Diana Downs made headlines in May of 1983 after she and her three children were tragically shot by a “bushy-haired stranger” in their own car. The 26-year-old divorced woman somehow managed to bring her children to the hospital in an attempt to save their lives. What the cops found on further investigation left the nation in shock.
Diana Downs was brought in for interrogation after her three children were shot in the back of her car. The mother of three told the cops that she was driving back home from a friend’s place when she decided to opt for a more scenic route.
She went on to note that all three of her kids were asleep in the backseat, and it was around 10 pm when a stranger in the middle of the road caught her eye. According to Downs’ narration, what followed was truly horrific.
Downs shared how, after stopping her car, the stranger tried to get hold of her car keys. He then shot her in her left arm and then went on to shoot all three children in the backseat, according to the mother’s account.
The mother of three then threw her car keys out of the car, causing the stranger to momentarily get distracted, then proceeded to drive her three wounded children to the hospital.
Downs’ seven-year-old daughter Cheryl passed away before even reaching the hospital. Christie, who was 8, and Danny who was 3, were severely injured and fighting for their lives when they were brought in.
The first sign in Diana’s behavior that immediately drew suspicion was when the hospital staff noticed how calm the mother of three seemed when she first arrived at the hospital. The Mirror U.S. report reveals how the cops were suspicious of Diana from the get-go.
Chilling interview with Diane Downs who in 1983, shot her three children.
After the shooting, Downs drove her children to the hospital. One of her daughters was pronounced dead upon arrival, her other daughter suffered a stroke, and her son was paralyzed from the waist down.… pic.twitter.com/22BeAqtrtV
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) May 26, 2024
The cops started investigating the case with even more suspicion when they discovered that Diana had called her ex-colleague, Robert Knickerbocker. Knickerbocker and Diana had shared a romantic relationship before she moved to Oregon.
Knickerbocker, when investigated, shared that the mother of three had stalked him and even threatened to kill his wife to keep their affair going. The police later found out through Knickerbocker and Diana’s ex-husband Steve Downs’ testimony that she owned a .22 caliber pistol.
On further investigation, it was found that the forensic evidence found on the scene did not align with Diana’s narrated story. The first thing that stood out to the cops was that there was no gunpowder residue in the car, nor a splatter of blood in the driver’s seat.
The investigation went on for the next 9 months that followed. On February 28, 1984, the mother of three was found guilty of murder. She was also charged with counts of attempted murder and criminal assault. A psychiatrist later diagnosed Downs and called her “narcissistic, dramatic, and antisocial.”
In 1983, Diane Downs shot her three children and drove them to the hospital. One of her daughters was pronounced dead upon arrival, her other daughter suffered a stroke, and her son was paralyzed from the waist down.
Diane claimed a “strange man” tried to steal her car and then… pic.twitter.com/rms4vIJLBF
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) May 21, 2024
The psychiatrist also shared how she showed “no remorse” after shooting her three kids, as per Irish Star. “She regards her children with no empathy and as objects or possessions,” the expert added. The mother of three was eventually found to be guilty and was given a life sentence of more than 50 years.
Downs was then taken to the Oregon Women’s Correctional Center. She managed to escape from the prison on July 11, 1987, which led to a manhunt that spread across 14 states. The manhunt lasted for 10 days. She was eventually recaptured and was sentenced additional five years for escaping.
