My childhood was of dreams and we had every opportunity that we wanted. Anne Bradley Jaeger was a local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. Reporter Ann Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. [3][14], Downs was convicted on all charges on June 17, 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. 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. And she's not. She remembers Downs' demeanor in her interviews as peculiar. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. Downs insisted that, Over the years, I have told you and the rest of the world that a man shot me and my children. 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. She shot her three children but claimed that she was carjacked and that her children were shot by a stranger. Downs was initially incarcerated at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem. [28], In her first application for parole in 2008, Downs reaffirmed her innocence. Diane's 2 children who survived the shooting . Following the crimes, she made claims to police that a man had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children. Christies Facebook page shows she has children, has a different married last name, and is living in Oregon. Shortly before her death, Cheryl Lynn reportedly told a neighbor of her grandparents that she was afraid of her mother. If youre here because youre curious to know where the surviving children are now, youve come to the right place. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. Following the crimes, she made claims to police that a man had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children. She was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. I knew my entire life that I was adopted, Babcock tells the show in an exclusive clip obtained by PEOPLE. 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. It was mainly about my biological mom. 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. Is Oregon relatively virus-free, or are my children in greater danger than the red circle size suggests? 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. 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. In 1984, Diane was convicted of the death and injuries of her children, and she was sentenced to life in prison. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In 1983, Diane Downs' three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. 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. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. "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. And why are the kids fatally or near-fatally wounded, and she, being right-handed, is shot in the left 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. The couple divorced in 1980 over. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Downs had picked someone on her postal route to seduce prior to the start of her trial. It hasnt been easy, but it has been worth it. Her pupils were dilated. "And it grew dark and upon their return home she decided to -- to do some sightseeing. As for Danny, he has kept his life private. A surgeon told ABC News of treating Christie: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. A jury subsequently convicted Downs on all counts, and she was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, according to Glamour. Today, 35-year-old Babcock works as a behavioral health coordinator for children in Salem, Oregon. "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.". She tells ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. Her adoptive parents called her Rebecca Becky Babcock. Diane Downs laughs while reenacting shooting of 3 children: Part 2 Police found Downs' behavior suspicious. "She was white, she was not breathing. COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass. 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. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. She stopped the car and asked him what he wanted. Where are Diane Downs' children now? We found that Diane Downs was emotionally flat. She took a detour off of Marcola Road onto Old Mohawk Road to do some sightseeing., By this time it was dark, and the kids were sleeping. "The more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense.". May 13, 2010, 7:54 AM. He responded to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and immediately interviewed Downs, a postal worker. She replied, 'You've got to be kidding,' at which time he pushed her aside and reached in and shot the sleeping kids.". One died; two survived but had serious injuries. But suspicions of Downs herself quickly began to surface. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. Christie Ann, born in 1974, is the eldest of the Downs children, and Stephen Daniel, known as Danny, born in 1979, is the youngest. But there were a number of things which didn't make any sense., Why would a mother sightsee when it's dark out? To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Email us [email protected] call212 416 4552. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 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? 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.". [2][3] Their first child, Christie Ann, was born in 1974. 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. Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and says she had a good childhood. Here's what we know. Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. 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. Sample Page; ; [23] The Salem prison was located 66 miles from Hugi's home in Springfield; during her ten days of freedom, Hugi had feared that Downs would attempt to travel there in hopes of contacting her children, Christie and Danny. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. Now, her children are all grown up and many want to know what they are up to now 2 Becky Babcock is the fourth and youngest child of Diane Downs Credit: ABC NEws Who is Diane Downs' daughter Becky Babcock? Downs, who still maintains her innocence, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, plus 50 years. Atty. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. 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. 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. "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. 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 was white, she was not breathing. Why does a mom with three sleeping children in the car stop for a stranger or anyone for that matter? 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. "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? We've got three children who have been shot, Wilhite told 20/20. And my whole body just tingled. 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. 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. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. However, investigators and hospital workers became suspicious, because they decided that Downs' manner was too calm for a person who had just experienced such a traumatic event. She named one of her children after her dead sister Cheryl. I sat and I thought about it for awhile, and I chose to open that letter. Diane Downs always wanted to be a mom, she told Inside Edition in its first-ever episode in 1989. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. He and his wife, Joanne, adopted them in 1986. On May 19, 1983, Diane shot the children Cheryl, 7, Christie, 8, and Danny, 3 multiple times at a close range. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. She was afraid of her mother. Diane Downs became one of the most infamous murderers in the city after she was convicted of shooting her three children, killing one of them, along a roadway in Springfield, Oregon. The . A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. [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]. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Did I make a mistake? After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. According to witnesses, she then drove at a pace of between 5-7 mph to the local hospital, where she then claimed to hospital staff she had been car-jacked by a stranger who shot herself and her children. Downs is serving a life sentence for shooting her children, killing one They married in 1973, before divorcing in 1980. They have both graduated from college. Despite being convicted, Downs has always maintained her innocence. 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