She is nowhere near being paroled and if she admitted guilt, I am not even convinced they would release her. Meaning it was unlikely she was the shooter. At the time, among 49 prisoners denied parole, the board had given only four inmates, including Downs, a 10-year wait. Her attorney, James Jagger, did a poor job for Diane. They seem to say she was like that from the very beginning so in my opinion, it should represent a mitigating circumstance instead of a longer sentence. She had the right to a fair trial as much as anyone else out there. Foote refused 30 to 50 reports by detectives of sightings or leads about the shooter but admitted reports from people in Arizona willing to badmouth Diane. Mr. I am sorry the meaning of nonsense evades you like the facts of the case in this instance. That is not a quick process and is very invasive to a familys privacy. Q. Ive not seen the movie or read the book. 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. The photo of Hugi I used is the one you find when you do a search online for Fred Hugi who prosecuted Diane Downs. Are her parents still living (I know they were a few years ago)? All of it is explained in the blog you didnt bother reading. Anything less is a conflict of interest. The weird behavior (laughing and joking in the shooting reenactment), bullets found at her home and the constant changing of her story only is icing on her guilty cake. Imagine the ones there for years. After all, she was conditioned this way. The fact that the DA adopted the children, since it was after the trial, is more of a gray area. I feel sorry for Diane too. It does not contradict what I said, but what they said. It was a fairly new science at the time so thats all it took to find him not guilty. She waseighteen and soon realized that she had jumped from the fire into the frying pan. I followed the trial. It was not unlike brainwashing. 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. Right after her first surgery, The Detectives were adamant that they HAD to have Diane right then to recreate the incident- unless of course, you have something to hide. 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 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. 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. They checked her nails to see if she could have buried the gun and they were clean. Nobody ignored Dianes demeanor. I do not have to put any statement advising people that I am about to present the neglected aspects of the trial. 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. They did a trace metal test to see if Diane had held a gun. Steve knew Danny was not his biological child and left Downs. What is known for a fact, is, Prosecutor Fred Hugi took physical custody of Christie and Danny shortly after Christies confessions to her school mates, and he officially adopted them in the summer of 1986. The case was so one sided that it is about time some of us bring up the other side. While these are all good questions, (and were maybe all asked in the jury room during deliberations) I doubt the answers even matter anymore. I find it interesting for you to observe this because it should be more scientific and empirical today than it was in the 80s, but is it really? Diane said that Cheryl was laying down on the front floorboard with the passenger seat pushed back. She folded it neatly around her arm. Id have more influence arguing for better relationships with Mexico at a Donald Trump rally in Mexico. Or that the sketch did not resemble the suspect enough? The Parole Board had an obligation to parole Diane between 1998 and 2002 if she could provide reasonable cause to show she was not a danger to society. 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. The US is a very strange bird when it comes to crime and punishment. 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. The whole blog claims the trial was flawed. The blog I read is all about the improprieties and flat out misconduct in Dianes trial (and the way Ann Rule profited off of it with fiction). She has an excellent conduct report and never reacted violently to any of the harassment from other inmates. That single fact collaborated by a witness, convicts her for me. Anyway, it takes a good scrubbing with soap and water to get rid of gun powder residues and doing so with only one arm would be quite difficult. If Diane was bipolar, the non-stop chatter would have been inherent to the situation: bipolar wasnt a diagnosable condition at the time of her first trial. Dianes injury had to be quite painful and shewas in shockwhile driving to the hospital and accompanying the detectives to the crime scene. I remember when it was in the news. Wow does he ever look different than how they portrayed him in the TV movie. Christie NEVER said she didnt know who did it she was just unwilling or afraid to tell on her mother. Diane found with him,the kind of relationship she had never known before: there was actually care and intimacy involved. The fruit of this abduction was the May 23, 1983, videotape re-enactment staged by Detective Tracy in which Diane is clearly hysterical. Her persona allowed them to build this ironclad narrative when in fact, it was far from definite. 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. A sick kid who had a stroke and traumatized being pressured for weeks to remember her mother killing her? Diane Frederickson was born August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona. Their goal was to make Dian look crazy, because sane people dont shoot their children. Page 6 of Case History. Barry Sheck and bis crew of investigators should get involved. Not unlike Diane, Alice did not want to share her pain in public. She had been the bread winner for most of her marriage, and never wavered in her desire to bring financial stability to her family. I guess Diane forgot to have that part engraved on the Unicorn. I never read the Ann Rule book, but saw Small Sacrifices as a kid and have had an interest in this case ever since. Most doctors would tell you that it is normal for our brains to block out a traumatic incident especially when combined with a serious physical injury. It is also very is to clean. Johns Hopkins said lockdowns reduced deaths by 0.2%. All the years in prison probably made her way more disturbed than she ever was. My website is in the process of being migrated so it has no photos. In fact, what investigator Tracy had written in his notes is that the heart monitor jumped because of excitement or intense fear. You cannot skip due process because of mob mentality. So not addressing the content of the blog and rambling about everything else while asking for a disclaimer is nailing it? But Diane couldnt do that. 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. Or maybe an upvote/downvote arrow for each. The bushy haired stranger that police had gotten a lead on worked at the country club he was at work at that time and had a sever speech impediment. On May 19, 1983, Diane and her kids visited a friend to look at her new horse, and then went for a drive; not at all unusual for this family not living according to middle class rules. I agree. I personally disagree with that practice but it is common. 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. 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. 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. This article is about due process and the legal right to a fair trial for everyone. Any thoughts on how the detectives basically made up their mind right away in spite of numerous tips coming in? This is also a faster route to give the children permanency, and is far cheaper for the child welfare system that is always strained by the budget. The guy should have walked away from the case or from adopting them. Surprisingly, Fred Hugi actually looks quite different. They were tons of witnesses that saw him at work. It will likely take place very early in the war when John is young. Its tiresome. They finally charged her and she did 10 years for the death of her children. They sure forgot to tell us about her pulse racing during these sessions. You hit the nail right on the head. I was shocked any asked why she thought that. Great question. Lori, I luv how you ended your comment Lets also remember that this is the US of A and we dont lock people up for being narcissistic, antisocial histrionic individuals. We, who watched her parole hearing a few years ago prayed HARD that she wouldnt be set free, know she is guilty. Lack of impulse control is also another symptom that might explain why a mother would stop at night to help a stranger flagging her on the road. They lied about the ballistics. (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.. I am publishing your comment because once in a while, I need to post the pitiful representation of true crime readers who made Anne Rule a rich author. She had no blood spatter or gun powder residue on her hands,clothing or hair. I didn't get tipsy, I'm pretty good at handling alcohol. He still shouldnt have been allowed to adopt them while the appeals process was ongoing, if he had any role in those cases. In fact, watching that was the first time I heard her voice and saw her presence, it was a year or so later that old interviews showed up on YouTube. That doesnt make it true. Surely before Diane downs, there were other mothers who killed their kids..or allegedly did, however in 83 and 84 it made national news, nothing quite like it had come across the media world, which during that decade was really skyrocketing in sensationalismI believe is where it started, becoming less news and more entertainment. And the state refusing to turn them over to the defense? It kinda scared me, the thought that mommy could shoot me, like this mommy did. Her flat affect is even more pronounced now and it did her in at the time, but she was lucid enough to clearly see that Rule and the media used Becky for their personal gain. Her family members were quite capable of taking care of the children. Nobody knows but her. And the interrogations were not tapedand barelydocumented. Christie could not speak but after some rehab, she said repeatedly that she did not know who shot them. She even provided the police with her own sketch. Do you remember about two days after that the two of you signing a lease on the apartment? I believe DDs case needs to be re looked at and all evidence reviewed. The kind of TV series that they produce on high profile crimes will make sure to turn public opinion. Its more boring to tell the truth and the readers might not have flocked to read a fair story without no real heroes and villains. Rule even talked about writing a book about her but it never materialized. rudy francisco rifle analysis / ford employee profit sharing 2022 / why didn't steve downs get custody. It should be illegal to use real names and facts from a criminal case while influencing the publicto falselybelieve that the whole content of the filmis true. Her mom is still alive and would love to have contact but respect that they wont. Everything was in the bag and ready for trial. Blood, cuts, limo driver who saw him come in, the shoe print, the blood in the car and on the socks in his bedroom. The chief prosecutor adopting the children beggars belief! What about the terror of being interrogated by strangers and separated from her family? Q. So I start with that bit of history in mind. They rarely get a break. Additionally, homicide or assault victims shot by someone else can test positive for GSR. I dont know how familiar she was with the area, but I do not think that it matters anyway. In 2008, a psych evaluation by L. Williams, Ph.D., Chief of Mental Health at Valley State Prison for Women, explained Dianes lack of emotions and its relationship to her case. And even when confronted by the wrongful practices used at trial to get her convicted, are ok with her being locked up for life. Same with her brother. You indicated you were not going to get a divorce? Diane was sentenced to life plus 50 years. Then they just got shut out. I go through every new finding and I point out what was done at trial that did not respect due process. Her parents Willadene and Wes were old school Baptist parents who raised her under strict guidelines without much warmth but complete devotion. I bet the records are and always have been sealed regarding this aspect of the case. He then left !his second wife, Charlene, to cohabitate with (and propose marriage to) Diane. I also found it curious that when Diane was first eligible for parole she was allowed to apply every 2 years thereafter until she either gets paroled or dies in prison. I will agree that it was suspicious that Diane got away with one bullet in the arm, even if the injury was severe, but she was outside the car and many scenarios are possible to that effect. She always seems to have not a very close contact with reality. Every time, she said she did not know, they told her to think again and made suggestions. She was extremely intelligent but her emotional IQ was no match and her desire for freedom, love and affection were dangerously dragging her down a path of self-destruction. But there were discrepancies; the tool marks did not matchand the detective lied on the stand about it. I will not remove anything. From what we know about Becky, she had chosen a difficult path and Diane was trying to warn her. Nothing came from Diane herself. And she laughed at it by saying it was healthy to want to join the free world, especially if you proclaim your innocence. He freely admitted HE decided to ask for a divorce on his birthday without consulting Diane, who was out of town Diane doesnt believe Rebecca is her daughter, rather a media puppet ran by Rule. John Kitzhaber, Governor of Oregon There is only one major problem with your scenario. Ask them what they did to a good man. A very reasonable request that was rejected. The courts were divided in the 80s, family court, traffic court, criminal court, juvenile court I dont believe they ran out of judges to preside over them all. But before you get too deep into the drug stuff with Van Houten, she chose to take drugs. It opened a huge can of worms regarding the real identity of the heart full of lies in this case. Clearly the social workers were working with the DAs office and taking advice on best interest of the children from them. In reply to Nick. View theaffidavits. Again I go back to how times were back then. Moreover, it was not a suicide case, but of a woman who supposedly shot herself in the arm and her 3 children several times. As you might know, Dianes father passed away after many years of anguish over the fate of his daughter. Lise,,,,, yes you did. Her trial was speculative and based on so many fallacies. 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. They should have had ongoing contact and been placed with family as soon as they were out of the hospital and they never should have been interviewed without their own attorney (Guardian ad Litem) present. That her child was basically forced to admit that she saw her mom shoot them? Its a rather large part of the story. Now in hindsight, seeing footage on youtube, especially the interview she did with the reporter Anne Jagger, the things she says and facial expression is exactly described in the bookhad to find the section in the book, but on that note, Anne rule did site that interview correctly. Mind: Wrongful convicted. Yep, Downs who was found guilty in 1984, escaped successfully from the Oregon Womens Correctional Center in 1987 and was transferred to Jersey afterwards. Im not arguing the facts of the trial, and Im not about to. Even more now with hindsight because of the gun and the fact that her daughter kind of recanted by demonstrating that if pushed, she will say what is expected of her. It is my hope that Leslie Van Houten and Diane Downs are never paroled. In my opinion, the investigation was too hasty and only focused on Diane. ..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. A steel plate had to be attached and some lead fragments were removed. There was never a real motive for the crime even if the State insisted that Diane wanted to be free to pursue her love interest; using her journals to support theirclaim. 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. Kumbaya my Lord, Kumbaya. It was a dark and rural road. This really makes me angry, that prosecuter and judge should be sued along with the writter. 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. 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Path and Diane Downs I know they were tons of witnesses that saw him at work being.
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