One Missouri woman who was poisoned by her mother with anti-freeze and nearly died has lived to tell the story of her mothers devious plot to kill her daughter.
Sarah Staudte said she read her mothers journal and discovered the devilish plot:
“She had this journal that she wrote … her thoughts. She wrote the deaths of Shaun, my brother, and me. And that’s what worried me … I was shocked”
Sarah’s father Mark and her brother Shaun died just five months apart from one another in 2012. The medical examiners determined that Mark had died from natural causes and Shaun’s death was caused by medical issues.
Sarah is now 26 and said that after she confronted her mother Diane about the journal’s plot, Diane told Sarah that she wasn’t going to die.
However, in June of 2013, Sarah was rushed to the Cox South Hospital emergency room in Springfield, Missouri after exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Doctors quickly determined that Sarah’s kidneys and brain were failing, but could not explain why.
During Sarah’s hospital stay, Neal McAmis of the Springfield police received a tip that Sarah’s mother Diane was involved in Sarah’s mysterious illness. The anonymous person also said that Diane was responsible for son’s and husband’s death
Neal McAmis said:
“[The doctor] said that he was suspicious that it was a possible poisoning case. At that point, I was told Sarah was pretty much given a zero percent chance of making it. It was not if Sarah is going to die, but when.”
McAmis also learned that Sarah’s mother Diane was behaving unlike a parent’s whose child was in critical condition. McAmis said that Diane was making jokes about Sarah’s condition and kept eluding to a vacation she planned to go on by herself.
Det. McAmis learned a grisly truth after he questioned Diane and she admitted to poisoning Mark, Shaun, and Sarah with anti-freeze.
Diane told McAmis that Sarah deserved to die because her daughter had a significant of debt in student loans from Missouri State University.
During her interrogation, Diane said:
“I’ve been kind of putting pressure on [Sarah] to get out and get a job. Your college bills are coming due. I don’t want to pay for them. After all, you get tired of doing everything for your kids and it’s like you need to step up and do it”
Police later questioned Sarah’s younger sister Rachel, who admitting to helping her mom kill her father and brother, in addition to poisoning Sarah.
Sarah somehow survived the incident but suffered severe neurological deficits and had to relearn how to walk and talk.
Miraculously Sarah survived the poisoning but suffered severe neurological damage. She had to relearn how to walk and talk, and continues to recover.
Back in January, Diane pleaded guilty to first-degree murder of her husband and son as well as assault charges for poisoning her daughter. Diane acknowledged that there was enough evidence to convict her but refused to admit any wrongdoing. Diane was later sentenced to life in prison. In March of 2016, Rachel was sentenced to life in prison.
Sarah says she misses her brother and father more than anything and that they sometimes visit in her dreams. Sarah has turned herself into a devout Christian since the incident and attempting to create an awareness groups for anybody that has suffered harm because of family members acts.
Sarah said her mother and sister stripped her of her livelihood and independence, but could not take away her desire to fulfill her professional dreams. Sarah still hopes that one day she will be a French translator and has learned that she can overcome any odds.
Image via ABC
