She tried to cut her wrists when she was 13 years old. Despite being convicted, Downs has always maintained her innocence. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. 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.". Christie, now in her mid-40s, still lives in Oregon, in Springfield, and has a big, loving family. The woman who was on trial for shooting her own children was pregnant again -- and it was no accident. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. 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. "She talked all the time. "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? A mother was driving one night down a rural road in Oregon when her three children, who were asleep in the car, were shot at point-blank range by a stranger in the dark. 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. Rebecca wrote to Downs in her younger years, and has stated that she regrets the contact, regarding her mother as a monster.[20] [21]. 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. Becky Babcock was born while Diane was incarcerated. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? Wilhite said he then found a judge who issued an order making him and another doctor Christies guardians. "She couldn't keep her mouth shut," Welch said. Boris Johnson is stuck in a chaotic spiral of scandal, walkouts, and leaving dos so where does he go from here? Unlike her siblings, Becky Babcock has been very public about her mother, granting interviews over the years. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. [26] The book documented accounts by friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and her surviving daughter, Christie, who questioned the quality of her parenting. Downs was a notorious killer in Oregon, convicted in the 1983 shooting of her three children that left one of them dead. the incident happened on a dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted murder. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. The couple divorced in 1980 over Steven's insistence their son, Danny, was the result of an affair and not his biological child. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children- Danny, Cheryl, and Christie- in Springfield, Oregon. While they were unable to find the weapon, they found unfired casings in her home with extractor markings from the murder weapon. She named the fourth baby Amy Elizabeth before the state handed her over to her adoptive parents. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. 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. [5] When Downs went to trial in May 1984, she was again pregnant. 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. Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. Investigators later discovered that she had bought the handgun in Arizona. At birth, Downs named the child Amy Elizabeth. 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. Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. She's the biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children.". The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. 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. 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. Prior to being sentenced, Downs gave birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. Downs was convicted of shooting her three children: Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon 37 years ago. [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. [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. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. Diane Downs always wanted to be a mom, she told Inside Edition in its first-ever episode in 1989. 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. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. We've got three children who have been shot, Wilhite told 20/20. And my whole body just tingled. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. She'd been shot in the left forearm, said Welch. 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. 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. 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 . She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. He worked quickly and eventually was able to revive Christie. I have never changed my story.[29] Her first parole hearing was on December 9, 2008. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" One died; two survived but had serious injuries. Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. (Featured Image Credit: ABC News / 20/20). She told ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. And I said to her, We don't know that. They told of her obsession with a married man who didn't want her kids around. Christie is now in her forties, according to Tuko, and the accident left her with a speech handicap. "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. She has been housed in California for the Oregon Department of Corrections since Aug. 30, 1993.. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. The more she talked, and she talked a lot and frequently, the more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense. [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. She remembers Downs' demeanor in her interviews as peculiar. Why does a mom with three sleeping children in the car stop for a stranger or anyone for that matter? Her pupils were dilated. At least, that's the story Diane Downs told police. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. After Downs trial, Christie and Danny were adopted by Hugi and his wife. Her pupils were dilated. She went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. After leaving the public eye in 2010, she spoke to ABC News' "20/20" to share her life now. Steve Downs, their father, actually left Diane in 1980 because he thought that Danny was the result of an extramarital affair that she had. "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. ET on ABC. 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 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. She was required to serve twenty-five years before being considered for parole. I knew my entire life that I was adopted, Babcock tells the show in an exclusive clip obtained by PEOPLE. Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, March 22, at 9 p.m. 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. She, too, is now a mother. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. District Attorney Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her. 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. "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. And Christie's mother, Diane, could-- say whatever she wanted. Shockingly, it was Downs daughter, Christie, who identified her mother in court as the shooter. When she [Downs] showed up, her [Christies] pulse rate went up high and you could see terror on her face, Wilihite said. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. "They have both graduated from college. There was just a little part of me that felt like I was searching for something else. 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. Downs, who still maintains her innocence, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, plus 50 years. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. 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. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. A jury subsequently convicted Downs on all counts, and she was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, according to Glamour. A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. 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. As for Danny, he has kept his life private. "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. However, according to her interviews and Facebook page, Becky today appears to have forged a successful life. 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. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. The girl was later renamed Becky Babcock. Christies Facebook page shows she has children, has a different married last name, and is living in Oregon. 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? It was an unthinkable, brutal killing in 1983 that terrified parents around the country. I think that's one of the things that-- ended up hurting her case. On a fateful night in May 1983, she rushed to the emergency ward of a hospital . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? He and his wife, Joanne, legally adopted the children in 1986. There isnt a whole lot known about where Steve Downs is these days. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable.. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. The first letter I wrote Diane, I must have written 100 times, she says. All Rights Reserved. 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. "And it grew dark and upon their return home she decided to -- to do some sightseeing. The outlet also reported Downs as saying that prisoners at the facility started suffering from COVID-19 symptoms in February. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . I had a great family, a great life. And she's not. The lead prosecutor in the case, Lane County Assistant Dist. That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. Following the crimes, she made claims to police that a man had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Christie and Danny were adopted by Lane County Prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, in 1984. 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