In 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs shot her three children and claimed a carjacker was responsible, sparking one of Oregon’s most notorious criminal cases.
The Shooting
On May 19, 1983, Downs shot her children—8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 3-year-old Stephen “Danny”—reportedly because a married man she was seeing did not want to be a father. Cheryl was killed, while Christie and Danny survived but suffered severe injuries; Danny remained partially paralyzed for life.
Investigation and Testimony
Initially, Downs claimed a stranger had attacked the children, but as Christie recovered, she testified that her mother had shot them. Investigators also discovered Downs’ diaries, revealing her obsession with her former coworker, Robert “Nick” Knickerbocker, and her motive to remove her children as obstacles to their relationship.
Conviction and Sentence
Downs was convicted of one count of murder and two counts each of first-degree assault and attempted murder. She was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, to be served consecutively. The judge remarked, “It is the hope of this court that this defendant never again be free.”
