Either way he could NOT have seen who shot him unless he has eyes in the back of his head. Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. why didn't steve downs get custody - Arrowmtn.com Nevertheless, Steve and Diane tied the knot on November 13, 1973. At Sophie Sergie murder trial, jury hears recordings of Steven Downs Its too late for me to call myself a murderer (when I am not) just to purchase my freedom. Their life without parole sentences are a dime a dozen and so randomly used that it beats any notion of justice for all. No conflict of interest there? If the answer is, to keep the public safe, then I call BS. In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. (This is why Foote was assigned the case. Diane may very well be guilty, but YIKES this investigation and trial seemed so butchered and tilted in the prosecutions favour. The way Christie was coached did not correspond to the reality of the direct evidence. Dianes brother, James, sat in court one day andnoticed Foote looking at Hugi before ruling on an objection. He was one of the few people who saw Diane, not as the outsider, but as a beautiful woman who was anxious to assert her independence. Christie was the primary witness in the case against her mother. This test confirmed Diane had not held a gun. Page 40 of Case History. What I believe doesnt matter at all. Considering the circumstances, it is difficult not to be a bit cynical about this grand gesture: relevance? Whenever your shoot a gun that many times and that close to the victims, theres going to be blood and powder residues. The circumstances surrounding the case were not enough to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The powers that be knew they had nothing on Diane so Christie became their sacrificial lamb. Did CK shoot at car when DD drove away? They should have left her alone. I will not remove anything. I remember when it was in the news. Are you looking for more information about Ryan Eggold? danny also said a cartoon character shot themalso he was SHOT IN THE BACK how could he see the shooter????????? The jury verdict was guilty on all counts, but there was a mixture of votes. I am also engaged in other wrongful convictions that have taken place within the US. http://www.manipulatedtrial.de/oregon_s_small_sacrifices_1603.pdf. Did Danny Downs, Steve Downs' son, remain paralyzed? Downs: And there was a big reward, too. An earlier commenter wrote that it doesnt matter that the trail or the investigation was faultyWHAT !? The pilots we did dealt with Japan going over the quotas of hunted whales and a company dumping toxic waste into the ocean But it didn't work out because the stock footage they were using. Diane had spent three days in the hospital ingesting massive doses of Morphine, Demerol, Percodan, and visterol. 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. It would not benefit you, my children, or society for me to perpetuate that lie. It wasnt until Prosecutor Hugi said Dr. Jamison had labeled Diane a deviant sociopath that Mr. Clearly the social workers were working with the DAs office and taking advice on best interest of the children from them. Then, they accused her of shooting her kids at close range. Danny downs did indeed say a man shot him he also blamed a cartoon character. The only reason they kept her in prison even if she had all the right documentation and support, is because she is high profile. Inflammatory and speculative The whole blog claims the trial was flawed. 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. I am not her advocate, but I think she did not get due process. They are the ones who supposedly (according to Diane) screwed her up so badly. Someone found guilty of a crime should have a sentence that can be served and not one that is contingent on the remorse shown. By the way, this not a Diane Downs is innocent blog. It is a lets examine the facts of the case with hindsight and try to explain some of the inconsistencies and the role of the media and crime writers. And lets wonder why the US think that letting people die in prison is the answer when most civilized countries have reached other conclusions. It is not a hatefest and I do not wish death or life without parole on anyone. That is the way she was brought up,especially at the demand of her rigid but verydedicated father. My website is in the process of being migrated so it has no photos. There are some stories that stick with you for a long time. I just read your opinion on the Pamela Smart case and the Scott Peterson case. And to make her story believable, she shot a round in her arm before going to the hospital, claiming that she was a victim of a terrible carjacking. Or be mentally ill. That was the extent of her investigation of Dianes side. And she would have been under supervision. This whole case is flawed. Were they involved in the plot too?? Same with her brother. 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. I was a patient of the doctor who worked so hard to save her childrens lives that night. 1. The court can just do an APR, Assignment of Parental Rights. It deserved as much attention as a Unicorn, a song or all the other hearsay floating around because at least, they came from real people signing official documents. Not speculative? Basically, I dont believe the site owner has produced enough proof of anything. And even when confronted by the wrongful practices used at trial to get her convicted, are ok with her being locked up for life. The crucial point is that she is so void of emotion. Where to begin? Diane said that Cheryl was laying down on the front floorboard with the passenger seat pushed back. If you read the blog, you will see many examples of media hype and character assassination. Steve and Diane Downs' children were adopted by Lane County prosecutor Fred Hugi and his wife, Joanne. The blogger continues, I am not one sided. Everything was in the bag and ready for trial. That didnt seem right so we wrote a letter to Mr Hugi with a request for visitation rights. Also, their union was turbulent ever since the beginning as Diane was reportedly disappearing with her children for long periods. LMFAO!!!! Robert Knickerbocker Now: Where is Diane Downs' Love Interest Today? She. I would like to raise the numerous issues with this blog. I think u need to read the facts. I cant believe that it was allowed to happen, actually. Further: Wonder about Justice in Nation with world wide highest prisoner rate. The bio family should have been given the same opportunity to see the kids and demonstrate their ability to be the guardians. 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. Her son ended up in jail and ONeils children accused him of neglect and bad parenting. He has also once again decided to defy . 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. 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. It is said that they didnt go to Steve because he wasnt a fit father or well equipped to take care of children who had gone through such a traumatic experience. PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed, Get the news that matters from one of the leading news sites in Kenya, Kenyans Share Hilarious Memes, Frustrations as KPLC Announces Nationwide Power Blackout, Xtian Dela's Mum Cries Bitterly As She Begs Son to Come Home, Says She's Not Seen Him in 4 Years, Linet Toto's Dowry: 7 Delectable Photos from MP's Negotiation Ceremony, Couple Lose KSh 3.4m on Their Wedding After Guests Don't Show Up: "So Heartbroken", Little Girl Begs Man on the Road for Money, Video Surprises Many, David and Rebecca Muir wedding, relationship, and family, Who is Lil Meech's mom? Mr. Downs must have had a bad feeling about Jagger because before trial: speculation Tracy, I never said she was in the car. I would like to believe this is the truth. However, their marriage wasnt as great as they anticipated as Steve was a player and quite irresponsible and immature at the time. I think that the US system is barbaric They were in a group home and he was getting unsupervised visitation with them. ), years in solitary confinment Whats wrong with us?! In a perfect world this would always be the case. 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. WTF? It did not matter that they had no evidence; they did not like her attitude and she was going to pay for it. It was very unfair to raise them away from their grandparents and other blood relatives. 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. They should have looked for a possible accomplice and checked all the leads. Children imitate their parents every move. She managed to jump in the car after getting shot in the arm. The fact that the judge who presided over the child welfare case and the criminal case was the same individual is absolutely a conflict of interest. So she warns her to stay away. Instead of grieving, Alice went partying and had sex. I agree on many points with your comment. Do you remember it would have been around say November 19th of 82 that you would have left Charlene at one time? It wasnt until Prosecutor Hugi said Dr. Jamison had labeled Diane a deviant sociopath that Mr. Washing soda is your best bet: It includes, among its ingredients, the exceedingly corrosive carbolic acid. And he grew up there. If you read the blog, it is because of the lie told by prosecutor Hugi that ignored the assessment of her therapist Dr. Jamison and was condemned by the psychiatrist that they were convinced to find her guilty. They rarely are, especially in the US. 7 chilling clues in case of Diane Downs after she told cops a stranger Maybe she didnt want to admit she was there for drugs, but you need a really tiny brain to worry about that in such a situation. Why Ruth Bader Ginsburg Refused to Step Down - The New York Times 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. The role of Diane Downs was played by none other than Farrah Fawcett and her lover was played by Ryan ONeal who had been Farrahs love interest in real life. And so, very quickly, they formed a relationship. Tuko.co.ke featured an interesting article about the actor that has been in the industry for more than 13 years, starring in various great productions. A group of ladies formed a group called HELDD which stands for Help Exonerate & Liberate Diane Downs. Why did they let her daughter testify when she could not know who shot her and said so incessantly until they made her say what they wanted? They already had made up their mind that Diane was the perpetrator so they laughed off the idea of the bushy haired stranger. The problem was that they could not find the gun anywhere and they had nothing on Diane. The tape is real and probably not admissible, but it seems to indicate that her testimony was coerced. I would like to see her released because I do not believe in life without parole for any inmate with no priors who had a good conduct while incarcerated. In 1999, a Board Certified Psychiatrist practicing in Oakland, California wrote a letter to the parole board on behalf of Diane Downs to explain how things had changed since 1984 when she was diagnosed with a severe personality disorder. He did not consider her a risk factor at all and believed she would do well if released into society, because she had no prior history of violence and never had a problem with violence or bad behavior while incarcerated. 4. So the prosecutor adopted the kids? Gun shot residue is not always present. I think that looked at through a more objective lens, many aspects of the Downs case are highly questionable. (Appendix 81, page 1466). Strangely enough, a woman who was seen for 8 months by a psychologist and declared to be in shock and suffering from a mood disorder, would now be assessed by the State hired psychiatrist to confirm the label Hugi conveniently made up during trial. Oh 1 more thing I see a lot of comments on pro Diane web sights that say well she drove them to the hospital. Two wrongs do not make a right but illustrates that she should have never been coerced before, during or after the trial. She even became a surrogate mother to make money and provide two parents the opportunity to have a child. Wasnt Mr. F supposed to be a child molester? Are you still taking comments by email? and so on. No worries. I was curious as to what these requirements were, as I have not seen these online. Gunpowder is one of the toughest stains around, when it comes to removing it from clothes. 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. The harm done to families by unscrupulous district attorneys who bully children into falsely testifying against their parents has been recorded in a documentary called Witch Hunt by Sean Penn about Kern County (CA) District Attorney Ed Jagels. James C. Jagger who was hired by Dianes father was an ex-Prosecutor. But there was a lot left unsaid about this relationship. Any thoughts on that? A steel plate had to be attached and some lead fragments were removed. I remember when Diane shot her kids and there are some facts Id like to correct from your blog. Everyone deserves peace. Who is Elizabeth Diane Downs, Steve Downs ex-wife? 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. Offers may be subject to change without notice. In this Battle of Cutthroats, Who has lost their head? She goes on to say that she has deep regret and mourns the loss and death of her children. Any thoughts on that? I especially loved reading everyones comments. why didn't steve downs get custody. It was far fetched, unfoundedand convenientlyrelayedby Rule to boost the sales of her book. You read a few comments. Diane was in the hospital for a bone graft from June 2nd until June 6th, 1983. 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. They had him micromanaged, and with the testimony of little Christie they were in business: argumentative As she is incarcerated, her fate is already sealed, servicing her life sentence in prison. If I included the ones I dont post, it would need more than a like or dislike button. 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? It is not, nor should be, a Conflict of Interest for a caring adult to Foster one or more siblings. And if the fact that cops lied about the gun to close the deal did not bother you, it bothered me because this is not due process. 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. 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. Hugi got the evidence needed to convict after numerous meetings with Christie. Saying that I seem to be doing what I accuse Ann Rule of doing is kind of ironic because the point of this blog is to try to stay away from innuendo and fantasies like unicorns and songs that might have been playing or not during a tragic murder.