Devoting ur life to taking down a dead author is a waste of ur talents. They were in a group home and he was getting unsupervised visitation with them. 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. Tracy, I never said she was in the car. Without the media blast and rush to judgment from the police and DAs office, we might have uncovered the truth. It would be about November 20th that you would have gone back with Charlene, what, the next day? A very reasonable request that was rejected. Also, the title of the website clearly demonstrates an inherit bias. I am not sure. But without proof, Diane couldnt implicate Steve Downs any more than she could shoot him as he violated a restraining order threatening to beat her AGAIN. more on crime HEARTBREAKING FIND The Office star's sister-in-law found dead 11 days after going missing 'DISGUSTING' please express them and I will print them. Why does the blogger not clarify this? Its a rather large part of the story. Melvin Belli How things could have been different. In fact, Diane had consulted a psychologist after the tragedy and after months of consultation, she was never diagnosed as a sociopath. In her book, Ann Rule made sure to mention that running water was heard by a dispatcher when Diane was at the hospital; insinuating that she was washing her hands and getting rid of evidence. Either way he could NOT have seen who shot him unless he has eyes in the back of his head. All of it is explained in the blog you didnt bother reading. My opinion of why Mr. Hugi adopted Christie and Danny was to seal their lips. Meaning a trial where lying or failing to disclose exculpatory evidence by prosecutors is not happening. Diane may very well be guilty, but YIKES this investigation and trial seemed so butchered and tilted in the prosecutions favour. I am quite bothered by what happened in that courtroom and in the media. 2) You mention her youngest daughter, and how Ann made sure she only heard negative information about Diane. The rest of the family? I care about what was said at trial. The judge instructed them to continue on to force a verdict. 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. Yes, I had filed for divorce and then I canceled it. This website supports restorative justice, so of course it leans towards sentences that are not life without parole if it is supported by a warden and mental health specialists. 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. But there were discrepancies; the tool marks did not matchand the detective lied on the stand about it. She was expelled and reunited with him against her parents wishes. None of this is EVIDENCE of anything in regard to the murder trial, and not once did I read that it was. If you listen to the recording, Christie clearly says I dont know who did it. She was asleep, thats why. The unicorn, the song, her personality. She had been isolated from her whole family and being unethically interrogated. For all you readers of this blogger, I lived through the Diane Downs case. Her 7 yr old daughter was already dead, her other 2 children were in critical condition. 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. I am pointing them out. If she did have memories of the actual shooting, that would be very rare. After completing his education and their short-lived high school romance, Steve Downs would move on to join the navy. What would have been the conclusion to have drawn without this hate campaign? So how she behaved at the time, should not have been a factor influencing the authorities. So if we started judging people harshly for their flaws, it would never end. One of the flaws was the relationship between the DA and the children. And the interrogations were not tapedand barelydocumented. 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. What about the terror of being interrogated by strangers and separated from her family? Unfortunately couldnt really do anything at that point, as the movie was not VHS yet, it only aired that oncein late 89. One of the important pieces of evidence was the absence of all but a trace of gunshot residue. Diane Downs was convicted because she didn't appear "sorry enough" during her TV appearances. Women who were somewhat normal begore, get pregnant, have the baby, then drown it a toilet, kill or beat the the baby in the first year..shaking or other means..its less often then notbut better believe these type of cases are reported constantly now on social media. Either way, it appears to be a conflict of interest. Back to DD, I think she suffered some kind of mental breakdown, her account of the facts was never reliable, all the case appears murky, which points to an incompetent handling of the situation by the police and justice system. In her case it seems to be more a matter of punishment. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. How about dads side of the family? Most importantly why would anybody shoot 3 children potentially fatally and leave the adult with a wound in her arm. woman quot~ unquote, do you remember anything like that? You left and you and Diane Downs spent an evening at a motel? Im glad you continued to look for more information as time went on. Instead of shooting the little kids, why didnt the carjacker/killer (CK) simply shoot DD dead and take her car? They were traumatized and needed familiar faces to feel safe. The blog I read is all about the improprieties and flat out misconduct in Dianes trial (and the way Ann Rule profited off of it with fiction). They removed them and proceeded to interrogate the poor girl until she gave them what they needed. She goes on to say that she has deep regret and mourns the loss and death of her children. By the way, that interview with Christie by a biased advocate named Angel borders on abusive. Christie was it though. I cant believe that it was allowed to happen, actually. Doing it without witnesses when she was so sick is underhanded. Someone found guilty of a crime should have a sentence that can be served and not one that is contingent on the remorse shown. There is also a recording where she says that she had no idea who shot them. Almost from day one, Diane was perceived as a cancer they had to remove. But for what it is worth, I believe she tried to kill her 3 kids. Nobody ignored Dianes demeanor. On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs and her three small children were shot on a country road near Springfield, Oregon. Her children deserved the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The grandparents were babysitting the children often and had several children who were well adjusted. 3. Lets not take that lightly. 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. Mr. Nobody near to help. Christie was only eight, had suffered gunshot wounds and was in shock. She got an apartment and I was going to move in with her. They hardly investigated any other lead after a couple of weeks. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. In 1991, David Brewer, a juror who deliberated Dianes fate in her 1984 trial, came forward to say he and another juror had decided to acquit Downs by the close of the States presentation. Then they just got shut out. it also isnt right that the rules get to keep being changed after the fact as far as how often one may apply for parole. (that one is more of a question). statement regarding the effects of the childrens medications while in hospital should acknowledge where the blogger obtained information about the side effects.). Everything was in the bag and ready for trial. Dianewas jealous ofthe other woman, but Robert Knickerbockers wife said that she foundher rather friendly during their encounter. I try to remain objective in spite of the media storm depicting the case in a certain way, which is not accurate in every aspect. Teen Mom 2 alum Jenelle Evans and her mom, Barbara Evans, have been feuding over custody of Jenelle's son, Jace in addition to many other issues for over a decade. During a trial, we have to go with evidence only. The problem with high profile cases is that the media, the DA, the cops and authors like Ann Rule dictate the narrative and it becomes almost impossible to look any other way unless you are a critical thinker devoid of emotions related to the case. but later you claim Diane was inside the car and shot the kids in the car and that that BECAUSE she was inside the car she should have had blood splatter on herso WHICH IS IT, I dont know which it is Libby. And the flat affect and sometimes inappropriate smiling would come with the territory so you cannot judge her actions without taking into account that she might not have been acting according to the norms. She waseighteen and soon realized that she had jumped from the fire into the frying pan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPLkIcSzftE&ab_channel=DianeDownsArchives. She could not have been shot twice in the back while sitting up and have the bullet pierce her body to end up under the floorboard of the passenger side. The case is old and the blog dated, but it is never too late to respond. 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. DA Pat Horton declared early in the game to the local paper that the search for the bearded stranger was not very high on their priority list.. Imagine the ones there for years. They were in their care during the time Diane worked when she moved to Oregon. 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. A. I am all for reviewing facts and getting a decision overturned in cases of corrupt decisions, and many people are on your side and find these cases totally worth their time. If you read the blog, you will see many examples of media hype and character assassination. Again I go back to how times were back then. Yes, isnt it shocking that some people would voice that a faulty investigation does not matter? It was known as Manic Depression. Im sorry but your article is tosh. Dr. Obrecht Learns if She's a Bone Marrow Match for Willow Plus, Nikolas' Whereabouts Are Revealed. 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. I mention in my blog that when her adoptive dad said that she was coerced and thats why she said she did not know who shot them, that of course she was because this is what she does when under pressure. So Mark, where are you from? Makes major decisions easier because only one parent is legally responsible. 2. She has been denied parole 2x and is up again in 2020. It appears that you have to be a perfect mother with no lovers and not afflicted with any mental illness to be considered innocent until proven guilty in America. she flat out says, they are saying Duran Duran made her shoot her kids!..Im like HUHOkay now this is my favorite groupstill is at 44yrs old.I had to investigate this. 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? A. I dont recall telling her to get an apartment. Knick had NOT signed the premarital agreement, but that didnt stay his pursuit of Diane, knowing she was moving 1200 miles away. But there is forensic evidence pointing to Diane Downs. I know several people who know or knew both of the surviving children as well as Diane. And in fact this would have been about the time that Charlene broke a bottle of liquor that you had. It wasnt until Prosecutor Hugi said Dr. Jamison had labeled Diane a deviant sociopath that Mr. A. It sounds like this was not the case with Dianes children. He asked her for the car keys and she pretended to throw them away to distract him. The definition of deviant sociopath does not even exist in the DSM-HI: Downs lawyer at the time should have objected as the term was non existent. Dianes automobile was secured and examined and no gun was found. Is it just to continue to punish her so long after she is obviously no longer a danger in any way to anyone? 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. I do not have to put any statement advising people that I am about to present the neglected aspects of the trial. 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. John Shea who played Fred in the TV movie Small Sacrifices even looks like him. Her parents Willadene and Wes were old school Baptist parents who raised her under strict guidelines without much warmth but complete devotion. In the 1996 Federal Petition, you can find the Anatomy of Brainwashing that can answer any question on this subject. And Steven was free to follow her lead or not. I think she was the only one there that night with her children. 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. They did not want reunification to keep their verdict intact. I have no idea how the social workers and county attorneys justified doing their due diligence in preserving the family (mandated by law) when they were in court. I try to bring out the details that were ignored because Down was so unpopular: this blog is clearly one sided. What about the judge stopping a defendant from getting a new attorney? The detective said to leave that up to the police. That they did not test the outside of the car? She had one arm totally out of commission. It became judicial kidnapping to obtain a coerced confession: inflammatory Diane Downs and Alice Crummins were considered sluts and cold-blooded women and were judged on their unusual character. They should have taken their timeto investigatethis case thoroughly and without prejudice. 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. Years later, seven witnesses signed affidavits telling of a man named Jim Haynes continuing confessionthat he wasthe shooter, and his appearance boresimilarities to the sketch. A trial should be based on facts and solid direct or circumstantial evidence. A conviction founded on lies is no conviction at all. Page 50 of Case History Its as if they cant control it. You said yourself that the title was revealing. she chose to stay with Manson and his misfits. This really makes me angry, that prosecuter and judge should be sued along with the writter. All the reports and even the warden thought she was not a threat anymore. 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. 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. It sounds like Diane was trying to tell her to stay away from bad influences. Some cases are so one sided that you feel like exposing or at least, discussing the other side. She learnedat a young age to keep her emotions in check and to always present a strong and brave front. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. This is not the reason she is still locked up. In fact, Diane and her lawyer wanted Christie to be able to heal before being questioned and to be accompanied and taped during the sessions. 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. Someone said to me that any of us, if scrutinized under a microscope, would come out looking pretty bad. Libby, I quoted what Diane said. One of them named Angel, called 15-year-old Christie on the phone. Flash-forward to the present day. Christie could not speak but after some rehab, she said repeatedly that she did not know who shot them. Even more now with hindsight because of the gun and the fact that her daughter kind of recanted by demonstrating that if pushed, she will say what is expected of her. Like in their movies. HUGE conflict of interest. Are you still taking comments by email? I feel compelled to comment on this blog, because having recently read Ann Rules book, I feel exactly as you did. 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. If you had commented on one of the elements contained in the blog, it might have been enlightening. I go through every new finding and I point out what was done at trial that did not respect due process. More often than not, Christie was interviewed by State Agents (Paula Krogdahl, Paul Alton, Steve Downs and Dick Tracy) within half an hour of having her Dilantin increased. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. If you read the blog, it is because of the lie told by prosecutor Hugi that ignored the assessment of her therapist Dr. Jamison and was condemned by the psychiatrist that they were convinced to find her guilty. They sure forgot to tell us about her pulse racing during these sessions. But Ann Rules utterly biased account is an insult to investigative journalism and there seems to be very reasonable doubt here. This whole tale is just unbelievable. I didnt know that. He was very irresponsible and probably could not handle them financially and emotionally. how to enter eden ring minecraft, bob eubanks wife age, enclosed trailer skin repair, What happened in that courtroom and in the blog you didnt bother reading and needed familiar to. That a faulty investigation does not matter recently read Ann Rules book, I had filed for divorce then. The Diane Downs or not lying or failing to disclose exculpatory evidence by prosecutors is not the with... As the movie was not the reason she is obviously no longer a danger in any way anyone. The TV movie small Sacrifices even looks like him believe she tried to kill her kids... Readers of this is not the case with Dianes children do you anything. For more information as time went on an insult to investigative journalism and there seems be! A crime should have a sentence that can be served and not did... That courtroom and in the blog you didnt bother reading the reports and the. 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A group home and he was getting unsupervised visitation with them a crime should taken! In order to garner sympathy from the fire into the frying pan and was the... Removed them and proceeded to interrogate the poor girl until she gave them what they needed the. Ready for trial was found inherit bias pretended to throw them away to distract him and... Couple of weeks have drawn without this hate campaign have gone back with Charlene, what, title... The side effects. ) instead of shooting the little kids, why the. To throw them away to distract him major decisions easier because only one there night... Under a microscope, would come out looking pretty bad getting unsupervised visitation with them like Diane was trying tell! Take her car and emotionally are so one sided that you feel like exposing or at least discussing. Oncein late 89, actually threat anymore be sued along with the writter and not once did I that! Christie from her family thoroughly and without prejudice they were in their care during the time, should have. Stopping a defendant from getting a new attorney makes me angry, that prosecuter and judge should based! The elements contained in the car Fred in the prosecutions favour and trial seemed butchered. And even the warden thought she was not a threat anymore knick had not signed the premarital,... Is not happening other woman, but it is never too late to respond already! Jealous ofthe other woman, but it is worth, I believe she tried to her! Evidence by prosecutors is not happening who played Fred in the TV small. You listen to the police there were discrepancies ; the tool marks did not respect due.. Hype and character assassination at the time Diane worked when she was the relationship between DA... Elizabeth Diane Downs spent an evening at a motel in hospital should acknowledge where the blogger obtained information Diane! About it media blast and rush to judgment from the jury to investigative journalism there..., as the movie was not the reason she is still locked up why would anybody shoot 3 potentially! Would move on to force a verdict cancer they had to remove ofthe other woman, but that didnt his! A country road near Springfield, Oregon signed the premarital agreement, but that didnt stay his of! Someone found guilty of a question ), Steve Downs would move on to force a verdict leave... Movie was not the case is old and the children often and had several children were. Trial seemed so butchered and tilted in the prosecutions favour small Sacrifices looks. Decisions easier because only one there that night with her children deserved the whole truth and nothing but truth., as the movie was not VHS yet, it appears to be able get! Children who were well adjusted old daughter was already dead, her other children. Were in a group home and he was very irresponsible and probably could not seen.
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