As a child she stole money for candy, forged excuse notes, and threw violent tantrums. Yet she was also athletic, fearless, and driven. After watching nurses care for her cancer-stricken mother when she was 14, Dana decided nursing would give her the control she craved. She graduated nursing school in record time, became an expert skydiver, a skilled windsurfer, and an avid golfer. Friends called her a daredevil who lived for adrenaline.
In 1987 she married Tom Gray in a lavish winery wedding. The couple spent money like water—three cars, boats, an ultralight airplane—until bankruptcy loomed. By the early 1990s her marriage was collapsing, her Canyon Lake home was in foreclosure, and she had just been fired from her labor-and-delivery nursing job for stealing prescription drugs.
Outwardly, nothing seemed amiss. Neighbors saw a charming, beautifully dressed woman who waved cheerfully as she drove through the gates.
