Her release was recommended by a warden and a psychiatrist. What I explain in the blog is that the fact that Foote is the one who removed the children from Dianes care is exactly why he should NOT have been presiding over her murder trial. She did diagnose her as suffering from cyclothymic disorder and treated her accordingly. Ann Rule has always been sensationalist, and her books were almost unreadable at the end of her publishing days. She is nowhere near being paroled and if she admitted guilt, I am not even convinced they would release her. Her mom is still alive and would love to have contact but respect that they wont. 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. A conviction founded on lies is no conviction at all. Page 50 of Case History. 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. I agree on many points with your comment. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. As for where he is now, we'll be honest, we're not completely sure. Yes, dad relinquished his rights but he knew that they loved their grandparents and had allowed Diane to take them for a visit without telling the authorities. The chief prosecutor adopting the children beggars belief! Yep, Downs who was found guilty in 1984, escaped successfully from the Oregon Womens Correctional Center in 1987 and was transferred to Jersey afterwards. I like your approach. Wasnt he the stranger? Diane was sentenced to life plus 50 years. Is it too late to respond to this? ABC MOVIE FOR TV Small Sacrifices 1989 Farrah Fawcett, Ryan ONeal. Click to read The Case of Liysa Northon Who Said True Crime Does not Pay? In the moment of who shot youmy momhave a hard time believing that could be coached. Downs wanted to get rid of the kids because her new boyfriend didn't want . Ruger #14-76187; described as the gun used by Diane and belonging to Steve Downs, was not the murder weapon. What was the justification? Of course, her mental health has deteriorated. Dianes automobile was secured and examined and no gun was found. Her other daughter and son were severely injured. 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. They did not want reunification to keep their verdict intact. Considering the lack of evidence, it seems that she was condemned mostly because of herinappropriatestatements and behavior. She was the star witness in her mom's prosecution and her testimony helped convict her. I base a lot on what I see and hear from her in her own words in footage of a 28 yr old woman. Anyways. Only the people who present ongoing threats to the safety of the public in general are the ones this sentence is reserved for. Downs was constantly provoked by inmates because of the nature of her situation, and she never once attacked or defended herself in a violent manner. 0. Fred Hugi was pretty upset when Ann Rule went Hollywood with his case. She functions best in highly structured environments where she has a sense of control. Also, she became pregnant without Steve Downs' permission. It sounds pretty fair to me. The DA that put away their mom is not an appropriate placement choice. Lise do you know if the kids have ever reached out to the grandparents/family in the last few years? Ffs maybe u should go back to writing screenplays. You are telling me to take my smugness elsewhere because it is tiresome. 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 Downs' ex husband, Steve Downs, lost a lot in May 1983 when his ex wife shot their three children, following their divorce in 1980. Whatever mental illness she has, has gotten worse with each hearing. 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? She had no priors and no history of violence in prison. 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. 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. They said she was going slow but the time at which she arrived seems to indicate otherwise. Messed. Speculative. While I appreciate your empathy for the victims of this crime, I have to wonder if all murderers should be locked up their entire life? You have that part absolutely right, so why was this protocol ignored? They are the ones who supposedly (according to Diane) screwed her up so badly. You paint a picture that is actually inaccurate and misleading. Then feel free to correct the facts and to provide evidence to support them. I am quite bothered by what happened in that courtroom and in the media. I cant believe that it was allowed to happen, actually. The guy should have walked away from the case or from adopting them. Either way he could NOT have seen who shot him unless he has eyes in the back of his head. http://www.manipulatedtrial.de/oregon_s_small_sacrifices_1603.pdf. I think that you are right about certain things not being ignored. http://www.salem-news.com/articles/july152013/midnight-med-tb-2.php Instead, it is Diane who fought to keep her children. Tis why at 10 years old I was hearing about this case in Ohio, and family members talked about it around me.it hit with great force that way. A new trial would be out of the question, so to me, parole would be the solution. Many people have wondered why the two separated after seven years of marriage. She was found guilty. Reduces conflict because communication is limited. This blogger believes in the presumption of innocence and in the possibility of redemption. I cannot be more transparent than that and integrity was one of the missing pieces of the entire case. It would never happen todaynever. 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. You have a photo of Diane before the parole board. Their marriage was described as tumultuous, with Downs allegedly disappearing for long periods of time with her children. Page 26 of Case History. What would have been the conclusion to have drawn without this hate campaign? Weve become friends. The US is a very strange bird when it comes to crime and punishment. The Media or ISIS? It will not make me popular, but I dont mind. Where are Steve Downs children now? I agree that the verdict may have been very different. This blog is riddled with inconsistencies, suppositions and a lack of the most basic referencing (e.g. Q. Gregory Foote who had denied access to the children by all blood relatives and given their care over to the State, was promoted from juvenile to senior judge to preside over the trial of Diane Downs.. Diane Downs' ex husband, Steve Downs, lost a lot in May 1983 when his ex wife shot their three children, following their divorce in 1980. rudy francisco rifle analysis / ford employee profit sharing 2022 / why didn't steve downs get custody. We dont know. And the interrogations were not tapedand barelydocumented. It would not benefit you, my children, or society for me to perpetuate that lie. You do not have to agree with my general opinion outside of the facts of the case, but I would appreciate some comments on what matters; how this case was handled at trial and during the investigation. DNA Test Kits Are Helping Solve Cold Cases Decades Later, After Nearly a Year, There Could Finally be an Investigation Into the Death of Elijah McClain. Plus, Diane could have never cleaned her clothes and her hair to remove blood and gun powder. In addition to treating brain cancer, he works toward health equity. It is documented in the blog where I give the source In the 1996 Federal Petition, you can find the Anatomy of Brainwashing that can answer any question on this subject. Instead of shooting the little kids, why didnt the carjacker/killer (CK) simply shoot DD dead and take her car? 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. And this makes many people wonder about his whereabouts. If you think you would have more influence arguing for better relationships with Mexico at a Donald Trump rally in Mexico, why bother? In reply to Kit Diane followed the detectives to their car. Imagine the ones there for years. I recently found your website and have enjoyed it a lot. She told ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. 3) You have a photo of Diane before the parole board. This coercion came to Dianes attention in January 1989 (Appendix 39). Page 41 of case history. And the state refusing to turn them over to the defense? 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? I have plans to go hunting with the husband of one of the alternates.. 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. If there is one thing Diane knew about her lover, is that he was fickle and did not like trouble of any kind. I read the letter they sent to the Downs when they were fighting to see their grandchildren. He could not during the marriage so he walked away. 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. 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. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. It is also very is to clean. 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. It was obvious to the cops and the prosecution because they proceeded to get her daughter to testify against her because they had nothing to prove she was the shooter. Only in Hollywood and in Ann Rules books, would you find such fantasy. Danny said several times that a bad man shot them and it was written in the nurses notes, but never that his mother shot him. 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. But I am realistic. Maybe she wanted to buy drugs. If you use this mixed water, you can lift off a gunpowder stain.. 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. Her father also insisted shetry to help catch the shooter. 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. Q. As she is incarcerated, her fate is already sealed, servicing her life sentence in prison. Are her parents still living (I know they were a few years ago)? Its tiresome. Don't get butt hurt. Yes, shes as guilty as Simpson. Aint no one gonna tarnish my guys lol. Removing the children from her and presiding over her criminal trial? This was all logged in Christies hospital reports and is found in the Appendix of the petition filed in Federal Court in 1996 in the section Hospital Reports. She waseighteen and soon realized that she had jumped from the fire into the frying pan. BUT like you rightly explain, there was no real evidence of her guilt. It appeared rigged and the fact that Ann Rule sat in the courtroom ready to produce a Masterpiece of Guilt could only help the prosecution. But the birth of little Danny did not make this bad boy change his stripes; he remained a cad and a destabilizing force in their lives. 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. It was a fairly new science at the time so thats all it took to find him not guilty. How one of them lied on the stand about ballistics? My beef is with the interference by the media, TV shows and Ann Rule So many of the cases Lise writes about on this blog either have no forensic evidence that supports the verdict or have very misleading forensic evidence that may or may not support the verdict, depending on who is interpreting it. When Diane had failed to mention it herself, he even informed them that she had bought a .22 caliber shotgun in Arizona, just before she had left for Oregon. According to Glamour, the motive given for why Diane shot her kids was thought to be because the married man she was seeing at the time did not want any children. Her character was also too much on the forefront. There is no way that a jury would convict Diane today, based on the clearly coached testimony of Christie. 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. You say she made more of a fuss about her arm than about the injuries her children sustained. I dont know how familiar she was with the area, but I do not think that it matters anyway. In 1979, headstrong Diane gave birth to Danny who was not Stevens biological son because he had no desire to be a father again. I tried to contact you by email but my email wouldnt acknowledge you email address. According to Rule and the court, the unicorn was a memorial to her children that she purchased after premeditating their murder. In reality,the whole caseturned out to beno small sacrifice for Diane Downs, but it was a huge victory for the State, the media anda very lucrative deal for theQueen of crime fiction herself; Ann Rule. In Oregon, in 1983, she shot her 3 children, 1 daughter died. It seems that a lot of what was written down never came up during testimony and some nurses even strayed from the original content. Many individuals associated with the the child welfare system, for one reason or another, choose to adopt children. Needless to say, you seem to have a problem with the American justice systemnot each individual case. Due process always matters. Leslie Van Houten is an example of a woman who probably will never see the light of day because of her high profile status. She even provided the police with her own sketch. Diane now had the title of dangerous offender. 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. Nearly every point you make here was addressed and disproved or not even allowed into evidence. 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? I have watched her parole hearing. The fact that she was driving five miles per hour to the hospital says it all as a mother myself, I dont care how hurt or mentally damaged I was, I would drive that car 100 MPH to get my children to safety. Lets not take that lightly. 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. As far as her innocence goes and the possibility of being paroled if she admitted her crime, Diane strongly maintains her innocence. The children were in the hospital, it isnt like they could have taken them home. 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). Except for Paul Cortez. Just state that at the beginning of the blog. However, when all the details came to be understood by the police, Steve found out what really happened to his kids. You can check this link and go online to see her picture with Cheryl and the rest of the family. It is not, as the blogger frequently refers to, evidence. Almost from day one, Diane was perceived as a cancer they had to remove. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. She had not fired a gun. Back in Phoenix, Arizona, in Moon Valley High School, Steve Downs met Elizabeth Diane for the first time. Someone said to me that any of us, if scrutinized under a microscope, would come out looking pretty bad. And she laughed at it by saying it was healthy to want to join the free world, especially if you proclaim your innocence. Open ended sentences like this are meant to provide a means of control and public safety when considering dangerous offenders who may pose a continued risk to the public. Now she claims she was dating an FBI agent at the time, was holding some top secret pictures for him, and she was on the road to meet someone to pass them off, at the instruction of her FBI boyfriend. 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. Up. 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. Or maybe an upvote/downvote arrow for each. It wasnt until Prosecutor Hugi said Dr. Jamison had labeled Diane a deviant sociopath that Mr. Christie was born in October of 1974 and Cheryl Lynn in January of 1976. 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? But strangely, they took no photos of the crime scene and did not lift fingerprints from the drivers side of the car. She has been denied parole 2x and is up again in 2020. Why am I not arguing the facts of the trial? They said so and were told to go back to deliberate. 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 The detective said if Diane would just testify against Steve Downs, she and her children could go home and try to put their lives back together. He then left !his second wife, Charlene, to cohabitate with (and propose marriage to) Diane. But you dont mention that she again has changed her story.. To this day, there is not enough evidence to prove her guilt or innocence. Mr. 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. Everyone in the world can believe something. And yes, its your site, but dont act like a site is open for discussion if its not. Nobody had any reason for a conspiracy of this magnitude over a literal nobody. 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. 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. So, what is Steve's story? why didn't steve downs get custodylagu sekolah minggu bahasa inggris Opinion Fox News's blackout of Jan. 6 points to a hidden crisis for Democrats The not-so-shocking revelation that Fox News will not carry House committee hearings about the insurrection is yet another sign that right-wing media will go to extraordinary lengths to shield . My opposition to movies about true crime stories is unshakable. Insulting a woman in prison since 30 years instead of debating the inconsistencies of this case is pretty pathetic. There were a few calls and on one occasion,Christie said They just, they knew that, you know, that she did it and I should say that she did it. When asked if she thought her mother did it or someone else did it, she replied, I dont know if she did it or someone else did, cause I dont know. Then Angel says: They told you that was the right thing to do, huh? Christie responds, But like the person, my attorney, and thats who Fred is, that Im living with, hes the guy, he works for me.. Diane was known for her love of all animals whichshe treated with great care, and for her independent and wild streak. The circumstances surrounding the crimes against these innocent children demand to be used as evidence.. My comment to you Lise is about your reply to a previous comment where you say Diane should have been released by now regardless of her statements. All smoke and mirrors to fit a certain scenario. 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. 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. Diane Downs is an infamous killer who tried to murder her three children to pursue love. After all, she was conditioned this way. 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 you have an attorney, use him.. CK allowed DD to drive away despite the fact she could identify him and he had a gun? They met for the first time in Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona. 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. Did CK shoot at car when DD drove away? Also on old footage of the trial, as there was no cameras aloud, the drawing of Christie Downs from court artist also complies with the testimony given in the book, as far as her pain and crying. Page 35 of Case History. Diane described the stranger that shot them on the road and a police artist came up with a sketch. Diane nowhad the title ofdangerous offender. Found the internet! Right away, the police asked her to go back to the crime scene even thoughshe did not want to leave her children behind. Maybe dad relinquished, it sounds like he may have. Same with her brother. Why did they let her daughter testify when she could not know who shot her and said so incessantly until they made her say what they wanted? Are you looking for more information about Ryan Eggold? Nobody knows but her. It wasnt their fault, it was the job of the social workers and the courts to make sure the kids were not isolated from family. Ms. Downs makes every effort to avoid emotional stimuli in order to reduce the demands made on her. So there was a transfer, but nothing else was found. Go to the hate groups for that. If not from her high profile status, she would already be out. Meaning a trial where lying or failing to disclose exculpatory evidence by prosecutors is not happening. Instead of grieving, Alice went partying and had sex. Because she had driven that area for years for her work. I agree about pregnancy and childbirth affecting women differently, and even having different effects for the same woman with different pregnancies. I try to bring up the elements that were totally ignored. I appreciate the way you dont try to determine guilt or innocence in your blogs but instead focus on due process and the right of all to a fair trial. 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. 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. In fact, Knick admits Diane took that gold chain as collateral against a $500 LOAN she made to him. The fact that she drove there and it saved the life of two of her children should give anyone pause. The states own witness, Dr. George Suckow and Dr. Polly Jamison denounced Prosecutor Hugis practice as improper and unethical (Appendix 101 and 104). She threw her keys yet was able to take off right away?? He could then have initiated the licensing process to foster and then adopt the children. She never hurt anyone in the process of escaping. 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??? Not that it matters, your opinion is about the case and not subject to geography. Substituting reasonable inference and evidence for tarot cards? That was the extent of her investigation of Dianes side. But I know that there were major problems with this case. So they did everything in their power to slant the media and the public in their favor. And he grew up there. 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. 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. You indicated you were not going to get a divorce? So move on. Late Tom Billings had been the first who openly questioned Diane Downs guilt. Also, their union was turbulent ever since the beginning as Diane was reportedly disappearing with her children for long periods. The trouble reportedly took place a day earlier when Sean Preston allegedly was behind a locked bedroom door and Jamie broke down the door to get in and then "violently shook" the child, The. The roller coaster ride had nothing to do with Diane s children and Diane knew it. 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. They examined her clothes also. 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. So imagine when you are troubled to begin with. My website is in the process of being migrated so it has no photos. The hell with doubts, ballistics and pesky details about the shooting, we cannot disagree becausethere is hunting and fishing to do and friendships to uphold. The casing from the bullets exactly matched, just like a fingerprint, the bullets that Diane had in her home from her own gun which was never found. It deserved as much attention as a Unicorn, a song or all the other hearsay floating around because at least, they came from real people signing official documents. It was never a slam dunk. She wrote to the governor several times after being dismissed coldly by Hugi and the system. They checked her shoes and they were clean. My problem with the circumstances surrounding the crimes against these innocent children is that they were twisted by the media.