Absent a last-minute continuance or plea deal, Claud “Tex” McIver is scheduled to stand trial Oct. 30 in the shooting death of his wife, Diane, a year ago.
On Sept. 25, 2016, Tex shot Diane in the back as a friend drove the couple through Midtown in their SUV. Diane was dead within hours.
McIver, 74, says he loved his wife and would never hurt her, that the discharge of his .38 revolver in the SUV’s back seat was a tragic accident. But the Fulton County district attorney believes McIver intended to kill his wife and plans to try him for malice murder in two weeks.
The new season of Breakdown, the AJC's exclusive podcast, offers an in-depth account of the shooting and the often bizarre events that followed Diane McIver's death. Episode 1 uploaded early Monday and is available free of charge on iTunes, Stitcher and other podcasting platforms — and right here on this page (see below).
The podcast recounts how McIver held three auctions to sell off his wife's enormous collection of clothing and jewelry; how a spokesman for the attorney said Tex had asked Diane to hand him his gun because he was concerned that Black Lives Matter protesters might be demonstrating nearby; and how McIver called potential witnesses to talk about what they planned to say.
» McIver shooting a tale of love, race and class
» Tex McIver in limbo as police investigation continues
» McIver faced charges in 1990 shooting of teens' car
» Did McIver try to influence witnesses? Listen to the calls
In that first episode, you’ll hear McIver’s voice breaking as he talks about the night his wife died. You’ll hear the voice of the woman who was driving the McIvers’ vehicle when the gun went off. You’ll hear about the frantic efforts to keep Diane alive.
And you'll hear the voices of Bill Rankin, the AJC legal affairs writer who hosted three earlier seasons of Breakdown, and Craig Schneider, the AJC staff writer who has followed every step of the McIver saga. Rankin and Schneider co-host the podcast and will explore every detail of the case as it heads to trial.
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