Dateline Season 26 Episode 59 The Figure in the Garage

In this episode of Dateline, titled "The Figure in the Garage," viewers are taken on a journey through the mysterious disappearance of a California mother and wife, Carol Coronado.

On May 20, 2014, police were called to a home in the town of Carson, California, where they found Carol in her garage with her three young daughters laying next to her, all brutally attacked and barely alive. Despite their efforts, police were unable to revive Carol, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

In the days following the attack, investigators were left with many questions. Who could have done this to Carol and her children? And why? As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that the answer was somewhere within the Coronado household.

In interviews with Carol's family and friends, detectives uncovered some disturbing details that suggested that her husband, Rudy Coronado, may have played a role in her death. They discovered that the couple had been fighting in the days leading up to the attack and that Rudy had even threatened to kill Carol at one point.

As evidence mounted against him, Rudy was arrested and charged with Carol's murder. But as the trial approached, Rudy's defense team argued that Carol had actually killed her own children before attempting to take her own life. They claimed that Carol had a history of mental health problems and that she had snapped in the days leading up to the attack.

Throughout the episode, viewers are taken through the twists and turns of the trial as both the prosecution and defense presented their cases. They hear from witnesses who knew Carol and Rudy and who shed light on the couple's turbulent relationship. And they see the impact of the attack on those who survived it, including Carol's parents and siblings.

In the end, only one thing is clear: the truth about what happened to Carol Coronado and her children may never be fully known. Despite a guilty verdict, many questions still remain about what led Rudy Coronado to commit such a horrendous act. And for the family and friends of the victims, the pain of losing their loved ones will never fully heal.

Overall, "The Figure in the Garage" is a haunting and deeply emotional episode that delves into the darkest depths of human nature. Through interviews with those closest to the case and extensive footage from the trial, viewers are given a chance to see justice served - but at what cost?