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. 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.. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. We just ignored it, Wilhite said. 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. [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. "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. Christie is now in her forties, according to Tuko, and the accident left her with a speech handicap. Do I open it? READ MORE: abcn.ws/2W9dzyC In 1983, Diane Downs. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Learn about Diane Downs' children now: Christie, Stephen (Danny), and Becky. Prior to her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Amy Elizabeth. Meanwhile, Christie Downs was slowly beginning to tell what she remembered of the shootings. 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. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. Christie was the star witness in her mothers prosecution; she testified that her mother was the shooter. 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 children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? Investigators later discovered that she had bought the handgun in Arizona. 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.. If youre here because youre curious to know where the surviving children are now, youve come to the right place. She's been called "evil" and "the . Powered by. The woman who was on trial for shooting her own children was pregnant again -- and it was no accident. Rebecca wrote to Downs in her younger years, and has stated that she regrets the contact, regarding her mother as a monster.[20] [21]. [5] When Downs went to trial in May 1984, she was again pregnant. [24] While in prison, she earned an associate degree in General Studies. It was an interesting interview. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. She was required to serve twenty-five years before being considered for parole. 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 I was very stern with her.". For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Diane Downs with her three children Stephen, Christie and Cheryl, Diane Downs is serving a life sentence for the attack on her children, Downs gave birth to a fourth child after her trial in 1984, Christie testified against her mother, pictured. Although Downs denied having ever owned a .22 caliber gun, ex-husband Steve Downs told police she took one with her when she moved to Oregon. 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. While they were unable to find the weapon, they found unfired casings in her home with extractor markings from the murder weapon. He responded to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and immediately interviewed Downs, a postal worker. I had a great family, a great life. Fred Hugi, adopted the children., Famed true-crime author Ann Rule wrote about the case. When Downs went on trial in May of that year, she was pregnant again. And she's not. Christie is now in her forties, according to Tuko, and the accident left her with a speech handicap. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. "Sightseeing when it's pitch black out? An appeal of . 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. The case of Diane Downs and her three children is one of those a horrible tragic case that people still think about 37 years later. Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. Downs claimed that on a drive home from a friends house, she decided to take the scenic route home. Photo: September 26, 1988. Here's what we know. But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? Three months ago, Downs spoke to OregonLive in regards to the novel coronavirus sweeping through the prison where she is being held. Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. 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. 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. 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. And his response was, 'I want your car.' Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. [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 two kids who had survived the attack were placed for adoption and Steve was no able to care for them. He and his wife, Joanne, adopted them in 1986. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. But what happened to Diane Downs' husband? Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. The couple divorced in 1980 over Steven's insistence their son, Danny, was the result of an affair and not his biological child. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. "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.". 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. DIANE Downs made international headlines for callously shooting three of her children - her fourth wasn't yet born. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. In 1983, Diane Downs said stranger shot her 3 kids. She had been shot in the left forearm, though her wound was not life-threatening. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. Who is Becky Babcock and where is she now? "She calculated that this would win her sympathy in her trial. She said she had not seen a male stranger that night. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The judge made it clear that he did not intend for Downs to ever be free again. Diane Downs gave birth to four children. 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,. Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and says she had a good childhood. "There were a number of things which didn't make sense, even that first night," Welch said. Diane Downs now: Her most recent prison photo from 2018. I have used the term verbal vomit when talking' about Diane because she talked a lot. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Today, Downs is incarcerated at the Central California Womens Facility in Chowchilla, California. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "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. The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. That's insane to think that I would do such a thing and then bring the witnesses in against myself -- that's crazy.". Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died, but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. ', I didnt just tear it open and start reading, Babcock tells the show. she said in an interview. [28], In her first application for parole in 2008, Downs reaffirmed her innocence. Is She Still In Jail? [22] She received an additional five-year sentence for the escape. 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. 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. The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. "The more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense.". View our online Press Pack. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. I mean, think about it. [26] The book documented accounts by friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and her surviving daughter, Christie, who questioned the quality of her parenting. "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. the incident happened on a dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted murder. She was the star witness in her mom's prosecution and her testimony helped convict her. When then-prosecutor Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her, Christie Downs replied, "My mom.". 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. 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. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Christies Facebook page shows she has children, has a different married last name, and is living in Oregon. Do I throw it away? Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable.. 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. Author Ann Rule wrote the book Small Sacrifices (1987), which detailed Downs' life and murder trial. See you at 9pm for our encore presentation of #MyMomsSins #ABC2020! I was afraid of how am I going to handle all this? he added. "They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. In 1994, after serving ten years, Downs was transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. [10] Downs herself had been shot in the left forearm. This is the person who's supposed to be on my side. Her older two children have remained out of the public eye. Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. Diane Downs always wanted to be a mom, she told Inside Edition in its first-ever episode in 1989. At one point, she communicated with Downs through letters, but those eventually stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her. 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. On May 19, 1983, Diane shot the children Cheryl, 7, Christie, 8, and Danny, 3 multiple times at a close range. On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs and her three small children were shot on a country road near Springfield, Oregon. Golden State Killer: Where Is the Prolific Rapist and Murderer Today? 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? I think that's one of the things that-- ended up hurting her case. Where are Diane Downs' children now? And she took a deserted country road with three sleeping kids in her car. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. 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. Jaeger says Downs told her she had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to her arrest. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Downs' launched a violent attack on three of her children, Danny, Cheryl Lynn, and Christie Anne in 1983. Did I make a mistake? 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. 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 . A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. Diane Downs gave birth to four children. [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. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. May 13, 2010, 7:54 AM. Downs Family Diane Downs and her three children. Now Dianes youngest child is speaking out 36 years later. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). Wilhite immediately jumped back into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Medical Center as fast as he could. Learn about Christi (Hugi), Stephen (Danny), and Becky today. I've never been so hyped in my life.. In 1984, Diane was convicted of the death and injuries of her children, and she was sentenced to life in prison. She was denied parole in 2008 and continues to proclaim her innocence. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974).. And as she drove down the road, a man stepped out from the brush, the side of the road, and she stopped the car. 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 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. The . Powered by. "And so the quickest, simplest way was to eliminate the children.". Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. When I looked in the mailbox and saw her letter, it was like Pandoras box. They have both graduated from college. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. ", 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. 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 Daughter of Diane Downs. Her pupils were dilated. Downs was found guilty in June 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. 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. She graduated from the University of Oregon. Therefore, they grew up privately and continue to live their adult lives privately. 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. Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. 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. A surgeon told ABC News of treating Christie: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. She said she pulled over and got out to talk to the man. Dr. Steven Wilhite had just walked into his house after a long day working at a Springfield, Oregon, hospital when his beeper went off. We've got three children who have been shot, Wilhite told 20/20. And my whole body just tingled. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Diane Downs with her three children Stephen, Christie and Cheryl, Diane Downs is serving a life sentence for the attack on her children, Downs gave birth to a fourth child after her trial in 1984, Christie testified against her mother, pictured. The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. Anne Bradley Jaeger was a local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. 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. Wilhite said he also noticed that when Downs went to visit Christie in the recovery room, her stats would spike. She shot her three children but claimed that she was carjacked and that her children were shot by a stranger. 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. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Downs was denied parole in December 2008, December 2010, and in 2020. It was an unthinkable, brutal killing in 1983 that terrified parents around the country. [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?