I research cases that in my opinion, were poorly tried. Exactly Libby why did they say during the trial that he saw his mom? The roller coaster ride had nothing to do with Diane s children and Diane knew it. It is my hope that Leslie Van Houten and Diane Downs are never paroled. But her behavior became the most important factor in the investigation that followed. There was a lot of evidence pointing at OJ. The strong, emotive language. Downs: And there was a big reward, too. I believe DDs case needs to be re looked at and all evidence reviewed. Lets not forget that she was presumed to have fired a gun 6 times at close range within the confines of a small car. That testimony was left unchallenged by Mr. Jagger. 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. Fingerprints at the crime scene were not produced by the State. 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 there is forensic evidence pointing to Diane Downs. She said She did it. The unreliability of childrens testimony has been documented by cognitive psychologists such as Elizabeth Loftus of the University of Cornell and others. All of it is explained in the blog you didnt bother reading. (Yes in the 1980s a ten yr like myself was not as mature as say todays 10 yr olds. I guess he did not want too many people to know about the improprieties that happened in his courtroom: I guess? If you want to defend Diane Downs, more power to you. As far as Hugi is concerned, it was a total conflict of interest. Her power to manipulate is why she is where she is to begin with. Danny was the product of an affair. Rule sued the Seattle Weekly after they published the article titled Ann Rules Sloppy Storytelling, but she lost and had to make restitution. If you shoot at least 6 inches from a victim, you see what is around you in the car. John Kitzhaber, Governor of Oregon On June 2nd, 1983, Juvenile Court Judge Gregory Foote held a hearing to take Christie and Danny away from ALL blood family (thus isolating them). This was very stressful. There is her story, the prosecution case and the defense arguments. They came up with an explanation as to why this was the wrong gun but the jig was up. Or that the sketch did not resemble the suspect enough? Not optional, kids should not be in limbo that long, but it happens all the time. 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. I know better now than to accept blindly the truth presented to us on a silver platter by the media and the judicial system. Can you imagine your little boy growing up to beat to death (with his bare hands and boots) Is she referring to her ex husband? But showing no remorse is part of claiming her innocence and part of the vicious circle of parole hearings. , The lovely Farrah Fawcett who played in the movie, Anne Rule might have inflamed the case with her book, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The Diane Downs Case Was no Small Sacrifice. Regardless of the facts you point out, there is no doubt in my mind that Diane Downs is guilty. She said a bunch of really stupid things in the media (my kids were lucky, not me gets the palm) and basically bury herself. It was not unlike brainwashing. That was the extent of her investigation of Dianes side. In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. I agree in both cases they were high profile cases. Or can have an accomplice. 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. So glad you wrote and provided this information. They now have social media arenas reminiscent of the Romans cheering at the sight of a thumb down meaning there will be a bloodshed. Basically then at that Maybe she wanted to buy drugs. Yes, like many Americans, I think that the US system is barbaric. Her case was too public and they are afraid of public backlash. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n364/a03.html // Prison-happy U.S. must reconsider use of mercy; Carol S. Steiker, professor at Harvard Law School, Sep. 10, 2008 , http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080910_Prison-happy_U_S__must_reconsider_use_of_mercy.html // US Prison Population Soars to 2.3Mln People at Annual Cost of $7Bln The US prison population has soared to 2.3 million people costing the government more than $7 billion per year. 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. The definition of deviant sociopath does not even exist in the DSM-HI, which is the official psychiatric diagnostic manual. WTF? It was half baked escape plans that were more in her head than anything and that the media enjoyed blowing out of proportions. I talked about her still being locked up, all these years later, because I really want to know is it because we believe she will commit more crimes or is it because we need more revenge? TOP 8 why didn't steve downs get custody BEST and NEWEST Speculative. Steve Downs was the husband of the infamous child killer, Diane Downs. Seriously. The detective said if Diane would just testify against Steve Downs, she and her children could go home and try to put their lives back together. They never tried to reunite them with family. In a fairly good knot which would have taken time to do one handed and teeth. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. A trial should be based on facts and solid direct or circumstantial evidence. It is not a hatefest and I do not wish death or life without parole on anyone. Nuts maybe, but not threatening. Another conflict of interest. The price of celebrity for her was losing her freedom and her children for life. You do not refute any of the points I made in the blogs. Ask them what they did to a good man. 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. Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. What this is evidence of is one more piece of the overwhelming amount of bias that was involved from the start of the case. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The bitches own daughter identified Downs as the shooter. Diane had moved to Oregon only 6 weeks before the tragedy to work in the area and have her parents spend time with the kids. I would like to believe this is the truth. If thats what you want then dont pretend its anything but. Being bipolar, she had no impulse control so it should not have surprised anyone. The GSR? I am posting Jamesanswer: Yes the allegations were said and you cannot take back what was saideven if retracted A demonstration in court strongly suggested: Suggested, not confirmed. Whats wrong with the system is whats wrong with us. Are her parents still living (I know they were a few years ago)? She waseighteen and soon realized that she had jumped from the fire into the frying pan. http://www.dianedowns.com/Dr.%20Jamison%20affidavit.pdf. Mr. The case was so one sided that it is about time some of us bring up the other side. Due process always matters. She told ABC, The impact of Diane Downs being my mom has altered the course of my life so many times. I removed the dumb and crass part of your comment. It was flawed. The kids were shorted-changed. Yet in their mind, she was already guilty. I think she was the only one there that night with her children. Her children deserved the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Downs wanted to get rid of the kids because her new boyfriend didn't want . Of course buying drugs with three kids in the middle of the night from a guy like that is not the mindful thing to do, but would be more consistent as an explanation for her actions. Diane Downs is an infamous killer who tried to murder her three children to pursue love. On her way to the hospital,she was followed by someone who said she was going slow, but Diane said she was driving fairly fast. ABC MOVIE FOR TV Small Sacrifices 1989 Farrah Fawcett, Ryan ONeal. . So Mark, where are you from? Plus, you do not let a newly appointed judge to criminal cases, preside over a high profile murder case when he has no experience whatsoever and has already prejudged the defendant dangerous to her children. Nevertheless, Steve and Diane tied the knot on November 13, 1973. But without proof, Diane couldnt implicate Steve Downs any more than she could shoot him as he violated a restraining order threatening to beat her AGAIN. The person who shot the kids was leaning inside the car because they were shot at close range. Indeed, Diane Down's murder case was a shocker for detectives. They were the small sacrifices. Danny said several times that a bad man shot them and it was written in the nurses notes, but never that his mother shot him. He has also once again decided to defy . But the guy who said to several people that he was the shooter happens to resemble the sketch they came up with at the time for a reason. I dont disagree, I just think it is another example of flaws in our justice system. Jen Taylor . 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. 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. She was still trying to extricate herself from a bad relationship with Steve Downs and was in no hurry to repeat the mistake. The children should have been receiving therapy throughout. Why does the blogger not clarify this? The kind of TV series that they produce on high profile crimes will make sure to turn public opinion. Why doesnt the innocent project get involved with her case. Once again, Diane said a lot of things. Regina, I love your comment! There are many cases where investigators jump to conclusions either because in their gut they think they know or pressure to make an arrestand i guess with all the attention this case got they gave their gut and the public what they wanted. How could they expect a normal mother/daughter reunion between a beaten inmate whose mental health had degraded and a daughter trapped in this insanity? 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. ..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. The detectives took Diane to the crime scene and were able to retrieve shell cases on the ground where the incident happened. Instead of blaming societal problems and working at finding solutions, prison always seem to be their option. I changed the sites email recently to thetroublewithjustice@hotmail.com I think it would give the blog more integrity and transparency. Until the end of the trial. But the fact that the prosecutor called her a deviant sociopath in court without any assessment became another nail in her coffin. Yeah, Ive noticed a lot of people thing Jim Jagger is Fred Hugi. He could then have initiated the licensing process to foster and then adopt the children. Rule sued the Seattle Weekly after they published the article titled , Ann Rule promotes her books as true crime stories so to this day, viewers believe that the book and the movie titled, This reminds me of what a jail counselor named Rachel Roth said at the trial of Debra Milke , They already had made up their mind that Diane was the perpetrator so they laughed off the idea of the , 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 say. And when kids are hurt, emotions keep flowing endlessly. They should have left her alone. Moreover, it was not a suicide case, but of a woman who supposedly shot herself in the arm and her 3 children several times. At least two of those school mates reported Christies tortured confession to their mother I think that you are right about certain things not being ignored. Wrong. The judge who took away her children presided over her criminal trial. Robert and Diane even decided toget matching rose tattoos, but as soon as the ink on her tattoo was dry, he refused to get his done. My brother was a first-generation immigrant who died in police custody A prosecutor inventing a new psychiatric category in court and labeling the accused is kind of unsettling. One of the jurors finally declared we started as a group and finished as a group., He also said we dont want to put pressure on the group, we dont want to end up bickering. To this day, his record is mixed; his law license was suspended for6 monthsin 2011, and there was also talk of a suspension in 2015. It is called a conflict of interest. And to try not to bash Dianes Downs character and stick to evidence instead. 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. The gun presented at trial being the wrong one is a fact. This whole tale is just unbelievable. They now throw people in prison in the US for debts. They claimed to have found two lead cartridges in Dianes rifle at home that supposedly matched the ones used during the crime. You left and you and Diane Downs spent an evening at a motel? 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. Where to begin? 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.. They had their second child, Cheryl Lynn, in 1976, followed by Stephen Danial, born in 1979. I dont know either if she is guilty or not, but I believe there is a reasonable doubt surrounding the circumstances. Robert was a married man in Arizona with whom Diane had been having an affair, back when she was still living there. They had him micromanaged, and with the testimony of little Christie they were in business: argumentative They both would fall in love and decide they want to marry each other. As usual, Diane had resorted to the soothing comfort of a pregnancy to pretend life would get better; she would create a nest around her, come hell or high water. 4.Diane was NOT arrested for almost a year after the shootings the d.a. She never mentioned that before, and she doesnt mention the FBI agents name. There is so much to say about this blog I wouldnt know where to start. (He WAS shot in the back remember). Inside, outside, top to bottom. Her parents Willadene and Wes were old school Baptist parents who raised her under strict guidelines without much warmth but complete devotion. Christie was understandably all over the place and I agree that the way in which her statements were procured were very odd and seemed to be very coached. 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. It was far fetched, unfoundedand convenientlyrelayedby Rule to boost the sales of her book. I will change it. Some cases are so one sided that you feel like exposing or at least, discussing the other side. So either way, it would not be so far fetched that someone said he was the shooter.A little investigation would not hurt. Diane Downs' ex husband, Steve Downs, lost a lot in May 1983 when his ex wife shot their three children, following their divorce in 1980. This case needed to be examined more thoroughly, but the mob mentality didnt allow it. Rule defended her right to earn a living and to tell her story. Even put in different hospitals. She was the first to admit that at times, she was somewhat neglectful, impatient, yelled too much, and could have been a better mother, but she seemed to have turned the corner and was doing her best with the means at her disposal. Whether it tugs at your heartstrings or angers you to the core, these stories could have happened years ago, and they still take up space in your memories. Contemporary family finding principles argue that a child is best nurtured by parents, then immediate family members, extended family members, spiritual family (Godparents), close friends, etc. please express them and I will print them. The crucial point is that she is so void of emotion. How was DD able to get away from CK and get the keys back into the ignition without there being more attempts on her life? In fact, if someone was Hungry like the Wolf in this courtroom, it was a certain crime author who could already smell and taste the fortune coming her way after the publication of this juicy story. She signed an affidavit to that effect and wanted the jury informed of it but it was never done. Our legal system is not perfect. They hardly investigated any other lead after a couple of weeks. Are we to believe that Proctors second gun was stolen with the bill and ID from the first gun that remained listed at the gun store? You are telling me to take my smugness elsewhere because it is tiresome. What was the justification? Even if the nurses notes indicated countless times that the children asked for their mother and enjoyed her visits, they cut them off from the only family they knew and loved; supposedly for their own protection. I still dont buy her story. I've just seen that in Halo's new tv series, Steve Downes isn't going Late one May night in 1983, Diane Downs sped into an emergency room dropoff in Springfield, Ore., with a horrifying story to tell. And, one of them was her ex-husband, the father of the children that Diane had shot. One should also wonder why their biological father who was so eager to bash his ex on the stand was not given custody, and did not stay in contact with his two remaining children. It took months to get Christie to say that her mother was the culprit and that is when they arrested Diane. LMFAO!!!! Kumbaya my Lord, Kumbaya. She was no mother of the year and in the car when the kids got shot. James C. Jagger who was hired by Dianes father was an ex-Prosecutor. My beef is with the interference by the media, TV shows and Ann Rule I agree that the phone call from Angel was totally inappropriate. When she resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. Speculative. Much worse. 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. The infamous murder story of 1983 was like an excerpt from a crime thriller, a mother doing the unfathomable. They would have tried to reopen the case. 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. I would also like to express my disbelief that the same judge presided over both the child welfare case and the criminal one. GSR can easily fall off just by brushing your hand against a surface. Without her daughters testimony and the lies about the gun, they could not have found her guilty in a fair trial. If not from her high profile status, she would already be out. He should have let someone else handle the case or let someone else adopt the kids. Steve made some piss poor choices when he had visitation with the kids after the shooting; he permitted them to go off alone with Dianne, when she was not supposed to have had any contact at all with the children. Why didnt they mention that he said a bad man and whatever else in his condition when they knew it was not possible? That towel should have been soaked in their blood not hers. So many of the cases Lise writes about on this blog either have no forensic evidence that supports the verdict or have very misleading forensic evidence that may or may not support the verdict, depending on who is interpreting it. Transgender CeCe McDonald Out of Prison but Not Out of the Woods. The problem with high profile cases is that the media, the DA, the cops and authors like Ann Rule dictate the narrative and it becomes almost impossible to look any other way unless you are a critical thinker devoid of emotions related to the case. The authorities believed that the children's father was not a good fit to look after the children after what they had endured when their mother tried to murder them. The detectives and the state failed to act properly and it should not be an accepted practice. Diane found with him,the kind of relationship she had never known before: there was actually care and intimacy involved. Great question. Child Protective Services takes confidentiality to the extreme (warranted in most cases).