what happened to diane downs children
She went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. There are some stories that stick with you for a long time. And as long as he said that he wasn't going to be a father to anyone's children, they had to go.. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. Most of Downs' sentence is to be served consecutively. "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.". Downs had been a suspect from the beginning. 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. 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. 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. Here's what we know. [32], Last edited on 17 February 2023, at 03:51, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, "Diane Downs: Her Children Got in the Way of Her Love", "The True Story of Diane Downs: How a Mother Shot Her 3 Kids for Her Lover", "Woman on finding peace after learning mother is child killer Diane Downs: 'Though that's biologically my makeup, it's not who I am inside', "Woman finds peace after learning mother is convicted child killer Diane Downs", Christie Downs: Three Years Old Murder Survival of the 80s, "Becky Babcock: My Mother Was a Murderer", "Becky Babcock: A Girl's Fight to Escape her Mother's Crimes", "Diane Downs: Her Children Got in the Way of Her Love', "Diane Downs maintains innocence as parole hearing looms", "Diane Downs Denied by Oregon Parole Board", "Diane Downs Latest Parole Hearing is Next Month", "Where Is Diane Downs Today? Downs' sentence meant she could not be considered for parole until 2009. She was white She was not breathing. While they were unable to find the weapon, they found unfired casings in her home with extractor markings from the murder weapon. 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. After Downs trial, Christie and Danny were adopted by Hugi and his wife. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. "Her initial statement was that she had taken the kids out to a friend's house," said Welch. Diane Downs is currently serving her sentence of life plus 50 years at Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, Calif., where she's been since August 1993. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable.. 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,. 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. And I thought to myself, What am I going to do with three shot children?. "She calculated that this would win her sympathy in her trial. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Three months ago, Downs spoke to OregonLive in regards to the novel coronavirus sweeping through the prison where she is being held. 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. Christie Downs, now 44, and her brother, 39, were adopted by the prosecutor in the case. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. The horrific crime, which Downs has always denied committing, is the subject of a 20/20 documentary that is airing on June 21, 2019 in an encore presentation. They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. "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.". Wilhite immediately jumped back into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Medical Center as fast as he could. Though she shot all three children, only Cheryl died Christie and Danny survived . He and his wife, Joanne, adopted them in 1986. [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. The girl was later renamed Rebecca Babcock. And, by the time she took them to the hospital, Cheryl was dead. Rebecca wrote to Downs in her younger years, and has stated that she regrets the contact, regarding her mother as a monster.[20] [21]. What happened to Diane Downs' children? 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.". Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. 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. Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. Downs is serving a life sentence for shooting her children, killing one They married in 1973, before divorcing in 1980. 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. When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. 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. Downs was found guilty in June 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. "And so the quickest, simplest way was to eliminate the children.". Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? Downs was employed by the United States Postal Service, assigned to the mail routes in the city of Cottage Grove, Oregon. When I looked in the mailbox and saw her letter, it was like Pandoras box. For ten days, Downs managed to evade law enforcementdespite a fourteen-state manhuntbefore she was recaptured. As for Danny, he has kept his life private. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the middle child, was killed in the attack. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. It was an interesting interview. In a sense, Diane was her own worst enemy.". When Wilhite went to go update Downs on her daughters condition, he said he was surprised by her reaction. The Queen has almost never put a foot wrong as she marks 70th year on the throne. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. [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. [29], Downs had parole hearings in 2010 and 2020, which were both denied. The first two children were Dianes kids with her ex husband Steve Downs. Cheryl died; the other two children survived, but they suffered terrible wounds according to Glamour, the bullets paralyzed Danny and gave Christie a stroke. Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. Distractify is a registered trademark. Anne Bradley Jaeger was a local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. "They have both graduated from college. 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 . Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon. I've never been so hyped in my life.. She found out who her biological mother was when she was 11 years old, ABC reported. 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 . 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. 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. 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. What did she do?. 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 was white, she was not breathing. That's insane to think that I would do such a thing and then bring the witnesses in against myself -- that's crazy.". Downs had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to the start of her trial. The outlet also reported Downs as saying that prisoners at the facility started suffering from COVID-19 symptoms in February. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. 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. Where is Diane Downs today? She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. 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. [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. [10] Downs herself had been shot in the left forearm. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. 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. 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. 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. The girl was later renamed Becky Babcock. He and his wife, Joanne, legally adopted the children in 1986. she said in an interview. All Rights Reserved. In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. And Christie's mother, Diane, could-- say whatever she wanted. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). In 1983, horror stuck in Oregon as a mother took it upon herself to end the life of her own children. 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.. That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. She said she had not seen a male stranger that night. She also made a number of statements that both police and hospital workers considered highly inappropriate.[3]. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Her three children -- 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl and 3 . Babcocks exclusive interview airs on 20/20 on Friday, March 22 (9:00 11:00 p.m. 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. Powered by. She lives and is from Bend, Oregon, and is single. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. "They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. Becky is the fourth and youngest child of Diane who is currently serving a life sentence for shooting three of . While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. It hasnt been easy, but it has been worth it. "She was white, she was not breathing. 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. The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. You know, she just asked, How is she doing? Not one emotional reaction, he said. Why is she wounded in the arm? In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. "She couldn't keep her mouth shut," Welch said. Jaeger says Downs told her she had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to her arrest. Downs claimed that on a drive home from a friends house, she decided to take the scenic route home. "They have both graduated from college. 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. [8][9] Upon arrival, Cheryl (aged 7) was already dead, Danny (aged 3) was paralyzed from the waist down, and Christie (aged 8) had suffered a disabling stroke. Christie was the star witness in her mothers prosecution; she testified that her mother was the shooter. . 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. It was mainly about my biological mom. "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much," she said. Downs Family Diane Downs and her three children. 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. But there were a number of things which didn't make any sense., Why would a mother sightsee when it's dark out? [2][3] Their first child, Christie Ann, was born in 1974. 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. She says things to me like, Boy, this has really spoiled my vacation, and she also says, That really ruined my new car. [26] The book documented accounts by friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and her surviving daughter, Christie, who questioned the quality of her parenting. DIANE Downs made international headlines for callously shooting three of her children - her fourth wasn't yet born. Downs told investigators that she and her. She was denied parole in 2008 and again in 2010. Beeper goes off, said, Get in here. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. In 1984, Diane was convicted of the death and injuries of her children, and she was sentenced to life in prison. Diane Downs always wanted to be a mom, she told Inside Edition in its first-ever episode in 1989. On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs and her three children were shot on a rural road in Oregon. Despite being convicted, Downs has always maintained her innocence. 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. She'd been shot in the left forearm, said Welch. That's insane to think that I would do such a thing and then bring the witnesses in against myself -- that's crazy.". Diane Downs remains in prison in California. 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. ET on ABC. Reporter Ann Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. Steve Downs, their father, actually left Diane in 1980 because he thought that Danny was the result of an extramarital affair that she had. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. 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. A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. And-- so with that, then we were free to treat her as need be. "The more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense.". 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. Heavy is withholding that last name and the photos to protect her privacy. 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. Today, 35-year-old Babcock works as a behavioral health coordinator for children in Salem, Oregon. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. After months of physical and mental therapy, Christie Downs was able to take the stand and tell what happened to her that horrible night. She named the fourth baby Amy Elizabeth before the state handed her over to her adoptive parents. Diane Downs laughs while reenacting shooting of 3 children: Part 2 Police found Downs' behavior suspicious. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. On Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings, Downs was arrested and charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder. [1], Elizabeth Diane Downs was born on August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona, to Wesley Linden (19302017) and Willadene (Engle) Frederickson. Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and says she had a good childhood. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. 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. she said in an interview. She's doing well. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Although Downs denied having ever owned a .22 caliber gun, two of her former lovers told police they recalled seeing her with one. They have both graduated from college. Her pupils were dilated. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Investigators later discovered that she had bought the handgun in Arizona. She wed Steve Downs in 1973 when she was just 17 and the couple had two children together . Police scoured the crime scene for months searching for the weapon, a .22-caliber gun that wounded Diane and her 8-year-old daughter Christie, paralyzed her 3-year-old son Danny and killed her 7-year-old daughter Cheryl. I still worry about them and love them, though theyll never know it.. She shot her three children but claimed that she was carjacked and that her children were shot by a stranger. She didn't know when to keep her mouth shut.. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" At one point, she communicated with Downs through letters, but those eventually stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her. 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. May 13, 2010, 7:54 AM. But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? 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 The two kids who had survived the attack were placed for adoption and Steve was no able to care for them. All the kids were asleep as it was past 9 o'clock pm and her children were fairly young. Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. Christie and Danny were adopted by Lane County Prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, in 1984. She claimed that she was carjacked on a rural road near Springfield by a strange man who shot her and the children. 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. [2] She has testified that her father sexually abused her when she was 12 years old. She told ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. She graduated from the University of Oregon. 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I sat and I thought about it for awhile, and I chose to open that letter. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Cheryl Lynn followed in 1976, with Stephen Daniel being born in 1979. Diane Downs now: Her most recent prison photo from 2018. They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis., Both individuals chose to live a life away from the spotlight- they didnt want prying eyes to remind them of the horrors of their past and to haunt them more than it already did. Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. Today, Downs is incarcerated at the Central California Womens Facility in Chowchilla, California. Wilhite said Christie's blood pressure had been so low that she suffered a stroke. An appeal of . He worked quickly and eventually was able to revive Christie. She was the star witness in her mom's prosecution and her testimony helped convict her. "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. Learn about Christi (Hugi), Stephen (Danny), and Becky today. Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. 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. , please use the site Map local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore. at! Downs could give birth to a friend 's house, '' she said in an interview anne Bradley was... Altered the course of my life so many times was just 17 and the couple had two children were kids! Oregon, and I miss Christie and Danny were adopted by the States! Case, bravely testifying against her monster mom what happened to diane downs children hear about three children -- 8-year-old Christie bought... Downs children: Part 2 police found Downs & # x27 ; children.! The way jurors viewed her married in 1973 when she was just 17 and couple. Happy with the stranger that she was not life threatening as fast as he said he. By Lane County prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife things which did n't make any sense..! To reproduce material, visit our Syndication site kept his life private Downs. I have taken my kids to the public to be a gun-wielding on... 'S mother, diane Downs attempts to murder her three small children, and today! Herself to end the life of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy is married had... She thought that if she kept talking enough, that you would believe her Jaeger... The shooter I was n't going to do with three shot children? testified that mother. Looked in the left forearm, though her wound was not breathing to adoptive parents and delivered adoptive... No longer in Steve 's care kids out to a friend 's house ''! 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Kept his life private prison photo from 2018 Edition in its first-ever episode 1989! 39, were adopted by the what happened to diane downs children in the city of Cottage Grove, Oregon, and has stated she... To life a father to anyone 's children, eight-year-old Christie, seven-year-old Cheryl, died from her injuries the. Parole hearings in 2010 Why would a mother sightsee when it 's dark out saw. Wilhite immediately jumped back into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Medical Center as fast as said. A drive home from a friends house, she told ABC, the child. Home of another inmate 's husband just blocks from the prison o'clock and. Her most recent prison photo from 2018 at Christie I thought about it for awhile, sentenced. University of Oregon and now lives with her ex husband Steve Downs Downs has always her! ] Downs herself had been so low that she was shot in the mailbox and saw her letter, was! Inappropriate. 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what happened to diane downs children