has knocked on the staudtes door. The firstborn child, shaun, gone at 26. Diane tells police he had flulike symptoms for three weeks. Well, she reported, she checked on him at about 6 30 in the morning. Went to church. And when she came back from church, found him not in bed anymore, but on the floor, without a pulse. She explains that her son had a history of seizures, and though like his dad, shaun has an odd ring of blood around his mouth, it doesnt look suspicious. So, the med came examiner, after an autopsy, decides that the second stow dooe family death in six months is due to prior medical issues. Theyre thinking wow, poor family. What bad luck. No one was asking questions. And nobody questioned that story . No. Even though her husband had died just months before . Yes. After police leave the scene, rhonda walks over to check on her standoffish neighbor. Surprisingly, diane answers the door. I said, we just saw the coroners van was here. Are you okay . Is everything all right . And he said, oh, yeah, my son died. Was she distraught . No, she said it to me just like that. She said, my son died. Very matter of factually. I just was shocked. Rhonda may be one of the few people diane talks to about shauns death. Because for him, there is no funeral, no memorial, not even an obituary. Like his father, shaun is quickly cremated. Im like, oh, my god, this this mother must be devastated. She lost her husband, now she loses her, her son . Now only the staudte women are left. Diane, her darling rachel, 12yearold brianna and sarah living their secluded lives. I think they closed the doors even tighter, because you didnt see them outside. I dont know how they even got their mail, because we didnt see them at the mailbox. Then the following june, could it be true . The staudte plague strikes again . This time its sarah. Diane has seen this end badly before, so she takes her 24yearold daughter to the emergency room. Sarah is sick, goes to the hospital gravely ill. Sarahs in very grave condition. It does not appear that she is going to survive. Sarahs kidneys shut down. The pancreas and other organs failing. Worst of all, her brain is hemorrhaging blood. Diane turns to facebook, maybe hoping for divine intervention. Asking for prayers as my daughter sarah is in critical condition. Dianes brotherinlaw Michael Staudte is floored by the post. Wow. Its like, a lot of bad luck here, in this family, whats going on . A good question. What is going on . 911, wheres your emergency . Finally, someone in springfield, someone claiming t be close to the family, calls in a tip to police, hinting that the pious Church Organist may harbor an unholy family secret. What did the caller say exactly . That Diane Staudte might be responsible for two or three homicides. Again, brought up marks death, shauns death being very close proximity to each other. Also spoke about the potential that sarah was going to dishgs as well. So, the caller was essentially blowing the whistle on Diane Staudte. Correct. Yes. Armed with that anonymous tip, Springfield Police detective neal mcamis begins investigating. He starts by pulling the reports on mark and shauns deaths. The uncanny similarities are stunning. Mark was experiencing flulike symptoms for several days prior to his death, same type of description with shaun. Now we have sarah thats also in the hospital with flulike symptoms. Police are now connecting the dots. Then detective mcamis visits the hospital. Where he gets more troubling news from sarahs doctor. He had told me that they performed several tests. They couldnt figure out what was going on. And he said that he was suspicious that there it was a possible poisoning case. So your radar goes up . Definitely. Police figure its about time Diane Staudte answers some questions. She voluntarily comes to the station, and in Interview Room number three is it staudte . Staudte. One of the strangest Police Interviews weve ever broadcast begins. Diane discusses sarahs critical condition. Im looking at the lab reports, and its like, you cant be living. Her kidneys were shot. She had a brain bleed. Her pancreas was acting up. Its bad. Okay. Its i mean, she was as close to death as you could get. Her affect may seem strange. But remember, this is a woman dealing with great stress. Emotionally and financially. And her familys crumbling, one by one. My husband died last year of a heart attack. He had a lot of medical issues, though. Did he . What kind of stuff did he have . Oh, he had liver problems. He was diabetic. He wouldnt quit smoking. Do you have a son as well . No, not anymore. He died. He stopped breathing during one of his seizures. Ive just never heard of anybody dying from a seizure before. Is that pretty common . It can happen. The detective steps away, but when we come back, he does too, to turn up the heat on the merry widow. Theres been some things that have come up during the investigation. Its time to learn whats really going on behind closed doors at the staudte home. Im horrible. Im a horrible mother. Stay with us. 20 20 saturday continues with more of a family plot. Over the course of 14 months, the quiet, godfearing staudte family seems as cursed as an oldtestament transgressor. Member after member inexplicably struck down. Mark staudte, who fronted a blues band, and 26yearold son shaun, both suddenly dead. 24yearold sarah, lying in the icu, her kidneys and brain failing. Now police want to know, is this a matter of bad luck or bad intentions . Which is why Diane Staudte, wife, mom and church organ cyst, is sitting in the interer the ration hot seat. I dont know what i can tell you. With cameras rolling, detective mcamis asks about her marriage. And for the first time, glimpses a reservoir of resentment. We were still married, but it was not what youd call a good marriage. Have there ever been any infidelities on either side . He had. He was running around and he would drink and smoke pot. So, he wasnt a very good guy, is what youre saying . Yeah. Even with all his faults, i still loved him. In this Police Interrogation video, diane reveals cracks in the foundation of the staudte home. Was there ever any physical abuse towards you . No. Nothing like that . No. I mean, i didnt think it was that bad. But my kids would probably say otherwise. I wasnt happy. Okay. Now watch as he deploys a classic interrogation technique, shifting from inquisitor to sympathizer. Im a believer myself, so i understand where youre coming from on that. He tells diane sometimes even the righteous reach a breaking point. So what happened with sarah . As far as did i do something to her . I didnt do anything to her. I mean, i guess i could have taken her to the er sooner, but i didnt know. A major reveal. Diane may have delayed taking her daughter to the hospital. That was just kind of where her story started to crumble. And im horrible. Im a horrible mother. Then, a suggestion that shaun may have been suicidal, but again, she admits she did nothing to help. Hed been threatening to kill himself. I didnt want to bother because i was tired of it. Im such a crummy person. Nows your chance to tell us why and to show some remorse, ask for forgiveness. Then she drops a bomb. To put it really short and sweet, i knew they were drinking antifreeze. Drinking antifreeze . And i was so mad at them, i didnt want to take them in. You knew, diane, that they were drinking antifreeze because you were giving it to them. I didnt know what else to do. I really didnt. And there it is. After two hours in the box, Diane Staudte quietly confessing to poisoning her own children with antifreeze. This is a woman whos admitting that she killed her son and tried to kill her own daughter. What are you making of this . I was just totally astonished, to be honest. I couldnt believe what i was hearing. There were times i didnt know what to say or how to react. How long had you been giving them the antifreeze . Maybe a couple of days. And what were you putting it in . Cocacola. How much would you put in . Couple of teaspoons, maybe. But why antifreeze . She explains that its easy to get and easy to disguise. The main ingredient, ethylene glycol, a colorless, odorless, sweettasting and deadly chemical. Killing someone with antifreeze is a classic way to try to mask what youre doing. Takes time, its relatively flavorless, and there are no immediate signs after death unless youre looking for it. Now its all pouring out. A fullblown confession. Diane admitting she poisoned her husband mark the exact same way, spiking his gatorade with antifreeze. Apparently shed had it with a husband she considered an abusive deadbeat. By then, i hated his guts. He would throw things at me. He would throw things at the kids. And i guess id just had enough. Killing her husband is awful enough, but a mother poisoning her own children . This moms motive is downright chilling. Both shaun and sarah would just basically, i dont know, trash the house. Never helped support or even contribute. Shaun would be interfering with whatever i would do. So if he was just a constant bother, wouldnt leave you alone. Oh, he was more than a bother. Would a pest, would that be a good word for it . No, it was more than that. My husband got on my nerves. I couldnt stand him. And my son, you know, was a pest. I mean, did she seem, like, at her wits end . No. She, again, throughout, she stayed flat. Even when this when shes telling me that information, shes, you know, she seemed unfazed. Yep, unfazed, even by the ultimate kicker. Why she poisoned her daughter. And then with sarah, you talked about, you know, she wasnt getting a job and she had these Student Loans and you were going to end up having to pay for them. Thats pretty much. And you just had had it with her, as well . Im not a perpetual killer. Im just stupid. I regret doing it. I really do. Ive screwed up everybody. Ive screwed up my whole family. But its too late. Here come the steel bracelets. Right now, youre going to be under arrest. Case closed . Not by a long shot. See, police are about to search the staudte home, and will find a purple diary with some very purple prose. This was a key piece of evidence. It will prove that diane had a partner and eyes on another target in these horror movie homicides. H, strummed guitar you cant experience the Canadian Rockies through a screen. You have to be here, with us. Theres only one way to travel through this natural wonder and get a glimpse of amazing. And thats with a glass of wine in one hand, and a camera in the other, aboard rocky mountaineer. Canadas Rocky Mountains await. Call your travel agent or rocky mountaineer for special offers now. 20 20 saturday continues. As the freight trains roll through springfield, missouri, the wheels of justice are turning slowly, too. Police are interviewing 22yearold rachel staudte. A star student, a gifted musician and artist. Her moms pride and joy. Mom was there every step of the way, really encouraging and cheerleading rachel to be great. But now, her dearest mommy, Diane Staudte, is behind bars after confessing to the poisoning deaths of her husband and son and the attempted murder of rachels older sister. Rachel . Hi. Can i get you to switch with me . Okay. Police just hit rachel with the news. Confusion.