Diane O'Dell was born in 1953 in Orwell Township, Pennsylvania. Details about her early life are limited. She became a mother to twelve children over the years, eight of whom survived. O'Dell's life involved frequent relocations across various states, including New York, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.

Between 1982 and 1985, while residing in Sullivan County, New York, O'Dell gave birth to three infants at home. Each of these newborns was asphyxiated shortly after birth. O'Dell concealed their deaths and transported their remains with her during her relocations.

In May 2003, the mummified remains of the three infants were discovered in a storage unit in Safford, Arizona, which O'Dell had rented and subsequently abandoned. This grim discovery led to her arrest on May 17, 2003.

During her trial, O'Dell was convicted on three counts of second-degree murder. On January 27, 2004, she was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, with eligibility for parole in 2029. Throughout the proceedings, O'Dell maintained her innocence, stating, "For what I hope is the last time in my life, I will say I did not kill my children."