So Mark, where are you from? Diane Downs was one of the most infamous murderers of the 1980s; the emotionally flat blonde was convicted of shooting her three children, killing one of them, along a roadway in Springfield,. Melvin Belli How things could have been different. By the time Danny was born, they were having intense arguments about infidelity that Steve got convinced that he wasnt his biological son. Everywhere, EXCEPT the door through which Diane reported to police, the male stranger had passed. Page 37 of Case History. There is also a recording where she says that she had no idea who shot them. If he was getting too close to the witness emotionally he should have stepped away from the case. If Diane was bipolar, the non-stop chatter would have been inherent to the situation: bipolar wasnt a diagnosable condition at the time of her first trial. Up. (This is why Foote was assigned the case. The fact that she was driving five miles per hour to the hospital says it all as a mother myself, I dont care how hurt or mentally damaged I was, I would drive that car 100 MPH to get my children to safety. She complained about it, but that does not mean she did not suffer for her kids. It appeared rigged and the fact that Ann Rule sat in the courtroom ready to produce a Masterpiece of Guilt could only help the prosecution. But Diane was not the one dragging Knick out of Charlenes bed every morning intent on making or breaking his relationship with another woman. After graduation, Steven joined the Navy and Diane was sent to Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College where she failed miserably at remaining pure and chaste, not unlike most girls of her generation who rejected their strict religious upbringing. Of course I saw movie first, then read the bookI wanted more, sadly early Internet days, there wasnt much out there, as far as info or video, picturesnothing really. Rule sued the Seattle Weekly after they published the article titled Ann Rules Sloppy Storytelling, but she lost and had to make restitution. She did it. Anyways. So the hell with no gun, no GSR, no blood and no witnesses except a sick child who denied knowing who shot them until she could not anymore and happened to be adopted by the prosecutor; making it look like she could never change her mind and reveal that she has no memory of the shooting and maybe have the case reversed. (that one is more of a question). Yes, Christie said she did not know who did it. He failed. In her case it seems to be more a matter of punishment. It is not a plus, but it is not a crime either. People can have a certain vibe and act out of the norms, but it does not make them necessarily guilty. Except after the idea was subsequently planted in his head only to be alluded to in court, in spite of an agreement to never mention the subject. Completely unethical, and not in the best interest of those children. She did it. If Hugi got attached to the children, why did he wait 2 years when little Christie was starting to say she had no clue who shot them? Many people have wondered why the two separated after seven years of marriage. She would have been released under strict conditions with the support of her family and under the care of a mental health specialist. The courts were divided in the 80s, family court, traffic court, criminal court, juvenile court I dont believe they ran out of judges to preside over them all. Even put in different hospitals. Fitness fanatic, 27, broke her spine lifting weights but didn't realise until she woke up the next morning unable to move - and why her terrifying injury should be a warning to all gym-goers How about dads side of the family? Diane had moved to Oregon only 6 weeks before the tragedy to work in the area and have her parents spend time with the kids. I saw that same face in Diane Downs. The whole blog claims the trial was flawed. In Rules book, Diane is portrayed as a horrible selfish mother but her family and friends saw another version; she lovedher childrendearly and worked hard to be a good provider. As for where he is now, well be honest, were not completely sure. I had never heard of this case before I read her book (Im not from or do not live in the USA), but I found myself constantly despairing at the authors unfounded judgements and wild suppositions. The story of Steve Downs' children is one of the most shocking to date. When I hear some people say that they would have liked to smack that smirk off Dianes face when she interacted with the cops or the media, I sayreadthis to understand accounts of people laughing at the wrong time and how it is related to their personality disorder. I agree that the phone call from Angel was totally inappropriate. And because of this, they formed a profound connection that matured into a relationship. Just saw the video of Dianes parole hearing. Also Im curious as to how you feel her repeated escape attempts should affect her deserving to be on parole. I am a true crime junkie. She said a bunch of really stupid things in the media (my kids were lucky, not me gets the palm) and basically bury herself. In 1999, a Board Certified Psychiatrist practicing in Oakland, California wrote a letter to the parole board on behalf of Diane Downs to explain how things had changed since 1984 when she was diagnosed with a severe personality disorder. He did not consider her a risk factor at all and believed she would do well if released into society, because she had no prior history of violence and never had a problem with violence or bad behavior while incarcerated. Our laws are not written that way. It was faulty. Downs is a worthless as the day is long.. Maybe you should read the blog before commenting. I am pointing them out. There is her story, the prosecution case and the defense arguments. Instead, there is blood splatter on the ceiling of the car. There were a few calls and on one occasion, The most frequent remarks I hear about the case when confronted by the state misconduct and the lack of evidence are gut feelings , So the hell with no gun, no GSR, no blood and no witnesses except a sick child who denied knowing who shot them until she could not anymore and happened to be adopted by the prosecutor; making it look like she could never change her mind and reveal that she has no memory of the shooting and maybe have the case reversed. I go fishing with a jurors husband. It seems like Steve and Diane were meant to be together. Besides, none of those diagnoses are illegal. What about the affidavits of the guy who confessed to several people? Diane doesnt believe Rebecca is her daughter, rather a media puppet ran by Rule. It seems they all went the easy way. I do not declare her innocent. Ms. Downs makes every effort to avoid emotional stimuli in order to reduce the demands made on her. I feel compelled to comment on this blog, because having recently read Ann Rules book, I feel exactly as you did. For all you readers of this blogger, I lived through the Diane Downs case. a clinical lab to Dianes not being herself the day the Detectives pressured Diane to accompany them, the fact is Diane was clearly suffering the residual effects of that chemical poison in her system. Oh my. This case had many similarities to the Alice Crimminsstory. The interpretation of blood splatter is different than no blood splatter. How interesting. lol. Robert and Diane even decided toget matching rose tattoos, but as soon as the ink on her tattoo was dry, he refused to get his done. What man has ever publicly revered a former secret mistress? It sounds like this was not the case with Dianes children. She states, I did not shoot my children and I cant say I did. According to Glamour, the motive given for why Diane shot her kids was thought to be because the married man she was seeing at the time did not want any children. Yes, Im sure this stranger wanted to kill her kids but only wound her, who, coincidentally, had a towel handy neatly folded on her wound. They did not like her attitude and she did not behave the way they expected a grieving mother to act. So she warns her to stay away. They rarely are, especially in the US. Everyone in the world can believe something. I do not know what happened on Old Mohawk Road on that dark evening, but I know that they did not have enough evidence totry andconvict Diane Downs. You didnt know that?? Why doesnt the innocent project get involved with her case. Washing soda is your best bet: It includes, among its ingredients, the exceedingly corrosive carbolic acid. Diane had spent three days in the hospital ingesting massive doses of Morphine, Demerol, Percodan, and visterol. There were posters. The details about the gun missing, the daughters testimony and the fact that she had no blood or gun residues are facts. She had no priors and no history of violence in prison. She was extremely intelligent but her emotional IQ was no match and her desire for freedom, love and affection were dangerously dragging her down a path of self-destruction. I did not shoot my children.. Why on earth would anyone recommend leaving the kids with the grandparents? Instead of grieving, Alice went partying and had sex. The lovely Farrah Fawcett who played in the movie Small Sacrifices was known for her epic battles with lover Ryan ONeil. I remember when Diane shot her kids and there are some facts Id like to correct from your blog. Copyright 2023 Distractify. The weird behavior (laughing and joking in the shooting reenactment), bullets found at her home and the constant changing of her story only is icing on her guilty cake. My comment wont change their opinion on the barbarity of the American legal system, media influences and Ann Rules input. And when kids are hurt, emotions keep flowing endlessly. (Appendix 3). Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed. The prosecutor and his wife adopted both children that survived and although the boy is paralyzed and in a wheelchair, they trived with their new parents. I dont care what Diane Downs says at the parole board hearing, except if she is innocent or guilty. answer the question why didn't steve downs get custody, which will help you get the most accurate answer. She was in solitary confinement for years and even escaped from prison once but was recaptured. CK allowed DD to drive away despite the fact she could identify him and he had a gun? How do you expect the daughter to have any fair understanding of the situation or any decent contact with Dianes family when the people who have been calling her mother a murderer and a monster are dragging her in the media spotlight in the hope of writing another book or getting a new scoop, but all one sided. You are wondering about the question why didn t steve downs get custody but currently there is no answer, so let kienthuctudonghoa.com summarize and list the top articles with the question. Become TUKO.co.ke ambassador get a branded T-shirt, hoodie or water bottle at our TUKO Shop! Diane was cooked the minute she walked in that courtroom. They went after Diane at trial for tapping her foot when they played Hungry like the wolf. (her family confirmed that she had a mood disorder, possibly bipolar 2), So when Dr. George Suckow from the Oregon State Hospital in Salem was called as a States rebuttal witness and he made a professional diagnosis of Diane as histrionics, antisocial and narcissistic, he openly said in court that he interviewed Diane for 1 hour and read evidence presented by the state to make his diagnosis.. You cannot skip due process because of mob mentality. Additionally, homicide or assault victims shot by someone else can test positive for GSR. It was all about Charlene wanting KnickKnick ~wanting Dianeand Diane wanting a return to the peace she had before Knick asked his wife for a divorce. . http://www.salem-news.com/articles/july152013/midnight-med-tb-2.php Saying that I seem to be doing what I accuse Ann Rule of doing is kind of ironic because the point of this blog is to try to stay away from innuendo and fantasies like unicorns and songs that might have been playing or not during a tragic murder. If you listen to the recording, Christie clearly says I dont know who did it. She was asleep, thats why. They would have tried to reopen the case. It was demonstrated at trial that the shooter shot the kids at close range. Makes no difference to me. The whole case is crazy. Why arent you debating the faulty ballistics, and the fact that the gun they affirmed was used in the commission of the crime was not the right one? Lets not forget that she was presumed to have fired a gun 6 times at close range within the confines of a small car. The character of the accused is not the main ingredient, especially that in this case, there was a lot of bashing going on in the media and in court. They said so and were told to go back to deliberate. Also on old footage of the trial, as there was no cameras aloud, the drawing of Christie Downs from court artist also complies with the testimony given in the book, as far as her pain and crying. Why am I not arguing the facts of the trial? Either way, it appears to be a conflict of interest. She was the star witness in her mom's prosecution and her testimony helped convict her. Maybe she wanted to buy drugs. In a perfect world this would always be the case. I mean, yeah, I can see the no contact order with Diane. Do you remember a couple of days after that, December Click to read The Case of Liysa Northon Who Said True Crime Does not Pay? Christie became the star witness against her mother and who could resist such a touching testimony? Lack of impulse control is also another symptom that might explain why a mother would stop at night to help a stranger flagging her on the road. In 1984, the lead prosecutor in the Danie case, Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, chose to adopt the children (Christie and Danny). Yes, but it is a fact that she was starting to say that she did not know who shot them when it happened. He didn't indicate whether Downs would appeal. A. I dont recall telling her to get an apartment. This is a more common route for children with parents who are incarcerated for what looks to be the entire childhood of the children. Steve Downs was the husband of the infamous child killer, Diane Downs. Contemporary family finding principles argue that a child is best nurtured by parents, then immediate family members, extended family members, spiritual family (Godparents), close friends, etc. Strange how Jagger is pretty absent too except for the few photos where he is wrongly identified as Hugi. While Rules book is biased, it was a look into the view of those who wanted justice for those children, wether you agree w/ their conclusion or not, that was their goal. How ironic that the court and cops were so quick to believe Steve Downs, but he gave up on his own children after the tragedy. We, who watched her parole hearing a few years ago prayed HARD that she wouldnt be set free, know she is guilty. The notes taken daily by the nurses became a point of contention at trial. He strung her along, played with both womens emotions, and after saying he would join her in Oregon, reneged and stayed with his wife. Even Ann Rule in her book, keeps mentioning that they only had a few months to get Christie to talk, otherwise they could not keep her away from her mother any longer. Posted by October 30, 2021 apush gilded age test on why didn't steve downs get custody The way it was. I write about cases where due process is in question and important aspects were ignored or twisted. Christie and Danny have no contact with their father, and they have completed their education. Did she act like a average person? ), Interesting suggestion. In reply to Nick. A history of use of drugs, alcohol or even cigarettes can all be deemed as counts against a parent in court. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! They dont need to be adopted and have their entire identity changed. If you had commented on one of the elements contained in the blog, it might have been enlightening. It is my hope that Leslie Van Houten and Diane Downs are never paroled. No conflict of interest there? Dianes automobile was secured and examined and no gun was found. Foster Carers says either Australia or England to me. She managed to jump in the car after getting shot in the arm. Here's everything you need to know. The case of Diane Downs and her three children is one of those a horrible tragic case that people still think about 37 years later. I have plans to go hunting with the husband of one of the alternates.. But as usual, it was slanted in the worst possible way. Foote refused 30 to 50 reports by detectives of sightings or leads about the shooter but admitted reports from people in Arizona willing to badmouth Diane. Her family members were quite capable of taking care of the children. Downs, born Elizabeth Diane Frederickson, was a 27-year-old divorced postal worker when she pulled up outside a hospital in Oregon in May 1983. And she went back to her parent's home in Arizona. I care about the experts reports written about Diane because they know her situation and mental state. Q. But the high profile nature of the case might hinder the process. They believed the testimony of her former boyfriends who were far from stellar individuals. Conflict of interest on steroids!! They sure forgot to tell us about her pulse racing during these sessions. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . I have nothing to gain and I am not making up songs and dances about a unicorn. Without her daughters testimony and the lies about the gun, they could not have found her guilty in a fair trial. When a white attractive woman like Diane Downs appears on the scene while displaying seemingly unpleasant characteristics as a mother and a personality disorder, there is no telling what the media will do with the story. They never tried to reunite them with family. All the years in prison probably made her way more disturbed than she ever was. This case needed to be examined more thoroughly, but the mob mentality didnt allow it. Her arm was severely damaged, so shattered that she needed a graft from a hip bone. It is said that they didn't go to Steve because he wasn't a fit father or well equipped to take care of children who had gone through such a traumatic experience. Danny was the product of an affair. Agreed. But I think that in all fairness, many of them dont even know the details of the case and have watched Small Sacrifices instead. That is the way she was brought up,especially at the demand of her rigid but verydedicated father. But you dont mention that she again has changed her story.. Regina, I love your comment! It had nothing to do with the evidence of the case and represents useless labeling anyway. It was positive only on a small portion of her upper hand where she said the gun touched her when she wrestled with the attacker (a detail she had mentioned before they did the test). While these are all good questions, (and were maybe all asked in the jury room during deliberations) I doubt the answers even matter anymore. However, Elizabeth was expelled from the religious institution as she didn't conform to the school's strong religious values. It no longer matters as far as the verdict, she was found guilty, but why no parole? Many troubling elements of the case were discovered after the trial, but there was enough during the proceedings to be asking questions. She managed to jump in the car after getting shot in the arm. then later you ask how diane didnt have any blood splatter on her when she was inside the car when she shot her kids??? statement regarding the effects of the childrens medications while in hospital should acknowledge where the blogger obtained information about the side effects.). Maybe I'm dramatic but I no longer want to watch it . I find it interesting for you to observe this because it should be more scientific and empirical today than it was in the 80s, but is it really? Considering the lack of evidence, it seems that she was condemned mostly because of herinappropriatestatements and behavior. Dianewas jealous ofthe other woman, but Robert Knickerbockers wife said that she foundher rather friendly during their encounter. Most people described Dianes injury as minor or superficial but in reality, it was a very serious injury. Otherwise you just want people to fill your echo chamber that agree with you, tell anyone else you obviously dont want to debate me.., then ban, then hope for people to agree. You do not debate the content of the blog which you probably did not read anyway. please express them and I will print them. Whats next? Danny downs did indeed say a man shot him he also blamed a cartoon character. Hardly circumstantial or coincidental what are the chances that a bushy haired stranger, masked men, or someone that knew her (take your pick from Dianes ever shifting account) would have the exact same bullets matching to bullets from a gun owned by Diane ? Anne Rule made a big deal of a brass unicorn engraved with the childrens names that Diane had purchased. It was not unlike brainwashing. Why did they let her daughter testify when she could not know who shot her and said so incessantly until they made her say what they wanted? Guilt or innocence no longer need to be debated in this case. The court can just do an APR, Assignment of Parental Rights. They should have had ongoing contact and been placed with family as soon as they were out of the hospital and they never should have been interviewed without their own attorney (Guardian ad Litem) present. Maybe because of her notoriety and the victims were children. They did not want reunification to keep their verdict intact. They are now leading their private lives as adults. Probably a 911 button. It wasnt until Prosecutor Hugi said Dr. Jamison had labeled Diane a deviant sociopath that Mr. You need to have your own voice," she said. I try to bring out the details that were ignored because Down was so unpopular: this blog is clearly one sided. I worked for county government child welfare for a decade. Now in hindsight, seeing footage on youtube, especially the interview she did with the reporter Anne Jagger, the things she says and facial expression is exactly described in the bookhad to find the section in the book, but on that note, Anne rule did site that interview correctly. The blog tries to bring balance and more objectivity to a case that was TOTALLY one sided and still is. Maybe she didnt want to admit she was there for drugs, but you need a really tiny brain to worry about that in such a situation. If she was such a manipulative person, she would not be in prison for life, would she? And if she did it, she has served her time without displaying any violent tendencies whatsoever. Or maybe an upvote/downvote arrow for each. Diane and her family fought for them but were blocked from day one. Doing it without witnesses when she was so sick is underhanded. Anyway, it takes a good scrubbing with soap and water to get rid of gun powder residues and doing so with only one arm would be quite difficult. A demonstration in court strongly suggested: Suggested, not confirmed. So should I put an addendum saying that Diane contradicted herself or was not satisfied with the sketch? Simply because I researched them. It wasnt their fault, it was the job of the social workers and the courts to make sure the kids were not isolated from family. Justice is all that is left. Basically then at that You wondered at times, which side he was working for. You indicated you were not going to get a divorce? Its tiresome. I guess he did not want too many people to know about the improprieties that happened in his courtroom: I guess? Again thats opinion, and neither balanced nor objective. When she resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. Pros. Thanks again. Ive been trying to decipher her handwriting on the couple of pages she wrote to her daughter (misquoted on here somewhere is a highlighted If you love your little boy, youll take him far away from here- why is this being taken as a threat and not a warning?!). As you might know, Dianes father passed away after many years of anguish over the fate of his daughter. The next day, on June 16, 1983, CSD terminated Dianes visitations with her children altogether. Page 10 of Case History. If Oregonians were not all convinced at first, the media and the crown made sure they would be. The woman shot her children. A fair trial is a right in this country, not a judicial suggestion. Standards of conduct are defined by state law, but they generally require a judge to avoid appearances of impropriety, such as avoiding deciding a dispute in which the judge is personally involved in the issue at stake or has a relationship to one of the parties.. This is also a faster route to give the children permanency, and is far cheaper for the child welfare system that is always strained by the budget. Mr. No OTHER reason. Diane didnt ask Knick to leave his wife. How.. they attacked him. I care about what was said at trial. I see that Downs had a parole hearing in late 2020 but I cant see the outcome. On May 30, 1983, the McKenzie-Willamette Hospital Chaplain told Dianes father to hire an attorney because the State was going to take his grandchildren away. James C. Jagger who was hired by Dianes father was an ex-Prosecutor. Because she was failing quite miserably at remaining pure and chaste, she was expelled after only a year, and thus, she returned to her parents home in Arizona. Steve knew Danny was not his biological child and left Downs. Diane found with him,the kind of relationship she had never known before: there was actually care and intimacy involved. I have simply bothered researching the evidence and in some instances, the lack of it. I accept that it is sometimes necessary but I believe in rehabilitation. It was far fetched, unfoundedand convenientlyrelayedby Rule to boost the sales of her book. She keeps her emotions under tight control, presenting only socially acceptable feelings and burying other contradictory feelings.. It could have been very different at almost any other time or with any other attorneys or juries too. Foote refused 30 to 50 reports by detectives of sightings or leads about the shooter but admitted reports from people in Arizona willing to badmouth Diane. Movie scene alleging that Christie was scared. The media keeps talking about several escapes, but there was only one. It was Judge Footes first criminal case and it was against a woman whose children he had removed from her care even though she had not been convicted or sentenced; a conflict of interest and pure madness. So how she behaved at the time, should not have been a factor influencing the authorities. Speculative. Not that Dianes mental health was not a factor in her letter, but it was definitely taken out of context in some instances. Just state that at the beginning of the blog. Leaving out a lot of info that should be included and presenting a very one sided take on these things. She said no mother would stop at 10 at night, in the dark, with three young children, to help a Bush haired stranger. But there is forensic evidence pointing to Diane Downs. Mainly because the courts have to give every chance possible and all the services necessary to the bio family to try to preserve the relationship. She was still trying to extricate herself from a bad relationship with Steve Downs and was in no hurry to repeat the mistake. But strangely, they took no photos of the crime scene and did not lift fingerprints from the drivers side of the car. It surely was not due process. After asking her to have an affair, he kept vacillating between his wife and her. The poor jury went along and Jagger did not put much ofa defense anyway. Is it the one you tried to use? The fact that she drove there and it saved the life of two of her children should give anyone pause. Do not take this so personally. We already know that. No matter how horrible people think she is. I am a strong believer that pregnancy can do serious harm to some women. My opposition to movies about true crime stories is unshakable. In this article, we can clearly see that Becky struggled and tried to justify her woes (maybe rightly so) by blaming it on her DNA. Clickhere to read about faulty ballistics. Thanks for the link. She told ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. I also found it interesting that when he had visited Diane in prison, he had remarked a strange air about her; which did not mean guilt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPLkIcSzftE&ab_channel=DianeDownsArchives. The tape is real and probably not admissible, but it seems to indicate that her testimony was coerced. The car was splattered with blood, but Diane had none on her. She got an apartment and I was going to move in with her. We cant. They were not truth seekers and enjoyed a nice burning at the stake instead. They never found the gun and she showed no signs of having fired one. Every single one. Diane asked for proof that her ex husband was behind the shooting. Fred Hugi was pretty upset when Ann Rule went Hollywood with his case. At the time Diane had told police that a stranger attempted to carjack her and shot the kids, and that's what her ex husband was told, too. If personal diaries were to be believed, half of the population would be in great jeopardy. I am not her advocate, but I think she did not get due process. But if the blogger is arguing that the blog is balanced and objective, thats patently untrue. Insulting a woman in prison since 30 years instead of debating the inconsistencies of this case is pretty pathetic. No worries. It wasnt simply her demeanor that got her convicted. Wasnt he the stranger? She is nowhere near being paroled and if she admitted guilt, I am not even convinced they would release her.
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