why didn't steve downs get custody
Everyone deserves peace. But I will answer the points you raised about the blog. This unexpected proposal took Diane by surprise at a large family gathering. 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. I have watched her parole hearing. If it doesnt matter to you, it should. She (Diane) managed to jump in the car after getting shot in the arm. But you are right to say that it is my site. Thanks for posting for readers. That towel should have been soaked in their blood not hers. They should have left her alone. You hit the nail right on the head. 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. No excuse there. A. I was still living in the house, yes, sir. That hurt our family deeply. Too bad it triggered you, maybe try to stay away from sites that might not go along with the mob mentality and usual media narrative. The timing of her arrival at the hospital should have been discussed and explained in more details. Considering the circumstances, it is difficult not to be a bit cynical about this grand gesture. They both would fall in love and decide they want to marry each other. The DA adopting the children is an integral part of this and definitely needs to be included in the blog. Go reading US: The American Gulag, 26 Mar 2009 Exploding prison populations in the US serve a basic need of capitalism. Spending 35 years incarcerated with time in isolation and often as a target is not going to improve mental health. At that timeand now!! Great blog post, thank you. She could have stayed on the side of the road. Devoting ur life to taking down a dead author is a waste of ur talents. And with hindsight, the fact that this young mother had a personality disorder probably brought a lot of drama to the mix. What?? (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.. Wasnt Mr. F supposed to be a child molester? It took months to get Christie to say that her mother was the culprit and that is when they arrested Diane. I recently found your website and have enjoyed it a lot. 2) You mention her youngest daughter, and how Ann made sure she only heard negative information about Diane. The blog tries to bring balance and more objectivity to a case that was TOTALLY one sided and still is. 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. She did not have the opportunity to clean her hands with the right product to erase all traces and she was tested pretty fast, contrary to many other cases. 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. Most people described Dianes injury as minor or superficial but in reality, it was a very serious injury. She was no mother of the year, I will grant them that, but a trial is supposed to be based on evidence. They examined her clothes also. 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. He still shouldnt have been allowed to adopt them while the appeals process was ongoing, if he had any role in those cases. Considering that the daughter she murdered will never get a second chance, it will never be long enough unless its for her entire life. If she did have memories of the actual shooting, that would be very rare. By the way, Dianes parents mourn the loss of their grandchildren to this day. Then they just got shut out. The detectives took Diane to the crime scene and were able to retrieve shell cases on the ground where the incident happened. He needed, now more than ever, to vacate the area asap. 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. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. The problem was, Diane has a long-documented history of adversely reacting to tranquilizing drugs. The absence of the gun or gun powder residues on Diane is fact. After completing his education and their short-lived high school romance, Steve Downs would move on to join the navy. He should have let someone else handle the case or let someone else adopt the kids. This reminds me of what a jail counselor named Rachel Roth said at the trial of Debra Milke Its my opinion that this young woman has been judged in a way that signifies something to do with how we view women in our society. It was omnipresent in the courtroom as well as the Duran Duran song, The judge instructed them to continue on to force a verdict. It became judicial kidnapping to obtain a coerced confession: inflammatory You cant possibly shake off all the gun powder residue and avoid all the blood. 2 years in foster care waiting to be legally free for adoption is not that uncommon even today. The notions of humanity and rehabilitation have been left on the wayside long ago. But you told Diane Downs to go ahead and get an apartment? Strangely enough, a woman who was seen for 8 months by a psychologist and declared to be in shock and suffering from a mood disorder, would now be assessed by the State hired psychiatrist to confirm the label Hugi conveniently made up during trial. Were they involved in the plot too?? As you said, the system has to work for everyone and you cant change the rules because a case is high profile without muddying the waters. That is the reason effective trial counsel challenges the competency of a nine-year-old child to testify in a court of law. The tape of Christie and her adoption by the prosecutor are facts. And when kids are hurt, emotions keep flowing endlessly. She threw her keys yet was able to take off right away?? In the spring of 1986, Christie confided to school mates that shed been coerced to lie in court, to implicate her mother (Appendix 1-2). But I am more than willing to review any new info. She did diagnose her as suffering from cyclothymic disorder and treated her accordingly. But Diane was not the one dragging Knick out of Charlenes bed every morning intent on making or breaking his relationship with another woman. And if you add the fact that they never found the gun, it doesnt leave much evidenceto back upthe theory that she was the shooter. 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. The rest of the family? From what Ive read, she gets a parole hearing every decade and the next time in 2030 she will be 75. Wow. It does not get any bigger than this. I personally dont think she is innocent but that isnt the point. What this is evidence of is one more piece of the overwhelming amount of bias that was involved from the start of the case. In the moment of who shot youmy momhave a hard time believing that could be coached. One of the more bizarre scenes in this farce of an investigation was about to unfold. When analysing this blog, look at three statements from the blogger: Diane Downs and Alice Crummins were considered sluts They were in foster care for two years before the prosecutor adopted them. And the fact that Tracy wrote in his notes that Christies reaction could have been excitement to see her mom but they decided to only mention extreme fear? He failed. (LOL!! Of course I saw movie first, then read the bookI wanted more, sadly early Internet days, there wasnt much out there, as far as info or video, picturesnothing really. 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. It was very unfair to raise them away from their grandparents and other blood relatives. She. (Appendix 81, page 1466). Andthe DA adopted her other two children. They were in their care during the time Diane worked when she moved to Oregon. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. 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. 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. did he have eyes in the back of his head.???? Diane Downs was convicted because she didn't appear "sorry enough" during her TV appearances. And to say that her mental health has degraded is an understatement, but more reason not to keep her eternally incarcerated. It was flawed. My opposition to movies about true crime stories is unshakable. The jurors had doubts. She unwillingly followed the cops in spite of being in pain and not wanting to leave the premises. Nevertheless, what was done seemed out of our hands and we could have no contact with them at all. You didnt know that?? Would you know at what speed you are going if you were shot and driving with wounded children in the car? In fact, Diane had consulted a psychologist after the tragedy and after months of consultation, she was never diagnosed as a sociopath. One could argue that this blog does not stick to what came out at trial. 3. Its tiresome. The fact that the Hugis did so successfully is arguably proof of this. 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. In her book Heart Full of Lies, Rule took so many liberties with the facts that Liysa Northon sued her. Diane doesnt believe Rebecca is her daughter, rather a media puppet ran by Rule. It probably makes you feel so good. Her son ended up in jail and ONeils children accused him of neglect and bad parenting. It is called a conflict of interest. This whole tale is just unbelievable. Lack of blood spatter is not evidence of innocence Especially when a shooter is leaning in and shooting into a box (car) while standing outside. Anything less is a conflict of interest. The role of Diane Downs was played by none other than Farrah Fawcett and her lover was played by Ryan ONeal who had been Farrahs love interest in real life. Every single one. In the nurses notes, she is described as in shock and unable to grasp the situation. I try to bring out the details that were ignored because Down was so unpopular. If she was the shooter, it had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. I do not have to put any statement advising people that I am about to present the neglected aspects of the trial. woman quot~ unquote, do you remember anything like that? It should have been investigated further. I remember when Diane shot her kids and there are some facts Id like to correct from your blog. I also wish that Dianes children have a great life. In fact, with her continuing to deny committing the crime or expressing remorse, she may never get out. ANNE RULES BOOK IS A LIE, ,ALL MADE UP CRAP. Seeing her giggle and laugh during a videoed reconstruction gave me, as a mother, a sickening feeling. Which is itself a redundant practise: the blogger repeatedly states that Downs should be released. I am not her advocate, but I think she did not get due process. You left and you and Diane Downs spent an evening at a motel? CK was willing to take, or attempt to take, the lives of 4 people in order to steal their car. Its a fact. Ive done my research. There is also a recording where she says that she had no idea who shot them. 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. I agree. If the answer is, to keep the public safe, then I call BS. As an adoptive parent I cant even imagine trying to justify to my daughter our adopting her if we had in any way been a part of the case to terminate her from her bio family. Meaning it was unlikely she was the shooter. I hope she is granted parole. They did not like her attitude and she did not behave the way they expected a grieving mother to act. During closing arguments, Fred Hugi said that the murder weapon used by Diane was a Ruger, and the state had the model number and the bill of sale. As a married man, the ball was in his court and he decided togo forit. The point is our trials need to be conducted fairly and based on evidence. She was harshly judged because of her demeanor. It is a research done on the case according to many sources. I never read the Ann Rule book, but saw Small Sacrifices as a kid and have had an interest in this case ever since. I dont. Another conflict of interest. The case was so one sided that it is about time some of us bring up the other side. Why was no one in the family given the right to adopt them. 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 saw footage of Diane herself laughing during the re-enactment of the crime. Not in this case. While these are all good questions, (and were maybe all asked in the jury room during deliberations) I doubt the answers even matter anymore. 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. Feb. 4, 2022 -- An analysis from a trio of economists says pandemic lockdowns during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic did little to reduce the number of COVID-related deaths. These women did not show emotions and did not fold when asked to. I will not remove anything. Instead, there is blood splatter on the ceiling of the car. I cannot be more transparent than that and integrity was one of the missing pieces of the entire case. (witness statement the gentleman who was behind her for at least 10 minutes). Im not arguing the facts of the trial, and Im not about to. Her husband turned out to be a player and a very irresponsible guy who did not really love her. I wish she could get a new look. Dianes story does not contradict that. Whether or not Steve Downs was in some way behind the shooting, the man who fired the weapon was a stranger to Diane. And on this site, I mention that I take a restorative approach. Detective Welch reminded Diane of the assault her sister witnessed in February 1983, in which steve Downs broke Dianes tailbone (Appendix 74, page 1025). You said yourself that the title was revealing. 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. ABC MOVIE FOR TV Small Sacrifices 1989 Farrah Fawcett, Ryan ONeal. Therefore, those jagged bones were floating in a cloth wrap, merely resting in a cloth sling. Strange how Jagger is pretty absent too except for the few photos where he is wrongly identified as Hugi. What would have been the conclusion to have drawn without this hate campaign? Diane Downs changed her story so many times, even at her parole hearing. she flat out says, they are saying Duran Duran made her shoot her kids!..Im like HUHOkay now this is my favorite groupstill is at 44yrs old.I had to investigate this. Did she act like a average person? Q. A. I dont recall telling her to get an apartment. That conflict of interest alone would incline Christie to testify against her mother. If there is a fair trial and sentencing, I usually dont write about a case, but high profile cases tend to need more scrutiny because emotions run high. Her lover and former husband testified against her but it did not represent evidence but character assassination. But she suffered from mental illness and the circumstances were traumatic. I do not discuss her guilt or innocence because this is not what the blog is about, but I personally hope she is released one day. 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 Six Degrees of Separation of Nancy Grace, Kelli Stapleton- A Mother's Wuthering Woes, 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? At the point Diane jumped into the car, her broken arm (resting in a sling in front of her) slammed into the steering wheel. Wasnt it speculative on their part? and so on. Thank you for presenting a side of the story & case apart from the usual narrative. This coercion came to Dianes attention in January 1989 (Appendix 39). Page 41 of case history. The Diane Downs' Case Was no Small Sacrifice On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane Downs and her three small children were shot on a country road near Springfield, Oregon. A. But you would know that if you had read the blog or info about the case. There is also a critical shortage of Foster Carers internationally, so that the Hugis offered to take the children in could be viewed as altruistic. It wasnt until Prosecutor Hugi said Dr. Jamison had labeled Diane a deviant sociopath that Mr. The notes taken daily by the nurses became a point of contention at trial. Mr. Jagger read the report and said, you were right. No other shooter involved in her case. Moreover, it was not a suicide case, but of a woman who supposedly shot herself in the arm and her 3 children several times. Isnt is odd how something we are exposed to as children can stick in our memory? In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. When I hear some people say that they would have liked to smack that smirk off Dianes face when she interacted with the cops or the media, I sayreadthis to understand accounts of people laughing at the wrong time and how it is related to their personality disorder. No way. Q. The states own witness, Dr. George Suckow and Dr. Polly Jamison denounced Prosecutor Hugis practice as improper and unethical (Appendix 101 and 104). 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. Plus according to an expert at trial, her testimony did not match the blood spatter analysis in the car. I just read your opinion on the Pamela Smart case and the Scott Peterson case. More reason to have investigated the case more thoroughly. 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.. Page 26 of Case History. The BBC weather presenter, 60 . Only in Hollywood and in Ann Rules books, would you find such fantasy: Relevance? I cant believe anyone even believes or even follows you. She waseighteen and soon realized that she had jumped from the fire into the frying pan. It was the story of Diane Downs. Diane is not a killer or a liar! Even Ann Rule in her book, keeps mentioning that they only had a few months to get Christie to talk, otherwise they could not keep her away from her mother any longer. The lovely Farrah Fawcett who played in the movie Small Sacrifices was known for her epic battles with lover Ryan ONeil. Foote denied the motion and declared you have an attorney, use him.. Diane was just 18 years old but determined to get married. Guilty or not, we should know better than to use the justice system as a psychic tool when theres not enough evidence. Ive been trying to decipher her handwriting on the couple of pages she wrote to her daughter (misquoted on here somewhere is a highlighted If you love your little boy, youll take him far away from here- why is this being taken as a threat and not a warning?!). danny also said a cartoon character shot themalso he was SHOT IN THE BACK how could he see the shooter????????? It was a fairly new science at the time so thats all it took to find him not guilty. She had not fired a gun. When a unicorn and hungry like the wolf make their way into a court room during a high profile trial, its a red flag. Mrs. Fredericksons concern for her daughters emotional state was well placed. Thanks for the link. She never mentioned that before, and she doesnt mention the FBI agents name. If Diane was bipolar, the non-stop chatter would have been inherent to the situation. Just goes to show how difficult it is sometimes to find the truth. 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. They sure forgot to tell us about her pulse racing during these sessions. Lise,,,,, yes you did. 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??? Why doesnt the innocent project get involved with her case. Not an easy situation for him as I would imagine. Their life without parole sentences are a dime a dozen and so randomly used that it beats any notion of justice for all. Thanks again. And of course, she added her own brand of paranoia, which is to be expected considering her personality disorder and what she went through. Foote then handled the juvenile docket and first encountered Downs when he ordered her two surviving children into state protective custody. Master Chief actor Pablo Schreiber has said he won't do an impression on the Halo TV show, suggesting he won't try to . She states, I did not shoot my children and I cant say I did. Unfortunately couldnt really do anything at that point, as the movie was not VHS yet, it only aired that oncein late 89. She has been denied parole 2x and is up again in 2020. You can believe what you like. 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. 1. 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.. They came up with an explanation as to why this was the wrong gun but the jig was up. 17:40, 1 MAR 2023. I try to bring up the elements that were totally ignored. I especially loved reading everyones comments. If the grandparents and uncle had visitation rights, they could have respected some rules as far as not discussing the case, but imagine if she had told them that she did not remember? Hysteria. The GSR? The US is a very strange bird when it comes to crime and punishment. Bear in mind, that arm consisted of two SHARP bones, cutting at nerves and muscle (1 of bone had been blown out of the arm when the bullet shattered it, leaving three jagged holes in the flesh, out of which bulged torn muscle, and two wedge shaped bones facing each other like dueling swords). you quoted what diane said as to what happened When she resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. 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. Fair question. It wasnt simply her demeanor that got her convicted. And they kept at her and made suggestions when she would not implicate her mom. I removed the dumb and crass part of your comment. Will Cheryl ever be let out of her grave? (Appendix 3). 3 yr. ago. It was not the right gun. She was judged very harshly for her character and her defense was dismal. It simply states the facts of the case. During the process of the termination (which can take the whole 2 years in question, with appeals) the court is mandated to find family to take the children. I agree with your comment. Click to listen to podcast explaining the gun test, Dianes mental condition and the lack of forensic evidence. There was no question in Dianes mind that Knick would take another mistress if she married him, and that hed move on again. statement regarding the effects of the childrens medications while in hospital should acknowledge where the blogger obtained information about the side effects.). If a person were innocent of the crime they were convicted of this puts them in a no-win situation. I do not have to state anything at the beginning of the blog. I cant believe that it was allowed to happen, actually. You mention her youngest daughter, and how Ann made sure she only heard negative information about Diane.. How asinine. The Cinemaholic reports that Steve was often known for being immature and irresponsible, something that didn't see their rekindled relationship get off to the best start. The way Christie was coached did not correspond to the reality of the direct evidence. Only after these avenues are exhausted should non-relative placement be looked at. There were many problems with her trial and that matters. There is absolutely no evidence that Hungry like the Wolf was playing when Christie got shot but it is another detail they added to bring a dramatic element to this trial. My guess is the grandparents were so overwhelmed with Dianes case that they let the system take care of the kids at first. I agree that the phone call from Angel was totally inappropriate. The people who implemented lockdowns would never be anywhere near public policy again. Robert Schlosser, Cathy's father, lives in a 900 . TIL On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs shot her three children and drove them at 5-7 mph to the hospital. 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. The lack of balance and objectivity. I agree on many points with your comment. That is pure bullshit. If Oregonians were not all convinced at first, the media and the crown made sure they would be. Actor Robert Blake was found not guilty of the shooting murder of his wife. Doing it without witnesses when she was so sick is underhanded. I have nothing to gain and I am not making up songs and dances about a unicorn. Speculative. CMOH said 2 doses = minimal protection against infection . They are the ones who considered Dianes children as Small Sacrifices. Her arm was severely damaged, so shattered that she needed a graft from a hip bone. Because she had driven that area for years for her work. I feel sorry for Diane too. Instead, it is Diane who fought to keep her children. It was far fetched, unfoundedand convenientlyrelayedby Rule to boost the sales of her book. Its too late for me to call myself a murderer (when I am not) just to purchase my freedom. She said She did it. Oh my. It seems they all went the easy way. I am not biased. 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. ..maybe it was lack of Internet and cellies *shrug)..years later, my Co worker at burger King (I was 16)told me about the small sacrifices movie she watched the night before. If the police department had done their job properly, I would not have written this blog, no matter the outcome. They said she was going slow but the time at which she arrived seems to indicate otherwise. I dont know how familiar she was with the area, but I do not think that it matters anyway.
