After graduating high school, Steve went on to join the Navy, and Diane, having a strict religious background, was sent to the Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College. You need to have your own voice," she said. A very reasonable request that was rejected. It gave Anne Rule carte blanche to legally use these labels in her book and it stuck. We make them president. Wrong. They should have taken the time necessary to find enough evidence. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. 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. After all, she was conditioned this way. Except after the idea was subsequently planted in his head only to be alluded to in court, in spite of an agreement to never mention the subject. Plus, the circumstances of this charade were more than sinister. This is what Mrs Downs had to say about the situation. Yeah, Ive noticed a lot of people thing Jim Jagger is Fred Hugi. This is an extremely tragic case and her children at the very least deserve justice. They went after Diane at trial for tapping her foot when they played Hungry like the wolf. As she walked away, Detective Welch called after her, If you dont testify against Steve, youre going to lose everything. Diane turned back to say, Show me proof, and walked away. Much worse. Speculative. He said all the police needed was for Diane to bear witness against her ex-husband. It no longer matters as far as the verdict, she was found guilty, but why no parole? One of them named Angel, called 15-year-old Christie on the phone. At the time, among 49 prisoners denied parole, the board had given only four inmates, including Downs, a 10-year wait. 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. 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. They were in their care during the time Diane worked when she moved to Oregon. I am posting Jamesanswer: Yes the allegations were said and you cannot take back what was saideven if retracted Her son ended up in jail and ONeils children accused him of neglect and bad parenting. It isnt there all the time. So it would be logical to conclude that it would have left residues if anyone had shot at least 6 times. The very suspicious aspect of this ballistic saga is that Hugi said they had the bill of sale and serial number for the first Ruger and it was definitely the murder weapon. Diane and her family fought for them but were blocked from day one. The lovely Farrah Fawcett who played in the movie Small Sacrifices was known for her epic battles with lover Ryan ONeil. Insulting a woman in prison since 30 years instead of debating the inconsistencies of this case is pretty pathetic. They met for the first time in Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona. Id like to challenge some of the bloggers claims. After asking her to have an affair, he kept vacillating between his wife and her. It appears that you have to be a perfect mother with no lovers and not afflicted with any mental illness to be considered innocent until proven guilty in America. Not that Dianes mental health was not a factor in her letter, but it was definitely taken out of context in some instances. As a result, joint legal custody which means parents share in the decision-making 1 is becoming the default decision in many family court systems. It seems that everyone commenting just knows shes guilty, like you say. Completely unethical, and not in the best interest of those children. While I appreciate your empathy for the victims of this crime, I have to wonder if all murderers should be locked up their entire life? Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. Their goal was to make Dian look crazy, because sane people dont shoot their children. Page 6 of Case History. Why does the blogger not clarify this? tell someone else. But, their marriage was far from what either of them had expected. 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. 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. But he overestimated the kind of people that would go along with this soap opera. I hope they have. The woman shot her children. Yes, I usually answer the emails I get about the blogs. The infamous murder story of 1983 was like an excerpt from a crime thriller, a mother doing the unfathomable. Considering the circumstances, it is difficult not to be a bit cynical about this grand gesture. Anything less is a conflict of interest. 1. It seems that the Downs were totally ignored. After six weeks in Oregon where the children were happily spending time with their grandparents while Diane worked her postal route, the incident happened on a dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted murder. Mr. Jagger read the report and said, you were right. The case was so one sided that it is about time some of us bring up the other side. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. She was the prosecutions only hope. I care about what was said at trial. Libby, I quoted what Diane said. More often than not, Christie was interviewed by State Agents (Paula Krogdahl, Paul Alton, Steve Downs and Dick Tracy) within half an hour of having her Dilantin increased. Also, he has never given television interviews about his family or ex-wife, who is now serving time in prison. Only in Hollywood and in Ann Rules books, would you find such fantasy: Relevance? why didn't steve downs get custody. There is her story, the prosecution case and the defense arguments. It is possible that he still resides in Arizona, but exactly where he is or what he does, we dont know. Steve and Diane had three children, Danny, Cheryl, and Christie Ann. 2.Diane herself has stated that the shooter was outside the car and shot THROUGH the window, no blood spatter. Brewer changed his mind. Now if the shooter was this James Haynes guy, someone who apparently Diane Downs knew from buying drugs, then that would explain why she stopped in the middle of that road. Around 1 in 20 residents in Arkansas and Tennessee were missed during the 2020 census, and four other U.S. states had significant undercounts of their populations which could shortchange them Most people negotiate the ups and downs of . According to your own experience Lori, dont they try to give grandparents custody or at least access in cases comparable to this one? They are the ones who considered Dianes children as Small Sacrifices. Found the internet! Up. And of course, she added her own brand of paranoia, which is to be expected considering her personality disorder and what she went through. They had high hopes for Dianes future and this bad boy was not part of it. He failed. A. Clickhere to read about faulty ballistics. The inconsistencies and obvious lack of evidence in this case should have called for a wider investigation instead of solely focusing on their prime suspect. How interesting. Too bad she did not interview Diane or her family. Children under the age of twelve may cognitively grasp the concept of truth and lie, but lack the conscience which compels people to apply the concept to their lives, or the strength to maintain the truth when adults coerce her to lie. Diane changed her story about the stranger on the road. How about dads side of the family? Diane then replied, so, put her back on the stand and make her tell the truth. He said he would when it was his turn, but never did. I recently found your website and have enjoyed it a lot. The tape of Christie and her adoption by the prosecutor are facts. Conflict of interest on steroids!! I was shocked any asked why she thought that. The trouble reportedly took place a day earlier when Sean Preston allegedly was behind a locked bedroom door and Jamie broke down the door to get in and then "violently shook" the child, The. Diane had spent three days in the hospital ingesting massive doses of Morphine, Demerol, Percodan, and visterol. I must humbly admit that I had not questioned the facts of the case before readily accepting this image of Diane as a cold blooded killer. I will change it. Ffs maybe u should go back to writing screenplays. Thanks for posting for readers. We make them president!!!! She. 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. Diane was in the hospital for a bone graft from June 2nd until June 6th, 1983. If Diane was bipolar, the non-stop chatter would have been inherent to the situation. 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. Yes, shes as guilty as Simpson. It deserved as much attention as a Unicorn, a song or all the other hearsay floating around because at least, they came from real people signing official documents. The trial was a whole miscarriage, that seems undeniable. She may be highly vulnerable to losing control of her emotions in emotionally charged situations, creating faulty judgment and ineffective and inappropriate behavior. You seem to care about my opinion and perception of some elements of the case and how the media poisoned the well in this instance, but what about the trial? I know several foster parents and social workers. 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. Then feel free to correct the facts and to provide evidence to support them. Crime is entertainment and big money so this case will continue to be on the forefront and the same assumptions will be repeated over and over again. They now have social media arenas reminiscent of the Romans cheering at the sight of a thumb down meaning there will be a bloodshed. A. I told Diane before, but I certainly didnt tell her to Her family supported her. Charlene would call Diane at all hours of the day and night to threaten violence if Diane continued on with her husband. 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. Mr. Jagger failed to challenge that competency. Page 40 of Case History. 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). This is a fascinating and informative article that has answered some questions I had, and prompted others: 1. Jesus Ortiz Paz's parents, net worth, wife, and daughter. Standards of conduct are defined by state law, but they generally require a judge to avoid appearances of impropriety, such as avoiding deciding a dispute in which the judge is personally involved in the issue at stake or has a relationship to one of the parties.. The children were in the hospital, it isnt like they could have taken them home. Again thats opinion, and neither balanced nor objective. If you had, you would clearly know that I do not claim her guilt or innocence. Diane recanted the stories about her dad who vehemently denied them. After all, many cases of domestic abuse and even neglect do stem from alcoholism or drug abuse. Nowadays, this insanity would never be tolerated. I agree that the phone call from Angel was totally inappropriate. But Ann Rules utterly biased account is an insult to investigative journalism and there seems to be very reasonable doubt here. Despite all these misgivings, they chose to stay strong in the marriage and had their first child, Christie Ann, in 1974. (LOL!! Do not forget that she got letters of support from a warden and psychiatrist. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! I still remember my mother picking up the paper and seeing the headline. In high school, she met handsome Steven Downs who saw her for the great beauty she had become. Everyone in the world can believe something. Fair question. However, when all the details came to be understood by the police, Steve found out what really happened to his kids. that you told Diane to tell steve that she was Knicks If it was not such a high profile case, Diane Downs would have been paroled a long time ago, considering her good behavior and lack of priors. I then question how she would not have blood splatter if she shot them inside the car at close range. Hardly circumstantial or coincidental what are the chances that a bushy haired stranger, masked men, or someone that knew her (take your pick from Dianes ever shifting account) would have the exact same bullets matching to bullets from a gun owned by Diane ? 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. Anne Rule might have inflamed the case with her book Small Sacrifices and her theory of the crime, but in reality, the case of Diane Downs was no small sacrifice. Shes where she belongs. The casing from the bullets exactly matched, just like a fingerprint, the bullets that Diane had in her home from her own gun which was never found. The GSR? Substituting reasonable inference and evidence for tarot cards? The case of Diane Downs and her three children is one of those a horrible tragic case that people still think about 37 years later. She waseighteen and soon realized that she had jumped from the fire into the frying pan. Christie was only eight, had suffered gunshot wounds and was in shock. But as usual, it was slanted in the worst possible way. 4.Diane was NOT arrested for almost a year after the shootings the d.a. It is documented in the blog where I give the source In the 1996 Federal Petition, you can find the Anatomy of Brainwashing that can answer any question on this subject. HUGE conflict of interest. He is in his 70s now and his photo is not on his linkedin or anywhere I could find. Maybe I'm dramatic but I no longer want to watch it . So yes I think she did it, I think ration left her a long before she did itI think post pardum played in this, I think, she was scattered all over the map.againjust hearing it in her own words. No forensic evidence pointing to her, just conjecture based on how mothers should act. Christie was the primary witness in the case against her mother. She had one arm totally out of commission. Common sense will tell this Court, when Diane accidently slammed her mangled arm into the steering wheel of Detective Tracys car, it was ANYTHING but a laughing matter. Without the media blast and rush to judgment from the police and DAs office, we might have uncovered the truth. Diane had a few lovers, which Knick refused to acknowledge (Appendix 81, pages 1508, 1520). At first I thought she did it, now I made further research and I dont know what to think. The time was spent waiting for the clock to tick down the final seconds for all appeals to the parental termination to be allowed. Why was no one in the family given the right to adopt them. The detectives and the state failed to act properly and it should not be an accepted practice. In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. 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. I agree in both cases they were high profile cases. It goes on and on. They did a trace metal test to see if Diane had held a gun. This seems very punitive to have a law like this be retroactive. Im from Australia and have recollections of this case. Speculative? Not even the gun. Steve and Diane were married from 1973 to 1980, and during this time, they had three children. What?? However, their marriage wasnt as great as they anticipated as Steve was a player and quite irresponsible and immature at the time. Diane Downs is no exception. You indicated you were not going to get a divorce? Danny downs did indeed say a man shot him he also blamed a cartoon character. She attacked her husband and ripped his neck open in a jealous rage (Appendix 81, page 1520), tearing from his neck the gold chain he still wore from his first marriage (a gift from his first wife). Click here to read the complaint. I think u need to read the facts. Nearly every point you make here was addressed and disproved or not even allowed into evidence. 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. They were put in an impossible situation. Instead, there is blood splatter on the ceiling of the car. You are wondering about the question why didn't steve downs get custody but currently there is no answer, so let kienthuctudonghoa.com summarize and list the top articles with the question. Farrah had trouble with the law because of a passionate love affair with a movie director. From the time Diane was a teenager, when a physician ordered visterol in an emergency room situation, it has been documented again and again that sedatives ingested while Diane is in pain, provoke a chemically induced hysteria in her. 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. After a failed marriage that got her a divorce from Steve Downs, she wanted to be with her lover. A group of ladies formed a group called HELDD which stands for Help Exonerate & Liberate Diane Downs. Hugi didnt rush in and take the kids, he had time to consider. Her power to manipulate is why she is where she is to begin with. She always seems to have not a very close contact with reality. Jump through the States hoops, or find a noose around your neck. I lived in Eugene, Oregon for years. How ironic that the court and cops were so quick to believe Steve Downs, but he gave up on his own children after the tragedy. As a suggestion, I would love to see a like or dislike button for each comment. Sad situation. Now Diane Downs did not say any of this, but told a hard to believe story, and then changed it from one to two masked guys, etc. This really makes me angry, that prosecuter and judge should be sued along with the writter. 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. And the fatal shooting of her children by her wife in 1983 didn't do much to put him in the limelight. It could have been very different at almost any other time or with any other attorneys or juries too. Why would anyone think Christie could remember the night of the shooting anyway?? I am not sure. The kind of TV series that they produce on high profile crimes will make sure to turn public opinion. Thats food for thought. Yes, dad relinquished his rights but he knew that they loved their grandparents and had allowed Diane to take them for a visit without telling the authorities. (Appendix 3). She has been in prison for so long that we dont know what her mental health situation is so it is a moot point for me. She never mentioned that before, and she doesnt mention the FBI agents name. 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. Steve and Diane Downs' children were adopted by Lane County prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne. The answers to those questions do not matter anymore. Steve knew Danny was not his biological child and left Downs. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. Since his ex wife was sentenced to life in prison, he has not reappeared in public life nor has he given any television interviews about his family. But I am realistic. She did not fit in and was now anxious to assert her independence and live her own life. Jeff, you mention being harsh as if there was a justification for it. 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. please express them and I will print them. Do you remember it would have been around say November 19th of 82 that you would have left Charlene at one time?