She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 1973.
Employing her expertise in investigative journalism, O’Malley interviewed many of the people closest to the case, including Yates’ family members, friends, attorneys, and then current and previous mental health providers.
During Andrea Yates’ 2005 appellate trial at the Texas Court of Appeals, O’Malley who was covering the trial for O: The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, and NBC News, and had previously been a writer for Law & Order reported that no such episode of Law & Order existed, resulting in Deitz admitting before the court that he had provided false testimony.
[8] Their son, Zack became a child actor and played the title role in the 1992 American drama film, Lorenzo's Oil, alongside Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon, which earned two nominations at the 65th Academy Awards.
He later became the senior editor at Forbes magazine, covering music, media and entertainment, and a New York Times Bestselling author of books, including Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner to Corner Office, and A-List Angels: How a Band of Actors, Artists, and Athletes Hacked Silicon Valley.