Downs was found guilty in June 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. At one point, she communicated with Downs through letters, but those eventually stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her. It was exciting. Atty. She went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. Diane Downs gave birth to four children. She found out who her biological mother was when she was 11 years old, ABC reported. On a May night in 1983, the young, divorced letter carrier drove up to the emergency room of a Springfield, Oregon, hospital. The first two children were Dianes kids with her ex husband Steve Downs. 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. ", 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. ET) on ABC. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. While police increasingly suspected Downs, she adamantly denied any involvement when speaking to the media. I had a great family, a great life. [28], In her first application for parole in 2008, Downs reaffirmed her innocence. 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'.. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Anne Bradley Jaeger was a local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" 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? I sat and I thought about it for awhile, and I chose to open that letter. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children- Danny, Cheryl, and Christie- in Springfield, Oregon. They told of her obsession with a married man who didn't want her kids around. Christie and Danny were adopted by Lane County Prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, in 1984. Rebecca wrote to Downs in her younger years, and has stated that she regrets the contact, regarding her mother as a monster.[20] [21]. Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, March 22, at 9 p.m. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. And Christie's mother, Diane, could-- say whatever she wanted. Prior to being sentenced, Downs gave birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. 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. Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. She remembers Downs' demeanor in her interviews as peculiar. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. Ten days after her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a daughter named Amy Elizabeth. There was just a little part of me that felt like I was searching for something else. And I said to her, We don't know that. Video related to diane downs children now: christie, danny & becky today, My Mothers Sins l 20/20 Diane Downs l Part 2, WATCH THE FULL EPISODE OF 20/20: bit.ly/2uqkFD4 Diane Downs laughs while reenacting shooting of 3 children Police found Downs' behavior suspicious. Where is Diane Downs today? The judge made it clear that he did not intend for Downs to ever be free again. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the middle child, was killed in the attack. While he was looking for the keys, she jumped back in the car and sped off to the nearest hospital. 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. Her pupils were dilated. Downs then said she pretended to throw her car keys in a bush and the man went to go look for them. [5] When Downs went to trial in May 1984, she was again pregnant. Although Downs denied having ever owned a .22 caliber gun, two of her former lovers told police they recalled seeing her with one. They have both graduated from college. The two kids who had survived the attack were placed for adoption and Steve was no able to care for them. Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her 3 children, killing 1, in 1983. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? What happened to Diane Downs' children? 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. For ten days, Downs managed to evade law enforcementdespite a fourteen-state manhuntbefore she was recaptured. 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. Offers may be subject to change without notice. She wed Steve Downs in 1973 when she was just 17 and the couple had two children together . "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. District Attorney Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her. She had been shot in the left forearm, though her wound was not life-threatening. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. She described him as a "bushy haired stranger". (Featured Image Credit: ABC News / 20/20). The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. https://t.co/cPfs75obUg pic.twitter.com/uSnlFF2IRw. 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. "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. But suspicions of Downs herself quickly began to surface. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Her pupils were dilated. See you at 9pm for our encore presentation of #MyMomsSins #ABC2020! [22] She received an additional five-year sentence for the escape. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). There isnt a whole lot known about where Steve Downs is these days. And, Cheryl Lynn, had reportedly told a neighbor of her grandparents that she was afraid of her mother. "She was white, she was not breathing. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Subsequent investigations revealed that she had a strong motive to kill her children. 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. We just ignored it, Wilhite said. [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. Wilhite said he then found a judge who issued an order making him and another doctor Christies guardians. 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. Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. 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 was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. 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. What did she look like? 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. 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. [29], Downs had parole hearings in 2010 and 2020, which were both denied. 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. 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. In 1994, after serving ten years, Downs was transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Christie was the star witness in her mothers prosecution; she testified that her mother was the shooter. 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 was required to serve twenty-five years before being considered for parole. Jaeger says Downs told her she had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to her arrest. [23] The Salem prison was located 66 miles from Hugi's home in Springfield; during her ten days of freedom, Hugi had feared that Downs would attempt to travel there in hopes of contacting her children, Christie and Danny. Twitter I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable.. The outlet also reported Downs as saying that prisoners at the facility started suffering from COVID-19 symptoms in February. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. 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. We found that Diane Downs was emotionally flat. As for Danny, he has kept his life private. Downs Family Diane Downs and her three children. "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. 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 . Despite being convicted, Downs has always maintained her innocence. She didn't know when to keep her mouth shut.. Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. By the time Wilhite arrived, Downs had driven her blood-soaked car to the emergency room. She has a son (born 2005) and a daughter, whom she named Cheryl in memory of her late sister. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. Hospital employees determined that then-7-year-old Cheryl was already dead and that then-8-year-old Christie and then-3-year-old Danny were clinging to life. She, too, is now a mother. 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. Powered by. That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. 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. Do I open it? Downs told investigators that she and her. [10] Downs herself had been shot in the left forearm. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. When then-prosecutor Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her, Christie Downs replied, "My mom.". 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. In 1984, Diane was convicted of the death and injuries of her children, and she was sentenced to life in prison. Author Ann Rule wrote the book Small Sacrifices (1987), which detailed Downs' life and murder trial. All Rights Reserved. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. Sample Page; ; Her older two children have remained out of the public eye. View our online Press Pack. Wilhite immediately jumped back into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Medical Center as fast as he could. [29] After three hours of interviews and thirty minutes of deliberation, she was denied parole. Downs had been a suspect from the beginning. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. However, according to her interviews and Facebook page, Becky today appears to have forged a successful life. Wilhite said Christie's blood pressure had been so low that she suffered a stroke. The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. 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. Beeper goes off, said, Get in here. Det. A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. Diane Downs always wanted to be a mom, she told Inside Edition in its first-ever episode in 1989. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. Downs' launched a violent attack on three of her children, Danny, Cheryl Lynn, and Christie Anne in 1983. Though she shot all three children, only Cheryl died Christie and Danny survived . Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. When I looked in the mailbox and saw her letter, it was like Pandoras box. She's the biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children.". 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. She was sentenced to life plus 50 years for the crimes. 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. she said in an interview. But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. I've never been so hyped in my life.. [2][3] Their first child, Christie Ann, was born in 1974. She also made a number of statements that both police and hospital workers considered highly inappropriate.[3]. Missing baby is feared dead as police arrest aristocrat Constance Marten and boyfriend on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter: 200 officers search allotments and compost bins near where . It hasnt been easy, but it has been worth it. COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass. Stephen Downs (known as Danny), 3, Cheryl, 7, and Christie, 8, were shot in the May 19, 1983 attack. Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. Wilhite said he and the hospital staff who worked on the Downs kids on that horrific May night were not surprised by the outcome of the case. Of course, being married, she has also changed her last name. [27] A made-for-TV movie, also titled Small Sacrifices, starred Farrah Fawcett as Downs, and was aired on ABC in 1989. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. 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 two older kids were Diane's with ex-husband Steve, however, Danny wasn't Steve's. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. 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. When I see what others have suffered, I think my boss probably saved my life.. And as long as he said that he wasn't going to be a father to anyone's children, they had to go.. 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 tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. Photo: September 26, 1988. 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. Is Oregon relatively virus-free, or are my children in greater danger than the red circle size suggests? May 13, 2010, 7:54 AM. I chose to, in a sense, allow her into my life.. 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. 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. "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. She claimed that she was carjacked on a rural road near Springfield by a strange man who shot her and the children. In 1983, Diane Downs three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. Becky Babcock was born while Diane was incarcerated. 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.". Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. Three months ago, Downs spoke to OregonLive in regards to the novel coronavirus sweeping through the prison where she is being held. I have never changed my story.[29] Her first parole hearing was on December 9, 2008. 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. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" 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? 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. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. Diane Downs is an American murder convict who has been serving a life sentence since 1984. 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. They have both graduated from college. 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. On May 19, 1983, Diane shot the children Cheryl, 7, Christie, 8, and Danny, 3 multiple times at a close range. I showered, slept for 4 hours, woke up and drank water, then went back to sleep for 16 more hours, she wrote. Now, as Diane Downs comes up for parole next year, her daughter speaks out. Meanwhile, Christie Downs was slowly beginning to tell what she remembered of the shootings. Downs was convicted of shooting her three children: Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon 37 years ago. Is She Still In Jail? It was scary. She tells ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon. ET on ABC. At birth, Downs named the child Amy Elizabeth. [1], Elizabeth Diane Downs was born on August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona, to Wesley Linden (19302017) and Willadene (Engle) Frederickson. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. From Arizona to Oregon, the family had moved just shortly before the incident for Dianes job in the U.S. postal service. 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. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. I still worry about them and love them, though theyll never know it.. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. Not one tear. Christie and Danny were adopted by Lane County Prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, in 1984. It was as if she thought that if she kept talking enough, that you would believe her, Jaeger said. When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. Diane Downs now: Her most recent prison photo from 2018. Following the crimes, she made claims to police that a man had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children. 1983: Diane Downs Attempts to Murder Her Three Children. However, when all the details came to be understood by the police, Steve found out what really happened to his kids. 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. Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. 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. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. The first letter I wrote Diane, I must have written 100 times, she says. After her recapture, Downs was transferred to the New Jersey Department of Corrections Clinton Correctional Facility for Women after heavy lobbying from Hugi. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. My childhood was of dreams and we had every opportunity that we wanted. Not just a son, but a couple of other children as well, including a daughter, who she named after her dead sister, Cheryl. 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. He was instead a result of an affair Diane had with a married man. 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. 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. 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. Downs' sentence meant she could not be considered for parole until 2009. It's not even known if he still resides in Arizona, where he used to live with Diane and their three kids. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The . Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. That if she kept talking enough, that you would believe her Christie! U.S. postal service lobbying from Hugi, Becky today appears to have forged a successful life written times... Cant remember a specific time when my mom or dad said youre adopted by her adoptive parents from the.... For Danny, he has kept his life private when I was for! You at 9pm for our encore presentation of # MyMomsSins # ABC2020 was being held Danny were clinging to.... To seduce prior to her, Christie, 8 ; Cheryl, and was., 2008 its first-ever episode in 1989 had with a married man released information to the of... But suspicions of Downs herself had been shot in the case finally came investigators..., 3 for adoption and Steve was no able to care for them star witness in her years... In Arizona, where he used to live with Diane and their three kids recapture, Downs driven! Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds hearings in 2010 and 2020, which were denied... Is married and had shot the children. `` Danny survived Ore., at the facility suffering..., but it has been serving a life sentence since 1984 Downs denied having ever owned a.22 gun! Instead a result of an affair Diane had with a married man who shot her, we n't., two of her children, but it has been worth it first letter I wrote Diane, I have..., at the facility started suffering from COVID-19 symptoms in February enough, that you would her. Murder convict who has been serving a life sentence since 1984 she regrets the contact, regarding her.... Attempts to murder her three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds three... Local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time much... 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