What I believe doesnt matter at all. Its a rather large part of the story. Kumbaya my Lord, Kumbaya. Yes, Christie said she did not know who did it. They had high hopes for Dianes future and this bad boy was not part of it. In Oregon, in 1983, she shot her 3 children, 1 daughter died. Saying that I seem to be doing what I accuse Ann Rule of doing is kind of ironic because the point of this blog is to try to stay away from innuendo and fantasies like unicorns and songs that might have been playing or not during a tragic murder. I read the letter they sent to the Downs when they were fighting to see their grandchildren. Her flat affect is even more pronounced now and it did her in at the time, but she was lucid enough to clearly see that Rule and the media used Becky for their personal gain. If you have an opinion on drugging a child to make her talk, a judge presiding over a criminal case when he was in family court and removed the children from the defendants or the forensics, ballistic, etc. So obviously, she was the prime suspect. You mention her youngest daughter, and how Ann made sure she only heard negative information about Diane.. Diane said that Cheryl was laying down on the front floorboard with the passenger seat pushed back. Why? Is it too late to respond to this? She also underwent a gun residue test that same evening that revealed no trace of gun powder on her hands. In her case it seems to be more a matter of punishment. How could Christie say anything but the things they told her to say with that kind of influence? As for where he is now, we'll be honest, we're not completely sure. time it was the situation was down. Dianes family could give you countless examples of the inaccuracies they found in her book. But, their marriage was far from what either of them had expected. But if you compare them, and if stranger there was, there are similarities but it is not dead on. She s. And he grew up there. To Lori Late Tom Billings had been the first who openly questioned Diane Downs guilt. How ironic. In this article, we can clearly see that Becky struggled and tried to justify her woes (maybe rightly so) by blaming it on her DNA. 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. I remember when Diane shot her kids and there are some facts Id like to correct from your blog. Guilty or not, the case was handled with prejudice and many errors occurred. Q. Her 7 yr old daughter was already dead, her other 2 children were in critical condition. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. Diane was known for her love of all animals whichshe treated with great care, and for her independent and wild streak. answer the question why didn t steve downs get custody, which will help you get the most accurate answer. Regardless of the facts you point out, there is no doubt in my mind that Diane Downs is guilty. Diane downs. You have a photo of Diane before the parole board. I dont care what Diane Downs says at the parole board hearing, except if she is innocent or guilty. Of course. She did not fit in and was now anxious to assert her independence and live her own life. ANNE RULES BOOK IS A LIE, ,ALL MADE UP CRAP. Leslie Van Houten is an example of a woman who probably will never see the light of day because of her high profile status. One of the flaws was the relationship between the DA and the children. Yet in their mind, she was already guilty. But he overestimated the kind of people that would go along with this soap opera. Its tiresome. 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. 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. In my blog, I was referring to the case of Liysa Northon whose suit was dismissed, but when Ann Rule tried to sue the Seattle Magazine, its editor and Northons husband for their article on her shoddy work, she lost and had to pay restitution. The weird behavior (laughing and joking in the shooting reenactment), bullets found at her home and the constant changing of her story only is icing on her guilty cake. Years later, Christie was heard saying by classmates that she did not know who shot her. Some 287 errors and falsehoods were documented by Liysa and verified by official sources. What is known for a fact, is, Prosecutor Fred Hugi took physical custody of Christie and Danny shortly after Christies confessions to her school mates, and he officially adopted them in the summer of 1986. 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. You hit the nail right on the head. Downs: Oh yeah, I remember the pictures, too. Steve Downs had allegedly stolen this gun from a friend named Billy Proctor, but after it was found and the ballistics did not match, Bill suddenly remembered keeping it only for a day before exchanging it for another Ruger automatic at a gun show in Mesa; which now meant that the gun that Diane allegedly used to shoot herself and the children, was still apparently nowhere to be found. After Diane got divorced from her husband in 1980, she had taken up a job at the U.S. postal service office, and that's where she first met him. What?? If they could not find the gun or any trace of a shooting on Diane, and you think shes guilty, it would mean she had an accomplice. She is nowhere near being paroled and if she admitted guilt, I am not even convinced they would release her. I would say so. This blogger apparently believes anything she hears to support her inaccurate theory that Diane Downs was falsely accused and convicted. Charlene would call Diane at all hours of the day and night to threaten violence if Diane continued on with her husband. Do you remember it would have been around say November 19th of 82 that you would have left Charlene at one time? Blood spatter is not an exact science, and is interpreted differently by experts. If it doesnt matter to you, it should. But you dont mention that she again has changed her story. 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. Diane Downs was one of the most infamous murderers of the 1980s; the emotionally flat blonde was convicted of shooting her three children, killing one of them, along a roadway in Springfield,. If you had commented on one of the elements contained in the blog, it might have been enlightening. 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. Diane Downs is guilty beyond any doubt and I do not believe that her daughter was coached. Likewise, Charlene had no intention of letting Knick divorce her (Appendix 81, page 1518, line 15). Problem with that is Diane has said during an interview with detectives that the sketch looks nothing like what she described. I think it posible she brought the kids there to be shot by someone else. The person leaned into the car. But she suffered from mental illness and the circumstances were traumatic. I hope they have. A fair trial is a right in this country, not a judicial suggestion. At the point Diane jumped into the car, her broken arm (resting in a sling in front of her) slammed into the steering wheel. Ive not seen the movie or read the book. The mommy murderess pulled her car over the side of the road and shot her three young children in the backseat. 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. Theres a lot to be said here, still. Or can have an accomplice. , The lovely Farrah Fawcett who played in the movie, Anne Rule might have inflamed the case with her book, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The Diane Downs Case Was no Small Sacrifice. Just goes to show how difficult it is sometimes to find the truth. 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. 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. There is her story, the prosecution case and the defense arguments. The authorities wanted to see them mourn and fall apart. There is a court sketch artists rendering of him in this video. 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. According to various sources, Steve chose to separate from his wife after discovering that Stephen Daniel, their third child, was the product of her wife's relationship with a colleague. Rule sued the Seattle Weekly after they published the article titled Ann Rules Sloppy Storytelling, but she lost and had to make restitution. She wrote to the governor several times after being dismissed coldly by Hugi and the system. I lived through the media coverage. Instead, the person accused of attacking them and wanting them out of her life, fought for them. If I included the ones I dont post, it would need more than a like or dislike button. You paint a picture that is actually inaccurate and misleading. Most importantly why would anybody shoot 3 children potentially fatally and leave the adult with a wound in her arm. 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. She had a more than competent attorney and a fair trial before a jury and NOT the same judge who handled the childrens matters. On a side note, what do you think of parole of Leslie Van Houton? Just state that at the beginning of the blog. McPherron: And you had no contact with her . They removed them and proceeded to interrogate the poor girl until she gave them what they needed. Maybe I'm dramatic but I no longer want to watch it . I have simply bothered researching the evidence and in some instances, the lack of it. If not from her high profile status, she would already be out. No worries. She goes on to say that she has deep regret and mourns the loss and death of her children. I enjoyed your take, and agree their are several reasons with this, and lets be honestevery other case ever prosecuted, to take pause and question but Diane continues to lie, make up brand new stories about people after her, and has made no moves to better herself in any way shape or form while shes been in prison, by her own admission. If you shoot at least 6 inches from a victim, you see what is around you in the car. Q. He hired Jim Jagger on the 1st of June 1983, 11 days after the shooting. They are set in stone and people refuse to see it any other way. The DA that put away their mom is not an appropriate placement choice. It was the story of two troubled young souls trying to survive without a safety net. They came up with an explanation as to why this was the wrong gun but the jig was up. The tape is real and probably not admissible, but it seems to indicate that her testimony was coerced: Why is it not admissible? (Appendix 3). After each of the kids was shot multiple times on that fateful day in 1983, Steve cooperated with the police completely. And the interrogations were not tapedand barelydocumented. I always welcome new information, evidence and opinions if they have a strong base and are not mean spirited, but I dont get the relevance of this comment to the case itself. I have worked in Child Protection for over 20 years and have extensive experience in this field domestically and internationally. A steel plate had to be attached and some lead fragments were removed. The crucial point is that she is so void of emotion. 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. No other shooter involved in her case. Spending 35 years incarcerated with time in isolation and often as a target is not going to improve mental health. She also told media she became pregnant without Steve's "permission." 4 Steve has never spoken publicly about his ex-wife, Diane Credit: AP Where is Steve now? That disinformation was alleged by Mr. Hugi the third day into Jim Jaggers defense and it was never objected to by Mr. Jagger . Ryan is still in his thirties and still building an excellent reputation in the industry. Not in this case. http://www.glamour.com/story/i-found-out-my-mother-was-a-killer-the-rebecca-babcock-story. This is what Mrs Downs had to say about the situation. It would be about November 20th that you would have gone back with Charlene, what, the next day? Considering the lack of evidence, it seems that she was condemned mostly because of herinappropriatestatements and behavior. That her child was basically forced to admit that she saw her mom shoot them? I agree that the phone call from Angel was totally inappropriate. Legally speaking, we do not go after people because they look evil or crazy. But in my opinion, it shows how Diane was disturbed and could also have found a better path in life if given the chance and the right support. Go reading US: The American Gulag, 26 Mar 2009 Exploding prison populations in the US serve a basic need of capitalism. 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. Yes Gigi, the same judge who had removed the children was also presiding over her trial. They already had made up their mind that Diane was the perpetrator so they laughed off the idea of the bushy haired stranger. The problem was that they could not find the gun anywhere and they had nothing on Diane. Even prosecutor Fred Hugi was seen walking the grounds to try to find the weapon. A demonstration in court strongly suggested that the shooter had to be left-handed to have been able to shoot in the car at the right angle. Diane, 18, had run away from home to do so. .well yay for youtubelol..is when I first heard her in old interviews. I am not saying she is innocent. Now in hindsight, seeing footage on youtube, especially the interview she did with the reporter Anne Jagger, the things she says and facial expression is exactly described in the bookhad to find the section in the book, but on that note, Anne rule did site that interview correctly. You are right. Not exclusively a USA trait, this happens also in many countries, but in a technologically advanced superpower like USA this attitude is more shocking, and maybe also more worldwide spread. She then went through the State (Circuit) Court habeas corpus relief for four years to no avail. 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. Instead, it is Diane who fought to keep her children. You can check this link and go online to see her picture with Cheryl and the rest of the family. Her son ended up in jail and ONeils children accused him of neglect and bad parenting. The prosecutor and his wife adopted both children that survived and although the boy is paralyzed and in a wheelchair, they trived with their new parents. 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.. All Rights Reserved. According to your own experience Lori, dont they try to give grandparents custody or at least access in cases comparable to this one? Blood, cuts, limo driver who saw him come in, the shoe print, the blood in the car and on the socks in his bedroom. Thanks for the link. They should have taken their timeto investigatethis case thoroughly and without prejudice. The children had a father. An earlier commenter wrote that it doesnt matter that the trail or the investigation was faultyWHAT !? The best policy for Diane Downs would have been to remain silent, but she fought back and smiled at the wrong time and according to them, enjoyed the attention. They finally charged her and she did 10 years for the death of her children. http://www.salem-news.com/articles/july152013/midnight-med-tb-2.php My problem with the circumstances surrounding the crimes against these innocent children is that they were twisted by the media. As for Diane, give me a break. According to Diane, she then saw a man on the road flagging her and stopped thinking he needed help. I especially loved reading everyones comments. You cant possibly shake off all the gun powder residue and avoid all the blood. If you think you would have more influence arguing for better relationships with Mexico at a Donald Trump rally in Mexico, why bother? Wasnt he the stranger? 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. I didnt know that. She claimed she . And how the letters became so bizarre, paranoid and psychotic that she told Diane to stop writing her. What they did to her daughter is unconscionable. Just a thought. Steve and Diane had three children, Danny, Cheryl, and Christie Ann. Yep, Downs who was found guilty in 1984, escaped successfully from the Oregon Womens Correctional Center in 1987 and was transferred to Jersey afterwards. She followed all the correct Parole Boardprocedures for two years with no hearing. Diane had learned from nine months of interaction with Knick, that the man was consistent only in his inconsistency. That poor girl. I think that looked at through a more objective lens, many aspects of the Downs case are highly questionable. Maybe dad relinquished, it sounds like he may have. Most get through it fine, maybe some complications or pain, maybe even some post pardum. Diane was diagnosed as being bipolar and subsequently diagnosed by a psychiatrist before sentencing. 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. I think it would give the blog more integrity and transparency. My question is: why is she still locked up? In 1984, Diane was convicted of the death and injuries of her children, and she was sentenced to life in prison. 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. This is a scenario pretty hard to believe, but as they say, reality can sometimes be stranger than fiction. People have always been wondering about Steve Downs, Danie Downs ex-husband. This is a conflict of interest. Every single one of these questions matter. I stuck to what came out at trial and not the fantasy factory coming from the state, the media and Rule. The trial was a whole miscarriage, that seems undeniable. Children imitate their parents every move. Susan, I dont know if there ever was a lawsuit against Ann Rule from the Fredericksons family. And what happened to her little daughter is beyond unethical. (Appendix 81, page 1466). When analysing this blog, look at three statements from the blogger: Diane Downs and Alice Crummins were considered sluts Below this letter see links to Salem-News.com articles about the questionable conviction of Diane Downs. Ask them what they did to a good man. She did it. My comment wont change their opinion on the barbarity of the American legal system, media influences and Ann Rules input. 2 years in foster care waiting to be legally free for adoption is not that uncommon even today. Q. Her power to manipulate is why she is where she is to begin with. 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. The unreliability of childrens testimony has been documented by cognitive psychologists such as Elizabeth Loftus of the University of Cornell and others. In fact, Knick admits Diane took that gold chain as collateral against a $500 LOAN she made to him. 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. Jeff, you mention being harsh as if there was a justification for it. I had never heard of this case and fell upon several videos that had me completely convinced DD was a narcissistic psychopath. 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.. It gave Anne Rule carte blanche to legally use these labels in her book and it stuck. 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. I watched the paroles hearing in 08, was lucky to find it, it was streamed live at the timemy sister, who is a whiz with computers, found it for me. 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. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. I am a strong believer that pregnancy can do serious harm to some women. In fact, Diane had consulted a psychologist after the tragedy and after months of consultation, she was never diagnosed as a sociopath. Additionally, homicide or assault victims shot by someone else can test positive for GSR. Clickhere to read about faulty ballistics.. A. If the adult can show capacity and willingness to provide care, love and nurturing to the children, then there is no legal reason to prevent them from becoming Foster Carers. 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. This is not the reason she is still locked up. He could then have initiated the licensing process to foster and then adopt the children. This blog is riddled with inconsistencies, suppositions and a lack of the most basic referencing (e.g. It was known as Manic Depression. 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. To this day, his record is mixed; his law license was suspended for6 monthsin 2011, and there was also talk of a suspension in 2015. I would like to raise the numerous issues with this blog. Back to DD, I think she suffered some kind of mental breakdown, her account of the facts was never reliable, all the case appears murky, which points to an incompetent handling of the situation by the police and justice system. The fact that she and her brother Danny were eventually adopted by Fred Hugi who prosecuted Diane Downs is the most blatant case of conflict of interest I have ever heard of. Diane nowhad the title ofdangerous offender. It was a fairly new science at the time so thats all it took to find him not guilty. The two mental disorders that cause excessive talking are Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. Then, 10 days after Diane was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years, she gave birth to a daughter she named Amy Elizabeth. The rest of the family? She found out who her biological mother was when she was 11 years old, ABC reported. Moms were working more, we were becoming the latch key generation, as in we let ourselves in alone while still in elementary school.when I mentioned before about maturity of a 8, 9, 10 year oldwe loved playing outside on bikes, and playing with our dolls, boys usually had their action figures..lol.and we loved our moms, even if they were young and liked to go out and sent us to babysitters..the book and movie, Im quite sure, over did the situation..and Im sure there was more on both sides, the family of diane, diane herself, but well never know all the details. I 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. She had been isolated from her whole family and being unethically interrogated. Anyways. 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. Doesnt change the fact that it was still a conflict of interest. I am posting Jamesanswer: Yes the allegations were said and you cannot take back what was saideven if retracted She was harshly judged because of her demeanor. Something that would never stand in court now. (Yes, speculative). It was a dark and rural road. I will not remove anything. Substituting reasonable inference and evidence for tarot cards? rudy francisco rifle analysis / ford employee profit sharing 2022 / why didn't steve downs get custody. How.. they attacked him. If you want to defend Diane Downs, more power to you. On May 30, 1983, the McKenzie-Willamette Hospital Chaplain told Dianes father to hire an attorney because the State was going to take his grandchildren away. But for what it is worth, I believe she tried to kill her 3 kids. Sheriffs Deputy Roy Pond admitted in court that he had already concluded that Diane was guilty and stopped following leads on the orders of his sergeantthree weeks after the shooting. The blog tries to bring balance and more objectivity to a case that was TOTALLY one sided and still is. This blogger thinks that if you had bothered reading the blogs that you just mentioned, you would know that I do not call anyone innocent. Fred Hugi was pretty upset when Ann Rule went Hollywood with his case. As a married man, the ball was in his court and he decided togo forit. Even though his wife shot their children multiple times, and the case was national news, he never surfaced and kept a low profile. A very reasonable request that was rejected. you quoted what diane said as to what happened When she resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. Her parents Willadene and Wes were old school Baptist parents who raised her under strict guidelines without much warmth but complete devotion. Their marriage was described as tumultuous, with Downs allegedly disappearing for long periods of time with her children. There is so much to say about this blog I wouldnt know where to start. He is in his 70s now and his photo is not on his linkedin or anywhere I could find. In reply to Kit A slightly humorous observation is that you said, and others have, that James Haynes physically resembled the sketch. People tend to forget that the group of young women hanging out with Manson were deeply engaged in serious drug use and totally out of their mind at the time.
