“Hi everyone, my name is Mark, and today we’re going to take a look at another horrible case with you.”
Diana Lovejoy and Greg Mulvihill met in 2005 through an online dating site. Because they both lived far away from their families, they quickly bonded, and soon after meeting, their relationship became serious.
They moved in together and lived in San Diego.
Growing up, Diana had a passion for athletics and fitness. She played sports in high school, and as she grew older, she became a competitive triathlete.
Fitness and the outdoors played a significant role in Diana and Greg’s relationship, as they both shared a love for being in the fresh air.
San Diego, California emerged as a major player in the tech industry in the 2000s, and Diana and Greg were among those who took advantage of the abundant job opportunities that arose.
Diana and Greg were highly skilled and successful in their respective roles. Those who worked with Diana described her as highly dependable.
In 2007, two years after Diana and Greg first met, they made the decision to say “I do” and embark on a new chapter in their lives as newlyweds.
Their honeymoon destination of choice was Costa Rica, where they had the opportunity to attend surf school.
During the early days of their marriage, Diana and Greg thoroughly enjoyed their time together. They embarked on countless adventures.
The newlyweds shared a zest for life and embraced every opportunity that came their way.
After getting married, Diana and Greg relocated to Carlsbad, a beautiful suburb north of San Diego. This location offered lagoons, hiking trails, hills, and remote spots.
Diana was particularly captivated by the area and instantly felt a sense of “happily ever after” when she moved into her dream home.
She loved being surrounded by the picturesque landscapes and tranquil surroundings.
Carlsbad provided the perfect setting for Diana and Greg to start their new chapter of life.
Three years after they exchanged vows, things began to change in Diana and Greg’s relationship.
Diana believed she had fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that affects millions of people worldwide.
Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain and tenderness in specific areas throughout the body. While the exact cause of fibromyalgia is not known, there are several factors that may contribute to the development of this condition.
The fibromyalgia presented a significant challenge for Diana and Greg’s marriage.
Diana had always been highly motivated and active, driven by her passion for working and pursuing adventurous endeavors. These limitations imposed by fibromyalgia, such as the need for reduced stress and rest, were difficult for her to come to terms with.
This sudden change in her lifestyle posed significant challenges for their dynamic as a couple.
In 2011, Greg took Diana on a vacation to Santa Cruz, California to help her relax and get her mind off her illness.
Greg was a loving husband who deeply cared for Diana and recognized the burden that fibromyalgia was having on her.
The condition had significantly impacted Diana’s well-being, leaving her with constant muscle pain and fatigue that severely limited her energy.
As a result, she faced challenges in maintaining her job.
The ongoing struggle with her health eventually compelled Diana to step away from her career. This decision allowed her to dedicate more time and energy to managing her fibromyalgia symptoms.
Diana began spending more and more time at home in Carlsbad.
There was nothing more Diana desired in life than to be a mother. She wanted to love a child and raise them to be confident and happy.
Diana and Greg tried for years to have a baby.
Unfortunately, Diana had several miscarriages.
Losing these pregnancies was hard on Diana, not only physically but emotionally.
Even though Diana didn’t have children, she did have two cats, Lanny and Turtle, whom she loved very much.
One day, Turtle became ill and passed away.
To help Diana through this time, Greg adopted a kitten for her. She named the cat Taffy.
Greg’s gift helped Diana immensely.
After years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive, Diana was shocked to discover she was pregnant.
Greg was overjoyed and couldn’t wait to become a father.
Diana shared the same sentiment, as she felt her dream of becoming a mother was gradually becoming a reality.
In September 2012, Diana gave birth to a baby boy.
Greg took time off work to bond with the baby after he was born.
Being a father was something that Greg truly enjoyed. He cherished every moment he got to spend with his son.
Diana was always concerned for her son, wanting him to be healthy and happy.
However, as time went on, she began to suspect that her son might suffer from a similar illness to fibromyalgia that she had.
Greg firmly believed his son was healthy and saw no need for concern.
Even though Diana and Greg had different thoughts on their son’s health, Diana remained steadfast in her conviction that their son struggled with an illness.
She began conducting extensive research and discovered a drug called guaifenesin, similar to Mucinex and commonly used to treat chest infections.
Some people had claimed that this medication could help alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Upon learning about guaifenesin, Diana was determined to administer high doses of it to her son.
However, Greg strongly opposed this idea, fearing that her attempts to medicate their son were unnecessary.
The disagreement between Diana and Greg regarding their approach to their son’s healthcare gave rise to rising tensions between them as a married couple.
The stress and tension in Diana and Greg’s marriage intensified when Greg sustained a shoulder injury, which forced him to leave his job.
Because Greg was no longer employed, there was a decrease in money coming into the household.
With this financial challenge, Diana decided to take a sales job to supplement the household income.
She also attempted to generate revenue through online cooking videos, with Greg handling the camera duties. Unfortunately, this effort did not yield the desired results.
Additionally, Diana participated in promotional videos featuring kitty litter, but this also failed to provide a significant financial boost.
By the time Diana and Greg’s son turned two, they were fighting all the time and still butting heads over their son’s health.
Their relationship was in serious trouble.
Diana vented to coworkers that she felt Greg was unhelpful and unsupportive.
In July 2014, Greg found himself being questioned by a police officer regarding allegations of abuse made by Diana.
According to the officer, Diana had filed several police reports regarding Greg’s actions.
As a result of these accusations, Greg was removed from the family home while Diana and their son were allowed to stay.
Diana confided in a close friend about the alleged assault she had experienced at the hands of Greg.
She revealed that the incident had occurred while she was sleeping.
According to Diana, the medication she took made her tired, and as she gradually regained consciousness, she noticed Greg touching her without her consent.
Moreover, Diana brought forth additional accusations against Greg, accusing him of sexually abusing their son.
After Diana made these accusations, Child Protective Services became involved.
Greg vehemently denied Diana’s allegations and maintained that Diana was only making such accusations because Greg disagreed with her regarding their son’s alleged medical condition.
As a result, Greg filed for divorce from Diana and sought custody of their son.
Detectives looked for evidence Greg abused Diana and their son.
A judge ordered Greg and the boy to undergo psychiatric evaluations.
Diana confided in friends about her frustrations because she said it was Greg’s word against hers.
The evaluations determined there was no indication that Greg was abusing his son.
Furthermore, the detectives found no evidence saying Greg abused Diana either.
After the case was dropped and the allegations against Greg were cleared, he was given 50/50 custody of his son, which deeply upset Diana.
Diana and Greg continued with the divorce proceedings, with Diana maintaining her focus on being the best mom possible to their son.
She was determined to distance herself from Greg and the accompanying drama and to embark on a fulfilling new life.
In an agreement, Diana resided in the house and agreed to pay Greg for his share of the property.
By 2016, things seemed to be running smoothly between the estranged couple.
They had successfully negotiated an amicable custody agreement, allowing each of them equal access to their son.
However, on September 1st, 2016, everything changed when the Carlsbad Police Department received a phone call from Jason Kovac, a friend of Greg’s.
Jason reported that Greg had been shot several times and was bleeding profusely.
A patrol officer from the Carlsbad Police Department was on patrol when Jason Kovac’s 911 call reached dispatch reporting Greg’s shooting.
The officer immediately responded to the call and found Jason and Greg on the side of the road.
Jason informed the officer that the incident had occurred approximately half a mile from their location.
Upon evaluating Greg’s condition, the officer realized that waiting for an ambulance would be detrimental to his survival.
Therefore, the officer decided to take Greg into the back of his vehicle and swiftly drove him to the hospital.
In the meantime, within minutes of the officer’s arrival, the SWAT team descended on the scene and began a search of the area for the shooter.
Despite their best efforts, the team was unable to locate the individual responsible for the shooting.
Back at the hospital, Greg was being rushed into emergency surgery, where the medical staff saw he had a gunshot wound to his chest.
Greg made it through the surgery.
However, he was placed on life support afterward in the hopes he would wake up on his own.
As Greg recuperated in the hospital, the detectives had the opportunity to interview his friend Jason Kovac, who was in a state of shock and fear.
However, Jason seemed eager to explain what had happened to Greg.
According to Jason, Greg had called him seeking assistance.
The night in question, Greg had told Jason that he had received a call from a private investigator who claimed to have important information and documents that would be of help to him in his custody and divorce proceedings with Diana.
Although the private investigator did not leave his name, he gave Greg a specific meeting time and location.
Despite Greg’s initial apprehension about the call, his curiosity got the better of him, and he requested Jason accompany him, serving as backup in case anything untoward occurred.
Jason, concerned about Greg’s well-being, readily agreed to go along.
Together, they armed themselves with a flashlight and a child’s baseball bat.
Greg and Jason arrived in the area indicated by the mysterious caller, only to realize that it was in a remote location.
Adding to the challenge, it was pitch black, with no street lights and a total absence of the moon’s illumination.
This particular night happened to be a new moon, which occurs when the Earth is situated between the Sun and the Moon, blocking out the majority of the sunlight.
As a result, the moon appeared dim and obscure in the sky, with only a small sliver of light visible.
According to Jason, the caller informed Greg that the package containing the documents was going to be attached to a large electricity pole.
When Greg observed the electricity pole with the package, he walked toward it while holding a flashlight.
As Greg walked, he slowly moved the flashlight around, scanning the area.
While waiting, Jason noticed Greg and the flashlight fixate on something in the bushes.
At that very moment, Greg abruptly exclaimed:
“Gun!”
In a matter of seconds, a gunshot rang out, prompting Greg and Jason to start running for their lives.
Jason said they sprinted toward the car, bullets whizzing past their heads.
Upon arriving at the car, Jason realized that Greg had been shot and promptly called 911.
Although Jason was unable to provide a precise description of the shooter to the detectives, he was able to lead them to the exact location of the shooting.
When the crime scene investigators conducted their search in the area where the shooting occurred, they focused their attention on the electricity pole where the caller instructed Greg to receive the package.
It was near the pole where the investigators made an intriguing discovery: an Angry Birds towel neatly folded into a perfect square.
The detectives couldn’t help but wonder if someone had intentionally left the towel there to make Greg believe that was the package he had been told to retrieve.
According to Jason’s statement, he told the detectives that he heard as many as six gunshots at the scene.
But the investigators found no evidence of shell casings or a weapon.
The lack of forensic evidence left behind led the detectives to conclude that the person who shot Greg had extensive knowledge and experience in shooting.
As the investigators continued their search of the area where Greg was shot, they noticed a distinct smell.
The odor of feces lingered in the air, causing concern among the detectives.
One of the investigators stumbled upon a pile of feces accompanied by a towel.
This towel appeared to have been used to clean up after someone went to the bathroom.
The investigators promptly preserved both the feces sample and the towel as potential evidence.
They carefully packaged the items and transported them to the nearest crime lab.
Forensic experts would analyze the samples to try and identify any possible leads or evidence related to the shooting.
However, obtaining DNA evidence can take time.
It could take up to a month before a DNA profile could be obtained from the feces sample and the towel.
This waiting period posed a challenge for the detectives, as they needed to move swiftly in their search for a suspect.
In the meantime, the detectives continued their efforts to locate the person who shot Greg.
They conducted thorough investigations, examining all available evidence and following up on potential leads.
One area of focus was Greg’s estranged wife, Diana Lovejoy.
The detectives contacted Diana Lovejoy and summoned her to the police department for questioning.
During the interrogation, the detectives asked Diana if she knew anything about a private investigator who had been in contact with her estranged husband Greg regarding documents related to their divorce.
Diana denied having any knowledge of the matter and stated that she no longer conversed with Greg.
Furthermore, Diana had an alibi for the time Greg was shot, saying that she was at home with her son.
Upon further questioning, Diana stated that she did not have any additional information to offer and was unable to identify any potential suspects.
Greg remained on life support for 24 hours before unexpectedly waking up and starting to recover.
When his condition had improved, he was interviewed by detectives.
The detectives questioned Greg about his estranged wife Diana, wondering if she could have been involved in the shooting.
Greg acknowledged their past conflicts and the ongoing divorce and custody battle over their son.
However, he expressed his doubt that Diana had the capability to carry out such a violent act.
He said he had no enemies and no idea who could have been behind the shooting.
During the initial stages of the investigation, the detectives managed to acquire the phone number that was used to lure Greg out to the remote area where he was nearly killed.
Upon closer examination, they discovered that the phone utilized a pay-as-you-go plan, revealing that it belonged to no one.
However, the detectives were successful in acquiring information from the carrier, which showed that the cell phone was purchased at a Best Buy near Carlsbad.
One of the detectives promptly contacted the manager of that particular Best Buy and inquired whether they could provide details regarding the time the cell phone was purchased.
Additionally, the detective asked about obtaining video footage of the person who bought the item.
After spending hours sifting through footage, the manager managed to find the parts that aligned with the timeframe of the cell phone purchase.
The manager then sent the footage to the detectives.
As the detectives watched the video, they found the image to be grainy, but they were able to discern Diana Lovejoy, Greg’s estranged wife, in the footage.
This sighting solidified Diana as the prime suspect in Greg’s shooting, and she was swiftly arrested during a traffic stop.
During her arrest, Diana kept asserting she was innocent.
After Diana was arrested, the detectives questioned her regarding what she had purchased at Best Buy.
The detective already knew that Diana had bought a pay-as-you-go cell phone, which was assigned to the number that had lured Greg to his shooting.
However, Diana lied and claimed she had purchased a router.
The detectives then confronted Diana with a still image of the person captured on CCTV footage at Best Buy purchasing the phone.
The image of the unidentified person looked exactly like Diana.
Upon being confronted with this evidence, Diana admitted to buying the cell phone.
However, Diana’s story about her involvement in Greg’s shooting changed after this point.
Diana informed detectives that she was afraid of Greg, which prompted her to purchase a gun and start taking classes at Iron Sights, a local shooting range.
While practicing at Iron Sights, Diana claimed she met an instructor named Welden McDavid, who helped teach her how to shoot.
Welden was an ex-Marine weapons expert and host of firearm training videos.
According to Diana, she had confided in Welden about her divorce from Greg and the custody battle.
As their friendship blossomed, their relationship became romantic and intimate.
As Diana continued speaking with the detective, she revealed that she and Welden had devised a plan to scare Greg to end his harassment.
Diana explained that Welden had instructed her to purchase a specific phone, which they later used to lure Greg into a remote location.
According to Diana, Welden’s role in this plan was merely to threaten Greg, not resort to violence.
Diana admitted to driving Welden to the site and picking him up.
However, when she heard approaching police sirens in the distance, she inquired about the situation.
It was then that Welden disclosed to her that he had to shoot Greg in self-defense, as Greg had allegedly made aggressive moves toward him.
She denied any involvement in the shooting and asserted that she had never asked Welden to take any violent action against Greg.
Following Diana’s admission to her involvement in what happened to Greg, she was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder.
Fortunately, Greg made a swift recovery from the gunshot wound to his chest and was released from the hospital shortly thereafter.
However, despite the good news, word of Diana’s involvement as Greg’s estranged wife spread, leaving people horrified.
Welden McDavid was tracked down by police and brought into the police station for questioning.
During the detective’s interview with Welden, they inquired about his connection with Diana and where he was on the night Greg was shot.
According to Welden, on the night of the shooting, he was at home approximately 30 minutes away from Carlsbad.
During the interview, the detectives informed Welden that they wanted to acquire a sample of his DNA.
Upon being asked, Welden began to appear nervous, recognizing that they were onto something.
The detectives asked Welden if there would be any reason for his DNA to be at the crime scene.
At that point, Welden feigned surprise and claimed he had just remembered something.
Welden informed the detectives that on the night before Greg was shot, he had embarked on a run after eating Mexican food for dinner.
He stated that the food had bothered his stomach, leading him to stop and use the bathroom on a dirt road.
The detectives obtained a search warrant for Welden McDavid’s house and searched it, focusing on the garage and any hidden areas.
Their efforts paid off when they discovered a suspicious object in the rafters.
Upon closer examination, it was found to be a rifle complete with a live round and six spent shell casings.
These shell casings matched Jason Kovac’s account of hearing six gunshots.
Welden was then arrested on charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
After the detectives conducted a search of Welden’s residence, they obtained a search warrant to search Diana Lovejoy’s house.
While examining Diana’s computer, the detectives came across a peculiar search history.
Diana had conducted searches for the term “new moon,” which piqued their interest.
Upon closer examination, the detectives realized that September 1st, the night when Greg was shot, coincided with a new moon.
This discovery was particularly significant, as there was minimal ambient light during new moons.
By carefully analyzing Diana’s search history, the detectives were able to conclude that she had premeditated knowledge of the shooting.
Her interest in new moons suggested her intention to utilize the absence of ambient light to facilitate her husband’s murder.
The detectives’ findings solidified their belief that Diana had played a significant role in orchestrating the shooting.
During the investigation, the detectives discovered that Diana had a motive to kill Greg.
They found that the divorce settlement required Diana to pay Greg a sum of $120,000 for the house.
Diana may have realized that she could not make the payment in time.
Consequently, she may have reasoned that eliminating Greg would be easier than settling the debt.
Diana Lovejoy and Welden McDavid’s trial began in October 2017.
Welden took the stand and claimed that he never intended to shoot Greg.
He asserted that his intention was solely to scare him.
However, Welden stated that the situation took a turn when he heard either Greg or Jason shout:
“I got a gun!”
According to Welden, he was a skilled marksman, and if he had wanted to kill Greg, he would have.
However, the state presented an alternative theory to the court.
They contended that Welden’s failure to shoot and kill Greg was because Greg had shined a flashlight in his eyes, disorienting Welden due to the lack of moonlight.
Because of the new moon, Welden had been sitting in the dark for an extended period, which affected his sense of orientation.
This circumstance ultimately saved Greg’s life.
The jury found Diana Lovejoy and Welden McDavid guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder.
Upon hearing the verdict, Diana collapsed, although the state suspects that she faked it.
Welden was sentenced to 50 years to life, while Diana was sentenced to 26 years to life.
They both maintain their innocence.
