Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Diane Downs is a convicted murderer who reportedly shot her three children, killing one of them in a car at a roadside in Springfield in May 1983. She also shot herself in the left forearm and rushed to the hospital. She claimed that she had been robbed in the car by a stranger who shot her and her children. Her seven-year-old daughter, Cheryl, was already dead by the time they reached the hospital, and the other children suffered injuries.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1955, Diane Downs was a Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College student in Orange, California. She eloped and married her husband, Steven Downs, in 1973, after which the couple had three children—Christie, Cheryl, and Danny. In 1980, Diane and Steven separated. According to The Sun, three years later, Diane began seeing Robert Knickerbocker, a married man.
In May 1983, she claimed that she and her children had gone to see a friend and decided to stop to do some sightseeing on the way back when she was car-jacked. The hospital staff reported that her two other children, Stephen and Christie, inflicted serious injuries. However, Diane Downs reacted with strange calmness. ABC News reported that Detective Doug Welch found it suspicious that Diane and the kids went sightseeing on such a dark night.
After they reached the hospital, Diane called Robert, who told authorities that he was scared Diane would try to kill his wife. However, her story of how the kids were shot remained baseless since no gunshot residue was found. The blood spatters were also reportedly inconsistent with her story. Following her arrest in February 1984, she was diagnosed with multiple mental illnesses, and after her trial, Diane gave birth to her fourth child.
Where is Diane Downs now?
Diane Downs is currently serving time at the Valley State Prison for Women. She was sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years in 1984 when she was found guilty of murder and two counts of attempted murder and criminal assault. Her daughter Christie provided evidence for the same at her trial and was reportedly scared when her mother went to visit her in the hospital.
Diane was initially serving time at the Oregon Women’s Correctional Center. In July 1987, she managed to scale the nearly 15-foot-high chain link fence that guarded the women’s prison. ABC News reported that she pulled off the stunt while the guards were distracted. Moreover, she had protected herself with a cloth as she got past the barbed wire.
Authorities got hold of Diane Downs around ten days after she escaped from prison. She reportedly stayed with Wayne Seifer, whose wife was her fellow inmate at the Correctional Center. Seifer was allegedly addicted to heroin at the time and was living with two other friends of his. He didn’t necessarily quote a reason for letting Downs stay at his place. The two had a sexual relationship during the time. The police raided Seifer’s place and caught Diane Downs again before she was sentenced to an additional five years.
World’s Most Evil Killers season 3 featured the story of Diane Downs in episode 6. It explored her disturbing life and the violence she inflicted on her children before she was convicted and imprisoned for life. The episode is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Peacock.
