On May 19, 1983, a tragic and shocking incident occurred in Springfield, Oregon, involving Diane Downs and her three children. Cheryl Downs, aged 7, Christie Downs, aged 8, and Danny Downs, aged 3, were all shot at close range while in their mother's car. When Diane Downs arrived at the emergency room of McKenzie-Willamette Hospital, the scene was chaotic and horrifying.
Hospital employees quickly determined that Cheryl was already dead, while Christie and Danny were clinging to life with severe injuries. Christie had suffered a disabling stroke, and Danny was paralyzed from the waist down.
Diane Downs presented a bizarre and suspicious story to the authorities. She claimed that a strange man with bushy hair had flagged her down on a dark and deserted country road. According to her account, the man demanded her car keys, and when she refused, he shot her children and then shot her in the left forearm during the struggle. Downs alleged that she faked throwing her car keys to divert the gunman's attention, pushed him aside, and then drove to the hospital with her badly wounded children.
However, investigators and hospital workers were immediately skeptical of Downs' story. Several red flags arose during her initial statement. For instance, it seemed implausible that a mother would be sightseeing on a dark road with three sleeping children, and her calm demeanor following such a traumatic event raised suspicions. Additionally, the fact that she was shot in the left forearm, despite being right-handed, and the severity of the children's injuries compared to her relatively minor wound, further eroded the credibility of her account.
The investigation revealed significant inconsistencies and evidence that contradicted Downs' claims. Detectives found spent. 22 caliber bullet casings at the crime scene, but the murder weapon was never recovered. However, ex-husband Steve Downs informed authorities that Diane had taken a. 22 caliber handgun with her when she moved to Oregon. Unfired cartridges with extractor markings matching the murder weapon were later found in her home. Witnesses also reported seeing her car being driven very slowly towards the hospital, contradicting her claim of driving at high speed after the shooting.
A crucial break in the case came when investigators discovered Diane Downs' secret diaries. These diaries revealed her obsession with a married man named Nick, who did not want to be involved with her children. The motive for the shootings appeared to be her desire to eliminate the children as a hindrance to her relationship with Nick.
The star witness in the trial was Christie Downs, who, after months of physical and mental therapy, was able to take the stand and recount what happened that night. Christie stated that she did not see any stranger and identified her mother as the one who shot her and her siblings. This testimony, combined with the other evidence, led to Diane Downs' arrest on February 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings. She was charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder.
During her trial, which began in May 1984, Diane Downs was pregnant again, a fact that many believed was a deliberate attempt to garner sympathy from the jury. Despite this, the evidence against her was overwhelming, and she was convicted on all charges on June 17, 1984. She was sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years and was required to serve twenty-five years before being eligible for parole. Her sentence was largely intended to be served consecutively, with the judge making it clear that he did not intend for her to be released from prison.
Diane Downs' subsequent actions and behavior further underscored her lack of remorse and her severe psychological issues. She was diagnosed with narcissistic, histrionic, and antisocial personality disorders and was described as a 'deviant sociopath.' In 1987, she briefly escaped from prison but was quickly recaptured and received an additional five-year sentence for the escape. She was then transferred to a correctional facility in New Jersey due to concerns about her potential to harm her surviving children if she were to escape again.
