While police increasingly suspected Downs, she adamantly denied any involvement when speaking to the media. It's very seldom that does my body tingle like that, he added. The first letter I wrote Diane, I must have written 100 times, she says. Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. At the time Diane had told police that a stranger attempted to carjack her and shot the kids, and thats what her ex husband was told, too. A surgeon told ABC News of treating Christie: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. [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. As for Danny, he has kept his life private. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. ', I didnt just tear it open and start reading, Babcock tells the show. 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. [8][9] Upon arrival, Cheryl (aged 7) was already dead, Danny (aged 3) was paralyzed from the waist down, and Christie (aged 8) had suffered a disabling stroke. "They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon. On May 19, 1983, Diane shot the children Cheryl, 7, Christie, 8, and Danny, 3 multiple times at a close range. Born June 27, 1984, Becky, 37, is famously known as the daughter of Diane Down, 66. Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. When Wilhite went to go update Downs on her daughters condition, he said he was surprised by her reaction. Growing up, Diane followed those values, however, after the age of 14, she became more rebellious and eventually dropped "Elizabeth" from her name and went by Diane. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. 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. Police scoured the crime scene for months searching for the weapon, a .22-caliber gun that wounded Diane and her 8-year-old daughter Christie, paralyzed her 3-year-old son Danny and killed her 7-year-old daughter Cheryl. He was instead a result of an affair Diane had with a married man. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. Under Oregon law at the time, as a dangerous offender, Downs would have been eligible for a parole hearing every two years until she is released or dies in prison. After her recapture, Downs was transferred to the New Jersey Department of Corrections Clinton Correctional Facility for Women after heavy lobbying from Hugi. 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 . Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. There was just a little part of me that felt like I was searching for something else. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? In May of that year, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist. "She couldn't keep her mouth shut," Welch said. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. March 23, 2019 13:00 Impact x Nightline The Murders Before the Marathon And-- so with that, then we were free to treat her as need be. Downs was denied parole in December 2008, December 2010, and in 2020. 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. The circumstances of Becky Babcocks birth were troubled to say the least. Christie, now in her mid-40s, still lives in Oregon, in Springfield, and has a big, loving family. She was later adopted by another family. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. But there were a number of things which didn't make any sense., Why would a mother sightsee when it's dark out? 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. Dr. Steven Wilhite had just walked into his house after a long day working at a Springfield, Oregon, hospital when his beeper went off. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). Christie Ann, born in 1974, is the eldest of the Downs children, and Stephen Daniel, known as Danny, born in 1979, is the youngest. Cops decided she was lying. They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. Det. There were all kinds of red flags that went up as we took her statement, but we wanted her to give us a complete statement, Welch said. It was scary. She was denied parole in 2008 and again in 2010. Her pupils were dilated. [28], In her first application for parole in 2008, Downs reaffirmed her innocence. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. Based on this and additional evidence, Downs was arrested on February 28, 1984, nine months after the shooting, and charged with one count of murder, and two counts each of attempted murder and criminal assault. By the time Wilhite arrived, Downs had driven her blood-soaked car to the emergency room. However, investigators and hospital workers became suspicious, because they decided that Downs' manner was too calm for a person who had just experienced such a traumatic event. The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. You know, she just asked, How is she doing? Not one emotional reaction, he said. 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. 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. Anne Jaeger was a local reporter for KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. According to witnesses, she then drove at a pace of between 5-7 mph to the local hospital, where she then claimed to hospital staff she had been car-jacked by a stranger who shot herself and her children. [2] She has testified that her father sexually abused her when she was 12 years old. When then-prosecutor Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her, Christie Downs replied, "My mom.". But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? She has been housed in California for the Oregon Department of Corrections since Aug. 30, 1993.. She took a detour off of Marcola Road onto Old Mohawk Road to do some sightseeing., By this time it was dark, and the kids were sleeping. In a two-hour 20/20 documentary, Babcock opens up about learning the truth regarding her infamous mom. The couple divorced in 1980 over Steven's insistence their son, Danny, was the result of an affair and not his biological child. However, when all the details came to be understood by the police, Steve found out what really happened to his kids. Danny was the product of an affair. READ NEXT: COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass? They told of her obsession with a married man who didn't want her kids around. And why are the kids fatally or near-fatally wounded, and she, being right-handed, is shot in the left arm? But suspicions of Downs herself quickly began to surface. Her three children -- 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl and 3 . They also found a diary in which she expressed a desire to be with a married man, and the focus of the investigation shifted to Downs herself. Full names: Elizabeth Diane Downs Birth name: Elizabeth Diane Frederickson Date of birth: August 7, 1955 Age: 67 years old as of 2022 Place of birth: Phoenix, Arizona Gender: Female Nationality: American Ethnicity: White Zodiac sign: Leo Children: Christie Ann, Cheryl Lynn, Stephen Daniel, and Becky Babcock Downs was initially incarcerated at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem. The judge made it clear that he did not intend for Downs to ever be free again. She replied, 'You've got to be kidding,' at which time he pushed her aside and reached in and shot the sleeping kids.". Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis., Both individuals chose to live a life away from the spotlight- they didnt want prying eyes to remind them of the horrors of their past and to haunt them more than it already did. 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. 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. She was white She was not breathing. Why does a mom with three sleeping children in the car stop for a stranger or anyone for that matter? It was honestly picture perfect., Diane Downs Children Now: Christie, Danny & Becky Today, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. "She was white, she was not breathing. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. There isnt a whole lot known about where Steve Downs is these days. It was exciting. What is the latest information pertaining to the convicted child killer? [29] She was not permitted a statement, but answered questions from the parole board. [27] A made-for-TV movie, also titled Small Sacrifices, starred Farrah Fawcett as Downs, and was aired on ABC in 1989. Copyright 2023 Distractify. This is why I chose to tell my story. We believe the motive for the shooting was to get Nick up here to Oregon to be with her. [22] She received an additional five-year sentence for the escape. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, 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. "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much," she said. Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and says she had a good childhood. I still worry about them and love them, though theyll never know it.. Elizabeth Diane Downs (ne Frederickson; born August 7, 1955) is an American criminal who murdered her daughter and attempted to murder her other two children near Springfield, Oregon, in May 1983. She provides an update on Christie and Danny today, writing on her website: Adopted by Lane County Prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, in 1984, Christie and Dannywho somehow survived their gunshot woundshave no contact with Diane. I got blood all over the back of it, I knew within 30 minutes of talking with that woman that she was guilty., And then, Wilhite said, even more shocking to him was when Downs told him that she knew Christie was brain dead and told him, I want you to pull the plug., In other words, let her die, Wilhite said. According to Glamour, the motive given for why Diane shot her kids was thought to be because the married man she was seeing at the time did not want any children. It was mainly about my biological mom. "They have both graduated from college. Downs told investigators that she and her. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. On Facebook, Becky wrote that she works at Pain management and went to Redmond High School. Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. "Sightseeing when it's pitch black out? Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, March 22, at 9 p.m. [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. I think that's one of the things that-- ended up hurting her case. 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. Jaeger says Downs told her she had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to her arrest. It hasnt been easy, but it has been worth it. Downs is serving a life sentence for shooting her children, killing one They married in 1973, before divorcing in 1980. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children- Danny, Cheryl, and Christie- in Springfield, Oregon. She also made a number of statements that both police and hospital workers considered highly inappropriate.[3]. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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. Cheryl died; the other two children survived, but they suffered terrible wounds according to Glamour, the bullets paralyzed Danny and gave Christie a stroke. They have both graduated from college. Downs was convicted of shooting her three children: Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon 37 years ago. 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. Convicted child killer Diane Downs is seen on a video as the Oregon parole board unanimously rules that she remains dangerous and must stay in prison during a hearing at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Ore., Dec. 10, 2010. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. The revelation would shake Becky Babcock's young world and take her on a journey of self-discovery, filled with ups and downs, she said. She was white She was not breathing. 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? She remembers Downs' demeanor in her interviews as peculiar. But as . And I thought to myself, What am I going to do with three shot children?. Doug Welch remembers getting the call for what would turn out to be his first homicide investigation. Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. Diane Downs is currently serving her sentence of life plus 50 years at Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, Calif., where she's been since August 1993. Who is Becky Babcock and where is she now? Diane Downs always wanted to be a mom, she told Inside Edition in its first-ever episode in 1989. A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. 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. "The more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense.". 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. Boris Johnson is stuck in a chaotic spiral of scandal, walkouts, and leaving dos so where does he go from here? "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.". Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. Downs said she then faked throwing her keys to divert the gunman's attention, pushed him out of the way, jumped back in her car and raced to the hospital with her badly wounded children. Convicted child killer Diane Downs is seen on a video as the Oregon parole board unanimously rules that she remains dangerous and must stay in prison during a hearing at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Ore., Dec. 10, 2010. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. 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 she's not. "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. Diane Downs' ex husband, Steve Downs, lost a lot in May 1983 when his ex wife shot their three children, following their divorce in 1980. Downs had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to the start of her trial. "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. In 1983, Diane Downs three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. A year later, when Diane was arrested and put on trial, Christie, at just 9 years old, having just recovered her ability to speak, testified against her in court. Amy, who was adopted and given the name BeckyBabcock, went public about her mother in 2010 and has also met her in a bid to find out about her roots. Christie was the star witness in her mothers prosecution; she testified that her mother was the shooter. She didn't know when to keep her mouth shut.. When she was asked who shot them, she replied with, my mom. After everything was said and done, and Diane was convicted, both Christie and Danny went to live with Fred Hugi, the lead prosecutor in the case. The stroke Christie Downs suffered impaired her speech and initially prevented her from telling police what she had seen. However, according to her interviews and Facebook page, Becky today appears to have forged a successful life. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable.. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. According to The Cinemaholic, Steve was found to not be a good fit to care for his kids who would need specialized care and had been through a very traumatic event. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. ", 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. The Daughter of Diane Downs. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. See you at 9pm for our encore presentation of #MyMomsSins #ABC2020! Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. 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. "And so the quickest, simplest way was to eliminate the children.". Diane Downs became one of the most infamous murderers in the city after she was convicted of shooting her three children, killing one of them, along a roadway in Springfield, Oregon. I cant remember a specific time when my mom or dad said youre adopted. But when I was about eight years old, I started asking questions about the adoption. [7], On May 19, 1983, Downs shot her three children, and drove them in a blood-spattered car to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital in Springfield, Oregon. Atty. This is the person who's supposed to be on my side. Knickerbocker also reported to police that Downs had stalked him, and seemed willing to kill his wife if it meant that she could have him to herself; he stated that he was relieved that she had left for Oregon, and that he was able to reconcile with his wife. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. Ten days after her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a daughter named Amy Elizabeth. Downs said she then faked throwing her keys to divert the gunman's attention, pushed him out of the way, jumped back in her car and raced to the hospital with her badly wounded children. I mean, think about it. The couple divorced in 1980 over. I mean, obviously, if she's pregnant, she loves children, right?" On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs and her three small children were shot on a country road near Springfield, Oregon. At least, that's the story Diane Downs told police. [2] Despite her parents' disapproval of their relationship, Downs continued the relationship. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. Diane Downs gave birth to four children. "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. 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. The outlet reported that the prison houses 3,000 inmates and, as of April, was being locked down to protect against the spread of the virus. [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. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. Prosecutors think that Diane had sparked up a relationship with a married man who didnt want kids and that this became the motive for murder. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. [24] In 2010, she was relocated to the Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, California,[23] but was transferred out when the facility was converted to an all-male institution in 2013.[25]. Learn about Diane Downs' children now: Christie, Stephen (Danny), and Becky. And as she drove down the road, a man stepped out from the brush, the side of the road, and she stopped the car.
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