And as she drove down the road, a man stepped out from the brush, the side of the road, and she stopped the car. Doug Welch, then a detective with the Lane County Sheriff's Office, remembers getting the call for what would turn out to be his first homicide investigation. In 1983, Diane Downs three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. While he was looking for the keys, she jumped back in the car and sped off to the nearest hospital. Danny was the product of an affair. "And along this road, off to the side, out stepped a man who flagged her down. She loves us. On a May night in 1983, the young, divorced letter carrier drove up to the emergency room of a Springfield, Oregon, hospital. 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. For other inquiries, Contact Us. 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. 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. Based on this and additional evidence, Downs was arrested on February 28, 1984, nine months after the shooting, and charged with one count of murder, and two counts each of attempted murder and criminal assault. In a sense, Diane was her own worst enemy.". Reporter Ann Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. I was searching for that blood tie., I never had questions about my biological dad, Babcock continues. Downs' sentence meant she could not be considered for parole until 2009. Not one tear. A jury subsequently convicted Downs on all counts, and she was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, according to Glamour. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. What happened to Diane Downs' children? Growing up, Diane followed those values, however, after the age of 14, she became more rebellious and eventually dropped "Elizabeth" from her name and went by Diane. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. Distractify is a registered trademark. If youre here because youre curious to know where the surviving children are now, youve come to the right place. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. "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.". And his response was, 'I want your car.' She named one of her children after her dead sister Cheryl. 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. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. Who is Becky Babcock and where is she now? Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable.. Heavy is withholding that last name and the photos to protect her privacy. 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. At least, that's the story Diane Downs told police. I knew my entire life that I was adopted, Babcock tells the show in an exclusive clip obtained by PEOPLE. [24] While in prison, she earned an associate degree in General Studies. pic.twitter.com/HWkkwT86pF. An appeal of . Downs Family Diane Downs and her three children. On May 19, 1983, Diane shot the children Cheryl, 7, Christie, 8, and Danny, 3 multiple times at a close range. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? May 14, 2010 -- On June 17, 1984, Diane Downs was found guilty of shooting her three children, killing one. Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. [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. 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. The outlet reported that the prison houses 3,000 inmates and, as of April, was being locked down to protect against the spread of the virus. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Unlike her siblings, Becky Babcock has been very public about her mother, granting interviews over the years. 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.". Anne Bradley Jaeger was a local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. She was afraid of her mother. I have used the term verbal vomit when talking' about Diane because she talked a lot. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. Her pupils were dilated. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. And I thought to myself, What am I going to do with three shot children?. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. When Wilhite went to go update Downs on her daughters condition, he said he was surprised by her reaction. "And it grew dark and upon their return home she decided to -- to do some sightseeing. 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. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. 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. [2], On November 13, 1973, Diane married Steve Downs after running away from home. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For ten days, Downs managed to evade law enforcementdespite a fourteen-state manhuntbefore she was recaptured. And I said to her, We don't know that. She's the biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children.". [29] She was not permitted a statement, but answered questions from the parole board. Did I make a mistake? I've never been so hyped in my life.. 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.. [27] A made-for-TV movie, also titled Small Sacrifices, starred Farrah Fawcett as Downs, and was aired on ABC in 1989. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Wilhite said he also noticed that when Downs went to visit Christie in the recovery room, her stats would spike. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. "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. You know, she just asked, How is she doing? Not one emotional reaction, he said. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. She said she had not seen a male stranger that night. Steve Downs, their father, actually left Diane in 1980 because he thought that Danny was the result of an extramarital affair that she had. 1983: Diane Downs Attempts to Murder Her Three Children. He and his wife, Joanne, adopted them in 1986. When then-prosecutor Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her, Christie Downs replied, "My mom.". In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. They have both graduated from college. Diane Downs Today: Where Is the Convicted Child Killer Now? "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. The couple divorced in 1980 over. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. It hasnt been easy, but it has been worth it. While police increasingly suspected Downs, she adamantly denied any involvement when speaking to the media. 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. Downs, who still maintains her innocence, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, plus 50 years. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. She was denied parole in 2008 and again in 2010. In 1983, horror stuck in Oregon as a mother took it upon herself to end the life of her own children. Christie was the star witness in her mothers prosecution; she testified that her mother was the shooter. Downs then said she pretended to throw her car keys in a bush and the man went to go look for them. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Diane Downs is an American murder convict who has been serving a life sentence since 1984. When she [Downs] showed up, her [Christies] pulse rate went up high and you could see terror on her face, Wilihite said. Becky Babcock was born while Diane was incarcerated. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. [24] In 2010, she was relocated to the Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, California,[23] but was transferred out when the facility was converted to an all-male institution in 2013.[25]. 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. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. She tried to cut her wrists when she was 13 years old. He and his wife, Joanne, legally adopted the children in 1986. Babcock learned who her mother was at age 11, after tricking her babysitter to divulge the name. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. 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. She had been shot in the left forearm, though her wound was not life-threatening. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. Cheryl died; the other two children survived, but they suffered terrible wounds according to Glamour, the bullets paralyzed Danny and gave Christie a stroke. 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. In 1983, horror stuck in Oregon as a mother took it upon herself to end the life of her own children. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. 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. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. Ten days after her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a daughter named Amy Elizabeth. 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. Downs had been a suspect from the beginning. READ NEXT: COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass? She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. She's doing well. On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs and her three children were shot on a rural road in Oregon. (Featured Image Credit: ABC News / 20/20). Her pupils were dilated. The stroke Christie Downs suffered impaired her speech and initially prevented her from telling police what she had seen. Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. However, when all the details came to be understood by the police, Steve found out what really happened to his kids. Officers began an inquiry into her peculiar behavior, which included calling her lover from the hospital, her children claiming they were afraid of her, and Christie Ann responding in a fearful manner when her mother visited her in the hospital. Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. Downs claimed that during this drive home, around 10 pm she saw a strange man standing in the road flagging her down. Her three children -- 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl and 3 . Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Twitter A year later, when Diane was arrested and put on trial, Christie, at just 9 years old, having just recovered her ability to speak, testified against her in court. She's been called "evil" and "the . The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. It was an unthinkable, brutal killing in 1983 that terrified parents around the country. Crime author Ann Rule wrote on her website: "Christie and Danny who somehow survived their gunshot wounds have no contact with Diane. [29], Downs had parole hearings in 2010 and 2020, which were both denied. Diane Downs now: Her most recent prison photo from 2018. Diane didn't show much grievance for her murdered daughter and her two children that were in critical conditions. When I looked in the mailbox and saw her letter, it was like Pandoras box. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. 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. Diane Downs laughs while reenacting shooting of 3 children: Part 2 Police found Downs' behavior suspicious. While police increasingly suspected Downs, she adamantly denied any involvement when speaking to the media. She was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. 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. "She was white, she was not breathing. She told ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. There's very few cases quite like this one, he said. 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