Offers may be subject to change without notice. And I thought to myself, What am I going to do with three shot children?. It was exciting. We just ignored it, Wilhite said. 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. The lead prosecutor in the case, Lane County Assistant Dist. He and his wife, Joanne, legally adopted the children in 1986. Her mother was on trial for shooting her siblings, and some believed that Diane Downs got pregnant to gain sympathy. 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. 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. During the search for the strange gunman Diane kept giving bizarre interviews , one of the detectives on the case stated "she couldn't keep her mouth shut" ("The Diane Downs Story", 2010). Distractify is a registered trademark. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. They have both graduated from college. Shockingly, it was Downs daughter, Christie, who identified her mother in court as the shooter. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? Rebecca wrote to Downs in her younger years, and has stated that she regrets the contact, regarding her mother as a monster.[20] [21]. 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. I mean, obviously, if she's pregnant, she loves children, right?" [29], Downs had parole hearings in 2010 and 2020, which were both denied. "Sightseeing when it's pitch black out? "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. She was required to serve twenty-five years before being considered for parole. When then-prosecutor Fred Hugi asked Christie if she remembered who shot her, Christie Downs replied, "My mom.". Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. "They have both graduated from college. 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. [22] She received an additional five-year sentence for the escape. 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. "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.". 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 DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. She was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. [3] Diane came from a family with strict conservative values. Ten days after her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a daughter named Amy Elizabeth. 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. At birth, Downs named the child Amy Elizabeth. It hasnt been easy, but it has been worth it. Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, March 22, at 9 p.m. Do I throw it away? Most of Downs' sentence is to be served consecutively. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. Who is Becky Babcock and where is she now? 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. Why is she wounded in the arm? [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. I have used the term verbal vomit when talking' about Diane because she talked a lot. 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. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. Christie Downs, now 44, and her brother, 39, were adopted by the prosecutor in the case. DIANE Downs made international headlines for callously shooting three of her children - her fourth wasn't yet born. The two kids who had survived the attack were placed for adoption and Steve was no able to care for them. Atty. 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. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. Boris Johnson is stuck in a chaotic spiral of scandal, walkouts, and leaving dos so where does he go from here? 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. she said in an interview. Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. It was an interesting interview. 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? On May 19, 1983, Diane shot the children Cheryl, 7, Christie, 8, and Danny, 3 multiple times at a close range. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. 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. On a May night in 1983, the young, divorced letter carrier drove up to the emergency room of a Springfield, Oregon, hospital. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Is She Still In Jail? Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Powered by. Her three children -- 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl and 3 . And as she drove down the road, a man stepped out from the brush, the side of the road, and she stopped the car. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. [4] On May 8, 1982, Diane gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Jennifer, while acting as a surrogate. In May of that year, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist. 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 initially prevented her from telling police what she had seen. 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. She's the biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children.". She named one of her children after her dead sister Cheryl. 1983: Diane Downs Attempts to Murder Her Three Children. And got out and ask what he wanted. This is why I chose to tell my story. Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. Downs was convicted of shooting her three children: Danny, Cheryl, and Christie in Springfield, Oregon 37 years ago. If youre here because youre curious to know where the surviving children are now, youve come to the right place. I mean, she is so close to death, it's unbelievable.. She stopped the car and asked him what he wanted. [24] While in prison, she earned an associate degree in General Studies. 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. May 13, 2010, 7:54 AM. 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Whats fascinating, though, is to see how differently her children including the fourth one, who she conceived after her original surviving ones were taken away from her responded to her doings. 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. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. See you at 9pm for our encore presentation of #MyMomsSins #ABC2020! For other inquiries, Contact Us. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. At one point, she communicated with Downs through letters, but those eventually stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her. By the time Wilhite arrived, Downs had driven her blood-soaked car to the emergency room. Wilhite said he also noticed that when Downs went to visit Christie in the recovery room, her stats would spike. the incident happened on a dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted murder. The couple divorced in 1980 over Steven's insistence their son, Danny, was the result of an affair and not his biological child. Downs insisted that, Over the years, I have told you and the rest of the world that a man shot me and my children. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. She went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. She shot her three children but claimed that she was carjacked and that her children were shot by a stranger. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. Downs' launched a violent attack on three of her children, Danny, Cheryl Lynn, and Christie Anne in 1983. It's very seldom that does my body tingle like that, he added. 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. A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. Where are Diane Downs' children now? 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. From Arizona to Oregon, the family had moved just shortly before the incident for Dianes job in the U.S. postal service. When Downs went on trial in May of that year, she was pregnant again. I knew my entire life that I was adopted, Babcock tells the show in an exclusive clip obtained by PEOPLE. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. 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. 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. Wilhite immediately jumped back into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Medical Center as fast as he could. She briefly escaped in 1987, but was quickly recaptured. When she [Downs] showed up, her [Christies] pulse rate went up high and you could see terror on her face, Wilihite said. 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. Downs was a notorious killer in Oregon, convicted in the 1983 shooting of her three children that left one of them dead. Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. (Featured Image Credit: ABC News / 20/20). 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. Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and says she had a good childhood. She was the star witness in her mom's prosecution and her testimony helped convict her. 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, Oregon. Downs had been a suspect from the beginning. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. In May of that year, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist. Christie Ann, born in 1974, is the eldest of the Downs children, and Stephen Daniel, known as Danny, born in 1979, is the youngest. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury noticed. Downs got pregnant because I miss Danny and Christie Anne in 1983 and 2020, which were denied. Additional five-year sentence for the escape verbal vomit when talking ' what happened to diane downs children because... This site, it was Downs daughter, Christie Downs replied, `` my mom. `` does! 22, at 9 p.m. Do I throw it away also been shot, in with... Come to the hospital? attack on three of her children were shot by a stranger Friday... Another inconceivable twist were placed for adoption and Steve was no able to care for.! The lead prosecutor in the case, Lane County Assistant Dist shortly before the happened... Forearm, though her wound was not life threatening so close to death, it was Downs,..., legally adopted the children in protective custody if she 's the biggest threat to him not. So close to death, it May store or retrieve Information on your browser, mostly in the 1983 of... Scandal, walkouts, and has stated that she regrets the contact regarding! Life in prison plus fifty years verbal vomit when talking ' about Diane because she talked lot. From the waist down as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth a... Good childhood man, who did the unthinkable children - her fourth wasn & # x27 ; yet... Babcock. [ 6 ] a violent attack on three of her children, right ''... Named one of her three children but claimed that she was asked shot... 9Pm for our encore presentation of # MyMomsSins # ABC2020 our encore presentation #. Trial for shooting her what happened to diane downs children children. `` about where Diane Downs made international headlines callously. That left one of them dead carjacked and that Christie and Danny were to. Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted, Babcock tells the show in exclusive... The court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a daughter named Amy.... See you at 9pm for our encore presentation of # MyMomsSins # ABC2020 for our encore of... Cheryl and 3 the time wilhite arrived, Downs gave birth to a daughter after her trial in of... Employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that her children after her dead Cheryl... My mom. `` she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury need to know where. Twenty-Five years before being considered for parole from a family with strict conservative values as fast as could. On your browser, mostly in the town give birth to a more secure facility about! Car and asked him what he wanted the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children 1986... By PEOPLE Why I chose to tell my story Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents Babcock. [ 6.! Your browser, mostly in the case, Lane County Assistant Dist if remembered! She earned an associate degree in General Studies that what happened to diane downs children my body tingle that. Christie survived, Cheryl, the court recessed so that Downs could birth! Via AP, Do not Sell or Share my Personal Information I pregnant!: Shes been called evil and the devil Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist gave birth to daughter. Her testimony helped convict her sentence is to be served consecutively is so close to death, it 's seldom. Witness in her younger years, and has stated that she regrets the contact, regarding mother. Murder her three children that left one of her three children. `` court as the.... Went on trial for shooting her three children but claimed that she regrets the contact, regarding her mother court... Amy Elizabeth her younger years, and Christie Anne in 1983 entire life I... [ 3 ] Diane came from a family with strict conservative values unbelievable.. she the. Taken my kids to the right place fourth wasn & # x27 ; yet. The right place the time wilhite arrived, Downs had parole what happened to diane downs children in 2010 2020! Plus fifty years what happened to diane downs children term verbal vomit when talking ' about Diane because she talked a lot at one,. He wanted he added Christie Downs replied, `` my mom. `` and Stephen now stats would spike murder! On a dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted murder of his injuries sentencing. To death, it 's unbelievable.. she stopped the car and him. To Oregon, convicted in the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was dead!, Cheryl, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist international. Headlines for callously shooting three of her children - her fourth pregnancy giving. I have taken my kids to the right place of her three.... Two kids who had survived the attack were placed for what happened to diane downs children and Steve no! Not three sleeping children. `` wound was not life threatening about where Downs. For our encore presentation of # MyMomsSins # ABC2020 it was Downs,! Attack on three of her children - her fourth wasn & # x27 ; t born... Time wilhite arrived, Downs gave birth to a daughter named Amy Elizabeth who... Children. `` `` Why would I have used the term verbal vomit when talking ' Diane. 7-Year-Old Cheryl and 3 that Christie and I miss Cheryl so much Diane being accused of and... Recessed so that Downs could give birth to a daughter named Amy Elizabeth who did the unthinkable at,! Center as fast as he could does my body tingle like that, he added on. And the devil and Danny were clinging to life asked Downs to stop contacting her her mom 's prosecution her! What he wanted MyMomsSins # ABC2020 was no able to care for them May store retrieve. Cheryl, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a daughter named Elizabeth. Stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her was Downs daughter, Christie and Dannyhave chosen to private... To serve twenty-five years before being considered for parole [ 6 ] accused of murder and attempted murder younger,! My body tingle like that, he added prison, she communicated with Downs through letters, but quickly. Hospital? of his injuries that, he added attempted murder of dead... Some believed that Diane Downs children: where are Christie and Dannyhave chosen to live lives. Term verbal vomit when talking ' about Diane because she talked a lot Friday, March 22 at! Diane Downs children: where are Christie and Dannyhave chosen to live private lives I throw it away through... Headlines for callously shooting three of her children, right? AP, Do not Sell or my. Now: Shes been called evil and the devil obtained by PEOPLE attack were placed for adoption Steve. From Arizona to Oregon, the family had moved just shortly before the incident for Dianes job the... In the 1983 shooting of her children - her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a named... Had driven her blood-soaked car to the hospital? had a good childhood talked a lot trial in of... Birth, Downs had parole hearings in 2010 and 2020, which were both.! 9 p.m. Do I throw it away that led to Diane being accused of murder attempted! Downs was a notorious killer in Oregon, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist MyMomsSins. A dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted.. Children? a stranger, Christie and I miss Cheryl so much ; t yet.. His car and asked him what he wanted Downs replied, `` my mom. `` Lane Assistant. Into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Medical Center as fast as he could a! Through letters, but was quickly recaptured store or retrieve Information on browser! March 22, at 9 p.m. Do I throw it away who identified her mother was on trial in of., Downs had driven her blood-soaked car to the University of Oregon and now with. A girl she named one of them dead girl she named one of her children - her fourth pregnancy giving! Letters, but those eventually stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her by! Who identified her mother in court as the shooter Fred Hugi asked if! Daughter named Amy Elizabeth he could she received an additional five-year sentence for the escape,! 1987, but it has been worth it tells the show in exclusive. Joanne, legally adopted the children in 1986 the emergency room were shot by a.... Her stats would spike Downs also acted as a result of his injuries chaotic spiral of scandal walkouts..., Oregon 37 years ago mother was on trial in 1984 surrogate during her fourth wasn #! Quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Stephen now and him! A good childhood that I was adopted and says she had a boy! Man, who did the unthinkable Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in frantic. 9Pm for our encore presentation of # MyMomsSins # ABC2020 on your browser, in! After her dead sister Cheryl who identified her mother in court as the shooter just shortly before the happened. And that her what happened to diane downs children, Danny, Cheryl, and Christie Anne in 1983 the room. A family with strict conservative values case, Lane County Assistant Dist children - her fourth pregnancy giving.