Transcripts For KGO 2020 20240712

There is a crazy man on the loose who would gun down three kids in a car. Here is mommy prancing around in a reenactment and laughing and telling jokes. I said, they just hit my kids [ laughter ] everybody says, you sure were lucky. Well, i dont feel lucky. I couldnt tie my shoes for two damn months. I think my kids were lucky. Her kids were lucky . Her kids have been laugtslaught by the time she goes to trial, she was pregnant. On purpose. The reality set in that thats who gave birth to me. I came from a monster. According to Elizabeth Diane downs she and her three children were shot by a strange man. I never wanted to become Something Like that, Something Like her. Mrs. Downs was wounded in the left arm and able to drive the children to the hospital that night. A part of me was afraid that thats where i came from does that mean where im going . 9yearold christy was shot first. 3yearold danny was shot in the back. 3yearold sheryl was in the back and die on the way to the hospital. The fact that i felt some sort of a connection to her was terrifying. We have not overlooked any possible suspects. Reporters covering the story were getting hints that downs was a suspect. What occurred here was inexcusable. I knew i could never do Something Like that. At night when i close my eyes i can see christy reaching her hand out to me when im driving. That haunts me the most. Diane downs us with a case that captured the imagination and horror of the people at the time. This is the kind of story you just never forget. Another chapter in whats been a very unusual crime story. To really understand it you have to go all the way back to 1983, when it all happened. America 1983 still felt pretty innocent. Ronald reagan was president. Its morning in america, kind of notion. United states is a shining city on a hill. Nancy reagan at the time had her own drug program. Just say no. Duran duran had come out with a song that was very popular called hungry like the wolf. And im hungry like a wolf we went to bought an album you play on a record player. You might remember those things. Everyone was watching dallas. Thats the america that was unfolding at the time Elizabeth Diane downs made her star turn. Diane downs was a 27yearold mother who just moved from arizona. Her marriage to her High School Sweetheart soured before she left arizona and apparently that was because of her reported infidelity. She was a mother of seven, christy, sheryl, and danny. She was a postal worker. Springfield was not nearly as sophisticated as eugene. Theyre really twin cities, but its more blue collar. I really like how ann rule introduces eugene, oregon, springfield, oregon in her book. She says eugene is the successful pair. Her restaurants serve art chokes and ricotta pie. While sister springfield, oregon is the cyst they are never graduated from high school and no longer noticed the smell of logging. Springfield is cliche. A lot of people knew each other and you felt pretty safe there. It really wasnt a scary place. They always say that. The neighbors always say Something Like that doesnt happen here. But of course it does. It was may 18, 1983 when diane took her children out to see a woman that she knew. Diane didnt leave until about 9 30 at night. They leave from the friends house. Theyre driving down the road. Christy remembers that hungry like the wolf was playing. And im hungry like the wolf and she took a detour to do some sightseeing. Diane said a guy had flagged her car down. It was dark. And she had her three sleeping young kids in the car. A bushy haired stranger was waving his arms and she said of course she stopped and asked him, what seemed to be the matter. Supposedly the man wanted her car, demanded her keys. She said, youve got to be kidding. At which time he pushed her aside im on the hunt im after you and began shooting the three kids. And what she described next us was this choreography where he fired one more bullet. It hit her left arm. She had pretended to throw the keys into the bushes, and as he was distracted he jumped into the car and drove away. She says at that point she drove like a lunatic to the hospital. She makes it to the hospital e. R. Even though she herself has been shot in the arm, bleeding. She says, quick, my kids have been shot, come out. I can only imagine the shock of every at the hospital when up rolls diane downs with three bloody children. I talked to the nurses who were there that night, and they were crying. , lking aut those little omg in sheryl was dead. And danny and christy had both been shot and were badly wounded. When i first walked into the e. R. , immediately they pointed me to christy. When i looked at christy, i thought she was dead. He was pupils were dilated. Her Blood Pressure was nonexiste nonexistent. And these so close to death its unbelievable. We got a phone call from dispatch, and i was told a mother and her children had been shot. When i got to the hospital, i was directed to interview the mother. So i stopped and got out and asked him what was the problem. He said, i want your car. And i said, you got to be kidding. I mean, how many people really do that in real life . They dont. Her demeanor was flat. Not one tear, even though she knew that sheryl had died. I jus do whats best. You know, if they got to die, they got to die, but dont let them suffer. Her demeanor at the hospital did not conform to a traditional mother whose children had been shot, two dead one seriously clinging to life. It was surreal. When i was finished taking care of christy, then i sought out her mother, and to my complete surprise, diane was nonemotional. Not a tear in her eye. And then she says, i really ruined by new car. I got blood all over the back of it. I have never seen a reaction like that at all. Thursday night, a man flagged down a woman and her three children on the road. Friday, the manhunt began in ernest. Initially there was panic. People in oregon were like, oh, my god, theres a crazy man on the loose who would gun down children in a car. Doors. Ple werehe didn go out evinth sure their children. It became clear that the kids were gravely injured and from what the police were indicating they didnt have a lot to go on at that point. There have been no sightings of the suspect or his car. Early on in the investigation we did not have a suspect. There is still an all points bulletin out for the man. Nor did we have a weapon. Investigators found spent cartridges by the roadside. The only evidence we had were casings found at the scene. There were divers in the river, but the gun was never found. We canvassed every home, up and down, knocking on doors, asking if anyone had seen any suspicious vehicles. They came up with a composite and that was circulated to every news station. Cops are racking their brains trying to put this case together. We are going to do a video tape reenactment. Thats when they decide to do a reenactment. Im throwing the keys, okay . Im throwing the keys. Heres mommy prancing around and telling jokes. Okay, that was a big red flag. Dead skin cells . Gross so now, i grab my swiffer sweeper and heavy duty dusters. Dusters has three layers that grab, trap and lock away gross dust. Gotcha and, for dust on my floors, i switch to my sweeper. The textured cloths grab, trap and lock dirt and hair. No matter where dust bunnies hide. No more heebie jeebies. Glad i stopped cleaning and started swiffering. vo cinnamon toast crunch. Every square blasted with cinnadust against uv damage and early skin aging . Try neutrogena ultra sheer. It provides exceptional cellular protection from burning uvb rays and aging uva rays. Save 25 at neutrogena. Com. 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Several parts of diane downs story made no sense at all. What mother takes her kids out late at night in the dark for a sightseeing scenic drive on an abandoned road . What mother then stops to see what a man standing there would want . People started wondering, why is the mother only shot in the arm and the children have fatal and critical injuries . She had taken the time to carefully wrap her left arm in a towel while she drove to the hospital. Would you do that as a mother . I wouldnt put a towel on my arm. Id put it on them as a tourniquet. Rip it apart. Police are immediately a little suspicious. So they come up with an idea. We ask diane if shed do a reenactment for us. We simply wanted to nail down her statements, and she was more than happy to do that. Sitting in the car is Elizabeth Diane downs. She can be seen sitting in the car, and shes kind of primping, making sure that her hair looked the way she wanted it. Diane downs is trying to show the investigators exactly what happens. Im throwing the keys, okay . Im throwing the keys. So they can understand and get the forensics right. I go like that. I got in the car, jumped in, put the keys in. Ah, i just hit my cast [ laughter ] started the car and left. The car door shut itself. God. She was giddy. She laughed. She cracked jokes. I mean, shes reenacting the gruesome shootings of her three children, and she doesnt seem at all upset. This is worse than the okay. She hit her cast and then made the statement this is worse than and she caught herself. So we speculated of course what she would have said to finish that sentence, and we always thought, this is worse than when i shot myself. I can guarantee you that performance by diane downs made cops stand up at attention and take another look at her story. We went to downs apartment and conducted a search of the residence. After she gave us consent to search, we found diaries where she had written almost daily. Diane had fallen in love with a coworker. His name was robert nick knickerbocker. Everybody called him knick. And she fell for him big time. He was married, but he was separated from his wife, charlene, at the time. Diane was thinking that her married lover in the post office in chandler, arizona, would follow her. And when i interviewed him, he said, ann, i was just so glad when i realized shed crossed the county line, headed out of here, that i never considered following her. But she was desperate to get his attention. Diane is heartbroken. So, the sheriffs deputies were still investigating. And in the meantime, diane was holding court, essentially, giving interviews to reporters. I was really surprised that diane downs and her family offered to have a News Conference very early on. I am here just to appeal for people out there, if they know anything to call in. They said that they wanted to set the story right. We were just out i guess sightseeing, you would say, and the kids got tired. They fell asleep in the car. So i decided to just head on home, but i saw a road i hadnt been on before. We like to take back roads. And just went down that road. And there was a guy standing in the road flagging me down, so i stopped. Everybody knew it didnt ring true. Pretty much a lie. Everything she was saying was a lie. She could feel that the focus had changed from this bushyhaired stranger to her. If i had shot my own children, would i not have done a good job of it . Why would i have taken my kids to the hospital . Wouldnt i have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears . Thats insane to think i would do such a thing and then bring the witnesses in against myself. Thats crazy. There wasnt a camera or a reporters notebook that she didnt chase. She gave one interview in full hair and makeup after the next. Ehow gaer sympathfor her. Jthpotefft. A she may be e ly. Would i have brought her to the hospital . Wouldnt she be the one that i would make sure is dead . There are too many holes in it. Her children are still suffering. Danny is paralyzed, which she continues to tell everybody, oh, hes not paralyzed. Dannys going to walk again. I dont care if we just have to will him to walk. I think hes going to walk. The doctors all say he wont, but i know that your mind controls your body and if i can love him enough and encourage him enough i believe hell walk. And christie suffered a stroke. In my experience, if youve had a stroke of that nature, usually its hard to recover. It was a long time before i heard her talk. Now, even though little christie lying there in a hospital bed couldnt speak, the nurses noted that every time diane downs came into the room her vitals spiked, went off the chart when she would sense her mother was in the room. The children were never back in dianes custody. The state of oregon removed them and they were placed in foster care. This is an Eyewitness News special report. In her own words, Elizabeth Diane downs. Good evening. Im ann bradley. When we got to talk to her, i said she could bring her lawyer to the interview that we wanted to do. She showed up by herself and i said, gotcha. The anne jaeger interview really helped diane downs dig her own grave. When this man shot my daughter, my first reaction was to snap back to my childhood, to the pain that had happened to me back then, my marriage, my entrapment by society. This man was bigger than me. He was stronger than me. He had more power because he had a gun. And i stood there and i looked at christie reaching and the blood that just kept gushing out of her mouth and and what do you do . She used the word i or me so many times in that interview, youd never know her three children had been shot. Everybody says you sure were lucky. Well, i dont feel very lucky. I couldnt tie my damn shoes for about two months. It is very painful. It is still painful. The scar is going to be there forever. Im going to remember that night for the rest of my life whether i want to or not. I dont think i was very lucky. I think my kids were lucky. If i had been shot the way they were, we all would have died. Her kids are lucky . A child is dead. Two children are grievously hurt. And the kids are lucky . Its extraordinary. She could work things out in her mind so that they work for her. She wrapped so many layers of lies around her, that she didnt know herself anymore what was the truth. The more she talked, the better. Diane downs had the penchant for wanting the publicity, to talk, and the more she did, so the tighter the noose around her neck became. Even as things arent adding up, youre still presented with the question, what on earth would cause a mother to shoot her own children . So at that point police decide. There are pages and pages about how in love with knick she is, and how she wants to be with knick. So the question is, is that enough of a motive to actually kill her three children . Ich is p taking care of ourselves, like screening for colon cancer. Because when caught in early stages, its more treatable. Cologuard is noninvasive and detects altered dna in your stool. To find 92 of colon cancers. Even in early stages. Its for people 45 plus at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. False positive and negative results may occur. So, dont wait to screen. Ask your prescriber or an online prescriber if cologuard is right for you. Scratch that, baby, im grateful. Gotta say, its really been a while. But now i got back that smile. Smile check everything off the list with supplies from 50¢. Get ready for school at target. Theryoure not good enough. Hard to control. But i am enough. And i know what im made of. Put your skin in the game. With a razor that puts your skin first. Hey guys want to stack different pringles flavors to create new flavor combos . Here ill. Go first. Pizza, barbeque and jalapeno. The spicy barbecue pizza stack. Get him grandpa whats going on . Were trapped in a pringles commercial, they must have taken us in our sleep. Stack pringles flavors make new ones. This is about the next 10 years. Pero hoy, tu puedes hacer algo. You can make a difference today by completing the census. The census impacts everything from hospitals, schools and public transportation. It is more important than ever before that everyones voice is heard. The census builds america, so the census count should look like america. Shape the future of brooklyn. Kansas city. Tucson. Atlanta. Oregon. Los angeles. D. C. Start here at 2020census. Gov. In the immediate aftermath of the crime, it was so horrific that i think there was an enormous well of public sympathy for this mother who had her wn the sheriffs ot. Office and said, please arrest me so that i can prove im innocent, so my kids can come home, and they wouldnt. But as diane tells her story, slowly but surely that public sympathy begins to shift. Reporters covering the story were getting hints that downs herself was a suspect in the case. People are starting to get suspicious of dianes story. Even her own father questions early, is she telling the truth . I made the comment, it looks to me like diane did it. Because the children have been shot in the chest and diane has only been shot in the arm. If i had shot my own children, would i not have done a good job of it . It was such a shocking story that and little kids, theyd look at their mothers as if they were thinking, well, you wouldnt shoot me, would you . When i go to bed, i cry at night. Even now i still cry. I dream about cheryl. I talked to her for about two hours on camera, and she didnt cry. It was uncanny that she didnt cry. I mean, i wanted to cry. Downs is now expecting another child. It was a shocking revelation. I got pregnant because i miss christie and i miss danny and i miss cheryl so much. Im never going to see cheryl on earth again. Nobody could believe she was pregnant. This is is a woman who is suspected of killing all three of her children and succeeding with one of them, who is pregnant again . The contrast is extraordinary. You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect that they give you. 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 didnt have babies so she could love them. She had babies so they could love her. And she said, i wasnt alone. I had somebody inside that i could talk to. Diane just loved the attention she got when she was pregnant. Apparently not so much raising kids. When i heard diane was pregnant, one of the first thoughts was, well, whos the dad . Does the father know who he is . Oh, yeah. Yeah, and thats why i wont talk about it, because he feels as privately about this child as i do. She was a letter carrier. So she was carrying mail, and she picked one of her men on her route who had good bone structure. He was intelligent. He was good looking. And she showed up at his door one evening with whiskey and some marijuana. She told me she knew her cycle so well that she knew if she had sex with this guy that she would immediately get pregnant. And it was a snap. So, that guy didnt know exactly what he was getting into. While diane is busy talking herself into the prime suspect chair, police are quietly gathering evidence. Downs also says the children were shot inside the car, but Police Reports claim high velocity blood spatters were found on the outside of the car. We went to a site where the vehicle in which the child was shot was stored. Looking at it from the passenger side, i saw a blood stain on the lower door frame. Diane downs had said that the shooter leaned into the car and fired at her children. And if that was the case, how did this blood spatter get on the outside of the car . We believe that cheryl, the 7yearold, was able to open the door and fell out on the ground and diane reached across the seats and shot her a second time. Then lets talk about the weapon, a. 22 caliber handgun. She tells police she does not have a handgun. We discovered that she had bought a pistol, and it was a. 22 and it was a ruger. Well, bingo. They searched diane downs home, and they found a rifle, and there were some. 22 shells in the rifle that had been ejected from some other weapon. I took the cartridges that were found in the rifle and examined them under a microscope, and i could see extractor marks on the rims of those cartridges. These are unique marks. They are unique to only one weapon. The markings on those bullets matched the markings on the shell casings found at the crime scene. There are so many holes in diane downs story. Its like shooting a fish in a barrel. After the bushyhaired man shot all of her children and she got away from him, she raced, pedal to the metal, to the hospital, to the emergency room. But guess what . Theres a problem with that. The police find a witness who stated that he actually came up behind diane on a road, and she was driving so slowly that his speedometer was not even registering. What was she doing . Waiting for the other kids to die is what she was doing. Thats how evil she was. Police are obviously looking for a motive in this case. And so they go back to the diaries. When you read diane downs diary, you read, knick, nobodys ever been able to take your place in my heart. My kids arent any trouble. Knick liked kids, but he said, i didnt want to be a daddy. Diane considered the kids to be a hindrance to nicks arrival, and as long as he said that he wasnt going to be a father to anyones children they had to go. If she didnt have these kids in the way anymore, she could have her lover that she was having trouble living without. When you look at mothers who kill their children, their own narcissism and desire to lead another life without these children basically overrides any caring that they may have. At night when i close my eyes, i can see christie reaching her hand out to me while im driving. And the blood just keeps coming out of her mouth. And t maybe it will fade too, with time, but i dont think so. That haunts me the most. Police have been gathering evidence, enough evidence that they think its time for another interview with diane. And in this one, the story completely changes. Diane now is stating that there were really two people that confronted her and even called her out by name. Thats a hell of a change from what you said the first time around. Where are you . honey, did you hear about these new geico savings . Mom . Youll get an extra 15 on top of what geico could already save you. Can i call you back . You know your fathers learning to make sourdough. Even though he knows i prefer rye theres never been a better time to save with geico. Switch by october seventh for an extra 15 on car and motorcycle insurance. Hey, next time lets do a face call and your friend says they dont want fries. Get them the fries. Or else, your fries. Will be their fries. Ba da ba ba ba to keeping your family safe while you play. Were exceeding sanitization standards, implementing flexible travel policies, and limiting reservations so you and your family can enjoy more sociallydistanced space. Let us keep your family safe while you play. What . whatever you have at home, knorr sides can turn nutritious veggies into mouthwatering meals. Veggies taste amazing with knorr. Thats why they trust raid ant and roach to quickly protect their family. Raid. Americas most trusted insect control brand. Sc johnson ibut nothing makes me feel like pnew always discreet boutique. Outside, its soft like underwear. Inside, it turns liquid to gel. For incredible protection, that feels like nothing but my underwear. New always discreet boutique. Dissolve it with nurtec the only quickdissolve treatment for migraine attacks that can get many people back to normal activities and last up to 48 hours with just one dose. Onederful. Dont take if allergic to nurtec. The most common side effect was nausea. Nurtec. One dose. Onederful. Police decided to bring diane downs in for another interview. Detectives are no longer being mr. Nice guy. Theyre playing hardball. Okay, were now back on tape. At 16 11 hours. Present here is Elizabeth Diane downs. You know what i love . I love when a perpetrator changes their story. It was the time we decided to take her on and seriously challenge her on the inconsistencies in her story. Diane, youre story stinks. This whole thing has stunk. Then you better go get some deodorant. It stunk from the beginning. Im sorry. We no longer have some sort of by the chance, happenstance horrific crime on the side of a road. We have a conspiracy. The story had morphed into e to hname. And known then somehow she said, i think it was somebody that knew me. Youve changed it by saying that this guy knew you now. He knew your tattoo. He knows about you. He threatened you. Thats a hell of a change from what you said the first time around. Theres no reason for you not to say that at the very beginning. Okay, no reason in your minds. I understand when victims or witnesses add on to their story, they tell you something you never knew before. But to change your story that is a horse of a different color. I have one man sitting here looking at me with a face of stone. I have another over there smoking a cigarette 90 miles an hour and pacing. Youre not my best buddies. I wouldnt go drinking with you, thats for sure. Do you feel guilty about what you did diane . No, cause i didnt do anything wrong, and i wouldnt change it if i could. My kids and i always took the back roads. One of the keys in interviewing somebody is youve got keep the tension up. Stress them out to the point where you eventually get to the truth, which clearly doesnt happen with diane. But thats the goal. We are trying to find out who shot your kids, and if it was you thats the way it goes. And im doing what i can. Fine. I agree. If it was you, you are going to take the fall for it. I agree. If it wasnt you, then im going to quit this job. The interview went for approximately two hours. And towards the end there, her frustration level was rising. Ill make you a deal. Okay . Next time i remember something, [ bleep ] ya. You can find the guy yourself, cause i know i didnt do it. You can chase your little tails for the next 20,000 years if thats what it takes. You dont like my help, you can [ bleep ] it. Youre real confident with yourself, arent you . I know that i didnt do it. Diane thought that she was too smart for us and that there wasnt anything that could that could trip her up. Come on, diane. Sin y guys seem to think that iith me go ge myself and ill bring him back, because i know who did it. You do know who did it . Yes, i do. I damn sure do. You know him by name . Yes, i do. Yes, i do. You saw him shoot your kids . Yep. Thats pretty important. I saw him grab my arm and yank my arm out and shoot my arm and say, now try to get away with it [ bleep ]. And im leaving cause i know who did it. Bye. The time is now 17 46, and diane has just departed the office. Were concluding the tape. She ended up storming out. There was enormous public pressure to arrest diane downs. People no longer bought her story. This is the days before the internet, but believe me, as tremendous amount of pressure being placed, especially on the sheriff, to make an arrest. There was no arrest for a long time, because the d. A. In this case really wanted to talk to the only surviving witness who was old enough to tell them what happened. The wait on the arrest was a result of wanting christie to be healthy enough to testify. After the stroke she had difficulty speaking. Time was on our side, especially with christie. Lets not trade the certainty of conviction in the case of hurrying the arrest. At first christie couldnt speak at all, and then she was afraid to talk. A therapist working with christie asked her to write down on a piece of paper the name of the person who had shot her. He said, well put it in an envelope, and then well put it in a fireplace, and you can burn it. And that went on for a very long time. Shed write a name down and put it in the fireplace. When she was ready to talk about it, they would open it. And when they did, the slip of paper, of course, said, my mom. And diane was indicted. And once that indictment came down it was time to pay her a visit. Diane was arrested on feb 28, 1984, nine months after she shot her children. Seeing diane immediately after the arrest and even there were photographs of her. She was acting like this at the time, looking adoringly at the deputies who were escorting her. Didnt seem shocked. Didnt seem traumatized. Shes was bathing in the spotlight that was afforded to her throughout this. Shes been out free for so long. She was an uncharged susper nine months. It was like something out of a bad madefortv movie. You have the defendant in the murder trial walking in very determined to prove shes innocent and very, very pregnant. A cause it brings us together. Its something that makes us think, and think about each other. We listen to music when were together. Thats like the main thing we do. Its like when were traveling together, when were talking together, when were cleaning the house, everything. I mean thats how we connect you know. [laughs] [humming] i dont remember that one. Can we take a selfie . Yea, lets take a selfie. Yea . No matter how you stay fit keep it light with light fits rainbow of delightful, proteinpacked flavors. With spray mopping to lock away debris and absorb wet messes, all in one disposable pad. Just vacuum, spray mop, and toss. The shark vacmop, a complete clean all in one pad. Charmin ultra soft is so soft much are you hon . Youll have to rem charmin ultra soft is twice as absorbent so you can use less. Enjoy the go with charmin. Hi. Whats on your mind . In. Can you help keep these guys protected online . Easy. Connect to the xfi gateway. What about wireless data options for the family . You can customize and save. What about internet speeds that can keep up with my gaming . Lets hook you up with the fast. Ning, come visit a store today. Stop in or book an appointment online at a time that works for you. Now thatsimple, easy, awesome. Ask. Shop. Discover at your local xfinity store today. Shes been charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and two counts of assault in the first degree. We have to convict this woman. We know she did it. Finally after months and months and months and no resolution, there is an arrest and diane downs heads to trial. And shes hugely pregnant, so its an unbelievable spectacle. I mean, imagine the dichotomy. Shes accused of killing her children, and shes pregnant with another one. Well, the visual i mean, its just counterintuitive. She looks like lady madonna with her blonde hair, and the blue maternity dress, and the big belly. And everything about her screams motherhood and softness and nurturing. The idea that diane is visibly pregnant during the trial is not particularly helpful for prosecutors. What was a jury supposed to think . Who wants to send a pregnant mom to jail for life . The courtroom was packed every single day. It was kind of mayhem. Every morning, there must have been 100, 150 people, mostly women, lined up to attend the trial. Diane downs was one of the first stories of mothers killing their children to make national news. Remember, this trial was before the other notorious cases that would come. This was before andrea yates. A houston mother says she killed her five young children, drowned them apparently. It was before susan smith. It was a drama that gripped the nation for weeks. A distraught mother who claimed a carjacker had kidnapped her two young sons. Whoever has my children, please bring them home. Susan smith has been arrested and will be charged with two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of her children. The diane downs case, diane downs faces the issue of her daughter christie who survived testifying against her. Thats a big, big piece the other two cases did not have. As soon as the trial started, we all wondered, will christie testify . Every day, it was kind of touch and go. Would she be able to do this . The prosecution had their doubts about putting her on the stand. Its tough to do. Prosecuting attorney, fred hugi would paint a picture of a woman obsessed with a married man who didnt want to have kids and wouldnt see her when children were around. The murder trial, it was actually depicted later on in a made for tv movie, made off of ann rules book, small sacrifice. That woman doesnt love. She devours. Based on a true story, small sacrifices. Starring none other than Farrah Fawcett in her heyday. And im hungry like the wolf Farrah Fawcett did an excellent job of capturing diane downs. One of the things i will never forget is when they played the tape of the song hungry like the wolf, and her reaction to the song was very similar to dianes reaction in the actual trial. Hungry like the wolf this is the music that her children were shot by. And she is sitting in her chair, bopping her head and moving her foot. Diane was dancing and tapping her toe. She was enjoying it. The jurors just turned around and just stared at her. It was chilling, freaky, out of place. Its insane. Its evil is what it is. During the trial, the police and the prosecutor play the various interviews they had with diane. Because christie was laying in the back seat just choking on her own blood, and i kept telling her to roll over on her stomach so that she wouldnt she was drowning. She was just drowning in it. God. Jurors were able to listen to the flat emotion as she recounted the sequence of events and the shooting. There were no tears. They told me that cheryl was in pretty bad shape and probably might not make it. And i said, okay. The prosecution begins to present its forensic evidence. This crime scene specialist from the oregon state police, jim pex, created this reconstruction. They had a mockup of the car, of the red nissan that diane was driving. And they had rag doll images of christie, cheryl, and danny. I could mark where the bullet strike was in the vehicle, where the blood spatter patterns were found, cartridge cases were found. A key piece of evidence is the blood spatter found on the outside of the car, because diane had said there was no shooting on the outside. Pex also analyzed blood on downs car door and rock panel and found that cheryl downs had been shot once outside the car. Then theres that ballistics evidence that prosecutors say links shell casings found at the crime scene with bullets found at dianes home. All the bullets had been in the same gun at one time, a. 22 caliber semiautomatic ruger, the murder weapon thats never been found. Prosecutors call in that driver who was right behind a red car that looked just like dianes car on the night of the shootings. The red pulsar was moving less than 10 miles per hour. Prosecutor fred hugi says downs drove slowly so the children would be dead on arrival. Prosecutors have blood spatter. Theyve got ballistics. Theyve got witnesses. But nothing is more important than the testimony of 9yearold christie. Theres a long list of witnesses that will be called in this trial including her daughter, christie. The day that she walked in and sat down on the witness stand, you could hear a pin drop in the courtroom. The entire case was in the balance here. What would she say . How effective would she be . I honestly didnt know how she was going to do. Who shot you . S with moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis uncover clearer skin that can last. In fact, tremfya® was proven superior to humira® in providing significantly clearer skin. Tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. Serious allergic reactions may occur. Tremfya®. 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So if this Nissan Sentra isnt gonna compromise, why should you . Youre right atta girl. The allnew Nissan Sentra. With more standard safety features than any other car in its class. With more standard safety features for bathroom odors that linger try febreze small spaces. Just press firmly and it continuously eliminates odors in the air and on soft surfaces. For 45 days. Im not going to be ignored, dan. Carolyn warmus, thats the woman who killed her husbands lover to get her out of the way. If she didnt have these kids in her way anymore, she could have her lover. It just violates every rule of nature. Mothers dont kill their own thes covera o downs shooting was immediate. This woman on trial for murdering one of her children and shooting the other two. You felt like when you were sitting in that room you were with somebody evil. If i had shot my own children, would i not have done a good job of it . Do a either t themr t wns trac kill them. The woman the world calls a monster. As far as im concerned if you wanted to shut me up, they should hav killed me. Shes now up for parole, too, just like carolyn warmus. Rmus. R. Diane downs trial for the murder of cheryl and the attempted murder of danny and christie started a year after the shootings. This woman on trial for murdering one of her children and ooting the oth 9yearold christies testimony. Everybody knows this is going to be the critical moment in the trial. There were no cameras, so all we have is sketches. Her head is a little bit above the witness box, and her voice is trembling at first. In the made for tv movie, small sacrifices dramatically depicted when christie took the stand. Who shot you . My mom. Her mothers looking at her and expecting, i truly believe, that christie was going to protect her, but christie said, mom stopped the car, she got out, she got something in the trunk. She came back and she knelt on the front seat and she shot cheryl and she shot danny and she shot me. Christie downs was asked by prosecutor fred hugi, do you know who shot cheryl . Christie said quietly, yes. The prosecutor struggled to keep his own composure. Who . The young girl sobbed, my mom. Hugi asked, how do you know that christie . She said, sobbing, i watched. The jury was also emotionally bruised by her testimony. Many of the nine women were crying. I mean, there wasnt a dry eye in the courtroom. It was just miraculous that she was able to get up there and be so strong and a witness to the truth, right in front of her mother. As for the defense, they suggest that the ballistics evidence could have been planted and that christies testimony was coerced. This is an uphill battle for the defense, but with a jury, you never know whats going to happen. The jury still has to believe that a mother would in fact murder her own children. The moment of truth came early sunday morning. Word came the downs jury had finally reached its decision. Spectators jammed into the courtroom. The 28yearold springfield mother was escorted quietly through the courthouse to hear her fate. So, the trial itself lasted about six weeks, a total of 500 pieces of evidence. And so, we finally got word that there had been a verdict. And diane downs is gonna find out what the jury believes about her guilt or innocence about what happened that night. The jury comes back. Unanimous. Guilty. The jury delivered its guilty verdicts on all five counts of murder, attempted murder, and assault. That was so intense that the whole press row was trembling. And diane took it more calmly than we did. We were happy with the verdict. We were pleased with the verdict. We were taking a monster off the street and putting her in prison where she belonged for the rest of her life. Downs showed no emotion as she was guarded back to the sheriffs van and had little response when asked about the verdict. I dont know. What is there to say . Diane downs is taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs and heavily pregnant. And everyone wondered and worried, what would happen to the baby . Shes nine months pregnant and past due now. Ten days after dianes conviction, i accompanied diane to the hospital. After the birth, i went into the delivery room. Diane was holding the baby, and oddly enough, she let me hold the baby as well. About the only thing that i thought was, weve saved this babys life. Shes got a chance for a normal life. But afterwards a caseworker arrived and took the child, and that was the last that diane saw her. Diane showed no emotion when that child was removed. Diane names her Amy Elizabeth and within hours after giving birth, shes back in jail. To await her sentencing. Diane downs was diagnosed with three personality disorders histrionic, narcissistic, and antisocial personality disorder. So diane was a sociopath. They have no regret, they have no compassion, empathy. Thats insane to think that i would do such a thing. This is someone who believes that there are rules in society but that the rules dont apply to them. I can only think of one other case where a mother killed her children in order to be with someone else in a romantic relationship, and that would be susan smith. Its just so rare. Diane was sentenced to life plus 50 years. Dianes surviving kids, christie and danny, were actually adopted by the prosecutor, fred hugi, and his wife, joanne. Its very, very unusual. I dont think ive ever heard of a prosecutor adopting the defendants children. He adopted the victims. And i think thats really heartwarming. After diane downs was sentenced, she goes to prison. What nobody knows is that within hours after being born, that baby that diane named Amy Elizabeth is whisked out of the hospital, and secretly driven to a hotel room. She met her brand new parents, the babcocks jackie, a stayathome mom and her new father chris, whos a chemist. And then they went off and started their new life. The babcocks call their baby rebecca, and shes known as becky. When the Adoption Agency contacted you, you must have been surprised when they told you, we have a baby for you. Its diane downs baby. Well, uh, surprised, yes. Obviously you knew who diane downs was. Oh, yes. We saw thismore as a child needing a loving, nurturing family, and we were willing to do that. What do you remember about the first time you set eyes on her . Oh, gosh, she was adorable. She was the typical little perfect baby. From the moment that the babcocks brought their new baby home, they were determined to keep her biological identity a secret. They had just adopted this beautiful baby. They were thrilled to have her. And no one needed to know who the birth mother was. I think we kind of maybe subconsciously watched for any signs of anything unusual early on. We never saw them. And that can be true with any person. You dont know what their genes how its going to be manifested. Basically we just raised her like we would a regular child. But when becky was in preschool, the unthinkable happened. The station called me and said, anne, diane downs has escaped. What . What do you mean . How could this be . Diane downs, convicted child killer, had escaped from prison. Just where diane downs is headed is anyones guess. Hungry like the wolf i was incredulous. This was one of the most notorious female inmates in the state, and somehow shed gotten over the wall. Im on the hunt im after you [baby giggles] vo command strips remove cleanly so you can make your space your own. Command. Do. No harm. Thats why i take osteo biflex, to keep me moving the way i was made to. It nourishes and strengthens my joints for the long term. Osteo biflex. Plus vitamin d for immune support. Osteo biflex. Gillette proglide and proglide gel. Five blades and a pivoting flexball designed to get virtually every hair on the first stroke, while washing away dirt and oil. So youre ready for the day with a clean shave and a clean face. He was the last cage. And i opened up and like knelt down. And he came out. They say, do you believe in love at first sight . Yes, when it comes to a dog. It was love at first sight. Mo is family so i feed him blue. No uh uh, no way come on, no no nnnnono only discover has no annual fee on any card. The perfect way to care for you baby is your own way and that inspired our perfect diaper to be the softest ever with plantbased materials new huggies special delivery to be the softest ever with plantbased materials i have the power to lower my blood sugar and a1c. Because i can still make my own insulin. And trulicity activates my body to release it like its supposed to. Onceweekly trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. Its not insulin. It starts acting from the first dose. And it lowers risk of heart attack, stroke, or death in people with known Heart Disease or multiple risk factors. Trulicity isnt for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Dont take trulicity if youre allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. Serious side effects may include pancreatitis. Taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, belly pain, and decreased appetite, which lead to dehydration and may worsen kidney problems. Were committed to helping ensure trulicity is available and affordable. Learn more at trulicity. Com. After diane was sentenced, she went up to the oregon Womens Correctional Center in salem. Life plus 50 years. The judge made it very clear he didnt want her to ever be outside of a prison setting again. Im hungry like the wolf it was a saturday morning, and the station called me and said, anne, diane downs has escaped. What . What do you mean . Some people never change. And diane downs is one of them. She escaped from prison. Downs, who was convicted in 1984 for murdering one of her children and wounding two others, broke out of the state womens prison at about 9 00 yesterday morning. I was dumbfounded. How can this happen . Her escape was not a surprise. Shes extremely evil, dangerous, narcissistic. You name it. This was one of the most notorious female inmates, and somehow shed gotten over the wall and escaped. I think she was in this vicinity where the workout area is. And the information i have is that she had a coat, and when she went up the wire, she threw the coat on the barbed wire and then went on over. She was ingenious, and she was really lucky. She scales a 16foot fence, manages to get through the barbed wire, jumps all the way down, and then she hides underneath a car and takes off that top. This is downs shirt. Convicted murder diane downs left behind her ripped blouse, evidence of her struggle to break out of the maximum security facility. The same shirt she wore during an interview with Eyewitness News in 1983. And there are holes here that indicate that this was cut or torn on the barbed wire. Downs got a ride with a salem couple who recognized her and dropped her off at 24th and state streets minutes later. Although sightings have been reported since then, shes still on the run. She has now gotten to the other side of the prison fence, and nobody has caught her. Downs was dropped off at this Family Restaurant about one mile from the correctional facility. Police believe she then traveled on foot into town. And that was the last sighting we had. It was unbelievable that this woman, who had been convicted of shooting her kids and killing one of them was now out on the street again. An all points bulletin went out when she escaped. I mean, this was huge. A convicted child killer escaping from prison. There was a massive manhunt. We notified the airport, bus depot, train any mode of transportation that we thought she might use. There were wanted posters up in 14 different states, including arizona, where she once lived and where authorities feared she might go back to her exhusband. Everybody was looking everywhere far and wide. We had established a reward fund in hoping that maybe the shirts would aid in her capture. There were sightings all over the country, thousands of miles away, of diane downs. We were following up on lots of tips. And they were coming from all over oregon and the united states, as far away as wisconsin. But it was frustrating because nothing was panning out. Diane, i think, will head towards a border to get out of the country, some place where she can be lost, where she can start a new life. You would have to consider her dangerous, becauseathe and make it back to her children. The prosecutor, fred hugi, slept in a rocking chair near his front door with a loaded rifle in his lap. Because diane had escaped from salem, which is only about 66 miles to his house. And no one would put it past diane downs to track those children down and either take them or kill them. Nobody was more afraid, probably, than jackie babcock, who was beckys adoptive mother. She really feared that diane would be coming back to claim her baby, who was now in preschool. And when we interviewed her in 2010, she told me that living with that fear day in and day out was incredible. That had to be a scary thing for you and your family. It was definitely a little scary. Were you afraid she would come back for the baby . We didnt know. The precautions that we took were to let people know that were coming in contact with becky her daycare person, her babysitter. So you were forced to share that. For beckys own safety, yes. Just to let them know not to release her to any person that they didnt know and who we had not given permission. In the end, she had not fled the state or even the jurisdiction, as most people would do. She was just a few houses away from the jail. Where she shows up on the doorstep of a man named wayne seefer. She said, could i stay . And i said, why not . And a couple hours later, she came up and introduced herself, not as diane downs, but just as a girl with no clothes on. So that was a good enough introductory for me. She found a warm bed, the husband of a fellow inmate. They wrote out on a sheet of paper where he lived, what his address was, and they made a map. Diane takes that piece of paper and runs with it. But she probably wasnt expecting her to get so cozy with her husband. What were those days like . Well, i was a nervous wreck. My only job was to keep her there, keep her from going out and harming anybody. I should have turned her in, but i didnt. Shes found refuge in a house with a group of guys. Meantime cops are working around the clock to try to find her. At some point, detective loren glover researches dianes cell and comes up with a clue that may well lead to where she might be. Found a clipboard that had some penitentiary stationery on it. It was blank stationary. And when i looked at it in the lighting that i had, i thought i saw some indented writing on it. It all comes down to the Little Things and not overlooking them. They went the extra mile to find out whats on this piece of paper. This actually is the photostatic copy that was made by the fbi of the map that i found in diane downs property. On the map, you can see a line going through from top to bottom. And i believe that indicates state street. Up on top, theres an address as to where the house was that shes found in. Tuesday morning, the police were looking for her. I kind of heard a commotion. There was like, 40 of them, and they came up with guns to my face. She was found ten days later. Guess where . Locked in a bedroom with another man. The. She didnt do what we said to start with, just stood in the room like she didnt know what to do. Finally she came out and we took her into custody. She was going take a bb gun and go suicide by cop. But i said, dont do that. Put the bb gun down. And she went without a fight, turned her hands over and put her hands behind my back. She walks out in his shirt and his boxer shorts. Thats diane. Convicted killer diane downs was captured at a salem house just blocks from the prison. I thought she was the most honest girl i ever talked to in my life. Doesnt that sound weird . It made perfect sense that she would have holed up and tried to get pregnant. I mean, that would have been her m. O. It was the escape of diane downs from prison that forced beckys parents to tell people in their lives who becky really was. And thats a tough secret to keep. For years. Terrible once becky grew up and was a curious preteen with lots of questions about, whose my mom . I went to barnes noble, and i found the book. I opened it and looked at a picture of a face to what i had been looking for. door bell rings its open hey. This is amazing. With moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, are you okay . Even when i was there, i never knew when my symptoms would keep us apart. So i talked to my doctor about humira. I learned humira can help get, and keep uc under control when other medications havent worked well enough. And it helps people achieve control that lasts. So you can experience few or no symptoms. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. 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When i was reading the book, i thought, i dont relate to this woman in any way. So when we were filming, every instinct that i would have, i would do the complete on sit. People all over the country knew who diane downs was now. But there was one person who didnt know, and thats her biological daughter. Growing up in bend was amazing. My parents were always there. It was honestly picture perfect. We were constantly on the go. Mt. Batchelor was right by, so we skied all the time and hiked. My dad taught me to ride a bike. My mom taught me to ride horses. I was just like any other kid. And we were just like any other family. She thinks shes a normal kid just like any other. But shes not. I knew my entire life that i was adopted. But i know at about 8 years old i started asking questions about the adoption. There was just a little part of me that was searching for that blood tie, in a sense. I never had questions about my biological dad. It was mainly about my biological mom. You know, what did she look like . What did she do . Beckys parents really gave her the least amount of information that they had to. Enough information to answer the curious questions of a child, not so much as to upset her. I told her that her mom was in jail. I didnt give her any details as to why. Um, and thats pretty much it. I told her i didnt have a lot of background information. It just seemed to come out in bits and pieces. I wasnt forthcoming with the entire story. Once i knew a little bit, the curiosity set in. And i just went on this search. I wanted to know more. She ended up tricking her babysitter into giving her her moms name. I went to her and started telling her Little Things that i knew that made it seem like i knew more than i did. But i left it pretty vague. So she came back with, oh, so you know who diane downs is. And at that point i had a name. So with that i went to barnes noble, and i found the book. It was almost like slow motion, walking down the rows of books. I think every emotion went through me before i even pulled it off the shelf. I opened it and looked at a picture of diane downs sitting at a table. It was a face to what i had been looking for. And it wasnt a face that i wanted to see. The cold look in her eyes scared me, and seeing her hands that, you know, were just like mine, the reality set in that thats who gave birth to me. And it was scary. I slammed the book shut, and i left. I shut it out. I didnt want to think about it anymore. I was too young to know that. I should never have dug so deep and tried so hard to figure out who my biological mom was. But as i got a little bit older, that fear became excitement. And i saw that when i confided in someone about the book or about her being in the newspapers and that sort of thing, they took interest. People would want to know more or they would want to be around me. Eventually becky tells enough people that when shes 16 years old, a boyfriend of hers basically sort of tricks her into watching a movie with them. He pops in a vhs tape of the movie small sacrifices. It just started playing, and i couldnt look away. I wanted to. I did not want to see that, but i couldnt look away. Seeing the baby that diane downs had and seeing her hold it in the hospital, that was me. It broke my heart. Maybe it even broke me. After seeing that movie, her life goes in a downward spiral. I had already started being a little rebellious, and at that point, it there was no holding back anymore. The drugs got more intense. I wasnt living at home at that point. I was living with my boyfriend or living with friends. I dropped out of school. She was searching for identity. She wanted to know who she was without having to face who her biological mother was. She was lost and she was alone. Becky started wondering, how much am i like my mom . Is it nature, or is it nurture . How much is the blood thats coursing through me mine or my mothers . Thats an identity crisis of huge proportions. Whats in my dna . What did that mean for me . Is that who i have to become . I was afraid that i came from a monster. I was afraid that i had that potential. She begins to obsess a bit on diane, and it ultimately leads becky to do something that at one point she never dreamed she would do. She wants to make contact with diane downs, the woman the world calls a monster. Youre clearly someone who takes care of yourself. So when it comes to screening for colon cancer, dont wait. Because when caught early, its more treatable. Im cologuard. Im noninvasive and detect altered dna in your stool to find 92 of colon cancers even in early stages. Tell me more. Its for people 45 plus at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. False positive and negative results may occur. Ask your prescriber if cologuard is right for you. Im on it. Thats a step in the right direction. 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She gets pregnant at 17. She gives birth to a little boy. Beckys barely beyond childhood and shes raising this child on her own. I loved my son. But being that young, i didnt understand what being a mom was. I would leave him with his aunt and go run amok. And instead of him having my full attention, i was still out being a teenager. My second son, he was born in 2006. Becky feels like she cant care for that baby. She doesnt have the means. Shes already got one child. This time she chooses adoption. This is how becky came into the world. There is a parallel there that history is repeating itself. It was the hardest decision ive ever had. And i put him up for adoption because i loved him, not because i didnt want him. Holding him was heartbreaking. Because i knew that i couldnt keep holding him. It just it takes a piece of you. And i wanted to connect with somebody. It made me think about diane. And i actually wanted to reach out to her. I wanted to know how she felt. I wanted to know if she loved me, if she wanted me, if she connected with me before she had to give me up for adoption. I had dated a guy who took an interest in the story and had actually tracked down diane, where she was in prison. He had given me the address. I decided to reach out to her. The first letter i wrote diane, i must have bring written a hundred times. I was nervous. It was exciting. It was scary. I was nervous. It was exciting. It was scary. I wanted to relate to her not as a mother, because i had a mother. Just as somebody that felt the pain and emptiness that i felt in that time. Diane wrote back fairly quickly. She still loved the attention, needed the attention, and initially responded positively to her daughter writing to her. When i looked in the mailbox and saw her letter, it was like pandoras box. Do i open it . Do i throw it away . Did i make a mistake . Is she crazy . Does she hate me . Does she love me . This is a woman whos killed her own kid. What is she going to say now to the one child who has reached out to her . I didnt just tear it open and start reading. I sat and i thought about it for a while. I chose to open that letter. October 16, 2006. Dear rebecca, received your letter this evening and wanted wteedtely b wnt exactly certain how to begin. You look like me, same chin. Dont you hate it . You are beautiful. Well, that proves it right there. The first letter seemed to possibly have that connection i was looking for. I could almost hear her voice in her letters. Becky and diane wrote back and forth, and i think it was pleasant. But then the letters kept coming. And they were strange, to say the least. They progressively got more and more insane. Just know that someone very powerful has been watching over you all your life for me. Unless there was something that diane could manipulate or get out of becky, unless becky would stand up for her and be her cheerleader, she was going to smack her down, and it was just a matter of time. In one of my first letters to diane, i asked about my biological father. I thought, this is the only person who can actually tell me who he is, and she didnt want to hear it. Diane reacts angrily. She also starts to become a little unhinged and starts talking about conspiracies and plots and basically reveals how mentally ill she is to her daughter. She started writing back about, theres people that want to harm me. She sent 12 pages of how shes innocent, and this is who really did it, she thinks. This may all sound very melodramatic to you, but the reason my daughter was hidden was for her safety. She told me that if i loved my little boy, id take him far away from there. That was gutwrenching. Her own mother had absolutely no maternal feelings and actually very ugly things to say about becky. I dont know who you are, rebecca, but you arent our daughter. She wrote back accusing me of being a part of this conspiracy and accusing me of being one of the people trying to harm her. And at that point, i completely regretted everything, any contact with her, and so i put a stop to it. Do you have any questions that youve wondered about . Becky wanted to know who her father was. That was her main question. Ive met your father. You cant the amazing iphone 11 for halfoff on at t, americas Fastest Network for iphones. Second tip you can put googly eyes on your stuff to keep yourself company. Uh for example, thats heraldo. Hes my best friend. Oh, sorry nancy, i forgot you were there. Get the amazing iphone 11 for halfoff on at t, americas Fastest Network for iphones. And take an extra 15 off s. Save on the ninja foodi. Get tops for the family 8. 49 and under. 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And now with our stores reopening, were putting Healthy Practices in place. Come visit a store today. Stop in or book an appointment online at a time that works for you. Now thats simple, easy, awesome. Ask. Shop. Discover at your local xfinity store today. Rebecca babcock has been keeping a closely held secret for most of her life, and then she decides, i need to let this out. It was a secret that i controlled since i was 11. For so long i ran from the fact that i was her daughter. And i finally decided that enough was enough. The pressure i felt of being diane downs daughter growing up switched into power. So, after a lifetime of really living privately, becky decides to tell the world her story. She does a big interview with Glamour Magazine and then sat down with me. So, at what point did you actually really find out what happened . I was about 11. I knew she had done some bad things. That was my First Experience being on television, and it was terrifying. When i sat down with becky, it became very clear that this was a woman determined to take her personal narrative in a different direction. And i think felt that the only way to deal with the reality of her life story was to take ownership of it and to do it publicly. Did you feel ever any kind of relationship or feeling about her as a mother . I have never referred to diane downs as my mother. She has always had the name biological. I was ready to let the world know that you can write your own story, that you can be whoever you choose to be. There was a lot she didnt know about her mothers life, and we introduced her to the one person who had done Exhaustive Research on all of this, which was ann rule, who had written the best selling book, small sacrifices, about diane downs. If anybody could answer some of beckys questions, perhaps it was ann. Im so glad to meet you. I always wanted to meet her. One of the questions i had for ann rule was who my biological father is. Ive met your father. Really . Yeah, and hes a lovely, nice guy. Yeah. Handsome, gentle. Just horrified that she tricked him. She barely knew him. I think they were only intimate one time. She told me that only her and diane downs know who he truly is, and that she was sworn to secrecy. She promised diane that she would never tell anybody. And she took it to the grave. The one thing i think becky really wanted to learn, she walked away emptyhanded. Like, ive met the half that i came from thats the monster, you know, and i hope the other half is a decent, kindhearted person. Oh, he is. He really is. Becky had a lot of questions, in particular about what it was like in the moments after she was born. How long did she hold me . I think about six hours. Really . Because i have heard three, i have heard four, i have heard none. No, she held you. Hearing that diane held me in a sense made me uncomfortable, but also there was something beautiful about it. It was definitely the moment of humanity that i was searching for from diane. Unfortunately going public invites not just support but criticism. There were a lot of detractors accusing her of being out for her five minutes of fame. Thats the world these days. People take shots. Social media back in 2010 was big, so i had a quite a few people reach out, and lots of them were very positive. But there were the few that were not. All the way to the milk . Hey, slow down. In 2010 Becky Babcock was the mother of a 7yearold son. She was a straighta college student. Basically, she was trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. Ive definitely had a lot of ups and downs. I actually spent a year completely bedridden. I had to find my own strength to get over it, much like i found my own strength to get over diane downs. I started doing yoga. I started meditating. And i started being healthier. Im a Behavioral Health coordinator. I help children and their families find counseling. I love working with kids. Its shaping our future. Its, you know, the next generation of leaders. What did you learn . Math. Did you have a good day . I had a great day. Okay. Her son is now a sophomore in high school and does jujitsu and knows that his mothers birth mother is diane downs, the notorious child killer. Im very indifferent about a lot of things. The past is the past, and you just kind of move on with it. Doing good, kiddo. I compare where i was at that age to where he is. And my heart overflows with joy. We just enjoy spending time together. Walking the dog, hanging out at home watching a movie, eating popcorn. Like an orange jello. Im Becky Babcock. Im not diane downs daughter. And my story is not the story of a victim. Its just part of where i came from. So, its been around 35 years since diane downs was found guilty of murder. For 26 years i have looked for my daughters murderer. Diane downs has had two parole hearings, and shes up again for parole next year. 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Diane downs has been before the parole board twice already in the state of oregon, and both times the parole board has rejected her appeal for release. Some would say with good reason. Diane sounds unhinged. Im an intelligent woman. Youve seen my iq. Its three points shy of genius. Im not a stupid woman. She gets another chance before the parole board in 2020. To this day, diane and some of her family members still maintain her innocence. But i would hope that in 2020 diane would be evolved enough as a human being to say shes sorry. To apologize to her children, and to becky, and to all the people that shes hurt. Sincerely. And then if i were the parole board, id keep her in prison for another lifetime plus 50 years. I dont think diane downs is ever going to be paroled. You know, at some point, the clock runs out in the justice system. At some point you do lose. The legacy for me is that danny and christie went on and had good lives, despite how they started. Ive heard that christie is a very good mother and that she has children of her own. And shes been married for a good long time. And theyve turned out to be pretty darn good people. Christie and danny have chosen to remain very private and live completely private lives and have never spoken publically, and have said they never want to speak publically. I think there is something quite dignified actually in that. I did reach out to christie years ago, and we spoke back and forth on facebook a few times. But she eventually said that, you know, so much history has passed that she isnt interested. They want to live their normal lives without the stigma of being diane downs children. And i respect that. One of the reasons i wanted to know who my biological father was is a part of me hoped to find that normal picket fence, everyday person. I have the side of diane downs, and i was hoping to find the opposite. When i was young, i worried that i would be like diane downs. As i grew up i realized nature is not going to win over nurture. My son is one of the most caring individuals ive ever met. Hes lived a lot of life in his young years because i put him through a lot when he was little. And he always comes back and says, mom, its okay. Ive learned so much from it. I know what i want to be and who i dont want to be. And hes an amazing kid. Remember these images of deserted streets . Are we headed back into a coronavirus lockdown. An army family who is always at the ready. So when they got a little surprise. Two . They didnt panic. They got a bigger car for their soontobebigger family. After shopping around for insurance, they called usaa who helped find the right coverage for them and even some muchneeded savings. That was the easy part. Usaa insurance is made the way liz and mike need it easy