Diane O'Dell (born 1953) is an American female
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
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* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
who was convicted of murdering three of her 12 children. She was also investigated for the disappearance of another child. O'Dell regularly traveled with the corpses. The bodies of the three dead newborns were found in May 2003 in a storage shed O'Dell rented and abandoned in
Safford, Arizona
Safford (Western Apache: Ichʼįʼ Nahiłtį́į́) is a city in Graham County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the population of the city is 10,129. The city is the county seat of Graham County.
Safford is the principal ...
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By all accounts, she murdered them because they were
illegitimate. O'Dell told police the babies died at birth between 1981 and 1984. She kept the three babies in a storage unit for over ten years. When she defaulted on her rent, her landlord cleared out her possessions and discovered the corpses. The case became known as 'The Babies in Boxes Murder Case'.
Trial
In her 2003 trial, the jury rejected three counts of
first degree murder, but unanimously found her guilty of second degree murder.
In 2004, she was sentenced to life in prison. She will be eligible for
parole
Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...
in 2029.
See also
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List of serial killers in the United States
A serial killer is typically a person who kills three or more people, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines serial murder a ...
References
1953 births
1982 murders in the United States
1983 murders in the United States
1985 murders in the United States
American female serial killers
American murderers of children
American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
Criminals from New York (state)
Filicides in New York (state)
Infanticide
Child murder in the United States
Living people
People from Sullivan County, New York
Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by New York (state)
Serial killers from New York (state)
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