Dateline: The Night of the New Moon—Who are Weldon McDavid and Diana Lovejoy, and what do we know about their crimes? Details explored

Dateline: The Night of the New Moon opens up one of California's most twisted murder plots, taking viewers through the calculated attempt on Greg Mulvihill's life. But who exactly were the people behind this dark and disturbing plan?

This Dateline episode breaks down the tangled relationship between Diana Lovejoy, a once-respected triathlete, and Weldon McDavid Jr., a firearms instructor who traded his military career for a role in a violent crime.

What looked like a rocky divorce turned into something much darker, and Dateline doesn't hold back in showing how things escalated.

Diana Lovejoy: From suburban mom to criminal mastermind

Before the gunshots, before the courtroom, and before Dateline, Diana Lovejoy appeared to be a dedicated mother and an ambitious, high-achieving professional. Her relationship with Greg Mulvihill started in 2005 and seemed like a perfect match. They married, settled in Carlsbad, had a child, and built what many believed was a picture-perfect life.

But by 2014, health concerns and financial stress began to unravel their relationship. Lovejoy's belief that their child was ill, along with her chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia claims, created more tension.

When their marriage began to collapse, Lovejoy accused Mulvihill of abuse, claims he strongly denied. What followed was a bitter custody battle. According to police and jury, Lovejoy was frustrated with the 50-50 custody split and being required to pay Mulvihill $120,000.

It was around this time that she began firearms training and got involved with her instructor, Weldon McDavid. The relationship spiraled into something far more sinister. Police later uncovered that Lovejoy had bought a burner phone used to lure Mulvihill to a remote trail where the attempted murder took place.

She admitted to buying it during questioning. Surveillance footage, phone tower data, and DNA evidence all pointed to her direct involvement.

Weldon McDavid Jr.: A sniper's precision turned personal

Weldon McDavid Jr. was a former Marine and weapons expert, but his skills took a criminal turn the night of September 1, 2016. Dateline reveals that McDavid posed as a private investigator and called Mulvihill under false pretenses, claiming he had evidence that would help in the custody battle.

That night, Mulvihill, accompanied by his friend Jason Kovach, followed instructions to retrieve this so-called evidence from a hidden location. Instead, what he found was a man in camouflage lying in the brush with an AR-15-style rifle.

Gunshots rang out. Mulvihill was hit in the side but managed to survive. It wasn't long before the evidence caught up with McDavid. His DNA matched traces found at the scene, and the weapon used was recovered from his home.

When speaking to Andrea Canning on Dateline, McDavid didn't deny sleeping with Lovejoy but said,

"If I could only take back one thing, I would take that out of the equation."

Canning asked whether he regretted pulling the trigger, and McDavid shockingly replied,

"If there was only one thing I can take away I would take [sleeping with Lovejoy] away because I hurt my wife, and that means more to me than anything."

McDavid claimed he acted out of a desire to help Lovejoy and her son, saying in the interview,

"I'm no one's hero... if trying to help someone is 'misguided hero, then so be it."

The night of the ambush and what followed after leading to a Dateline episode

According to testimony, McDavid's plan was to take out Mulvihill without leaving a single trace. But things didn't go according to plan. On that dirt trail, Mulvihill was carrying nothing but a flashlight and a child's bat. The attacker fired several times, but only one bullet landed, striking him under the arm.

Despite being badly hurt, he survived, and his friend Kovach quickly called 911. "He's bleeding pretty bad," Kovach told police. At first, their story seemed bizarre with a mystery caller, a trail at night, and a gunman in the bushes. But things quickly started to make sense as investigators put the puzzle together.

Detectives uncovered damning clues. A towel with feces left at the scene matched McDavid's DNA. Phone records placed both McDavid and Lovejoy near the trail that night. Police also found video of Lovejoy purchasing the burner phone. When the rifle was recovered from McDavid's garage, everything fell into place.

In court, both McDavid and Lovejoy pleaded not guilty. McDavid testified in his own defense, saying,

"I could hit that person - center mass - 100 yards away without any problem..."

This statement implied that he never meant to kill. But the jury didn't buy it.

On November 13, 2017, both were convicted of attempted murder and conspiracy. Lovejoy was sentenced to 26 years to life, while McDavid got a 50-year-to-life sentence.

Dateline: The Night of the New Moon attempts at showing just how soon and fast a toxic relationship can move down into something being so tragic. What started off as a custody tiff soon turned into a calculated attempt to actually take away a man's life.

With the help of interviews, evidence, and courtroom cameras, Dateline highlights how Diana Lovejoy and Weldon McDavid's decisions tore a number of lives away from each other.

The NBC true crime series not only highlights the crime that's been done, but it also gives the audience a look at the human emotions that are sometimes filled with betrayal, desperation, and consequences of going too far.

It's a reminder of what can happen when emotions are pushed past their limit.

Also read: Dateline: The Road Trip- 5 harrowing details about Dr. Teresa Sievers murder, revealed.

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Edited by Sangeeta Mathew