While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? All Rights Reserved. Downs, herself, started feeling sick and was told by a supervisor to rest after seemingly showcasing symptoms at work, where she refurbishes bicycles for underprivileged children. I chose to, in a sense, allow her into my life.. 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. 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 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? They also found a diary in which she expressed a desire to be with a married man, and the focus of the investigation shifted to Downs herself. 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. Not just a son, but a couple of other children as well, including a daughter, who she named after her dead sister, Cheryl. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died, but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs and her three children were shot on a rural road in Oregon. She graduated from the University of Oregon. READ NEXT: COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass? [30][31][1] Downs maintained her innocence in all parole hearings. Danny was the product of an affair. She wed Steve Downs in 1973 when she was just 17 and the couple had two children together . She told ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. But suspicions of Downs herself quickly began to surface. Learn about Christi (Hugi), Stephen (Danny), and Becky today. On Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings, Downs was arrested and charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder. [27] A made-for-TV movie, also titled Small Sacrifices, starred Farrah Fawcett as Downs, and was aired on ABC in 1989. Diane didn't show much grievance for her murdered daughter and her two children that were in critical conditions. "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 thats gone, they took it from me, but children are so easy to conceive.". [2] She has testified that her father sexually abused her when she was 12 years old. Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. She briefly escaped in 1987, but was quickly recaptured. She tells ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. There are some stories that stick with you for a long time. 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. Star Witness at Downs' Trial: Her Daughter. Of course, being married, she has also changed her last name. Downs then said she pretended to throw her car keys in a bush and the man went to go look for them. The more she talked, and she talked a lot and frequently, the more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense. She was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Wilhite said he then found a judge who issued an order making him and another doctor Christies guardians. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Meanwhile, Christie Downs was slowly beginning to tell what she remembered of the shootings. There isnt a whole lot known about where Steve Downs is these days. It's not even known if he still resides in Arizona, where he used to live with Diane and their three kids. Why does a mom with three sleeping children in the car stop for a stranger or anyone for that matter? Downs was employed by the United States Postal Service, assigned to the mail routes in the city of Cottage Grove, Oregon. ET) on ABC. 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. Cheryl Lynn followed in 1976, with Stephen Daniel being born in 1979. 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. When then-prosecutor Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her, Christie Downs replied, "My mom.". View our online Press Pack. It was scary. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. [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. 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. She was denied parole in 2008 and continues to proclaim her innocence. That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. Too much for her own good, Welch said. "And it grew dark and upon their return home she decided to -- to do some sightseeing. Why is she wounded in the arm? 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. And as she drove down the road, a man stepped out from the brush, the side of the road, and she stopped the car. I think that's one of the things that-- ended up hurting her case. A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. And as long as he said that he wasn't going to be a father to anyone's children, they had to go.. After Babcock found out about her notorious mother, she decided to make contact. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. Is Oregon relatively virus-free, or are my children in greater danger than the red circle size suggests? She has been housed in California for the Oregon Department of Corrections since Aug. 30, 1993.. 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. "And along this road, off to the side, out stepped a man who flagged her down. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. She's been called "evil" and "the . He and his wife, Joanne, adopted them in 1986. In 1984, Diane was convicted of the death and injuries of her children, and she was sentenced to life in prison. Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. Atty. https://t.co/cPfs75obUg pic.twitter.com/uSnlFF2IRw. A jury subsequently convicted Downs on all counts, and she was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, according to Glamour. She was the star witness in her mom's prosecution and her testimony helped convict her. 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 . 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. It was an unthinkable, brutal killing in 1983 that terrified parents around the country. He then opened the driver's side door and shot all 3 of her children. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. [2] Despite her parents' disapproval of their relationship, Downs continued the relationship. She tried to cut her wrists when she was 13 years old. [28], In her first application for parole in 2008, Downs reaffirmed her innocence. When she [Downs] showed up, her [Christies] pulse rate went up high and you could see terror on her face, Wilihite said. But as . Distractify is a registered trademark. I was afraid of how am I going to handle all this? he added. "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. Do I open it? It was mainly about my biological mom. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. My parents wanted us to prosper, to learn and to grow, she told ABC. "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. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. She also made a number of statements that both police and hospital workers considered highly inappropriate.[3]. After leaving the public eye in 2010, she spoke to ABC News' "20/20" to share her life now. Christie Ann, born in 1974, is the eldest of the Downs children, and Stephen Daniel, known as Danny, born in 1979, is the youngest. Jaeger says Downs told her she had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to her arrest. Despite being convicted, Downs has always maintained her innocence. District Attorney Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her. The woman who was on trial for shooting her own children was pregnant again -- and it was no accident. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. 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. It was an interesting interview. She was white She was not breathing. 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. She described him as a "bushy haired stranger". As for Danny, he has kept his life private. The outlet reported that the prison houses 3,000 inmates and, as of April, was being locked down to protect against the spread of the virus. 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. Powered by. Downs was initially incarcerated at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem. Is She Still In Jail? [29], Downs had parole hearings in 2010 and 2020, which were both denied. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. 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. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY, March 22 at 9 p.m. 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. Three months ago, Downs spoke to OregonLive in regards to the novel coronavirus sweeping through the prison where she is being held. Diane considered the kids to be a burden or a hindrance to Nick's arrival, Welch said. Christies Facebook page shows she has children, has a different married last name, and is living in Oregon. March 23, 2019 13:00 Impact x Nightline The Murders Before the Marathon Rebecca wrote to Downs in her younger years, and has stated that she regrets the contact, regarding her mother as a monster.[20] [21]. Becky is the fourth and youngest child of Diane who is currently serving a life sentence for shooting three of . Not one tear. She loves us. On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs drove herself and her three children to an emergency room in Springfield, Oregon, saying she had been shot by a "bushy-haired ma. Stephen danny downs was the son of Diane Downs is a murderer who was convicted in the United States and is currently serving a life term for the crime she committed in 1984. Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. Anne Bradley Jaeger was a local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. Prior to being sentenced, Downs gave birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. "She calculated that this would win her sympathy in her trial. "They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. Born June 27, 1984, Becky, 37, is famously known as the daughter of Diane Down, 66. I was very stern with her.". 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. Ten days after her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a daughter named Amy Elizabeth. Christie is now in her forties, according to Tuko, and the accident left her with a speech handicap. She was afraid of her mother. From Arizona to Oregon, the family had moved just shortly before the incident for Dianes job in the U.S. postal service. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Downs was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years for killing her 7-year-old daughter and wounding her two other children on a rural road outside Springfield, Ore., on May 19, 1983. Where is Diane Downs today? She said she had not seen a male stranger that night. Cops decided she was lying. She was white She was not breathing. "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. 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. Diane Downs and her three children They raise many concerns over her three-decade old conviction for the shooting of her three children, one of whom died, and say even the most basic tests for courts were not met or passed. 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. 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. A 27-year-old divorced postal service worker, Downs claimed a bushy-haired stranger had shot them and maintains her innocence to this day. Cheryl died; the other two children survived, but they suffered terrible wounds according to Glamour, the bullets paralyzed Danny and gave Christie a stroke. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. All the kids were asleep as it was past 9 o'clock pm and her children were fairly young. 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.". And, Cheryl Lynn, had reportedly told a neighbor of her grandparents that she was afraid of her mother. I was nervous. Officers began an inquiry into her peculiar behavior, which included calling her lover from the hospital, her children claiming they were afraid of her, and Christie Ann responding in a fearful manner when her mother visited her in the hospital. 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. [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. DIANE Downs made international headlines for callously shooting three of her children - her fourth wasn't yet born. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. "And so the quickest, simplest way was to eliminate the children.". After that, she was charged with killing her 7-year-old daughter. Downs was convicted of shooting her three children: Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon 37 years ago. Would love your thoughts, please comment. They told of her obsession with a married man who didn't want her kids around. Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and says she had a good childhood. 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