Diane Downs

Article summary

Elizabeth Diane Downs ( Frederickson, born August 7, 1955) is an American woman who murdered her daughter and attempted to murder her other two children on May 19, 1983, in Oregon. She claimed to police that a man had shot her and the children during an attempted carjacking. In 1984, she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after twenty-five years. She escaped in 1987 and was recaptured after ten days. Downs has been repeatedly denied parole, and has been diagnosed with narcissistic, histrionic, and antisocial personality disorders, and labelled a "deviant sociopath".

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1955-08-07 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 1955-08-07 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of birth: 1974 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of birth: 1979 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1955-08-07". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "1955-08-07". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of birth is "1974". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of birth is "1979". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
7. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378599139