Heavy is withholding that last name and the photos to protect her privacy. 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. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. While police increasingly suspected Downs, she adamantly denied any involvement when speaking to the media. "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much," she said. She said she had not seen a male stranger that night. She, too, is now a mother. After that, she was charged with killing her 7-year-old daughter. She stopped the car and asked him what he wanted. Christie is now in her forties, according to Tuko, and the accident left her with a speech handicap. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. 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. 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. Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and says she had a good childhood. I was very stern with her.". 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. Despite being convicted, Downs has always maintained her innocence. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. [29] Lane County District Attorney Douglas Harcleroad wrote to the parole board: Downs continues to fail to demonstrate any honest insight into her criminal behavior even after her convictions, she continues to fabricate new versions of events under which the crimes occurred.[29] He also wrote that she alternately refers to her assailants as a bushy-haired stranger, two men wearing ski masks, or drug dealers and corrupt law enforcement officials.[29] Downs participated in the hearing from the Valley State Prison for Women. Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. 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. Do I open it? When then-prosecutor Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her, Christie Downs replied, "My mom.". In 1983, Diane Downs three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. When Downs went on trial in May of that year, she was pregnant again. 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 . Downs had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to the start of her trial. Downs insisted that, Over the years, I have told you and the rest of the world that a man shot me and my children. Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. I sat and I thought about it for awhile, and I chose to open that letter. The two older kids were Diane's with ex-husband Steve, however, Danny wasn't Steve's. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? In 1983, horror stuck in Oregon as a mother took it upon herself to end the life of her own children. 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.". What did she do?. 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. She tried to cut her wrists when she was 13 years old. May 14, 2010 -- On June 17, 1984, Diane Downs was found guilty of shooting her three children, killing one. 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. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. If youre here because youre curious to know where the surviving children are now, youve come to the right place. Downs was initially incarcerated at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. She was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He responded to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and immediately interviewed Downs, a postal worker. While they were unable to find the weapon, they found unfired casings in her home with extractor markings from the murder weapon. 1983: Diane Downs Attempts to Murder Her Three Children. The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. When Wilhite went to go update Downs on her daughters condition, he said he was surprised by her reaction. Is Oregon relatively virus-free, or are my children in greater danger than the red circle size suggests? [3] Diane came from a family with strict conservative values. 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. She was sentenced to life plus 50 years for the crimes. At one point, she communicated with Downs through letters, but those eventually stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 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. Where is Diane Downs today? The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. After high school, she enrolled at Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College in Orange, California, but was expelled after one year for promiscuous behavior and returned to her parents' home in Arizona. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Meanwhile, Christie Downs was slowly beginning to tell what she remembered of the shootings. Full names: Elizabeth Diane Downs Birth name: Elizabeth Diane Frederickson Date of birth: August 7, 1955 Age: 67 years old as of 2022 Place of birth: Phoenix, Arizona Gender: Female Nationality: American Ethnicity: White Zodiac sign: Leo Children: Christie Ann, Cheryl Lynn, Stephen Daniel, and Becky Babcock She told ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. It was an interesting interview. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. View our online Press Pack. She wed Steve Downs in 1973 when she was just 17 and the couple had two children together . [28], In her first application for parole in 2008, Downs reaffirmed her innocence. Christie was the star witness in her mothers prosecution; she testified that her mother was the shooter. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable.. By the time Wilhite arrived, Downs had driven her blood-soaked car to the emergency room. 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,. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. [2][3] Their first child, Christie Ann, was born in 1974. [26] The book documented accounts by friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and her surviving daughter, Christie, who questioned the quality of her parenting. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. He then opened the driver's side door and shot all 3 of her children. Glamour reported that Danny was paralyzed from the chest down as a result of the shooting and Cheryl suffered a major stroke as a result of the attack that left her with a lifelong speech impediment. 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. But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? And his response was, 'I want your car.' 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.. the incident happened on a dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted murder. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died, but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. [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? DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. 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. [5] When Downs went to trial in May 1984, she was again pregnant. Beeper goes off, said, Get in here. Following the crimes, she made claims to police that a man had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children. A mother was driving one night down a rural road in Oregon when her three children, who were asleep in the car, were shot at point-blank range by a stranger in the dark. Prior to her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Amy Elizabeth. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. For ten days, Downs managed to evade law enforcementdespite a fourteen-state manhuntbefore she was recaptured. Jaeger said. Becky Babcock was born while Diane was incarcerated. She's the biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children.". https://t.co/cPfs75obUg pic.twitter.com/uSnlFF2IRw. Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. Previously, Diane was housed in a maximum-security prison for women in Clinton, N.J. As for why she wasn't in Oregon where the crimes took place, " [prison] officials said they . And, Cheryl Lynn, had reportedly told a neighbor of her grandparents that she was afraid of her mother. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. 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. It was mainly about my biological mom. [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. After Babcock found out about her notorious mother, she decided to make contact. 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. 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. We just ignored it, Wilhite 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.". Her three children -- 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl and 3 . Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal 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. He responded to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and immediately interviewed Downs, a postal worker. 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. Rebecca wrote to Downs in her younger years, and has stated that she regrets the contact, regarding her mother as a monster.[20] [21]. 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. [8][9] Upon arrival, Cheryl (aged 7) was already dead, Danny (aged 3) was paralyzed from the waist down, and Christie (aged 8) had suffered a disabling stroke. "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, 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. 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? The Daughter of Diane Downs. 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. In 1994, after serving ten years, Downs was transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. Knickerbocker also reported to police that Downs had stalked him, and seemed willing to kill his wife if it meant that she could have him to herself; he stated that he was relieved that she had left for Oregon, and that he was able to reconcile with his wife. Not just a son, but a couple of other children as well, including a daughter, who she named after her dead sister, Cheryl. Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. At least, that's the story Diane Downs told police. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Dr. Steven Wilhite had just walked into his house after a long day working at a Springfield, Oregon, hospital when his beeper went off. Reporter Ann Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. 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. 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. In May of that year, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist. The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. 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. 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. And got out and ask what he wanted. Wilhite said he was immediately directed to start working to save Christie while another surgeon took Danny. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. Star Witness at Downs' Trial: Her Daughter. After Downs trial, Christie and Danny were adopted by Hugi and his wife. [2], On November 13, 1973, Diane married Steve Downs after running away from home. 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