In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. Since his ex wife was sentenced to life in prison, he has not reappeared in public life nor has he given any television interviews about his family. And got out and ask what he wanted. And-- so with that, then we were free to treat her as need be. Christie is now in her forties, according to Tuko, and the accident left her with a speech handicap. "She couldn't keep her mouth shut," Welch said. Her pupils were dilated. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. On May 19, 1983, Diane shot the children Cheryl, 7, Christie, 8, and Danny, 3 multiple times at a close range. She tried to cut her wrists when she was 13 years old. In May of that year, Downs shot her three children in her car at a remote roadside in Springfield, Oregon, before shooting herself in the forearm, cops said. She graduated from the University of Oregon. On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs and her three children were shot on a rural road in Oregon. If my story touches even one person, it was all worth it, she wrote, sharing a positive message she received from a woman whose daughter is adopted and who says Becky was brought into this life to make a difference.. There's very few cases quite like this one, he said. In 1983, Diane Downs said stranger shot her 3 kids. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. According to Oprah.com, Christie and Dannyhave chosen to live private lives. In 1989, the Associated Press reported that then 14-year-old Christie Ann was left with speech impairment, and 9-year-old Danny is paralyzed from the waist down. Wilhite said he was immediately directed to start working to save Christie while another surgeon took Danny. And Christie Downs, the only witness to the crime (her younger brother Danny was believed to have been asleep at the time), had suffered a stroke that impaired her speech and prevented her from telling police what she had seen. Elizabeth Diane Downs talks about her conviction for killing her 7 year old daughter and wounding two of her other children in Springfield, Ore., during an interview at the Correctional Institute . She found out who her biological mother was when she was 11 years old, ABC reported. Would love your thoughts, please comment. She's been called "evil" and "the . They have both graduated from college. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. [13], Prosecutors argued that Downs shot her children to be free of them, so that she could continue her affair with Knickerbocker, as she claimed that he let it be known that he did not want children in his life. After her recapture, Downs was transferred to the New Jersey Department of Corrections Clinton Correctional Facility for Women after heavy lobbying from Hugi. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . Becky is the fourth and youngest child of Diane who is currently serving a life sentence for shooting three of . Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and says she had a good childhood. In 1984, Diane was convicted of the death and injuries of her children, and she was sentenced to life in prison. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diane_Downs&oldid=1139832541, Incarcerated; earliest possible release 2025, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 03:51. Diane Downs gave birth to four children. Diane Downs laughs while reenacting shooting of 3 children: Part 2 Police found Downs' behavior suspicious. While police increasingly suspected Downs, she adamantly denied any involvement when speaking to the media. Her mother was on trial for shooting her siblings, and some believed that Diane Downs got pregnant to gain sympathy. Despite significant security upgrades at the women's facility after the escape, state officials accepted Hugi's argument that the risk of harm to Christie and Danny, in the event of another escape, was too great for Downs to remain incarcerated in Oregon. She was later adopted by another family. She has been housed in California for the Oregon Department of Corrections since Aug. 30, 1993.. He and his wife, Joanne, legally adopted the children in 1986. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. And, by the time she took them to the hospital, Cheryl was dead. According toHeavy, crime author Ann Rule said: "Crime author Ann Rule wrote on her website: "Christie and Danny who somehow survived their gunshot wounds have no contact with Diane. The first two children were Dianes kids with her ex husband Steve Downs. "They have both graduated from college. At around 10 p.m. that May night, police said Diane Downs pulled over to the side of a country road near Springfield and shot her three small children multiple times at close range. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable. Dianes emotionless, cold demeanor about the children convinced people immediately that she was the shooter. They have both graduated from college. Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. "People would see little sound bites of her talking on television, and I think they started getting the feeling that there's something really wrong with this person," Jaeger said. When I looked in the mailbox and saw her letter, it was like Pandoras box. Prior to being sentenced, Downs gave birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. After Babcock found out about her notorious mother, she decided to make contact. But suspicions of Downs herself quickly began to surface. I mean, obviously, if she's pregnant, she loves children, right?" "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? And I thought to myself, What am I going to do with three shot children?. Too much for her own good, Welch said. She knew that, if she got pregnant, that people would look at her and say, How could a woman who loves children this much and got pregnant have killed her children? After Diane was convicted, the two living children were adopted by the prosecutor in the case and his wife, and it was Christie who ultimately pointed to her mother being responsible for the shooting. [She said] she had been out visiting a friend who had a horse up in the Marcola area -- she and the kids -- and when it grew dark they headed home. The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. A jury subsequently convicted Downs on all counts, and she was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, according to Glamour. EUGENE -- It was 27 years ago tomorrow that single mother Elizabeth Diane Downs shot her three children -- killing one and seriously injuring the other two -- on a dark, rural Lane County. On a May night in 1983, the young, divorced letter carrier drove up to the emergency room of a Springfield, Oregon, hospital. Beeper goes off, said, Get in here. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Downs was found guilty in June 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. Det. What is the latest information pertaining to the convicted child killer? And she took a deserted country road with three sleeping kids in her car. At one point, she communicated with Downs through letters, but those eventually stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her. Within a month of the shootings, with her two surviving children still in the hospital, Downs began giving a series of bizarre interviews to the media. Learn about Diane Downs' children now: Christie, Stephen (Danny), and Becky. [1], Elizabeth Diane Downs was born on August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona, to Wesley Linden (19302017) and Willadene (Engle) Frederickson. Anne Jaeger was a local reporter for KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. In May of that year, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. She stopped the car and asked him what he wanted. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the middle child, was killed in the attack. It was mainly about my biological mom. Of course, being married, she has also changed her last name. She was required to serve twenty-five years before being considered for parole. Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. Atty. Learn about Christi (Hugi), Stephen (Danny), and Becky today. The couple divorced in 1980 over Steven's insistence their son, Danny, was the result of an affair and not his biological child. It hasnt been easy, but it has been worth it. In a two-hour 20/20 documentary, Babcock opens up about learning the truth regarding her infamous mom. ', I didnt just tear it open and start reading, Babcock tells the show. She claimed that she was carjacked on a rural road near Springfield by a strange man who shot her and the children. When Downs went on trial in May of that year, she was pregnant again. In May of that year, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist. [2] Despite her parents' disapproval of their relationship, Downs continued the relationship. She was the star witness in her mom's prosecution and her testimony helped convict her. In 2005, she gave birth to her first child, a boy, and later gave birth to a daughter who she named Cheryl after her sister. Wilhite, a general surgeon, checked the page -- in those days you didn't have cell phones, he said -- and was instantly filled with dread and adrenaline. "And they give me love, they give me satisfaction, they give me stability, they give me a reason to live and a reason to be happy, and thats gone, they took it from me, but children are so easy to conceive.". Downs, herself, started feeling sick and was told by a supervisor to rest after seemingly showcasing symptoms at work, where she refurbishes bicycles for underprivileged children. "The more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense.". The lead prosecutor in the case, Lane County Assistant Dist. Downs had been a suspect from the beginning. And they give me love, they give me satisfaction, they give me stability, they give me a reason to live and a reason to be happy, and that's gone, they took it from me, but children are so easy to conceive.". Where is Diane Downs today? Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. In 2005, she gave birth to her first child, a boy, and later gave birth to a daughter who she named Cheryl after her sister. In 1983, Diane Downs' three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. [29] Lane County District Attorney Douglas Harcleroad wrote to the parole board: Downs continues to fail to demonstrate any honest insight into her criminal behavior even after her convictions, she continues to fabricate new versions of events under which the crimes occurred.[29] He also wrote that she alternately refers to her assailants as a bushy-haired stranger, two men wearing ski masks, or drug dealers and corrupt law enforcement officials.[29] Downs participated in the hearing from the Valley State Prison for Women. She's doing well. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. [30][31][1] Downs maintained her innocence in all parole hearings. Here's what we know. A 27-year-old divorced postal service worker, Downs claimed a bushy-haired stranger had shot them and maintains her innocence to this day. He worked quickly and eventually was able to revive Christie. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Copyright 2023 Distractify. May 12, 2010 — -- Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. [11] The forensic evidence did not match her story; there was no blood spatter on the driver's side of the car, nor was there any gunpowder residue on the driver's door or on the interior door panel. Then, 10 days after Diane was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, she gave birth to a daughter she named Amy Elizabeth. Downs was convicted of shooting her three children: Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon 37 years ago. Diane Downs is an American murder convict who has been serving a life sentence since 1984. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. And Christie knew that.. In 1983, Diane Downs three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. She was afraid of her mother. Whats fascinating, though, is to see how differently her children including the fourth one, who she conceived after her original surviving ones were taken away from her responded to her doings. She then ran away from home and married husband, Steven Downs, in 1973, with whom she had three children - Christie Ann, Cheryl Lynn and Stephen "Danny" Daniel. "And along this road, off to the side, out stepped a man who flagged her down. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. My childhood was of dreams and we had every opportunity that we wanted. "I'm never going to see Cheryl on Earth again and I just, you can't replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Prior to her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Amy Elizabeth. "They have both graduated from college. As an adult, Rebecca (Becky) appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show[18] and ABC's 20/20,[19] where she discussed how she felt about her biological mother. Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. Most of Downs' sentence is to be served consecutively. Fred Hugi, adopted the children., Famed true-crime author Ann Rule wrote about the case. On a fateful night in May 1983, she rushed to the emergency ward of a hospital . Our MPs are worse than the Italians - it's so bad I want John Major back, Inside life of Bitcoin trader suspected of faking own death as widow says she tried to kill herself after dream imploded, The Queen knows us. Elizabeth Diane Downs, the convicted childkiller who escaped July 11, 1987 from the women's prison in Salem, Ore., is escorted out of state police headquarters in Salem following her capture July 21, 1987. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Diane Downs with her three children Stephen, Christie and Cheryl, Diane Downs is serving a life sentence for the attack on her children, Downs gave birth to a fourth child after her trial in 1984, Christie testified against her mother, pictured. Crime author Ann Rule wrote on her website: "Christie and Danny who somehow survived their gunshot wounds have no contact with Diane. On Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings, Downs was arrested and charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder. Did I make a mistake? Diane Downs now: Her most recent prison photo from 2018. [5] When Downs went to trial in May 1984, she was again pregnant. [29] After three hours of interviews and thirty minutes of deliberation, she was denied parole. The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. She's the biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children.". Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. At birth, Downs named the child Amy Elizabeth. Diane Downs also gave birth to a fourth child with yet another man; she became pregnant with that daughter, now known as Becky Babcock during the investigation. I had a great family, a great life. Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. the incident happened on a dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted murder. She admitted to shooting her three children but claimed that she was the victim of a carjacking and that an unknown person shot her children. "I'm never going to see Cheryl on Earth again and I just, you can't replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. Danny is said to be going about his daily routine, but specifics regarding his personal life, such as his spouse and children, have remained a mystery, according to Tuko. She named one of her children after her dead sister Cheryl. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Subsequent investigations revealed that she had a strong motive to kill her children. And he replied, I want your car. She said, You've got to be kidding, at which time he pushed her aside and reached in with a gun and began shooting the kids-- the three kids.. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. A surgeon told ABC News of treating Christie: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. But what happened to Diane Downs' husband? By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. It was an interesting interview. Meanwhile, Christie Downs was slowly beginning to tell what she remembered of the shootings. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon. The Daughter of Diane Downs. Now, her children are all grown up and many want to know what they are up to now 2 Becky Babcock is the fourth and youngest child of Diane Downs Credit: ABC NEws Who is Diane Downs' daughter Becky Babcock? That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. Downs was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years for killing her 7-year-old daughter and wounding her two other children on a rural road outside Springfield, Ore., on May 19, 1983. Wilhite immediately jumped back into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Medical Center as fast as he could. Glamour reported that Danny was paralyzed from the chest down as a result of the shooting and Cheryl suffered a major stroke as a result of the attack that left her with a lifelong speech impediment. Heavy is withholding that last name and the photos to protect her privacy. I still worry about them and love them, though theyll never know it.. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. After high school, she enrolled at Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College in Orange, California, but was expelled after one year for promiscuous behavior and returned to her parents' home in Arizona. Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. Elizabeth Diane Downs, the convicted childkiller who escaped July 11, 1987 from the women's prison in Salem, Ore., is escorted out of state police headquarters in Salem following her capture July 21, 1987. She tells ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. Famed true-crime author, Ann Rule, provided an update on them by writing on her now defunct website: Christie and Dannywho somehow survived their gunshot woundshave no contact with Diane. After that, she was charged with killing her 7-year-old daughter. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. Ukrainian heroes will pummel Putin's thugs with their own tanks after capturing hundreds of Russia's war machines, Missing aristocrat Constance Marten & lover Mark Gordon arrested but baby STILL missing & may have been left out in open, Matt Hancock 'rejected Chris Whittys advice on care home testing' as Covid ravaged Britain, Tearful Constance Marten yelled at police to get off lover as he was restrained by cops who are still hunting for baby, Constance Marten's lover seen with big stick as pair caught on CCTV arguing WITHOUT baby just before double arrest, Greece train crash: At least 38 dead and dozens hurt after two-train smash sparks fireball as horror pics show carnage, Rishi Sunak urges Tory MPs to get behind his deal and not let fox Keir Starmer into the Brexit henhouse, Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal won't revive Tory fortunes on its own - he must tackle migrant crisis & NHS, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Photo: September 26, 1988. They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. She had been shot in the left forearm, though her wound was not life-threatening. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. I have used the term verbal vomit when talking' about Diane because she talked a lot. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. Elizabeth Diane Downs talks about her conviction for killing her 7 year old daughter and wounding two of her other children in Springfield, Ore., during an interview at the Correctional Institute for Woman in Clinton, N.J., March 12, 1989. Cheryl died; the other two children survived, but they suffered terrible wounds according to Glamour, the bullets paralyzed Danny and gave Christie a stroke. For ten days, Downs managed to evade law enforcementdespite a fourteen-state manhuntbefore she was recaptured. Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY, March 22 at 9 p.m. Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. ET. I was nervous. "Sightseeing when it's pitch black out? Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. Free to treat her as need be the arm lobbying from Hugi talked, the trial against began! A fateful night in May of that year, she was shot in case... Murder convict who has been serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her monster mom, married! Of 3 children: Part 2 Police found Downs & # x27 ; s been called quot! ] despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and was later named.! For her own children. `` became pregnant in order to garner from... Revive Christie in her mom 's prosecution and her three children, and she was transferred the... 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