Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
The story behind Small Sacrifices
Diane Downs drove her three wounded children to an Oregon hospital in 1983, claiming a stranger had shot them beside the road. Cheryl died; Christie and Danny survived serious injuries. Investigators challenged their mother’s account, and Christie testified against her. Downs was convicted of murder and the attempted murders of her surviving children.
Content note: violence, abuse, or loss. Linked material may contain graphic descriptions. Screen dramatizations may change events and dialogue.
Oregon, United States. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Map sources checked September 14, 2026. No case-specific Odd Stops location was found in this review.
See this case’s source review
Odd Stops
No verified match found. Source imagery is linked; only separately licensed photos are reproduced.
MurderData
No verified match found.
ArcGIS essay
Not included in this essay.
Reddit map
Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.
“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.
Watch links, previews, and historical title listings are identified below. Availability varies by service and region; rentals or subscriptions may be required.
A verified movie listing has not been added yet.
New material will appear here after editorial review.
03TV & documentaries
4 items
Watch links, previews, and historical title listings are identified below. Availability varies by service and region; rentals or subscriptions may be required.
en.wikipedia.org
Small Sacrifices (1989) — television adaptation
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
IMDb episode reference connected to the Diane Downs case. Listed release: 2020. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
IMDb episode reference connected to the Diane Downs case. Listed release: 2008. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Original newspaper coverage, hosted by Newspapers.com. Read each article in the context of its publication date; later findings may differ. Full-page access may require sign-in.
Featured newspaper clipping
Read a featured clipping here, then explore more reporting in the newspaper archive.
Statesman Journal · 1987-07-22 · Page 17
Salem residents react to Downs’s recapture
Local reporting records reactions after Diane Downs was recaptured following her escape from prison.
Historical reporting; read in the context of its publication date.
Loads the article viewer from Newspapers.com. That service receives your browser and connection information and may use cookies. Access is controlled by the publisher; a subscription may be needed for additional archive material.
Case videos, posts, family pages, and creator communities. Creator channels and groups cover multiple cases; each includes a link to the relevant episode. Facebook or TikTok may require sign-in, and groups may require membership approval. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting.
Absolute Crime
Why Diane Downs Shot Her 3 Children | World's Most Evil Killers | Absolute Crime
Video from Absolute Crime covering the Diane Downs case. Length: 44:51.
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “#073 The Tale of Killer Moms: Susan Smith, Diane Downs, Casey Anthony, & Stacey Barker.” This discussion group covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. Group rules or membership approval may limit access.
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “#073 The Tale of Killer Moms: Susan Smith, Diane Downs, Casey Anthony, & Stacey Barker.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
Outside blogs, personal essays, and creator write-ups. These reflect each author’s perspective. Check publication dates and compare claims with reporting and court records.
True Crime Stories · Blog / essay
Diane Downs
An outside blog or essay discussing Diane Downs. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription.
Individual records from Internet Archive: library books, historical broadcasts, and preserved web pages. A catalog listing does not guarantee free reading or full playback. Access, previews, and borrowing are controlled by Internet Archive.
Internet Archive · Library record · 1988
Small sacrifices : a true story of passion and murder
Rule, Ann. A library catalog record for a book connected with Diane Downs. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
Diane Downs, best kept secrets : her own true story
Downs, Diane, 1955-. A library catalog record for a book connected with Diane Downs. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
The archive indexes this broadcast under Diane Downs. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
Nightline : KGO : March 23, 2019 12:37am-1:07am PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Diane Downs. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
New material will appear here after editorial review.
11Court records & documents
1 items
Court opinions, filings, transcripts, and dockets, alongside clearly labeled parole records, released investigative files, and courtroom recordings. Each item identifies its source and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. These selections are not complete case files. Where an online document could not be verified, a separate guide identifies the records office or archive to contact.
Court opinionArchive copy
Downs v. Hoyt — federal habeas appeal
Federal review of Diane Downs’s challenge to the Oregon convictions arising from the shootings of her three children.
New material will appear here after editorial review.
13Where are they now?
0 items
The latest information verified for this collection is listed below. Each source has its own date; these are not live custody records.
A current-status update has not been verified for this case yet.
New material will appear here after editorial review.
14Positive Outcome
0 items
Documented laws, advocacy, and reforms connected to this case. Changes do not undo the harm, and listing a law does not claim that it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific law, reform, or advocacy initiative has been verified for this collection yet. This does not mean that none exists.
New material will appear here after editorial review.
Diane Downs — media, court records & case files | Unforgotten Casebook
07Social Media
10 itemsCase videos, posts, family pages, and creator communities. Creator channels and groups cover multiple cases; each includes a link to the relevant episode. Facebook or TikTok may require sign-in, and groups may require membership approval. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting.
Absolute Crime
Why Diane Downs Shot Her 3 Children | World's Most Evil Killers | Absolute Crime
Video from Absolute Crime covering the Diane Downs case. Length: 44:51.
Watch on YouTubeKendall Rae
The Disturbing Lies of Murderous Mother Diane Downs
Video from Kendall Rae covering the Diane Downs case. Length: 47:30.
Watch on YouTubedreading (crime and psychology)
When A Mother Kills Her Children: the case of diane downs |dreading
Video from dreading (crime and psychology) covering the Diane Downs case. Length: 1:19:20.
Watch on YouTubeFilmRise True Crime
World's Most Evil Killers - Season 3, Episode 2 - Diane Downs - Full Episode
Full episode or film as labeled by the publisher from FilmRise True Crime covering the Diane Downs case. Length: 45:10.
Watch on YouTubeDoctorOz
Diane Downs' Prison Born Daughter Speaks Out! | Oz True Crime
Interview or news segment from DoctorOz covering the Diane Downs case. Length: 17:31.
Watch on YouTubeABC News
Why child murderer Diane Downs was arrested in chilling 1983 case (NIGHTLINE)
Video from ABC News covering the Diane Downs case. Length: 11:19.
Watch on YouTubeABC News
How criminalist analyzed Diane Downs' crime scene
Video from ABC News covering the Diane Downs case. Length: 4:54.
Watch on YouTubeBanijay Crime - Crime Documentary
Martha Wise’s Poisonous Revenge - Deadly Women - True Crime
Video from Banijay Crime - Crime Documentary covering the Diane Downs case. Length: 44:37.
Watch on YouTubeFacebook · Creator community
The Killafornia Dreaming Podcast — Facebook group
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “#073 The Tale of Killer Moms: Susan Smith, Diane Downs, Casey Anthony, & Stacey Barker.” This discussion group covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. Group rules or membership approval may limit access.
View the Facebook groupFacebook · Creator channel
The Killafornia Dreaming Podcast — Facebook page
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “#073 The Tale of Killer Moms: Susan Smith, Diane Downs, Casey Anthony, & Stacey Barker.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
Visit the Facebook page