History of Diane Downs in Timeline

Elizabeth Diane Downs is an American woman convicted of murdering her daughter and attempting to murder her two other children in 1983. She initially claimed a stranger was responsible, but her story unraveled, leading to her conviction. Downs was sentenced to life imprisonment and has been diagnosed with several personality disorders. Despite briefly escaping in 1987, she remains incarcerated, having been repeatedly denied parole.

October 12, 1930: Birth of Wesley Linden Frederickson

Wesley Linden Frederickson, Diane Downs' father, was born on October 12, 1930.

April 11, 1954: Marriage of Wesley Linden Frederickson and Willadene Engle

Diane Downs' parents, Wesley Linden Frederickson and Willadene Engle, were married on April 11, 1954.

August 7, 1955: Birth of Diane Downs

On August 7, 1955, Diane Downs (née Frederickson) was born in Phoenix, Arizona.

November 13, 1973: Marriage of Diane Frederickson and Steve Downs

On November 13, 1973, Diane Frederickson married Steve Downs after leaving her family home.

1974: Birth of Christie Ann Downs

Christie Ann Downs, the first child of Diane and Steve Downs, was born in 1974.

1976: Birth of Cheryl Downs

Cheryl Downs, the second child of Diane and Steve Downs, was born in 1976.

1979: Birth of Stephen Daniel Downs

Stephen Daniel Downs, Diane's third child, was born in 1979. His biological father was Mark Sager, with whom Diane had an affair.

1980: Divorce of Diane and Steve Downs

Diane and Steve Downs divorced in 1980 after arguments, alleged infidelities, and the revelation that Daniel was from Diane's extramarital affair.

May 8, 1982: Birth of Jennifer Downs

On May 8, 1982, Diane Downs gave birth to a girl named Jennifer while acting as a surrogate mother.

May 19, 1983: Shooting of Downs' Children

On May 19, 1983, near Springfield, Oregon, Diane Downs' three children were shot, resulting in the death of one daughter and serious injuries to the other two children. Downs claimed a carjacker was responsible.

February 28, 1984: Arrest of Diane Downs

On February 28, 1984, nine months after the shooting of her children, Diane Downs was arrested. She was charged with murder, attempted murder, and criminal assault.

June 17, 1984: Conviction and Sentencing of Diane Downs

On June 17, 1984, Diane Downs was found guilty of all charges related to the shooting of her children and was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 50 years, with a minimum of 25 years served before parole eligibility.

1984: Birth of Amy Elizabeth

Diane Downs gave birth to her fifth child, a girl named Amy Elizabeth, a month after her 1984 trial.

1984: Conviction and Sentencing of Diane Downs

In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of murdering her daughter, attempting to murder her other two children, and assault. She was sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years.

1986: Downs' Surviving Children Adopted

In 1986, Diane Downs' two surviving children went to live with the lead prosecutor on the case, Fred Hugi, and his wife, Joanne, who adopted them.

July 11, 1987: Escape of Diane Downs from Prison

On July 11, 1987, Diane Downs escaped from prison by climbing an 18-foot fence. She evaded authorities for 10 days before being caught.

1987: Publication of "Small Sacrifices"

Ann Rule published the book "Small Sacrifices" in 1987, detailing Diane Downs' life and murder trial.

1987: Escape and Recapture of Diane Downs

In 1987, Diane Downs briefly escaped from prison but was recaptured after ten days and received an additional five-year sentence.

1989: Premiere of "Small Sacrifices" TV Movie

A made-for-TV movie adaptation of "Small Sacrifices", starring Farrah Fawcett as Diane Downs, aired on ABC in 1989.

1994: Transferred to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

In 1994, after serving ten years in prison, Diane Downs was transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

December 9, 2008: First Parole Hearing of Diane Downs

On December 9, 2008, Diane Downs had her first parole hearing, where she maintained her innocence. The parole board denied her request.

2009: Parole Eligibility for Diane Downs

Diane Downs became eligible for parole in 2009, after serving 25 years of her sentence.

2010: Second Parole Hearing of Diane Downs

In 2010, Diane Downs had her second parole hearing, which was denied. She continued to claim she was innocent.

2010: Relocated to Valley State Prison for Women

In 2010, Diane Downs was relocated to the Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, California.

2013: Transferred out of Valley State Prison for Women

Diane Downs was transferred out of the Valley State Prison for Women in 2013 when the facility was converted to an all-male institution.

September 30, 2017: Death of Wesley Linden Frederickson

Wesley Linden Frederickson, Diane Downs' father, passed away on September 30, 2017.

2020: Third Parole Hearing of Diane Downs

Diane Downs' third parole hearing occurred in 2020 and was also denied, with Downs still maintaining her innocence.

2020: Rebecca Babcock Featured in "Happy Face" Podcast

In 2020, Rebecca Babcock, the daughter of Diane Downs, was the subject of Season 2 of the podcast "Happy Face", where she discusses trying to find her biological father.