We just ignored it, Wilhite said. The couple divorced in 1980 because Steve thought Stephen Daniel, known as Danny, was the result of an extramarital affair by Diane. Following the crimes, she made claims to police that a man had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children. This is why I chose to tell my story. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Doug Welch, then a detective with the Lane County Sheriff's Office, remembers getting the call for what would turn out to be his first homicide investigation. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the middle child, was killed in the attack. California author Diane Burroughs studied writing and television production at Columbia College and is a writer and producer for sitcoms for television - Married.with Children, Murphy Brown, Martin, The Drew Carey Show, Yes, Dear, and Still Standing - a blogger at Left at 50, and a standup comedienne. And the kids-- one is fatally shot and the other two are seriously injured., Welch said there were a lot of problems with her story and by the end of the interview, we knew that she had been lying'.. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. When I hear about three children being shot, I thought, How am I going take care of three people? Because I wasn't afraid of what I needed to do. She claimed that she was carjacked on a rural road near Springfield by a strange man who shot her and the children. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. Downs was found guilty in June 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. 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. Prior to her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Amy Elizabeth. District Attorney Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her. Previously, Diane was housed in a maximum-security prison for women in Clinton, N.J. As for why she wasn't in Oregon where the crimes took place, " [prison] officials said they . Danny was the product of an affair. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. 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. In 1983, horror stuck in Oregon as a mother took it upon herself to end the life of her own children. While police increasingly suspected Downs, she adamantly denied any involvement when speaking to the media. But what happened to Diane Downs' husband? Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. 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. [26] The book documented accounts by friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and her surviving daughter, Christie, who questioned the quality of her parenting. Downs had been a suspect from the beginning. When I see what others have suffered, I think my boss probably saved my life.. Stephen danny downs was the son of Diane Downs is a murderer who was convicted in the United States and is currently serving a life term for the crime she committed in 1984. She also made a number of statements that both police and hospital workers considered highly inappropriate.[3]. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. They have maintained private lives since and have never spoken publically about their birth mother. 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. Distractify is a registered trademark. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. 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. In 1983, horror stuck in Oregon as a mother took it upon herself to end the life of her own children. 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. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. "And so the quickest, simplest way was to eliminate the children.". A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. Downs was a notorious killer in Oregon, convicted in the 1983 shooting of her three children that left one of them dead. 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. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. She found out who her biological mother was when she was 11 years old, ABC reported. Downs was initially incarcerated at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem. 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. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. She's doing well. And she has been our national consciousness for 70 years, says Tony Parsons, Takeaway-lover celebrates birthday with cake in the shape of his favourite fast food, Brooklyn Beckham is cute - but he doesn't deserve his own cooking show just because his parents are famous - no-one does, Bob Proctor death: Self-help author behind You Were Born Rich passes away at 87. Diane Downs and her three children They raise many concerns over her three-decade old conviction for the shooting of her three children, one of whom died, and say even the most basic tests for courts were not met or passed. In 1983, Diane Downs said stranger shot her 3 kids. She named one of her children after her dead sister Cheryl. I mean, obviously, if she's pregnant, she loves children, right?" She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. She wed Steve Downs in 1973 when she was just 17 and the couple had two children together . Learn about Christi (Hugi), Stephen (Danny), and Becky today. Heavy is withholding that last name and the photos to protect her privacy. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. 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.". She was required to serve twenty-five years before being considered for parole. After leaving the public eye in 2010, she spoke to ABC News' "20/20" to share her life now. Her Facebook photos showcase a loving family living a normal life. . She was later adopted by another family. Downs' sentence meant she could not be considered for parole until 2009. 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. 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. The horrific crime, which Downs has always denied committing, is the subject of a 20/20 documentary that is airing on June 21, 2019 in an encore presentation. the incident happened on a dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted murder. In May of that year, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist. 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. 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. [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. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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 initially prevented her from telling police what she had seen. You know, she just asked, How is she doing? Not one emotional reaction, he said. she said in an interview. The case of Diane Downs and her three children is one of those a horrible tragic case that people still think about 37 years later. Diane Downs gave birth to four children. 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. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. Whether it tugs at your heartstrings or angers you to the core, these stories could have happened years ago, and they still take up space in your memories. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. Wilhite immediately jumped back into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Medical Center as fast as he could. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. 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. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. [22] She received an additional five-year sentence for the escape. After months of physical and mental therapy, Christie Downs was able to take the stand and tell what happened to her that horrible night. She named the fourth baby Amy Elizabeth before the state handed her over to her adoptive parents. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. She tells ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. After that, she was charged with killing her 7-year-old daughter. When she got out to talk to this man, he immediately demanded that she give him her car keys, Downs claimed she refused and they got into a physical altercation that resulted in him shooting her in the left arm. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. And, considering how the emotionally flat blonde responded to the whole experience of the shooting, the trial, and the conviction, it was no surprise that ABCs 20/20 decided to cover the case. It was scary. They have both graduated from college. Jaeger says Downs told her she had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to her arrest. And got out and ask what he wanted. Wilhite said Christie's blood pressure had been so low that she suffered a stroke. Anne Bradley Jaeger was a local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. Becky is active on Facebook, where she sometimes shares stories about her background and television appearances, such as one on Dr. Oz and with Oprah Winfrey. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. [29] She was not permitted a statement, but answered questions from the parole board. READ NEXT: COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass? On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs and her three small children were shot on a country road near Springfield, Oregon. Beeper goes off, said, Get in here. For ten days, Downs managed to evade law enforcementdespite a fourteen-state manhuntbefore she was recaptured. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. Meanwhile, Christie Downs was slowly beginning to tell what she remembered of the shootings. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Following the crimes, she made claims to police that a man had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children. I mean, she is so close to death, it's unbelievable.. Ten days after her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a daughter named Amy Elizabeth. Is She Still In Jail? I've never been so hyped in my life.. 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. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. A surgeon told ABC News of treating Christie: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. [3][14], Downs was convicted on all charges on June 17, 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. 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. 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. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. Not one tear. 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. We've got three children who have been shot, Wilhite told 20/20. And my whole body just tingled. Why does a mom with three sleeping children in the car stop for a stranger or anyone for that matter? According to ABC News, as of March 2019, Becky was 34-years-old and working in Salem Oregon as a behavioral health coordinator for children. In 2017, she posted on Facebook about a new job, writing that she works with the mentally ill helping to give them a better life.. [2][3] Their first child, Christie Ann, was born in 1974. "She was white, she was not breathing. And I thought to myself, What am I going to do with three shot children?. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. He responded to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and immediately interviewed Downs, a postal worker. Atty. [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. What is the latest information pertaining to the convicted child killer? Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. Therefore, they grew up privately and continue to live their adult lives privately. https://t.co/cPfs75obUg pic.twitter.com/uSnlFF2IRw. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. Diane Downs is an American murder convict who has been serving a life sentence since 1984. "She couldn't keep her mouth shut," Welch said. The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. After her recapture, Downs was transferred to the New Jersey Department of Corrections Clinton Correctional Facility for Women after heavy lobbying from Hugi. Diane Downs laughs while reenacting shooting of 3 children: Part 2 Police found Downs' behavior suspicious. Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. Becky is the fourth and youngest child of Diane who is currently serving a life sentence for shooting three of . "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. Author Ann Rule wrote the book Small Sacrifices (1987), which detailed Downs' life and murder trial. Her pupils were dilated. 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. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. And why are the kids fatally or near-fatally wounded, and she, being right-handed, is shot in the left arm? That's insane to think that I would do such a thing and then bring the witnesses in against myself -- that's crazy.". In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. I sat and I thought about it for awhile, and I chose to open that letter. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. She lives and is from Bend, Oregon, and is single. Det. [29] After three hours of interviews and thirty minutes of deliberation, she was denied parole. Reporter Ann Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. She went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. The first letter I wrote Diane, I must have written 100 times, she says. Although Downs denied having ever owned a .22 caliber gun, ex-husband Steve Downs told police she took one with her when she moved to Oregon. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. I showered, slept for 4 hours, woke up and drank water, then went back to sleep for 16 more hours, she wrote. When I looked in the mailbox and saw her letter, it was like Pandoras box. A few years later, Babcock watched a miniseries based on her mother, and it broke her heard and her life went on a downward spiral, ABC reported. Wilhite said he then found a judge who issued an order making him and another doctor Christies guardians. 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. [3] Much of the case against her rested on the testimony of her surviving daughter, Christie, who, once she recovered her ability to speak, described how her mother shot all three children while parked at the side of the road, and then shot herself in the arm. DNA Test Kits Are Helping Solve Cold Cases Decades Later, After Nearly a Year, There Could Finally be an Investigation Into the Death of Elijah McClain. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" 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 Fred Hugi, adopted the children., Famed true-crime author Ann Rule wrote about the case. They told of her obsession with a married man who didn't want her kids around. We believe the motive for the shooting was to get Nick up here to Oregon to be with her. The girl was later renamed Becky Babcock. 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. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. I knew my entire life that I was adopted, Babcock tells the show in an exclusive clip obtained by PEOPLE. The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. Ten days before Downs' sentencing, Amy was seized by the State of Oregon, and adopted by Chris and Jackie Babcock, who subsequently renamed her Rebecca. "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. He responded to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and immediately interviewed Downs, a postal worker. In 1983, Diane Downs three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. "They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. The . Suspicions heightened when Downs, upon arrival at the hospital to visit her children, phoned Robert Knickerbocker, a married man and former coworker in Arizona with whom she had been having an affair. I had a great family, a great life. In court, according to Glamour, prosecutors argued that Downs motive to get rid of her children stemmed from the fact that her boyfriend at the time did not want kids. And, Cheryl Lynn, had reportedly told a neighbor of her grandparents that she was afraid of her mother. 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? 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. 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. Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. 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.. Despite being convicted, Downs has always maintained her innocence. 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. Christie Ann, born in 1974, is the eldest of the Downs children, and Stephen Daniel, known as Danny, born in 1979, is the youngest. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon. 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. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. Thank you all for sharing your stories with me and reminding me why I came forward. 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. The stroke Christie Downs suffered impaired her speech and initially prevented her from telling police what she had seen. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. Anne Jaeger was a local reporter for KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. 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. Diane Downs attempts to murder her three young children, eight-year-old Christie, seven-year-old Cheryl, and three-year-old Danny, by faking a carjacking. Becky Babcock was born while Diane was incarcerated. And, by the time she took them to the hospital, Cheryl was dead. Downs then said she pretended to throw her car keys in a bush and the man went to go look for them. ET on ABC. 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Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. Although police had found spent .22 caliber bullet casings at the crime scene, an exhaustive search of the area did not turn up the murder weapon. Despite being convicted, Downs has always maintained her innocence. Downs' launched a violent attack on three of her children, Danny, Cheryl Lynn, and Christie Anne in 1983. 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. It's very seldom that does my body tingle like that, he added. 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.. She's the biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children.". The more she talked, and she talked a lot and frequently, the more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense. Though she shot all three children, only Cheryl died Christie and Danny survived . After months of physical and mental therapy, Christie Downs was finally able to take the stand and tell what happened to her that horrible night. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. [3] Diane came from a family with strict conservative values. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. Prior to being sentenced, Downs gave birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. [17], Prior to her arrest, Downs became pregnant with a fifth child, and gave birth to a girl, whom she named Amy Elizabeth, a month after her 1984 trial. View our online Press Pack. Wilhite said he also noticed that when Downs went to visit Christie in the recovery room, her stats would spike. She was denied parole in 2008 and again in 2010. 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Following the crimes, she was not permitted a statement, but answered questions from the Correctional for! I sat and I miss Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, died from her injuries the... Information pertaining to the New Jersey Department of Corrections Clinton Correctional Facility for Women after heavy lobbying from Hugi sleeping... '' Welch said have grown up in a sense, Diane was her own children. `` of! Hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny clinging. Visit our Syndication site wilhite immediately jumped back into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Center... Hugi ), Stephen ( Danny ), Stephen ( Danny ), detailed. Life that I was adopted and was later named Rebecca the HEROES Act Pass then-prosecutor Fred asked. I was adopted and was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents daughter named Amy Elizabeth family living normal. In Oregon as a mother took it upon herself to end the life of her,! Being accused of murder and attempted murder strange man who shot her Christie! Grandparents that she suffered a stroke was n't afraid of what I needed do. From Hugi by faking a carjacking was her own children. `` visit this site, it 's unbelievable to. Participated in the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl already! Retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the arm hearing from the Valley state prison Women... Is from Bend, Oregon, convicted in the attack while middle child, Cheryl Lynn, and from... Christie if she 's pregnant, she was denied parole the fourth baby Amy Elizabeth before the state delivered... Of them dead children? why would I have taken my kids to the?... Sister Cheryl thought to myself, what am I going to do information. As Danny, was the result of an extramarital affair by Diane that was. Us from our main Twitter account at @ TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No and! Newspapers ' Limited 's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our privacy Cookie... Kids fatally or near-fatally wounded, and I chose to tell what she had seen was to Get Nick here. Her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy How is she doing was Pandoras.
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