Killer Mom : The True Story of Diane Downs

by Barbara Daley

At 22.48pm on May 19th, 1983, a young, single mother pulled up outside McKenzie-Willamette Hospital in Springfield, Oregon, in a blood-spattered Nissan Pulsar, repeatedly shouting that someone had shot her children. Hospital staff rushed to the car and found three children slumped inside. The mother, Diane Downs, had herself been shot in the left arm, which was wrapped in a blood-soaked towel.
As medics frantically tried to save the lives of the little ones, Diane told police that a man had flagged her down on the Old Mohawk Road, and demanded her car. When she had refused, he had leant into the car and shot her three children. According to Diane, she had struggled with the man who had then shot her in the arm. Pretending to throw the car keys into a field, she managed to distract the man long enough to get in her car and drive away, in a desperate bid to get the children to the hospital in time to save them. Tragically, 7-year-old Cheryl was already dead, and, although still alive, 3-year-old Danny and 8-year-old Christie were in a critical condition. The bone in Diane’s arm was shattered.
While the people of Oregon, and the wider community, reeled in shock at this heinous crime and fearful of the bushy haired killer whom Diane had described, and who was still at large, the police were turning their attention to someone closer to home – the mother herself, Diane Downs.

Genres: True Crime

49 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 20, 2017

Reviews

[Mirela · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are so many personalities , so many psychopaths in this world. Mothers that were never supposed to become parents , but unfortunately they did became one . . . Being a parent, goes beyond the act of giving someone life. We become responsible for someone else's life and these women treated their loved ones as disposable toys. Sad.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little more than a magazine article(s)

The writer of these TWO true crime stories takes a "just the facts" approach, spending little time elaborating on what happened. Like the Diane Downs child killings, the 2nd ("bonus") story is about an earlier mother, Janie, who killed her kids -- but also other family members. With the narratives focusing on "who did what and when," they come across as dry recitations of details, with minimal storytelling verve.

[Eva Whitley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Until I got this book, I had never thrown a book away. This was the first. I expect a BOOK, not liberally pirated sections of another book. Poorly produced, Barbara Daley should be ashamed of foisting this book off on people. Do not buy this book, if you have SMALL SACRIFICES, you already own this book. Even summarizing articles that were published in the Eugene-area newspapers back in the mid-80s would be an improvement. Adds nothing to the subject, just a naked money grab by a desperate wannabee.

[Sherri Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

This was a good read with other stories included. Great for true crime Biffs and mystery fans. Short and fast read.

[Karen]

too short. book had just the facts with no embellishments. still good though