Today, Downs is incarcerated at the Central California Womens Facility in Chowchilla, California. Shockingly, it was Downs daughter, Christie, who identified her mother in court as the shooter. And, by the time she took them to the hospital, Cheryl was dead. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? 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). I mean, she is so close to death, it's unbelievable.. Shortly before her death, Cheryl Lynn reportedly told a neighbor of her grandparents that she was afraid of her mother. The circumstances of Becky Babcocks birth were troubled to say the least. Steve Downs, their father, actually left Diane in 1980 because he thought that Danny was the result of an extramarital affair that she had. [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. The stroke Christie Downs suffered impaired her speech and initially prevented her from telling police what she had seen. Therefore, they grew up privately and continue to live their adult lives privately. 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.. Downs was denied parole in December 2008, December 2010, and in 2020. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. And Christie Downs, the only witness to the crime (her younger brother Danny was believed to have been asleep at the time), had suffered a stroke that impaired her speech and prevented her from telling police what she had seen. I mean, think about it. [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. She, too, is now a mother. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. 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. 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. [29] After three hours of interviews and thirty minutes of deliberation, she was denied parole. However, according to her interviews and Facebook page, Becky today appears to have forged a successful life. Her older two children have remained out of the public eye. On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs and her three children were shot on a rural road in Oregon. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . 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? A 27-year-old divorced postal service worker, Downs claimed a bushy-haired stranger had shot them and maintains her innocence to this day. Is She Still In Jail? My childhood was of dreams and we had every opportunity that we wanted. Jaeger said. 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. We found that Diane Downs was emotionally flat. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. 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. She will be eligible for parole in 2020 and continues to proclaim her innocence. 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. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 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. It was mainly about my biological mom. Det. What did she do?. 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. I knew my entire life that I was adopted, Babcock tells the show in an exclusive clip obtained by PEOPLE. ', I didnt just tear it open and start reading, Babcock tells the show. "She talked all the time. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. "They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. "She was white, she was not breathing. Downs was initially incarcerated at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem. 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. "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much," she said. Here's what we know. But there were a number of things which didn't make any sense., Why would a mother sightsee when it's dark out? Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. [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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. ET on ABC. It was an interesting interview. READ MORE: abcn.ws/2W9dzyC In 1983, Diane Downs. 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. And his response was, 'I want your car.' Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. 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. 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. As for Danny, he has kept his life private. she said in an interview. Despite being convicted, Downs has always maintained her innocence. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. Sample Page; ; Her pupils were dilated. Cheryl Lynn followed in 1976, with Stephen Daniel being born in 1979. He worked quickly and eventually was able to revive Christie. 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. Downs Family Diane Downs and her three children. 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'.. After that, she was charged with killing her 7-year-old daughter. Downs had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to the start of her trial. 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. Now, as Diane Downs comes up for parole next year, her daughter speaks out. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. "Her initial statement was that she had taken the kids out to a friend's house," said Welch. Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and says she had a good childhood. [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. She was sentenced to life plus 50 years for the crimes. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? [4] On May 8, 1982, Diane gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Jennifer, while acting as a surrogate. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. Diane Downs was one of the most infamous murderers of the 1980s; the emotionally flat blonde was convicted of shooting her three children, killing one of them, along a roadway in Springfield,. 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. Downs insisted that, Over the years, I have told you and the rest of the world that a man shot me and my 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. In May of that year, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist. [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. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. Beeper goes off, said, Get in here. 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. After months of physical and mental therapy, Christie Downs was able to take the stand and tell what happened to her that horrible night. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Downs was convicted of shooting her three children: Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon 37 years ago. "And it grew dark and upon their return home she decided to -- to do some sightseeing. For other inquiries, Contact Us. She's doing well. Prior to her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Amy Elizabeth. Jaeger says Downs told her she had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to her arrest. 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. The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. 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. Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. This is the person who's supposed to be on my side. "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? 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. The first letter I wrote Diane, I must have written 100 times, she says. Her pupils were dilated. https://t.co/cPfs75obUg pic.twitter.com/uSnlFF2IRw. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. In 1983, Diane Downs' three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. Downs was a notorious killer in Oregon, convicted in the 1983 shooting of her three children that left one of them dead. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? May 14, 2010 -- On June 17, 1984, Diane Downs was found guilty of shooting her three children, killing one. COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? pic.twitter.com/HWkkwT86pF. [22] She received an additional five-year sentence for the escape. She had been shot in the left forearm, though her wound was not life-threatening. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. Christie Downs, now 44, and her brother, 39, were adopted by the prosecutor in the case. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. She claimed that she was carjacked on a rural road near Springfield by a strange man who shot her and the children. The two kids who had survived the attack were placed for adoption and Steve was no able to care for them. They had another sibling, born in the middle, in 1976, Cheryl Lynn, but she didnt survive the shooting. 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. 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. When I see what others have suffered, I think my boss probably saved my life.. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. She described him as a "bushy haired stranger". But suspicions of Downs herself quickly began to surface. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. Distractify is a registered trademark. [1], Elizabeth Diane Downs was born on August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona, to Wesley Linden (19302017) and Willadene (Engle) Frederickson. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). When she [Downs] showed up, her [Christies] pulse rate went up high and you could see terror on her face, Wilihite said. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. Prior to being sentenced, Downs gave birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. Doug Welch remembers getting the call for what would turn out to be his first homicide investigation. Why does a mom with three sleeping children in the car stop for a stranger or anyone for that matter? Ten days after her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a daughter named Amy Elizabeth. It was as if she thought that if she kept talking enough, that you would believe her, Jaeger said. The girl was later renamed Rebecca Babcock. 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.. (Featured Image Credit: ABC News / 20/20). 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.". 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. 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. Photo: September 26, 1988. He responded to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and immediately interviewed Downs, a postal worker. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. She was afraid of her mother. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable.. What did she look like? That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. Diane Downs is an American murder convict who has been serving a life sentence since 1984. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. And as long as he said that he wasn't going to be a father to anyone's children, they had to go.. The woman who was on trial for shooting her own children was pregnant again -- and it was no accident. Diane Downs was one of the most infamous murderers of the 1980s; the emotionally flat blonde was convicted of shooting her three children, killing one of them, along a roadway in Springfield, Oregon. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. It was an unthinkable, brutal killing in 1983 that terrified parents around the country. The judge made it clear that he did not intend for Downs to ever be free again. 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. And why are the kids fatally or near-fatally wounded, and she, being right-handed, is shot in the left arm? Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. At least, that's the story Diane Downs told police. [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 three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. [26] The book documented accounts by friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and her surviving daughter, Christie, who questioned the quality of her parenting. ET. Though she shot all three children, only Cheryl died Christie and Danny survived . Where is Diane Downs today? 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. 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. 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. "And along this road, off to the side, out stepped a man who flagged her down. In a two-hour 20/20 documentary, Babcock opens up about learning the truth regarding her infamous mom. Heavy is withholding that last name and the photos to protect her privacy. She tried to cut her wrists when she was 13 years old. READ NEXT: COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass? And I thought to myself, What am I going to do with three shot children?. 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. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" 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. 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. A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY, March 22 at 9 p.m. The Daughter of Diane Downs. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the middle child, was killed in the attack. After Babcock found out about her notorious mother, she decided to make contact. Atty. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died, but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. She said she had not seen a male stranger that night. 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. 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. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs and her three small children were shot on a country road near Springfield, Oregon. 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. On May 19, 1983, Diane shot the children Cheryl, 7, Christie, 8, and Danny, 3 multiple times at a close range. Boris Johnson is stuck in a chaotic spiral of scandal, walkouts, and leaving dos so where does he go from here? Downs claimed that on a drive home from a friends house, she decided to take the scenic route home. 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. "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much," she said. Where are Diane Downs' children now? Diane Downs remains in prison in California. "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. "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. 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