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? So, why didn't Steve Downs get custody? Thanks for the link. Lise lasalle you mention THIS When she (Diane) resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. Then they just got shut out. She never hurt anyone in the process of escaping. They would have welcomed them with open arms. But Diane was not the one dragging Knick out of Charlenes bed every morning intent on making or breaking his relationship with another woman. But you are right to say that it is my site. I couldnt get my hands on the book nor find anything in librariesso basically it was many years later I dove into knowing more about this case, that kinda haunted me. The underlying basis of this article. answer the question why didn t steve downs get custody, which will help you get the most accurate answer. The timing of her arrival at the hospital should have been discussed and explained in more details. It is possible that he still resides in Arizona, but exactly where he is or what he does, we dont know. Where are Steve Downs children now? I have nothing to gain and I am not making up songs and dances about a unicorn. But the Parole Board refused to hear her. She said a bunch of really stupid things in the media (my kids were lucky, not me gets the palm) and basically bury herself. When they graduated from high school, the two reunited and rekindled their love despite their brief separation. 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 positive only on a small portion of her upper hand where she said the gun touched her when she wrestled with the attacker (a detail she had mentioned before they did the test). They believed the testimony of her former boyfriends who were far from stellar individuals. Yes, shes as guilty as Simpson. There is no way that a jury would convict Diane today, based on the clearly coached testimony of Christie. As she walked away, Detective Welch called after her, If you dont testify against Steve, youre going to lose everything. Diane turned back to say, Show me proof, and walked away. Oh my. 'Leave It to Beaver' star Tony Dow explains why he wasn't allowed to 4.Diane was NOT arrested for almost a year after the shootings the d.a. Her husband turned out to be a player and a very irresponsible guy who did not really love her. Yes, Im sure this stranger wanted to kill her kids but only wound her, who, coincidentally, had a towel handy neatly folded on her wound. 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. I found your blog to be very well written, informative and interesting. Her trial was speculative and based on so many fallacies. Like in their movies. They were traumatized and needed familiar faces to feel safe. 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. Nothing came from Diane herself. The lack of balance and objectivity. 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. Yes, I usually answer the emails I get about the blogs. Too bad she did not interview Diane or her family. Ask them what they did to a good man. Rule even talked about writing a book about her but it never materialized. Her family members were quite capable of taking care of the children. Ur not showing facts that Ann Rule lied n misled n ruined lives with. Page 35 of Case History. I mean, yeah, I can see the no contact order with Diane. 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. While that makes her technically eligible for parole at some point (in her case 2009) it does not actually mean she has an end date or a release date. Its a fact. This whole case is flawed. She then went through the State (Circuit) Court habeas corpus relief for four years to no avail. But strangely, they took no photos of the crime scene and did not lift fingerprints from the drivers side of the car. The answers to those questions do not matter anymore. It was known as Manic Depression. (Yes in the 1980s a ten yr like myself was not as mature as say todays 10 yr olds. As soon as Diane was found guilty, Hugi demanded that Diane be evaluated by a psychiatrist before sentencing so they could declare her a dangerous offender and give her a stiffer sentence. It was cited that she keeps her emotions close to the vest. But I would not know what her state of mind is because I did not witness it. I guess Diane forgot to have that part engraved on the Unicorn. 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. I think it would give the blog more integrity and transparency. Jesus Ortiz Paz's parents, net worth, wife, and daughter. If she was the shooter, it had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. May be the guy who says he did it. It was faulty. You need to have your own voice," she said. It is normally done (in fact in many jurisdictions, can ONLY be done) by going through the process in a different state or county then the one the applicant works with. 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. What they did to her daughter is unconscionable. She knew that Knickerbocker hated trouble of any kind, and thathe would have never come back to her after an ugly shooting where she had been wounded and her kids damaged. In one of them, he knew her name and in another one, she had answered a call and been told to meet someone. Seeing her giggle and laugh during a videoed reconstruction gave me, as a mother, a sickening feeling. But Diane couldnt do that. Anne Rule might have inflamed the case with her book Small Sacrifices and her theory of the crime, but in reality, the case of Diane Downs was no small sacrifice. During Dianes examination at trial, Fred Hugi said in front of the jury, in the form of a question, that she had been diagnosed as a , Anne Rule made a big deal of a brass unicorn engraved with the childrens names that Diane had purchased. 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? Either way, it appears to be a conflict of interest. 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. You hit the nail on the head by stating that in the US especially, they seem to shun complex ethical problems preferring to deal with absolute evil in order to exert absolute power to crush it. It has become entertainment and there can only be good, bad and evil. The courts were divided in the 80s, family court, traffic court, criminal court, juvenile court I dont believe they ran out of judges to preside over them all. Christie NEVER said she didnt know who did it she was just unwilling or afraid to tell on her mother. The notes taken daily by the nurses became a point of contention at trial. This article is about due process and the legal right to a fair trial for everyone. 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. And to say that her mental health has degraded is an understatement, but more reason not to keep her eternally incarcerated. The prosecutor would gently shake his head and the good judge would follow with a ruling. You mention her youngest daughter, and how Ann made sure she only heard negative information about Diane.. All the reports and even the warden thought she was not a threat anymore. Almost from day one, Diane was perceived as a cancer they had to remove. Most people described Dianes injury as minor or superficial but in reality, it was a very serious injury. When she resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. Even if I have no doubt that Hugi loved the kids, we have to wonder why he adopted them two years later just when little Christie started saying she had no clue who shot them. So appropriate! This blogger believes in the presumption of innocence and in the possibility of redemption. I found nothing. 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,. I worked for county child welfare services in Colorado for a decade. They checked her nails to see if she could have buried the gun and they were clean. He could then have initiated the licensing process to foster and then adopt the children. Press J to jump to the feed. What was the rationale behind this? By the way, Dianes parents mourn the loss of their grandchildren to this day. Her power to manipulate is why she is where she is to begin with. Diane asked for proof that her ex husband was behind the shooting. After completing his education and their short-lived high school romance, Steve Downs would move on to join the navy. If you use this mixed water, you can lift off a gunpowder stain.. She was no mother of the year and in the car when the kids got shot. The following article hopes to help you make more suitable choices and get more useful information I felt there was something that should be done, but I was at a loss in how to cope with the Court that had given the children to the prosecutor and allowed false testimony to seal her fate. Hysteria. A. I dont recall telling her to get an apartment. statement regarding the effects of the childrens medications while in hospital should acknowledge where the blogger obtained information about the side effects.). They came up with an explanation as to why this was the wrong gun but the jig was up. But her behavior became the most important factor in the investigation that followed. Apparently drug mafia wanted to punish her for messing her nose in forbidden places, not because she was getting any real business in that but simply because she had one of the poorest judgements a person can have. They should have stayed out of it instead of contributing to her revictimization. Page 26 of Case History. He should have let someone else handle the case or let someone else adopt the kids. 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 Forensics or lack thereof and blood splatter? And this makes many people wonder about his whereabouts. Diane Downs is an infamous killer who tried to murder her three children to pursue love. The fact that there was a rush to judgment, an investigation targeting only one result and a media coverage often presenting lies is very bothersome. I agree in both cases they were high profile cases. Hed left his first wife to co-habitate with (and later marry) Charlene. Dianes family could give you countless examples of the inaccuracies they found in her book. Her children deserved the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I still dont buy her story. Van Houten has made her choices and needs to own up to her actions and stop putting all the blame on drugs and Manson. This was very stressful. The implication was not only cruel, in the light of what Diane was suffering, it was also clear. The Lifetime channel constantly makes movies based loosely on the truth; this approach is an effective weapon aimed at swaying public opinion about high-profile cases. And she would have been under supervision. 3. The poor jury went along and Jagger did not put much ofa defense anyway. She was no mother of the year, I will grant them that, but a trial is supposed to be based on evidence. The notions of humanity and rehabilitation have been left on the wayside long ago. 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. In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. They made her out to be a monster, but in Beckys case, it becomes redeemable. And Steven would hunt her down anyway and charm his way back into her life. Steven and Diane married on November 13, 1973. Dr. Joshua Budhu is a neuro-oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. 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. He said all the police needed was for Diane to bear witness against her ex-husband. Even Ann Rule in her book, keeps mentioning that they only had a few months to get Christie to talk, otherwise they could not keep her away from her mother any longer. Diane may very well be guilty, but YIKES this investigation and trial seemed so butchered and tilted in the prosecutions favour. I will talk to Dianes brother. The interpretation of blood splatter is different than no blood splatter. They went through the process which demonstrates a certain level of commitment in itself. this is your 2nd quote which contradicts the first one .. Lets not forget that she was presumed to have fired a gun 6 times at close range within the confines of a small car. Every single one of these questions matter. No excuse there. Her mom is still alive and would love to have contact but respect that they wont. 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. 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. And she went back to her parent's home in Arizona. They were treated very badly in this matter. Or why the fact that he was a con artist made him such a credible guy in this case. It does seem time has done worse to her. Most get through it fine, maybe some complications or pain, maybe even some post pardum. Where is Diane Downs' husband now?
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