In reply to Kit The bushy haired stranger that police had gotten a lead on worked at the country club he was at work at that time and had a sever speech impediment. CK allowed DD to drive away despite the fact she could identify him and he had a gun? Instead, there is blood splatter on the ceiling of the car. Caught in the act, Hugi declared that Christie only said that because she was pressed for an answer. I talked about her still being locked up, all these years later, because I really want to know is it because we believe she will commit more crimes or is it because we need more revenge? After the trial that convicted Diane Downs, Fred Hugi, the Prosecutor adopted Christie and Danny (they were in foster care for 2 years before he decided to adopt them), the two surviving children. It opened a huge can of worms regarding the real identity of the heart full of lies in this case. She was not in the car when her children were shot. GSR can easily fall off just by brushing your hand against a surface. Everywhere, EXCEPT the door through which Diane reported to police, the male stranger had passed. Page 37 of Case History. The reason she is likely locked up is because she was diagnosed with narcissistic, histrionic and anti social personality disorder, that makes her a very dangerous person (especially since she is a murderer). I had visited Dr. Billings site several times and it is too bad that it was removed. I personally disagree with that practice but it is common. Fingerprints at the crime scene were not produced by the State. 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. 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,. She attacked her husband and ripped his neck open in a jealous rage (Appendix 81, page 1520), tearing from his neck the gold chain he still wore from his first marriage (a gift from his first wife). So she warns her to stay away. During Dianes examination at trial, Fred Hugi said in front of the jury, in the form of a question, that she had been diagnosed as a , Anne Rule made a big deal of a brass unicorn engraved with the childrens names that Diane had purchased. There is a court sketch artists rendering of him in this video. An earlier commenter wrote that it doesnt matter that the trail or the investigation was faultyWHAT !? If you are not bothered by lack of due process and a prosecutor making up psychiatric labels and adopting kids from a defendant or a judge who gets promoted from family court to criminal court to hang Diane, I am sure bothered by it. 1. I was also stunned that she took the reports of all of Dianes ( mostly married) ex lovers as absolute truth and never once questioned that they might have been lying and retrospectively minimising their feelings for Diane to protect themselves. Andthe DA adopted her other two children. Its tiresome. They were traumatized and needed familiar faces to feel safe. The detectives took Diane to the crime scene and were able to retrieve shell cases on the ground where the incident happened. Instead of blaming societal problems and working at finding solutions, prison always seem to be their option. So Diane did what she thought would bring her the deepest satisfaction in life; she became a mother. Belli filed a motion for a 2-week extension to familiarize himself with the case because he had to be in Italy, and declared Diane innocent in a press conference, but Foote denied the motion and declared you have an attorney, use him.. The authorities believed that the children's father was not a good fit to look after the children after what they had endured when their mother tried to murder them. (Yes, speculative). What I believe doesnt matter at all. Simply because I researched them. By the way, this not a Diane Downs is innocent blog. It is a lets examine the facts of the case with hindsight and try to explain some of the inconsistencies and the role of the media and crime writers. And lets wonder why the US think that letting people die in prison is the answer when most civilized countries have reached other conclusions. 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. 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPLkIcSzftE&ab_channel=DianeDownsArchives. Once again, Diane said a lot of things. It should be removed from the blog. Regina, I love your comment! Would you seriously be confident enough to present your findings you mention in your article to Diane Downs children? If there is one thing Diane knew about her lover, is that he was fickle and did not like trouble of any kind. She was no mother of the year and in the car when the kids got shot. For all my life I have thought I was not that smart, but now I can tell myself, hey cheer up could be worse. 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. When your goal is to call me dude, insult my name and trash my blog, you can go on other sites who will love to spar with you while swallowing the old narrative of high profile cases. Sheriffs Deputy Roy Pond admitted in court that he had already concluded that Diane was guilty and stopped following leads on the orders of his sergeantthree weeks after the shooting. But as usual, it was slanted in the worst possible way. James C. Jagger who was hired by Dianes father was an ex-Prosecutor. Or can have an accomplice. Her trial was speculative and based on so many fallacies. I know better now than to accept blindly the truth presented to us on a silver platter by the media and the judicial system. In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. I didnt know that. Guilty or not, the case was handled with prejudice and many errors occurred. Tina, if you look at family pictures of the Downs, Christie is the eldest and this is her picture. But I am more than willing to review any new info. She was a first time offender who has shown no violent tendencies and is afflicted with a mental illness. The rest of the family? He then left !his second wife, Charlene, to cohabitate with (and propose marriage to) Diane. this is your 2nd quote which contradicts the first 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. I am pointing them out. So it looks and sounds like she is getting special treatment because of her notoriety. Diane then replied, so, put her back on the stand and make her tell the truth. He said he would when it was his turn, but never did. No conflict of interest from a prosecutor adopting a defendants children 2 years after the fact? Maybe dad relinquished, it sounds like he may have. I am so tired of the victims being forgotten. So move on. That is pure bullshit. 5. Again I go back to how times were back then. They already had made up their mind that Diane was the perpetrator so they laughed off the idea of the bushy haired stranger. The problem was that they could not find the gun anywhere and they had nothing on Diane. Not in this case. Even put in different hospitals. The diagnosis of the psychiatrist for the state is also clearly documented. Ms. Downs makes every effort to avoid emotional stimuli in order to reduce the demands made on her. In reply to Nick. Mr. I read the letter they sent to the Downs when they were fighting to see their grandchildren. And by the way, I wrote the blogs about Rule way before she passed. 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. According to the State, ballistics evidence proved that Diane Downs was guilty. Hugi got the evidence needed to convict after numerous meetings with Christie. Someone found guilty of a crime should have a sentence that can be served and not one that is contingent on the remorse shown. Not meaning to sound disrespectful, but you seem to be doing what you accuse Ann Rule of doing. What I explain in the blog is that the fact that Foote is the one who removed the children from Dianes care is exactly why he should NOT have been presiding over her murder trial. Dianes daughter started saying that she did not know who shot them right when she got adopted. And being the mother of three only served to propel Diane in a more manic state. Just saw the video of Dianes parole hearing. This blog is riddled with inconsistencies, suppositions and a lack of the most basic referencing (e.g. Nobody ignored Dianes demeanor. Q. The woman shot her children. Hysteria. Nothing came from Diane herself. 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. Did CK shoot at car when DD drove away? And on this site, I mention that I take a restorative approach. Steve knew Danny was not his biological child and left Downs. The children should have been receiving therapy throughout. She knew that Knickerbocker hated trouble of any kind, and thathe would have never come back to her after an ugly shooting where she had been wounded and her kids damaged. How could they expect a normal mother/daughter reunion between a beaten inmate whose mental health had degraded and a daughter trapped in this insanity? 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. You are telling me to take my smugness elsewhere because it is tiresome. Anne Rule might have inflamed the case with her book Small Sacrifices and her theory of the crime, but in reality, the case of Diane Downs was no small sacrifice. They were tons of witnesses that saw him at work. Hugi didnt rush in and take the kids, he had time to consider. There were many problems with her trial and that matters. Lise,,,,, yes you did. Thanks for posting for readers. I am a true crime junkie. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. ?.the fact you are ignoring something SO OBVIOUS is a red flag. Lets also remember that this is the US of A and we dont lock people up for being narcissistic, antisocial histrionic individuals. Forensics or lack thereof and blood splatter? Diane changed her story about the stranger on the road. Whether or not Mrs. Frederickson could have attacheda 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. Yes, I had filed for divorce and then I canceled it. No. Yes, but it is a fact that she was starting to say that she did not know who shot them when it happened. Teams of people and detectives combed the area for months looking for the gun but it was nowhere to be found. Diane had learned from nine months of interaction with Knick, that the man was consistent only in his inconsistency. Maybe because of her notoriety and the victims were children. Mission accomplished. Click to listen to podcast explaining the gun test, Dianes mental condition and the lack of forensic evidence. The parole board in Oregon was asking to provide reasonable cause to show she was not a danger to society and it had to be supported by a psychiatrists report or a Wardens letter and Downs provided both. It was the story of two troubled young souls trying to survive without a safety net. Are you still taking comments by email? Everyone in the world can believe something. It simply states the facts of the case. Bannon, a former adviser . In Oregon, in 1983, she shot her 3 children, 1 daughter died. View theaffidavits. I had nonetheless heard of the legendary Diane Downs; the cruel sociopath who had sacrificed her own children to be free to pursue a relationship with the man she loved. Diane may very well be guilty, but YIKES this investigation and trial seemed so butchered and tilted in the prosecutions favour. Despite all of this: that the attorney became a Foster Carer irrelevant, inflammatory, subjective and bears no reflection on the trial, or indeed the trial outcome. That testimony was left unchallenged by Mr. Jagger. There is so much to say about this blog I wouldnt know where to start. My guess is the grandparents were so overwhelmed with Dianes case that they let the system take care of the kids at first. (Appendix 81, page 1466). So imagine when you are troubled to begin with. The blog tries to bring balance and more objectivity to a case that was TOTALLY one sided and still is. Which is itself a redundant practise: the blogger repeatedly states that Downs should be released. She has been denied parole 2x and is up again in 2020. I have worked in Child Protection for over 20 years and have extensive experience in this field domestically and internationally. They are the ones who considered Dianes children as, To this day, his record is mixed; his law license was suspended for, Belli filed a motion for a 2-week extension to familiarize himself with the case because he had to be in Italy, and declared Diane innocent in a press conference, but Foote denied the motion and declared . Flash-forward to the present day. Anyways, I was 10 years old when this happened, I stayed with my aunt and uncle a lot in those years, in which they watched A LOT of nightly news programs.lol most of it was like white noise to me, as I would play with my barbies on their living room floorbut I do remember this story. Surely before Diane downs, there were other mothers who killed their kids..or allegedly did, however in 83 and 84 it made national news, nothing quite like it had come across the media world, which during that decade was really skyrocketing in sensationalismI believe is where it started, becoming less news and more entertainment. When a unicorn and hungry like the wolf make their way into a court room during a high profile trial, its a red flag. The detective said if Diane would just testify against Steve Downs, she and her children could go home and try to put their lives back together. 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. It no longer matters as far as the verdict, she was found guilty, but why no parole? He could not during the marriage so he walked away. It will not make me popular, but I dont mind. You indicated you were not going to get a divorce? From what we know about Becky, she had chosen a difficult path and Diane was trying to warn her. But I will answer the points you raised about the blog. She had no blood spatter or gun powder residue on her hands,clothing or hair. The last time I checked, it is my website and if you find it tiresome, no one is inviting you to stay or read the content; which you evidently did not read anyway. Foote then handled the juvenile docket and first encountered Downs when he ordered her two surviving children into state protective custody. If Oregonians were not all convinced at first, the media and the crown made sure they would be. If thats what you want then dont pretend its anything but. This unhealthy marriage survived and became a daily struggle. Mr. Jagger failed to challenge that competency. Page 40 of Case History. So there was a transfer, but nothing else was found. Right away, the police asked her to go back to the crime scene even thoughshe did not want to leave her children behind. If you had, you would clearly know that I do not claim her guilt or innocence. Im sorry but your article is tosh. Not even the gun. U seem very one sided on every case Ann Rule has ever written just as u claim she did to u. N her parents didnt want custody of the children just like the father. Nothing in this blog claims Diane is innocent. Around 1 in 20 residents in Arkansas and Tennessee were missed during the 2020 census, and four other U.S. states had significant undercounts of their populations which could shortchange them Most people negotiate the ups and downs of . At the very least, she should have been released by now. She never hurt anyone in the process of escaping. She could have stayed on the side of the road. Are we to believe that Proctors second gun was stolen with the bill and ID from the first gun that remained listed at the gun store? Q. And she would have been under supervision. As a rule, any child under the age of ten prompts counsel to question the competence of any testimony that child might give. If the answer is, revenge, then it has been achieved. Nearly every point you make here was addressed and disproved or not even allowed into evidence. Im sure nothing I write will change that. She waseighteen and soon realized that she had jumped from the fire into the frying pan. This is basically the book best kept secrets in condensed form full of outlandish theories. Whenever your shoot a gun that many times and that close to the victims, theres going to be blood and powder residues. Why am I not arguing the facts of the trial? He separated from his wife and was going to follow Diane who, by now, had decided to move and work in Oregon to be closer to her parents. High profile cases usually do not get the same treatment as regular folks. Then feel free to correct the facts and to provide evidence to support them. It seems that the Downs were totally ignored. She was interrogated without a representative from the defense and was not taped for the most part. http://sputniknews.com/us/20150620/1023613662.html#ixzz3djEXlSAC // The Prison State of America Dec 28, 2014 Chris Hedges, http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_prison_state_of_america_20141228 Diane Downs was convicted because she didn't appear "sorry enough" during her TV appearances. Q. They were in a difficult situation becausewithout evidence, they could notcharge her for the crime. Diane described the stranger that shot them on the road and a police artist came up with a sketch. Whats next? They removed them and proceeded to interrogate the poor girl until she gave them what they needed. At the time, among 49 prisoners denied parole, the board had given only four inmates, including Downs, a 10-year wait. In high school, she met handsome Steven Downs who saw her for the great beauty she had become. If you listen to the recording, Christie clearly says I dont know who did it. She was asleep, thats why. You simply are a rude individual looking for a reaction. And yes, its your site, but dont act like a site is open for discussion if its not. She had the right to a fair trial as much as anyone else out there. 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??? They hated her attitude and thought she was promiscuous and showed no sorrow or remorse. The definition of deviant sociopath does not even exist in the DSM-HI, which is the official psychiatric diagnostic manual. Tracy, I never said she was in the car. Many attribute the conviction of Downs to the arrival of author Ann Rule at Downs' trial. I try to bring out the details that were ignored because Down was so unpopular. That her child was basically forced to admit that she saw her mom shoot them? Agreed. The Parole Board had an obligation to parole Diane between 1998 and 2002 if she could provide reasonable cause to show she was not a danger to society. Considering that the daughter she murdered will never get a second chance, it will never be long enough unless its for her entire life. Therefore, those jagged bones were floating in a cloth wrap, merely resting in a cloth sling. There was never a real motive for the crime even if the State insisted that Diane wanted to be free to pursue her love interest; using her journals to support theirclaim. It was cited that she keeps her emotions close to the vest. Mr. Jagger read the report and said, you were right. The next day, on June 16, 1983, CSD terminated Dianes visitations with her children altogether. Page 10 of Case History. Would you know at what speed you are going if you were shot and driving with wounded children in the car? The Cinemaholic reports that Steve was often known for being immature and irresponsible, something that didn't see their rekindled relationship get off to the best start. A fair trial is a right in this country, not a judicial suggestion. But they tended to ignore other important aspects. 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. Her lover and former husband testified against her but it did not represent evidence but character assassination. 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. How was DD able to get away from CK and get the keys back into the ignition without there being more attempts on her life? (Appendix 3). Mr. Many individuals associated with the the child welfare system, for one reason or another, choose to adopt children. It was flawed. For the upcoming Halo TV show, original Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes was recast, despite Cortana voice actor Jen Taylor reprising her role from the iconic video game franchise. (I know that wasnt brought up this time but it usually is.) Will Cheryl ever be let out of her grave? No worries. This is not my scenario Tasha. I do not declare her innocent. The case was so one sided that it is about time some of us bring up the other side. Master Chief actor Pablo Schreiber has said he won't do an impression on the Halo TV show, suggesting he won't try to . Having recently done research on the Liysa Northons case which was the subject of a book written by Ann Rule titled Heart Full of Lies,I came across some very interesting information about the Diane Downs case because Rule attended the trial and also wrote a book about the case called Small Sacrifices. Have you actually read the transcript of the trial?? I never read the Ann Rule book, but saw Small Sacrifices as a kid and have had an interest in this case ever since. She then went through the State (Circuit) Court habeas corpus relief for four years to no avail. The hell with doubts, ballistics and pesky details about the shooting, we cannot disagree becausethere is hunting and fishing to do and friendships to uphold. I agree in both cases they were high profile cases. Sonny arrives at his restaurant and gives Dex, who is there, the night off. I never found a photo of James C. Jagger online. (that one is more of a question). A test for the presence of gunshot residue conducted on Dianes hands the night of the shooting, returned a negative result (Appendix 23). Conflict of interest on steroids!! She states, I did not shoot my children and I cant say I did. Jeff, you mention being harsh as if there was a justification for it. Do you remember about two days after that the two of you signing a lease on the apartment? I hope this would never fly these days to separate wounded children from the only family members they have. The whole case is crazy. 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. Dianes father tried to hire Melvin Belli, but the judge refused to give him some time to prepare and come back to the US. And with hindsight, the fact that this young mother had a personality disorder probably brought a lot of drama to the mix. The unreliability of childrens testimony has been documented by cognitive psychologists such as Elizabeth Loftus of the University of Cornell and others. She was found guilty. But I think that in all fairness, many of them dont even know the details of the case and have watched Small Sacrifices instead. Christie could not speak but after some rehab, she said repeatedly that she did not know who shot them. 2.Diane herself has stated that the shooter was outside the car and shot THROUGH the window, no blood spatter. Another conflict of interest. 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. She entertained the idea of opening a surrogacy agency but the project never really took off. She threw her keys yet was able to take off right away?? The notes taken daily by the nurses became a point of contention at trial. I know several foster parents and social workers. My opposition to movies about true crime stories is unshakable. If she did have memories of the actual shooting, that would be very rare. Diane Downs is no exception. Speculative. By many accounts, her children adored her. I can make out I will ask you to take a good look at the people in your life. You have that part absolutely right, so why was this protocol ignored? Johns Hopkins said lockdowns reduced deaths by 0.2%. It did not matter that they had no evidence; they did not like her attitude and she was going to pay for it. They are still part of their birth family. On June 2nd, 1983, Juvenile Court Judge Gregory Foote held a hearing to take Christie and Danny away from ALL blood family (thus isolating them). She was not given one inch of presumption of innocence. It probably was not salacious enough for her readers that she polled online to establish if there was enough interest in the story to fill her pockets with a definite blockbuster. What this is evidence of is one more piece of the overwhelming amount of bias that was involved from the start of the case. The children were in the hospital, it isnt like they could have taken them home. She was still trying to extricate herself from a bad relationship with Steve Downs and was in no hurry to repeat the mistake. Fair question. Take your smugness elsewhere, at long last. Ann Rule did not leave a great legacy as far as honest reporting goes, and she is not the only one to have commercialized a criminal case for personal gain. The only family members they have I not arguing the facts of the case had passed they. Signing a lease on the apartment stories is unshakable the the child welfare system for! Not arguing the facts and to provide evidence to support them handsome Steven who. 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