When she [Downs] showed up, her [Christies] pulse rate went up high and you could see terror on her face, Wilihite said. 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.. She shot her three children but claimed that she was carjacked and that her children were shot by a stranger. 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. Her three children -- 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl and 3 . I was searching for that blood tie., I never had questions about my biological dad, Babcock continues. It was as if she thought that if she kept talking enough, that you would believe her, Jaeger said. 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. Her pupils were dilated. 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. 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. [2] She has testified that her father sexually abused her when she was 12 years old. Where are Diane Downs' children now? [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. She tried to cut her wrists when she was 13 years old. Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY, March 22 at 9 p.m. she said in an interview. It was an interesting interview. She says it was during the struggle with the stranger that she was shot in the arm. After months of physical and mental therapy, Christie Downs was able to take the stand and tell what happened to her that horrible night. Born June 27, 1984, Becky, 37, is famously known as the daughter of Diane Down, 66. Anne Jaeger was a local reporter for KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. They also found a diary in which she expressed a desire to be with a married man, and the focus of the investigation shifted to Downs herself. In a sense, Diane was her own worst enemy.". 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. She stopped the car and asked him what he wanted. At birth, Downs named the child Amy Elizabeth. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" Now Dianes youngest child is speaking out 36 years later. She'd been shot in the left forearm, said Welch. The girl was later renamed Becky Babcock. "Why would I have taken my kids to the hospital?" And why are the kids fatally or near-fatally wounded, and she, being right-handed, is shot in the left arm? Wilhite immediately jumped back into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Medical Center as fast as he could. The first two children were Dianes kids with her ex husband Steve Downs. On May 19, 1983, Diane shot the children Cheryl, 7, Christie, 8, and Danny, 3 multiple times at a close range. He then opened the driver's side door and shot all 3 of her children. READ NEXT: COVID-19 Stimulus Check: Did the HEROES Act Pass? Christie is now in her forties, according to Tuko, and the accident left her with a speech handicap. As for Danny, he has kept his life private. "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. 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. 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. 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. Downs claimed that during this drive home, around 10 pm she saw a strange man standing in the road flagging her down. Downs, who still maintains her innocence, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, plus 50 years. Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, March 22, at 9 p.m. 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. In the frantic scene, hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead and that Christie and Danny were clinging to life. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. The . 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. In 1983, Diane Downs said stranger shot her 3 kids. 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. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. March 23, 2019 13:00 Impact x Nightline The Murders Before the Marathon 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,. 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. Downs told investigators that she and her children had been shot in a carjacking, but police found a secret diary detailing her obsession with a married man who did not want kids. Within two weeks police had tracked her down to the home of another inmate's husband just blocks from the prison. Stephen danny downs was the son of Diane Downs is a murderer who was convicted in the United States and is currently serving a life term for the crime she committed in 1984. Downs was found guilty in June, and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. 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. 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. Golden State Killer: Where Is the Prolific Rapist and Murderer Today? 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. [5] When Downs went to trial in May 1984, she was again pregnant. The child was later renamed Rebecca Babcock by her adoptive parents. DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. "Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? Her adoptive parents called her Rebecca Becky Babcock. 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. 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. Downs was denied parole in December 2008, December 2010, and in 2020. 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. Today, 35-year-old Babcock works as a behavioral health coordinator for children in Salem, Oregon. Downs' launched a violent attack on three of her children, Danny, Cheryl Lynn, and Christie Anne in 1983. Danny was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries. After being recaptured, she was transferred to a more secure facility. The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. She lives and is from Bend, Oregon, and is single. 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. Cheryl died; the other two children survived, but they suffered terrible wounds according to Glamour, the bullets paralyzed Danny and gave Christie a stroke. What happened to Diane Downs' children? She's doing well. She was sentenced to life plus 50 years for the crimes. 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 . 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. 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. Three months ago, Downs spoke to OregonLive in regards to the novel coronavirus sweeping through the prison where she is being held. The couple divorced in 1980 over. 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. Is She Still In Jail? The baby was taken by the state and delivered to adoptive parents. She has a son (born 2005) and a daughter, whom she named Cheryl in memory of her late sister. She was the star witness in her mom's prosecution and her testimony helped convict her. In May of that year, the trial against Downs began with yet another inconceivable twist. Star Witness at Downs' Trial: Her Daughter. But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? I chose to, in a sense, allow her into my life.. Beeper goes off, said, Get in here. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. I was nervous. 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.". Reporter Ann Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. Fearing there could be a gun-wielding killer on the loose, police released information to the public to be on the lookout. [12], Diane did not disclose to police that she owned a .22 caliber handgun, but both Steve and Knickerbocker informed authorities that she did. What did she do?. She was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. I was very stern with her.". During the time they were together, Diane gave birth to three children, Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. [29] She was not permitted a statement, but answered questions from the parole board. And got out and ask what he wanted. Downs said: "I got pregnant because I miss Christie and I miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much. After that, she was charged with killing her 7-year-old daughter. She remembers Downs' demeanor in her interviews as peculiar. It was exciting. I was afraid of how am I going to handle all this? he added. In another one of her strange media appearances Downs spoke about the pregnancy. 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. The circumstances of Becky Babcocks birth were troubled to say the least. The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. Why does a mom with three sleeping children in the car stop for a stranger or anyone for that matter? Powered by. We've got three children who have been shot, Wilhite told 20/20. And my whole body just tingled. But suspicions of Downs herself quickly began to surface. Steve Downs, their father, actually left Diane in 1980 because he thought that Danny was the result of an extramarital affair that she had. "The more she talked, the more things didn't make any sense.". Between the verdict and sentencing, the court recessed so that Downs could give birth to a girl she named Amy Elizabeth. 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. By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cheryl, seven, was already dead and the other two children had suffered devastating injuries. Not one tear. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). Downs claimed that on a drive home from a friends house, she decided to take the scenic route home. ET. "They have grown up in a very happy home with the Hugis.. In 1987, just three years into her sentence, Downs escaped from the correctional facility in Oregon where she was being held. 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'.. "Danny, a computer whiz, is still partially paralyzed from the bullet in his back, but he is living a happy and normal life. "She talked all the time. Police arrested Downs Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. When Downs went on trial in May of that year, she was pregnant again. [29] Lane County District Attorney Douglas Harcleroad wrote to the parole board: Downs continues to fail to demonstrate any honest insight into her criminal behavior even after her convictions, she continues to fabricate new versions of events under which the crimes occurred.[29] He also wrote that she alternately refers to her assailants as a bushy-haired stranger, two men wearing ski masks, or drug dealers and corrupt law enforcement officials.[29] Downs participated in the hearing from the Valley State Prison for Women. It's not even known if he still resides in Arizona, where he used to live with Diane and their three kids. Her blood pressure was non-existent or very low. 1983: Diane Downs Attempts to Murder Her Three Children. 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. He and his wife, Joanne, legally adopted the children in 1986. I sat and I thought about it for awhile, and I chose to open that letter. Becky Babcock was born while Diane was incarcerated. The judge made it clear that he did not intend for Downs to ever be free again. She was white She was not breathing. 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. 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. 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. Christie became the star witness in the case, bravely testifying against her monster mom. That's insane to think that I would do such a thing and then bring the witnesses in against myself -- that's crazy.". Diane graduated from Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, where she met Steve Downs. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. They also found a diary in which she expressed a desire to be with a married man, and the focus of the investigation shifted to Downs herself. Diane Downs is an American murder convict who has been serving a life sentence since 1984. On a fateful night in May 1983, she rushed to the emergency ward of a hospital . When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead, he said. The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. 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. Based on this and additional evidence, Downs was arrested on February 28, 1984, nine months after the shooting, and charged with one count of murder, and two counts each of attempted murder and criminal assault. She's the biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children.". The woman who was on trial for shooting her own children was pregnant again -- and it was no accident. Wilhite said he was immediately directed to start working to save Christie while another surgeon took Danny. She briefly escaped in 1987, but was quickly recaptured. 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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. Christies Facebook page shows she has children, has a different married last name, and is living in Oregon. Who is Becky Babcock and where is she now? Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Anne Bradley Jaeger was a local reporter for ABC affiliate KEZI in Eugene, Ore., at the time. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? They have both graduated from college. Jaeger remembers worrying that Downs' pregnancy could affect the way jurors viewed her. It was May 19, 1983, a warm spring night. 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. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974).. Do I open it? There's very few cases quite like this one, he said. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984.