Justice is all that is left. They were in a group home and he was getting unsupervised visitation with them. Additionally, homicide or assault victims shot by someone else can test positive for GSR. 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. No forensic evidence pointing to her, just conjecture based on how mothers should act. Their marriage was described as tumultuous, with Downs allegedly disappearing for long periods of time with her children. After divorcing her wife, Diane Downs, in 1980, Steve was hardly part of their life. Diane Downs is guilty beyond any doubt and I do not believe that her daughter was coached. There is only one major problem with your scenario. They are the ones who supposedly (according to Diane) screwed her up so badly. And with hindsight, the fact that this young mother had a personality disorder probably brought a lot of drama to the mix. 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. She was harshly judged because of her demeanor. Whats wrong with the system is whats wrong with us. Everything matters in a trial and investigation. He asked her for the car keys and she pretended to throw them away to distract him. ANNE RULES BOOK IS A LIE, ,ALL MADE UP CRAP. In high school, she met handsome Steven Downs who saw her for the great beauty she had become. Christie was it though. She has an excellent conduct report and never reacted violently to any of the harassment from other inmates. Blood spatter is not an exact science, and is interpreted differently by experts. But they tended to ignore other important aspects. Agreed. It did not matter that they had no evidence; they did not like her attitude and she was going to pay for it: opinion, not fact I asked her brother James an answer to your question. (I know that wasnt brought up this time but it usually is.) 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. However, he had no interest in taking care of Dianes children. She should of been sentenced to death. If you think you would have more influence arguing for better relationships with Mexico at a Donald Trump rally in Mexico, why bother? Her mom is still alive and would love to have contact but respect that they wont. 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. time it was the situation was down. To listen to Christies taped conversation, click below. Therefore, to make their marriage work, they started a family, believing that it would make everything okay. rudy francisco rifle analysis / ford employee profit sharing 2022 / why didn't steve downs get custody. 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. Being interested in a subject without bringing emotions to the table is always the most important step. Having recently done research on the Liysa Northons case which was the subject of a book written by Ann Rule titled Heart Full of Lies,I came across some very interesting information about the Diane Downs case because Rule attended the trial and also wrote a book about the case called Small Sacrifices. They came up with an explanation as to why this was the wrong gun but the jig was up. They examined her clothes also. This whole case is flawed. It was omnipresent in the courtroom as well as the Duran Duran song, The judge instructed them to continue on to force a verdict. Nevertheless, Steve and Diane tied the knot on November 13, 1973. DNA Test Kits Are Helping Solve Cold Cases Decades Later, After Nearly a Year, There Could Finally be an Investigation Into the Death of Elijah McClain. Or maybe an upvote/downvote arrow for each. Comments about the title of the website, the blogger, the bias, details like the word bipolar and when it was used when cyclothymic disorder was diagnosed by the person who treated the subject and there is an affidavit posted. And the state refusing to turn them over to the defense? You do not have to agree with my general opinion outside of the facts of the case, but I would appreciate some comments on what matters; how this case was handled at trial and during the investigation. What about the fact that they never found the gun? This is what Mrs Downs had to say about the situation. 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. Bannon, a former adviser . 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. I especially loved reading everyones comments. If Hugi got attached to the children, why did he wait 2 years when little Christie was starting to say she had no clue who shot them? Then, they accused her of shooting her kids at close range. So should I put an addendum saying that Diane contradicted herself or was not satisfied with the sketch? The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. It gave Anne Rule carte blanche to legally use these labels in her book and it stuck. No conflict of interest there? 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. I go fishing with a jurors husband. 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. I try to bring out the details that were ignored because Down was so unpopular: this blog is clearly one sided. It would never happen todaynever. Being a patient of the doctor who saved the childrens lives has nothing to do with the facts of a case. I think that Van Houten was recommended for parole by a system that assessed that after 40 years, she was not a threat to society and a reformed woman. The absence of the gun or gun powder residues on Diane is fact. What about the affidavits of the guy who confessed to several people? Her persona allowed them to build this ironclad narrative when in fact, it was far from definite. He failed. Diane was found guilty and sentenced to life and she has been in prison ever since. This is also what the state did to her. 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. Anything less is a conflict of interest. But in the case of DD, there were a lot of elements missing. No way. Mind: Wrongful convicted. , 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. Steves surviving children had endured a horrifying experience performed by someone they loved and cared about. Why am I not arguing the facts of the trial? People can have a certain vibe and act out of the norms, but it does not make them necessarily guilty. 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. I am not one sided. Steve was the one who left Diane because he believed that Stephen Daniel, known as Danny, was the result of an extramarital affair that Diane had. We already know that. I watched the highlights of her hearing. In my blog, I was referring to the case of Liysa Northon whose suit was dismissed, but when Ann Rule tried to sue the Seattle Magazine, its editor and Northons husband for their article on her shoddy work, she lost and had to pay restitution. Ann Rule promotes her books as true crime stories so to this day, viewers believe that the book and the movie titled Small Sacrificesdocument the true story of the Diane Downs case; in fact, it is a mix bag of truth, falsehoods, interpretation and plain fiction. Growing up, Diane had felt like an outsider and kids had been cruel towards her because of her real or imagined ugly duckling looks and demeanor. Would you know at what speed you are going if you were shot and driving with wounded children in the car? He could then have initiated the licensing process to foster and then adopt the children. I look forward to reading your other blogs. My question is: why is she still locked up? The underlying basis of this article. When she resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. Problem with that is Diane has said during an interview with detectives that the sketch looks nothing like what she described. If it doesnt matter to you, it should. In fact, Diane had consulted a psychologist after the tragedy and after months of consultation, she was never diagnosed as a sociopath. Many people have wondered why the two separated after seven years of marriage. You are right. She was no mother of the year and in the car when the kids got shot. A. I dont recall telling her to get an apartment. A reader told me that I should have a website with all the comments. Either way he could NOT have seen who shot him unless he has eyes in the back of his head. Not meaning to sound disrespectful, but you seem to be doing what you accuse Ann Rule of doing. I remember when Diane shot her kids and there are some facts Id like to correct from your blog. He was very irresponsible and probably could not handle them financially and emotionally. It was positive only on a small portion of her upper hand where she said the gun touched her when she wrestled with the attacker (a detail she had mentioned before they did the test). On May 19, 1983, Elizabeth Diane pulled over her car by the side of the road in Springfield, Oregon and shot her children multiple times with a 22-calibre pistol. Q. Not in this case. Her ex-husband has been of great interest, considering his absence from the media despite the case getting significant attention. I saw footage of Diane herself laughing during the re-enactment of the crime. Gosh Donna, you really dont have a clue. Mr. Jagger failed to challenge that competency. Page 40 of Case History. 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. Christie is a married woman and gave birth in 2005. She did not fit in and was now anxious to assert her independence and live her own life. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Yes Gigi, the same judge who had removed the children was also presiding over her trial. The jury verdict was guilty on all counts, but there was a mixture of votes. Diane Downs was one of the most infamous murderers of the 1980s; the emotionally flat blonde was convicted of shooting her three children, killing one of them, along a roadway in Springfield,. Her son ended up in jail and ONeils children accused him of neglect and bad parenting. You need to have your own voice," she said. Child Protective Services takes confidentiality to the extreme (warranted in most cases). Otherwise you just want people to fill your echo chamber that agree with you, tell anyone else you obviously dont want to debate me.., then ban, then hope for people to agree. It wasnt simply her demeanor that got her convicted. She had the right to a fair trial as much as anyone else out there. I know people who know or knew people is not a valid argument. A. I guess he did not want too many people to know about the improprieties that happened in his courtroom. Wasnt he the stranger? The ballistics, gun, speed at which she drove the car, her demeanor, etc. Diane wanted to wait for her daughter to feel better, be accompanied by an expert and have the meetings taped? What would have been the conclusion to have drawn without this hate campaign? 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 suggestion, I would love to see a like or dislike button for each comment. 6. Exactly Libby why did they say during the trial that he saw his mom? Yet in their mind, she was already guilty. I dont know how familiar she was with the area, but I do not think that it matters anyway. Any thoughts on that? And their plan worked. Diane was in the hospital for a bone graft from June 2nd until June 6th, 1983. The lack of balance and objectivity. I know several foster parents and social workers. And some are even contradictory: shes mentally ill, but also not mentally ill; the site owner wants to focus on pure facts, yet ignore other facts; things happened in court, but those are irrelevant to what else what also happened in court, etc. 6. But in their defense, they were told at trial what gun was used by Diane to shoot the kids and it must have been very difficult to overcome the emotions brought on by the words of little Christie even if it was pretty obvious during her testimony that she was confused and unreliable.
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