‘Breakdown’ S05 Ep. 2: Whirlwind romance, storybook wedding, tragic death

Tex and Diane McIver in an undated photo.

Tex and Diane McIver in an undated photo.

Tex McIver won’t be going on trial this month — or this year — but the murder indictment and other felony charges against him stand.

A Fulton County judge last week continued McIver’s trial to March 5 and set conditions for McIver to get out of jail while awaiting trial. McIver has already been released on bond once, but the bond was revoked when investigators found a handgun in a sock drawer at McIver’s Buckhead condominium.

The next episode of the AJC’s exclusive podcast, Breakdown: “The McIver Murder Case,” went live early Monday. It reviews the news of the case and then tells the story of Tex and Diane McIver’s courtship and storybook wedding. McIver fatally shot his wife on Sept. 25, 2016, as a friend drove the couple through Midtown.

McIver has always contended that the shooting was a tragic accident. But the district attorney believes it was a calculated act of malice and is seeking to put McIver, 74, in prison until he dies.

In a rare moment of judicial humor, Judge Robert McBurney’s bond order last week specified that McIver could have “no firearms, loaded or unloaded, in his residence. This includes all sock drawers.”

Episode 2 of Breakdown also offers insights into the extraordinary character of Diane McIver. You’ll hear close friends and relatives describe her as warm and generous but also tough and competitive.

She was an avid golfer — she shot a 74 on the last day of her life — who sometimes chided fellow golfers about missing a short putt. “Did the wind blow up in your face, little girl?” she would say. To men.

» McIver trial delayed until March

» McIver shooting a tale of love, race and class

You’ll also hear a sweet side of Diane as she wishes her godson a happy birthday.

"Breakdown: The McIver Murder Case" is available on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcast platform. Or you can stream it directly from ajc.com. The podcast features the reporting and narration of AJC staff writers Bill Rankin and Craig Schneider.

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