Not Carol

On the afternoon of May 20, 2014, cries of terror shattered the quiet of West 223rd Street in Torrance, CA, when Rudy Coronado entered his bedroom to find that his bloodied wife had just stabbed their three daughters – Sophia, (2 and a half years old), Yazmine (18 months) and Xenia (10 weeks) – killing them all.

Thirty-year old Carol Coronado, a beautiful young mother, committed the most unspeakable crime that afternoon, and her acts – although despicable – represent the extreme result of undiagnosed postpartum psychosis.

To the amazement of many, Carol’s husband Rudy has stood by her side, insisting that the woman who murdered his family is not the woman he married. That Carol, he says, would never have committed this egregious offense, and for the past three years Rudy has defended his wife at every opportunity.

He’s not been alone. Virtually everyone who knew Carol before “the incident” swears that she was the most thoughtful, loving mother imaginable. No one – not her mother, or her sisters, or her neighbours or her friends – saw this coming. Carol’s attorney Steve Allen has worked alone and determinedly on Carol’s case from the very beginning. Steve has been steadfast in his commitment to Carol, and his belief that she suffered a psychotic break from reality is the bedrock of his defense.

Conversely, the LA District Attorney’s office contends that Carol is a cold-blooded killer, and they have launched an all-out offensive to lock her away forever. To that end, prosecutor Emily Spear (herself 8 months pregnant during the trial) has painted Carol as a monster, and argues that she should suffer the full wrath of the criminal justice system.

Carol’s guilt is not in question. She committed the crimes, and the crimes were brutal. What is in question however is why she committed the crimes. Not Carol explores this question in full detail, with exclusive access to all the key players along with a wide array of supporting characters.