After a 10-day manhunt, police arrested her in a small apartment where she was staying with a fellow inmate's husband, less than a mile from the prison. She said that after "being a teenager" following the birth of her first son, she made the "hardest decision" to put her second child up for adoption. Her defense had long claimed she suffered from severe postpartum psychosis and was delusional during the killings and believed Satan had taken over her soul. The special will look at the case, in which Elizabeth Diane Downs -- her full name -- was accused of trying to kill all three of her children after she became infatuated with a married man. In 1983, Diane Downs' three children were brought to an Oregon hospital with gunshot wounds. But as Downs was about to begin her new life behind bars, she brought new life into the world. I had no concern for myself.". The mom-of-four confessed to killing them by putting antifreeze in their drinks. She was married to her high school sweetheart, worked part-time at a local thrift store, and had three children, Christie Ann, Cheryl Lynn, and Stephen Daniel. In 1980, her husband, Steven Downs, divorced her after he became convinced that young Danny wasnt his son. Psychiatrist: As a psychiatrist, it is my professional opinion that Diane Downs' personality disorders qualify her as a dangerous offender. That's where she is right now, behind bars, but this year, in 2020, there is a possibility of her being released on parole. Reunited in Arizona, the two got married on Nov. 13, 1973. Then, she killed herself. Sometimes lust can become lethal for a woman. Danny and Christie Ann Downs are among Diane Downs' surviving children after Cheryl Lynn died following the tragic shooting. And she's not set to meet with the parole board again until 2025. In April 1983, Diane Downs moved to Springfield, Oregon, and got a job as a postal worker. Police found Downs' behavior suspicious. She received a five-year additional sentence for the escape. More than a year prior, Pasztor had lost custody of the pair due to substance abuse problems. The mother of three who fell in love with a married man did the unthinkable in 1983: she murdered her 7-year . Diane Downs during an interview at the Correctional Institute for Woman in Clinton, N.J., March 12, 1989. I don't. Authorities called to say Diane Downs had escaped from prison. ABC's 20/20 is re-airing its episode "Dangerously Seductive" about Diane Downs. Downs escaped, was captured 10 or so days later a short distance from prison in Salem, making no attempt to flee the state. It aired on ABC on November 12-14, 1989. "I wanted to know how she felt, if she loved me, if she wanted me if she connected with me before she had given me up for adoption," Babcock explained. "Just know that someone very powerful has been watching over you all your life for me," Downs wrote in one letter. She is 67 years old as of 2022. She is in jail in California after being denied parole in 2008 and 2010. But the verdict was overturned, and in 2006, Yates was found not guilty by reason of insanity and has since been committed to mental hospitals. Years later, a boyfriend whom Becky had let in on her secret invited her over to watch a movie, "Small Sacrifices." An autopsy revealed that Kayleigh had 41 distinguishable injuries all over her body and had died two days before she was found. She is the subject of a book by Ann Rule and a . Ara. See State v. Downs , 733 P.2d 119 (Or. In the footage from Down's parole hearing, Babcock's biological mom is heard talking about "milk carton kids" and boasting about her intelligence. In the footage from Down's parole hearing, Babcock's biological mom is heard talking about "milk carton kids" and boasting about her intelligence. After finding the book, she said: "I opened it and I looked at a picture of Diane Downs sitting at a table. (AP Photo/Peter Cannata) 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 Springfield, Ore., back in 1983. During the documentary, Babcock reacted to viewing her biological mom's creepy 2010 parole hearing. The documentary comes as Downs who gave birth to four children is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own kids. "It just makes my skin crawl, just to hear her voice and see her. One of them was Steven Downs, from whom she became inseparable as the pair roved the streets of Phoenix looking for fun. Becky Babcock, the fourth and youngest child of Downs, explained in the documentary MY MOTHER'S SINS the reasoning behind why she began writing letters to her jailed mom. Alabama 4-year-old Zadie Wren Cooper died on July 7, 2016. Filmow. "I was about 8 years old when I started probing my mother for information," said Babcock, whose story appears in this month's Glamour magazine. The movie also stars Ryan O'Neal, Gordon Clapp, John Shea, Gary Chalk, and Maxine Miller. Seasons. Authorities learned about the deaths after Huntsman's estranged husband, Darren West, contacted police after finding a baby wrapped in a plastic bag in the garage. The case received even more attention when the late true-crime author Ann Rule wrote a book about Downs life and the trial, called Small Sacrifices. The book was adapted for a TV-movie starring Farrah Fawcett, that aired in 1989. The Babcocks were determined to keep Becky's parentage a secret from her. "I thought about, you know, Diane and that was the one and only time I have ever had compassion for that woman," Babcock said. I've fought my own battles between emotion and reason. Rachel, who agreed to testify against her mother, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. A driver told police it couldnt have been more than about five mph. When their new daughter arrived -- it was their second adoption -- they named her Rebecca. The real life case of Diane Downs which the movie is based on, foreshadows 1994 trial and arrest of Susan Smith by 11 years. The Babcocks knew the child they were to adopt was Diane Downs'. . The couple was together between 1973 and 1980 when Steve left her because he believed that Diane was cheating on him. The postconviction court granted summary judgment on the pro- Downs then sought postconviction relief in state court. In 1989 SMALL SACRIFICES was made into the popular TV movie of the same name starring Farrah Fawcett, which earned her an Emmy nomination. Downs was recaptured in Salem, Oregon, on July 21. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. She recently recalled the waves of emotion. Diane Downs. The documentary comes as Downs who gave birth to four children is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own kids. Becky had no idea what she was about to watch. ', "I've never seen a reaction like that at all. "Forgiveness kind of implies that I have ever really blamed her," Rusty said then. Becky always knew she was adopted, and at an early age, she began to ask about her parentage. ", Former Lane County District Attorney Pat Horton explained: "Her demeanor at the hospital did not conform to a traditional grieving mother whose children had just been shot, one murdered, the other two seriously clinging to life. "I think her thought was, 'If she can't have them, nobody can,'" Leanne Pasztor, Amber's mother, told PEOPLE. X. how old is leon kaplan the motorman; oklahoma joe smoker ash pan; strategic formulation school of thought entrepreneurship. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. View our online Press Pack. All of the babies were either strangled or suffocated after Huntsman gave birth to them at home, which she admitted to police. Missing baby is feared dead as police arrest aristocrat Constance Marten and boyfriend on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter: 200 officers search allotments and compost bins near where . The part that shows when I was born, it's as close as I'd ever come to witnessing my own birth. After finding the book, she said: "I opened it and I looked at a picture of Diane Downs sitting at a table. Diane and Rachel both pleaded guilty in the deaths and the assault of Sarah. That one is Diane Downs, the American mother of three who murdered one of her offspring, and but for the skill of the doctor interviewed here, might have killed all three. Then, learn about Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the sick child who killed her mother. Dr. Steven Wilhite opened up in the documentary about his interaction with Downs at the hospital. Diane Downs became increasingly negligent of her kids. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. The frantic mother claimed she had been carjacked by a black man who took off with her sons. Over the years, she has told her story numerous times and has been seen on 20/20,The Oprah Winfrey Show,Kids of Killers, and the Happy Face podcast series. Downslaunched a violent attackon three of her children, Danny, Cheryl Lynn, and Christie Anne in 1983. Jackie Babcock said she was forced to reveal Becky's secret to a small group of people. Pure T She said we all write our own stories, despite our past. May 14, 2010 -- On June 17, 1984, Diane Downs was found guilty of shooting her three children, killing one. MATHS7156: QUIZ Date: 2021 1) What movie's first sequel featured the subtitle "The Spawning"? "I tried to make myself think about it once. I got blood all over the back of it. I knew within 30 minutes of talking with that woman that she was guilty.. Diane Downs, The Killer Mom Who Shot Her Kids So She Could Be With Her Lover. '", The exchange of letters left Babcock shaken. Downs' claim of a "bushy-haired stranger' ambushing them fell apart quickly. 10:48 p.m., May 19, 1983, Springfield, Oregon: a red Nissan sports car pulled into the McKenzie-Willamette Hospital ER. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The case became a national sensation when Downs, who appeared to show little to no remorse, turned up pregnant during her 1984 trial. "And so my babysitter's like, 'Oh, you know about Diane Downs?' "They were in the way.". Interest Successfully Added. 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,152. A peculiar and disturbing case catches the attention of the police when a young mother and her children, all severely injured, show up in a hospital's emergency room. Rebecca Babcock always knew she was adopted, but at 16 she was rocked by the discovery that her birth mother, Diane Downs, was a murderer, convicted of shooting her own children. On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs pulled over to the side of a rural road in Springfield, Oregon, and shot . Over the course of six letters, Downs' paranoia and psychosis came into full view. When Diane brings a pizza over to her mailman friend Matt Jensen's house, she asks him if he likes mushrooms on his pizza while holding the pizza out to him. Her children were often seen unkempt and appeared malnourished. Marianne Bachmeier, Germanys Revenge Mother who shot her childs killer, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the sick child who killed her mother. She said: "She doesn't make any sense and it honestly sounds like It just she thinks that she's smarter than the law and that she believes her own lies. There's been ups and downs. I'm not going to spoil that for you here. 45:53. Dr. Steven Wilhite had just gotten home when his beeper went off. Becky Babcock, the daughter of convicted child killer Diane Downs, is part of a 20/20 documentary on the case. She was sentenced to life in prison and an additional 50 years after shooting her three children, killing one. A troubled woman uses poison to get her way, a mother's infatuation turns deadly for her children and passion twists two teens into cold-hearted killers. Downs, who again comes up for parole next year, was denied parole previously, in 2008 and 2010. Both she and Downs remain in prison to this day. Babcock decided to cut off all contact. The couple regularly argued about financial issues and fought over alleged infidelities. She successfully escaped the Oregon Women's Correctional Center and used clothing to keep herself from getting harmed by the barbed-wire fence, according to ABC News. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. This documentary relates the tales of four female killers, one you might have heard of. Cops found her ten days later living with another inmate's husband. She was sentenced to life plus 50 years for the crimes. Small Sacrifices is a TV movie based on the best-selling true crime book by Ann Rule of the same name. You know, she just asked, How is she doing? Not one emotional reaction. She said that after "being a teenager" following the birth of her first son, she made the "hardest decision" to put her second child up for adoption. She has continued to claim shes innocent of the crimes. "She saw the kids as a burden," as one of the interview subjects in the "20/20" documentary says. "She started writing back about people that want to harm me andshe told me that if I loved my little boy I would take him far away from there," Babcock continued. ABC's "20/20" has a true crime documentary about Diane Downs, who shot her three young children in 1983, killing one and injuring two. New interviews and details - Tonight at 9/8c on ABC. 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, Viewers of ABC's 20/20's documentary about Diane Downs, pictured, have gotten a deeper look into the killer mom's life, BeckyBabcock's biological mom is Diane Downs, Diane Downs launched a violent attack on three of her children in 1983, Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own kids, Diane Downs documentary 5 chilling revelations about killer mom on ABC 20/20 from bizarre jail letters to scary book, 'Shooter' Jamel Flint arrested after killing high school football star Isiah O. Robinson, 18, & injuring 4 others, Richard Samuel Gray, 32, arrested for 'killing girlfriend' after manhunt and Amber Alert as 'kidnapped' kids found safe, Inside Nashville Waffle House shooter Travis Reinking deadly restaurant rampage that killed 4 after GUILTY verdict. THESE are the five most chilling Diane Downs documentary details from the killer mom's bizarre jail letters to a "scary book.". Learn about Diane Downs' daughter now. Mo. 1987), rev. She is eligible again in 2018. She was sentenced to life plus 50 years for the crimes. And so, on June 17, 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of all charges against her and was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years. "The cold look in her eyes scared me and seeing her hands, that you know were just like mine, and the reality set in that that's who gave birth to me.". But as . "It was a face to what I had been looking for and it wasn't a face that I wanted to see. I got blood all over the back of it. The court hopes the defendant will never again be free; I've come as close to that as possible. She also sent photographs of herself. Authorities searched the home and found additional bodies placed in plastic bags and contained in a separate cardboard box. "Her demeanor was flat. Oturum an. Becky Babcock's biological mom is Diane Downs Credit: ABC NEws. Guns in America. App. "I wish you'd taken me with you," she wrote in one post in April 2017. "I don't want to be here without you. "You probably won't. I got blood all over the back of it. An Excellent True Crime movie about a woman who tries to kill her kids to get a man. "I said, 'I'm sorry. "I just I don't think I had the capabilities of being a good mother at all," Tinning, now 74, told the New York State parole board that denied her release last February. In July, the South Carolina mother fatally shot her estranged husband's girlfriend before driving back to her home and fatally shooting her two children, 9-year-old son Hayden King, and 5-year-old daughter Harper Edens, in the back of her SUV. kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist. "I couldn't raise another baby and do that to the son I already had," Babcock said. What did Bob Proctor say about the Law of Attraction in The Secret? Officials said they believe Edens and husband Ben Edens were in the midst of a messy divorce and custody battle and that she planned to do something that would have "everlasting consequences for her husband.". And so begins a wild tale of murder, sexual abuse, and mental health. Within three weeks, Diane had lost custody of her remaining wounded children and had become the number one . Babcock recalled being "irresponsible, partying too much, and jumping from man to man" in her teens revealing she felt "it was difficult to accept my genetic makeup.". Her fourth baby, Amy Elizabeth, was adopted and given the name BeckyBabcock. THESE are the five most chilling Diane Downs documentary details from the killer mom's bizarre jail letters to a "scary book." Viewers of ABC's 20/20's true crime documentary about Diane Downs . Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. Dr. Joseph Sonnier met his girlfriend Richelle Shetina at a dance class, and the two traveled to Paris together, just weeks before the unthinkable happened. I slept around with a lot of people. Even Becky's closest friend, Kaylee Hammond, worried that nature was winning over nurture. Babcock decided to reach out to Diane Downs -- her birth mother, whom she calls a monster -- in prison. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. In 2001, Texas mom Andrea Yates killed her five children, who ranged in age from 6 months to 7 years old, in a bathtub. However, after exchanging words, Babcock said the letters "kept coming and were strange, to say the least.". ", Former Lane County District Attorney Pat Horton explained: "Her demeanor at the hospital did not conform to a traditional grieving mother whose children had just been shot, one murdered, the other two seriously clinging to life. She's not able to have or understand love. WATCH THE FULL EPISODE OF 20/20: https://bit.ly/2uqkFD4Diane Downs laughs while reenacting shooting of 3 childrenPolice found Downs' behavior suspicious. How Jayme Closs, Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Dugard and Others Survived Headline-Making Abductions, After Being Denied Prison Release, Pamela Smart Whose Teen Lover Killed Husband Files Appeal, Chris Watts Case: After Investigators Speak Out on Confession, a Look Back at Tragic 2018 Killings, Texas Girl Getting Snack at Home Was Killed by Bullet from Outside, Man Who Targeted Wrong Home Sentenced, Susan Smith 'Cries For Her Children' Every Christmas Since Murdering Them, Says Source. Behind closed doors, however, she was being molested by her father, Wesley Linden, as early as the age of 12 while he and her mother, Willadene, portrayed themselves as upstanding conservatives. Babcock told her story to Glamour. The couple was in the midst of a bitter divorce and custody battle. "I didn't give her any details as to why. "She immediately pulled the weapon out and pointed it at Mr. Sheats and wanted to blame him: 'You made me do this, you're making me do this,'" Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls previously told PEOPLE. She was convicted of murdering them and sentenced to life in prison. In an interesting development, in 1986, Christie and Danny Downs were adopted by Fred Hugi, the lead prosecutor who put their mother behind bars for the rest of her life. Serial Killers - John George Haigh (Acid Bath Murderer) - Documentary. Diane ran away from home and the two were married. CLICK HERE to see photos of Becky through the years, Jackie Babcock thought it best to give her daughter vague answers. Then, when she was 11 years old, Becky tricked her babysitter into telling her details about her birth mother. Except black Men rarely do this kind of psychopathic shit. When Babcock was a child, she tricked her babysitter into saying her biological mom's name leading her to search Barnes and Nobles to find a true crime book about her mom, the documentary revealed. "If you do something so horrific, at some point you have to ask for forgiveness.". She is a sociopath: an antisocial personality without any concern for the rights of others. She began to think about her birth mother. NEW! Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. In fact she seems never to have gone after them. While being questioned by police, Diane's second-youngest daughter, Rachel, admitted to helping her mother poison her father, brother and sister. She was the typical little perfect baby.". Wilhite later added: "When I was finished taking care of Christie, then I sought out her mother. "I wrote her a letter," Babcock said. For years, Diane Downs seemed to have a wonderful life. Police also found her diary, which was filled with references to Knickerbocker and his hesitancy about the relationship. She saw the kids as a burden, as one of the interview subjects in the 20/20 documentary says. The 1989 movie, shown in two parts, was based on the best selling true story by Ann Rule . The two would graduate together but briefly part, as Diane Downs enrolled at Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College in Orange, California, and Steve enlisted in the U.S. Navy. John Shea is also good as the D.A. Downs briefly attended Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College in Orange, California but was forced to leave after just one year for "promiscuous behaviour". She was given a life sentence plus 50 years. Babcock first went public about her mother in 2010 and has also met her in a bid to find out about her roots. Diane Downs was born August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. Mothers are put on this earth to take care of their children. For her high school education, she enrolled at Moon Valley High School. Shes been called evil and the devil. A mother of three, In love with a married man, who did the unthinkable. The stranger, Downs claimed, shot her three children. Inside The Chilling Crimes Of John Joubert, The Eagle Scout Who Became A Serial Killer, Why The Story Of John And Lorena Bobbitt Is More Complex Than Just Castration, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. "I asked the babysitter and I made it sound as if I knew," Babcock said. Family PhotoDiane Downs and her children, Danny, Christie, and Cheryl. She was indicted in three deaths but prosecuted only for one smothering 4-month-old Tami Lynne in 1985 with a pillow. "Oh, gosh, she was adorable," Jackie Babcock told "20/20" in a recent interview. Yates, now 52, was initially convicted of the killings and sentenced to life in prison. Viewers of ABC's 20/20's true crime documentary aboutDiane Downs have gotten a deeper look into the mom's life. By the time Danny was born, arguments over infidelities had become so intense that Steve became convinced that Danny wasnt his biological son at all but the product of an affair. THESE are the five most chilling Diane Downs documentary details from the killer mom's bizarre jail letters to a "scary book.". She successfully escaped the Oregon Women's Correctional Center and used clothing to keep herself from getting harmed by the barbed-wire fence, according to ABC News. "It was a face to what I had been looking for and it wasn't a face that I wanted to see. Maria McFadden Maffucci. She decided to put her baby up for adoption. Had Downs felt this same emptiness when she gave Becky away? Her first letter was welcoming and warm. Each time I thought "Oh right, this is how its going to go, " I was brought up short by a, well, unexpected plot twist. S41 E27 - Deadly Dance in Texas Dr. Joseph Sonnier met his girlfriend Richelle Shetina at a dance class, and the two traveled to Paris together, just. But Downs herself was charged, and then convicted of murdering one daughter, and seriously wounding her other daughter, and her son. But in April 2017, Smith walked into the police station and confessed to smothering her daughter with a pillow, saying she had mental issues and that she'd been off her medication. Ms. Downs gives a chilling first-hand account of how she and her children were gut down by an assailant's bullets only to find themselves further victimized by Oregon State legal system. She received a five-year additional sentence for the escape. Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdxTGygvkRU4fABcuCTBLhQ, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdxTGygvkRU4fABcuCTBLhQ. Not one tear, he said. Please stop writing me. 9 (May, 1945). Smith like Downs, also pursued a man who didn't want to be with her because she had children. Her fourth baby, Amy Elizabeth, was adopted and given the name BeckyBabcock. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Video. Includes an interview with daughter, Becky. After learning about Diane Downs, read about Marianne Bachmeier, Germanys Revenge Mother who shot her childs killer. A look at the cold-hearted criminal who was convicted of murdering her daughter and attempting to kill her two other children in 1983. So Downs decided to murder them so she could be with him. In October 1994, South Carolina officials launched a nine-day search for Susan Smith's two sons, 14-month-old Alex and 3-year-old Michael. In a Glamour . ", Doug Welch, a former detective for Lane County Sheriff's Office, called Down's demeanor "surreal.". A peculiar and disturbing case catches the attention of the police when a young mother and her children, all severely injured, show up in a hospital's emergency room. Diane Downs and her children, Danny, Christie, and Cheryl. Farrah Fawcett is exceptional as Diane Downs, the woman who manages to kill one out of three kids. Judge Foote: The death of a child is one of life's greatest tragedies, what might have been. 1987). She then ran away from home and married husband, Steven Downs, in 1973, with whom she had . But I believe that I may possibly be your biological daughter." She confessed and was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. Related content. Farrah Fawcett played the role of Diane Downs for the TV movie "Small Sacrifices," alongside Ryan O'Neal. Diane Downs, born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1955, is a convicted murderer who is serving life in prison. ', "I've never seen a reaction like that at all. Live. . Joziak: John Shea. In another she wrote: "If you love your little boy, you'll take him far from here." Diane Downs' story of how her children were shot begins to unravel. Diane Downs: With Diane Downs, Elizabeth Yardley, Lars Larson, Rex Julian Beaber. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. The baby was secretly driven to a hotel room and given to her adoptive parents, Jackie and Chris Babcock. When it comes intentionally, at the hands of a parent, it is just an outrage. Now, as Diane Downs comes up for parole next year, her daughter speaks out new interviews and staggering details. With seven-year-old Cheryl dead, three-year-old Danny paralyzed from the waist down at three years of age, and eight-year-old Christie suffering a stroke that impaired her speech, authorities initially believed Downs. A 1989 American Made-for-TV crime drama directed by David Greene that explores the story of Diane Downs ( Farrah Fawcett) and the attempted murder of her three children ( Emily Perkins, Ken James, and Vicki Wauchope ). "Being taken away from [Downs] was the best thing that could have ever happened," she said.
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