I agree on many points with your comment. Knick had NOT signed the premarital agreement, but that didnt stay his pursuit of Diane, knowing she was moving 1200 miles away. http://www.salem-news.com/articles/july152013/midnight-med-tb-2.php more on crime HEARTBREAKING FIND The Office star's sister-in-law found dead 11 days after going missing 'DISGUSTING' According to Diane, she then saw a man on the road flagging her and stopped thinking he needed help. And it is not like these two were white as snow. 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. The children should have been receiving therapy throughout. If the police department had done their job properly, I would not have written this blog, no matter the outcome. This was the prosecution and conviction of (Elizabeth) Diane Downs who has now been incarcerated for too many years in one of Californias (overcrowded) State prisons. But the fact that the prosecutor called her a deviant sociopath in court without any assessment became another nail in her coffin. That they did not test the outside of the car? Thanks again for bringing this to my attention. 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. We dont know. Her power to manipulate is why she is where she is to begin with. Mr. Jagger failed to challenge that competency. Page 40 of Case History. Diane ran away from her husband many times between 1976 and 1977, but with nowhere to go except her parents house, she would come back. It is not a hatefest and I do not wish death or life without parole on anyone. The problem was, Diane has a long-documented history of adversely reacting to tranquilizing drugs. answer the question why didn t steve downs get custody, which will help you get the most accurate answer. Fred Hugi looks nothing like Jim Jagger. Her attorney, James Jagger, did a poor job for Diane. The case NEVER made sense to me. She said no mother would stop at 10 at night, in the dark, with three young children, to help a Bush haired stranger. It does seem time has done worse to her. Right after the shooting, little Danny would ask the nurses, , Even Ann Rule in her book, keeps mentioning that, Every time, she said she did not know, they told her to think again and made suggestions. Why am I not arguing the facts of the trial? I know that most people think she is guilty. She had been the bread winner for most of her marriage, and never wavered in her desire to bring financial stability to her family. I know several foster parents and social workers. Movie scene alleging that Christie was scared. Plus, the circumstances of this charade were more than sinister. However, he had no interest in taking care of Dianes children. Yep, Downs who was found guilty in 1984, escaped successfully from the Oregon Womens Correctional Center in 1987 and was transferred to Jersey afterwards. What would have been the conclusion to have drawn without this hate campaign? The Case of Liysa Northon Who Said True Crime Does not Pay? I state that it is not my place to judge innocence or guilt. 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. It became more about despising Diane Downs than investigating fairly. But you sure did comment like a true asshole, huh? Diane Downs changed her story so many times, even at her parole hearing. 3. And she should be allowed parole! But I am realistic. 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). But if you compare the time she was seen by the witness to the timing of her arrival at the hospital, it seems to indicate she went pretty fast, butnone of it was explained ordemonstrated properly. Two jurors had voted that Diane was not guilty of attempted murder or first-degree assault, but endedup voting to convict her of murder. 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. And being the mother of three only served to propel Diane in a more manic state. why didn't steve downs get custody. In case you did not read the blog: During Dianes examination at trial, Fred Hugi said in front of the jury, in the form of a question, that she had been diagnosed as a deviant sociopath. At the time Diane had told police that a stranger attempted to carjack her and shot the kids, and thats what her ex husband was told, too. Is it the one you tried to use? 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. But my beef is with the interference by the media, TV shows and Ann Rule. These are no facts its partial truths and conjecture. I hope this would never fly these days to separate wounded children from the only family members they have. She (Diane) managed to jump in the car after getting shot in the arm. The blog tries to bring balance and more objectivity to a case that was TOTALLY one sided and still is. They should have taken their timeto investigatethis case thoroughly and without prejudice. I see that Downs had a parole hearing in late 2020 but I cant see the outcome. I do not post rude comments. The states own witness, Dr. George Suckow and Dr. Polly Jamison denounced Prosecutor Hugis practice as improper and unethical (Appendix 101 and 104). 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. And by the way, I wrote the blogs about Rule way before she passed. You said yourself that the title was revealing. In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. If he was getting too close to the witness emotionally he should have stepped away from the case. Is. Did Danny Downs, Steve Downs' son, remain paralyzed? The detectives and the state failed to act properly and it should not be an accepted practice. She folded it neatly around her arm. Their theory was very shaky. 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. It was also said at trial that the shooter would have been left handed, which was not the case for Diane. 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. 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. He actually was the one who suggested theybecome intimate after many friendly, platonic conversations. Ive not seen the movie or read the book. The detectives took Diane to the crime scene and were able to retrieve shell cases on the ground where the incident happened. 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. 1) Gunshot residue/blood splatter. Her mom is still alive and would love to have contact but respect that they wont. Im from Australia and have recollections of this case. All the reports and even the warden thought she was not a threat anymore. There is only one major problem with your scenario. 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. so which one is it????? The answers to those questions do not matter anymore. A steel plate had to be attached and some lead fragments were removed. Mission accomplished: Relevance? It is not a plus, but it is not a crime either. Inflammatory and speculative There was no blood on the front seats so Cheryl was laying down and Christie was asleep laying down and never witnessed anything. If personal diaries were to be believed, half of the population would be in great jeopardy. I am glad that some articles remain. She had no priors and no history of violence in prison. It was a fairly new science at the time so thats all it took to find him not guilty. Your prayers were answered. There have been behaviors that in the general course of events one may expect from a single parent that in a way have been falsely interpreted as being some form of evil.. And this makes many people wonder about his whereabouts. (her family confirmed that she had a mood disorder, possibly bipolar 2), So when Dr. George Suckow from the Oregon State Hospital in Salem was called as a States rebuttal witness and he made a professional diagnosis of Diane as histrionics, antisocial and narcissistic, he openly said in court that he interviewed Diane for 1 hour and read evidence presented by the state to make his diagnosis.. Tracy, I never said she was in the car. However, Elizabeth was expelled from the religious institution as she didn't conform to the school's strong religious values. But saying that you are not very smart is useless. No, Im not that gullible, Okay, I just read that she faked throwing her keys. After asking her to have an affair, he kept vacillating between his wife and her. Instead of grieving, Alice went partying and had sex. The children had a father. I cant believe that it was allowed to happen, actually. And of course, she added her own brand of paranoia, which is to be expected considering her personality disorder and what she went through. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Her parents Willadene and Wes were old school Baptist parents who raised her under strict guidelines without much warmth but complete devotion. Removing the children from her and presiding over her criminal trial? In 1984, Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her three children, 3-year-old Danny, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 8-year-old Christie. (Yes, speculative). Read More: Where Is Robert Knickerbocker Now? The circumstances surrounding the case were not enough to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 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. She had not fired a gun. Nice to see this blog is still active in 2017, being a lot of groupsmessage boards and such, on subjects like this has no activity for years. Christie is a married woman and gave birth in 2005. TIL On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs shot her three children and drove them at 5-7 mph to the hospital. Ms. Downs makes every effort to avoid emotional stimuli in order to reduce the demands made on her. She did diagnose her as suffering from cyclothymic disorder and treated her accordingly. ABC MOVIE FOR TV Small Sacrifices 1989 Farrah Fawcett, Ryan ONeal. Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. I might not have put enough information to your liking, but I stuck to what came out at trial and not the fantasy factory coming from the state, the media and Rule. It is also very is to clean. I was also stunned that she took the reports of all of Dianes ( mostly married) ex lovers as absolute truth and never once questioned that they might have been lying and retrospectively minimising their feelings for Diane to protect themselves. After all, many cases of domestic abuse and even neglect do stem from alcoholism or drug abuse. I guess he did not want too many people to know about the improprieties that happened in his courtroom. It was pitch black outside. They both would fall in love and decide they want to marry each other. Christie NEVER said she didnt know who did it she was just unwilling or afraid to tell on her mother. Then ask yourself if thats how you want your son to grow up. Her father passed away in October 2017 after having fought relentlessly for her release. Im all for justice, reviewing facts and overturning corrupt decisions. Diane clearly would have had to have had her rights terminated by the court. I will talk to Dianes brother. But I would not know what her state of mind is because I did not witness it. 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. The authorities wanted to see them mourn and fall apart. McPherron: I mean, it was plastered all over. Steve knew Danny was not his biological child and left Downs. 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? A fact strongly denied by Diane and by the nurses reports. Even on a worldwide scale, the age of accountability is considered to be twelve years old. She says she was outside the car n watched the man shoot her children n then the only adult n person who could tell police about him only gets a shot in the arm n takes time to bandage her arm. Brewer changed his mind. 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. http://www.glamour.com/story/i-found-out-my-mother-was-a-killer-the-rebecca-babcock-story. The powers that be knew they had nothing on Diane so Christie became their sacrificial lamb. Something that would never stand in court now. Where is the blood spatter on Diane? She managed to jump in the car after getting shot in the arm. This video of Jagger absolutely looks like the photo that you find on search engines for Fred Hugi. Those cases shouldnt have been in the same court let alone presided over by the same judge. More reason to have investigated the case more thoroughly. And her mental health should definitely have been a factor to release her with follow up care. Basically, I dont believe the site owner has produced enough proof of anything. I am not saying she is innocent. Speculative? 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. And, one of them was her ex-husband, the father of the children that Diane had shot. 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. She took care of herself not her children. So it was a relentless game totry to reel her in. Would you seriously be confident enough to present your findings you mention in your article to Diane Downs children? Insulting a woman in prison since 30 years instead of debating the inconsistencies of this case is pretty pathetic. Her husband turned out to be a player and a very irresponsible guy who did not really love her. Right after the shooting, little Danny would ask the nurses, Why did the mean man shoot me? and it would be written down in the daily notes. https://t.co/cPfs75obUg pic.twitter.com/uSnlFF2IRw. This test confirmed Diane had not held a gun. Page 40 of Case History. I do not have to put any statement advising people that I am about to present the neglected aspects of the trial. Maybe I'm dramatic but I no longer want to watch it . She was extremely intelligent but her emotional IQ was no match and her desire for freedom, love and affection were dangerously dragging her down a path of self-destruction. It would never happen todaynever. She signed an affidavit to that effect and wanted the jury informed of it but it was never done. Youre right to say that a GSR is not always foolproof and between 10-20% of suicide GSR kits test negative for GSR. Substituting reasonable inference and evidence for tarot cards? They were the small sacrifices. I will agree that it was suspicious that Diane got away with one bullet in the arm, even if the injury was severe, but she was outside the car and many scenarios are possible to that effect. I didnt know that. Judges are subject to certain ethical standards and have a duty to be impartial. The proverbial expression It takes two to tango applies here. Im sorry but your article is tosh. I think that looked at through a more objective lens, many aspects of the Downs case are highly questionable. Right after her first surgery, The Detectives were adamant that they HAD to have Diane right then to recreate the incident- unless of course, you have something to hide. 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.. 2. I read the letter they sent to the Downs when they were fighting to see their grandchildren. Yes, shes as guilty as Simpson. As you might know, Dianes father passed away after many years of anguish over the fate of his daughter. Diane was pregnant during the trial so if found not guilty, how would she have regained the love of her life? Guilty or not, we should know better than to use the justice system as a psychic tool when theres not enough evidence. What this is evidence of is one more piece of the overwhelming amount of bias that was involved from the start of the case. Someone can have an evil vibe and not be guilty of a crime. Even though his wife shot their children multiple times, and the case was national news, he never surfaced and kept a low profile. As soon as Diane was found guilty, Hugi demanded that Diane be evaluated by a psychiatrist before sentencing so they could declare her a dangerous offender and give her a stiffer sentence. Moreover, he apparently told her that he did not want children and this statement alone would seal Dianes fate. Whether or not Mrs. Frederickson could have attacheda clinical lab to Dianes not being herself the day the Detectives pressured Diane to accompany them, the fact is Diane was clearly suffering the residual effects of that chemical poison in her system. ..a little over year before the shooting had a surrogate babypregnancy and giving the baby awayumits donnoits the gal already had a fragile mentality.may not have been the best idea. In reply to Nick. Hey Jace, I was not going to post your insulting comments but I decided to let the last sentence fly so that I could answer it. 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. That doesnt make it true. She should have had the lawyer of her choice and if they wanted to charge her with the crimes, they should have stuck with what evidence and circumstances they had. 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 car was splattered with blood, but Diane had none on her. The last time I checked, it is my website and if you find it tiresome, no one is inviting you to stay or read the content; which you evidently did not read anyway. I am all for reviewing facts and getting a decision overturned in cases of corrupt decisions, and many people are on your side and find these cases totally worth their time. A group of ladies formed a group called HELDD which stands for Help Exonerate & Liberate Diane Downs. 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. So the prosecutor adopted the kids? According to the State, ballistics evidence proved that Diane Downs was guilty. why didn't steve downs get custody. 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 look forward to reading your other blogs. They seem to say she was like that from the very beginning so in my opinion, it should represent a mitigating circumstance instead of a longer sentence. You wondered at times, which side he was working for. The whole blog claims the trial was flawed. There was no question in Dianes mind that Knick would take another mistress if she married him, and that hed move on again. 3. But in this case, she had no blood on her body or her clothing. 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.. He freely admitted HE decided to ask for a divorce on his birthday without consulting Diane, who was out of town Mission accomplished. All smoke and mirrors to fit a certain scenario. I recently found your website and have enjoyed it a lot. It does not contradict what I said, but what they said. Diane, 18, had run away from home to do so. Don't get butt hurt. She was the prosecutions only hope. I have nothing to gain and I am not making up songs and dances about a unicorn. I think that the time she has served and her good behavior made her eligible for parole. It isnt there all the time. Maybe dad relinquished, it sounds like he may have. Danny and Christie survived the attack while middle child, Cheryl, died from her injuries at the time. There were good reasons to look at this mother, but the detective admitted on the stand that they stopped looking at anyone else after two weeks and the stranger on the road became a joke. Seems like former husband, Steve Downs, should've been the custodial parent after the divorce. You can check this link and go online to see her picture with Cheryl and the rest of the family. After arriving at the nearest hospital where the nursing staff and doctors attended to the children, the police were called in and her parents arrived promptly. She wanted a lawyer to defend her vigorously but the judge stopped her from getting good representation. Distractify is a registered trademark. that you told Diane to tell steve that she was Knicks Even put in different hospitals. A number of them were clearly . If, as Proctor said, it was exchanged right away, and the other Ruger was subsequently stolen by Steven, how was it remotely possible for him to have this info? .well yay for youtubelol..is when I first heard her in old interviews. The guy should have walked away from the case or from adopting them. Found the internet! Comments about the title of the website, the blogger, the bias, details like the word bipolar and when it was used when cyclothymic disorder was diagnosed by the person who treated the subject and there is an affidavit posted. And thats fair enough. Up. One of them named Angel, called 15-year-old Christie on the phone. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. My opinion of why Mr. Hugi adopted Christie and Danny was to seal their lips. Diane did not get a fair trial. I agree in both cases they were high profile cases. A new trial would be out of the question, so to me, parole would be the solution. I hope she is granted parole. She was still trying to extricate herself from a bad relationship with Steve Downs and was in no hurry to repeat the mistake. As a suggestion, I would love to see a like or dislike button for each comment. Litigating at the Supreme Court in . 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. 5. Not that Dianes mental health was not a factor in her letter, but it was definitely taken out of context in some instances. It seems that the Downs were totally ignored. Diane had spent three days in the hospital ingesting massive doses of Morphine, Demerol, Percodan, and visterol. Downs, born Elizabeth Diane Frederickson, was a 27-year-old divorced postal worker when she pulled up outside a hospital in Oregon in May 1983. In fact, if appropriate family is found, termination is not required. A. I was still living in the house, yes, sir. If you shoot at least 6 inches from a victim, you see what is around you in the car. There was never a real motive for the crime even if the State insisted that Diane wanted to be free to pursue her love interest; using her journals to support theirclaim. It was a harrowing, shameful miscarriage of justice. Danny was the product of an affair. She claimed she . By the way, this not a Diane Downs is innocent blog. It is a lets examine the facts of the case with hindsight and try to explain some of the inconsistencies and the role of the media and crime writers. And lets wonder why the US think that letting people die in prison is the answer when most civilized countries have reached other conclusions. Hed left his first wife to co-habitate with (and later marry) Charlene. Lise do you know if the kids have ever reached out to the grandparents/family in the last few years? She was harshly judged because of her demeanor. . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. You make an interesting observation when you say: Anyways. Do not take this so personally. But strangely, they took no photos of the crime scene and did not lift fingerprints from the drivers side of the car. (He WAS shot in the back remember). Not meaning to sound disrespectful, but you seem to be doing what you accuse Ann Rule of doing. 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. PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed, Get the news that matters from one of the leading news sites in Kenya, Kenyans Share Hilarious Memes, Frustrations as KPLC Announces Nationwide Power Blackout, Xtian Dela's Mum Cries Bitterly As She Begs Son to Come Home, Says She's Not Seen Him in 4 Years, Linet Toto's Dowry: 7 Delectable Photos from MP's Negotiation Ceremony, Couple Lose KSh 3.4m on Their Wedding After Guests Don't Show Up: "So Heartbroken", Little Girl Begs Man on the Road for Money, Video Surprises Many, David and Rebecca Muir wedding, relationship, and family, Who is Lil Meech's mom? It is not a run of the mill case. My opposition to movies about true crime stories is unshakable. Meaning it was unlikely she was the shooter. Where are Steve Downs children now? I have no idea whether or not she was guilty of the crime. An earlier commenter wrote that it doesnt matter that the trail or the investigation was faultyWHAT !? The courts were divided in the 80s, family court, traffic court, criminal court, juvenile court I dont believe they ran out of judges to preside over them all. There is so much to say about this blog I wouldnt know where to start. No gun, no blood or gun residue on her and if she shot them, these elements should have been there. I asked her brother James an answer to your question. 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. They checked her shoes and they were clean. Q. This happened in 1983, not 1893. And Steven would hunt her down anyway and charm his way back into her life. Mind you, it is before the trial. She is supposed to be locked up for murder, etc. It surely was not due process. Much worse. It could have been very different at almost any other time or with any other attorneys or juries too. Dianes ex-lover, Robert Knickerbocker, also said the same. The crucial point is that she is so void of emotion. 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. And according to the law, she should have been released by now, independently of what she says or not.