caption conviction_status children conviction birth_place conviction_penalty charge name birth_date spouse image article_title birth_name
downs in 1984 incarcerated , california ; earliest possible release 2020 at valley state prison for women in chowchilla 4 june 17 , 1984 phoenix , arizona , u.s. life plus 50 years murder attempted murder assault diane downs 7 august 1955 steve downs 1973 1980 diane downs 1984.jpg diane downs
 elizabeth diane frederickson
diane downs

elizabeth diane frederickson downs -lrb- born august 7 , 1955 -rrb- is an american woman convicted of the may 1983 murder of her daughter and the attempted murder of her other two children .
she is convicted of shooting her three children , killing one and seriously wounding two .
following the shooting , downs told police a stranger had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children .
she was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison .
downs briefly escaped in 1987 and was recaptured .
she is the subject of a book by ann rule and a made-for-tv movie based upon it , both called `` small sacrifices . ''
she was denied parole in december 2008 and again in december 2010 .
