We will never know what really happened because the authorities acted too hastily and the media was a huge hindrance. What man has ever publicly revered a former secret mistress? They claimed to have found two lead cartridges in Dianes rifle at home that supposedly matched the ones used during the crime. 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. Shes where she belongs. So, what is Steve's story? But I am more than willing to review any new info. They both would fall in love and decide they want to marry each other. Christie and Danny have no contact with their father, and they have completed their education. I personally disagree with that practice but it is common. And, when she got assigned to the mail routes in the city of Cottage Grove, Oregon, as a part of her job with the U.S. postal service, he didnt have any qualms with her taking the children. One of them named Angel, called 15-year-old Christie on the phone. And Robert Knickerbocker became one of her lovers. I can only imagine to absolute horror of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca during their horrific murders. Then feel free to correct the facts and to provide evidence to support them. These women did not show emotions and did not fold when asked to. The discovery that he wasnt his biological child made him leave the relationship. As I stated towards the beginning of my response, Im taking issue with the blog and the subjective language used. It does not get any bigger than this. Mr. 6. You cant possibly shake off all the gun powder residue and avoid all the blood. I do not declare her innocent. It had nothing to do with the evidence of the case and represents useless labeling anyway. Mind: Wrongful convicted. The fate of Steven Downs, a 47-year-old nurse from Auburn, Maine, is now in hands of a 12-person jury in Alaska. Not optional, kids should not be in limbo that long, but it happens all the time. It seems that not being American might help us view the case and Rules narrative with more objectivity. No conflict of interest from a prosecutor adopting a defendants children 2 years after the fact? McPherron: And you had no contact with her . It is not, nor should be, a Conflict of Interest for a caring adult to Foster one or more siblings. 1. The fact that they used her daughter and lied about the gun they could never find makes it a wrongful conviction. Makes no difference to me. The way this investigation and the trial were conducted only left me with doubts. Why is there virtually no info on him? There are some stories that stick with you for a long time. He then left !his second wife, Charlene, to cohabitate with (and propose marriage to) Diane. Why would anyone think Christie could remember the night of the shooting anyway?? I dont understand how the family court managed to isolate 2 severely traumatized and grievously injured children from their entire family. At the time Diane had told police that a stranger attempted to carjack her and shot the kids, and that's what her ex husband was told, too. When she resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. Back to DD, I think she suffered some kind of mental breakdown, her account of the facts was never reliable, all the case appears murky, which points to an incompetent handling of the situation by the police and justice system. 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. Its too late for me to call myself a murderer (when I am not) just to purchase my freedom. Maybe because of her notoriety and the victims were children. During cross-examination, she said that she witnessed the murders while sitting up and that Cheryl was sitting up on the front seat when she got shot. I am also engaged in other wrongful convictions that have taken place within the US. According to her hospital records, every 6 hours she was given 400 milligrams of Dilantin (which is noted for causing confusion). The notions of humanity and rehabilitation have been left on the wayside long ago. 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. Ive been to London to Fly the Queen ~ and Back to Collect Artifacts, Haleigh Cummings Was Once Lost but Now She Is Found, Meet Rene Acoby: In-House Female Dangerous Offender, Kelli Stapleton- A Mothers Wuthering Woes. Where to begin? They both fainted when they saw their dead child, but it did not count. Reasonable doubt is most certainly lacking. Needless to say, you seem to have a problem with the American justice systemnot each individual case. Page 26 of Case History. Robert was a married man in Arizona with whom Diane had been having an affair, back when she was still living there. And these men in black perceived this as an act of war, and proceeded to go after them with every legal or illegal means at their disposal. Their life without parole sentences are a dime a dozen and so randomly used that it beats any notion of justice for all. Clearly the social workers were working with the DAs office and taking advice on best interest of the children from them. And even when confronted by the wrongful practices used at trial to get her convicted, are ok with her being locked up for life. I still remember my mother picking up the paper and seeing the headline. She also told media she became pregnant without Steve's "permission." 4 Steve has never spoken publicly about his ex-wife, Diane Credit: AP Where is Steve now? There was no question in Dianes mind that Knick would take another mistress if she married him, and that hed move on again. And being the mother of three only served to propel Diane in a more manic state. No. 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. The Lifetime channel constantly makes movies based loosely on the truth; this approach is an effective weapon aimed at swaying public opinion about high-profile cases. Here's everything you need to know. But in this case, she had no blood on her body or her clothing. Diane Downs is no exception. They are still part of their birth family. There were good reasons to look at this mother, but the detective admitted on the stand that they stopped looking at anyone else after two weeks and the stranger on the road became a joke. He said all the police needed was for Diane to bear witness against her ex-husband. Not even the gun. Diane Downs and Alice Crummins were considered sluts and cold-blooded women and were judged on their unusual character. Unfortunately couldnt really do anything at that point, as the movie was not VHS yet, it only aired that oncein late 89. Most people described Dianes injury as minor or superficial but in reality, it was a very serious injury. I go through every new finding and I point out what was done at trial that did not respect due process. What disease did Ray Liotta have, and what caused his death? Mr. Transgender CeCe McDonald Out of Prison but Not Out of the Woods. But the birth of little Danny did not make this bad boy change his stripes; he remained a cad and a destabilizing force in their lives. Click to listen to podcast explaining the gun test, Dianes mental condition and the lack of forensic evidence. Will Cheryl ever be let out of her grave? A. I was still living in the house, yes, sir. I dont know that it could get worse than writing an asinine comment on a restorative justice website that states that only respectful and constructive comments will be posted. 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.. I would also like to express my disbelief that the same judge presided over both the child welfare case and the criminal one. 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. I think it posible she brought the kids there to be shot by someone else. The authorities wanted to see them mourn and fall apart. This was ridiculed countless times in the media, but frankly, it can be a very honorable endeavor, depending onhow you want to look at it. 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. 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. No way. I am interested in the truth. Speculative. If you shoot at least 6 inches from a victim, you see what is around you in the car. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. In 1984, Diane was convicted of the death and injuries of her children, and she was sentenced to life in prison. She even provided the police with her own sketch. Christie was born in October of 1974 and Cheryl Lynn in January of 1976. Her three small children, Christie, 8; Cheryl, 7; and Danny, 3 . Dianes dad died a year or two ago. During a trial, we have to go with evidence only. 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. Youre right to say that a GSR is not always foolproof and between 10-20% of suicide GSR kits test negative for GSR. It no longer matters as far as the verdict, she was found guilty, but why no parole? This case needed to be examined more thoroughly, but the mob mentality didnt allow it. I think that the time she has served and her good behavior made her eligible for parole. This video has Dianes attorney, Jim Jagger, at 1 minutes and 20 seconds that might have some good shots. After all, Cheryl Downs is basically serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole for her mothers crime. 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. Do you remember about two days after that the two of you signing a lease on the apartment? After a failed marriage that got her a divorce from Steve Downs, she wanted to be with her lover. Moreover, he apparently told her that he did not want children and this statement alone would seal Dianes fate. The question is of course, how can we determine guilt or innocence without a fair trial? I simply state facts that did not or would not come out at the time or blatant misconduct from a legal system that is supposed to be based on innocent until proven guilty. She is still in prison. You have that part absolutely right, so why was this protocol ignored? It could be argued that he developed a relationship with the children and genuinely wanted them to join his family. Clickhere to read about faulty ballistics.. They were not truth seekers and enjoyed a nice burning at the stake instead. In addition to treating brain cancer, he works toward health equity. 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. They would have tried to reopen the case. The proverbial expression It takes two to tango applies here. They met for the first time in Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona. The states own witness, Dr. George Suckow and Dr. Polly Jamison denounced Prosecutor Hugis practice as improper and unethical (Appendix 101 and 104). Litigating at the Supreme Court in . I also found it interesting that when he had visited Diane in prison, he had remarked a strange air about her; which did not mean guilt. Diane Frederickson was born August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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. At the very least, she should have been released by now. So Mark, where are you from? Oh my. I will not remove anything. I watched the highlights of her hearing. 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. 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. Many troubling elements of the case were discovered after the trial, but there was enough during the proceedings to be asking questions. It was very unfair to raise them away from their grandparents and other blood relatives. Downs: And there was a big reward, too. My guess is the grandparents were so overwhelmed with Dianes case that they let the system take care of the kids at first. At the point Diane jumped into the car, her broken arm (resting in a sling in front of her) slammed into the steering wheel. Because Foote was already familiar with the case, the presiding judge assigned him the murder trial after Downs was charged with the shootings. 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. Everything was in the bag and ready for trial. It should have been investigated further. And by the way, I wrote the blogs about Rule way before she passed. I wish she could get a new look. She was fighting back and they did not like it. Their haste to go to trial created this mess and lingering doubts. My website is in the process of being migrated so it has no photos. Something that would never stand in court now. 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). Their goal was to make Dian look crazy, because sane people dont shoot their children. Page 6 of Case History. Insulting a woman in prison since 30 years instead of debating the inconsistencies of this case is pretty pathetic. The bitches own daughter identified Downs as the shooter. Christie is a married woman and gave birth in 2005. Golden State Killer: Where Is the Prolific Rapist and Murderer Today? The child was adopted and was later named Rebecca. Steven and Diane married on November 13, 1973. Yes, I had filed for divorce and then I canceled it. You said that the absence of both prove she couldnt have been to shooter and you claim it takes real scrubbing to remove GSR. By the time the incident had happened, it seems as if the two had parted ways . 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. The parole board in Oregon was asking to provide reasonable cause to show she was not a danger to society and it had to be supported by a psychiatrists report or a Wardens letter and Downs provided both. I like the way you keep an open mind about Diane herself and what she may or may not have been going through mentally. She should have had the lawyer of her choice and if they wanted to charge her with the crimes, they should have stuck with what evidence and circumstances they had. To this day, his record is mixed; his law license was suspended for 6 months in 2011, and there was also talk of a suspension in 2015. If you read the blog, you will see examples of his lack of dedication. And Steven was free to follow her lead or not. But unfortunately, Diane's parents never approved of the relationship as they had high hopes for their daughter's future, which they did not see in Steve. The best policy for Diane Downs would have been to remain silent, but she fought back and smiled at the wrong time and according to them, enjoyed the attention. 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. Of course. Evidence from a ballistics expert. They removed them and proceeded to interrogate the poor girl until she gave them what they needed. It wasnt until Prosecutor Hugi said Dr. Jamison had labeled Diane a deviant sociopath that Mr. I appreciate the way you dont try to determine guilt or innocence in your blogs but instead focus on due process and the right of all to a fair trial. Her older two children have remained out of the public eye. It is not my point. I am glad you read it anyway and I appreciate your comment. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. They finally charged her and she did 10 years for the death of her children. Devoting ur life to taking down a dead author is a waste of ur talents. I couldnt get my hands on the book nor find anything in librariesso basically it was many years later I dove into knowing more about this case, that kinda haunted me. 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. 0. Im not saying I know for a fact in my mind shes innocentbut there is NOT enough evidence for her to be guilty. 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. ABC MOVIE FOR TV Small Sacrifices 1989 Farrah Fawcett, Ryan ONeal. Considering the circumstances, it is difficult not to be a bit cynical about this grand gesture: relevance? Imagine knowing that your adoptive dad was responsible for putting your natural mom in the slammer? But strangely, they took no photos of the crime scene and did not lift fingerprints from the drivers side of the car. There is only one major problem with your scenario. And I care about the lack of evidence. They went through the process which demonstrates a certain level of commitment in itself. That is the way she was brought up,especially at the demand of her rigid but verydedicated father. She was expelled and reunited with him against her parents wishes. Q. If she was the shooter, it had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Click to read The Case of Liysa Northon Who Said True Crime Does not Pay? 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. Hello. I enjoyed your take, and agree their are several reasons with this, and lets be honestevery other case ever prosecuted, to take pause and question but Diane continues to lie, make up brand new stories about people after her, and has made no moves to better herself in any way shape or form while shes been in prison, by her own admission. The way Christie was coached did not correspond to the reality of the direct evidence. This is especially if it comes with a history of erratic behavior following the use of these substances. Right?? They should have taken their timeto investigatethis case thoroughly and without prejudice. The woman shot her children. She has an excellent conduct report and never reacted violently to any of the harassment from other inmates. I do not have to put any statement advising people that I am about to present the neglected aspects of the trial. Of course, because this is what she does when people put her on the spot and ask questions concerning her mother and the shooting. I personally disagree with that practice but it is common. Dianewas jealous ofthe other woman, but Robert Knickerbockers wife said that she foundher rather friendly during their encounter. 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.
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