Member-only story
TRUE CRIME
The Killer Who Thinks She’s a Genius — Diane Downs
The most dangerous animals in the jungle are the ones you don’t see
“You’re getting too big for your britches!”
Did your parents ever say that to you when you were growing up? If so, you know exactly what they meant. Diane Downs thinks she’s a near genius, but she’s simply too big for her britches.
That’s why she got caught.
Diane Downs
On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs drove her 1983 Nissan Pulsar down a deserted country road near Springfield, Oregon.
It was about 10 p.m. In the back seat, Cheryl, 7, Danny, 3, and Christie, 8, slept the sleep of the innocent. It was the last time they’d be together.
The night was pitch black.
The shaggy-haired man
By Diane’s telling, a lone gunman with shaggy hair leaped out from the bushes and flagged her down.
She got out of her car to see what he wanted. Because who wouldn’t get out of their car on a deserted country road…
