Ep 6. Predator

Deadly Women season 2 episode 6, titled "Predator," focuses on three cases of women who turned out to be predators in their own right. The episode details their motives, methods, and eventual criminal convictions.

The first case follows Theresa Jimmie Francine Knorr, a mother of six who was found guilty in 1993 of murdering two of her own daughters. Knorr was known to be physically abusive towards her children and had a history of drug abuse. When her boyfriend began to become concerned about her treatment of her daughter, Suesan, Knorr asked her son to help her "get rid of her." Suesan was held captive, beaten, and eventually burned alive by Knorr and her son. The second daughter, Sheila, was shot by Knorr and buried in the garden. Knorr was arrested and sentenced to death, later being commuted to life in prison.

The next case follows Marybeth Tinning, a woman who suffered from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. She was obsessed with receiving attention and sympathy from others, so she repeatedly harmed her own children in order to receive medical attention for them. Over the course of fourteen years, eight of Tinning's children died under mysterious circumstances and were ruled to be due to sudden infant death syndrome. However, suspicion was raised in 1985 when her ninth child died in the same way. Tinning eventually confessed to smothering all nine of her children, and was sentenced to twenty years to life in prison.

The final case focuses on Diane Downs, a woman who shot her three children in 1983 and claimed they were victims of a carjacking. One of her children, Cheryl, died from her injuries, while the other two were severely injured. However, police became suspicious of Downs' story and began to investigate her. It was discovered that Downs had a history of unstable relationships and had previously abandoned her children to pursue a relationship with a married man. Downs was ultimately found guilty of murder and attempted murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Throughout the episode, interviews with family members and law enforcement officials provide insight into the minds of these deadly women. The show also explores the psychological motives and disorders that led these women to commit such heinous acts. "Predator" serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of those who appear to be loving mothers but are in fact deadly predators.