Small Sacrifices

Ann Rule documents the case of Diane Downs, a young mother who shot her three children on May 19, 1983. Downs arrived at McKenzie-Willamette Hospital in a blood-splattered Nissan with her children—Christie Ann (8), Cheryl Lynn (7), and Stephen Daniel (3)—suffering from gunshot wounds. She claimed a "bushy haired stranger" on a deserted road had shot them and her. Christie Ann and Stephen Daniel were expected to recover, but Cheryl Lynn died shortly after arrival. Downs' unusually cold reaction to her daughter's death raised suspicions among hospital staff and authorities. As the investigation progressed, inconsistencies in her account and mounting evidence led to her arrest. Rule explores the psychological factors behind the crime, examining Downs' childhood with an abusive father, her failed marriage, and her relationships with various men. The author suggests that one man's unwillingness to have children may have motivated the shooting. The book includes 11 photographs and was adapted into a 1989 television film that earned an Emmy nomination.