Diana Lumbrera

Serial Killer

Diana Lumbrera: The Mother Convicted of Killing Her Children

Background

Diana Lumbrera was an American serial killer whose crimes centered on the deaths of young children in her care. Born on November 21, 1958, in Friona, Texas, Lumbrera became the focus of a multistate investigation after six of her children and one infant relative died under suspicious circumstances between 1976 and 1990. Most of the victims were babies or toddlers, and several were taken to hospitals after Lumbrera claimed that they had suddenly suffered convulsions, stopped breathing, or become unresponsive. For many years, the deaths were treated individually as medical tragedies. Physicians and local officials recorded such causes as aspiration of stomach contents, congenital heart disease, infection, or unexplained convulsions. Because the deaths occurred in different Texas communities and over an extended period, authorities initially failed to recognize the larger pattern. That changed in Garden City, Kansas, after Lumbrera brought her four-year-old son, Jose Antonio Lumbrera, to a hospital on May 1, 1990.

The Early Deaths in Texas

The first known death occurred in Friona, Texas, on November 30, 1976. Lumbrera's three-month-old daughter, Joanna Lumbrera, was brought to a hospital without signs of life. Lumbrera reportedly said that the baby had experienced convulsions before she stopped breathing. Joanna's death was attributed to asphyxiation associated with the aspiration of stomach contents or a convulsive condition. No homicide charge was filed at the time. On February 13, 1978, Lumbrera's infant son, Jose Lionel Garza, died after being hospitalized in Lubbock, Texas. The child had first been taken for treatment after Lumbrera reported that he had suffered convulsions. Medical personnel successfully revived him, and his condition later appeared stable. During his hospitalization, however, the child suddenly stopped breathing and died. Years later, investigators and medical experts concluded that his death was consistent with intentional suffocation. Lumbrera was eventually convicted in connection with his murder. Another daughter, Melissa Lumbrera, died in Friona on October 2, 1978. Melissa was three years old. Lumbrera again described a sudden medical emergency involving vomiting, choking, or convulsions. The child's death was initially blamed on asphyxiation caused by the aspiration of stomach contents. After the pattern of deaths was uncovered, Melissa's case was reopened, and Lumbrera admitted responsibility as part of the Texas proceedings. ...

Confirmed Victims: (7)

Joanna Garza , Date of Death: 1976-11-30

Diana Lumbrera Murders | Garden City