Fair question. And because of this, they formed a profound connection that matured into a relationship. It had nothing to do with the evidence of the case and represents useless labeling anyway. You make an interesting observation when you say: Anyways. Five doctors have observed and documented this phenomenon. If you had commented on one of the elements contained in the blog, it might have been enlightening. Actor Robert Blake was found not guilty of the shooting murder of his wife. I dont understand how the family court managed to isolate 2 severely traumatized and grievously injured children from their entire family. I know that most people think she is guilty. If Oregonians were not all convinced at first, the media and the crown made sure they would be. They had high hopes for Dianes future and this bad boy was not part of it. In the spring of 1986, Christie confided to school mates that shed been coerced to lie in court, to implicate her mother (Appendix 1-2). Within a few weeks, a judge had placed the surviving kids, Christie and Danny, in protective custody. This coercion came to Dianes attention in January 1989 (Appendix 39). Page 41 of case history. Evidence from a ballistics expert. But Diane was not the one dragging Knick out of Charlenes bed every morning intent on making or breaking his relationship with another woman. Knicks habit of turning on and turning off their relationship was known to Diane long before he admitted it in court a year later (Appendix 81, page 1520, line 21): Q. John Kitzhaber, Governor of Oregon I try to bring up the elements that were totally ignored. Most were married because Diane had no desire to remarry. They believed the testimony of her former boyfriends who were far from stellar individuals. In this Battle of Cutthroats, Who has lost their head? 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. If Diane was bipolar, the non-stop chatter would have been inherent to the situation: bipolar wasnt a diagnosable condition at the time of her first trial. In reply to Nick. Therefore, those jagged bones were floating in a cloth wrap, merely resting in a cloth sling. In fact, I am surprised that people are not flabbergasted by the way this case was handled and tried and that what bothers them most is that I try to discuss it in a blog and dare defending this woman. Thats food for thought. One of the flaws was the relationship between the DA and the children. All Rights Reserved. On June 2nd, 1983, Juvenile Court Judge Gregory Foote held a hearing to take Christie and Danny away from ALL blood family (thus isolating them). Whenever your shoot a gun that many times and that close to the victims, theres going to be blood and powder residues. 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. An attractive woman whose two children were killed in mysterious circumstances and the cops decided to go after her. I believe DDs case needs to be re looked at and all evidence reviewed. Makes no difference to me. 1st, you came back from a trip? Just a thought. Anne Rule made a big deal of a brass unicorn engraved with the childrens names that Diane had purchased. 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. They were put in an impossible situation. There was no question in Dianes mind that Knick would take another mistress if she married him, and that hed move on again. Seems like former husband, Steve Downs, should've been the custodial parent after the divorce. That poor girl. Im from Australia and have recollections of this case. Detective Antoine also performed a trace metal test on Diane I S hands to detect the presence of trace metals left after someone has touched or held something metallic like a gun (Appendix 65). Some 287 errors and falsehoods were documented by Liysa and verified by official sources. You paint a picture that is actually inaccurate and misleading. Then, they accused her of shooting her kids at close range. The definition of deviant sociopath does not even exist in the DSM-HI, which is the official psychiatric diagnostic manual. She felt fulfilled when she was pregnant because she believedit was the road to unconditional love. She said a bunch of really stupid things in the media (my kids were lucky, not me gets the palm) and basically bury herself. And he grew up there. A group of ladies formed a group called HELDD which stands for Help Exonerate & Liberate Diane Downs. Spending 35 years incarcerated with time in isolation and often as a target is not going to improve mental health. Do you remember probably about four or five days after You left and you and Diane Downs spent an evening at a motel? I go through every new finding and I point out what was done at trial that did not respect due process. 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. I look forward to reading your other blogs. Below this letter see links to Salem-News.com articles about the questionable conviction of Diane Downs. 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. If you think you would have more influence arguing for better relationships with Mexico at a Donald Trump rally in Mexico, why bother? Plus, the circumstances of this charade were more than sinister. Wrong. Do not take this so personally. 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. However, Steve later discovered that Danny wasn't his biological son and divorced his wife. I think she was the only one there that night with her children. Another significant development about the children is that Danny is great with computers but is still paralyzed from the bullet that hit his back but is leading a regular life. A fair trial is a right in this country, not a judicial suggestion. Nothing came from Diane herself. McPherron: And you had no contact with her . It did not matter that they had no evidence; they did not like her attitude and she was going to pay for it: opinion, not fact Only after these avenues are exhausted should non-relative placement be looked at. Instead, they treated the Downs with great cruelty long after their daughter was incarcerated and they fought hard for them. It was omnipresent in the courtroom as well as the Duran Duran song Hungry like the Wolf that supposedly was playing when the children were shot in the car. While these are all good questions, (and were maybe all asked in the jury room during deliberations) I doubt the answers even matter anymore. According to her hospital records, every 6 hours she was given 400 milligrams of Dilantin (which is noted for causing confusion). 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. They were in foster care for two years before the prosecutor adopted them. The authorities believed that the children's father was not a good fit to look after the children after what they had endured when their mother tried to murder them. Foster Carers says either Australia or England to me. That makes no sense. She goes on to say that she has deep regret and mourns the loss and death of her children. Golden State Killer: Where Is the Prolific Rapist and Murderer Today? The judge instructed them to continue on to force a verdict. Why? So either way, it would not be so far fetched that someone said he was the shooter.A little investigation would not hurt. In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. Just my opinion. She was the first to admit that at times, she was somewhat neglectful, impatient, yelled too much, and could have been a better mother, but she seemed to have turned the corner and was doing her best with the means at her disposal. The State produced a witness (Ms. Patterson) to testify that Diane Downs entered the hospital bathroom, left the door open, and ran water in the sink (Appendix 87, page 476). I had nonetheless heard of the legendary Diane Downs; the cruel sociopath who had sacrificed her own children to be free to pursue a relationship with the man she loved. (This is why Foote was assigned the case. At the time Diane had told police that a stranger attempted to carjack her and shot the kids, and that's what her ex husband was told, too. To listen to Christies taped conversation, click below. Since his ex wife was sentenced to life in prison, he has not reappeared in public life nor has he given any television interviews about his family. The prosecutor would gently shake his head and the good judge would follow with a ruling. 3. It will not make me popular, but I dont mind. 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. I wasnt there and the records will never be brought to light as far as the child welfare case. They claimed to have found two lead cartridges in Dianes rifle at home that supposedly matched the ones used during the crime. Hello. Wasnt it speculative on their part? A conviction founded on lies is no conviction at all. Page 50 of Case History The whole family were co-conspirators and involved in the crime? If there is a fair trial and sentencing, I usually dont write about a case, but high profile cases tend to need more scrutiny because emotions run high. In addition to treating brain cancer, he works toward health equity. And with hindsight, the fact that this young mother had a personality disorder probably brought a lot of drama to the mix. The powers that be knew they had nothing on Diane so Christie became their sacrificial lamb. How was DD able to get away from CK and get the keys back into the ignition without there being more attempts on her life? Dianes story does not contradict that. Yes, I had to go and sign the lease, yes, sir. Van Houten has made her choices and needs to own up to her actions and stop putting all the blame on drugs and Manson. 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. Aint no one gonna tarnish my guys lol. It is not a plus, but it is not a crime either. Why does the blogger not clarify this? No. To Lori You cannot skip due process because of mob mentality. She took care of herself not her children. Will Cheryl ever be let out of her grave? They checked her nails to see if she could have buried the gun and they were clean. At that timeand now!! Around 1 in 20 residents in Arkansas and Tennessee were missed during the 2020 census, and four other U.S. states had significant undercounts of their populations which could shortchange them Most people negotiate the ups and downs of . 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. The case was so one sided that it is about time some of us bring up the other side. 4.Diane was NOT arrested for almost a year after the shootings the d.a. 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. It sounds like this was not the case with Dianes children. The unreliability of childrens testimony has been documented by cognitive psychologists such as Elizabeth Loftus of the University of Cornell and others. The former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader sparked a romantic relationship with Howey and shortly after her career took off with a little help from the Something Borrowed actor's father, who was an. No matter how much Ive read, or how many of her constant at the time interviews I watch on YouTube, the things that come from her brain to her mouth never cease to amaze me. 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. Our laws are not written that way. And the motive? Mr. The circumstances surrounding the case were not enough to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All smoke and mirrors to fit a certain scenario. Therefore, it is hard knowing where he is right now, considering his low profile of keeping away from the spotlight. The guy should have walked away from the case or from adopting them. Do not forget that she got letters of support from a warden and psychiatrist. I state that it is not my place to judge innocence or guilt. It became judicial kidnapping to obtain a coerced confession: inflammatory They are the ones who considered Dianes children as, To this day, his record is mixed; his law license was suspended for, Belli filed a motion for a 2-week extension to familiarize himself with the case because he had to be in Italy, and declared Diane innocent in a press conference, but Foote denied the motion and declared . She was no mother of the year and in the car when the kids got shot. rudy francisco rifle analysis / ford employee profit sharing 2022 / why didn't steve downs get custody. Some of your facts arent facts at all. This is especially if it comes with a history of erratic behavior following the use of these substances. Robert and Diane even decided toget matching rose tattoos, but as soon as the ink on her tattoo was dry, he refused to get his done. I went on ebay and ordered multiple stuff from the 80s, news footage, just to hear what she sounded like, because of all the talk in the book about her demeanor. 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? He may still reside in Arizona, but there is no proof of the same. There were posters. Agreed. Yet that didnt stop Knick from asking Mr. Frederickson for a job and for Dianes hand in marriage (Appendix 81, page Case History Page 25). I do not declare her innocent. Like in their movies. She was fighting back and they did not like it. 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. And she should be allowed parole! Yeah, Ive noticed a lot of people thing Jim Jagger is Fred Hugi. (Yes, speculative). No, Im not that gullible, Okay, I just read that she faked throwing her keys. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! She unwillingly followed the cops in spite of being in pain and not wanting to leave the premises. Instead of talking about her being locked up for so long, answer some very legitimate questions regarding this case. .well yay for youtubelol..is when I first heard her in old interviews. Except for Paul Cortez. What about the affidavits of the guy who confessed to several people? And Robert Knickerbocker became one of her lovers. Police witness reports of strangers and confessions were suppressed or not pursued. They had their second child, Cheryl Lynn, in 1976, followed by Stephen Danial, born in 1979. 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. We dont know. After completing his education and their short-lived high school romance, Steve Downs would move on to join the navy. She has been denied parole 2x and is up again in 2020. I was shocked any asked why she thought that. I had never heard of this case before I read her book (Im not from or do not live in the USA), but I found myself constantly despairing at the authors unfounded judgements and wild suppositions. What was the rationale behind this? why didn't steve downs get custody. The only reason they kept her in prison even if she had all the right documentation and support, is because she is high profile. I try to bring out the details that were ignored because Down was so unpopular. But you sure did comment like a true asshole, huh? And in fact this would have been about the time that Charlene broke a bottle of liquor that you had. 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. It does not contradict what I said, but what they said. According to Oregon law, this would have to be supported by a psychiatrists report or a Wardens letter and Diane provided both. Surely before Diane downs, there were other mothers who killed their kids..or allegedly did, however in 83 and 84 it made national news, nothing quite like it had come across the media world, which during that decade was really skyrocketing in sensationalismI believe is where it started, becoming less news and more entertainment. Diane was cooked the minute she walked in that courtroom. 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 personal diaries were to be believed, half of the population would be in great jeopardy. For the upcoming Halo TV show, original Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes was recast, despite Cortana voice actor Jen Taylor reprising her role from the iconic video game franchise. This is also a faster route to give the children permanency, and is far cheaper for the child welfare system that is always strained by the budget. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. Why did CK shoot the kids multiple times and DD once? Read More: Where Is Robert Knickerbocker Now? The lack of balance and objectivity. 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? The Diane Downs' Case Was no Small Sacrifice On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs and her three small children were shot on a country road near Springfield, Oregon. The jurors had doubts. There was no blood on the front seats so Cheryl was laying down and Christie was asleep laying down and never witnessed anything. In fact, with her continuing to deny committing the crime or expressing remorse, she may never get out. How about dads side of the family? Did you read her statements to the parole board in 2008? If you listen to the recording, Christie clearly says I dont know who did it. She was asleep, thats why. Considering the lack of evidence, it seems that she was condemned mostly because of herinappropriatestatements and behavior. Nevertheless, what was done seemed out of our hands and we could have no contact with them at all. In the beginning, detectives believed Diane's story, but they were not prepared for the actual story narrated by Christie, who survived the incident. I almost felt bad for her.that being she seemed so lost in her lies..she just hangs in limbo now. Her son ended up in jail and ONeils children accused him of neglect and bad parenting.

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