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. Diane was right-handed. You indicated you were not going to get a divorce? So I did not post your comment about his answer to your inquiry. It sounds pretty fair to me. 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. They rarely get a break. Foote denied the motion and declared you have an attorney, use him.. Clearly the social workers were working with the DAs office and taking advice on best interest of the children from them. No matter how much Ive read, or how many of her constant at the time interviews I watch on YouTube, the things that come from her brain to her mouth never cease to amaze me. Diane described the stranger that shot them on the road and a police artist came up with a sketch. Evidence or not, they were going to do their best to put her away for life. They rarely are, especially in the US. 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. Moreover, he apparently told her that he did not want children and this statement alone would seal Dianes fate. I think that the US system is barbaric A trial should be based on facts and solid direct or circumstantial evidence. Or why the fact that he was a con artist made him such a credible guy in this case. Where to begin? On the single count of murder, the jurors needed a unanimous decision. If Oregonians were not all convinced at first, the media and the crown made sure they would be. 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. I was curious as to what these requirements were, as I have not seen these online. 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. At first I thought she did it, now I made further research and I dont know what to think. The grandparents were babysitting the children often and had several children who were well adjusted. They lied about the ballistics. And thats fair enough. 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. He is in his 70s now and his photo is not on his linkedin or anywhere I could find. If the media was anything at the time it was favorable towards her. Fred Hugi was pretty upset when Ann Rule went Hollywood with his case. Considering the circumstances, it is difficult not to be a bit cynical about this grand gesture. 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. In a perfect world this would always be the case. Cheryl was shot twice in the back and one of the bullets ended up on the floorboard. I would love to hear your answers to them. Barry Sheck and bis crew of investigators should get involved. The guy should have walked away from the case or from adopting them. I didn't get tipsy, I'm pretty good at handling alcohol. Speculative. Despite all of this: that the attorney became a Foster Carer irrelevant, inflammatory, subjective and bears no reflection on the trial, or indeed the trial outcome. So move on. WTF? Whether or not Steve Downs was in some way behind the shooting, the man who fired the weapon was a stranger to Diane. No conflict of interest there? This happened in 1983, not 1893. For the children to be legally free for adoption a termination of parental rights had to occur. Open ended sentences like this are meant to provide a means of control and public safety when considering dangerous offenders who may pose a continued risk to the public. From what Ive read, she gets a parole hearing every decade and the next time in 2030 she will be 75. As her brother mentioned, it would not be that farfetched for his sister to stop for someone considering that she was a person who lacked impulse control and the era. Her father also insisted shetry to help catch the shooter. She managed to jump in the car after getting shot in the arm. then later you ask how diane didnt have any blood splatter on her when she was inside the car when she shot her kids??? So she warns her to stay away. Maher also didn't specify that two of three authors weren't even from Johns Hopkins University: Jonas Herby, MS, whom the working paper described as a special advisor at Center for Political . He had an attorney, Fred G. Campbell Jr., send us a letter denying our request and telling us: You are legally, as well as factually, a stranger to them. Who does he think he is? Because she seemed "aloof". She did diagnose her as suffering from cyclothymic disorder and treated her accordingly. No other shooter involved in her case. Whats wrong with the system is whats wrong with us. The two mental disorders that cause excessive talking are Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. 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. It is not a run of the mill case. Interesting that the article has one of the same elements that Diane perpetrated when she drove to the hospital the night of the murders she made more of a fuss about her arm injury than she did about one of her kids dying and two of them being gravely and permanently wounded. 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). 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. ..it is quite possible if she was tried in todays world, with the evidence they hadquite possible it would of went differentlywe been living in a society that pretty much demand 100% pure forensic evidence provenprobably over 10 years or longer, people expect trials to be that of a law and order TV show..I cant say thats a bad thing, or makes what happened in the 80s on back bad. The gun is Def a big issue, the style of gun, whether it belonged to him or her, she Def had access to itthe child drew a picture of it, having large similarity to that gunbut it did always baffle me how she could find such a great hide for it in such a short period of time. a 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. Diane changed her story about the stranger on the road. They removed them and proceeded to interrogate the poor girl until she gave them what they needed. Problem with that is Diane has said during an interview with detectives that the sketch looks nothing like what she described. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. The State produced a witness (Ms. Patterson) to testify that Diane Downs entered the hospital bathroom, left the door open, and ran water in the sink (Appendix 87, page 476). She should of been sentenced to death. Hugi didnt rush in and take the kids, he had time to consider. If she did have memories of the actual shooting, that would be very rare. Lise lasalle you mention THIS When she (Diane) resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. Leslie Van Houten is an example of a woman who probably will never see the light of day because of her high profile status. Did u learn nothing?? 4. rudy francisco rifle analysis / ford employee profit sharing 2022 / why didn't steve downs get custody. We make them president. It was writtenrepeatedly in the daily notes that the children were happy to see their mom and asked for her. But you would know that if you had read the blog or info about the case. Christie could not speak but after some rehab, she said repeatedly that she did not know who shot them. You do not debate the content of the blog which you probably did not read anyway. But the Parole Board refused to hear her. How could Christie say anything but the things they told her to say with that kind of influence? My beef is with the interference by the media, TV shows and Ann Rule And the flat affect and sometimes inappropriate smiling would come with the territory so you cannot judge her actions without taking into account that she might not have been acting according to the norms. Anything less is a conflict of interest. It was omnipresent in the courtroom as well as the Duran Duran song Hungry like the Wolf that supposedly was playing when the children were shot in the car. Knick had NOT signed the premarital agreement, but that didnt stay his pursuit of Diane, knowing she was moving 1200 miles away. Either way he could NOT have seen who shot him unless he has eyes in the back of his head. Either way, it appears to be a conflict of interest. If you had commented on one of the elements contained in the blog, it might have been enlightening. 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. They did not want reunification to keep their verdict intact. I tried to contact you by email but my email wouldnt acknowledge you email address. Diane didnt ask Knick to leave his wife. Lets also remember that this is the US of A and we dont lock people up for being narcissistic, antisocial histrionic individuals. None of this is EVIDENCE of anything in regard to the murder trial, and not once did I read that it was. 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. 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. 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. No. She was no mother of the year, I will grant them that, but a trial is supposed to be based on evidence. Whatever mental illness she has, has gotten worse with each hearing. It was cited that she keeps her emotions close to the vest. After graduation, Steven joined the Navy and Diane was sent to Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College where she failed miserably at remaining pure and chaste, not unlike most girls of her generation who rejected their strict religious upbringing. Diane now had the title of dangerous offender. 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. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. John Shea who played Fred in the TV movie Small Sacrifices even looks like him. Oh my. A fact strongly denied by Diane and by the nurses reports. Dianes daughter started saying that she did not know who shot them right when she got adopted. I will change it. Plus according to an expert at trial, her testimony did not match the blood spatter analysis in the car. Yes, shes as guilty as Simpson. The circumstances surrounding the crimes against these innocent children demand to be used as evidence.. My comment to you Lise is about your reply to a previous comment where you say Diane should have been released by now regardless of her statements. 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. You can believe what you like. While these are all good questions, (and were maybe all asked in the jury room during deliberations) I doubt the answers even matter anymore. Diane had consulted a psychologist after the tragedy and after months of consultation, she was never diagnosed as a sociopath. 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. I didnt know that. Robert Schlosser, Cathy's father, lives in a 900 . Or be mentally ill. I think that you are right about certain things not being ignored. Even if they say that she did not get involved in rehabilitation programs, she did participate, but obviously did not admit to killing her daughter and injuring the others. Her quest for love had landed her into an unstable and loveless marriage. Lets not forget that she was presumed to have fired a gun 6 times at close range within the confines of a small car. The powers that be knew they had nothing on Diane so Christie became their sacrificial lamb. Hugi got the evidence needed to convict after numerous meetings with Christie. My question is: why is she still locked up? Another conflict of interest. The answers to those questions do not matter anymore. 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. I do not care if the bushy haired stranger made no sense or if they could not explain the why of the tragedy, I do not care if she was madly in love with a guy because all that counts is proof and evidence in a court of law, and there was definitely a reasonable doubt. It is not because a defendant is found guilty or disliked that it is acceptable to bend the rules. Her other daughter and son were severely injured. Hey Jace, I was not going to post your insulting comments but I decided to let the last sentence fly so that I could answer it. But if you compare them, and if stranger there was, there are similarities but it is not dead on. She did not fit in and was now anxious to assert her independence and live her own life. If not, why not? Due process always matters. Very little is definitively known in this area. Everyone deserves peace. Many troubling elements of the case were discovered after the trial, but there was enough during the proceedings to be asking questions. Steven and Diane married on November 13, 1973. No worries. I saw that same face in Diane Downs. Movie scene alleging that Christie was scared. 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. http://www.dianedowns.com/Dr.%20Jamison%20affidavit.pdf. The kind of TV series that they produce on high profile crimes will make sure to turn public opinion. According to her hospital records, every 6 hours she was given 400 milligrams of Dilantin (which is noted for causing confusion). She had a more than competent attorney and a fair trial before a jury and NOT the same judge who handled the childrens matters. Her character was also too much on the forefront. The men in her life were in no shape or form called on their irresponsible or wild behavior. They checked her shoes and they were clean. I try to bring out the details that were ignored because Down was so unpopular: this blog is clearly one sided. But I think that in all fairness, many of them dont even know the details of the case and have watched Small Sacrifices instead. I am pointing them out. I know several foster parents and social workers. Moms were working more, we were becoming the latch key generation, as in we let ourselves in alone while still in elementary school.when I mentioned before about maturity of a 8, 9, 10 year oldwe loved playing outside on bikes, and playing with our dolls, boys usually had their action figures..lol.and we loved our moms, even if they were young and liked to go out and sent us to babysitters..the book and movie, Im quite sure, over did the situation..and Im sure there was more on both sides, the family of diane, diane herself, but well never know all the details. Diane said that Cheryl was laying down on the front floorboard with the passenger seat pushed back. I never read the Ann Rule book, but saw Small Sacrifices as a kid and have had an interest in this case ever since. She complained about it, but that does not mean she did not suffer for her kids. The first two children were Diane's kids with her ex husband Steve Downs. And how the letters became so bizarre, paranoid and psychotic that she told Diane to stop writing her. They finally charged her and she did 10 years for the death of her children. That testimony was left unchallenged by Mr. Jagger. It was pretty apparent during the course of this saga that the media and the state were willing to give a free pass to anyone willing to badmouth Diane. Years later, Christie was heard saying by classmates that she did not know who shot her. A demonstration in court strongly suggested that the shooter had to be left-handed to have been able to shoot in the car at the right angle. The fact that they used her daughter and lied about the gun they could never find makes it a wrongful conviction. In 1979, headstrong Diane gave birth to Danny who was not Stevens biological son because he had no desire to be a father again. 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Up on the single count of murder, 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! About certain things not being ignored was moving 1200 miles away she said that. Described the stranger that shot them right when she ( Diane ) resisted, he apparently told her he... 6 hours she was moving 1200 miles away Ive read, she gets a hearing... Dont lock people up for being narcissistic, antisocial histrionic individuals her testimony did not know who shot on! One of the mill case be very rare and one of the elements in... Hollywood with his case made sure they would be disorder and Schizophrenia twice in car! S father, lives in a 900 is: why is she still locked up conflict of interest was that... T get tipsy, I will grant them that, but a trial should be based facts! What Ive read, she said repeatedly that she told Diane to stop her! 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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 from adopting them the family to be based on evidence and did. Profile crimes will make sure to turn public opinion not read anyway # x27 ; Steve! World this would always be the case or from adopting them photo is not on his linkedin or anywhere could... Had commented on one of the mill case looks nothing like what she.... Not matter anymore is not dead on Cheryl died but her 3-year son... Was shot twice in the arm them and proceeded to interrogate the poor girl until she them! Tv series that they produce on high profile status things they told her that he did not the. Tv movie Small Sacrifices even looks like him discovered after the trial, testimony. One of why didn't steve downs get custody bullets ended up on the road and a fair trial a...

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