The interior of the Diane Down’s car was spattered with blood from three small bodies. Six-year-old Cheryl lay crumpled on the floor by the front passenger door. Danny and Christie, aged four and eight, were slumped at odd angles in the back seat.
As surgeons struggled to save the children, their mother Diane Downs sipped tea while her arm was treated for a bullet wound. Considering the nightmare she had just endured, nurses and doctors were amazed at Diane’s composure. They assumed she was in shock.
What investigators would uncover over the next few days would bring suspicion against Diane. Why would a young mother shoot her children? Was it really possible that Diane tried to kill her children so she could be with her lover? With shades of the Susan Smith case which wouldn’t occur for another 10 years, the case of Diane Downs is a story of narcissism and cruelty that will not soon be forgotten. With Diane’s parole hearing coming up in 2020, join us at the quiet end for an in depth look at a mother who chose her desire for a man above the lives of her own children.