But she suffered from mental illness and the circumstances were traumatic. The next morning Diane appeared in the courtroom with a police report written by Detective Pond a year earlier, in which Ms. Patterson was sure Diane had gone nowhere near the bathroom the night of the shooting (Appendix 62). In Rules book, Diane is portrayed as a horrible selfish mother but her family and friends saw another version; she lovedher childrendearly and worked hard to be a good provider. It isnt there all the time. 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. Guilty or not, we should know better than to use the justice system as a psychic tool when theres not enough evidence. It is possible that he still resides in Arizona, but exactly where he is or what he does, we dont know. If you had commented on one of the elements contained in the blog, it might have been enlightening. And Robert Knickerbocker became one of her lovers. The time was spent waiting for the clock to tick down the final seconds for all appeals to the parental termination to be allowed. That says it all. I like your approach. Doesnt change the fact that it was still a conflict of interest. Where is Diane Downs' husband now? The Halo TV show stars Orange is the New Black's Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief, with Californication's Natascha McElhone as Dr. Halsey. A sick kid who had a stroke and traumatized being pressured for weeks to remember her mother killing her? Her son ended up in jail and ONeils children accused him of neglect and bad parenting. And the flat affect and sometimes inappropriate smiling would come with the territory so you cannot judge her actions without taking into account that she might not have been acting according to the norms. Yes, Christie said she did not know who did it. It should be removed from the blog. Brewer stood ready to testify in June 1991, that it was because of Prosecutor Hugis lie that he changed his mind to convict and that he alone was responsible for silencing the dissenting votes of two other jurors (Appendix 97). Offers may be subject to change without notice. Whether or not Steve Downs was in some way behind the shooting, the man who fired the weapon was a stranger to Diane. I dont believe there was a CK. Yeah, Ive noticed a lot of people thing Jim Jagger is Fred Hugi. Diane doesnt believe Rebecca is her daughter, rather a media puppet ran by Rule. At that timeand now!! Did u learn nothing?? They did not want reunification to keep their verdict intact. Go to the hate groups for that. While Rules book is biased, it was a look into the view of those who wanted justice for those children, wether you agree w/ their conclusion or not, that was their goal. Distractify is a registered trademark. They were the small sacrifices. Maybe because of her notoriety and the victims were children. . Below this letter see links to Salem-News.com articles about the questionable conviction of Diane Downs. 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. Cheryl was shot twice in the back and one of the bullets ended up on the floorboard. I am glad you read it anyway and I appreciate your comment. How could Christie say anything but the things they told her to say with that kind of influence? I care about what was said at trial. Her family members were quite capable of taking care of the children. The price of celebrity for her was losing her freedom and her children for life. You are wondering about the question why didn't steve downs get custody but currently there is no answer, so let kienthuctudonghoa.com summarize and list the top articles with the question. She was in solitary confinement for years and even escaped from prison once but was recaptured. They checked her nails to see if she could have buried the gun and they were clean. In 1983, Diane Downs said a stranger shot her 3 kids, but police However, Elizabeth was expelled from the religious institution as she didn't conform to the school's strong religious values. 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. It had nothing to do with the evidence of the case and represents useless labeling anyway. Steve and Diane had three children, Danny, Cheryl, and Christie Ann. Our legal system is not perfect. For example, the abhorrent decision regarding Keli Lane: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.whimn.com.au/talk/news/why-i-think-keli-lane-should-not-be-in-prison/news-story/069a09c79589645c48de5bfa91e4ca0f. So move on. That doesnt make it true. As for where he is now, well be honest, were not completely sure. Also, the title of the website clearly demonstrates an inherit bias. And she would have been under supervision. 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. Only in Hollywood and in Ann Rules books, would you find such fantasy. I base a lot on what I see and hear from her in her own words in footage of a 28 yr old woman. I understand that the authorities were afraid to leave the two remaining children under her care if they thought she was guilty, but they could have been released to the grandparents or other blood relatives with supervised visits from their mom considering that she was not charged with any crime. But the high profile nature of the case might hinder the process. You do not debate the content of the blog which you probably did not read anyway. But as usual, it was slanted in the worst possible way. Ginsburg didn't think women should get to do what men did because she believed they would do the job better; she wanted equality for its own liberating sake. She was more interested in the affection of men, which on that fateful day in 1983 gave her an idea. Regina, I love your comment! Id have more influence arguing for better relationships with Mexico at a Donald Trump rally in Mexico. 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? It no longer matters as far as the verdict, she was found guilty, but why no parole? http://www.manipulatedtrial.de/oregon_s_small_sacrifices_1603.pdf. In fact, Knick admits Diane took that gold chain as collateral against a $500 LOAN she made to him. None of this is EVIDENCE of anything in regard to the murder trial, and not once did I read that it was. Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. The underlying basis of this article. I would also like to express my disbelief that the same judge presided over both the child welfare case and the criminal one. Substituting reasonable inference and evidence for tarot cards? Fairbanks jury finds Steven Downs guilty in Sophie Sergie's - KTOO Further: Wonder about Justice in Nation with world wide highest prisoner rate. They had high hopes for Dianes future and this bad boy was not part of it. Thats food for thought. I think she was the only one there that night with her children. Unfortunately couldnt really do anything at that point, as the movie was not VHS yet, it only aired that oncein late 89. They should have had ongoing contact and been placed with family as soon as they were out of the hospital and they never should have been interviewed without their own attorney (Guardian ad Litem) present. Fair question. After a failed marriage that got her a divorce from Steve Downs, she wanted to be with her lover. But you are right to say that it is my site. Very little is definitively known in this area. more on crime HEARTBREAKING FIND The Office star's sister-in-law found dead 11 days after going missing 'DISGUSTING' Do you remember a couple of days after that, December By many accounts, her children adored her. The story of Steve Downs' children is one of the most shocking to date. TIL On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs shot her three children and drove them at 5-7 mph to the hospital. My question is: why is she still locked up? Diane had met all the requirements to be paroled. Wasnt it speculative on their part? Simply because I researched them. She keeps her emotions under tight control, presenting only socially acceptable feelings and burying other contradictory feelings.. And that is why Diane chose to murder her children to regain his affection. The blog tries to bring balance and more objectivity to a case that was TOTALLY one sided and still is. Spending 35 years incarcerated with time in isolation and often as a target is not going to improve mental health. It was a harrowing, shameful miscarriage of justice. Kumbaya my Lord, Kumbaya. 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? Why? You say she made more of a fuss about her arm than about the injuries her children sustained. Why am I not arguing the facts of the trial? 6. The definition of deviant sociopath does not even exist in the DSM-HI: Downs lawyer at the time should have objected as the term was non existent. A fair trial is a right in this country, not a judicial suggestion. The absence of the gun or gun powder residues on Diane is fact. Its as if they cant control it. I am quite bothered by what happened in that courtroom and in the media. They now have social media arenas reminiscent of the Romans cheering at the sight of a thumb down meaning there will be a bloodshed. Washing soda is your best bet: It includes, among its ingredients, the exceedingly corrosive carbolic acid. Caught in the act, Hugi declared that Christie only said that because she was pressed for an answer. 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. The point is our trials need to be conducted fairly and based on evidence. Downs is a worthless as the day is long.. Maybe you should read the blog before commenting. She attacked her husband and ripped his neck open in a jealous rage (Appendix 81, page 1520), tearing from his neck the gold chain he still wore from his first marriage (a gift from his first wife). Many attribute the conviction of Downs to the arrival of author Ann Rule at Downs' trial. It gave Anne Rule carte blanche to legally use these labels in her book and it stuck. What about the judge stopping a defendant from getting a new attorney? And to try not to bash Dianes Downs character and stick to evidence instead. Not unlike Diane, Alice did not want to share her pain in public. What disease did Ray Liotta have, and what caused his death? https://www.google.com/search?q=diane+downs+with+christie+cheryl+and+danny&sxsrf=ACYBGNQDEM3XNQjZXlqNQpYLhZCn7ic5iw:1576689995166&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjNuNT427_mAhUcJTQIHbveBMIQ_AUoAXoECA4QAw&biw=1024&bih=462#imgrc=gQkU10UxNhHn_M: If youre talking about the picture in the blog that is labeled as Christie, it is Christie. To listen to Christies taped conversation, click below. Diane Downs is no exception. Guilty or not, the case was handled with prejudice and many errors occurred. A conviction founded on lies is no conviction at all. Page 50 of Case History Her attorney, James Jagger, did a poor job for Diane. I guess he did not want too many people to know about the improprieties that happened in his courtroom. Jury begins deliberations in decades-old rape and murder case - WMTW In 1984, the lead prosecutor in the Danie case, Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne, chose to adopt the children (Christie and Danny). Exactly Libby why did they say during the trial that he saw his mom? But if the blogger is arguing that the blog is balanced and objective, thats patently untrue. 6. I wanted to ask you something on this case. The strong, emotive language. This is an extremely tragic case and her children at the very least deserve justice. They are now leading their private lives as adults. Just like Rule though, your blog is extremely biased, and reads almost as though she told you exactly what to write at times. Diane now had the title of dangerous offender. Foster Carers says either Australia or England to me. Would you seriously be confident enough to present your findings you mention in your article to Diane Downs children? She could have stayed on the side of the road. Who Wore it Better? I think it would give the blog more integrity and transparency. Diane was 18 years old at the time and had run away from home to get married. Brewer stood ready to testify in June 1991, that it was because of Prosecutor Hugis lie that he changed his mind to convict and that he alone was responsible for silencing the dissenting votes of two other jurors (Appendix 97). Do not forget that she got letters of support from a warden and psychiatrist. Diane herself stated Cheryl was asleep on the front floorboard completely covered up with Dianes jacket how the hell did a stranger or a hitman(one of Dianes OTHER stories) KNOW Cheryl was there. Our laws are not written that way. When you hear her in interviews she sounds more concerned with herself than her kids. Its a rather large part of the story. The powers that be knew they had nothing on Diane so Christie became their sacrificial lamb: opinion, not fact I worked for county government child welfare for a decade. 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 should have raised a red flag concerning her mental stability or the possibility that more people were involved. 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. Steven and Diane married on November 13, 1973. 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. Considering the lack of evidence, it seems that she was condemned mostly because of herinappropriatestatements and behavior. And when kids are hurt, emotions keep flowing endlessly. And they kept at her and made suggestions when she would not implicate her mom. The most frequent remarks I hear about the case when confronted by the state misconduct and the lack of evidence are gut feelings I dont buy it Shes guilty She did it I know she did it Her story makes no sense Shes evil Shes crazy. It had to be her.. And thats fair enough. If I included the ones I dont post, it would need more than a like or dislike button. James C. Jagger who was hired by Dianes father was an ex-Prosecutor. If you shoot at least 6 inches from a victim, you see what is around you in the car. She was found guilty. She may be highly vulnerable to losing control of her emotions in emotionally charged situations, creating faulty judgment and ineffective and inappropriate behavior. Forensics or lack thereof and blood splatter? 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. Their theory was very shaky. Farrah had trouble with the law because of a passionate love affair with a movie director. 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. And he grew up there. I do not believe that this type of abuse would occur today. Christie is a married woman and gave birth in 2005. They went after Diane at trial for tapping her foot when they played Hungry like the wolf. I hope she is granted parole. Strange how Jagger is pretty absent too except for the few photos where he is wrongly identified as Hugi. A prosecutor inventing a new psychiatric category in court and labeling the accused is kind of unsettling. Removing the children from her and presiding over her criminal trial? My opinion of why Mr. Hugi adopted Christie and Danny was to seal their lips. On her way to the hospital,she was followed by someone who said she was going slow, but Diane said she was driving fairly fast. Dianes parents had high hopes for her future, a future that didnt involve Steve, so they disapproved of their relationship. You have that part absolutely right, so why was this protocol ignored? They rarely get a break. What this is evidence of is one more piece of the overwhelming amount of bias that was involved from the start of the case. Diane Downs Now: Her Failed Attempts to Get Parole Ive been to London to Fly the Queen ~ and Back to Collect Artifacts, Haleigh Cummings Was Once Lost but Now She Is Found, Meet Rene Acoby: In-House Female Dangerous Offender, Kelli Stapleton- A Mothers Wuthering Woes. Rule sued the Seattle Weekly after they published the article titled Ann Rules Sloppy Storytelling, but she lost and had to make restitution. Mr. Downs must have had a bad feeling about Jagger because before trial: speculation There were a few calls and on one occasion, The most frequent remarks I hear about the case when confronted by the state misconduct and the lack of evidence are gut feelings , So the hell with no gun, no GSR, no blood and no witnesses except a sick child who denied knowing who shot them until she could not anymore and happened to be adopted by the prosecutor; making it look like she could never change her mind and reveal that she has no memory of the shooting and maybe have the case reversed. 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. In the beginning, detectives believed Diane's story, but they were not prepared for the actual story narrated by Christie, who survived the incident. you quoted what diane said as to what happened When she resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. Downs wanted to get rid of the kids because her new boyfriend didn't want . There is a court sketch artists rendering of him in this video. Yes, like many Americans, I think that the US system is barbaric. It does not contradict what I said, but what they said. "We are obviously disappointed at the verdict. This whole tale is just unbelievable. No conflict of interest there? There were posters. And of course, she added her own brand of paranoia, which is to be expected considering her personality disorder and what she went through. All the reports and even the warden thought she was not a threat anymore. please express them and I will print them. And with hindsight, the fact that this young mother had a personality disorder probably brought a lot of drama to the mix. She also underwent a gun residue test that same evening that revealed no trace of gun powder on her hands. People have always been wondering about Steve Downs, Danie Downs ex-husband. What about the fact that they never found the gun? 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. 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. No other shooter involved in her case. I believe DDs case needs to be re looked at and all evidence reviewed. In addition to treating brain cancer, he works toward health equity. Not hard to go there. I do not post rude comments. You read a few comments. Are you looking for more information about Ryan Eggold? And what happened to her little daughter is beyond unethical. They had him micromanaged, and with the testimony of little Christie they were in business. It is not, nor should be, a Conflict of Interest for a caring adult to Foster one or more siblings. She is nowhere near being paroled and if she admitted guilt, I am not even convinced they would release her. Can you imagine your little boy growing up to beat to death (with his bare hands and boots) Is she referring to her ex husband? Maybe she wanted to buy drugs. And after Diane left Arizona she didnt call Knick to inquire about his love, but rather about when he would repay the $500 (Appendix 81, pages 1479-1480). You fail to mention what her daughter actually said about her communication with Diane, like Diane telling her that a very powerful person, a secret man, has been watching her, and that if she loved her son she would move away or else her son will grow up to be a murderer. Why was no one in the family given the right to adopt them. I try to bring out the details that were ignored because Down was so unpopular: this blog is clearly one sided. And I care about the lack of evidence. Christie Downs was eight-years old when she was injured and nine-years old when she testified. I appreciate this whole blog just want to give you a heads up. I found your blog to be very well written, informative and interesting. Once you are vilified in the media in the US, the way Downs and others have been, a lot of people shut their eyes and their mind to any other possibility than what was presented in the court of public opinion. ), years in solitary confinment Whats wrong with us?! 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. This is a fascinating and informative article that has answered some questions I had, and prompted others: 1. In the end, it is scary how media becomes some kind of Roman circus where people is thrown in order to become a source of business. A. Christie was born in October of 1974 and Cheryl Lynn in January of 1976. 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. Her trial was speculative and based on so many fallacies. If you use this mixed water, you can lift off a gunpowder stain.. Do you remember about two days after that the two of you signing a lease on the apartment? I will talk to Dianes brother. 3) You have a photo of Diane before the parole board. Foote then handled the juvenile docket and first encountered Downs when he ordered her two surviving children into state protective custody. Five doctors have observed and documented this phenomenon. Christie and Danny have no contact with their father, and they have completed their education. 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. is this a reason??? Dianes story does not contradict that. I agree that the phone call from Angel was totally inappropriate. Would you know at what speed you are going if you were shot and driving with wounded children in the car? I do not have to state anything at the beginning of the blog. The gun is Def a big issue, the style of gun, whether it belonged to him or her, she Def had access to itthe child drew a picture of it, having large similarity to that gunbut it did always baffle me how she could find such a great hide for it in such a short period of time. Christie was understandably all over the place and I agree that the way in which her statements were procured were very odd and seemed to be very coached. It was one of the most disturbing stories I've watched. So, what is Steve's story? After all, many cases of domestic abuse and even neglect do stem from alcoholism or drug abuse. The jurors had doubts. 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. In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. But I will answer the points you raised about the blog. You mention that her attorney should have raised objections. 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.. RAISING THE BAR BUT CERTAINLY NOT IN ARIZONA, http://www.glamour.com/story/i-found-out-my-mother-was-a-killer-the-rebecca-babcock-story, http://www.manipulatedtrial.de/oregon_s_small_sacrifices_1603.pdf, http://www.salem-news.com/articles/july152013/midnight-med-tb-2.php, http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n364/a03.html, http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080910_Prison-happy_U_S__must_reconsider_use_of_mercy.html, http://sputniknews.com/us/20150620/1023613662.html#ixzz3djEXlSAC, http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_prison_state_of_america_20141228, https://www.google.com/search?q=diane+downs+with+christie+cheryl+and+danny&sxsrf=ACYBGNQDEM3XNQjZXlqNQpYLhZCn7ic5iw:1576689995166&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjNuNT427_mAhUcJTQIHbveBMIQ_AUoAXoECA4QAw&biw=1024&bih=462#imgrc=gQkU10UxNhHn_M, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPLkIcSzftE&ab_channel=DianeDownsArchives, Say Her Name But Spell It Right The Tale of Breonna Taylor, And Justice For All The Watts Family Murders, Babe in the Woods & Big Country The Murder of Nicole Vanderheyden, Colonel Russell Williams Where Have You Been? Thats why Diane wouldnt agree to marry unless Knick first signed a premarital agreement that when they divorced, Knick would take nothing from their marriage. The diagnosis of the psychiatrist for the state is also clearly documented. Her ex-husband has been of great interest, considering his absence from the media despite the case getting significant attention.