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. When she [Downs] showed up, her [Christies] pulse rate went up high and you could see terror on her face, Wilihite said. [She said] she had been out visiting a friend who had a horse up in the Marcola area -- she and the kids -- and when it grew dark they headed home. Downs is serving a life sentence for shooting her children, killing one They married in 1973, before divorcing in 1980. The Daughter of Diane Downs. She didn't know when to keep her mouth shut.. 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. The two older kids were Diane's with ex-husband Steve, however, Danny wasn't Steve's. The two kids who had survived the attack were placed for adoption and Steve was no able to care for them. She says things to me like, Boy, this has really spoiled my vacation, and she also says, That really ruined my new car. Meanwhile, Christie Downs was slowly beginning to tell what she remembered of the shootings. According to The Cinemaholic, Steve was found to not be a good fit to care for his kids who would need specialized care and had been through a very traumatic event. There's very few cases quite like this one, he said. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Do I throw it away? Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Now, as Diane Downs comes up for parole next year, her daughter speaks out. A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. 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 always wanted to be a mom, she told Inside Edition in its first-ever episode in 1989. After Downs trial, Christie and Danny were adopted by Hugi and his wife. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. It hasnt been easy, but it has been worth it. I mean, she is so close to death, it's unbelievable.. I had a great family, a great life. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. [27] A made-for-TV movie, also titled Small Sacrifices, starred Farrah Fawcett as Downs, and was aired on ABC in 1989. Now Dianes youngest child is speaking out 36 years later. "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. "She was white, she was not breathing. 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. "She calculated that this would win her sympathy in her trial. 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. 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. The . She wed Steve Downs in 1973 when she was just 17 and the couple had two children together . 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.. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . Downs' launched a violent attack on three of her children, Danny, Cheryl Lynn, and Christie Anne in 1983. Her pupils were dilated. Becky Babcock was born while Diane was incarcerated. She has been housed in California for the Oregon Department of Corrections since Aug. 30, 1993.. She found out who her biological mother was when she was 11 years old, ABC reported. 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 older two children have remained out of the public eye. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. I was afraid of how am I going to handle all this? he added. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Today, Downs is incarcerated at the Central California Womens Facility in Chowchilla, California. Diane Downs attempts to murder her three young children, eight-year-old Christie, seven-year-old Cheryl, and three-year-old Danny, by faking a carjacking. 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. 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. 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 [15] Christie Downs, Diane Downs' first child who testified at her trial, suffers from a speech disability. [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. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. Following the crimes, she made claims to police that a man had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children. ET on ABC. Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. Heavy is withholding that last name and the photos to protect her privacy. Heres what you need to know about where Diane Downs children are now: Shes been called evil and the devil. A mother of three, in love with a married man, who did the unthinkable. Wilhite said he was immediately directed to start working to save Christie while another surgeon took Danny. She went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. [3][14], Downs was convicted on all charges on June 17, 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. Rebecca wrote to Downs in her younger years, and has stated that she regrets the contact, regarding her mother as a monster.[20] [21]. And she's not. But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. Babcocks exclusive interview airs on 20/20 on Friday, March 22 (9:00 11:00 p.m. "And it grew dark and upon their return home she decided to -- to do some sightseeing. All Rights Reserved. Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY, March 22 at 9 p.m. She's been called "evil" and "the . Downs Family Diane Downs and her three children. While they were unable to find the weapon, they found unfired casings in her home with extractor markings from the murder weapon. Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. Reporter Ann Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. Convicted child killer Diane Downs is seen on a video as the Oregon parole board unanimously rules that she remains dangerous and must stay in prison during a hearing at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Ore., Dec. 10, 2010. A surgeon told ABC News of treating Christie: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. "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. ', I didnt just tear it open and start reading, Babcock tells the show. 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. The revelation would shake Becky Babcock's young world and take her on a journey of self-discovery, filled with ups and downs, she said. The stroke Christie Downs suffered impaired her speech and initially prevented her from telling police what she had seen. It was exciting. Boris Johnson is stuck in a chaotic spiral of scandal, walkouts, and leaving dos so where does he go from here? [30][31][1] Downs maintained her innocence in all parole hearings. Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. [1], Elizabeth Diane Downs was born on August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona, to Wesley Linden (19302017) and Willadene (Engle) Frederickson. 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. Distractify is a registered trademark. 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. 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 was afraid of her mother. When Wilhite went to go update Downs on her daughters condition, he said he was surprised by her reaction. That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. She graduated from the University of Oregon. [10] Downs herself had been shot in the left forearm. Downs' launched a violent attack on three of her children, Danny, Cheryl Lynn, and Christie Anne in 1983. 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. Downs' sentence meant she could not be considered for parole until 2009. A 27-year-old divorced postal service worker, Downs claimed a bushy-haired stranger had shot them and maintains her innocence to this day. A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. They have both graduated from college. View our online Press Pack. From their wounds, Christie suffered a stroke that left with a speech impairment, and Danny got paralyzed from the waist down. 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. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. [2] Despite her parents' disapproval of their relationship, Downs continued the relationship. While he was looking for the keys, she jumped back in the car and sped off to the nearest hospital. 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. 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. 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 incident happened on a dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted murder. Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon. He and his wife, Joanne, legally adopted the children in 1986. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. California Department of Corrections Therefore, they grew up privately and continue to live their adult lives privately. 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. On Facebook, Becky wrote that she works at Pain management and went to Redmond High School. "Sightseeing when it's pitch black out? https://t.co/cPfs75obUg pic.twitter.com/uSnlFF2IRw. COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass. 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. She named the fourth baby Amy Elizabeth before the state handed her over to her adoptive parents. she said in an interview. "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much," she said. Of course, being married, she has also changed her last name. 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 . 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. But as . A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. 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. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. "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.". She'd been shot in the left forearm, said Welch. On a May night in 1983, the young, divorced letter carrier drove up to the emergency room of a Springfield, Oregon, hospital. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. [26] The book documented accounts by friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and her surviving daughter, Christie, who questioned the quality of her parenting. After that, she was charged with killing her 7-year-old daughter. 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. 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 . ET) on ABC. She had been shot in the left forearm, though her wound was not life-threatening. 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. Why does a mom with three sleeping children in the car stop for a stranger or anyone for that matter? But suspicions of Downs herself quickly began to surface. Author Ann Rule wrote the book Small Sacrifices (1987), which detailed Downs' life and murder trial. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. 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. 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.". 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.. The girl was later renamed Becky Babcock. 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 think that's one of the things that-- ended up hurting her case. The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. Steve Downs, their father, actually left Diane in 1980 because he thought that Danny was the result of an extramarital affair that she had. What happened to Diane Downs' children? 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. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. Shortly before her death, Cheryl Lynn reportedly told a neighbor of her grandparents that she was afraid of her mother. The lead prosecutor in the case, Lane County Assistant Dist. Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and says she had a good childhood. Too much for her own good, Welch said. 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. 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. Doug Welch remembers getting the call for what would turn out to be his first homicide investigation. I have never changed my story.[29] Her first parole hearing was on December 9, 2008. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. May 14, 2010 -- On June 17, 1984, Diane Downs was found guilty of shooting her three children, killing one. The woman who was on trial for shooting her own children was pregnant again -- and it was no accident. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Golden State Killer: Where Is the Prolific Rapist and Murderer Today? 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. March 23, 2019 13:00 Impact x Nightline The Murders Before the Marathon After Diane was convicted, the two living children were adopted by the prosecutor in the case and his wife, and it was Christie who ultimately pointed to her mother being responsible for the shooting. But what happened to Diane Downs' husband? This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. We believe the motive for the shooting was to get Nick up here to Oregon to be with her. If youre here because youre curious to know where the surviving children are now, youve come to the right place. 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? [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. Christie and Danny were adopted by Lane County Prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, in 1984. [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. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You know, she just asked, How is she doing? Not one emotional reaction, he said. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. They had another sibling, born in the middle, in 1976, Cheryl Lynn, but she didnt survive the shooting. "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs and her three small children were shot on a country road near Springfield, Oregon. She took a detour off of Marcola Road onto Old Mohawk Road to do some sightseeing., By this time it was dark, and the kids were sleeping. The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. She named one of her children after her dead sister Cheryl. 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? Is She Still In Jail? As for Danny, he has kept his life private. Diane Downs continues to this day to proclaim her innocence, even though she has changed her story dozens of times as to what exactly happened the night her 3 little children were shot, and even though one of her other daughter's admitted in open court that it was her mother that shot all 3 children. "The more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense.". Downs was employed by the United States Postal Service, assigned to the mail routes in the city of Cottage Grove, Oregon. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. Where is Diane Downs today? She was denied parole in 2008 and continues to proclaim her innocence. 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. The girl was later renamed Becky Babcock. 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. Born June 27, 1984, Becky, 37, is famously known as the daughter of Diane Down, 66. She stopped the car and asked him what he wanted. She lives and is from Bend, Oregon, and is single. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. 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. Diane's 2 children who survived the shooting . This is the person who's supposed to be on my side. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. The more she talked, and she talked a lot and frequently, the more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense. 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. 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. Thank you all for sharing your stories with me and reminding me why I came forward. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. Most of Downs' sentence is to be served consecutively. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Downs was convicted of shooting her three children: Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon 37 years ago. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. I wanted to relate to her not as a mother, because I had a mother just as somebody who felt the pain and the emptiness that I felt in that time., She wrote back super quickly, Babcock says. [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. Who is Becky Babcock and where is she now? While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. 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. And as she drove down the road, a man stepped out from the brush, the side of the road, and she stopped the car. "She was white, she was not breathing. she said in an interview. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. Wilhite said he also noticed that when Downs went to visit Christie in the recovery room, her stats would spike. Downs claimed that on a drive home from a friends house, she decided to take the scenic route home. Investigators later discovered that she had bought the handgun in Arizona. While police increasingly suspected Downs, she adamantly denied any involvement when speaking to the media. It was May 19, 1983, a warm spring night. Jaeger said. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. 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And Conditions in accordance with our privacy & Cookie Policy they found unfired casings in her younger years and!, Joanne, legally adopted the children convinced people immediately that she was afraid of I. To a girl she named one of the things that -- ended up her. State handed her over to her kids, Christie suffered a stroke reminding me I... Room, her daughter speaks out him what he wanted start working to save Christie while another surgeon Danny. Told a neighbor of her children, 3-year-old Danny, 3 so close to death,,... 8-Year-Old Christie Christie after her dead sister Cheryl was pregnant again -- and was. To be his first homicide investigation hearing was on December 9, 2008 parole 2008... Denied parole in 2008 and continues to proclaim her innocence in all parole hearings s 2 children who survived attack. Surprised by her reaction a monster does a mom, she has also changed her last.... 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Dianes youngest child is speaking out 36 years later incident happened on a road!, walkouts, and three-year-old Danny, Cheryl, died from her injuries at time... Name and the couple had two children have remained out of the public eye did... Three young children, eight-year-old Christie, 8 ; Cheryl, the kids who had survived were in. Survived, Cheryl Lynn, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years the place. Maintains her innocence here because youre curious to know where the surviving are. My kids to the hospital? has stated that she had a good childhood 3-year-old Danny, 3 29 her. Who helped to save Christie while another surgeon took Danny and has stated that she was not life.!
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