I ndicted money launderer and noted coup enthusiast Steve Bannon has refused to sit for a deposition in front of the January 6 Select Committee. That is the reason effective trial counsel challenges the competency of a nine-year-old child to testify in a court of law. I hope she is granted parole. Yet in their mind, she was already guilty. In the 1996 Federal Petition, you can find the Anatomy of Brainwashing that can answer any question on this subject. Her flat affect is even more pronounced now and it did her in at the time, but she was lucid enough to clearly see that Rule and the media used Becky for their personal gain. Love Island's Jay Younger reveals what you DON'T see on the show Makes major decisions easier because only one parent is legally responsible. Ruger #14-76187; described as the gun used by Diane and belonging to Steve Downs, was not the murder weapon. Dianes family could give you countless examples of the inaccuracies they found in her book. Would you seriously be confident enough to present your findings you mention in your article to Diane Downs children? Due process always matters. Here's everything you need to know. I am a firm believer of where there is smoke there is fire. The story of Steve Downs' children is one of the most shocking to date. They had him micromanaged, and with the testimony of little Christie they were in business. The bio family should have been given the same opportunity to see the kids and demonstrate their ability to be the guardians. During the process of the termination (which can take the whole 2 years in question, with appeals) the court is mandated to find family to take the children. I base a lot on what I see and hear from her in her own words in footage of a 28 yr old woman. The tape is real and probably not admissible, but it seems to indicate that her testimony was coerced: Why is it not admissible? If they could not find the gun or any trace of a shooting on Diane, and you think shes guilty, it would mean she had an accomplice. He didn't indicate whether Downs would appeal. 3. Gun shot residue is not always present. I can only imagine to absolute horror of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca during their horrific murders. By the way, Dianes parents mourn the loss of their grandchildren to this day. This is a conflict of interest. Her trial was speculative and based on so many fallacies. Why doesnt the innocent project get involved with her case. 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. Van Houten has made her choices and needs to own up to her actions and stop putting all the blame on drugs and Manson. The judge instructed them to continue on to force a verdict. I have researched the case and pointed out discrepancies and the fact that it was not the slam dunk that they were portraying. Diane found with him,the kind of relationship she had never known before: there was actually care and intimacy involved. It is called a conflict of interest. What got her convicted was two things the towel and Christie. She has been denied parole 2x and is up again in 2020. Modernism mixed with Medieval state of mind. 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. I care about what was said at trial. Christie was it though. Even if they say that she did not get involved in rehabilitation programs, she did participate, but obviously did not admit to killing her daughter and injuring the others. 4. Except for Paul Cortez. It was demonstrated at trial that the shooter shot the kids at close range. As it was getting dark and the young ones fell asleep in the car, their mother decided to head home. The harm done to families by unscrupulous district attorneys who bully children into falsely testifying against their parents has been recorded in a documentary called Witch Hunt by Sean Penn about Kern County (CA) District Attorney Ed Jagels. Diane had met all the requirements to be paroled. John Kitzhaber, Governor of Oregon Children imitate their parents every move. Much worse. Nowadays, this insanity would never be tolerated. 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. I was raised by an evil narcissist and have not only seen this kind of behavior before, but I have seen the face of the devil and it is a look of pure evil that gives me the creeps. Now Diane Downs did not say any of this, but told a hard to believe story, and then changed it from one to two masked guys, etc. Most get through it fine, maybe some complications or pain, maybe even some post pardum. It was omnipresent in the courtroom as well as the Duran Duran song, The judge instructed them to continue on to force a verdict. I dont believe there was a CK. No. It can safely be presumed, other children told their parents, and that some of those parents reported the disturbing revelation to states Attorney, Prosecutor Fred Hugi. So, what is Steve's story? Everywhere, EXCEPT the door through which Diane reported to police, the male stranger had passed. Page 37 of Case History. A fair trial is a right in this country, not a judicial suggestion. Knick never signed the premarital agreement and Diane never married him. Not our place to decide. Diane may very well be guilty, but YIKES this investigation and trial seemed so butchered and tilted in the prosecutions favour. Who Wore it Better? Diane and her family fought for them but were blocked from day one. Q. 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. Diane has not been deemed an ongoing public threat that I am aware of. How.. they attacked him. It was known as Manic Depression. 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. but I think there are some extreme cases that knock women in a bad psychotic way that can be life threatening. The case is old and the blog dated, but it is never too late to respond. I was shocked any asked why she thought that. The inconsistencies and obvious lack of evidence in this case should have called for a wider investigation instead of solely focusing on their prime suspect. Diane was diagnosed as being bipolar and subsequently diagnosed by a psychiatrist before sentencing. Diane now had the title of dangerous offender. This article is about due process and the legal right to a fair trial for everyone. No, Im not that gullible, Okay, I just read that she faked throwing her keys. Ann Rule promotes her books as true crime stories so to this day, viewers believe that the book and the movie titled Small Sacrificesdocument the true story of the Diane Downs case; in fact, it is a mix bag of truth, falsehoods, interpretation and plain fiction. If not, why not? 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. Where are Steve Downs children now? Are you looking for more information about Ryan Eggold? Considering that the marks on the lethal bullets did not fit the bullet fingerprinting found in the rifle, this gun switcheroo was a good save for the state, but did not support the theory presented at trial either. Their life without parole sentences are a dime a dozen and so randomly used that it beats any notion of justice for all. why didn't steve downs get custody. Don't get butt hurt. 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? Wasnt Mr. F supposed to be a child molester? And Hugi seemed pretty sure he would get what he was asking for. From what Ive read, she gets a parole hearing every decade and the next time in 2030 she will be 75. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. There is her story, the prosecution case and the defense arguments. They felt safe there. Copyright 2023 Distractify. 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). It means you dont orphan the kids. Its a fact. is this a reason??? Makes no difference to me. 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,. Or why the fact that he was a con artist made him such a credible guy in this case. I think that she has done enough time and should be released. You dont get any kind of advancement or rehabilitation in prison. Almost from day one, Diane was perceived as a cancer they had to remove. He freely admitted HE decided to ask for a divorce on his birthday without consulting Diane, who was out of town 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. You say she made more of a fuss about her arm than about the injuries her children sustained. The whole family were co-conspirators and involved in the crime? I actually do not know what really happened. So, how much do you know about him aside from this acting profile? And, when she got assigned to the mail routes in the city of Cottage Grove, Oregon, as a part of her job with the U.S. postal service, he didnt have any qualms with her taking the children. There were days she was unhappy to see the staff and her family because she was very ill. That poor girl had a lot of bad moments where she would cry constantly or trigger the machines and to have defined this single incident as one of terror instead of excitement over seeing her mom was biased and self-serving. As a result, he decided not to attend the rest of the trial. It simply states the facts of the case. Too bad it triggered you, maybe try to stay away from sites that might not go along with the mob mentality and usual media narrative. But they tended to ignore other important aspects. That is why people wonder why such a vital family member never gave the anticipated insightful interview. After all, many cases of domestic abuse and even neglect do stem from alcoholism or drug abuse. According to Rule and the court, the unicorn was a memorial to her children that she purchased after premeditating their murder. In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. In an earlier comment you stated that Diane had met all of the requirements for parole. There was a lot of evidence pointing at OJ. And Steven was free to follow her lead or not. All the reports and even the warden thought she was not a threat anymore. I think it would give the blog more integrity and transparency. A history of use of drugs, alcohol or even cigarettes can all be deemed as counts against a parent in court. Farrah had trouble with the law because of a passionate love affair with a movie director. Meaning it was unlikely she was the shooter. I guess he did not want too many people to know about the improprieties that happened in his courtroom. But showing no remorse is part of claiming her innocence and part of the vicious circle of parole hearings. It would never happen todaynever. 4.Diane was NOT arrested for almost a year after the shootings the d.a. To the authorities, it was a ridiculous notion that they would not entertain so they did not follow on numerous leads coming from people who had seen someone corresponding to that description. The jurors had doubts. 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. She did it. Susan, I dont know if there ever was a lawsuit against Ann Rule from the Fredericksons family. A. I dont recall telling her to get an apartment. They often argued about their financial issues and fought over infidelities. you quoted what diane said as to what happened When she resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. 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. I go through every new finding and I point out what was done at trial that did not respect due process. Why does the blogger not clarify this? 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? The proverbial expression It takes two to tango applies here. She had the right to a fair trial as much as anyone else out there. The pilots we did dealt with Japan going over the quotas of hunted whales and a company dumping toxic waste into the ocean But it didn't work out because the stock footage they were using. No other shooter involved in her case. She said a bunch of really stupid things in the media (my kids were lucky, not me gets the palm) and basically bury herself. Their theory was very shaky. I must humbly admit that I had not questioned the facts of the case before readily accepting this image of Diane as a cold blooded killer. Movie scene alleging that Christie was scared. (Appendix 81, page 1466). 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 followed the trial. 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. Problem with that is Diane has said during an interview with detectives that the sketch looks nothing like what she described. You are telling me to take my smugness elsewhere because it is tiresome. I would like to raise the numerous issues with this blog. There is also a recording where she says that she had no idea who shot them. As a suggestion, I would love to see a like or dislike button for each comment. And she laughed at it by saying it was healthy to want to join the free world, especially if you proclaim your innocence. Diane, of her own admission, had plenty of affairs while she worked at the Post Office. In fact, Diane had consulted a psychologist after the tragedy and after months of consultation, she was never diagnosed as a sociopath. They should have taken their timeto investigatethis case thoroughly and without prejudice. 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 I go fishing with a jurors husband. If the grandparents and uncle had visitation rights, they could have respected some rules as far as not discussing the case, but imagine if she had told them that she did not remember? What Happened to Diane Downs' Husband Following Her Sentencing? Did Anyone Watch 20/20 Last Night? - Page 3 - Blogs & Forums - QVC The prescribed normal dosage for a full grown man is 30 milligrams per day. If not from her high profile status, she would already be out. I dont know either if she is guilty or not, but I believe there is a reasonable doubt surrounding the circumstances. She did diagnose her as suffering from cyclothymic disorder and treated her accordingly. Reasonable doubt is most certainly lacking. It was such a high profile case and she was found guilty by the media and the court so people are afraid to touch this one. At the very least, she should have been released by now. 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. Unfortunately, there isn't much information about his whereabouts as he keeps a low profile. The jury verdict was guilty on all counts, but there was a mixture of votes. Nothing in this blog claims Diane is innocent. Her character was also too much on the forefront. And thats fair enough. Anyways. Instead, there is blood splatter on the ceiling of the car. Diane ran away from her husband many times between 1976 and 1977, but with nowhere to go except her parents house, she would come back. The media keeps talking about several escapes, but there was only one. ), years in solitary confinment Whats wrong with us?! It is possible that he still resides in Arizona, but exactly where he is or what he does, we dont know. Thank you Lise. According to TMZ, in 2017, Hudson and her former partner David Otunga "reached a temporary custody agreement which gives him custody" of their son. The police admitting on the stand that after 2 weeks, they stopped looking at suspects appears to be a fact. But I am realistic. The grandparents were babysitting the children often and had several children who were well adjusted. My website is in the process of being migrated so it has no photos. Brewer changed his mind. We had a thoughtful jury that examined the evidence over four days. (This is why Foote was assigned the case. But he overestimated the kind of people that would go along with this soap opera. Everyone in the world can believe something. Diane had learned from nine months of interaction with Knick, that the man was consistent only in his inconsistency. Christie NEVER said she didnt know who did it she was just unwilling or afraid to tell on her mother. 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The poor jury went along and Jagger did not put much ofa defense anyway. They believed the testimony of her former boyfriends who were far from stellar individuals. There have many times children have had to testify against their parents so the fact that many cant believe it was ever allowed should honestly research more. To Lisa Griggs It is said that their union was loveless and that Steve was a player who was also quite irresponsible and immature from time to time. 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. Who is Elizabeth Diane Downs, Steve Downs ex-wife? A conviction founded on lies is no conviction at all. Page 50 of Case History. The ballistics, gun, speed at which she drove the car, her demeanor, etc. I never read the Ann Rule book, but saw Small Sacrifices as a kid and have had an interest in this case ever since. I had visited Dr. Billings site several times and it is too bad that it was removed. 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. Hysteria. No. There were good reasons to look at this mother, but the detective admitted on the stand that they stopped looking at anyone else after two weeks and the stranger on the road became a joke. If you have an opinion on drugging a child to make her talk, a judge presiding over a criminal case when he was in family court and removed the children from the defendants or the forensics, ballistic, etc. The police DID fingerprint the car, from grill to trunk and in between. They are still part of their birth family. How could Christie say anything but the things they told her to say with that kind of influence? They should have taken the time necessary to find enough evidence. The person who shot the kids was leaning inside the car because they were shot at close range. McPherron: And you had no contact with her . During a trial, we have to go with evidence only. If you had, you would clearly know that I do not claim her guilt or innocence. Without the media blast and rush to judgment from the police and DAs office, we might have uncovered the truth. TIL On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs shot her three children and drove them at 5-7 mph to the hospital. After Diane was convicted, the two living children were adopted by the prosecutor in the case and his wife, and it was Christie who ultimately pointed to her mother being responsible for the shooting. They hated her attitude and thought she was promiscuous and showed no sorrow or remorse. 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. 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. The two kids who had survived the attack were placed for adoption and Steve was no able to care for them. I was curious as to what these requirements were, as I have not seen these online. 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. In Oregon, in 1983, she shot her 3 children, 1 daughter died. When you hear her in interviews she sounds more concerned with herself than her kids. Dianes automobile was secured and examined and no gun was found. Ive not seen the movie or read the book. If it was not such a high profile case, Diane Downs would have been paroled a long time ago, considering her good behavior and lack of priors. One should also wonder why their biological father who was so eager to bash his ex on the stand was not given custody, and did not stay in contact with his two remaining children: relevance? The absence of the gun or gun powder residues on Diane is fact. 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. While these are all good questions, (and were maybe all asked in the jury room during deliberations) I doubt the answers even matter anymore. They are now leading their private lives as adults. You seem to forget that even a few jurors started by voting not guilty on some of the charges. But there was a lot left unsaid about this relationship. But Im on track and Im really happy with the way life is.. The underlying basis of this article. But she suffered from mental illness and the circumstances were traumatic. Oh my. A. Instead, the person accused of attacking them and wanting them out of her life, fought for them. .well yay for youtubelol..is when I first heard her in old interviews. I know several foster parents and social workers. If the media was anything at the time it was favorable towards her. You mention her youngest daughter, and how Ann made sure she only heard negative information about Diane.. 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? 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. But you are right to say that it is my site. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. But due to a law enacted in Oregon after she first became eligible for parole, she can now only apply every 10 years. They should have left her alone. Kenyans Compare Rachel Ruto, Margaret Kenyatta's Looks in Maasai Outfits, Kim Kardashian Looking for Love Again, Wants to Date Someone Who Isn't Famous, Kind Officers Drop Protesters in Nairobi CBD after Being Released from Central Police Station, Oburu Oginga Hints at Raila Odinga Vying for Presidency in 2027: "He's Not Retired", Naftali Kinuthia Says He Regrets Killing Lover Ivy Wangeci Using Axe: "Too Angry to Think". Q. What was the justification? The diagnosis of the psychiatrist for the state is also clearly documented. Crime is entertainment and big money so this case will continue to be on the forefront and the same assumptions will be repeated over and over again. The incident left Cheryl dead, Danny paralyzed from the waist down, and Christie suffering from a stroke that affected her speech. A slightly humorous observation is that you said, and others have, that James Haynes physically resembled the sketch. The fact that the judge who presided over the child welfare case and the criminal case was the same individual is absolutely a conflict of interest. She signed an affidavit to that effect and wanted the jury informed of it but it was never done. So obviously, she was the prime suspect. She should have had the lawyer of her choice and if they wanted to charge her with the crimes, they should have stuck with what evidence and circumstances they had. She was no mother of the year and in the car when the kids got shot. 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. Diane Downs changed her story so many times, even at her parole hearing. The fruit of this abduction was the May 23, 1983, videotape re-enactment staged by Detective Tracy in which Diane is clearly hysterical. What this is evidence of is one more piece of the overwhelming amount of bias that was involved from the start of the case. She was fighting back and they did not like it. Danny downs did indeed say a man shot him he also blamed a cartoon character. Lets not take that lightly. I am quite bothered by what happened in that courtroom and in the media. She did not fit in and was now anxious to assert her independence and live her own life. She was the star witness in her mom's prosecution and her testimony helped convict her. Parker Schnabel's net worth in 2023: Is he the richest on Gold Rush? 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. woman quot~ unquote, do you remember anything like that? This is to avoid the conflict of interest that we read about above. Steve and Diane Downs' children were adopted by Lane County prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne. We could say that it was suggestive on his part, but considering how this trial was conducted, I tend to believe it happened. Plus, the circumstances of this charade were more than sinister. So the prosecutor adopted the kids? The Diane Downs' Case Was no Small Sacrifice - Crime Website The goal is always to keep family ties intact. But I am more than willing to review any new info. Distractify is a registered trademark. She folded it neatly around her arm. I dont know the woman. On a side note, what do you think of parole of Leslie Van Houton? As for where he is now, we'll be honest, we're not completely sure. No forensic evidence pointing to her, just conjecture based on how mothers should act. This is what I try to do when I research a case that was deemed to be a slam dunk. He has lived a life outside the public eye and hasnt ever come out to give interviews to the media about his ex-wife. (witness statement the gentleman who was behind her for at least 10 minutes). She was interrogated without a representative from the defense and was not taped for the most part. It gave Anne Rule carte blanche to legally use these labels in her book and it stuck. Needless to say, you seem to have a problem with the American justice systemnot each individual case. And if he really was attached to them and wanted to offer them a permanent home, it means he was unfit to be the prosecutor in this case. No OTHER reason. 4. As I stated towards the beginning of my response, Im taking issue with the blog and the subjective language used. Moms were working more, we were becoming the latch key generation, as in we let ourselves in alone while still in elementary school.when I mentioned before about maturity of a 8, 9, 10 year oldwe loved playing outside on bikes, and playing with our dolls, boys usually had their action figures..lol.and we loved our moms, even if they were young and liked to go out and sent us to babysitters..the book and movie, Im quite sure, over did the situation..and Im sure there was more on both sides, the family of diane, diane herself, but well never know all the details.
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