However, Elizabeth was expelled from the religious institution as she didn't conform to the school's strong religious values. As a suggestion, I would love to see a like or dislike button for each comment. 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. She was also shot twice andifshe had been sitting up, the seats would have been covered with blood spatter as well as the shooter. There is no way that a jury would convict Diane today, based on the clearly coached testimony of Christie. 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. She is a monster and belongs in prison for the rest of her life. Maybe someone needs to read Part two in Dr. Billings in-depth review of the Diane Downs Murder Case in Oregon. I then question how she would not have blood splatter if she shot them inside the car at close range. Yes, I usually answer the emails I get about the blogs. You do not refute any of the points I made in the blogs. I am a strong believer that pregnancy can do serious harm to some women. And, one of them was her ex-husband, the father of the children that Diane had shot. He strung her along, played with both womens emotions, and after saying he would join her in Oregon, reneged and stayed with his wife. Posted by October 30, 2021 apush gilded age test on why didn't steve downs get custody The way it was. View theaffidavits. I also grew up in as time of the most infamous case in Australias judicial history: Lindy Chamberlain and the dingo stole my baby. Forensics or lack thereof and blood splatter? But in the case of DD, there were a lot of elements missing. The tape is real and probably not admissible, but it seems to indicate that her testimony was coerced: Why is it not admissible? The american system often reminds me of what Charles Dickens talked about in his novels. Speculative? I think it posible she brought the kids there to be shot by someone else. 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. 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. The Halo TV show stars Orange is the New Black's Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief, with Californication's Natascha McElhone as Dr. Halsey. 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. Mr. 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. 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. Whether or not Steve Downs was in some way behind the shooting, the man who fired the weapon was a stranger to Diane. A conviction founded on lies is no conviction at all. Page 50 of Case History. This is a fascinating and informative article that has answered some questions I had, and prompted others: 1. Diane Downs changed her story so many times, even at her parole hearing. 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 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. And some are even contradictory: shes mentally ill, but also not mentally ill; the site owner wants to focus on pure facts, yet ignore other facts; things happened in court, but those are irrelevant to what else what also happened in court, etc. Nobody ignored Dianes demeanor. One of the important pieces of evidence was the absence of all but a trace of gunshot residue. Everyone deserves peace. Oh my. 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. He then left !his second wife, Charlene, to cohabitate with (and propose marriage to) Diane. Inside, outside, top to bottom. I am not from USA, never have been there, but my impression is that in USA media are far more powerful than the justice system and rational thinking is crushed by easy emotional moods, stereotypes and a hunger for violence coated in a pompous moral attitude. Q. They went through the process which demonstrates a certain level of commitment in itself. 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. Whatever mental illness she has, has gotten worse with each hearing. The person leaned into the car. Maybe that her mom was obviously not well after spending her life in prison so it would have been a good idea to meet the Downss family quietly and get the jest of it. Bannon, a former adviser . 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. That makes no sense. I was being sarcastic. As was his habit, Knick failed to take into consideration what Diane or his wife had to say on the matter. By the time Danny was born, they were having intense arguments about infidelity that Steve got convinced that he wasnt his biological son. I wasnt there and the records will never be brought to light as far as the child welfare case. As we have reported in great detail in the past, Diane Downs could not possibly have committed the crime of shooting her children, or there would have been evidence of gunpowder residue and blood. Sometimes it takes until late in life for connections to be made again. She s. 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. That hurt our family deeply. It wasnt until Prosecutor Hugi said Dr. Jamison had labeled Diane a deviant sociopath that Mr. Its more understandable now, after all this time but it has done her so much harm, then and now 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. We make them president. 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. Downs is a worthless as the day is long.. Maybe you should read the blog before commenting. The photo of Hugi I used is the one you find when you do a search online for Fred Hugi who prosecuted Diane Downs. If personal diaries were to be believed, half of the population would be in great jeopardy. Clickhere to read about faulty ballistics. It was not the right gun. The US is a very strange bird when it comes to crime and punishment. Ive been trying to decipher her handwriting on the couple of pages she wrote to her daughter (misquoted on here somewhere is a highlighted If you love your little boy, youll take him far away from here- why is this being taken as a threat and not a warning?!). Mrs. Fredericksons concern for her daughters emotional state was well placed. By many accounts, her children adored her. The diagnosis of the psychiatrist for the state is also clearly documented. Seriously. Whenever your shoot a gun that many times and that close to the victims, theres going to be blood and powder residues. The DA adopting the children is an integral part of this and definitely needs to be included in the blog. But there were discrepancies; the tool marks did not matchand the detective lied on the stand about it. I know better now than to accept blindly the truth presented to us on a silver platter by the media and the judicial system. The unreliability of childrens testimony has been documented by cognitive psychologists such as Elizabeth Loftus of the University of Cornell and others. Everywhere, EXCEPT the door through which Diane reported to police, the male stranger had passed. Page 37 of Case History. Not our place to decide. In the blog, there is a link on the subject of bipolar people who tend to laugh at the wrong time. The timing of her arrival at the hospital should have been discussed and explained in more details. And being the mother of three only served to propel Diane in a more manic state. In her case it seems to be more a matter of punishment. Her release was recommended by a warden and a psychiatrist. The bushy haired stranger that police had gotten a lead on worked at the country club he was at work at that time and had a sever speech impediment. They examined her clothes also. . The tragedy that hit the Downs' kids changed their whole life. The jury verdict was guilty on all counts, but there was a mixture of votes. (Appendix 3). They both would fall in love and decide they want to marry each other. Mission accomplished. https://t.co/cPfs75obUg pic.twitter.com/uSnlFF2IRw. It is said that they didnt go to Steve because he wasnt a fit father or well equipped to take care of children who had gone through such a traumatic experience. Five doctors have observed and documented this phenomenon. But I am so tired of the enough time has been served and other criminals have been paroled. 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. She talked to Diane for 15 minutes, there was thebizarre and partialOprah interview that was basically a lets bash Diane event and she wrote to Diane in jail to ask her what she thought of Hugi adopting her children. After a failed marriage that got her a divorce from Steve Downs, she wanted to be with her lover. The gun problem or the absence of blood and powder residues are not make believe. A. I dont recall telling her to get an apartment. Thanks Kit, It is a bit of a mystery to me that not more people see that if we removed the high profile name and the accompanying media storm, the case was no slam dunk. Why didnt they mention that he said a bad man and whatever else in his condition when they knew it was not possible? There is also a recording where she says that she had no idea who shot them. Saudi Princesses in Captivity for More Than a Thousand and One Nights Are Tweeting the Blues, Having recently done research on the Liysa Northons case which was the subject of a book written by Ann Rule titled, Some 287 errors and falsehoods were documented by Liysa and verified by official sources. The fact that the accused in this case was atypical, makes her the perfect target. There is absolutely no evidence that Hungry like the Wolf was playing when Christie got shot but it is another detail they added to bring a dramatic element to this trial. Then feel free to correct the facts and to provide evidence to support them. The following article hopes to help you make more suitable choices and get more useful information But you are right to say that it is my site. She was harshly judged because of her demeanor. I saw that same face in Diane Downs. In 1992 I became involved in this work following my interest and research into a notorious murder trial that was held in Oregon many years ago. But I am realistic. She was judged very harshly for her character and her defense was dismal. They hated her attitude and thought she was promiscuous and showed no sorrow or remorse. Mostly, because it was poorly investigated and they focused on Diane solely the minute they met her. Why would anyone think Christie could remember the night of the shooting anyway?? In the nurses notes, she is described as in shock and unable to grasp the situation. Melvin Belli How things could have been different. You do not debate the content of the blog which you probably did not read anyway. 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. But you would know that if you had read the blog or info about the case. I do not post rude comments. Downs wanted to get rid of the kids because her new boyfriend didn't want . Her older two children have remained out of the public eye. I go fishing with a jurors husband. In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. I dont care what Diane Downs says at the parole board hearing, except if she is innocent or guilty. After all, many cases of domestic abuse and even neglect do stem from alcoholism or drug abuse. On May 19, 1983, Diane and her kids visited a friend to look at her new horse, and then went for a drive; not at all unusual for this family not living according to middle class rules. Too bad she did not interview Diane or her family. They were tons of witnesses that saw him at work. Surprisingly, Fred Hugi actually looks quite different. Child Protective Services takes confidentiality to the extreme (warranted in most cases). This is what I try to do when I research a case that was deemed to be a slam dunk. Dianes injury had to be quite painful and shewas in shockwhile driving to the hospital and accompanying the detectives to the crime scene. I agree that the verdict may have been very different. Lise lasalle you mention THIS When she (Diane) resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. There is only one major problem with your scenario. Not right at all. My opposition to movies about true crime stories is unshakable. I bet the records are and always have been sealed regarding this aspect of the case. As a married man, the ball was in his court and he decided togo forit. The two kids who had survived the attack were placed for adoption and Steve was no able to care for them. Lets not forget that she was presumed to have fired a gun 6 times at close range within the confines of a small car. As for how to answer this question,,, seems like he is assuming guilt and because of this my parents or me or my brothers and sister, our uncles and aunts were not considered because of an unproven allegation Does he truly believe this is ok??? Their haste to go to trial created this mess and lingering doubts. I personally dont think she is innocent but that isnt the point. They were treated very badly in this matter. She had no blood spatter or gun powder residue on her hands,clothing or hair. It turned out to be a mistake because he was married to a County Circuit Court Judge who would become a colleague of Foote and he had no intention of defending Diane vigorously. My comment wont change their opinion on the barbarity of the American legal system, media influences and Ann Rules input. What about the fact that they never found the gun? I dont disagree, I just think it is another example of flaws in our justice system. The judge instructed them to continue on to force a verdict. But they tended to ignore other important aspects. What would have been the conclusion to have drawn without this hate campaign? 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). This is an extremely tragic case and her children at the very least deserve justice. I asked her brother James an answer to your question. Q. This unexpected proposal took Diane by surprise at a large family gathering. In case you did not read the blog: 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 deviant sociopath. I lived through the media coverage. As it was getting dark and the young ones fell asleep in the car, their mother decided to head home. A history of use of drugs, alcohol or even cigarettes can all be deemed as counts against a parent in court. Gosh Donna, you really dont have a clue. Removing the children from her and presiding over her criminal trial? I saw footage of Diane herself laughing during the re-enactment of the crime. In high school, she met handsome Steven Downs who saw her for the great beauty she had become. Q. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. The lawsuit against Ann Rule was thrown out as unfounded because after reading her book they could find no inconsistencies She sat thru the entire trial AND used actual court transcripts. Jen Taylor . I think that looked at through a more objective lens, many aspects of the Downs case are highly questionable. 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. 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. Speculative. 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. It was a harrowing, shameful miscarriage of justice. It was cited that she keeps her emotions close to the vest. The whole case is crazy. They would have welcomed them with open arms. Instead, they treated the Downs with great cruelty long after their daughter was incarcerated and they fought hard for them. 4. The bio family should have been given the same opportunity to see the kids and demonstrate their ability to be the guardians. Nice to see this blog is still active in 2017, being a lot of groupsmessage boards and such, on subjects like this has no activity for years. 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. The whole blog claims the trial was flawed. It was the story of two troubled young souls trying to survive without a safety net. Diane was instructed to reenact her response to the attacker who murdered her daughter. It really doesnt matter that much of the trial and due process was faulty, because its so obvious that Diane is the one who did it and that justice was served. Their goal was to make Dian look crazy, because sane people dont shoot their children. Page 6 of Case History. 5. Even if the nurses notes indicated countless times that the children asked for their mother and enjoyed her visits, they cut them off from the only family they knew and loved; supposedly for their own protection. The definition of deviant sociopath does not even exist in the DSM-HI, which is the official psychiatric diagnostic manual. The board said that her mental or emotional disorder makes her a danger to society.
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