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The PUZZLING Story of Diane Downs — Transcript

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0:00I I can't hear anything but gunshots she
0:03was shot in the chest and that the blood
0:05was coming from her chest not going down
0:06into her chest when I close my eyes I
0:08can see christe reaching her hand out to
0:10me while I'm driving and the blood just
0:13keep coming out of her mouth and that
0:16maybe it'll fade too with time but I I
0:17don't think so that haunts me the
0:20[Music]
0:28most and the Tranquil evening of May
0:3019th
0:311983 a scene of unimaginable Terror
0:34unfolded at McKenzie Willet Hospital in
0:37Springfield Oregon Diane DS a
0:4027-year-old mother arrived there with
0:42her three children having endured the
0:45horrifying ordeal of a deadly carjacking
0:48what is it somebody just shot my kids
0:52there's the children bloodied and shot
0:55were fighting for their lives while
0:57their mother was shot in the arm as news
0:59of of this horrifying incident spread
1:01like wildfire a nation stood United in
1:04shock and Sympathy for the unfortunate
1:07family yet as the Shadows lifted an
1:10unsettling truth began to
1:12emerge who could have targeted the
1:14helpless children and their mother what
1:18were the fragments of truth that held
1:20the power to reshape their entire
1:25story welcome back to mysterious hook
1:28where we shed light on under the our
1:30cases across the country today we are
1:33looking at the case of Dian Downs this
1:36is not a story for the faint of heart
1:38for it is riddled with unimaginable
1:40and unspeakable acts but before
1:43we delve into the mystery if you haven't
1:46subscribed to our Channel please hit the
1:48Subscribe and like buttons now without
1:51further Ado let's dive into the story
1:55Springfield Oregon is a Charming Town
1:57tued away in the breathtaking landscapes
1:59of the Pacific Northwest just a stone's
2:02throw from Eugene Springfield has carved
2:05out its own identity by becoming the
2:08beloved sister city that never quite
2:11outgrew its small town charm and here's
2:14an exciting tidbit Legend has it that
2:17Springfield served as the inspiration
2:19for the iconic American Town featured in
2:22The Simpsons as you wander through the
2:25streets you'll encounter the coolest
2:27murals splashed across various walls
2:30walls despite this colorful backdrop the
2:33crime in Springfield today surpasses the
2:36national
2:37average however back in the 80s the
2:39occurrence of violent crimes in this
2:41region was unheard of therefore when a
2:44mother of her three children were
2:46attacked in this very place people were
2:48left stunned it still stands as one of
2:52the most unsettling Tales to have ever
2:54unfolded within the city's
2:57borders at approximately 10 48 p.m. on
3:00Thursday May 19th 1983 27-year-old Diane
3:05DS arrived at the McKenzie willat
3:07Hospital ER the mother pointed towards
3:10her red Nissan sports car and screamed
3:12out loud somebody shot my kids what is
3:16it somebody just shot my kids
3:20there's 8-year-old Christine and
3:22three-year-old Danny were struggling to
3:24breathe as they lay in the back seat
3:26gasping for air meanwhile 7-year-old
3:29Cheryl was lying face down on the
3:31floorboard in front nearly hidden
3:33beneath the dashboard covered by a dark
3:36sweater in a Race Against Time all three
3:39children were rushed to the emergency
3:41room the mother Diane had a minor
3:44gunshot wound to her left forearm which
3:47was wrapped in a towel a surprisingly
3:49minor injury considering the viciousness
3:52of the attack her children however were
3:54in critical condition they had been shot
3:57multiple times at close range Dr Steven
4:00wil height one of the few board
4:02certified Thoracic Surgeons in the
4:04hospital that night rushed to the
4:06hospital after hearing about the tragic
4:08incident when I first walked into the
4:12the ER immediately they pointed me to
4:15Christy when I looked at chrisy I
4:17thought she was dead her pupils were
4:20dilated um her blood pressure was
4:24non-existent and she is so close to
4:26death it's unbelievable Christy bore the
4:28brunt of three gun wounds with two
4:30striking her left chest and one
4:33affecting her thumb due to immense blood
4:35loss she had suffered a stroke Dany had
4:37suffered a gunshot wound to his spine
4:39resulting in
4:41paralysis although barely both of them
4:44managed to hold on to life unfortunately
4:47that was not the case for the other
4:48sibling Cheryl who had sustained two
4:51gunshot wounds to her back and was
4:53pronounced dead later that
4:55night when news of Cheryl's death
4:58reached Diane her deme minor was calm a
5:01little too calm she did not even Flinch
5:03after hearing that the other two
5:05children had survived after being
5:07grievously injured her sole inquiry was
5:10whether the bullet had missed Danny's
5:11heart the lack of visible emotional
5:14response from Diane struck those around
5:16her as odd to say the least I can only
5:20imagine the shock of everyone at the
5:23hospital it was difficult for them to
5:26Fathom how a mother who had just lost
5:28one child and found the other two in
5:30critical condition could appear so
5:32seemingly detached and unaffected when I
5:35was finished taking care of Christie
5:37then I sought out her mother and to my
5:40complete surprise
5:42Diane was non-emotional not a tear in
5:46her eye I've never seen a reaction like
5:50that at all however the medical
5:52professionals attending to her wound
5:54speculated that Diane might be
5:56experiencing shock a common response to
5:59such a distressing incident
6:02understanding the gravity of the
6:03situation the hospital didn't waste any
6:05time in alerting the authorities around
6:0811:15 p.m. three officers from the Lane
6:11County Sheriff's Office Dick Tracy Doug
6:13Welch and Roy Pond arrived at the
6:16hospital got a phone call from
6:18dispatch and I was told the mother and
6:22her children had been
6:23shot when I got to the hospital I was uh
6:27directed to interview the mother once
6:29Diane's initial treatment was complete
6:32she was seated for an interview with the
6:34detectives they began the interview with
6:36an introduction and then moved on to ask
6:39Diane about the events that had
6:41transpired throughout the day seeking
6:43her firsthand account this detective
6:46Tracy Wayne County Sheriff's Office and
6:50uh pres in the room is detective Welch
6:54and did you say your name Elizabeth when
6:57you got up go from the beginning of the
7:00day from the beginning of the day okay I
7:03got up at
7:045:15 took shower fixed my face got the
7:08kids up at a quarter to 6 and they got
7:11ready and went to Grandma's house Diane
7:13proceeded to tell the investigators that
7:15she left the kids at her parents house
7:17at around 6:15 a.m. before heading off
7:20to work at approximately 6:30 a.m.
7:23Christy and Cheryl attended School while
7:26Diane's mother looked after Dany after
7:28school ended the girls joined their
7:30younger brother at their grandparents
7:32home Diane said she got off work at
7:34around 3:30 p.m. and went to her parents
7:37house to pick up the kids she returned
7:40to the rental duplex at 1352 Q Street
7:43with her children to have supper but
7:46then there would be an unusual change in
7:47their otherwise ordinary routine Diane
7:50had a friend named Heather Pard who
7:52resided outside of Springfield on
7:54Sunderman Road she explained that
7:56Heather had previously expressed an
7:58interest in owning a horse to her so
8:01when Diane had come across an article
8:03about horses available for adoption she
8:06thought Heather might find it appealing
8:08since the par family did not have a
8:10phone Diane accompanied by her children
8:13decided to pay them a visit that night
8:16they stayed at the par property
8:17approximately 15 to 20 minutes during
8:20which Diane engaged in conversation with
8:22Heather while her kids had the
8:24opportunity to feed and interact with
8:27the horse on the farm went out there
8:29she already had a horse she just gotten
8:32it a couple days earlier same day I
8:34found the newspaper article as a matter
8:35of fact and so we stay the kids fed the
8:41horse grass and pet the horse and stuff
8:43like that and then we left Dian said
8:45they left around 9:15 p.m. on their way
8:48back home Cheryl occupied the front
8:50passenger seat with Dany sitting
8:52directly behind her in the back seat and
8:54christe seated next to him behind the
8:57passenger seat instead of taking the
8:59direct route back home impulsively Diane
9:02made a spur of the- moment decision to
9:05indulge in a bit of sightseeing
9:06something she claimed both she and the
9:09children enjoyed doing I said we like to
9:11just cruise around and see stuff we
9:13newed the area and the kids love the SC
9:15and the trees and they like to watch the
9:18Rapids in the water at the river and
9:20stuff like that we just liked enjoying
9:22stuff like that however after doing this
9:25for a while she turned back toward
9:27Springfield noticing all three children
9:29had fallen asleep she was driving down
9:31old Mohawk Road outside the city and
9:34Duran Duran's hungry like a wolf was
9:37playing on the
9:38[Music]
9:39stereo Diane said she only drove for a
9:42short distance on that dark country road
9:44when she encountered a man in the middle
9:47of the road so I just took off down
9:49there and got down little ways and there
9:52was a guy standing in the road R waving
9:54his arm he not like on the white line
9:56but he was in the center of my l so I
9:58stoed him got out and asked him what was
10:00the
10:01problem and cuz it looked you know it
10:03looked like he needed something he was
10:05frantic and so he came over to where I
10:08was and he said I want your car and I
10:11said you got to be kidding I mean how
10:14many people really do that in real life
10:16they don't Diane proceeded to tell the
10:18detectives that the man pushed her
10:20toward the back of the vehicle and then
10:22put his hand into the open car window
10:25the next thing she heard was the loud
10:27popping sounds which were directed
10:29towards Cheryl first followed by Danny
10:31and finally christe he then turned to
10:34Diane and once again demanded the car
10:38Diane further continued that she
10:39mustered up the courage to fight back
10:42realizing that her children had been
10:43shot I mean I had to do something so I
10:46fak throw on the keys to distract him
10:48because I he's a little bit bigger than
10:50me not a whole lot but a little bit I
10:52knew I couldn't beat him up in a fist
10:54fight and he had a gun anyway and I just
10:56I figured if I could distract him if I
10:58could just drop attention away I could
10:59shove him and get the hell out of there
11:01well as he was swinging around when when
11:03I threw the keys he swung around and he
11:06shot a couple times and one of them
11:07caught me in the arm and it didn't even
11:11hurt it felt like somebody had squeezed
11:13me and that's all it didn't even hurt
11:15but I knew I'd probably been hit and I
11:18shoved him and I jumped in the car and
11:20we took off I put the key in the
11:22ignition and it took off and if he fired
11:25after me I have no idea because Chrissy
11:27was lying in the back choking on her own
11:30blood after Diane managed to escape in
11:32her car she noticed that her children
11:34were bleeding profusely while Christy
11:37was choking on her own blood Dany was
11:39moaning in pain but Cheryl didn't make
11:42any noise the whole
11:44time Diane said she drove as fast as she
11:47could but her own gunshot wound was
11:49causing her pain so at some point she
11:52tightly wrapped a towel from her wrist
11:54to her elbow to slow the flow of blood
11:57she says at that point she drove like a
11:59lunatic to the hospital just like the
12:02hospital workers the detectives couldn't
12:04help but notice Diane's seemingly
12:06detached demeanor throughout the
12:08interview her demeanor was
12:11flat not one tier even though she knew
12:14that uh uh Cheryl had died despite the
12:18gravity of the situation and the tragic
12:20events that had unfolded she didn't
12:23display the expected emotional response
12:26instead she remained composed not
12:28shedding a tear and even laughing at
12:30certain points while it is true that
12:32shock and grief can manifest differently
12:34in individuals the detective sens that
12:36something wasn't adding up Diane even
12:39went on to say that she prayed for their
12:41deaths to spare them from the suffering
12:44I'm just can't God do know they got to
12:46die let them die but don't let there
12:49were more red flags who go sightseen in
12:52the dark with three young children in
12:54the car why would someone stop the car
12:56and interact with the suspicious
12:58individual ual on a deserted Road in
13:00which mother would prioritize tending to
13:02her own wound with a towel while her
13:05kids were bleeding to death she had
13:07taken the time to carefully wrap her
13:10left arm in a towel while she drove to
13:12the hospital would you do that as a
13:14mother I wouldn't put a towel on my arm
13:18i' put it on them as a tourniquet rip it
13:21apart the hospital workers also shared
13:24some of the disturbing comments made by
13:26Diane upon her arrival at the hospital
13:28she reportedly made remarks such as boy
13:31this has really spoiled my vacation and
13:34that really ruined my new car I got
13:37blood all over the back of it these
13:39comments were not only bizarre but also
13:41deeply troubling making everyone
13:43question The credibility of her story
13:46and then she says that really ruined my
13:48new car I got blood all over the back of
13:52it despite this the investigators wanted
13:55to give the benefit of the doubt to a
13:57grieving mother so they did not yet rule
13:59out the possibility of an unknown
14:02perpetrator their attention shifted
14:04towards Gathering more information about
14:06the perpetrator whom Diane had described
14:09to them his medium build but pushing
14:11towards being a little bit heavy um he
14:14had darkish hair but not black it was
14:17like a brown dark brown whatever his
14:19face was kind of stubbly um not like a
14:23beard not like he had a beard but like
14:25he hadn't shaved in a couple days or so
14:28um um his um his hair was kind of Shaggy
14:31looking like it had been cut in a shag
14:33but not brushed out properly it's just a
14:35voice just no accents no
14:38lisps um nothing that would distinguish
14:42him outwardly from anybody else he was
14:45wearing a t-shirt that was a light color
14:47but it wasn't Pure White the police
14:49swiftly issued an APB for the
14:51bushy-haired stranger a term Diane had
14:54never used but it summarized her
14:56description ironically in law
14:58enforcement
14:59the term bushy-haired stranger is used
15:01to refer to a person who does not exist
15:04and cannot be produced in a court of law
15:06it serves as a coverup Alibi figure for
15:09the guilty party to falsely attribute
15:11their crimes to nonetheless a composite
15:13sketch was made based on Diane's
15:15description and was widely circulated to
15:18the media they came up with a composite
15:21and that was circulated on every news
15:24station Elizabeth down says a
15:26shaggy-haired stranger shot at her cops
15:28are r
15:29their brains to try to put this case
15:31together unfortunately no Witnesses or
15:33individuals who had seen the alleged
15:35perpetrator or his vehicle came forward
15:38to provide significant leads or
15:40breakthroughs in the
15:42investigation but as word went out about
15:44this horrific tragedy residents of
15:46Springfield were left in a State of
15:48Shock and fear the idea that a violent
15:51and ruthless individual had targeted
15:53innocent children and their mother left
15:56people on edge Thursday night a man
15:58flagged down a woman and her three
15:59children on the road from Marcola to
16:01Springfield Friday the man hunt began in
16:03Earnest initially there was Panic people
16:06in Oregon were like oh my God people
16:08were locking their doors and they were
16:10feeling very unsafe kids weren't allowed
16:12to go out by themselves mothers didn't
16:14go out in the evening and they sure
16:15didn't take their children children were
16:18no longer allowed to venture out alone
16:20mothers in particular refrained from
16:22going out in the evening with their
16:23children the Safety and Security of the
16:26people of Springfield became a Paramount
16:28concern admidst the chaos authorities
16:31continued their investigation a
16:33comprehensive search of the entire area
16:35was conducted which led to a significant
16:38Discovery ejected casings from a spent
16:4022 caliber firearm the casings matched
16:43the bullet wounds inflicted on the
16:45members of the DS family the only
16:47evidence we had were some casings that
16:50uh were found at the scene we had divers
16:53in the river but the gun was never found
16:56investigators at this point Didn't have
16:58a lot to go on though they had their
17:00suspicions about Diane they basically
17:03did not have any evidence to establish
17:05her guilt that was when they came up
17:07with an idea we asked Diane she' do a
17:10reenactment for us we simply wanted to
17:15nail down her statements and she was
17:18more than happy to do that for the most
17:20part reenactments are not easy for the
17:22victims especially when they have
17:24experienced the loss of their loved ones
17:27it is expected that most people would be
17:29overwhelmed with emotion and may cry
17:31while reenacting the most terrible
17:33moments of their
17:35lives however it was Diane DS whose
17:38reenactment video would forever be
17:40remembered as one of the most disturbing
17:42ones in history sitting in the car is
17:45Elizabeth Diane DS one of the victims of
17:49this murder attempt murder I'm throwing
17:51the keys okay I'm throwing the keys
17:53simulating yeah there I got in the CL
17:57put keys in I just hit my
18:00cast started the car and left the car
18:04door shut itself God alarmingly Not only
18:07was she seen giggling and joking but she
18:10was even filmed fixing her makeup during
18:12the reenactment it was enough to make
18:14the investigator's hair stand on end
18:18investigators knew that in order to
18:20understand this strange woman and piece
18:22together the case they needed to delve
18:24deeper into her personal
18:27life El elzabeth dianee Frederickson who
18:29went by her middle name was born on
18:31August 7th 1955 in Phoenix Arizona to
18:35her parents Wesley Lynden Frederickson
18:37and willine Frederickson Diane would
18:40grow up in what appeared to be the
18:42typical American Family of the 1950s and
18:451960s with her three younger brothers
18:47and one younger
18:49sister although Diane excelled at her
18:52studies she was not at all popular in
18:54school in fact throughout her education
18:57she was picked on by the other children
18:59mostly because she came from a family
19:01with strict conservative values and her
19:04parents forbade her to wear fashionable
19:06clothes or
19:07makeup in her early years Diane was a
19:10shy child but that changed when she
19:12reached the age of 14 and she developed
19:15a tendency to talk compulsively Diane
19:18graduated from Moon Valley High School
19:20in Phoenix where she encountered her
19:22high school sweetheart Steven DS when
19:24she was just 15 years old despite her
19:27parents approval Diane continued the
19:30relationship with Steve who was just 7
19:32months older than
19:33her they stayed together for the
19:36remainder of high school but their path
19:38diverged when Steve enlisted in the Navy
19:40in June
19:421972 After High School Diane enrolled at
19:45Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College
19:47located in Orange California however her
19:50time at College was short-lived as she
19:52was expelled after just one year due to
19:55alleged promiscuous behavior following
19:57her exposure Buon Diane had no choice
20:00but to return to her parents home in
20:02Arizona Diane had a stifling atmosphere
20:05at home as her parents constantly tried
20:07to clip her wings desperate to break
20:09free from the confines of her home life
20:11she reconciled with Steve eventually
20:13marrying him in November
20:161973 Diane was just 18 at the time from
20:19the very beginning their marriage was
20:21shaky at best additionally the couple
20:24frequently fought over financial matters
20:26and accused each other of being on
20:28faithful Diane craved love and attention
20:31only to discover Steve could not provide
20:34it Diane found solace when she became
20:36pregnant despite the ongoing problems in
20:38her marriage surprisingly she didn't
20:41consult Steven about getting pregnant
20:43she just stopped using her birth control
20:45I got pregnant when I wasn't allowed to
20:48and I'm not saying here forbade me to
20:49get pregnant but I I didn't consult him
20:52I wanted to have children and so I got
20:54pregnant without asking permission and
20:57she didn't regret the decision Diane
20:59relished being pregnant as it seemed to
21:01earn her the love and attention she had
21:03always desired in October 1974 Diane
21:07gave birth to her first child Christie a
21:10pregnancy only last for a few months and
21:13once it ended Dian missed the attention
21:15she used to receive so she once again
21:18stopped using birth control without
21:20informing her husband as a result Cheryl
21:23Lynn their second child was born in
21:25January
21:271976 but as much as she enjoyed being
21:29pregnant she did not derive the same
21:31pleasure from actually raising her
21:33children according to Steve DS Diane
21:36would frequently neglect her children
21:38well once she had the kids you know it
21:39was another story you know well uh she
21:42treated them like crap you know she
21:45didn't treat them she really didn't
21:46treat them very good their fights would
21:48sometimes lead her to take the kids and
21:50run away from Steve but she always
21:52returned
21:54eventually after Cheryl's birth Steve
21:56made the decision that he didn't want
21:58any more children he couldn't trust his
22:00wife with birth control so he opted for
22:02a vasectomy however despite this
22:05procedure Diane ended up getting
22:07pregnant again but she chose to
22:09terminate the pregnancy in 1978 the
22:12couple relocated to Mesa Arizona it was
22:15there that Diane engaged in multiple
22:17affairs with her co-workers one such
22:19affair with one of her male friends Mark
22:21Sager resulted in becoming pregnant once
22:24again this time she decided to carry the
22:26child to term and in December 1979
22:30Steven Danny Daniel was born a final
22:33attempt to salvage their marriage Steven
22:35accepted Dany as his own even though he
22:37knew he wasn't the father yet less than
22:40a year later they got divorced the
22:42children stayed with their mother when
22:44the marriage ended Diane didn't have a
22:46stable job in her attempt to support
22:49herself she pursued becoming a surrogate
22:51mother but faced setbacks she failed two
22:54psychiatric exams one of which indicated
22:57that she was psychotic rather than being
23:00concerned Diane found this amusing and
23:02would boast about it to her friends in
23:051981 Diane finally secured a full-time
23:08job as a postal carrier in Chandler
23:10Arizona during her working hours she
23:13would send her children to stay with
23:15various family
23:16members however concerns were raised by
23:18Neighbors about the well-being of the
23:20children when they were in their
23:22mother's care according to the neighbors
23:24the children would often be hungry and
23:26would beg for food in cold weather they
23:28would not be adequately dressed in coats
23:30or suitable shoes it was reported that
23:33if Diane couldn't find a babysitter she
23:36would leave her six-year-old daughter
23:37Christine in charge of the other
23:39children one neighbor even mentioned
23:42that Cheryl had expressed fear of her
23:43own
23:44mother despite the alleged negligence of
23:47her own children later in the same year
23:50Diane was finally accepted into a
23:52surrogate program in May 1982 Diane gave
23:56birth to a girl named Jennifer her and
23:58surrendered her to her parents in
24:00exchange for
24:01$10,000 in February of 1983 just a few
24:05months before the shooting incident
24:07Diane returned to Springfield Oregon to
24:09be closer to her parents despite the
24:12relocation she maintained her employment
24:15as a postal worker despite Diane's
24:17unstable life nobody could have
24:19anticipated the tragedy that would
24:21engulf her family just months
24:23later as the investigation into Diane's
24:26past unfolded she seemed to develop a
24:28newfound interest in giving interviews
24:31it was evident that Diane enjoyed being
24:33in the spotlight and the attention that
24:35came with it we were just out I guess
24:37sightseeing I guess you'd say and the
24:39kids got tired they fell asleep in the
24:41car so I decided just head on home but I
24:44saw a road I hadn't been on before we
24:46likeed to take back roads and just went
24:48down that road and there was a guy
24:49standing in the road flagging me down so
24:52I stopped within a few days of the
24:54tragic incident she eagerly gave
24:56multiple interview VI appearing with
24:58full hair and makeup she would retell
25:01her story over and over emphasizing her
25:04pain while frequently downplay her
25:06children's fate Danny's going to walk
25:08again I don't care if we just have to
25:09will him to walk I think he's going to
25:11walk the doctors all say he won't and I
25:14know that your mind controls your body
25:15and if I can love him enough and
25:17encourage him enough I believe he'll
25:18walk she made this claim even after
25:21knowing that the bullet had caused
25:22significant damage to his spine and
25:25posed a risk of permanent paralysis
25:27Diane may have intended to elicit
25:29sympathy from the public through these
25:31interviews but it just had the opposite
25:34effect instead of garnering support her
25:37behavior and demeanor during the
25:38interview began to raise suspicion and
25:41doubt among viewers everybody knew it
25:44didn't ring true pretty much a lie
25:46everything she was saying was a lie she
25:48could feel that the focus had changed
25:51from this bushy stranger to her people
25:54noted instances where she appeared to
25:56laugh or make l of the gruesome details
25:59of that fateful night these actions
26:01along with the inconsistencies in her
26:03narrative caused public opinion to shift
26:06viewing Diane less as a grieving mother
26:09and more as a potential
26:12perpetrator as Dian noticed the shift in
26:14public perception she attempted to
26:16counter the growing suspicion by posting
26:19contrasting questions if I had shot my
26:22own children would I not have done a
26:24good job of it why would I have taken my
26:26kids to the hospital wouldn't I have
26:28made sure they were dead and then cried
26:29crocodile tears that's insane to think
26:31that I would do such a thing and then
26:33bring the the Witnesses in against
26:35myself that's crazy what Diane didn't
26:37know was that there was one person who
26:39had witnessed the truth she had so
26:41desperately tried to cover up Joseph
26:43Inman was behind Diane's car that night
26:46and saw something that completely
26:47contradicted Diane's story we found a
26:50witness a gentleman
26:51who came up behind
26:54her Diane was traveling so slow that
26:57this witness's speedometer wouldn't move
27:00off the
27:01peg it's uh my belief that she was
27:04waiting for the kid
27:06to die Diane's story didn't make sense
27:09from the start after all what would a
27:11stranger have to gain by shooting the
27:13children if he had wanted the car he
27:15could have just shot her the only adult
27:17present at the scene and taken the car
27:21furthermore the forensic evidence
27:22pointed towards a different scenario
27:25blood stains were found on the side door
27:26of the front seat
27:28where Cheryl had been shot and on the
27:29rear seat where Danny and Christine had
27:32been head but there was no blood on the
27:34driver's side if Diane had been shot as
27:37she described it would be expected for
27:39her to instinctively grab the wound with
27:41her other hand resulting in blood being
27:43present on her hand and the steering
27:46wheel Additionally the location of the
27:48gunpow residue indicated that the
27:50shooter was likely seated in the
27:52driver's seat casting further doubt on
27:55Diane's account
27:58however there was one interview that
27:59Diane DS would give in November
28:021983 that would send shock waves
28:04throughout the nation people couldn't
28:06believe the level of narcissism
28:08displayed during the interview with
28:10reporter an jerger for ke news when this
28:14man shot my daughter my first reaction
28:16was to snap back to my childhood to the
28:19pain that had happened to me back then
28:22my marriage my entament by Society this
28:25man was bigger than me he was stronger
28:26than me he had more power because he had
28:28a gun he was in control and I was not
28:32and I had there was nothing I could do
28:34and I stood there and I looked at chrisy
28:36reaching and the blood that just kept
28:39gushing out of her mouth and
28:42and what do you do in a shocking
28:45audacity she even stated that her kids
28:47were luckier than her and made jokes
28:49about it everybody says you sure were
28:52lucky well I don't feel very lucky I
28:54couldn't tie my damn shoes for about two
28:57month month needless to say it was a
28:59surreal experience for the viewers as
29:01they witnessed firsthand the depths of
29:03Diane's self-centeredness and lack of
29:06empathy the lack of trust and suspicion
29:09surrounding Diane Downs went far beyond
29:11the media and law enforcement Diane's
29:14own father casted doubts on her account
29:16and must have taken him an immense
29:18amount of courage to say this about his
29:20own daughter but he too could not shake
29:22off the feeling that something didn't
29:24sit right Diane had been shot in the
29:27left arm and she's right-handed and I
29:29made the comment to the police
29:31department there that night uh it looks
29:33to me like Diane did it because the
29:35children have been shot in the chest and
29:38Diane has only been shot in the arm but
29:40the case against Diane DS was still weak
29:43all the evidence was circumstantial the
29:45Disturbing Behavior exhibited by her and
29:47the inconsistencies in her story were
29:50not sufficient to directly establish her
29:52guilt in the crime the case hinged on
29:54the other two witnesses Christy and Dany
29:58unfortunately Dany being only 3 years
30:00old at the time of the attack was too
30:02young to remember any significant
30:04information about the incident this left
30:07Christy as the potential key witness
30:09however Christy's ability to communicate
30:11was severely impacted due to the stroke
30:14she suffered although there was hope no
30:16one was sure if she would ever be able
30:18to speak normally yet every time her
30:20mother entered the room christe's eyes
30:22glazed over with apparent fear and her
30:25heart rate significantly increased
30:28in light of the overall circumstances
30:30and the need to ensure the safety and
30:32well-being of the children the state
30:34made the decision to remove custody from
30:36Diane it was determined that the
30:38children would be placed into foster
30:40care once they were released from the
30:44hospital with each passing day Diane
30:47became increasingly careless and
30:48overconfident in her demeanor she even
30:51went as far as challenging the police to
30:53arrest her as she firmly believed they
30:55did not have enough evidence to
30:57incriminate her please arrest me so that
31:00I can prove I'm innocent so my kids can
31:01come home and they wouldn't at the same
31:03time the police were still grappling
31:04with the lack of a clear motive for the
31:06murder the strongest forensic evidence
31:09they had was the 22 bullet shells
31:11discovered at the crime scene but the
31:13absence of a murder weapon hindered
31:15their progress faced with limited leads
31:17detectives decided to visit Diane's
31:19apartment in the hopes of finding any
31:21additional Clues we went to DS's
31:25department and conducted a at the
31:27residence the first notable piece of
31:30evidence that the detectives found at
31:31Diane's home was a diary it served as a
31:34treasure Trove of information about
31:36Diane's life after she had moved to
31:38Chandler in
31:401982 while working as a postal carrier
31:43Diane involved herself in multiple
31:45affairs with married co-workers one of
31:48them however would alter the course of
31:49her life
31:51permanently in July 1982 Diane DS began
31:55an affair with Robert nicker Boer a
31:57fellow coworker who was married to a
31:59woman named Charlene at the time he was
32:02having problems with Charlene and was
32:04looking for a distraction Diane never
32:06meant anything more than a fling to him
32:08and he had no intention of leaving his
32:10wife however to Diane he was her
32:13greatest love in her diary Diane
32:15mentioned how she never loved anybody
32:17more than she loved Nick her
32:19affectionate nickname for him she
32:21fantasized about building a life and
32:23starting a family with him she was so
32:26interested in him that she rented an
32:28apartment and even got a tattoo of a
32:31large rose with his name beneath it that
32:34was not the case with Nick throughout
32:37the N9 months of their Affair Nick's
32:39commitment wavered between Diane and his
32:41wife Charlene in February of 1983
32:44Diane's pursuit of Nick reached a
32:46Breaking Point she began pressuring him
32:48to divorce his wife and he finally
32:50confessed that he loved his wife
32:52Charlene more than he loved Diane he
32:55also made it clear that he had no desire
32:57to have children and he didn't intend to
33:00become The Stepfather to her children
33:02either in an attempt to manipulate the
33:04situation Diane requested a transfer
33:07from Chandler to Springfield Oregon
33:09where her parents lived she believed
33:11that this move would intimidate Nick and
33:13make him run back to her she even asked
33:15her father Wes who also worked for the
33:17postal service to help Nick find a job
33:19in Oregon however once Diane left
33:22Arizona Nick gained Clarity and realized
33:25that he didn't want to move to
33:27Springfield or be with Diane he decided
33:30to stay with his wife and refuse Diane's
33:32mail and calls marking the definitive
33:34end of their
33:36relationship despite the end of the
33:38relationship in April of
33:401983 Diane's infatuation with Nick
33:43continued to consume her thoughts and
33:45writings she expressed her longings for
33:48him both physically and emotionally even
33:51after everything she held on to the hope
33:53that he would eventually come back to
33:55her surprisingly or not surprisingly her
33:58lingering feelings for Nick did not stop
34:00her from sleeping with other men
34:02beginning just 7 days after her arrival
34:05in Springfield when the police searched
34:07her home they found that Diane had kept
34:09two of Nick's pictures with her own
34:11pictures on top of the television but
34:14there were no pictures of the
34:16kids the detectives made an observation
34:19that Diane seldom wrote about her
34:20children Christy Cheryl and Dany in her
34:23diary the majority of her diary entries
34:26revolved around Nick however on May 11th
34:291983 just 8 days before the shootings
34:32Diane's Focus abruptly shifted it was as
34:35if she had suddenly rediscovered her
34:37children and started describing them as
34:39fantastic smart and sweet she portrayed
34:43her family as a tight-nit group
34:45referring to themselves as the Four
34:47Musketeers and expressing a newfound
34:49love for them that supposedly surpassed
34:52her feelings for neck investigators
34:55believe that at this point Diane had
34:57already made plans to kill him it was
34:59not just another red flag the detectives
35:02believed they had finally found the
35:03motive for the crime according to them
35:06Diane saw her children as thorns in her
35:08side he wasn't going to join her as long
35:13as she had the
35:15kids the quickest simplest way was to
35:18eliminate the children she believed that
35:21removing her children from the picture
35:23would make her become more appealing to
35:24Nick and that he would then be willing
35:26to provide emotional support and comfort
35:29in the aftermath of the tragic event it
35:32wasn't the only incriminating evidence
35:34police found at dian's home they also
35:36found a few on fire 22 caliber shell
35:39casings with extractor markings when
35:41detectives asked Diane if she owned any
35:4422 caliber Firearms she denied this
35:47vehemently but both Steve DS and Robert
35:50nickach confirmed that she did in fact
35:52own one such
35:54firearm the detectives approached Nick
35:56and requested his assistance in
35:58obtaining a confession from Diane by
36:01exploiting her weakness towards him he
36:03agreed to cooperate and made a few calls
36:05to Diane listen
36:08uh what have you told the police about
36:11me
36:12nothing well uh you must have told him
36:16something cuz uh I got to have an alibi
36:20for that night no you don't yeah I do
36:23they already told me they're blessing
36:26they're trying to pin this on me and I
36:29didn't do it during the call Diane
36:32primarily focused on her own experiences
36:34and emotions particularly her physical
36:37pain and the need for emotional support
36:40how's everything nothing change that's
36:44good things have changed a lot for me
36:48yeah I can imagine so I have a steel
36:51plate in my
36:52arm I'm glad you called I need somebody
36:56to talk
36:58to I was thinking about you real bad
37:01last night just need somebody to talk to
37:03again gu yet she failed to express
37:05concern about the well-being of her
37:07surviving children in one call Nick told
37:10Diane that he didn't believe her story
37:13whether Robert nicker boach was worth
37:15murder to Diane DS or not she did not
37:18confess to the
37:19crime at this point detectives were no
37:22longer playing on the surface they
37:24confronted her directly and made it
37:26clear that she was the primary focus of
37:28their investigation it was the time that
37:31we decided to take her on and seriously
37:35challenge her on the inconsistencies in
37:38her story detectives are no longer being
37:40Mr Nice Guy they're playing hard ball
37:42your story
37:44stinks this whole thing
37:46is it stunk from the beginning I'm
37:50realizing that sarcasm wouldn't save her
37:52Diane changed her story she claimed that
37:55there was no bushy-haired stranger
37:57but instead it was two men wearing ski
37:59masks who attacked her and her children
38:01according to Diane the men knew her as
38:04they called her by name talk to you
38:07referred to you by name and also
38:08referred to your
38:10tattoo as close as you can remember what
38:13did he tell you if you say anything
38:16about what happened here it did come
38:19back and kill me throughout a 2-hour
38:21period the detectives relentlessly
38:23probed her for the truth and as they
38:25neared the conclusion her frustration
38:28reached a boiling point I'll make you a
38:30deal okay next time I remember something
38:33yeah you can find the guy yourself cuz I
38:35know I didn't do it you can chase your
38:37little tails for the next 20,000 years
38:39if that's what it says you don't like my
38:41help you can you're real confident St I
38:45know that I Didn't Do It come on Diane
38:48it's your turn at back since you guys
38:51seem to think that I should have brought
38:52the guy in with me I will get in myself
38:54cuz I know who did it you do know who
38:57did it yes I do I damn sure do you know
39:00him by name yes yes I do you did yeah
39:04pretty important and I saw him grab my
39:05arm and yank my arm out and shoot my arm
39:08and said now try to get away with it the
39:11tape ended with Diane storming out of
39:13the Sheriff's Office unable to put up
39:15with the questions and I'm leaving cuz I
39:18know who did it
39:20bye the time is now
39:241746 and Diane is just Departed the
39:28office we're concluding the tapable a
39:31month passed after the shooting the
39:33pressure was mounting on law enforcement
39:35to make an arrest by the beginning of
39:381984 police had gathered all the
39:40evidence pointing towards the prime
39:41suspect
39:43Diane however they eagerly awaited
39:45Christie's recovery as she was the only
39:48person who could provide them with a
39:50firsthand account of what truly
39:52transpired christe would be a key
39:54witness uh and in this trial but she
39:58needed to be healthy enough uh
40:01physically and emotionally to be able to
40:03take the stand christe's healing process
40:05was slow but steady and she eventually
40:08regained her ability to speak despite
40:10her initial fear with the help of
40:12therapist working tirelessly with her
40:14for months christe mustered the courage
40:16to eventually reveal the truth it was a
40:19truth that would put an end to all the
40:21speculations surrounding the case
40:24confirming what many had already sus
40:26ected christe unequivocally declared
40:29that her own mother Diane DS was the one
40:32who shot her and her siblings on that
40:35fateful night on February 28th 1984
40:38nearly 9 months after the shooting Diane
40:41was finally arrested she's been charged
40:44with uh one count of murder two counts
40:46of attempted murder and two counts of
40:48assault in the first degree Diane
40:50pleaded not guilty to all charges and
40:53thus the case proceeded to trial however
40:56dying Downs was not one to go down so
40:58easily when her trial commenced in June
41:011984 she shocked the nation by appearing
41:04visibly pregnant leaving everyone
41:10speechless as it turned out back in
41:12October of
41:131983 while working as a postal carrier
41:16Diane seduced a young teacher and ended
41:18up becoming pregnant Diane said she felt
41:21lonely without her children I got
41:24pregnant because I miss Christy and I
41:27miss Danny and I miss Cheryl so much I'm
41:28never going to see Cheryl on Earth again
41:31and I just you can't replace children
41:35but you can replace the effect that they
41:37give you and they give me love they give
41:39me satisfaction they give me stability
41:41they give me a reason to live and a
41:42reason to be happy and and that's gone
41:45they took it from me but children are so
41:48easy to conceive the prosecution however
41:51saw it as Diane's way of gaining
41:53sympathy the trial of Diane DS became
41:56National spectacle with hundreds of
41:58people lining up each day in hopes of
42:00securing a seat in the courtroom though
42:03cameras were not allowed inside the
42:04courtroom the media closely followed the
42:07trial the jury was comprised of nine
42:09women and three men the trial lasted a
42:12month the prosecutor Fred hugi had a
42:14solid case against Diane the evidence
42:17against Diane appeared
42:19insurmountable along with the bullet
42:21casings and blood spatter Hui called
42:23upon a number of witnesses including
42:25Heather Lord Joseph enman Steven DS and
42:29Robert nickach they all testified
42:32against Diane defense attorney Jim
42:34Jagger made every effort to present
42:37Diane Down's version of events
42:39emphasizing the involvement of a
42:40bushy-haired stranger Diane herself took
42:43the stand and reiterated her story
42:46staunchly maintaining her
42:48innocence however she struggled to
42:50provide a convincing explanation for the
42:53inconsistencies in her account Dian also
42:56testified that she had been physically
42:58abused by her father on multiple
43:00occasions which impacted her future
43:02decisions a disturbing claim that
43:05Diane's family denied the jury viewed
43:07this claim as a lie intended to invoke
43:09sympathy and Diane's family denied the
43:12allegations as well the most anticipated
43:15witness of this trial was Christine DS
43:18with utmost bravery then 9-year-old
43:20Christie still suffering with a speech
43:22impediment took the stand to recount the
43:25night of May 19
43:271983 who shot
43:33you my mom christe's recollection of the
43:36events on May 19th 1983 was Vivid and
43:40haunting she remembered the moments
43:42leading up to the shooting including
43:45visiting Heather plard Christy and Dany
43:47occupied the back seat while Cheryl sat
43:50in the front passenger seat christe
43:53recalled that after a few moments into
43:54the ride the car was pulled over to the
43:57side of the road and her mother Diane
43:59exited the vehicle she saw her mother
44:02going to the back of the car and
44:04retrieved something from the trunk Diane
44:07then returned to the car leaned across
44:09the front seat and shot Cheryl who was
44:12in the front passenger seat afterward
44:14Diane leaned over the back seat and shot
44:16Dany Christie also remembered that she
44:19was also shot by her mother as she
44:21witnessed in horror she began sobbing
44:23describing the gruesome details of that
44:26night in a heartbreaking response to
44:28hui's final question about her feelings
44:30for her mother Christie expressed that
44:33she still loved her her testimony sealed
44:36her mother's Fate on June 17th 1984
44:40Diane DS was found guilty on all counts
44:43by the jury her sentencing was scheduled
44:45for the following month however just 10
44:48days after the verdict Diane gave birth
44:50to her third daughter whom she named Amy
44:53Elizabeth the child was immediately
44:56taken into custody by the state of
44:58Oregon establishing that Diane could not
45:00have been more wrong in her prediction
45:03we're going to take away this one I
45:04don't know how they're going to do it
45:07what if the I I'd like to see them try
45:09to take this baby from me
45:11and how the girl was later adopted by
45:14Chris and Jackie Babcock who chose to
45:17rename her Rebecca Babcock on August
45:2028th 1984 judge Gregory foot sentenced
45:23Diane DS to life imprisonment plus an
45:26additional 50 years to be served
45:29consecutively after their mother's
45:31conviction Christy and Dany remained in
45:33the care of their Foster family for a
45:35brief period before Fred hugi the
45:38prosecutor in their mother's case and
45:40his wife Joanne stepped forward to adopt
45:43them recognizing his own limitations and
45:46the challenges posed by raising two
45:47children with physical and emotional
45:50trauma Steve DS made the difficult
45:52decision to step aside as their father
45:56The Saga of Diane DS was expected to be
45:58confined within the walls of the prison
46:01but she was determined not to serve her
46:03time quietly Diane continued to give
46:06interviews to whomever wanted to talk to
46:07her while still stressing her innocence
46:10I can sit here with a clear conscience
46:12and know that I did not shoot my kids on
46:15July 11th 1987 a highly unexpected event
46:18unfolded when Diane DS managed to escape
46:21from the Oregon women's correctional
46:23center in Salem I recognize it be a Shir
46:26belonging to Diane DS convicted murderer
46:30Diane DS left behind her ripped blouse
46:32evidence of her struggle to break out of
46:34the maximum security facility she
46:36accomplished this daring feat by scaling
46:38an 18t razor wire fence cleverly
46:41disguising herself with multiple layers
46:43of clothing uh at that location the
46:46perimeter fence is not alarmed uh is
46:49alarmed but the interior fence is not I
46:51would not consider it an effective
46:53deterrent um and that's essentially how
46:55she got out she went up and over the
46:57single perimeter fence this triggered
46:59one of the most extensive manhunts ever
47:01conducted in the state of Oregon DS was
47:03dropped off at this family restaurant
47:05about one mile from the correctional
47:06facility police believe she then
47:08traveled on foot into town reports of
47:10Dian sightings flooded in from all over
47:13Oregon and the Northwest as the public
47:15remained Vigilant it would take 10 days
47:18before she was eventually located during
47:20which time she could have potentially
47:21fled across the country to any unknown
47:24destination a astonishingly she had been
47:26hiding less than half a mile away from
47:28the prison living with another married
47:30man the husband of a fellow
47:33inmate ironically Diane would later
47:36claim she escaped to find the
47:37bushy-haired stranger I wanted Revenge
47:41at that time I I wanted to do some
47:42really obscene things to his body Diane
47:45received an additional 5-year sentence
47:47for the Escape best-selling crime author
47:50Anne rule Penn the book small sacrifices
47:53in 1987 providing a detailed account of
47:56ding Down's life and her murder trial
47:59the book gained significant attention
48:01and interest from readers in 1989 a made
48:04for TV movie also titled small
48:07sacrifices was produced based on Anne
48:10ru's book the movie starred Farah facet
48:13who portrayed Diane DS and it was
48:15broadcasted on ABC further capturing
48:18public interest in the case he shot my
48:20kids he shot them over and over and I
48:23keep hearing the gun then he shot me
48:26in 1998 Anne Rule and Diane DS made an
48:29appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show
48:31during which Diane directed criticism
48:33and taunt towards an for how she
48:36portrayed her life in the book The Diane
48:39down story have you read that book uh
48:41yes I have and what do you think I take
48:44issue I take issue with much of it okay
48:46okay what do you take issue with well
48:48she considers it a true story and she's
48:51quoted me all through the book and tells
48:53the reader how I'm feeling what I'm
48:55thinking at various times all through
48:57the book yet she's never interviewed me
49:00how does she do that how does she
49:01justify that being a true story in 1989
49:04Diane wrote a book titled best kept
49:06secrets in which she provided her own
49:09account of the shooting in classic Dian
49:11Down's fashion she portrayed herself as
49:14a victim of the state of
49:16Oregon in the mid 2000s Rebecca Babcock
49:19the youngest daughter of Diane DS
49:21reached out to her birthmother
49:23throughout most of her life Rebecca had
49:25kept her distance from the tragic
49:26reality of her birth however in 2005
49:30after placing her own baby up for
49:32adoption she started to empathize with
49:34her mother Rebecca wondered if Diane had
49:36also experienced a similar sense of
49:39emptiness when she gave her away I
49:41thought about you know Diane and and
49:45that was the one and only time I have
49:47ever had compassion for that woman with
49:49uncertainty in her heart Rebecca wrote a
49:51letter to Diane and attached a few
49:53pictures of herself I don't know if you
49:55can going to believe me you probably
49:57won't but I believe that I may possibly
50:00be your biological daughter Diane
50:02immediately wrote back you look like me
50:05same chin don't you hate it however with
50:07each subsequent letter the content
50:09became increasingly unsettling so much
50:12so that Rebecca requested Diane to stop
50:14riding back as she now saw her as a
50:17monster the feelings were mutual as it
50:20seemed Diane went on to deny that
50:22Rebecca was even her daughter what was I
50:25thinking why in the world did I contact
50:27this woman Diane DS made three attempts
50:30for parole the first was in 2008
50:33followed by another in 2010 and the most
50:36recent one in
50:372020 however she was denied parole on
50:40All Occasions the parole board cited her
50:43failure to admit guilt and the lack of
50:45perceived remorse as factors
50:46contributing to the denials all I know
50:49is that I did not murder my children and
50:50one year after my uncle was murdered my
50:53children and I were attacked for no
50:55reason at all that you did not commit
50:57these murders or the murder and the
50:59other crimes you were convicted
51:01of absolutely I didn't commit them and I
51:04still maintain my innocence despite a
51:06hard start in life both Christy and Dany
51:08had moved on in their lives with the
51:10hugis they found a nurturing and
51:12supportive environment they had never
51:14experienced with Diane the shooting
51:17incident caused Christie to have a
51:18lifelong speech impediment while Dany
51:20continues to live with partial paralysis
51:23due to the bullet in his back but these
51:25challenges did not stop them from living
51:28life to the fullest both Christy and
51:30Dany pursued higher education and
51:33successfully graduated college christe
51:36eventually got married and became a
51:37mother to a baby boy and a baby girl
51:40whom she named Cheryl in honor of her
51:42late sister on the other hand Dany has
51:45excelled in the field of computers and
51:47works in the computer industry they
51:50prefer to maintain a private life and
51:52have chosen to sever all contact with
51:54Diane or anyone related to
51:57her as we come to the conclusion of this
52:00mind-boggling Story the events of that
52:02faithful night still leave us pondering
52:05what truly unfolded do you find Diane's
52:08story credible or do you think that it
52:10is nothing but a bunch of Lies let us
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This page contains the full transcript of The PUZZLING Story of Diane Downs by Mysterious Hook, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 8,666 words across 1,298 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

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