Chapter 6 - THE PLAN DIANE TOLD HERSELF WASN'T VIOLENCE
Diane’s later statement described her thinking.
She did not plan to kill Emily.
She planned disruption.
A medical scare.
Vomiting.
Hospital visit.
Party ends.
Family panics.
Emily’s planned conversation with Linda gets delayed.
During the delay, Diane could:
review what Emily had,
prepare explanations,
contact counsel,
and correct records before the board saw them.
That was what she told herself.
Then prosecutors asked:
“How did you know how much Emily would consume?”
Diane had no answer.
“How did you know pregnancy would not increase the risk?”
No answer.
“How did you know a child would not eat the cake first?”
Diane went pale.
She had not thought enough about Sofia and other children attending.
There.
The plan depended on control she did not possess.
Then came another uncomfortable fact.
Diane deliberately requested that the substitute cake look almost identical.
Why?
Because if it looked obviously different, staff might question it.
She did not need the entire party fooled forever.
Only long enough for Emily to eat.
That moved the plan beyond vague scare fantasy.
It was targeted deception.
Still, investigators avoided dramatic language unsupported by evidence.
No one called it attempted murder automatically.
May you like
Intent would be litigated.
But child and pregnancy risk made the conduct serious regardless of whether Diane imagined a nonfatal outcome.
