Prior to being sentenced, Downs gave birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. 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. Not just a son, but a couple of other children as well, including a daughter, who she named after her dead sister, Cheryl. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Although Downs denied having ever owned a .22 caliber gun, two of her former lovers told police they recalled seeing her with one. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. From their wounds, Christie suffered a stroke that left with a speech impairment, and Danny got paralyzed from the waist down. Crime author Ann Rule wrote on her website: "Christie and Danny who somehow survived their gunshot wounds have no contact with Diane. Downs had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to the start of her trial. And she took a deserted country road with three sleeping kids in her car. Diane's 2 children who survived the shooting . The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. 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. A 27-year-old divorced postal service worker, Downs claimed a bushy-haired stranger had shot them and maintains her innocence to this day. Learn about Christi (Hugi), Stephen (Danny), and Becky today. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. They have maintained private lives since and have never spoken publically about their birth mother. Where are Diane Downs' children now? Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. I was very stern with her.". 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. [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. She has been housed in California for the Oregon Department of Corrections since Aug. 30, 1993.. 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. [27] A made-for-TV movie, also titled Small Sacrifices, starred Farrah Fawcett as Downs, and was aired on ABC in 1989. 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. The girl was later renamed Rebecca Babcock. Diane Downs' ex husband, Steve Downs, lost a lot in May 1983 when his ex wife shot their three children, following their divorce in 1980. Babcock learned who her mother was at age 11, after tricking her babysitter to divulge the name. Offers may be subject to change without notice. But as . After leaving the public eye in 2010, she spoke to ABC News' "20/20" to share her life now. She's been called "evil" and "the . 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. She also made a number of statements that both police and hospital workers considered highly inappropriate.[3]. Is Oregon relatively virus-free, or are my children in greater danger than the red circle size suggests? "And it grew dark and upon their return home she decided to -- to do some sightseeing. She was afraid of her mother. The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. [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. "She talked all the time. 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. For other inquiries, Contact Us. She said she had not seen a male stranger that night. 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. Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. 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. But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? In 1983, Diane Downs said stranger shot her 3 kids. Wilhite said he also noticed that when Downs went to visit Christie in the recovery room, her stats would spike. A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. 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 said in an interview. "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.". 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. 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. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. In 1983, horror stuck in Oregon as a mother took it upon herself to end the life of her own children. "They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Atty. She says things to me like, Boy, this has really spoiled my vacation, and she also says, That really ruined my new car. She briefly escaped in 1987, but was quickly recaptured. And, by the time she took them to the hospital, Cheryl was dead. she said in an interview. He worked quickly and eventually was able to revive Christie. 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. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Anne Jaeger was a local reporter for KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. 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. She found out who her biological mother was when she was 11 years old, ABC reported. He responded to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and immediately interviewed Downs, a postal worker. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her 3 children, killing 1, in 1983. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. 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 They told of her obsession with a married man who didn't want her kids around. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" [1], Elizabeth Diane Downs was born on August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona, to Wesley Linden (19302017) and Willadene (Engle) Frederickson. The woman who was on trial for shooting her own children was pregnant again -- and it was no accident. District Attorney Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her. And as she drove down the road, a man stepped out from the brush, the side of the road, and she stopped the car. It hasnt been easy, but it has been worth it. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . Is She Still In Jail? When Wilhite went to go update Downs on her daughters condition, he said he was surprised by her reaction. And she's not. And-- so with that, then we were free to treat her as need be. 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. Diane Downs Today: Where Is the Convicted Child Killer Now? Christie is now in her forties, according to Tuko, and the accident left her with a speech handicap. Christie was the star witness in her mothers prosecution; she testified that her mother was the shooter. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). [15] Christie Downs, Diane Downs' first child who testified at her trial, suffers from a speech disability. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. 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. 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. She stopped the car and asked him what he wanted. 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. Downs was initially incarcerated at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. Diane graduated from Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, where she met Steve Downs. At one point, she communicated with Downs through letters, but those eventually stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her. After Babcock found out about her notorious mother, she decided to make contact. I showered, slept for 4 hours, woke up and drank water, then went back to sleep for 16 more hours, she wrote. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. She'd been shot in the left forearm, said Welch. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable. Dianes emotionless, cold demeanor about the children convinced people immediately that she was the shooter. 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. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. 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. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. It was an unthinkable, brutal killing in 1983 that terrified parents around the country. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children- Danny, Cheryl, and Christie- in Springfield, Oregon. The Daughter of Diane Downs. When I hear about three children being shot, I thought, How am I going take care of three people? Because I wasn't afraid of what I needed to do. Doug Welch remembers getting the call for what would turn out to be his first homicide investigation. They have both graduated from college. The judge made it clear that he did not intend for Downs to ever be free again. "Sightseeing when it's pitch black out? [29] After three hours of interviews and thirty minutes of deliberation, she was denied parole. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. And why are the kids fatally or near-fatally wounded, and she, being right-handed, is shot in the left arm? On July 11, 1987, she escaped from her cell by scaling an eighteen-foot razor wire fence. And as long as he said that he wasn't going to be a father to anyone's children, they had to go.. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. pic.twitter.com/HWkkwT86pF. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. Her older two children have remained out of the public eye. Via an email sent through her brother, James Frederickson, Downs told OregonLive, Every time the World News shows the big red circles on the national map, I look at Oregon because thats where Christie and Daniel are Compared to other States, it appears Oregons red circle is smaller than most places. Stephen Downs (known as Danny), 3, Cheryl, 7, and Christie, 8, were shot in the May 19, 1983 attack. Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. Becky Babcock is speaking out about her infamous mother, Diane Downs, who was convicted of killing her own 7-year-old child and attempting to murder her other two children, ages 8 and 3, in . Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. Diane Downs gave birth to four 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. 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. 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. The first letter I wrote Diane, I must have written 100 times, she says. Unlike her siblings, Becky Babcock has been very public about her mother, granting interviews over the years. When then-prosecutor Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her, Christie Downs replied, "My mom.". Christies Facebook page shows she has children, has a different married last name, and is living in Oregon. Dr. Steven Wilhite had just walked into his house after a long day working at a Springfield, Oregon, hospital when his beeper went off. Rebecca wrote to Downs in her younger years, and has stated that she regrets the contact, regarding her mother as a monster.[20] [21]. Do I throw it away? This is why I chose to tell my story. She tells ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. "She couldn't keep her mouth shut," Welch said. May 14, 2010 -- On June 17, 1984, Diane Downs was found guilty of shooting her three children, killing one. It was mainly about my biological mom. I have used the term verbal vomit when talking' about Diane because she talked a lot. I mean, she is so close to death, it's unbelievable.. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. [24] While in prison, she earned an associate degree in General Studies. 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.". By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. [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. Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. [29] She was not permitted a statement, but answered questions from the parole board. "She calculated that this would win her sympathy in her trial. May 13, 2010, 7:54 AM. Her three children -- 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl and 3 . That's insane to think that I would do such a thing and then bring the witnesses in against myself -- that's crazy.". [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. Downs was a notorious killer in Oregon, convicted in the 1983 shooting of her three children that left one of them dead. "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? 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