She Collapsed When She Heard Her Guilty Verdict

The Diana Lovejoy case: A deeply satisfying case — one that reached a happy ending

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Important Notice:

Everything you’ll read here is based on public information, official investigations, and journalistic reports. My goal is to present the story clearly, encourage reflection, and foster constructive discussion — always with full respect for the victims, their families, and the complexity of the events.

A man trapped in a turbulent marriage and brutal custody battles over his young son came terrifyingly close to losing his life.

Betrayed in the most intimate way possible, he was targeted by someone he once trusted above all others.

But fate, or perhaps someone watching from above, had other plans.

The mastermind behind the plot was none other than his own ex-wife. And in the end, she paid a heavy price for her actions.

This is one of those rare true crime cases that feels deeply satisfying after you finish reading.

Just a reminder:

if you’re not following this publication yet, do it now. Because here, every story is real. Every person existed. And every detail shows just how far someone can go when they decide to ruin a life.

Now, let’s dive into the details of this case.

Our story begins on October 26, 1972, the day Diana Lovejoy was born.

From a young age, she showed a clear desire to be noticed, though she remained notably guarded whenever the topic turned to her family.

What is known is that Diana had siblings, completed high school, and soon after began her academic journey in California.

Over the years, she earned degrees in four distinct fields that shared subtle connections: psychology, literature, music, and French.

Armed with this eclectic education, Diana secured a position at Nokia, where she worked as a documentation specialist.

She later transitioned into a role as a technical writer at a technology company, making it clear that she had found a way to merge her intellectual interests with her professional life.

In 2005, Diana met Greg Mulvhill through an online dating website.

From their very first conversations, the two quickly realized they had a lot in common, forming an intense connection almost immediately. Like Diana, Greg worked in the tech industry and was professionally successful, a factor that only drew them closer.

Over time, their friendship evolved into dating and soon into a serious relationship.

They shared a passion for sports, rock climbing, and a lifestyle centered on physical fitness and personal well-being.

In 2007, after two years together, they decided to get married and move to the coastal city of Carlsbad.

The couple purchased a beautiful home and chose Costa Rica as the destination for their honeymoon. At the time, Carlsbad had a population of around 100,000 and was known not only for its beachfront charm but also for its high cost of living.

A close friend of Diana later said she was thrilled about the marriage, describing Diana as an extraordinary woman and insisting that if Diana had fallen in love with Greg, he must surely be someone worthy of her.

The following year, in 2008, Diana became a fitness trainer and also began competing in triathlon events.

At first, Diana and Greg’s marriage seemed calm and stable. They got along well, were happy, and shared the same routines and interests.

But in 2011, their lives took a dramatic turn when Diana was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a condition marked by chronic muscle pain and overwhelming fatigue.

Her health struggles eventually forced Diana to leave the highest-paying job she had ever held.

That same year, worried about his wife’s well-being, Greg planned a vacation so they could rest and recharge, knowing that stress only made her symptoms worse. Although the job Diana gave up was financially rewarding, it was also physically and emotionally draining.

Beyond professional and health challenges, the couple faced another heartbreaking struggle.

Since 2007, they had been trying to have children, but Diana had suffered multiple miscarriages. In total, there were eight losses, a devastating emotional toll for both of them.

Loving and deeply committed, they dreamed of building a family together.

While that dream remained out of reach, they found comfort in caring for kittens.

Animal lovers at heart, Diana and Greg devoted themselves to their pets.

While searching for alternatives to manage her fibromyalgia, Diana came across information about a medication called guaifenesin. Some patients reported significant pain relief after using it, which encouraged her to begin treatment.

After several months, Diana began to feel noticeably better.

In 2012, Diana and Greg decided to take another vacation together. This time, they chose Guadeloupe as their destination.

Although Greg harbored some concerns about Diana’s long-term use of medication, he couldn’t help but feel relieved, even happy, seeing her healthier and full of energy.

During the trip, Greg filmed his wife scuba diving, and the footage showed a visibly vibrant, enthusiastic Diana.

It was on this very trip that the couple received incredible news: Diana was pregnant.

Despite the countless losses she had endured over the years, Diana never stopped believing she would one day carry a pregnancy to term. Determined, she often said she would keep trying until that dream finally became a reality.

In September of that same year, Diana gave birth to a healthy baby boy, with weight and measurements right where they should be.

At last, the couple seemed to be living the life they had always dreamed of, basking in the joy of a complete family.

What no one could have foreseen, however, was that not long after, the child’s arrival would become the spark that ignited deep and escalating conflict between Diana and Greg.

Diana Lovejoy and Greg Mulvhill — photo via oxygen.com

Diana came to believe that her son was showing signs of fibromyalgia as well.

This condition is notoriously difficult to diagnose, as there is no blood test or imaging that can confirm it definitively.

Diagnosis is clinical, based on a careful assessment of symptoms, widespread pain lasting more than three months, fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, and cognitive difficulties, combined with the patient’s history, often using specific evaluation scales.

Additional tests are usually performed only to rule out other conditions that could cause similar symptoms, such as thyroid disorders or rheumatic diseases.

For Diana, the conclusion was clear: the earlier she could start treatment for her son, the lower the chances he would suffer the same way she had.

Diana often insisted that Greg was being negligent when it came to their son’s health. She believed the child was suffering and frequently pointed out what she saw as signs of disease.

On her own, Diana researched potential treatments and often administered medications at home.

Greg, however, saw things very differently.

To him, their son was perfectly healthy, just as he had been at birth, and there was no need for medicines, teas, or any other substances that Diana was giving him.

These conflicting views on their child’s well-being soon began to strain the marriage.

Arguments that started as minor disagreements quickly escalated into major conflicts, slowly wearing down the relationship between Diana and Greg.

The problems in Diana and Greg’s marriage didn't stop there.

After Diana had to leave her job due to stress and worsening health, the couple’s financial situation began to tighten, with Greg now the sole provider for the family.

To make matters worse, Greg suffered a shoulder injury and also had to take time off work.

Diana, whose health was relatively better at the time, ended up taking a job that paid far less than what she had earned before. The comfort and stability they once enjoyed vanished, and the family’s daily routine changed drastically.

In an effort to supplement their income, Diana launched a YouTube channel. She produced cooking videos, teaching ways to eat healthier even with limited time, entered online competitions, and promoted products like cat litter boxes.

Despite her efforts, the financial situation did not improve, and money pressures only fueled more conflict between the couple.

Arguments became frequent, and the already fragile relationship began to unravel further.

Diana confided in friends that Greg supported none of her projects, not the channel, not her attempts to earn extra income, and warned that something very wrong was happening in her household.

In 2014, the couple even attempted marriage counseling, but it brought no improvement to their strained relationship.

Then, in July of that year, when Greg arrived home, where he lived with his wife and son, he was met at the door by a sheriff, handing him a restraining order.

Greg was told he could no longer stay in the house and was given only ten minutes to gather his belongings.

The action came after Diana filed a complaint with the police, claiming that he had sexually assaulted her. She stated that, due to her use of medication, she had been in a state of extreme drowsiness at the time.

She said she woke up in the middle of the night, still groggy, and saw Greg sitting on the bed. He was touching her genitals without her consent.

Diana also accused Greg of sexually abusing their son.

These accusations led to Greg being forced out of the family home and triggered an investigation by child protection authorities.

Greg responded to Diana’s accusations by filing for divorce.

From that moment on, an intense legal battle over custody of their son began.

Greg was only allowed to see the child a few weeks later, after undergoing psychological evaluations, and every visit was supervised, limited to just a few minutes at a time.

He claimed that Diana was deceitful, unstable, and obsessive, accusing her of emotional, physical, and verbal abuse toward both him and their son.

In compliance with the court’s orders, Greg and the child underwent multiple psychological and toxicological assessments.

The evaluations found no evidence that Greg had ever abused either the child or Diana. With no concrete proof to support the allegations, he was ultimately cleared of all claims made by his ex-wife.

The process of monitoring the child took some time, but by November 2015, the court ruled that Greg would be entitled to 50% custody of their son.

At that point, he was still unable to work.

In 2016, the court also ordered Diana to pay Greg $100 per month in child support.

The couple reached a settlement regarding their assets: Diana would keep the Carlsbad home, while Greg would receive his share, totaling $120,000, to be paid over approximately four months.

With that, the turbulent divorce finally came to an end at the close of 2016.

The situation seemed to stabilize: custody of the child was shared equally, Diana remained in the family home, and Greg moved to a separate residence.

However, the situation was far from resolved.

Diana confided to friends that she could not accept the court’s decision, insisting that their son could never be placed in Greg’s custody and claiming he had abused the child.

Over time, she began taking firearms training, stating it was a way to protect herself and her son in case Greg posed any threat.

This decision would mark the beginning of a turbulent and dangerous chapter in both of their lives.

During this new chapter, Diana met a trainer named Weldon McDavid, a former Marine who had helped other women navigate difficult situations with ex-husbands, much like Diana’s own struggles with Greg.

Previously, in Carlsbad, Weldon had worked with Crystal Harris, who had suffered physical, sexual, and psychological abuse at the hands of her ex-husband.

He taught her shooting and self-defense techniques, knowledge that later proved crucial. During an attempted assault by her ex, Crystal was able to defend herself using only the techniques Weldon had taught her, without ever needing to use a firearm, and ensured he was arrested.

So, Diana felt safe around Weldon, who had already become a respected and protective figure in the community.

Meanwhile, she and Greg continued with their lives, but the custody battle over their son remained intense, with both parties seeking full control.

On the night of September 1, 2016, around 10:30 PM, Greg received a call from a man claiming to be a private detective.

The supposed detective said he had been hired by Diana to gather evidence against Greg for court. However, the man also revealed that he had collected compromising evidence against Diana, which could potentially work in Greg’s favor in the custody dispute.

He then instructed Greg to drive to a dirt road near Soledad Avenue.

The man told Greg that he would leave a file attached to a large utility pole, containing supposed evidence that Greg could use in court.

Despite feeling suspicious about the call, curiosity got the better of him, and he agreed to go. Since it was very late and completely dark, he invited a friend, Jason Kovach, to accompany him to the location.

Armed with flashlights and a baseball bat, the two made their way to the dirt road indicated.

Upon arrival, they realized the area was pitch black, no streetlights, not even moonlight. Near the pole they had been told about, they spotted something that could be the file.

Still wary, they decided to survey the surroundings first.

Greg shone his flashlight along the edge of the road, scanning through the tall grasses, bushes, and trees. That’s when he noticed something among the plants that looked like a person’s clothing.

In that instant, Jason shouted: “Run, Greg! It’s a shooter!”

Immediately, the two began to flee.

The shooter fired!

That first bullet struck Greg in the chest, and almost immediately, five more gunshots rang out nearby.

They managed to reach the car and quickly drove away from the scene.

After roughly half a mile, they stopped and called the police. In desperation, Jason told the officers that his friend had been shot by a gunman on the ground, that Greg was bleeding heavily, and that he needed immediate help.

When the first patrol car arrived, the officer assessed that the area was still dangerous, as the shooter could still be nearby.

As a precaution, they placed Greg in the back seat of the police vehicle and rushed him to the hospital.

At the hospital, Greg was quickly taken into surgery for a delicate procedure. The bullet had struck the left side of his chest, closer to the armpit than the heart.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Darbie Ernst spoke with Jason, who recounted the entire incident. He admitted he could not identify the shooter but could pinpoint the exact location of the attack.

Using this information, police moved to the area to secure the crime scene, dispatching multiple units to maintain control of the situation.

Weldon McDavid Jr.

When police arrived at the pole indicated by the man who had called Greg, they found no concrete evidence, only an Angry Birds towel positioned directly beneath the pole.

It appeared the towel had been placed to catch Greg’s attention and mark the exact spot where the shooter had aimed.

Another shocking discovery at the scene was the presence of human feces.

One officer noticed the smell and, upon approaching, saw something white near the material. A closer inspection revealed a second towel beside the feces, apparently used for cleaning.

The scene stunned the officers, who had never expected to encounter this kind of evidence at a crime scene.

The feces were collected, as they could contain the DNA of the potential shooter.

Fortunately, Greg survived the surgery and was released from the hospital two days later in good health.

The investigation began immediately, and the first person questioned by police was Diana Lovejoy.

She denied any involvement in the attack, insisting she had no reason to harm Greg, despite their ongoing custody battle over their son.

With no evidence linking her to the crime, Diana was released.

Greg also told police he could not imagine who would be behind the attack.

He said he had no enemies and, while acknowledging that he and Diana were no longer romantically involved, he could not believe his ex-wife would be capable of taking such an extreme action against him.

Did he really know his ex-wife well?

The police had a promising lead that could point them toward someone involved in the attack: Greg's call.

The number was traced and turned out to be a disposable phone.

Even so, investigators were able to identify the store where the device was purchased, a Best Buy in a neighboring city.

Officers went to the store, where the manager agreed to cooperate, granting access to video recordings and purchase records to identify who had bought the phone.

It was known that the device had been purchased roughly two weeks before September 1.

For five days, police sifted through clues and records but found no clear results pointing to the perpetrator. Then, after those five days, the manager emailed the video footage.

When Sergeant Darbie Ernst watched the recording, the team was stunned!

Despite the grainy quality, it was possible to identify that the person who had purchased the phone was Diana Lovejoy.

Armed with this evidence, police set up roadblocks across the city and were able to arrest Diana during a traffic stop.

During the initial interrogation, they questioned her about the store visit and what she had purchased, carefully observing her reactions to see if she would provide a version of events that could be tested against the evidence.

Diana initially claimed that she had gone to Best Buy solely to purchase a router for her home.

When police showed her the footage clearly showing who had bought the phone, she changed her story, realizing there was no way to escape the evidence.

She explained that after the divorce, she had started attending firearms classes at a place called Iron Sites.

During that time, she became close to Weldon McDavid and confided in him about the problems she was facing in her life. According to Diana, Weldon, who had previously helped other women in risky situations, suggested a plan to scare Greg so that he would stay away from her and their son.

She said that Weldon gave her instructions to buy the disposable phone and set up the location, but she denied having any knowledge of an intent to kill.

Diana claimed she did not know the exact details of the plan.

According to her account to the police, on the night of September 1, she had picked up Weldon and driven him near a dirt road off Soledad Avenue, where he later called her asking to be picked up.

Diana also said that Weldon told her he had shot Greg because he posed a threat at that time.

Next, Weldon McDavid was called in to give a statement.

At first, he told police that he had stayed at his home, several miles from the scene of the attack, throughout the night of September 1.

The investigators, already frustrated by the conflicting accounts they had been hearing for days, asked if there was any reason his DNA might be found at the crime scene.

At that moment, Weldon’s demeanor changed immediately, and his face went pale.

He denied any connection to the location, but one officer, with a hint of irony, remarked that DNA doesn’t just float away on the wind; it stays where it’s left.

It was then that Weldon realized the officers were referring to the feces found at the scene.

At that time, police had not yet collected his DNA for confirmation.

Under pressure, Weldon admitted that the day before the attack, he had gone for a run near the area and, after eating Mexican food, began experiencing severe abdominal pain.

He explained that he could not hold it and had to use the area as a bathroom, never imagining that it would become the scene of a crime the next day.

Following his confession, police collected Weldon’s DNA to compare it with the feces found at the scene.

Weldon McDavid held long conversations with police, consistently denying any involvement in the attack.

However, over time, he began showing signs of frustration and confusion, making disjointed comments and giving the impression that he felt deceived in some way.

After the interrogation, police obtained a search warrant for Weldon’s residence.

On September 8, in the garage, they found a rifle along with six cartridges, exactly the number of shots Jason had reported hearing on the night of the attack, as well as a silencer.

The investigation also uncovered searches on Diana Lovejoy’s computer, including queries about the exact date of the new moon, known for making the night exceptionally dark.

The night of September 1, 2016, coincided with the new moon, suggesting careful premeditation of the attack.

Additionally, police discovered that Diana and Weldon had an intimate relationship and had spent the night together on multiple occasions.

Based on the evidence, both were charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Prosecutors alleged that Diana had orchestrated the entire plan to target Greg.

The motive behind the attack was tied to money and custody of the child.

Besides wanting to gain full custody of their son, Diana did not have the $120,000 she owed Greg, and with the deadline looming in less than two weeks, she was desperate.

Determined to solve all her problems, she meticulously plotted every detail, manipulating Weldon McDavid to carry out the plan. With Greg dead, she would claim everything for herself; no one else would get a share.

All the accusations Diana had made against her ex‑husband, including claims that he had abused their son and sexually assaulted her during their bitter custody battle, were later found to be unsubstantiated by authorities.

Greg had never abused either his child or his wife; on the contrary, he was considered a devoted father and a man of integrity.

About a year later, in October 2017, Diana Lovejoy and Weldon McDavid were brought to trial.

The feces collected at the scene were tested, and the DNA confirmed they belonged to Weldon.

The prosecution’s case gained even more weight with the testimony of Diana’s aunt, Diana Clark.

She revealed that during Christmas of 2015, almost a year before the attempted murder, her niece had asked if she knew anyone who could scare Greg or even kill him.

The aunt admitted that, although the question had shocked her, she initially thought it was merely a tasteless joke.

She never imagined that Diana was actually planning an attack on her ex-husband’s life. This fact only strengthened the theory that the crime had been premeditated, showing that Diana had been plotting against Greg for a long time.

During the trial, Jason Kovach, Greg’s friend, testified.

Greg requested that cameras not capture his face while he spoke, citing privacy concerns.

In Weldon McDavid’s defense, his attorney argued that, as a former Marine, Weldon had no intention of killing Greg, only of scaring him. The lawyer emphasized that, given his firearms training, Weldon certainly could take Greg’s life.

One episode that grabbed widespread media attention was Diana’s fainting upon hearing the guilty verdict.

The moment became a symbol of the dramatic twist in the case.

After accusing her ex-husband of sexual abuse, fighting for full custody of their son, and trying to keep the house, she was forced to accept joint custody, saw Greg cleared of all allegations, and still had to pay $120,000, his share of the house that had remained in her name.

Unable to pay, Diana had attempted to have her ex-husband killed, only to be caught and brought to justice.

It was no wonder she fainted!

She was quickly attended to and recovered.

Diana Lovejoy was sentenced to 26 years in prison, while Weldon McDavid received 50 years for being the shooter, the one who had pulled the trigger.

Diana Lovejoy and Weldon McDavid Jr. during their trial — photo via fox5sandiego.com

After everything unfolded, Greg gained full custody of his son and recovered all the family assets, including the house.

He was a man of integrity, and fortunately, the story had a happy ending for him.

The case drew attention not only because of the severity of the events but also because of the sheer absurdity of what happened: the shooter left feces at the scene where he intended to commit the crime, a detail that seems almost comical if it weren’t so tragic.

Below, you can watch the video in which Diana’s guilty verdict is announced, and she faints upon hearing the court’s decision.

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