After graduating high school, Steve went on to join the Navy, and Diane, having a strict religious background, was sent to the Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College. She was fighting back and they did not like it. If he was getting too close to the witness emotionally he should have stepped away from the case. Yet, that is exactly what the videotape showsDiane laughing hysterically about hurting her arm. I would like to believe this is the truth. She was judged very harshly for her character and her defense was dismal. 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. Thanks for the link. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. That makes no sense. She has been in prison for so long that we dont know what her mental health situation is so it is a moot point for me. Imagine knowing that your adoptive dad was responsible for putting your natural mom in the slammer? But you told Diane Downs to go ahead and get an apartment? I always welcome new information, evidence and opinions if they have a strong base and are not mean spirited, but I dont get the relevance of this comment to the case itself. They did not want reunification to keep their verdict intact. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. Years later, Christie was heard saying by classmates that she did not know who shot her. Diane Downs changed her story so many times, even at her parole hearing. No, Im not that gullible, Okay, I just read that she faked throwing her keys. Ginsburg didn't think women should get to do what men did because she believed they would do the job better; she wanted equality for its own liberating sake. I also grew up in as time of the most infamous case in Australias judicial history: Lindy Chamberlain and the dingo stole my baby. Fair question. He could not during the marriage so he walked away. The way Christie was coached did not correspond to the reality of the direct evidence. It is because she is a high profile person. Here's what we know. I am not saying she is innocent. The fact that they used her daughter and lied about the gun they could never find makes it a wrongful conviction. The whole case is crazy. The unreliability of childrens testimony has been documented by cognitive psychologists such as Elizabeth Loftus of the University of Cornell and others. Guilt or innocence no longer need to be debated in this case. Just like Rule though, your blog is extremely biased, and reads almost as though she told you exactly what to write at times. Open ended sentences like this are meant to provide a means of control and public safety when considering dangerous offenders who may pose a continued risk to the public. Lori, I luv how you ended your comment Lets also remember that this is the US of A and we dont lock people up for being narcissistic, antisocial histrionic individuals. The two mental disorders that cause excessive talking are Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. 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. I read the letter they sent to the Downs when they were fighting to see their grandchildren. The poor jury went along and Jagger did not put much ofa defense anyway. She was found guilty. (Feature Image Credit: ABC News / 20/20). The towel and a girl who had a stroke, was separated from her family and was constantly questioned without being recorded or accompanied by a loved one and testifying to facts that do not match the testimony of the forensic expert is not being reduced to conjecture? I have no dog in this race. You seem to forget that even a few jurors started by voting not guilty on some of the charges. is this a reason??? I also wish that Dianes children have a great life. The former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader sparked a romantic relationship with Howey and shortly after her career took off with a little help from the Something Borrowed actor's father, who was an. In the nurses notes, she is described as in shock and unable to grasp the situation. I refer you to this section of the blog: They claimed to have found two lead cartridges in Dianes rifle at home that supposedly matched the ones used during the crime. Every single one of these questions matter. 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. (Appendix 3). Criminalist James Pex was pretty clear about this. So Mark, where are you from? 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. This was ridiculed countless times in the media, but frankly, it can be a very honorable endeavor, depending onhow you want to look at it. It was cited that she keeps her emotions close to the vest. Love Island's Jay Younger reveals what you DON'T see on the show And because of this, they formed a profound connection that matured into a relationship. I have watched her parole hearing. Those cases shouldnt have been in the same court let alone presided over by the same judge. Im not arguing the facts of the trial, and Im not about to. Everything matters in a trial and investigation. It was pretty apparent during the course of this saga that the media and the state were willing to give a free pass to anyone willing to badmouth Diane. I also found it curious that when Diane was first eligible for parole she was allowed to apply every 2 years thereafter until she either gets paroled or dies in prison. But in the case of DD, there were a lot of elements missing. Brewer stood ready to testify in June 1991, that it was because of Prosecutor Hugis lie that he changed his mind to convict and that he alone was responsible for silencing the dissenting votes of two other jurors (Appendix 97). 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. Strange how Jagger is pretty absent too except for the few photos where he is wrongly identified as Hugi. But there was a lot left unsaid about this relationship. Jury begins deliberations in decades-old rape and murder case - WMTW When they graduated from high school, the two reunited and rekindled their love despite their brief separation. Yet in their mind, she was already guilty. She said no mother would stop at 10 at night, in the dark, with three young children, to help a Bush haired stranger. This is a more common route for children with parents who are incarcerated for what looks to be the entire childhood of the children. Likewise, Charlene had no intention of letting Knick divorce her (Appendix 81, page 1518, line 15). By the time the incident had happened, it seems as if the two had parted ways . So, what happened to the children's father? I remember when Diane shot her kids and there are some facts Id like to correct from your blog. The fact that the children were in no way protected by Child Protection Services is undeniable. I know that most people think she is guilty. All of it is explained in the blog you didnt bother reading. Dilantin is known to cause mental confusion and you can check it online, but consider the dosage she was on and it needs no clarification. They were in a difficult situation becausewithout evidence, they could notcharge her for the crime. Right away, the police asked her to go back to the crime scene even thoughshe did not want to leave her children behind. 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. And to try not to bash Dianes Downs character and stick to evidence instead. She is currently in prison, serving her life sentence for the murder of one of her kids and attempted murder for the other two. You say she made more of a fuss about her arm than about the injuries her children sustained. 5. My beef is with the interference by the media, TV shows and Ann Rule The kind of TV series that they produce on high profile crimes will make sure to turn public opinion. 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. Downs is a worthless as the day is long.. Maybe you should read the blog before commenting. Additionally, homicide or assault victims shot by someone else can test positive for GSR. But to convince this young and vulnerable girl to turn on her mother, they needed to isolate her from her family and work relentlessly on her confession.. And she laughed at it by saying it was healthy to want to join the free world, especially if you proclaim your innocence. I am just curious. did he have eyes in the back of his head.???? Detective Welch reminded Diane of the assault her sister witnessed in February 1983, in which steve Downs broke Dianes tailbone (Appendix 74, page 1025). It was demonstrated at trial that the shooter shot the kids at close range. Im sorry but your article is tosh. Go to the hate groups for that. Also, I agree he does look a little like the actor who played Fred Hugi but I think it might be a coincidence. It should have been investigated further. I just read your opinion on the Pamela Smart case and the Scott Peterson case. As she is incarcerated, her fate is already sealed, servicing her life sentence in prison. Diane had met all the requirements to be paroled. I still remember my mother picking up the paper and seeing the headline. The DA that put away their mom is not an appropriate placement choice. Moreover, he apparently told her that he did not want children and this statement alone would seal Dianes fate. Everyone deserves peace. Judges are subject to certain ethical standards and have a duty to be impartial. Not right at all. Many individuals associated with the the child welfare system, for one reason or another, choose to adopt children. So until today, people still don't know much about him, and his whereabouts remain a mystery. However, Steve later discovered that Danny wasn't his biological son and divorced his wife. Justice is all that is left. Why doesnt the innocent project get involved with her case. I agree that the phone call from Angel was totally inappropriate. Most importantly why would anybody shoot 3 children potentially fatally and leave the adult with a wound in her arm. They are now leading their private lives as adults. The interpretation of blood splatter is different than no blood splatter. And Steven would hunt her down anyway and charm his way back into her life. Can you imagine your little boy growing up to beat to death (with his bare hands and boots) Is she referring to her ex husband? But they tended to ignore other important aspects. Problem with that is Diane has said during an interview with detectives that the sketch looks nothing like what she described. I agree on many points with your comment. Downs wanted to get rid of the kids because her new boyfriend didn't want . Because she seemed "aloof". And in fact this would have been about the time that Charlene broke a bottle of liquor that you had. Then, 10 days after Diane was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, she gave birth to a daughter she named Amy Elizabeth. And yes, its your site, but dont act like a site is open for discussion if its not. Police witness reports of strangers and confessions were suppressed or not pursued. Q. I dont know that it could get worse than writing an asinine comment on a restorative justice website that states that only respectful and constructive comments will be posted. If she was such a manipulative person, she would not be in prison for life, would she? Dianewas jealous ofthe other woman, but Robert Knickerbockers wife said that she foundher rather friendly during their encounter. Yes, I usually answer the emails I get about the blogs. It is not, as the blogger frequently refers to, evidence. It seems they all went the easy way. That towel should have been soaked in their blood not hers. We dont know what the Hugi family was doing during this time, probably seeing the kids regularly and getting licensed and approved to take the kids home with them. (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.. From reading the blog and my little understanding of this case, Ms Downs remains in custody as she is considered a dangerous offender. ), Interesting suggestion. I like the way you keep an open mind about Diane herself and what she may or may not have been going through mentally. And if she did it, she has served her time without displaying any violent tendencies whatsoever. It seems like Steve and Diane were meant to be together. The following article hopes to help you make more suitable choices and get more useful information It was omnipresent in the courtroom as well as the Duran Duran song Hungry like the Wolf that supposedly was playing when the children were shot in the car. It was one of the most disturbing stories I've watched. So it looks and sounds like she is getting special treatment because of her notoriety. 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? Once again, Diane said a lot of things. Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. Diane followed the detectives to their car. Conflict of interest on steroids!! This case certainly had its share of circumstantial evidence. A demonstration in court strongly suggested: Suggested, not confirmed. That is the way she was brought up,especially at the demand of her rigid but verydedicated father. Lets not forget that she was presumed to have fired a gun 6 times at close range within the confines of a small car. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n364/a03.html // Prison-happy U.S. must reconsider use of mercy; Carol S. Steiker, professor at Harvard Law School, Sep. 10, 2008 , http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080910_Prison-happy_U_S__must_reconsider_use_of_mercy.html // US Prison Population Soars to 2.3Mln People at Annual Cost of $7Bln The US prison population has soared to 2.3 million people costing the government more than $7 billion per year. 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. In 1983, Diane Downs said a stranger shot her 3 kids, but police But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. For all you readers of this blogger, I lived through the Diane Downs case. Mr. Wasnt it speculative on their part? The media keeps talking about several escapes, but there was only one. Just similar stuff.and that I guess, makes it easy for me to see how that song could of fueled her up.never underestimate the power if a song..what feels intense and exciting to you, may not to another, but shoot, anytime I hear pink floyd run like hell.takes me right back 1991 in the heat of my chase..for me, I got the answers I wanted from 89 when my friend said that about the Duran song and it involved in that case. If, as Proctor said, it was exchanged right away, and the other Ruger was subsequently stolen by Steven, how was it remotely possible for him to have this info? You have that part absolutely right, so why was this protocol ignored? 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. The fact that she took the kids to the nearest hospital, andtwo of them survived kind offlies in the face of their murder at all costs theory. They went after Diane at trial for tapping her foot when they played Hungry like the wolf. Considering the lack of evidence, it seems that she was condemned mostly because of herinappropriatestatements and behavior. 2) You mention her youngest daughter, and how Ann made sure she only heard negative information about Diane. They never tried to reunite them with family. They hardly investigated any other lead after a couple of weeks. Sad situation. You said that the absence of both prove she couldnt have been to shooter and you claim it takes real scrubbing to remove GSR. She then went through the State (Circuit) Court habeas corpus relief for four years to no avail. Its a rather large part of the story. I know several foster parents and social workers. Comments about the title of the website, the blogger, the bias, details like the word bipolar and when it was used when cyclothymic disorder was diagnosed by the person who treated the subject and there is an affidavit posted. Tracy, I never said she was in the car. How interesting. If a person were innocent of the crime they were convicted of this puts them in a no-win situation. I was curious as to what these requirements were, as I have not seen these online. I feel compelled to comment on this blog, because having recently read Ann Rules book, I feel exactly as you did. Her other daughter and son were severely injured. Her family supported her. TOP 8 why didn't steve downs get custody BEST and NEWEST I know several people who know or knew both of the surviving children as well as Diane. It will not make me popular, but I dont mind. A group of ladies formed a group called HELDD which stands for Help Exonerate & Liberate Diane Downs. Substituting reasonable inference and evidence for tarot cards? The bio family should have been given the same opportunity to see the kids and demonstrate their ability to be the guardians. Child Protective Services takes confidentiality to the extreme (warranted in most cases). I dont care what Diane Downs says at the parole board hearing, except if she is innocent or guilty. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. To this day, his record is mixed; his law license was suspended for6 monthsin 2011, and there was also talk of a suspension in 2015. They did not like her attitude and she did not behave the way they expected a grieving mother to act. 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? And of course, she added her own brand of paranoia, which is to be expected considering her personality disorder and what she went through. I am not one sided. Imagine the ones there for years. Q. And it is not like these two were white as snow. Is Diane really a threat anymore? That testimony was left unchallenged by Mr. Jagger. 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. Jump through the States hoops, or find a noose around your neck. Right after her first surgery, The Detectives were adamant that they HAD to have Diane right then to recreate the incident- unless of course, you have something to hide. In 2008, a psych evaluation by L. Williams, Ph.D., Chief of Mental Health at Valley State Prison for Women, explained Dianes lack of emotions and its relationship to her 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. I care about what was said at trial. A. Steve Bannon won't be detained before trial on charges of contempt of Congress after he failed to comply with subpoenas from the House committee investigating January 6. According to Rule and the court, the unicorn was a memorial to her children that she purchased after premeditating their murder. All Rights Reserved. But if the blogger is arguing that the blog is balanced and objective, thats patently untrue. There were a few calls and on one occasion,Christie said They just, they knew that, you know, that she did it and I should say that she did it. When asked if she thought her mother did it or someone else did it, she replied, I dont know if she did it or someone else did, cause I dont know. Then Angel says: They told you that was the right thing to do, huh? Christie responds, But like the person, my attorney, and thats who Fred is, that Im living with, hes the guy, he works for me.. At first I thought she did it, now I made further research and I dont know what to think. It seems that the Downs were totally ignored. Thank you Lise. 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. Then they just got shut out. She was a first time offender who has shown no violent tendencies and is afflicted with a mental illness. The details about the gun missing, the daughters testimony and the fact that she had no blood or gun residues are facts. Christie is a married woman and gave birth in 2005. Gun shot residue is not always present. Many attribute the conviction of Downs to the arrival of author Ann Rule at Downs' trial. The best policy for Diane Downs would have been to remain silent, but she fought back and smiled at the wrong time and according to them, enjoyed the attention. Children under the age of twelve may cognitively grasp the concept of truth and lie, but lack the conscience which compels people to apply the concept to their lives, or the strength to maintain the truth when adults coerce her to lie. This is what Mrs Downs had to say about the situation. You left and you and Diane Downs spent an evening at a motel? After arriving at the nearest hospital where the nursing staff and doctors attended to the children, the police were called in and her parents arrived promptly. Maybe I'm dramatic but I no longer want to watch it . As far as Hugi is concerned, it was a total conflict of interest. why didn't steve downs get custody - Arrowmtn.com So appropriate! I understand that the authorities were afraid to leave the two remaining children under her care if they thought she was guilty, but they could have been released to the grandparents or other blood relatives with supervised visits from their mom considering that she was not charged with any crime. Do you remember it would have been around say November 19th of 82 that you would have left Charlene at one time? I know people who know or knew people is not a valid argument. 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. 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? They now have social media arenas reminiscent of the Romans cheering at the sight of a thumb down meaning there will be a bloodshed. The popular TV movie Small Sacrifices was based on Ann Rules book and it painted a horrid picture of the mother accused of shooting her children on Old Mohawk Road. She is a monster and belongs in prison for the rest of her life. I simply state facts that did not or would not come out at the time or blatant misconduct from a legal system that is supposed to be based on innocent until proven guilty. Diane, 18, had run away from home to do so. LMFAO!!!! One of them named Angel, called 15-year-old Christie on the phone. (LOL!! But strangely, they took no photos of the crime scene and did not lift fingerprints from the drivers side of the car. He has also once again decided to defy . Her children deserved the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Did she act like a average person? Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . Diane changed her story about the stranger on the road. The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. The lack of balance and objectivity. A test for the presence of gunshot residue conducted on Dianes hands the night of the shooting, returned a negative result (Appendix 23).