Guilty or not, the case was handled with prejudice and many errors occurred. Pros. Her lover and former husband testified against her but it did not represent evidence but character assassination. And Im really not on the fence the little girl was coachedI believe the ex husband , his freinds, and her lovers were invalid either way. I think that you are right about certain things not being ignored. I was a patient of the doctor who worked so hard to save her childrens lives that night. (that one is more of a question). Diane may very well be guilty, but YIKES this investigation and trial seemed so butchered and tilted in the prosecutions favour. But showing no remorse is part of claiming her innocence and part of the vicious circle of parole hearings. 17:40, 1 MAR 2023. so which one is it????? And of course, she added her own brand of paranoia, which is to be expected considering her personality disorder and what she went through. That is the reason effective trial counsel challenges the competency of a nine-year-old child to testify in a court of law. But I will answer the points you raised about the blog. What I believe doesnt matter at all. There is her story, the prosecution case and the defense arguments. That makes no sense. To listen to Christies taped conversation, click below. If the goal was to get rid of them, why didnt she emulate her lesser half in this matter? It would never happen todaynever. Yep, Downs who was found guilty in 1984, escaped successfully from the Oregon Womens Correctional Center in 1987 and was transferred to Jersey afterwards. TIL On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs shot her three children and drove them at 5-7 mph to the hospital. Her husband turned out to be a player and a very irresponsible guy who did not really love her. I can only imagine to absolute horror of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca during their horrific murders. But there were discrepancies; the tool marks did not matchand the detective lied on the stand about it. So I start with that bit of history in mind. The endorsement was so strong, in fact, that some interpreted it as a roundabout trade request. Great question. Two jurors had voted that Diane was not guilty of attempted murder or first-degree assault, but endedup voting to convict her of murder. Did CK shoot at car when DD drove away? The flesh and muscle had been cored three days earlier, but the steel plate and bone graft could not be effected for two weeks (a precaution against infection). Or why the fact that he was a con artist made him such a credible guy in this case. I think that the time she has served and her good behavior made her eligible for parole. But there is forensic evidence pointing to Diane Downs. Strange how Jagger is pretty absent too except for the few photos where he is wrongly identified as Hugi. But you sure did comment like a true asshole, huh? Agreed. On the single count of murder, the jurors needed a unanimous decision. While that makes her technically eligible for parole at some point (in her case 2009) it does not actually mean she has an end date or a release date. I personally disagree with that practice but it is common. He still shouldnt have been allowed to adopt them while the appeals process was ongoing, if he had any role in those cases. Also, I agree he does look a little like the actor who played Fred Hugi but I think it might be a coincidence. Her 7 yr old daughter was already dead, her other 2 children were in critical condition. The fact that the DA adopted the children, since it was after the trial, is more of a gray area. Why would anyone think Christie could remember the night of the shooting anyway?? It really doesnt matter that much of the trial and due process was faulty, because its so obvious that Diane is the one who did it and that justice was served. She said no mother would stop at 10 at night, in the dark, with three young children, to help a Bush haired stranger. I have no idea how the social workers and county attorneys justified doing their due diligence in preserving the family (mandated by law) when they were in court. The people who implemented lockdowns would never be anywhere near public policy again. Without the media blast and rush to judgment from the police and DAs office, we might have uncovered the truth. The notes taken daily by the nurses became a point of contention at trial. The following article hopes to help you make more suitable choices and get more useful information The blog tries to bring balance and more objectivity to a case that was TOTALLY one sided and still is. You mention her youngest daughter, and how Ann made sure she only heard negative information about Diane.. I am just curious. Maybe because of her notoriety and the victims were children. A. I dont recall telling her to get an apartment. Q. DA Pat Horton declared early in the game to the local paper that the search for the bearded stranger was not very high on their priority list.. 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.. He could not during the marriage so he walked away. Weve become friends. Blood spatter is not an exact science, and is interpreted differently by experts. If you listen to the recording, Christie clearly says I dont know who did it. She was asleep, thats why. And on this site, I mention that I take a restorative approach. We had a thoughtful jury that examined the evidence over four days. Maybe I should have elaborated more about this comment. They were put in an impossible situation. A number of them were clearly . Foote ruled in favor of the prosecution and against the defenseon most of the admissible evidence questions including all the nurses notes about Danny talking about a man shooting him but admitted Christies reports about her mother shooting her. What about the fact that they never found the gun? I am not her advocate, but I think she did not get due process. 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. They were in their care during the time Diane worked when she moved to Oregon. I think that the US system is barbaric answer the question why didn t steve downs get custody, which will help you get the most accurate answer. While these are all good questions, (and were maybe all asked in the jury room during deliberations) I doubt the answers even matter anymore. She has an excellent conduct report and never reacted violently to any of the harassment from other inmates. I was raised by an evil narcissist and have not only seen this kind of behavior before, but I have seen the face of the devil and it is a look of pure evil that gives me the creeps. And she should be allowed parole! Considering the circumstances, it is difficult not to be a bit cynical about this grand gesture: relevance? The definition of deviant sociopath does not even exist in the DSM-HI, which is the official psychiatric diagnostic manual. That poor girl. that you told Diane to tell steve that she was Knicks A long long time ago. Diane followed the detectives to their car. 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. Doing it without witnesses when she was so sick is underhanded. They claimed to have found two lead cartridges in Dianes rifle at home that supposedly matched the ones used during the crime. If you read the blog, it is because of the lie told by prosecutor Hugi that ignored the assessment of her therapist Dr. Jamison and was condemned by the psychiatrist that they were convinced to find her guilty. I do not know what happened on Old Mohawk Road on that dark evening, but I know that they did not have enough evidence totry andconvict Diane Downs. Speculative. And even when confronted by the wrongful practices used at trial to get her convicted, are ok with her being locked up for life. She had the right to a fair trial as much as anyone else out there. Dianes father tried to hire Melvin Belli, but the judge refused to give him some time to prepare and come back to the US. They are the ones who considered Dianes children as Small Sacrifices. Diane Downs changed her story so many times, even at her parole hearing. Inside, outside, top to bottom. If you shoot at least 6 inches from a victim, you see what is around you in the car. You simply are a rude individual looking for a reaction. In 1991, David Brewer, a juror who deliberated Dianes fate in her 1984 trial, came forward to say he and another juror had decided to acquit Downs by the close of the States presentation. For the upcoming Halo TV show, original Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes was recast, despite Cortana voice actor Jen Taylor reprising her role from the iconic video game franchise. I wasnt there and the records will never be brought to light as far as the child welfare case. (He WAS shot in the back remember). Diane needs some serious spiritual advancement and atonement before she ever will have or deserve peace. Click to listen to podcast explaining the gun test, Dianes mental condition and the lack of forensic evidence. I think that she has done enough time and should be released. 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. 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. Click here to read the complaint. According to your own experience Lori, dont they try to give grandparents custody or at least access in cases comparable to this one? This is basically the book best kept secrets in condensed form full of outlandish theories. It had nothing to do with the evidence of the case and represents useless labeling anyway. Downs wanted to get rid of the kids because her new boyfriend didn't want . She was also shot twice andifshe had been sitting up, the seats would have been covered with blood spatter as well as the shooter. Seems like she was her worst enemy. I worked for county child welfare services in Colorado for a decade. Just saw the video of Dianes parole hearing. One of them named Angel, called 15-year-old Christie on the phone. But my beef is with the interference by the media, TV shows and Ann Rule. I am pointing them out. 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. If I included the ones I dont post, it would need more than a like or dislike button. The fact that she drove there and it saved the life of two of her children should give anyone pause. But there was a lot left unsaid about this relationship. If appropriate family members could not be found to take placement of the children then family friends are the next step. He hired Jim Jagger on the 1st of June 1983, 11 days after the shooting. LMFAO!!!! Diane nowhad the title ofdangerous offender. But I know that there were major problems with this case. You have that part absolutely right, so why was this protocol ignored? 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. Is there any update? Her parents Willadene and Wes were old school Baptist parents who raised her under strict guidelines without much warmth but complete devotion. It appeared rigged and the fact that Ann Rule sat in the courtroom ready to produce a Masterpiece of Guilt could only help the prosecution. Some cases are so one sided that you feel like exposing or at least, discussing the other side. And Steven was free to follow her lead or not. 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. This same witness corroborated that Diane did not stop to do something suspicious or dispose of the gun. The fact that there was a rush to judgment, an investigation targeting only one result and a media coverage often presenting lies is very bothersome. Reasonable doubt is most certainly lacking. The most recent tape of her daughter is not admissible because it is never allowed to bring out tapes that were obtained this way. Guilty or not, we should know better than to use the justice system as a psychic tool when theres not enough evidence. Even put in different hospitals. No conflict of interest there? The US is a very strange bird when it comes to crime and punishment. Jeff, you mention being harsh as if there was a justification for it. Do you remember probably about four or five days after I watched and worried through her escapeto find her childrens real attackerthat bushy haired stranger . 4. is this a reason??? 3. Yes, I had to go and sign the lease, yes, sir. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Yeah, Ive noticed a lot of people thing Jim Jagger is Fred Hugi. Why? I look forward to reading your other blogs. 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. As it was getting dark and the young ones fell asleep in the car, their mother decided to head home. He strung her along, played with both womens emotions, and after saying he would join her in Oregon, reneged and stayed with his wife. Meaning it was unlikely she was the shooter. After all, she was conditioned this way. Knick never signed the premarital agreement and Diane never married him. Diane has not been deemed an ongoing public threat that I am aware of. So not addressing the content of the blog and rambling about everything else while asking for a disclaimer is nailing it? She had one arm totally out of commission. They should have taken their timeto investigatethis case thoroughly and without prejudice. She was expelled and reunited with him against her parents wishes. 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. Her release was recommended by a warden and a psychiatrist. (I know that wasnt brought up this time but it usually is.) Imagine the ones there for years. Thats food for thought. So Diane did what she thought would bring her the deepest satisfaction in life; she became a mother. Rule sued the Seattle Weekly after they published the article titled Ann Rules Sloppy Storytelling, but she lost and had to make restitution. She has done her time in prison and I hope that she gets the chance to get out and spend time with her mother and siblings. She was in solitary confinement for years and even escaped from prison once but was recaptured. The following article hopes to help you make more suitable choices and get more useful information We dont know. I do not have to put any statement advising people that I am about to present the neglected aspects of the trial. It was faulty. 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. Plus, Diane could have never cleaned her clothes and her hair to remove blood and gun powder. I mention in the blog that Dianes mental health is in question so it is obvious that her encounter with her long lost daughter was going to be difficult. The fact that the Hugis did so successfully is arguably proof of this. Hugi did not want that. She has been denied parole 2x and is up again in 2020. Plus, the circumstances of this charade were more than sinister. Not that it matters, your opinion is about the case and not subject to geography. At the time, among 49 prisoners denied parole, the board had given only four inmates, including Downs, a 10-year wait. I think it would give the blog more integrity and transparency. You are not the only one who thinks she is guilty and I know that getting their man at all cost is a popular mantra, but I disagree. And to try not to bash Dianes Downs character and stick to evidence instead. Either way, it appears to be a conflict of interest. Do you remember a couple of days after that, December She managed to jump in the car after getting shot in the arm. They played the tape in the courtroom, and the fact that Diane did not break down but tapped her foot to the music, was supposed to be another proof of her guilt. She took care of herself not her children. For the children to be legally free for adoption a termination of parental rights had to occur. By the way, Dianes parents mourn the loss of their grandchildren to this day. That is pure bullshit. That single fact collaborated by a witness, convicts her for me. Gosh Donna, you really dont have a clue. I guess he did not want too many people to know about the improprieties that happened in his courtroom: I guess? Theres a lot to be said here, still. I would like to see her released because I do not believe in life without parole for any inmate with no priors who had a good conduct while incarcerated. Sometimes it takes until late in life for connections to be made again. Christie NEVER said she didnt know who did it she was just unwilling or afraid to tell on her mother. 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). why didn't steve downs get custody. Christie was born in October of 1974 and Cheryl Lynn in January of 1976. I think you may be right that she is likely still locked up due to her diagnoses of antisocial, histrionic and narcissistic, but again, no one would care and this crappy diagnosis wouldnt have been bought and paid for if not the high profile nature of the case. 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. 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