Was there a motive behind Diane Malone's murder?

The 2004 murder of Diane Malone in Long Beach brought the community to a standstill owing to the gruesomeness of the crime. Diane was stabbed to death in her home by her estranged husband, David Malone, while their three children were inside the house.

The Long Beach investigators deduced the motive behind the murder to be jealousy and anger over marital separation. Diane and David had been living separately, and according to LiHerald, Diane had been seeing a fitness trainer, which allegedly made David insecure.

The American Monster episode titled I Saw Dad Kill Mom showcases David Malone's arrest as it aired on Investigation Discovery on June 16, 2024, at 9 p.m. EST. The official synopsis reads,

"The lives of a beautiful young family in Long Beach, New York, rip apart when five-year-old Audrey witnesses her mother, Diane, brutally stabbed to death; to Audrey's horror, her mother's murderer is somebody very close to home."

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of murder, domestic violence, and substance abuse. Reader's discretion is advised.

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How long were David and Diane Malone married?

David Malone and Diane Gabrinowitz had been married for six long years before the grisly killing took place in 2004. The two had been seeing each other since they were teenagers. While Diane went to Long Beach Senior High, David attended the Long Beach Catholic School.

According to LiHerald, David was the star athlete of his school baseball team. Even though David had his brush with law enforcement from a young age, Gabrinowitz stayed with Malone, and the two married in 1998. The young couple gave birth to their first daughter, Audrey, in the first year itself.

Diane Malone was stabbed 13 times by David Malone (Image via Unsplash)

David was a surfer who struggled to find a long-term job as a carpenter. He worked on construction jobs off the books while Diane Malone worked on bookkeeping at local companies and the New York Sports Club. She was also a part-time model.

The married life of Malones started to go downhill over arguments and domestic disturbances. According to LiHerald, David Malone became dependent on drinking and abused substances. The two broke up often and got back together soon after.

As things grew volatile, Diane had moved out of their 91 Alabama Avenue home leaving her children with David. Diane's brother, Joe Gabrinowitz, shared with the New York Times,

"When our family found out, we said she shouldn't do that. She should stay with the kids because he wasn't stable."

Soon after, David moved out of the house and stopped making the mortgage payments.

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Was David Malone abusive towards Diane Malone?

As investigations into Diane Malone's murder began, witnesses came forward with accounts of domestic violence between the couple. The Long Beach Police Department had records of paying the residence seven visitations over domestic disturbances, according to the New York Times.

David had an extensive criminal record comprising charges of petty larceny, harassment, criminal contempt, and assault. Their neighbor Joseph Schmidt reportedly shared,

“No one knows the intimacies of what really went on between them as a married couple, but she mentioned it many times over time: ‘If I don’t go, if I don’t leave, I may never be able to."

Diane's grandmother further testified to having Diane confide in her concerning the abuse she faced from David.

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Catch all the details of Diane Malone's murder on the new episode of American Monster as it streams on Discovery Plus and Prime Video.