Читать книгу Parents Who Kill - Shocking True Stories of The World's Most Evil Parents - Carol Anne Davis - Страница 49

During her first few months in Oregon State Women’s Correctional Centre, Diane received dozens of letters from male prisoners. Still a fantasist, she said that she planned to become a teacher or a counsellor for teenagers, that she’d be paroled in five to seven years. Instead, she had to settle for working in the prison kitchen, a coveted job but still far from glamorous. But she did successfully study for an arts diploma, graduating at the age of 31.

The following month – on 11 July 1987 – she clambered onto a picnic table in the penitentiary grounds and threw herself onto and over the perimeter fence. Amazingly, the armed guards didn’t see her. The alarm went off, but as it was often activated by birds or strong winds, no one investigated immediately. Half an hour elapsed before they realised that she had gone.

Meanwhile, the attractive, slender killer had hitched a lift for a mere half mile and moved into a rundown apartment owned by another prisoner’s husband. She spent the next few days frantically having sex with him, desperate to become pregnant again. On 21 July, police arrested her without incident and she said that she’d escaped in order to track down her children’s killer whom she now claimed was an Indian called Samasum Timchuck.

On her return, she pleaded ‘not guilty’ to escaping and was sentenced to an additional five years. An ongoing security risk, she was transferred to Clinton, a New Jersey high security prison.

Diane Downs will become eligible for parole in 2014 – but meanwhile she has her health and has enjoyed sexual relationships with various prison guards. She is currently housed in The Valley Prison for Women, Chowchilla, California. Her surviving children, aided by their wonderful adoptive parents, have worked hard to overcome their disabilities and have both graduated from college. Christie married and had a son in 2005, whilst Danny, who remains partially paralysed due to the bullet which entered his back, has become a computer specialist. Cheryl was cremated and her ashes were scattered in Arizona.