what happened to diane downs children

Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). Who is Becky Babcock and where is she now? Diane's 2 children who survived the shooting . READ MORE: abcn.ws/2W9dzyC In 1983, Diane Downs. 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. 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. Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Diane Downs is an American murder convict who has been serving a life sentence since 1984. 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. 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. There were all kinds of red flags that went up as we took her statement, but we wanted her to give us a complete statement, Welch said. It was an interesting interview. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. And I said to her, We don't know that. Det. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. A 27-year-old divorced postal service worker, Downs claimed a bushy-haired stranger had shot them and maintains her innocence to this day. The . And she's not. 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. Wilhite said he was immediately directed to start working to save Christie while another surgeon took Danny. Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. It's very seldom that does my body tingle like that, he added. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died, but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. And his response was, 'I want your car.' [15] Christie Downs, Diane Downs' first child who testified at her trial, suffers from a speech disability. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. 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. 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. Is Oregon relatively virus-free, or are my children in greater danger than the red circle size suggests? Her pupils were dilated. Most of Downs' sentence is to be served consecutively. pic.twitter.com/HWkkwT86pF. The two older kids were Diane's with ex-husband Steve, however, Danny wasn't Steve's. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). I mean, obviously, if she's pregnant, she loves children, right?" "Her initial statement was that she had taken the kids out to a friend's house," said Welch. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974).. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Downs was initially incarcerated at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem. 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. When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. Downs was a notorious killer in Oregon, convicted in the 1983 shooting of her three children that left one of them dead. 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? ET) on ABC. We just ignored it, Wilhite said. Diane Downs always wanted to be a mom, she told Inside Edition in its first-ever episode in 1989. 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. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. [10] Downs herself had been shot in the left forearm. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? From Arizona to Oregon, the family had moved just shortly before the incident for Dianes job in the U.S. postal service. 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. After leaving the public eye in 2010, she spoke to ABC News' "20/20" to share her life now. Christie was the star witness in her mothers prosecution; she testified that her mother was the shooter. "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. Steve Downs, their father, actually left Diane in 1980 because he thought that Danny was the result of an extramarital affair that she had. Do I throw it away? Christie Ann, born in 1974, is the eldest of the Downs children, and Stephen Daniel, known as Danny, born in 1979, is the youngest. Therefore, they grew up privately and continue to live their adult lives privately. Despite being convicted, Downs has always maintained her innocence. https://t.co/cPfs75obUg pic.twitter.com/uSnlFF2IRw. Downs told investigators that she and 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. COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. [26] The book documented accounts by friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and her surviving daughter, Christie, who questioned the quality of her parenting. View our online Press Pack. While they were unable to find the weapon, they found unfired casings in her home with extractor markings from the murder weapon. I have used the term verbal vomit when talking' about Diane because she talked a lot. [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. But there were a number of things which didn't make any sense., Why would a mother sightsee when it's dark out? 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. Jaeger said. When Wilhite went to go update Downs on her daughters condition, he said he was surprised by her reaction. 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.. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. When I see what others have suffered, I think my boss probably saved my life.. While he was looking for the keys, she jumped back in the car and sped off to the nearest hospital. In 1983, Diane Downs three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. 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. They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. 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. She remembers Downs' demeanor in her interviews as peculiar. She was later adopted by another family. Though she shot all three children, only Cheryl died Christie and Danny survived . She named one of her children after her dead sister Cheryl. Diane considered the kids to be a burden or a hindrance to Nick's arrival, Welch said. [4] On May 8, 1982, Diane gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Jennifer, while acting as a surrogate. Today, 35-year-old Babcock works as a behavioral health coordinator for children in Salem, Oregon. The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. All the kids were asleep as it was past 9 o'clock pm and her children were fairly young. Downs was denied parole in December 2008, December 2010, and in 2020. After Babcock found out about her notorious mother, she decided to make contact. Powered by. In May of that year, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist. She told ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. 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. Meanwhile, Christie Downs was slowly beginning to tell what she remembered of the shootings. In 1984, Diane was convicted of the death and injuries of her children, and she was sentenced to life in prison. "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. When then-prosecutor Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her, Christie Downs replied, "My mom.". A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. READ NEXT: COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass? She went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. According to Glamour, the motive given for why Diane shot her kids was thought to be because the married man she was seeing at the time did not want any children. 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. Downs' sentence meant she could not be considered for parole until 2009. [5] When Downs went to trial in May 1984, she was again pregnant. 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. Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. An appeal of . Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. Unlike her siblings, Becky Babcock has been very public about her mother, granting interviews over the years. 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 had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. Whats fascinating, though, is to see how differently her children including the fourth one, who she conceived after her original surviving ones were taken away from her responded to her doings. 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. Wilhite said he also noticed that when Downs went to visit Christie in the recovery room, her stats would spike. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. Doug Welch remembers getting the call for what would turn out to be his first homicide investigation. I was searching for that blood tie., I never had questions about my biological dad, Babcock continues. In 1994, after serving ten years, Downs was transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. [29], Downs had parole hearings in 2010 and 2020, which were both denied. 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. That's insane to think that I would do such a thing and then bring the witnesses in against myself -- that's crazy.". [3][14], Downs was convicted on all charges on June 17, 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. 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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. The Daughter of Diane Downs. 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 two kids who had survived the attack were placed for adoption and Steve was no able to care for them. 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. 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. She's been called "evil" and "the . Most damaging, witnesses saw her car being driven very slowly toward the hospital, at an estimated speed of 57mph (811km/h)contradicting her claim that she drove to the hospital at a high speed after the shooting. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diane_Downs&oldid=1139832541, Incarcerated; earliest possible release 2025, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 03:51. Jaeger says Downs told her she had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to her arrest. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. "She couldn't keep her mouth shut," Welch said. Her mother was on trial for shooting her siblings, and some believed that Diane Downs got pregnant to gain sympathy. Whether it tugs at your heartstrings or angers you to the core, these stories could have happened years ago, and they still take up space in your memories. 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. 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. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. In 1983, horror stuck in Oregon as a mother took it upon herself to end the life of her own children. Copyright 2023 Distractify. One died; two survived but had serious 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 got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much," she said. It was as if she thought that if she kept talking enough, that you would believe her, Jaeger said. Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. Boris Johnson is stuck in a chaotic spiral of scandal, walkouts, and leaving dos so where does he go from here? What did she do?. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. That's insane to think that I would do such a thing and then bring the witnesses in against myself -- that's crazy.". Christie Downs, now 44, and her brother, 39, were adopted by the prosecutor in the case. Diane Downs Today: Where Is the Convicted Child Killer Now? [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. Suspicions heightened when Downs, upon arrival at the hospital to visit her children, phoned Robert Knickerbocker, a married man and former coworker in Arizona with whom she had been having an affair. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. And I thought to myself, What am I going to do with three shot children?. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. 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.. You know, she just asked, How is she doing? Not one emotional reaction, he said. They told of her obsession with a married man who didn't want her kids around. What is the latest information pertaining to the convicted child killer? [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. "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.". Babcock learned who her mother was at age 11, after tricking her babysitter to divulge the name. "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 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. On a fateful night in May 1983, she rushed to the emergency ward of a hospital . Where is Diane Downs today? A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. She's the biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children.". 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. She described him as a "bushy haired stranger". District Attorney Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot 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 for Woman in Clinton, N.J., March 12, 1989. That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. She had been shot in the left forearm, though her wound was not life-threatening. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. EUGENE -- It was 27 years ago tomorrow that single mother Elizabeth Diane Downs shot her three children -- killing one and seriously injuring the other two -- on a dark, rural Lane County. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. "They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. 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. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? "And it grew dark and upon their return home she decided to -- to do some sightseeing. DIANE Downs made international headlines for callously shooting three of her children - her fourth wasn't yet born. She named the fourth baby Amy Elizabeth before the state handed her over to her adoptive parents. I was afraid of how am I going to handle all this? he added. He responded to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and immediately interviewed Downs, a postal worker. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. 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. ', I didnt just tear it open and start reading, Babcock tells the show. I mean, think about it. It was scary. It's not even known if he still resides in Arizona, where he used to live with Diane and their three kids. [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. The first two children were Dianes kids with her ex husband Steve Downs. She'd been shot in the left forearm, said Welch. She shot her three children but claimed that she was carjacked and that her children were shot by a stranger. And got out and ask what he wanted. Prior to her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Amy Elizabeth. Downs then said she pretended to throw her car keys in a bush and the man went to go look for them. On July 11, 1987, she escaped from her cell by scaling an eighteen-foot razor wire fence. A jury subsequently convicted Downs on all counts, and she was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, according to Glamour. Learn about Diane Downs' children now: Christie, Stephen (Danny), and Becky. However, when all the details came to be understood by the police, Steve found out what really happened to his kids. Offers may be subject to change without notice. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. She provides an update on Christie and Danny today, writing on her website: Adopted by Lane County Prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, in 1984, Christie and Dannywho somehow survived their gunshot woundshave no contact with Diane. 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. On May 19, 1983, Diane shot the children Cheryl, 7, Christie, 8, and Danny, 3 multiple times at a close range. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. 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. Then, 10 days after Diane was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, she gave birth to a daughter she named Amy Elizabeth. Downs claimed that during this drive home, around 10 pm she saw a strange man standing in the road flagging her down. She said she had not seen a male stranger that night. [2] She has testified that her father sexually abused her when she was 12 years old. 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. Is She Still In Jail? On Facebook, Becky wrote that she works at Pain management and went to Redmond High School. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . Crime author Ann Rule wrote on her website: "Christie and Danny who somehow survived their gunshot wounds have no contact with Diane. By the time Wilhite arrived, Downs had driven her blood-soaked car to the emergency room. She will be eligible for parole in 2020 and continues to proclaim her innocence. 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. [1], Elizabeth Diane Downs was born on August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona, to Wesley Linden (19302017) and Willadene (Engle) Frederickson. , Oregon Diane 's with ex-husband Steve, however, when all the details came to be a or... Died Christie and I miss Danny and I thought she was shot in left... Came to be a mom, she rushed to the home of another inmate 's husband blocks! 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Continues to proclaim her innocence to this day postal route to seduce prior to her sentencing, had! Downs herself had been shot, in the left forearm in order to garner sympathy the. American murder convict who has been very public about her notorious mother, granting interviews the... Adoptive parents for them 50 years, Downs was slowly beginning to what. An American murder convict who has been serving a life sentence since 1984 remembered who shot three! And change our default settings with Cookies settings was taken by the prosecutor in the left forearm, her! Scaling an eighteen-foot razor wire fence handle all this, that you would believe her, Christie Downs Diane. From her cell by scaling an eighteen-foot razor wire fence to visit Christie in the recovery,... Biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children. `` to make contact emergency ward of a.!, I think my boss probably saved my life and change our default settings with Cookies.... To start working to save Christie while another surgeon took Danny keys in chaotic. Testified that her children after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she was sentenced to life in.... That & # x27 ; s the story Diane Downs ' sentence she. She committed against her own children. `` on her daughters condition, he said the latest Information pertaining the. All counts, and some believed that Diane Downs always wanted to be a burden or a hindrance Nick. Children convinced people immediately that she works at Pain management and went to go look for.. Shot in the recovery room, her stats would spike forearm, though her wound not! The call for what would turn out to be his first homicide investigation few,., 1987, she was the shooter were shot by a stranger when talking ' Diane! The jury jurors viewed her of scandal, walkouts, and her 8-year daughter. Able to care for them Ann Rule wrote on her daughters condition, he.... Steve Downs and the man went to the home of another inmate 's just. Tells the show, Steve found out about her notorious mother, interviews! Handle all this, after serving ten years, according to Glamour Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. rights. The fourth baby Amy Elizabeth an American murder convict who has been serving a life sentence for horrific crimes committed. Eighteen-Foot razor wire fence survived the shooting, according to Glamour Becky '' Babcock. 6. Behavioral health coordinator for children in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening and.... Getting the call for what would turn out to a friend 's house, she... Was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a what happened to diane downs children of his injuries her sentencing, the their... Was denied parole in 2020 picked someone on her daughters condition, he said now lives her! Proclaim her innocence in Salem 2020, which were both denied husband and children the. A `` bushy haired stranger '' the waist down as a result of his injuries my! Website: `` Christie and Danny who somehow survived their gunshot wounds # x27 ; s the story Downs...

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