Diane Downs

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/diane-downs

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Diane Downs born?August 7, 1955
2. What is the location of crime?Near Springfield, Oregon
3. What is the year of conviction?1984
4. What happened to Diane Downs in 1983?In 1983, Diane Downs attacked her own children and then said it was a carjacking gone wrong, but it was actually a crime.
5. Why was Diane Downs sent to prison?She was found guilty of murder and attempted murder of her children, so she was put in prison.

Filicide: The act of a parent killing their own child.
Forensic Psychology: The application of psychological principles to legal issues and criminal investigations.
Recidivism: The tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend and commit further crimes.
Psychopathy: A personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy, manipulativeness, and antisocial behavior.