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. And got out and ask what he wanted. The woman who was on trial for shooting her own children was pregnant again -- and it was no accident. The judge made it clear that he did not intend for Downs to ever be free again. Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY, March 22 at 9 p.m. 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). And his response was, 'I want your car.' Diane's 2 children who survived the shooting . "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. If youre here because youre curious to know where the surviving children are now, youve come to the right place. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. In a sense, Diane was her own worst enemy.". I was searching for that blood tie., I never had questions about my biological dad, Babcock continues. Therefore, they grew up privately and continue to live their adult lives privately. At around 10 p.m. that May night, police said Diane Downs pulled over to the side of a country road near Springfield and shot her three small children multiple times at close range. They have both graduated from college. I was very stern with her.". After her recapture, Downs was transferred to the New Jersey Department of Corrections Clinton Correctional Facility for Women after heavy lobbying from Hugi. It was an unthinkable, brutal killing in 1983 that terrified parents around the country. "And along this road, off to the side, out stepped a man who flagged her down. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974).. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. After leaving the public eye in 2010, she spoke to ABC News' "20/20" to share her life now. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. 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. View our online Press Pack. All Rights Reserved. Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. In 1984, Diane was convicted of the death and injuries of her children, and she was sentenced to life in prison. In 1983, Diane Downs three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. Babcocks exclusive interview airs on 20/20 on Friday, March 22 (9:00 11:00 p.m. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. Powered by. "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. Although Downs denied having ever owned a .22 caliber gun, two of her former lovers told police they recalled seeing her with one. Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. she said in an interview. 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. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. She described him as a "bushy haired stranger". In 1994, after serving ten years, Downs was transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The outlet also reported Downs as saying that prisoners at the facility started suffering from COVID-19 symptoms in February. But suspicions of Downs herself quickly began to surface. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. There's very few cases quite like this one, he said. Christie and Danny were adopted by Lane County Prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, in 1984. 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. 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. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. It was scary. We just ignored it, Wilhite said. "She was white, she was not breathing. Meanwhile, Christie Downs was slowly beginning to tell what she remembered of the shootings. A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. [3][14], Downs was convicted on all charges on June 17, 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. As for Danny, he has kept his life private. The more she talked, and she talked a lot and frequently, the more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense. My childhood was of dreams and we had every opportunity that we wanted. Boris Johnson is stuck in a chaotic spiral of scandal, walkouts, and leaving dos so where does he go from here? Doug Welch remembers getting the call for what would turn out to be his first homicide investigation. From Arizona to Oregon, the family had moved just shortly before the incident for Dianes job in the U.S. postal service. Dr. Steven Wilhite had just walked into his house after a long day working at a Springfield, Oregon, hospital when his beeper went off. 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 laughs while reenacting shooting of 3 children: Part 2 Police found Downs' behavior suspicious. (Featured Image Credit: ABC News / 20/20). While he was looking for the keys, she jumped back in the car and sped off to the nearest hospital. They told of her obsession with a married man who didn't want her kids around. In 1983, Diane Downs' three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. Where is Diane Downs today? 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. Downs' launched a violent attack on three of her children, Danny, Cheryl Lynn, and Christie Anne in 1983. And I said to her, We don't know that. Downs insisted that, Over the years, I have told you and the rest of the world that a man shot me and my children. 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. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. 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. The woman who was on trial for shooting her own children was pregnant again -- and it was no accident. 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. We believe the motive for the shooting was to get Nick up here to Oregon to be with her. Look at her," Jaeger said. Prior to her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Amy Elizabeth. 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. Sample Page; ; She was denied parole in 2008 and continues to proclaim her innocence. She stopped the car and asked him what he wanted. At least, that's the story Diane Downs told police. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). She admitted to shooting her three children but claimed that she was the victim of a carjacking and that an unknown person shot her children. 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. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). Diane Downs remains in prison in California. Downs was convicted of shooting her three children: Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon 37 years ago. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. Is She Still In Jail? Unlike her siblings, Becky Babcock has been very public about her mother, granting interviews over the years. [12], Diane did not disclose to police that she owned a .22 caliber handgun, but both Steve and Knickerbocker informed authorities that she did. Her adoptive parents called her Rebecca Becky Babcock. 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. 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. But as . She shot her three children but claimed that she was carjacked and that her children were shot by a stranger. When Downs went on trial in May of that year, she was pregnant again. Becky is active on Facebook, where she sometimes shares stories about her background and television appearances, such as one on Dr. Oz and with Oprah Winfrey. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. Cheryl Lynn followed in 1976, with Stephen Daniel being born in 1979. And as she drove down the road, a man stepped out from the brush, the side of the road, and she stopped the car. The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. They have both graduated from college. A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. Downs was a notorious killer in Oregon, convicted in the 1983 shooting of her three children that left one of them dead. You know, she just asked, How is she doing? Not one emotional reaction, he said. When I see what others have suffered, I think my boss probably saved my life.. The two older kids were Diane's with ex-husband Steve, however, Danny wasn't Steve's. 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. Do I open it? "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. 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. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. It was May 19, 1983, a warm spring night. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. 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,. Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. I have used the term verbal vomit when talking' about Diane because she talked a lot. For ten days, Downs managed to evade law enforcementdespite a fourteen-state manhuntbefore she was recaptured. On a fateful night in May 1983, she rushed to the emergency ward of a hospital . [29] She was not permitted a statement, but answered questions from the parole board. [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. Downs was employed by the United States Postal Service, assigned to the mail routes in the city of Cottage Grove, Oregon. "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? Downs had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to the start of her trial. Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Christie was the star witness in her mothers prosecution; she testified that her mother was the shooter. 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. When Wilhite went to go update Downs on her daughters condition, he said he was surprised by her reaction. Diane Downs now: Her most recent prison photo from 2018. 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 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? Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. Today, 35-year-old Babcock works as a behavioral health coordinator for children in Salem, Oregon. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? Diane Downs remains in prison in California. But there were a number of things which didn't make any sense., Why would a mother sightsee when it's dark out? She was denied parole in 2008 and again in 2010. 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 . [2][3] Their first child, Christie Ann, was born in 1974. Why is she wounded in the arm? "The more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense.". On July 11, 1987, she escaped from her cell by scaling an eighteen-foot razor wire fence. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Though she shot all three children, only Cheryl died Christie and Danny survived . Her mother was on trial for shooting her siblings, and some believed that Diane Downs got pregnant to gain sympathy. I think that's one of the things that-- ended up hurting her case. "They have both graduated from college. It's not even known if he still resides in Arizona, where he used to live with Diane and their three kids. 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. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. An appeal of . 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.. Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. Powered by. Atty. Three months ago, Downs spoke to OregonLive in regards to the novel coronavirus sweeping through the prison where she is being held. 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. This is why I chose to tell my story. The lead prosecutor in the case, Lane County Assistant Dist. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. 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. At birth, Downs named the child Amy Elizabeth. Her pupils were dilated. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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. Christie, now in her mid-40s, still lives in Oregon, in Springfield, and has a big, loving family. Is Oregon relatively virus-free, or are my children in greater danger than the red circle size suggests? Wilhite said Christie's blood pressure had been so low that she suffered a stroke. I sat and I thought about it for awhile, and I chose to open that letter. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. "She saw the kids as a burden, they were in the way and he wasn't going to join her as long as she had the kids," Welch said. 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. I showered, slept for 4 hours, woke up and drank water, then went back to sleep for 16 more hours, she wrote. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. Of course, being married, she has also changed her last name. 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"She was white, she was not breathing. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. 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. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. In 1983, Diane Downs said stranger shot her 3 kids. He then opened the driver's side door and shot all 3 of her children. Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. 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.. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. By the time Wilhite arrived, Downs had driven her blood-soaked car to the emergency room. And she's not. She was white She was not breathing. After that, she was charged with killing her 7-year-old daughter. Wilhite immediately jumped back into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Medical Center as fast as he could. Anne Jaeger was a local reporter for KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. Fred Hugi, adopted the children., Famed true-crime author Ann Rule wrote about the case. Downs was denied parole in December 2008, December 2010, and in 2020. The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. 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. Christies Facebook page shows she has children, has a different married last name, and is living in Oregon. 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. "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much," she said. [29] After three hours of interviews and thirty minutes of deliberation, she was denied parole. See you at 9pm for our encore presentation of #MyMomsSins #ABC2020! "Sightseeing when it's pitch black out? [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. The Daughter of Diane Downs. 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. 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. Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. I have never changed my story.[29] Her first parole hearing was on December 9, 2008. 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. Diane Downs gave birth to four children. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. Author Ann Rule wrote the book Small Sacrifices (1987), which detailed Downs' life and murder trial. District Attorney Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her. District Attorney Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her. I chose to, in a sense, allow her into my life.. She was white She was not breathing. Star Witness at Downs' Trial: Her Daughter. 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. Under Oregon law at the time, as a dangerous offender, Downs would have been eligible for a parole hearing every two years until she is released or dies in prison. What happened to Diane Downs' children? 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. 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 Wilhite said he then found a judge who issued an order making him and another doctor Christies guardians. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. There are some stories that stick with you for a long time. Shockingly, it was Downs daughter, Christie, who identified her mother in court as the shooter. 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. But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? And Christie knew that.. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. They have maintained private lives since and have never spoken publically about their birth mother. Wilhite, a general surgeon, checked the page -- in those days you didn't have cell phones, he said -- and was instantly filled with dread and adrenaline. 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. 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. 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. Previously, Diane was housed in a maximum-security prison for women in Clinton, N.J. 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