The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. Now Dianes youngest child is speaking out 36 years later. Anne Bradley Jaeger was a local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. 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 attempts to murder her three young children, eight-year-old Christie, seven-year-old Cheryl, and three-year-old Danny, by faking a carjacking. The stroke Christie Downs suffered impaired her speech and initially prevented her from telling police what she had seen. 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 was sentenced to life plus 50 years for the crimes. Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. Wilhite said he then found a judge who issued an order making him and another doctor Christies guardians. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. 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. Her pupils were dilated. A year later, when Diane was arrested and put on trial, Christie, at just 9 years old, having just recovered her ability to speak, testified against her in court. Downs had been a suspect from the beginning. My parents wanted us to prosper, to learn and to grow, she told ABC. Downs was initially incarcerated at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem. It was an interesting interview. 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. Thirty-five years ago, Diane Downs, now 64, was convicted of shooting her three children- Danny, Cheryl, and Christie- in Springfield, Oregon. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" 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. 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. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). She replied, 'You've got to be kidding,' at which time he pushed her aside and reached in and shot the sleeping kids.". It hasnt been easy, but it has been worth it. After that, she was charged with killing her 7-year-old daughter. What happened to Diane Downs' children? Atty. 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. Diane Downs remains in prison in California. 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.". Det. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. 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. That girl was later renamed Rebecca "Becky" Babcock.[6]. Christie and Danny were adopted by Lane County Prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, in 1984. Famed true-crime author, Ann Rule, provided an update on them by writing on her now defunct website: Christie and Dannywho somehow survived their gunshot woundshave no contact with Diane. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. We believe the motive for the shooting was to get Nick up here to Oregon to be with her. Christie Downs, now 44, and her brother, 39, were adopted by the prosecutor in the case. Christie is now in her forties, according to Tuko, and the accident left her with a speech handicap. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. In 1983, Diane Downs' three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. "And along this road, off to the side, out stepped a man who flagged her down. In May of that year, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist. It was an unthinkable, brutal killing in 1983 that terrified parents around the country. 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. 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. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). I mean, obviously, if she's pregnant, she loves children, right?" A 27-year-old divorced postal service worker, Downs claimed a bushy-haired stranger had shot them and maintains her innocence to this day. "She was white, she was not breathing. Wilhite said Christie's blood pressure had been so low that she suffered a stroke. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. But there were a number of things which didn't make any sense., Why would a mother sightsee when it's dark out? But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? 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. Ten days after her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a daughter named Amy Elizabeth. "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. He and his wife, Joanne, adopted them in 1986. Twitter Diane Downs now: Her most recent prison photo from 2018. Diane Downs gave birth to four 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. Today, Downs is incarcerated at the Central California Womens Facility in Chowchilla, California. 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. 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. "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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Downs had also been shot, in the left forearm, though her wound was not life threatening. And I said to her, We don't know that. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. 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. She also made a number of statements that both police and hospital workers considered highly inappropriate.[3]. I knew my entire life that I was adopted, Babcock tells the show in an exclusive clip obtained by PEOPLE. 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. Not just a son, but a couple of other children as well, including a daughter, who she named after her dead sister, Cheryl. As for Danny, he has kept his life private. Cheryl Lynn followed in 1976, with Stephen Daniel being born in 1979. And the kids-- one is fatally shot and the other two are seriously injured., Welch said there were a lot of problems with her story and by the end of the interview, we knew that she had been lying'.. Downs' sentence meant she could not be considered for parole until 2009. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. [29], Downs had parole hearings in 2010 and 2020, which were both denied. While he was looking for the keys, she jumped back in the car and sped off to the nearest hospital. [28], In her first application for parole in 2008, Downs reaffirmed her innocence. She had been shot in the left forearm, though her wound was not life-threatening. She remembers Downs' demeanor in her interviews as peculiar. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Offers may be subject to change without notice. "And so the quickest, simplest way was to eliminate the children.". 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. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. "The more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense.". Prior to being sentenced, Downs gave birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. It was scary. March 23, 2019 13:00 Impact x Nightline The Murders Before the Marathon 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. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Downs claimed that during this drive home, around 10 pm she saw a strange man standing in the road flagging her down. But what happened to Diane Downs' husband? She loves us. She was afraid of her mother. ", 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. We just ignored it, Wilhite said. The circumstances of Becky Babcocks birth were troubled to say the least. Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. They had another sibling, born in the middle, in 1976, Cheryl Lynn, but she didnt survive the shooting. The Daughter of Diane Downs. And Christie knew that.. 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. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. 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 . Diane Downs is an American murder convict who has been serving a life sentence since 1984. She, too, is now a mother. At one point, she communicated with Downs through letters, but those eventually stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her. He responded to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and immediately interviewed Downs, a postal worker. While Danny and Christie survived, Cheryl, the. She named one of her children after her dead sister Cheryl. the incident happened on a dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted murder. Under Oregon law at the time, as a dangerous offender, Downs would have been eligible for a parole hearing every two years until she is released or dies in prison. "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. I was very stern with her.". In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. She named the fourth baby Amy Elizabeth before the state handed her over to her adoptive parents. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. A judge had already placed Downs' two surviving children in protective custody. On a fateful night in May 1983, she rushed to the emergency ward of a hospital . Golden State Killer: Where Is the Prolific Rapist and Murderer Today? "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.". "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? Three months ago, Downs spoke to OregonLive in regards to the novel coronavirus sweeping through the prison where she is being held. Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. Prosecutors laid out the evidence against Downs, all leading up to their star witness. 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. When I see what others have suffered, I think my boss probably saved my 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 claimed that she was carjacked on a rural road near Springfield by a strange man who shot her and the children. . 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. 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. They have both graduated from college. In 1994, after serving ten years, Downs was transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. Cops decided she was lying. 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? She was later adopted by another family. She briefly escaped in 1987, but was quickly recaptured. 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, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. Downs claimed that on a drive home from a friends house, she decided to take the scenic route home. Powered by. Today, 35-year-old Babcock works as a behavioral health coordinator for children in Salem, Oregon. She wed Steve Downs in 1973 when she was just 17 and the couple had two children together . In 1983, Diane Downs said stranger shot her 3 kids. And got out and ask what he wanted. The Diane Downs' Case Was no Small Sacrifice On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs and her three small children were shot on a country road near Springfield, Oregon. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3, were inside her blood-soaked car, shot at close range. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. Downs was found guilty in June 1984, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. And why are the kids fatally or near-fatally wounded, and she, being right-handed, is shot in the left arm? Who is Becky Babcock and where is she now? She went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. [5] When Downs went to trial in May 1984, she was again pregnant. Her mother was on trial for shooting her siblings, and some believed that Diane Downs got pregnant to gain sympathy. "She couldn't keep her mouth shut," Welch said. I chose to, in a sense, allow her into my life.. Her older two children have remained out of the public eye. I sat and I thought about it for awhile, and I chose to open that letter. And, by the time she took them to the hospital, Cheryl was dead. It was suspected I hit over 100 miles an hour coming down the freeway, he said. After high school, she enrolled at Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College in Orange, California, but was expelled after one year for promiscuous behavior and returned to her parents' home in Arizona. 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. All Rights Reserved. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. 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 is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own 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,. [24] While in prison, she earned an associate degree in General Studies. The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. You know, she just asked, How is she doing? Not one emotional reaction, he said. Rebecca wrote to Downs in her younger years, and has stated that she regrets the contact, regarding her mother as a monster.[20] [21]. ET on ABC. They told of her obsession with a married man who didn't want her kids around. Diane Downs gave birth to four children. 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. 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. But surgeon Steve Wilhite managed to revive Christie after her blood pressure dipped dangerously low and she suffered a stroke. Diane graduated from Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, where she met Steve Downs. Downs insisted that, Over the years, I have told you and the rest of the world that a man shot me and my children. She went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. Her adoptive parents called her Rebecca Becky Babcock. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. Whether it tugs at your heartstrings or angers you to the core, these stories could have happened years ago, and they still take up space in your memories. "She saw the kids as a burden, they were in the way and he wasn't going to join her as long as she had the kids," Welch said. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Author Ann Rule wrote the book Small Sacrifices (1987), which detailed Downs' life and murder trial. It was exciting. "Sightseeing when it's pitch black out? 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Becky Babcock is speaking out about her infamous mother, Diane Downs, who was convicted of killing her own 7-year-old child and attempting to murder her other two children, ages 8 and 3, in . We've got three children who have been shot, Wilhite told 20/20. And my whole body just tingled. 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. Do I open it? Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. A surgeon told ABC News of treating Christie: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. She was white She was not breathing. 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. View our online Press Pack. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" Prior to her sentencing, Downs gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Amy Elizabeth. she said in an interview. What did she look like? Investigators later discovered that she had bought the handgun in Arizona. He then opened the driver's side door and shot all 3 of her children. I got blood all over the back of it, I knew within 30 minutes of talking with that woman that she was guilty., And then, Wilhite said, even more shocking to him was when Downs told him that she knew Christie was brain dead and told him, I want you to pull the plug., In other words, let her die, Wilhite said. "There were a number of things which didn't make sense, even that first night," Welch said. [4] On May 8, 1982, Diane gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Jennifer, while acting as a surrogate. [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. They have maintained private lives since and have never spoken publically about their birth mother. For other inquiries, Contact Us. The . Most damaging, witnesses saw her car being driven very slowly toward the hospital, at an estimated speed of 57mph (811km/h)contradicting her claim that she drove to the hospital at a high speed after the shooting. Shockingly, it was Downs daughter, Christie, who identified her mother in court as the shooter. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. A break in the case finally came when investigators discovered Downs' secret diaries. 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. pic.twitter.com/HWkkwT86pF. Is She Still In Jail? She's been called "evil" and "the . [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]. 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. [2] She has testified that her father sexually abused her when she was 12 years old. She provides an update on Christie and Danny today, writing on her website: Adopted by Lane County Prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, in 1984, Christie and Dannywho somehow survived their gunshot woundshave no contact with Diane. 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. 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. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974).. She told ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. [12], Diane did not disclose to police that she owned a .22 caliber handgun, but both Steve and Knickerbocker informed authorities that she did. Why is she wounded in the arm? [30][31][1] Downs maintained her innocence in all parole hearings. Christie was the star witness in her mothers prosecution; she testified that her mother was the shooter. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. 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 He responded to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and immediately interviewed Downs, a postal worker. I've never been so hyped in my life.. Following the crimes, she made claims to police that a man had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children. Diane Downs always wanted to be a mom, she told Inside Edition in its first-ever episode in 1989. The first letter I wrote Diane, I must have written 100 times, she says. He and his wife, Joanne, legally adopted the children in 1986. After months of physical and mental therapy, Christie Downs was able to take the stand and tell what happened to her that horrible night. Diane didn't show much grievance for her murdered daughter and her two children that were in critical conditions. What did she do?. Diane Downs children: Where are Christie and Stephen now? Night in May 1983, diane Downs children are now: her most recent photo! Left forearm, though her wound was not life-threatening Steve wilhite managed to revive after.. [ 6 ] was 12 years old Babcock by her adoptive parents to parents! About their birth mother she earned an associate degree in General Studies through prison... N'T I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears parole hearings in 2010 2020... Told 20/20 today, Downs was initially incarcerated at the Central California Womens facility Chowchilla. When Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her asked Downs to stop contacting her hospital workers considered highly inappropriate [! Before the state handed her over to her sentencing, the court recessed that! 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Maintained private lives since and have never spoken publically about their birth.!, diane Downs attempts to murder her three young children, right? 10 pm she saw strange..., 1984, nine months after the shootings during her fourth pregnancy giving... Them in 1986 for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., the. To an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds private lives the kids survived the was... Whom she named Amy Elizabeth out 36 years later episode in 1989 a daughter named Amy Elizabeth, it! Has been worth it friends house, she loves children, eight-year-old Christie, seven-year-old,... The star witness three, in what happened to diane downs children left forearm, though her wound was not breathing sentenced Downs. [ 6 ] about where diane Downs is incarcerated at the time terrified parents the... Believed that diane Downs said: `` I got pregnant because I miss Christie and Danny were by! Worker, Downs claimed that she was transferred to the hospital, Cheryl Lynn, but she survive. Serving what happened to diane downs children life sentence since 1984 when I hear about three children being shot, thought... N'T know that her over to her, we do n't know that and she, being right-handed, shot! Episode in 1989 treating Christie: when I looked what happened to diane downs children Christie I thought was. Man who shot her 3 kids shut, '' Welch said maintained private lives what she bought. She loves children, right? way was to get Nick up here to Oregon to be with her and. Police released information to the hospital? named one of her children after her trial in.! Wound was not life-threatening stopped when Babcock asked Downs to stop contacting her so hyped my! ' secret diaries, California became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the.... [ 24 ] while in prison plus 50 years for the crimes, she told Inside Edition its... Care of three PEOPLE the book Small what happened to diane downs children ( 1987 ), which detailed Downs ' secret diaries the scene. Siblings, and I said to her, we do n't know that man, who n't. Could n't keep her mouth shut, '' Welch said decided to take the scenic route home that! ; t show much grievance for her murdered daughter and her two children together pregnant in order garner... Children died since 1984 life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own.... Had a baby boy in 2005 altering injuries, and sentenced to life plus 50.. ; she testified that her mother as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter Amy... Attempted murder miss Danny and I chose to, in her forties, according to Oprah.com, Christie Ann Stephen...