1 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Very soon after Stephen and 2 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: Diane's marriage in November of nineteen seventy three, the two 3 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 1: eighteen year olds found themselves unhappy. Stephen failed to be 4 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,600 Speaker 1: the sort of husband the new missus Diane Downs had 5 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: hoped for. In addition to his roving eye, he told 6 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: Diane that he wanted to wait a few years before 7 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: starting a family, but Diane wouldn't have any of that. 8 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: According to Anne rule in Small Sacrifices, Diane was determined 9 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: to find another way to attain the singular love and 10 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: devotion that Stephen denied her. Without telling Stephen, she easily 11 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 1: became pregnant in nineteen seventy four at age nineteen, and 12 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: was ecstatic. During her pregnancy, Diane felt serene and complete. 13 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: She described her fetus as pure love, something that was 14 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: an extension of herself, and that happiness continued when Diane's 15 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: first child, Christie Anne, was born. Diane was truly happy, 16 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: but the more she loved Christie, the more she was 17 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: repulsed by Stephen. You are hearing from Female Criminals podcast 18 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: and they are analyzing a woman, a mother, Diane Downs. 19 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: Diane Downs, if you look at her She's absolutely stunning. 20 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: She looks like Farah Fawcett in her heyday. Diane Downs 21 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: goes on to have three children. What went wrong in 22 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: the marriage with me? Daryl Cohen, former prosecutor now defense attorney, 23 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: doctor Daniel Bober, forensic psychiatrist, Vincent Hill, Crime online dot 24 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: Com investigative reporter John Limley. So this devoted mom who 25 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: loves her children to a fault. Everything goes bad so quickly. 26 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: But I don't understand who is Diane Downs? What can 27 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: you tell me about her? John Limley? She was a 28 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: postal worker there in Oregon, as we know, a young mom. 29 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: She had three children. Postal worker in Oregon. Did Was 30 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 1: she working while she had the children? Yes, she was. 31 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: So she's a working mom. And how many children? Three? Three? 32 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: That lived with her? Three children? Okay, let me understand something. 33 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: Was the husband working, Yes he was as well. Now 34 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: what's the husband's name? What can you tell me about 35 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:46,799 Speaker 1: Stephen Downs? Well, they grew up as high school sweethearts. 36 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: He actually grew up across the street from her house. 37 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: Her family was very conservative, one of those situations where honestly, 38 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 1: her dad especially wouldn't have been happy with with any 39 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: young man because this was his daughter. But for some 40 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: reason they were not really fond of Stephen, and that 41 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: seemed to drive her even more into Steven's arms. And 42 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 1: so after high school, after he spent some time in 43 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: the service, he came home and they got married. So 44 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 1: this guy, Stephen Danny Downs, high school sweethearts get married 45 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: sounds like a storybook relationship. And then things quickly went sideways. 46 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: And it seemingly all started when Diane Downs revealed she 47 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: believes her father molested her and that her mother knew 48 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: about it. Listen. Diane claimed that her father Wes molested her. 49 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: In her book Small Sacrifices, writer Anne Rules tells the 50 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: story of Diane's life. Rule details Diane's confusion surrounding her incestuous, 51 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: abusive relationship with her. Rule writes that she quote could 52 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: not separate sex from terror and power and pleasure, and 53 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: she could not understand the sensations she felt end quote. 54 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: Diane has since said that she made up these stories 55 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: about her father, but Diane also often did what she 56 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: called blanking out uncomfortable memories by pretending they never happened. 57 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 1: She's also changed stories about her own life, whether or 58 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,159 Speaker 1: not there was sexual abuse in Diane's home. It was 59 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 1: clear that she felt she had a difficult childhood and 60 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: strained complicated relationships with her parents. By the time Diane 61 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 1: reached age fourteen, she seemed determined to distance herself from them. 62 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: That's when she started going by Diane instead of Elizabeth. 63 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 1: She cut her hair short and bleached it blonde. She 64 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: started wearing more provocative, fashionable clothing. Diane also began to 65 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 1: show more of an interest in boys. You're hearing again 66 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:02,799 Speaker 1: from Female Criminals host Vanessa Richardson and Sammy Night talking 67 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: about Diane claiming that she had been molested by her father. Now, 68 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: of course the parents deny it. Is it true? I 69 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: don't know the answer to that. Of course the parents 70 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,919 Speaker 1: deny it, but maybe they're telling the truth. However, to 71 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: doctor Daniel Bober, forensic psychiatrist, we also know that changing 72 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: your behavior. For instance, we know that after high school 73 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: she enrolled a Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College in Orange County, 74 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: Boa was expelled after just one year for promiscuity. So 75 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: revealing clothing, changing your behavior promiscuity before we judge her 76 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: on that that is a sign that you have been molested. Yes, 77 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: Nancy that's true. Like you said, the promisecurity, or what 78 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: we call in the field acting out sort of replaying 79 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:00,359 Speaker 1: the trauma over and over again, can be a sign 80 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: that someone was abused. When they start displaying sort of 81 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 1: the sexually inappropriate or promiscuous behavior can definitely be a 82 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 1: red flag that abuse has gone on. Well, also, you know, 83 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: you left out something pretty important, John Lumley. He says 84 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: she had three children in the home. Well, you forgot 85 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: to mention the husband how to assectomy. So where'd that 86 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: third child come from? Bro It seems that raising two 87 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: children was enough for Stephen, and he had a vasectomy. 88 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: This didn't stop Diane from getting pregnant again though, and 89 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 1: this time, well the first time she decides to have 90 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: an abortion. She actually named the aborted child Carrie. The 91 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: Downs moved to Mesa, Arizona, where they found jobs at 92 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: a mobile home manufacturing company. There is where Diane began 93 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: having affairs with some of her male co workers, and 94 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 1: that's when she became pregnant with this third child. Now, wait, 95 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: where does the abortion fit in? That is between her 96 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: first two children and the third one that's born in Arizona, 97 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: And it doesn't seem it was just a series of affairs. 98 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: There's a deep psychological issue. Listen to this. This is 99 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: a detective Doug Welch. She enjoyed having relationships with married men. 100 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: I think the control factor there was important to her. 101 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: On her number of occasions, she would start telling us 102 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: about her boyfriend in Arizona and what a great guy 103 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: he was and how much she missed him, and how 104 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: she wanted him to join her in Oregon. No, you 105 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: listen to me, I have enough. But Diane's boyfriend had 106 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: no intention of moving to Oregon. He told her it 107 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: was over, he was going back to his wife. But 108 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: Diane wouldn't accept it. She keeps writing seductive letters. Her 109 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: obsession was becoming a fatal attraction for those who simply 110 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: got in her way. You know that is very very 111 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: telling to doctor Daniel Bober, forensic psychiatrist. When people become 112 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: objects to you, when they're simply a speed bump in 113 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: the road, a hurdle for you to get over, not 114 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: treating them as actual people, that's got to be a 115 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:43,439 Speaker 1: psychological disorder. If not insanity, what is it. No, there 116 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: are some people that you know, treat people as a 117 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: tool for their own gratification. And you know that could 118 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: actually be a part of many disorders, whether you've been 119 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: abused yourself or whether you have antisocial tendencies. But I 120 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: agree with you, well, of course this behavior ends up 121 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:00,839 Speaker 1: with a divorce, and I can't say the husband had 122 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: clean hands either, didn't want to have a family. He 123 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,959 Speaker 1: cheated on her. As they said a quote roving eye. 124 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: We all know what that means. Take a Lissa to 125 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: female criminals. Diane divorced Stephen Downs and her new boyfriend, 126 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: Mac Richmond and his two daughters quickly moved in. But 127 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 1: Mack soon realized that Diane was not the person she 128 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 1: had appeared to be. At work, Diane was lighthearted and fun. 129 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: At home, she was angry and cruel. According to Mac, 130 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:35,839 Speaker 1: she often called her children to meaning names. She would 131 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: find the children off to babysitters, or if a babysitter 132 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: couldn't be found, she would leave six year old Christie 133 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: in charge. A neighbor reported that Cheryl would often go 134 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: to her house asking for food because her mother hadn't 135 00:09:50,040 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: fed her and she didn't know where Diane was. Prime 136 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: stories with Nancy Grace. Mac had had enough of Diane 137 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: and he left her, but Diane had other things on 138 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,719 Speaker 1: her mind while she was with Mac. She had been 139 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 1: matched with a family looking for a surrogate, and now 140 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 1: it was finally time to go to Kentucky and get inseminated. 141 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: Diane easily conceived, and she went back home to Arizona 142 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: as happy as could be, literally filled with new life. 143 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: Diane was always happiest when she was pregnant, and this 144 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 1: time was no exception. But while Diane was on a high, 145 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: her children were not faring quite as well. According to 146 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: neighbors and Diane's co workers, the mistreatment Mac observed was 147 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 1: not uncommon. Diane often left the children alone, dressed them 148 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: improper relief for winter weather, and occasionally hit them. But 149 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: Diane didn't think she was doing anything wrong. She saw 150 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: herself as a good mother, someone who was meant to 151 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 1: bring children into the world. Let me understand that you're 152 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: hearing the podcast Female Criminals. I don't understand, John Limley, 153 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 1: Crime online dot Com investigative reporter. You're telling me that 154 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: this woman who has had an abortion, not judging that 155 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: is legal in our jurisprident system. But then she wanted 156 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: to be a surrogate mom. Well, okay, maybe you can 157 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 1: have a change of heart about giving birth the dichotomy 158 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: I don't understand. Let me go to Daryl Cohen on this, 159 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: former prosecutor, current defense attorney. If you're mistreating your own children, 160 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 1: why would you get such joy out of being a 161 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,680 Speaker 1: surrogate for another baby? Nancy. You can't get logical on this. 162 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: This is an emotional thing. This woman is off the 163 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:58,439 Speaker 1: charts and it makes no sense. So those of us 164 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 1: who are lawyers and think like lawyers are not going 165 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 1: to have any ability to figure out what's going on 166 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: in this woman's mind. It makes no sense to me. 167 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: So I can't give you an answer. I just don't 168 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: have one. You know what's interesting, it's something you just said, Darryl, 169 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: and I think Bober and Vincent Hill will get it. 170 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: Hold on, John lenn this is not a slight to you. 171 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: Once you've been at to law school. And I mean 172 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: I went into law school as is shakespearean literature major, okay, 173 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: And when you get in law school it really changes 174 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: the way you think. You think differently. You analyze everything immediately. 175 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: Like if I walk into a room, I immediately see 176 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 1: one hundred things. Why is there sugar on the counter 177 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 1: or has the dog been in here. Why is this? 178 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: Why is that? Just a million different things and what 179 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,199 Speaker 1: they mean. So trying to figure out, Vincent Hill, you're 180 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 1: a cop turned PI why she wanted to get rid 181 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: of one baby, mistreat her current children, and then be 182 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: a surrogate. I mean that just blows our minds. Yeah, Nancy, 183 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 1: that makes zero sense at all. I guess it just 184 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: tells you what kind of psychopaths she really is to 185 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 1: even consider doing that and bringing another child into this world. 186 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: It's just mind boggling. To Daniel Bober forensic psychiatrists joining us. 187 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: Maybe it was her feelings about the abortion that she 188 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: always wish she could get that child back, but that's 189 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: not consistent with mistreating her own children. Yeah, it doesn't 190 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: really make logical sense, Nancy. But sometimes people's behavior is 191 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: just incomprehensible and it's difficult to tell what their motivations are. 192 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:49,359 Speaker 1: So John Limley, she after the divorce with Stephen Danny Downs, 193 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 1: who's the father of we know two of her children, 194 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 1: and the third one was born during the marriage. Somewhere 195 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 1: in there was the abortion. Then we have the Matt 196 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 1: the boyfriend, and he moves out. He knews his daughter's 197 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,199 Speaker 1: move out that's when she starts a surgacy business. How 198 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: did that work out? Actually, the surrogacy idea comes to 199 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: her right after her divorce with Stephen, and she during 200 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: this time spent a few years moving in and out 201 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: with different men, having affairs with married men, at times, 202 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: trying to reconcile with Stephen, and finally to help her 203 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 1: support her say, hey, wa wa wa wa wait wait wait. 204 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: I agree with you about the disdain for being with 205 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: married partners. But John Lemley, I don't like the tone 206 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: of your voice. Men have affairs all the time and 207 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: everybody's like, whoa good for you? Women do it and 208 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: they're a tramp, they're a big Let me just say horror. 209 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: So you know, John Lemley, But I do agree with 210 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: you on the married bit. With all the men in 211 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: the world, why do you have to pick a married 212 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 1: one for Pete's sake? You know, no offense, gentleman. But 213 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: my grandmother used to say menter like buses, just wait 214 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: fifteen minutes, another one will come right along. So you know, 215 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 1: why do you have to pick a married one? Okay, 216 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: that's neither here nor there. So what happened with the 217 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: surrogacy business, right editorializing aside. To help support herself, she 218 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: decided to become a surrogate mother, but she actually failed 219 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: two psychiatric exams required for the applicants. One of the 220 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 1: tests showed that Diane was very intelligent but also psychotic. 221 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: She found this very funny and would even brag about 222 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 1: it to friends. That Diane was finally accepted into a 223 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 1: surrogate program, to which she was paid ten thousand dollars 224 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: after successfully carrying a child to full term. It's interesting 225 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 1: that after this experience, Grant Grant, Yes, hey, you know what, 226 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 1: It's just it's not worth it. I'm thinking back when 227 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 1: I was pregnant with the ends. Oh I nearly died, 228 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 1: and so did Lucy. I won't tell that story again, 229 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: but forget it. Keep the money. So she got ten 230 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: grand for one surrogacy, and then what happened tohn Linley. Well, 231 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 1: right after that, she actually had this scheme in her 232 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: head where she was going to open her own surrogate clinic, 233 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: but that venture quickly failed. Then her world turns upside down. 234 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: I'm letting me come up there. Listen to him, Shelby, Shelby, 235 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: let's go, Mark, what is it? Just shot my cancers. 236 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: Judy call a cold is bad. I was trying to 237 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: get help. I was leaning on the whole. I couldn't move. 238 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:07,120 Speaker 1: I just couldn't make my legs move. What's going on? 239 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: These kids have been shot? Get me out there. He 240 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: might have followed, as you'd better call the police sooner, 241 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 1: but it gets some help. Whoa Her three children are 242 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: shot by a stranger with bushy hair, as she describes him. 243 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: And you're hearing fair of faucet and small sacrifices a 244 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: movie she shot about and dying downs. Take a listen 245 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: to this. The guy's still out there. He's got a gun. 246 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 1: I don't know where it took place. She said it 247 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,959 Speaker 1: was a country road. She said, the gun. Call my pa. 248 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,239 Speaker 1: I need to call my parents. I need to call 249 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 1: him to the police. Hold on, tell me again what 250 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 1: happens so that I can tell them. Somebody shot my 251 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 1: kids on the Mohawk Road. He was standing a little 252 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,440 Speaker 1: of the road. It was really dark, and somebody, God, 253 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:02,480 Speaker 1: they stopped the crawl. I got left in the world. 254 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:06,719 Speaker 1: My kids now, I'm not going there are doing all 255 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:10,679 Speaker 1: the him here, They're gonna wait. I'm I want to 256 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 1: be there when they wake up. Hut me. How if 257 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,439 Speaker 1: you just sit down for a moment. As soon as 258 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 1: the doctors know something, they'll tell you. He shot my kids. 259 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: He shot him over and over, and I keep hearing 260 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 1: the gun, and he shot me. I'm not a nurse, 261 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 1: but I can put something on me, some disinfected. I 262 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: keep seeing the blood, you know. Robbie was whimpering in 263 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: the backseat, and I kept saying him, oh cold asleep. Seanna, 264 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: she would just time she wanted making a sound, and 265 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: I kept saying her, wake up, Shanna. And Karen was choking, 266 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 1: and Seanna never made a sound. She never right. Want 267 00:18:50,240 --> 00:19:04,120 Speaker 1: your brother, you got the love that he I want 268 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: his far my fart, and I can't get it. I 269 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:28,119 Speaker 1: don't let my kids dying. Don let my kids. I 270 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: just kept going. I couldn't stop. I said, oh God, 271 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 1: help me, just don't let him suffer. Don't let my 272 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,640 Speaker 1: little kids suffer. So I just kept driving and driving 273 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: and driving as fast as I could. Can we go? Now? 274 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 1: I want to see my kids. I bet she does 275 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: want to see her kids before they wake up and 276 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: start talking. That Small Sacrifice is a movie made about 277 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: dying downs, and that's fair of fauce. It play, Diane 278 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: Downs herself. That's what she's telling police to John Limley, 279 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 1: Crime online dot Com investigative reporter. How come all of 280 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: the children are shot, but she's able to drive and 281 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: has even bandished her own hand and not them. That's 282 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: one of the first things that just doesn't make a 283 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: bit of sense to police at the time. Nancy, it's interesting, 284 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: no small choice that the producers of that movie small 285 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: sacrifices made in using that Duran Durand song Hungry Like 286 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:39,440 Speaker 1: the Wolf, because according to one of Diane's children, that 287 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 1: is the song that was playing at the time of 288 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 1: the shooting. WHOA I want you to listen to k 289 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 1: e z I TV producer Sean Choppy about what happened 290 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: at the time, and as Diane Downs gives us a 291 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: description of the shooter, side panels of the car were 292 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 1: covered in blood. There was a young girl in the 293 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: front passenger seat, another young girl and a small boy 294 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: who they could hear gasping for air in the back. 295 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: All three were soaked in blood. The girl in the 296 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:17,159 Speaker 1: back seat, Cheryl, was dead. Would I see most of 297 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: blood coming out of Christie's mouth, because that's what I see. 298 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:25,959 Speaker 1: I can't see Danny and I can't see share sharing 299 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: land on the far Medix quickly went to work on 300 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 1: the other two children who were still alive, and then 301 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 1: what doctors call nothing short of a miracle, both children 302 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:38,200 Speaker 1: were saved, despite Christy having been shot in the chest 303 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 1: and Danny in the back. Wow, you're hearing producer Sean 304 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:46,679 Speaker 1: Shoppy describing what happened. What would be the motive to 305 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:52,400 Speaker 1: Vincent Hill, PI, author of playboit to a murder? Why 306 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: would you just shoot up a whole car of people? 307 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 1: Not a robbery, not a sex attack, not a kidnapping, 308 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: maybe an attempt to carjacking that didn't work. What was 309 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,920 Speaker 1: the motive? And we hear her now describing a quote 310 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:11,399 Speaker 1: Bushy heared stranger. Yeah, Nancy, I mean according to miss Downs, 311 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 1: that was the motive. Then this individual wanted the car. 312 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 1: But keep in mind, there's a lot of people in 313 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: this car and Nancy, who's going to stick around that 314 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 1: long and doing all these shots when they can just 315 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: move on to a different car. So from the beginning 316 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 1: it sounds kind of suspicious. Oh, good point, Vincent Hill, 317 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:32,439 Speaker 1: good point. You know, Daryl coh and I remember the 318 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:36,199 Speaker 1: first carjack murder case. I ever handled. And there was 319 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 1: a teen boy standing out in his front yard of 320 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 1: the home he shared with his mom and dad by 321 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,679 Speaker 1: his car, and people came by a carjack him who 322 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:48,439 Speaker 1: was trying to get in his car. As I recall, 323 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:52,199 Speaker 1: that was just one person. Why would you target a 324 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:57,879 Speaker 1: car with three children and a mom driving, Because once again, 325 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: the logic is not there. It's the emotion and the 326 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 1: movement of the moment. You can't make this stuff out. 327 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:08,200 Speaker 1: Take a listen to k ez ITV producer Sean Chopping 328 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,679 Speaker 1: would have a motive to do this or if it 329 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 1: is just some total stranger. As the night wore on, 330 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:17,640 Speaker 1: though investigators and hospital staff were stunned by Down's demeanor, 331 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 1: she was not hysterical, not crying. She even left the 332 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: hospital to show investigators the location of the shooting. He 333 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: did not take time to point the gun and shoot me, obviously, 334 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,639 Speaker 1: because he would have shot me the same way he 335 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: did the kids. When he was swinging in the direction 336 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: of the keys, firing the gun, he hit my arm. 337 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: Everybody says, you sure were lucky. Well, I don't feel 338 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:44,640 Speaker 1: very lucky. I couldn't tie my damn shoes for about 339 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 1: two months. You are hearing Diane Downs in her own words. 340 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:51,880 Speaker 1: That is not an actress playing her. That is her 341 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,880 Speaker 1: describing how she managed to escape a mass shooting of 342 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: all of her children in her car with just a 343 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 1: wound to her arm. That is her own words describing 344 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: what happened. Take a listen to this. Danny is just crying, real, 345 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,439 Speaker 1: real soft, so that sound stays in my mind. And 346 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 1: the fact that Christie's choking Downs told police a shaggy 347 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: haired stranger had waved them down. He pulled a gun 348 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:22,880 Speaker 1: on them, asked for the keys, and when Downs refused 349 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:25,880 Speaker 1: to hand them over, open fire on all three children. 350 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,359 Speaker 1: I'm sure he didn't intend to shoot my arm. The 351 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 1: gun kept firing and firing and firing, and it made 352 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,159 Speaker 1: was monotonous. It just kept going. It was like a 353 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 1: slow motion picture. When he swung around, he was pointing. 354 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:44,919 Speaker 1: When he swung around, it hit the tips of my fingers. 355 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 1: The gun hit the tips of my fingers, and that 356 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: snapped me and I went dam a minute. I'm not 357 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: trapped by a society. I don't care if he is bigger. 358 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:57,200 Speaker 1: If I stand here and I say, yeah, here, take 359 00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,159 Speaker 1: the keys, I mean there's nothing I can do. You 360 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: win because you have the gun. My kids are gonna die, 361 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: and I'm not gonna let my kids die. And so 362 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:09,720 Speaker 1: instead of giving him the keyese I feigned throwing the keys. 363 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:14,639 Speaker 1: You are hearing in her own words describing how three 364 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:20,199 Speaker 1: of her children are shot, barely breathing, bleeding from the 365 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:26,560 Speaker 1: chest to doctor Daniel Bober earlier, we're hearing about how 366 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: the hospital staff we're concerned because we're calm demeanor, you know, 367 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 1: I'm defense attorneys always argue there's no playbook for well, 368 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 1: this is the title of your book, Vincent Hill, Playbook 369 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: to Murder, but there's no playbook to murder or playbook 370 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:47,320 Speaker 1: to grief. While I find it very convincing, having been 371 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,520 Speaker 1: a crime victim myself and dealt literally with thousands of 372 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:54,160 Speaker 1: crime victims, you know that there is a point maybe 373 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,200 Speaker 1: you go into shock, and that comes across as being calm, 374 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: doctor Bober yeatsy. You know they always talked a fight 375 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:03,399 Speaker 1: or flight, but it's really fight, flight or freeze. And 376 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: some people can be calm or under pressure. And you know, 377 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 1: one of your guests had said something interesting before about 378 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: her some of her testing showing psychosis, and when people 379 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:15,600 Speaker 1: are out of touch with reality, sometimes their responses are 380 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: consistent with what you would think, or that's how they 381 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 1: would respond or how they should respond. Take a listen 382 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: speaking of her retelling the events where all of her 383 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:27,919 Speaker 1: children are shot, she narrowly escapes with a graze to 384 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: the arm. Take a listen to Detective Doug Welch. Diane 385 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: was driving down the road in this direction and about 386 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:49,880 Speaker 1: where I'm standing, she said. A stranger appeared and flagged 387 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: her down. She stopped her car, stepped out with the 388 00:26:55,600 --> 00:27:00,920 Speaker 1: door open, and said, what's the problem. He replied, I 389 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 1: want your car. She said, You've got to be kidding, 390 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: at which time she claims that he pushed her aside, 391 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:21,400 Speaker 1: leaned in the vehicle, and shocked the children. She claims 392 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:26,680 Speaker 1: to have fake throwing her car keys off in the field. 393 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: He fired the weapon and struck her in the left forearm. 394 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:41,919 Speaker 1: She then pushed him away and jumped in her car, and, 395 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: according to her version, roared off down the road to 396 00:27:46,760 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 1: the hospital. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace TV reporter and Jagger, 397 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: like others, starts asking tough questions. I asked her, I said, 398 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:15,680 Speaker 1: you know, I just have one more question for you. 399 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:20,919 Speaker 1: Why would you put the towel around your arm. You 400 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: know when your children are bleeding. She said, I thought 401 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 1: that if I didn't save myself and I bled to death, 402 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 1: that I wouldn't be able to save my children. Wow. Wow. 403 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:36,920 Speaker 1: More from female Killers to John Limley. What are, if any, 404 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:42,080 Speaker 1: the inconsistencies between the physical evidence and her Diane Down's story. Well, 405 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,840 Speaker 1: when it comes down to it, her story of events 406 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 1: just weren't holding up under forensic investigation. Mainly, the blood 407 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: splatters in the car did not match her version of 408 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 1: what occurred, and gunpowder residue was simply not where it 409 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 1: should have been. Andy made by that exactly, it was 410 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: not found on the hand that there was gunpowder on 411 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 1: her arm where there shouldn't have been gunpowder. It should 412 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 1: have been on the killer's arm instead. Speaking of her arm, 413 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 1: although broken when shot, that was superficial compared to that 414 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: of her children. It was also discovered that she failed 415 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 1: to admit to owning a twenty two caliber handgun, which 416 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:31,719 Speaker 1: was the very same type used at the crime scene. 417 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: They then find Diane's diary. This is found during a 418 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 1: police search of the home, and in her diary she 419 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:44,280 Speaker 1: writes obsessively about the love of her life at the time, 420 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 1: Robert Knickerbocker, and of particular interest was the parts about 421 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 1: him not wanting to raise children. You know something you 422 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 1: just said, John Linley, really sparked my interestness reminded me 423 00:29:56,360 --> 00:30:01,680 Speaker 1: very much of Susan Smith. Remember her Daryl Cohen wasn't 424 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 1: Susan Smith out of South Carolina, and she had the 425 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: three little boys strapped in the car seat and claimed, 426 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 1: Oh I remember when it happened. I was in the 427 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:13,920 Speaker 1: middle of trying her case and my longtime friend, now 428 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 1: Judge Herman Sloan had come in with some type of 429 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 1: law I needed to get something into evidence. He was 430 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:24,120 Speaker 1: sitting at the table beside me, and right then the 431 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:27,200 Speaker 1: sketch came out of the alleged perpetrator and the Susan 432 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,239 Speaker 1: Smith case where all three of her boys drowned and 433 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 1: she miraculously survived. The sketch looked exactly like my friend, 434 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: the now judge, Herman Sloan, who of course had been 435 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:40,959 Speaker 1: with me at the time. Just so you know, he 436 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 1: didn't do it. At the time Susan Smith children were killed. 437 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 1: Yet another carjacking out in the middle of nowhere at 438 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 1: an intersection on I guess a dirt road or a 439 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:56,080 Speaker 1: rural road. Same thing here, Darrel Cohen, her boyfriend, Susan Smith, 440 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:01,959 Speaker 1: her rich boyfriend, unmarried, did not want children, and bam, 441 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: suddenly there were no children. Darryl, all right, So Nancy, 442 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: all it takes is drive your car on a very 443 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 1: isolated road, drive into a lake, let them stay there, 444 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: and you get out and oh my gosh, I've been hijack. 445 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:20,840 Speaker 1: Poof kids are gone, just like Disney, except the bad Disney, 446 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:23,280 Speaker 1: he said, rather than a good one. Another issue that 447 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 1: Jackie Howard here in the studio is raised that a 448 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 1: car came up behind her at the time of the shootings. 449 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 1: Was it at night? Jack And the car said she 450 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: was going so slowly they had to go around her. 451 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 1: I wonder what was going on in that car. So 452 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: another issue I have. Vincent hilled Pi, author of playbook 453 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 1: to a Murder on Amazon. It's her description of the perpetrator, 454 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 1: all right, just like Susan Smith, just like Sam Shepherd. 455 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 1: I remember he sat a group of hippies with long 456 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: hair and floppy clothes or hats or something came in 457 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: killed everybody in the home but him. It's a bushey 458 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 1: aired stranger. Vincent. That's it. That's all I got. A 459 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:07,640 Speaker 1: bushy haired stranger. Yeah, help me, Nancy. It was nineteen 460 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:11,520 Speaker 1: eighty four. Everybody had bushy hair, just like with Susan Smith. 461 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:14,000 Speaker 1: It was a black guy with a beanie cat well 462 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety four, in October in South Carolina, which 463 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 1: where I was living at the time. Hey, that could 464 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 1: have been me. So it was just this very vague 465 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:26,200 Speaker 1: description that would have matched anybody in the area, Nancy. 466 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:28,920 Speaker 1: So that was red flag number one. Hey, actually, where 467 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:32,360 Speaker 1: were you that day? Okay, I'll pursue that line questioning later, 468 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 1: but right now, take a listen to Ka Easy I 469 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:40,080 Speaker 1: TV producer Sean Choppy ten. She still maintains she's innocent, 470 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,000 Speaker 1: though her story has changed from the bushy haired stranger 471 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 1: to two men in ski masks to the most recent 472 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 1: tale that involved a phone call that lured her to 473 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:51,200 Speaker 1: the road to pick up evidence for a supposed FBI 474 00:32:51,320 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 1: boyfriend she had at the time. Was there a time 475 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 1: when I had doubtd? Yes, there was the first night. 476 00:32:57,200 --> 00:33:00,360 Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, I had doubts. Dianne had 477 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 1: been shot in the left arm and she's right handed, 478 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,240 Speaker 1: and I made the comment to the police department there 479 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 1: that night. It looks to me like Diane did it, 480 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 1: because if children have been shot in the chest and 481 00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 1: Diane has only been shot in the arm, and I says, 482 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 1: media looks like she didn't. Guys, you're hearing Diane Down's 483 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:25,320 Speaker 1: own father, Wes Frederickson telling Kazi that he had doubts 484 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:29,440 Speaker 1: the very night of the shooting. But there was a 485 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 1: fly in the ointment. Aside from the so called bushy 486 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: haired stranger who turned into two men in a ski 487 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:39,400 Speaker 1: mask who turned into an evildoer who lured her out 488 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:43,640 Speaker 1: with a phone call, the fly in the ointment her 489 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 1: daughter listen to female killers. The Diane's plan ultimately fails. 490 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 1: There is a witness who can put her away from murder. 491 00:33:54,800 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: After all, Christie the daughter, and we needed christ to 492 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 1: get well enough to be able to take the stand 493 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:10,560 Speaker 1: and testify as to what happened. Christie does get better 494 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:19,440 Speaker 1: and finally in court tells the world her mom was 495 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: the killer. After diannowns, the stories change and the forensic 496 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:29,080 Speaker 1: evidence is reviewed, the case goes to trial. Listen to toffee, 497 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 1: prosecuting attorney Fred Huge would paint a picture of a 498 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:34,840 Speaker 1: woman obsessed with a married man, who didn't want to 499 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:37,920 Speaker 1: have kids and who wouldn't see her when children were around. 500 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:39,759 Speaker 1: We're going to try and push this thing too a fact, 501 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,120 Speaker 1: flighting as quickly as possible, and you'll see that there's 502 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:46,799 Speaker 1: nothing there. Doctors took the stand and told stories of 503 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 1: a woman who showed up to the hospital with a 504 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:52,000 Speaker 1: dead daughter and two other kids clinging to life, yet 505 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 1: who shed nary a tear. Jurors were taken to the 506 00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 1: scene of the crime. A model of the car was 507 00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 1: brought in. The blood splatters on the outside the car 508 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:03,919 Speaker 1: showing Downs shot Cheryl. Outside of the car, we saw 509 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:09,239 Speaker 1: pictures of this so called spatter. It's drops when they 510 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:11,719 Speaker 1: took the kids. They took Chris and Share out of 511 00:35:11,719 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 1: the driver's side of the car, and it's blood droplets. 512 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 1: The children's bloody clothes were shown. But the most dramatic 513 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:22,759 Speaker 1: and probably most damning evidence came when Christie Downs, now 514 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:26,480 Speaker 1: eight years old, took the stand. Down's own daughter testified 515 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:30,120 Speaker 1: against her. Christie Downs was asked by prosecutor Fred Huge, 516 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:33,680 Speaker 1: do you know who shot Cheryl? Christie said quietly yes. 517 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:37,680 Speaker 1: The prosecutor struggled to keep his own composure. Who the 518 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 1: young girl sobbed, my mom, Wow, can you even imagine 519 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 1: having to testify. I guess your own mom Well, believe 520 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: it or not, there is another twist to the story. 521 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:55,279 Speaker 1: Listen to this. The trial would last six weeks and 522 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 1: then on June seventeenth, the verdict came. In the moment 523 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:01,359 Speaker 1: of truth came early Sunday morning at twelve forty five, 524 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,240 Speaker 1: a jury of nine women and three men found Downs 525 00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:07,040 Speaker 1: guilty of two counts of attempted murder and two counts 526 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 1: of assault. The night before, between the time of the 527 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:13,560 Speaker 1: verdict and the sentencing, Downs gave birth to a baby girl, Amy, 528 00:36:13,719 --> 00:36:17,120 Speaker 1: who was put up for adoption. Downs received a life sense. 529 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:19,560 Speaker 1: There was no death sentence at the time, and in 530 00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty seven, she escaped from the Oregon Women's Correctional Center. 531 00:36:23,719 --> 00:36:26,000 Speaker 1: She was moved to a prison in New Jersey and 532 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:28,640 Speaker 1: then eventually moved back to the West Coast to a 533 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:33,440 Speaker 1: California prison. She calls home today. What wait, wait, wait, 534 00:36:33,719 --> 00:36:37,480 Speaker 1: John Lemley, Am I hearing correctly? How is she pregnant 535 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 1: during the trial? Yes, this is another inconceivable twist. The 536 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,359 Speaker 1: woman on trial for shooting her own children when she 537 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,400 Speaker 1: shows up for the trial, she is pregnant again and 538 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:52,160 Speaker 1: it is no accident. She even in one of her 539 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:56,520 Speaker 1: strange media appearances, speaks about the pregnancy. She said that 540 00:36:56,560 --> 00:36:59,920 Speaker 1: she got pregnant because she missed Christie. She missed Danny 541 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:04,160 Speaker 1: and Cheryl so much. She said, you can't replace the 542 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:07,800 Speaker 1: effect they have you and the love. But she said, 543 00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:12,960 Speaker 1: you can conceive another child and give that love to 544 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:15,880 Speaker 1: the new child. So it seems that Diane had picked 545 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:19,880 Speaker 1: someone on her postal route to seduce prior to the 546 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:22,160 Speaker 1: start of her trial to get pregnant. This is why 547 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:25,840 Speaker 1: people should not be out on bond, Daryl Cohen, Here's 548 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:28,400 Speaker 1: a woman charger who shooting all three of her children, 549 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:34,320 Speaker 1: faking her own shooting, and why is she out seducing 550 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:37,400 Speaker 1: a postal worker? Help me, Daryl. There is no logic, 551 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:40,160 Speaker 1: but I can tell you this. The magistrate was likely 552 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:43,360 Speaker 1: a male, she was pregnant, and they were worried about 553 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:46,520 Speaker 1: her because she and her pregnant state was someone they 554 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:49,000 Speaker 1: didn't want to have incarcerated for something that could have 555 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 1: happened to the child. That's the only logic I can see. 556 00:37:52,239 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 1: It makes no sense. I don't think anybody knew. I 557 00:37:54,719 --> 00:37:57,920 Speaker 1: don't think anybody knew Darryl Well at the time, because 558 00:37:59,120 --> 00:38:01,319 Speaker 1: what do you know, John Limley, did the judge know 559 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 1: when he led her out on bond that she was pregnant? 560 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:07,120 Speaker 1: She couldn't have been pregnant and at that time was 561 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:10,840 Speaker 1: not Okay, I'm sorry, Yeah, I didn't know the dates either, Darrel. 562 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:13,719 Speaker 1: So the judge lets a woman out that has apparently 563 00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:17,279 Speaker 1: shot all three of her children, John Limley, I keep 564 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:19,879 Speaker 1: hearing about attempted murder. Is there a murder charge? Yes, 565 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:23,359 Speaker 1: there is, and that's connected with Sheryl, the child that died. 566 00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:26,520 Speaker 1: So was she found guilty of murder and two charges 567 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:31,520 Speaker 1: of attempted murder? Correct? Okay, guys, you may be wondering 568 00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:36,960 Speaker 1: about the pregnancy, the little baby that she conceived while 569 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:41,080 Speaker 1: she was out on bond. Take a listen to this 570 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:45,360 Speaker 1: On Oprah, Becky says she always do. She was adopted, 571 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:48,760 Speaker 1: but when she turned eight, she started asking questions about 572 00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:52,480 Speaker 1: her biological mother. My mom told me that she was 573 00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:55,440 Speaker 1: in prison, that there was a book about her, and 574 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:57,600 Speaker 1: when I was old enough, she would tell me more. 575 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,400 Speaker 1: But three years later, Becky still didn't have any answers, 576 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:04,759 Speaker 1: so she took the babysitter into revealing the name of 577 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:08,520 Speaker 1: her birth mother, Diane Downs. From there, I went to 578 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:11,719 Speaker 1: the bookstore. I slipped through the pictures and there was 579 00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:13,880 Speaker 1: a picture of Diane sitting at a table with her 580 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 1: hand up and her fingers were eerily the same as mine, 581 00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:22,600 Speaker 1: like identically, And it scared me, and I slammed the 582 00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:27,280 Speaker 1: bookshut and I left. At sixteen, a boyfriend showed Becky 583 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:30,960 Speaker 1: the TV movie based on her mother's life, starring Fara Fawcett. 584 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:35,040 Speaker 1: It was then she says the reality of who Diane 585 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:39,319 Speaker 1: downs was truly sunk in. She's not a mother, She's 586 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:43,240 Speaker 1: a monster. Wow. Can you imagine carrying that baggage around 587 00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:46,240 Speaker 1: your whole life? But she went to a happy home 588 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:51,640 Speaker 1: now known as Becky Babcock. You hear her speaking to Oprah. 589 00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:53,759 Speaker 1: You know, John Lemley, you dropped another bomb on me? 590 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:57,439 Speaker 1: Did you say she escaped? Is this after she gave 591 00:39:57,480 --> 00:40:00,440 Speaker 1: birth to Becky? Right? And this is why she was 592 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:06,000 Speaker 1: at incarcerated at Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem. She 593 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:10,400 Speaker 1: escaped on July eleventh, nineteen eighty seven, but was fairly 594 00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 1: quickly recaptured just a few blocks away from the prison, 595 00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 1: so she got life behind bars. She escapes, she goes 596 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:21,279 Speaker 1: back inn she gets five years on the escape which 597 00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:24,399 Speaker 1: I'm sure is going to run concurrent. But here's the deal. 598 00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:26,920 Speaker 1: She's already been up for parole. She first went up 599 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:30,640 Speaker 1: in two thousand and eight. You know, she was denied 600 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:34,719 Speaker 1: at that time. Then she came up in two thousand 601 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:38,919 Speaker 1: and ten. She was denied in two thousand and ten. 602 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:46,000 Speaker 1: Now she's coming up next year for parole again. You know, 603 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:51,560 Speaker 1: she looked like a model straight off of Vogue or Cosmopolitan. 604 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:56,080 Speaker 1: She actually reminds me of that photo of Fara Faucet 605 00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:58,879 Speaker 1: in the red swimsuit that turned into a poster. I'm 606 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:04,759 Speaker 1: sure all you guys are remember that. But yes, but 607 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:09,319 Speaker 1: the reality is that she was anything but that. Doctor 608 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:11,920 Speaker 1: Daniel Bober, I think I need a shrink, doctor Bober. 609 00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:19,840 Speaker 1: It is so complex. This entire story of Diane downs 610 00:41:19,880 --> 00:41:24,120 Speaker 1: how she wanted desperately to have a family, and she 611 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,439 Speaker 1: tricked her first husband into getting pregnant, started a family 612 00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:31,239 Speaker 1: even when he didn't want to. How after he got 613 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:34,520 Speaker 1: a vasectomy, she got pregnant by somebody else. Then while 614 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:37,239 Speaker 1: she was out on bond, she gets pregnant. But the 615 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:41,239 Speaker 1: reality is that she shot all of her children. It's 616 00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:45,520 Speaker 1: just except for the one that was adopted. Becky Babcott, 617 00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:49,400 Speaker 1: and for those of you that are wondering, don't worry 618 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:53,320 Speaker 1: about her two children that lived. The two surviving children 619 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:56,600 Speaker 1: actually went with one of the prosecutors in the case, 620 00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:01,040 Speaker 1: Fred Huge. He and his wife, Choeenne, adopted them and 621 00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:06,200 Speaker 1: they I think recovered as best as you can. But 622 00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:10,520 Speaker 1: doctor Daniel Bober is so complex. What's going on in 623 00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:14,640 Speaker 1: her mind and the wake of pain she's left behind 624 00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:17,440 Speaker 1: hers almost more than I can take in, Doctor Bober. 625 00:42:17,480 --> 00:42:19,839 Speaker 1: You gotta make some sense of it. Yeah, Nancy, there 626 00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:22,440 Speaker 1: doesn't seem to be really any linear pattern of reasoning 627 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:24,440 Speaker 1: here that goes along with anything. I mean, it sounds 628 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:26,680 Speaker 1: like this woman was just not in touch with reality 629 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:29,279 Speaker 1: and at times she was ambivalent, feeling like she was 630 00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:33,000 Speaker 1: being pulled in both directions. There's really no consistency here, 631 00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:35,160 Speaker 1: so it's really hard to make sense of what do 632 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:38,680 Speaker 1: you mean she was pulled in both directions. And also, 633 00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:41,720 Speaker 1: just to tell you how gorgeous she was at the time, 634 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:45,279 Speaker 1: she was referred to as Princess die because she looked 635 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:48,400 Speaker 1: like Princess Diane. Of course behind bars it was Princess 636 00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:55,640 Speaker 1: Die d Ie, so her facade was very different than 637 00:42:55,680 --> 00:43:00,960 Speaker 1: what was behind. What was lurking in her mind, Doctor Bober. 638 00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:04,240 Speaker 1: It seems like, you know, at times she wanted kids, 639 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:06,879 Speaker 1: but then she did everything she could to not have kids. 640 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:09,399 Speaker 1: So there's really no consistency, That's what I'm saying. So 641 00:43:09,560 --> 00:43:12,000 Speaker 1: right now, where does it stand, John Lyndle. She's coming 642 00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:14,200 Speaker 1: up for parole again in a couple of months, Yes, 643 00:43:14,239 --> 00:43:18,760 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty, when she will be sixty five years old. Hey, Nancy, 644 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:20,960 Speaker 1: you know this as well as I do. Parole boards 645 00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:25,359 Speaker 1: usually look for two things, remorse and accountability, and in 646 00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:28,759 Speaker 1: both times she's gone before the board, she hasn't shown that. 647 00:43:28,840 --> 00:43:31,000 Speaker 1: So if she doesn't show that this time, it's going 648 00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:33,080 Speaker 1: to be the same results. She's going to be back 649 00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:37,799 Speaker 1: in jail. As justice unfolds. Diane Downs now coming up 650 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:42,640 Speaker 1: for parole. Nancy Grace Crime Story is signing off. Goodbye friend,