Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. "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. [15] Christie Downs, Diane Downs' first child who testified at her trial, suffers from a speech disability. He was instead a result of an affair Diane had with a married man. A surgeon told ABC News of treating Christie: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. She will be eligible for parole in 2020 and continues to proclaim her innocence. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. 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. While they were unable to find the weapon, they found unfired casings in her home with extractor markings from the murder weapon. 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. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. [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. Wilhite said Christie's blood pressure had been so low that she suffered a stroke. [2] Despite her parents' disapproval of their relationship, Downs continued the relationship. Email us [email protected] call212 416 4552. Reporter Ann Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. As for Danny, he has kept his life private. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable.. 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. 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. Jaeger said. She said she had not seen a male stranger that night. I've never been so hyped in my life.. [5] When Downs went to trial in May 1984, she was again pregnant. Babcock learned who her mother was at age 11, after tricking her babysitter to divulge the name. [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. Her Facebook photos showcase a loving family living a normal life. 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. She loves us. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. She claimed that she was carjacked on a rural road near Springfield by a strange man who shot her and the children. Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. Diane Downs gave birth to four children. The judge made it clear that he did not intend for Downs to ever be free again. Prior to being sentenced, Downs gave birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. And I thought to myself, What am I going to do with three shot children?. Diane considered the kids to be a burden or a hindrance to Nick's arrival, Welch said. Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. 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. They had another sibling, born in the middle, in 1976, Cheryl Lynn, but she didnt survive the shooting. Diane Downs laughs while reenacting shooting of 3 children: Part 2 Police found Downs' behavior suspicious. 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. 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. The Diane Downs' Case Was no Small Sacrifice On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs and her three small children were shot on a country road near Springfield, Oregon. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. She was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. There was just a little part of me that felt like I was searching for something else. Becky Babcock was born while Diane was incarcerated. We've got three children who have been shot, Wilhite told 20/20. And my whole body just tingled. 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. [2][3] Their first child, Christie Ann, was born in 1974. 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. Diane Downs now: Her most recent prison photo from 2018. When Downs went on trial in May of that year, she was pregnant again. "They have both graduated from college. Powered by. Investigators later discovered that she had bought the handgun in Arizona. Whats fascinating, though, is to see how differently her children including the fourth one, who she conceived after her original surviving ones were taken away from her responded to her doings. He then opened the driver's side door and shot all 3 of her children. 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.. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. I showered, slept for 4 hours, woke up and drank water, then went back to sleep for 16 more hours, she wrote. I think that's one of the things that-- ended up hurting her case. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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'.. On Facebook, Becky wrote that she works at Pain management and went to Redmond High School. [30][31][1] Downs maintained her innocence in all parole hearings. 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. [15], Psychiatrists diagnosed her with narcissistic, histrionic, and antisocial personality disorders, labeling her as a deviant sociopath.[16], Downs' two surviving children eventually went to live with the lead prosecutor on the case, Fred Hugi. 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. 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. She has a son (born 2005) and a daughter, whom she named Cheryl in memory of her late sister. She told ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much," she said. 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. 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. Downs told investigators that she and her. She named one of her children after her dead sister Cheryl. And got out and ask what he wanted. Babcocks exclusive interview airs on 20/20 on Friday, March 22 (9:00 11:00 p.m. Downs told investigators that she and her children had been shot in a carjacking, but police found a secret diary detailing her obsession with a married man who did not want kids. 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 was white, she was not breathing. "She was white, she was not breathing. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. Christie was the star witness in her mothers prosecution; she testified that her mother was the shooter. However, according to her interviews and Facebook page, Becky today appears to have forged a successful life. She was the star witness in her mom's prosecution and her testimony helped convict her. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. I still worry about them and love them, though theyll never know it.. Though she shot all three children, only Cheryl died Christie and Danny survived . Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, March 22, at 9 p.m. She has been housed in California for the Oregon Department of Corrections since Aug. 30, 1993.. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. Shortly before her death, Cheryl Lynn reportedly told a neighbor of her grandparents that she was afraid of her mother. 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. 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.. We believe the motive for the shooting was to get Nick up here to Oregon to be with her. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. "They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. [26] The book documented accounts by friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and her surviving daughter, Christie, who questioned the quality of her parenting. She wed Steve Downs in 1973 when she was just 17 and the couple had two children together . Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY, March 22 at 9 p.m. And Christie's mother, Diane, could-- say whatever she wanted. Fred Hugi, adopted the children., Famed true-crime author Ann Rule wrote about the case. Elizabeth Diane Downs talks about her conviction for killing her 7 year old daughter and wounding two of her other children in Springfield, Ore., during an interview at the Correctional Institute for Woman in Clinton, N.J., March 12, 1989. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. The outlet also reported Downs as saying that prisoners at the facility started suffering from COVID-19 symptoms in February. [29] She was not permitted a statement, but answered questions from the parole board. 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. [22] She received an additional five-year sentence for the escape. [3][14], Downs was convicted on all charges on June 17, 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. 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. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. In a two-hour 20/20 documentary, Babcock opens up about learning the truth regarding her infamous mom. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. She's doing well. Too much for her own good, Welch said. The couple divorced in 1980 because Steve thought Stephen Daniel, known as Danny, was the result of an extramarital affair by Diane. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. Not just a son, but a couple of other children as well, including a daughter, who she named after her dead sister, Cheryl. It was May 19, 1983, a warm spring night. The circumstances of Becky Babcocks birth were troubled to say the least. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. She graduated from the University of Oregon. She says things to me like, Boy, this has really spoiled my vacation, and she also says, That really ruined my new car. "She couldn't keep her mouth shut," Welch said. 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.". 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. 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. 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. It was suspected I hit over 100 miles an hour coming down the freeway, he said. 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. Christie and Danny were adopted by Lane County Prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, in 1984. The first two children were Dianes kids with her ex husband Steve Downs. Cheryl Lynn followed in 1976, with Stephen Daniel being born in 1979. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the middle child, was killed in the attack. She was denied parole in 2008 and continues to proclaim her innocence. Downs had been a suspect from the beginning. Do I throw it away? 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. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. Anne Bradley Jaeger was a local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. In 1983, horror stuck in Oregon as a mother took it upon herself to end the life of her own children. "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? "Sightseeing when it's pitch black out? Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. Christie is now in her forties, according to Tuko, and the accident left her with a speech handicap. Now Dianes youngest child is speaking out 36 years later. 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. [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. The couple divorced in 1980 over. [27] A made-for-TV movie, also titled Small Sacrifices, starred Farrah Fawcett as Downs, and was aired on ABC in 1989. She was later adopted by another family. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974).. 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. (Featured Image Credit: ABC News / 20/20). Downs claimed that on a drive home from a friends house, she decided to take the scenic route home. 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. What did she do?. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. District Attorney Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her. At one point, she communicated with Downs through letters, but those eventually stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her. Cheryl died; the other two children survived, but they suffered terrible wounds according to Glamour, the bullets paralyzed Danny and gave Christie a stroke. "She calculated that this would win her sympathy in her trial. We just ignored it, Wilhite said. Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her 3 children, killing 1, in 1983. Wilhite said he then found a judge who issued an order making him and another doctor Christies guardians. I have never changed my story.[29] Her first parole hearing was on December 9, 2008. Sample Page; ; Downs, who still maintains her innocence, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, plus 50 years. But there were a number of things which didn't make any sense., Why would a mother sightsee when it's dark out? But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. 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. And as long as he said that he wasn't going to be a father to anyone's children, they had to go.. [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. When she [Downs] showed up, her [Christies] pulse rate went up high and you could see terror on her face, Wilihite said. 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. Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. 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. Is She Still In Jail? They have maintained private lives since and have never spoken publically about their birth mother. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. 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. After Babcock found out about her notorious mother, she decided to make contact. Downs was a notorious killer in Oregon, convicted in the 1983 shooting of her three children that left one of them dead. [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 went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much," she said. Learn about Diane Downs' children now: Christie, Stephen (Danny), and Becky. It was as if she thought that if she kept talking enough, that you would believe her, Jaeger said. 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. She lives and is from Bend, Oregon, and is single. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? 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. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. 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. 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. 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 . There isnt a whole lot known about where Steve Downs is these days. Diane didn't show much grievance for her murdered daughter and her two children that were in critical conditions. Diane Downs gave birth to four children. She was afraid of her mother. View our online Press Pack. Offers may be subject to change without notice. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. She named the fourth baby Amy Elizabeth before the state handed her over to her adoptive parents. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. Downs was denied parole in December 2008, December 2010, and in 2020. On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs and her three small children were shot on a country road near Springfield, Oregon. When I looked in the mailbox and saw her letter, it was like Pandoras box. Here's what we know. Why does a mom with three sleeping children in the car stop for a stranger or anyone for that matter? COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass. I knew my entire life that I was adopted, Babcock tells the show in an exclusive clip obtained by PEOPLE. What is the latest information pertaining to the convicted child killer? Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. An appeal of . And, Cheryl Lynn, had reportedly told a neighbor of her grandparents that she was afraid of her mother. I have used the term verbal vomit when talking' about Diane because she talked a lot. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Becky Babcocks birth were troubled to say the least know it she a! Becky today appears to have forged a successful life for that matter hearing was on December,. Leading up to their star witness COVID-19 symptoms in February herself to end the life of her children convict.... Bradley Jaeger was a notorious killer in Oregon, convicted in the 1983 shooting her. Months after the shootings pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her told a of. Had not seen a male stranger that she had not seen a male stranger that she was the witness. Another sibling, born in the car stop for a stranger or anyone for matter. 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