Cheryl died; the other two children survived, but they suffered terrible wounds according to Glamour, the bullets paralyzed Danny and gave Christie a stroke. [15] Christie Downs, Diane Downs' first child who testified at her trial, suffers from a speech disability. While police increasingly suspected Downs, she adamantly denied any involvement when speaking to the media. 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. Wilhite said he was immediately directed to start working to save Christie while another surgeon took Danny. The woman who was on trial for shooting her own children was pregnant again -- and it was no accident. Downs claimed that during this drive home, around 10 pm she saw a strange man standing in the road flagging her down. In 1994, after serving ten years, Downs was transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. They have maintained private lives since and have never spoken publically about their birth mother. Her older two children have remained out of the public eye. At birth, Downs named the child Amy Elizabeth. What is the latest information pertaining to the convicted child killer? [2] Despite her parents' disapproval of their relationship, Downs continued the relationship. 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. Downs' launched a violent attack on three of her children, Danny, Cheryl Lynn, and Christie Anne in 1983. 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. 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. The stroke Christie Downs suffered impaired her speech and initially prevented her from telling police what she had seen. Downs was initially incarcerated at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem. Diane Downs gave birth to four children. That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. My childhood was of dreams and we had every opportunity that we wanted. 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. COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass. [29], Downs had parole hearings in 2010 and 2020, which were both denied. 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. 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.. [22] She received an additional five-year sentence for the escape. Diane's 2 children who survived the shooting . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Becky Babcock was born while Diane was incarcerated. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "She saw the kids as a burden, they were in the way and he wasn't going to join her as long as she had the kids," Welch said. 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. 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. It was mainly about my biological mom. And she took a deserted country road with three sleeping kids in her car. Downs was employed by the United States Postal Service, assigned to the mail routes in the city of Cottage Grove, Oregon. [29] She was not permitted a statement, but answered questions from the parole board. On a May night in 1983, the young, divorced letter carrier drove up to the emergency room of a Springfield, Oregon, hospital. Becky is the fourth and youngest child of Diane who is currently serving a life sentence for shooting three of . When then-prosecutor Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her, Christie Downs replied, "My mom.". When police arrived at the scene, Downs, 27 at the time, told them a bizarre story of being flagged down by a bushy-haired stranger on a dark and deserted country road. 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. Anne Jaeger was a local reporter for KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. Learn about Diane Downs' children now: Christie, Stephen (Danny), and Becky. At one point, she communicated with Downs through letters, but those eventually stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. Downs had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to the start of her trial. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. "They have both graduated from college. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. [24] While in prison, she earned an associate degree in General Studies. "Her initial statement was that she had taken the kids out to a friend's house," said Welch. He then opened the driver's side door and shot all 3 of her children. "They have both graduated from college. "I knew within 30 minutes of talking with that woman that she was guilty": Surgeon who helped save one of Diane Downs' kids in 1983 after she shot her recalls chilling interaction. [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. It's not even known if he still resides in Arizona, where he used to live with Diane and their three kids. Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. 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. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. I was very stern with her.". Her pupils were dilated. 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. [1], Elizabeth Diane Downs was born on August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona, to Wesley Linden (19302017) and Willadene (Engle) Frederickson. She remembers Downs' demeanor in her interviews as peculiar. In 1984, Diane was convicted of the death and injuries of her children, and she was sentenced to life in prison. Beeper goes off, said, Get in here. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. She has been housed in California for the Oregon Department of Corrections since Aug. 30, 1993.. What happened to Diane Downs' children? 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. [32], Last edited on 17 February 2023, at 03:51, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, "Diane Downs: Her Children Got in the Way of Her Love", "The True Story of Diane Downs: How a Mother Shot Her 3 Kids for Her Lover", "Woman on finding peace after learning mother is child killer Diane Downs: 'Though that's biologically my makeup, it's not who I am inside', "Woman finds peace after learning mother is convicted child killer Diane Downs", Christie Downs: Three Years Old Murder Survival of the 80s, "Becky Babcock: My Mother Was a Murderer", "Becky Babcock: A Girl's Fight to Escape her Mother's Crimes", "Diane Downs: Her Children Got in the Way of Her Love', "Diane Downs maintains innocence as parole hearing looms", "Diane Downs Denied by Oregon Parole Board", "Diane Downs Latest Parole Hearing is Next Month", "Where Is Diane Downs Today? [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. There was just a little part of me that felt like I was searching for something else. She named the fourth baby Amy Elizabeth before the state handed her over to her adoptive parents. 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 calculated that this would win her sympathy in her trial. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. From Arizona to Oregon, the family had moved just shortly before the incident for Dianes job in the U.S. postal service. 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. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. The girl was later renamed Becky Babcock. "They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. After months of physical and mental therapy, Christie Downs was able to take the stand and tell what happened to her that horrible night. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. And-- so with that, then we were free to treat her as need be. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. 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? The first two children were Dianes kids with her ex husband Steve Downs. There's very few cases quite like this one, he said. she said in an interview. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. 1983: Diane Downs Attempts to Murder Her Three Children. During the search for the strange gunman Diane kept giving bizarre interviews , one of the detectives on the case stated "she couldn't keep her mouth shut" ("The Diane Downs Story", 2010). 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. A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Golden State Killer: Where Is the Prolific Rapist and Murderer Today? 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. May 14, 2010 -- On June 17, 1984, Diane Downs was found guilty of shooting her three children, killing one. Author Ann Rule wrote the book Small Sacrifices (1987), which detailed Downs' life and murder trial. I still worry about them and love them, though theyll never know it.. They told of her obsession with a married man who didn't want her kids around. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. She wed Steve Downs in 1973 when she was just 17 and the couple had two children together . [5] When Downs went to trial in May 1984, she was again pregnant. Heres what you need to know about where Diane Downs children are now: Shes been called evil and the devil. A mother of three, in love with a married man, who did the unthinkable. Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. 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'.. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. She also made a number of statements that both police and hospital workers considered highly inappropriate.[3]. Where is Diane Downs today? [3] Diane came from a family with strict conservative values. Downs was found guilty in June 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. [28], In her first application for parole in 2008, Downs reaffirmed her innocence. [12], Diane did not disclose to police that she owned a .22 caliber handgun, but both Steve and Knickerbocker informed authorities that she did. He and his wife, Joanne, legally adopted the children in 1986. May 13, 2010, 7:54 AM. 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. 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. Danny was the product of an affair. Anne Bradley Jaeger was a local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. [2] She has testified that her father sexually abused her when she was 12 years old. 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. "And it grew dark and upon their return home she decided to -- to do some sightseeing. 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. 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. READ MORE: abcn.ws/2W9dzyC In 1983, Diane Downs. Despite being convicted, Downs has always maintained her innocence. It hasnt been easy, but it has been worth it. Downs' sentence meant she could not be considered for parole until 2009. She loves us. They told of her obsession with a married man who didn't want her kids around. And as she drove down the road, a man stepped out from the brush, the side of the road, and she stopped the car. Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. 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. Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. She will be eligible for parole in 2020 and continues to proclaim her innocence. Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. She said she had not seen a male stranger that night. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Downs Family Diane Downs and her three children. Diane Downs Today: Where Is the Convicted Child Killer Now? Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Stephen Downs (known as Danny), 3, Cheryl, 7, and Christie, 8, were shot in the May 19, 1983 attack. [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]. Christie, now in her mid-40s, still lives in Oregon, in Springfield, and has a big, loving family. In 1983, Diane Downs three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. 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 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. 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. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). Powered by WordPress.com VIP. My parents wanted us to prosper, to learn and to grow, she told ABC. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 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. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. ET. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. When Wilhite went to go update Downs on her daughters condition, he said he was surprised by her reaction. March 23, 2019 13:00 Impact x Nightline The Murders Before the Marathon The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Investigators later discovered that she had bought the handgun in Arizona. When I see what others have suffered, I think my boss probably saved my life.. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. Look at her," Jaeger said. Wilhite said Christie's blood pressure had been so low that she suffered a stroke. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . "Sightseeing when it's pitch black out? 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. Meanwhile, Christie Downs was slowly beginning to tell what she remembered of the shootings. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? What did she do?. The Diane Downs case is well-known and infamous; she's accused of shooting her three children along a roadway in Springfield, Oregon on May 19, 1983. 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. I showered, slept for 4 hours, woke up and drank water, then went back to sleep for 16 more hours, she wrote. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable.. 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. The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. He and his wife, Joanne, adopted them in 1986. She remembers Downs' demeanor in her interviews as peculiar. 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. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" This is the person who's supposed to be on my side. "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 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. 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. [2], On November 13, 1973, Diane married Steve Downs after running away from home. Prior to her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Amy Elizabeth. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children- Danny, Cheryl, and Christie- in Springfield, Oregon. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. Sample Page; ; 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. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. It was an interesting interview. Babcock learned who her mother was at age 11, after tricking her babysitter to divulge the name. 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. A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. 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. Doug Welch remembers getting the call for what would turn out to be his first homicide investigation. In a statement to Heavy, Terry Thornton, Deputy Press Secretary of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, stated, Elizabeth Diane Downs, 64, is currently housed at Central California Womens Facility. Most damaging, witnesses saw her car being driven very slowly toward the hospital, at an estimated speed of 57mph (811km/h)contradicting her claim that she drove to the hospital at a high speed after the shooting. 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Christie is married and had a baby girl whom she named the child Amy.... Called evil and the devil atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter at... Guilty of shooting her own children was pregnant again -- and it was no.... And upon their return home she decided to -- to do some sightseeing married and had a girl. From the prison like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account @... Danny, Cheryl Lynn, and Becky away from home until 2009 2020, which were both denied has maintained... Downs after running away from home then-prosecutor Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot them, though never! 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