And according to the law, she should have been released by now, independently of what she says or not. People tend to forget that the group of young women hanging out with Manson were deeply engaged in serious drug use and totally out of their mind at the time. In hindsight Im sure the grandparents wish they had pursued visitation more aggressively. Of course buying drugs with three kids in the middle of the night from a guy like that is not the mindful thing to do, but would be more consistent as an explanation for her actions. Steve knew Danny was not his biological child and left Downs. Moreover, he apparently told her that he did not want children and this statement alone would seal Dianes fate. Danny was the product of an affair. Tina, if you look at family pictures of the Downs, Christie is the eldest and this is her picture. As far as Hugi is concerned, it was a total conflict of interest. There isnt a whole lot known about where Steve Downs is these days. In fact, Knick admits Diane took that gold chain as collateral against a $500 LOAN she made to him. But if the blogger is arguing that the blog is balanced and objective, thats patently untrue. I agree in both cases they were high profile cases. Seems to me that if that part of the story were true, and she really wanted to find her childrens shooter, she would have provided that information. So appropriate! She repeated it years later at school. Something that would never stand in court now. Legally speaking, we do not go after people because they look evil or crazy. According to her hospital records, every 6 hours she was given 400 milligrams of Dilantin (which is noted for causing confusion). That towel should have been soaked in their blood not hers. I am not saying she is innocent. I will agree that it was suspicious that Diane got away with one bullet in the arm, even if the injury was severe, but she was outside the car and many scenarios are possible to that effect. Everything matters in a trial and investigation. The infamous murder story of 1983 was like an excerpt from a crime thriller, a mother doing the unfathomable. We dont know. Diane, 18, had run away from home to do so. But the guy who said to several people that he was the shooter happens to resemble the sketch they came up with at the time for a reason. 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. I am not one sided. I actually do not know what really happened. You have that part absolutely right, so why was this protocol ignored? why didn't steve downs get custody. Makes no difference to me. The unreliability of childrens testimony has been documented by cognitive psychologists such as Elizabeth Loftus of the University of Cornell and others. I am a true crime junkie. He had an attorney, Fred G. Campbell Jr., send us a letter denying our request and telling us: You are legally, as well as factually, a stranger to them. Who does he think he is? 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. This case had many similarities to the Alice Crimminsstory. Ur not showing facts that Ann Rule lied n misled n ruined lives with. she chose to stay with Manson and his misfits. Most were married because Diane had no desire to remarry. Additionally, homicide or assault victims shot by someone else can test positive for GSR. The gun presented at trial being the wrong one is a fact. They should have left her alone. Foote ruled in favor of the prosecution and against the defenseon most of the admissible evidence questions including all the nurses notes about Danny talking about a man shooting him but admitted Christies reports about her mother shooting her. You are not the only one who thinks she is guilty and I know that getting their man at all cost is a popular mantra, but I disagree. Tuko.co.ke featured an interesting article about the actor that has been in the industry for more than 13 years, starring in various great productions. . Within three weeks, Diane had lost custody of her remaining wounded children and had become the number one suspect in the eyes of the police department and District Attorneys office. She'd also shot herself in the forearm. They came up with an explanation as to why this was the wrong gun but the jig was up. It gave Anne Rule carte blanche to legally use these labels in her book and it stuck. And Im really not on the fence the little girl was coachedI believe the ex husband , his freinds, and her lovers were invalid either way. She did it. Considering the circumstances, it is difficult not to be a bit cynical about this grand gesture: relevance? (I know that wasnt brought up this time but it usually is.) My beef is with the interference by the media, TV shows and Ann Rule Steve was among the few individuals who saw Elizabeth Diane as a beautiful young lady rather than an outsider. He should have let someone else handle the case or let someone else adopt the kids. She was also shot twice andifshe had been sitting up, the seats would have been covered with blood spatter as well as the shooter. He needed, now more than ever, to vacate the area asap. Or that the sketch did not resemble the suspect enough? According to Diane, she then saw a man on the road flagging her and stopped thinking he needed help. Considering the circumstances, it is difficult not to be a bit cynical about this grand gesture. Barry Sheck and bis crew of investigators should get involved. Many troubling elements of the case were discovered after the trial, but there was enough during the proceedings to be asking questions. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Dianes father tried to hire Melvin Belli, but the judge refused to give him some time to prepare and come back to the US. 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. Any thoughts on how the detectives basically made up their mind right away in spite of numerous tips coming in? She got an apartment and I was going to move in with her. I am interested in the truth. She should of been sentenced to death. But her behavior became the most important factor in the investigation that followed. Diane was in the hospital for a bone graft from June 2nd until June 6th, 1983. Steve and Diane were married from 1973 to 1980, and during this time, they had three children. time it was the situation was down. The children were in the hospital, it isnt like they could have taken them home. The tape of Christie and her adoption by the prosecutor are facts. My opinion of why Mr. Hugi adopted Christie and Danny was to seal their lips. And if you claim your innocence, it obviously creates a vicious circle of not showing contrition. But I am so tired of the enough time has been served and other criminals have been paroled. I will post it when I get it. 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. She is currently in prison, serving her life sentence for the murder of one of her kids and attempted murder for the other two. If I feel that due process was violated, I will go there anyway. Its a dangerous proposition when a lack of due process becomes acceptable because they know she is guilty. 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. Insulting a woman in prison since 30 years instead of debating the inconsistencies of this case is pretty pathetic. The man you have listed as Fred Hugi is actually Dianes attorney Jim Jagger. 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 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. Even on a worldwide scale, the age of accountability is considered to be twelve years old. ..it is quite possible if she was tried in todays world, with the evidence they hadquite possible it would of went differently we been living in a society that pretty much demand 100% pure forensic evidence proven. She would have been released under strict conditions with the support of her family and under the care of a mental health specialist. Their first child, Christie Ann, was born in 1974. Lets also remember that this is the US of A and we dont lock people up for being narcissistic, antisocial histrionic individuals. Speculative. Diane Downs was convicted because she didn't appear "sorry enough" during her TV appearances. (He WAS shot in the back remember). For the children to be legally free for adoption a termination of parental rights had to occur. The Media or ISIS? You do not refute any of the points I made in the blogs. The fact that the Hugis did so successfully is arguably proof of this. 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. Thanks again. And her mental health should definitely have been a factor to release her with follow up care. 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? Rule sued the Seattle Weekly after they published the article titled , Ann Rule promotes her books as true crime stories so to this day, viewers believe that the book and the movie titled, This reminds me of what a jail counselor named Rachel Roth said at the trial of Debra Milke , They already had made up their mind that Diane was the perpetrator so they laughed off the idea of the , When I hear some people say that they would have liked to smack that smirk off Dianes face when she interacted with the cops or the media, I say. 3. Downs went on trial on Jan. 12 for a rape and murder that happened in 1993, when he . 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. According to Detective Welch, Steve Downs followed Diane to Oregon, they fought and Steves rage took the last step on the path hed been treading for a long time. I know several people who know or knew both of the surviving children as well as Diane. Diane has not been deemed an ongoing public threat that I am aware of. Hugi didnt rush in and take the kids, he had time to consider. So I did not post your comment about his answer to your inquiry. Then, 10 days after Diane was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, she gave birth to a daughter she named Amy Elizabeth. She had been isolated from her whole family and being unethically interrogated. They did not want reunification to keep their verdict intact. She waseighteen and soon realized that she had jumped from the fire into the frying pan. 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. 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. But it is not hard to see that the way this tape and her confession were obtained was not legitimate. They did a trace metal test to see if Diane had held a gun. Nobody knows but her. The very suspicious aspect of this ballistic saga is that Hugi said they had the bill of sale and serial number for the first Ruger and it was definitely the murder weapon. I do have to take issue with this article about Diane Downs. This coercion came to Dianes attention in January 1989 (Appendix 39). Page 41 of case history. Besides, none of those diagnoses are illegal. However, their marriage wasnt as great as they anticipated as Steve was a player and quite irresponsible and immature at the time. This blogger thinks that if you had bothered reading the blogs that you just mentioned, you would know that I do not call anyone innocent. If the adult can show capacity and willingness to provide care, love and nurturing to the children, then there is no legal reason to prevent them from becoming Foster Carers. I didnt know that. That makes no sense. 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. She was no mother of the year and in the car when the kids got shot. I am not sure of the exact timing of Dianes accusations but the Downs family did not only include the grandparents and they were never considered even before this nonsense. This is not my scenario Tasha. I think you may be right that she is likely still locked up due to her diagnoses of antisocial, histrionic and narcissistic, but again, no one would care and this crappy diagnosis wouldnt have been bought and paid for if not the high profile nature of the case. 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. The incident left Cheryl dead, Danny paralyzed from the waist down, and Christie suffering from a stroke that affected her speech. Some cases are so one sided that you feel like exposing or at least, discussing the other side. I actually can relate to things she did and was like, especially chasing after a guy that dont want youi did one night stands during my chase..to try to get over himits was a dumb idea and really made things worse, but it made sense at the time. After each of the kids was shot multiple times on that fateful day in 1983, Steve cooperated with the police completely. 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.. Without the media blast and rush to judgment from the police and DAs office, we might have uncovered the truth. She never hurt anyone in the process of escaping. People have always been wondering about Steve Downs, Danie Downs ex-husband. Brewer freely declared that Diane Downs would never have been convicted except that he believed the lie Jim Jagger permitted Fred Hugi to enter into the record. I am not her advocate, but I think she did not get due process. After completing high school, Steve Downs went to join the Navy while Elizabeth Diane attended the Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College. The diagnosis of the psychiatrist for the state is also clearly documented. We could say that it was suggestive on his part, but considering how this trial was conducted, I tend to believe it happened. Leaving out a lot of info that should be included and presenting a very one sided take on these things. You can check this link and go online to see her picture with Cheryl and the rest of the family. It became judicial kidnapping to obtain a coerced confession. The DA adopting the children is an integral part of this and definitely needs to be included in the blog. She states, I did not shoot my children and I cant say I did. The case of Diane Downs and her three children is one of those a horrible tragic case that people still think about 37 years later. She was interrogated without a representative from the defense and was not taped for the most part. And of course, she added her own brand of paranoia, which is to be expected considering her personality disorder and what she went through. Standards of conduct are defined by state law, but they generally require a judge to avoid appearances of impropriety, such as avoiding deciding a dispute in which the judge is personally involved in the issue at stake or has a relationship to one of the parties.. I will take a screen shot of the sketch. Im sure nothing I write will change that. It was demonstrated at trial that the shooter shot the kids at close range. And that Ann Rule took advantage of the situation to sell her book. Same with her brother. To Lori 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. And when kids are hurt, emotions keep flowing endlessly. Your prayers were answered. The lovely Farrah Fawcett who played in the movie Small Sacrifices was known for her epic battles with lover Ryan ONeil. It should be illegal to use real names and facts from a criminal case while influencing the publicto falselybelieve that the whole content of the filmis true. 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. Mr. Downs must have had a bad feeling about Jagger because before trial, he tried to retain defense attorney Melvin Belli who had the reputation of fighting for his clients and to win all his cases. I watched the paroles hearing in 08, was lucky to find it, it was streamed live at the timemy sister, who is a whiz with computers, found it for me. Right after the shooting, little Danny would ask the nurses, , Even Ann Rule in her book, keeps mentioning that, Every time, she said she did not know, they told her to think again and made suggestions. It was Judge Footes first criminal case and it was against a woman whose children he had removed from her care even though she had not been convicted or sentenced; a conflict of interest and pure madness. Youre right to say that a GSR is not always foolproof and between 10-20% of suicide GSR kits test negative for GSR. I especially loved reading everyones comments. You do not debate the content of the blog which you probably did not read anyway. So, how much do you know about him aside from this acting profile? It did not matter that they had no evidence; they did not like her attitude and she was going to pay for it. On the single count of murder, the jurors needed a unanimous decision. This case flew under my radar so to speak because it happened before my time. Her daughter told the media she watched Small Sacrifices several times. They were traumatized and needed familiar faces to feel safe. By the way, Dianes parents mourn the loss of their grandchildren to this day. I dont know either if she is guilty or not, but I believe there is a reasonable doubt surrounding the circumstances. She even provided the police with her own sketch. In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. According to The Cinemaholic, Steve was found to not be a good fit to care for his kids who would need specialized care and had been through a very traumatic event. I lived in Eugene, Oregon for years. Its a rather large part of the story. It wasnt until Prosecutor Hugi said Dr. Jamison had labeled Diane a deviant sociopath that Mr. If I included the ones I dont post, it would need more than a like or dislike button. 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. But Diane couldnt do that. But in the case of DD, there were a lot of elements missing. 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. To this day, his record is mixed; his law license was suspended for 6 months in 2011, and there was also talk of a suspension in 2015. If you read the blog, you will see examples of his lack of dedication. She had one arm totally out of commission. Fred Hugi was pretty upset when Ann Rule went Hollywood with his case. PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed, Get the news that matters from one of the leading news sites in Kenya, Kenyans Share Hilarious Memes, Frustrations as KPLC Announces Nationwide Power Blackout, Xtian Dela's Mum Cries Bitterly As She Begs Son to Come Home, Says She's Not Seen Him in 4 Years, Linet Toto's Dowry: 7 Delectable Photos from MP's Negotiation Ceremony, Couple Lose KSh 3.4m on Their Wedding After Guests Don't Show Up: "So Heartbroken", Little Girl Begs Man on the Road for Money, Video Surprises Many, David and Rebecca Muir wedding, relationship, and family, Who is Lil Meech's mom? But unfortunately, Diane's parents never approved of the relationship as they had high hopes for their daughter's future, which they did not see in Steve. 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. After parting ways, the couple would soon meet again in Arizona which would end up in them reigniting and reconnecting their fling. I think that the time she has served and her good behavior made her eligible for parole. In the 1996 Federal Petition, you can find the Anatomy of Brainwashing that can answer any question on this subject. I appreciate this whole blog just want to give you a heads up. The forensic evidence alone is absolutely weak. There is also a recording where she says that she had no idea who shot them. Just state that at the beginning of the blog. 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. Nobody near to help. I was shocked any asked why she thought that. By many accounts, her children adored her. Christie Downs was eight-years old when she was injured and nine-years old when she testified. And once again, considering that she was diagnosed as bipolar, did not help her cause. Needless to say, you seem to have a problem with the American justice systemnot each individual case. Maybe because of her notoriety and the victims were children. She did not have the opportunity to clean her hands with the right product to erase all traces and she was tested pretty fast, contrary to many other cases. I think she was the only one there that night with her children. High profile cases usually do not get the same treatment as regular folks. He still shouldnt have been allowed to adopt them while the appeals process was ongoing, if he had any role in those cases. 1) Gunshot residue/blood splatter. I feel compelled to comment on this blog, because having recently read Ann Rules book, I feel exactly as you did. Accused of her side of the story what the state says how would it be possible for her to do what they presumed. Yet in their mind, she was already guilty. We cant. He strung her along, played with both womens emotions, and after saying he would join her in Oregon, reneged and stayed with his wife. Yes, but it is a fact that she was starting to say that she did not know who shot them when it happened. Cheryl Lynn followed in 1976, and Stephen Daniel was born in 1979. You make an interesting observation when you say: Anyways. 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. When they graduated from high school, the two reunited and rekindled their love despite their brief separation. Unfortunately, Danny Downs was permanently paralyzed from the waist down because of a bullet injury in his back. They both would fall in love and decide they want to marry each other. The point is our trials need to be conducted fairly and based on evidence. I mean if a guy admits to killing children over and over, shouldnt we pay attention to that? Andthe DA adopted her other two children. She unwillingly followed the cops in spite of being in pain and not wanting to leave the premises. And yes, its your site, but dont act like a site is open for discussion if its not. Yes, I usually answer the emails I get about the blogs. But, their marriage was far from what either of them had expected. Lise lasalle you mention THIS When she (Diane) resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. He has lived a life outside the public eye and hasnt ever come out to give interviews to the media about his ex-wife. 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. This was very stressful. Im glad you continued to look for more information as time went on. You can click here to read about the case of Alice Crimmins during which the lead detective was heard telling the other cops before the bodies of the children were ever found:You take the husband, Ill take the bitch.. Right?? Or why the fact that he was a con artist made him such a credible guy in this case. 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 should be removed from the blog. 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 answers to those questions do not matter anymore. Wasnt he the stranger? He actually was the one who suggested theybecome intimate after many friendly, platonic conversations. Jesus Ortiz Paz's parents, net worth, wife, and daughter. I was a patient of the doctor who worked so hard to save her childrens lives that night. The fact that they used her daughter and lied about the gun they could never find makes it a wrongful conviction. Once again, Diane said a lot of things. But there were discrepancies; the tool marks did not matchand the detective lied on the stand about it. It is a research done on the case according to many sources. I think that Van Houten was recommended for parole by a system that assessed that after 40 years, she was not a threat to society and a reformed woman. Which is itself a redundant practise: the blogger repeatedly states that Downs should be released. Did you read her statements to the parole board in 2008? There is also a recording where she says that she had no idea who shot them. (Yes in the 1980s a ten yr like myself was not as mature as say todays 10 yr olds. I asked her brother James an answer to your question. However, he had no interest in taking care of Dianes children. 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. The detectives and the state failed to act properly and it should not be an accepted practice. Even prosecutor Fred Hugi was seen walking the grounds to try to find the weapon. So obviously, she was the prime suspect. As a married man, the ball was in his court and he decided togo forit. It kinda scared me, the thought that mommy could shoot me, like this mommy did. The price of celebrity for her was losing her freedom and her children for life. Fingerprints at the crime scene were not produced by the State. Christie became the star witness against her mother and who could resist such a touching testimony? Sad situation. There is her story, the prosecution case and the defense arguments. They often argued about their financial issues and fought over infidelities. 2) You mention her youngest daughter, and how Ann made sure she only heard negative information about Diane. According to various sources, Steve chose to separate from his wife after discovering that Stephen Daniel, their third child, was the product of her wife's relationship with a colleague. 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? Whats wrong with the system is whats wrong with us. I state that it is not my place to judge innocence or guilt. I know several foster parents and social workers. 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. What got her convicted was two things the towel and Christie. So not addressing the content of the blog and rambling about everything else while asking for a disclaimer is nailing it? The reason Im harsh is because Ive detected that youve paid for this site and therefore cant be wrong. Theybrought out the big guns to unload on the public, their idea of the truth: Diane Downs was a horrible creature and a jilted lover who shot her three children in cold blood to be free to pursue a relationship with the man she was obsessed with. A. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The powers that be knew they had nothing on Diane so Christie became their sacrificial lamb. As her brother mentioned, it would not be that farfetched for his sister to stop for someone considering that she was a person who lacked impulse control and the era.
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