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. But she suffered from mental illness and the circumstances were traumatic. A history of use of drugs, alcohol or even cigarettes can all be deemed as counts against a parent in court. Are you still taking comments by email? 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. But her behavior became the most important factor in the investigation that followed. 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. There were many problems with her trial and that matters. The underlying basis of this article. Christie was the primary witness in the case against her mother. She followed all the correct Parole Boardprocedures for two years with no hearing. John Shea who played Fred in the TV movie Small Sacrifices even looks like him. The incident left Cheryl dead, Danny paralyzed from the waist down, and Christie suffering from a stroke that affected her speech. Also, I agree he does look a little like the actor who played Fred Hugi but I think it might be a coincidence. http://sputniknews.com/us/20150620/1023613662.html#ixzz3djEXlSAC // The Prison State of America Dec 28, 2014 Chris Hedges, http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_prison_state_of_america_20141228 So not addressing the content of the blog and rambling about everything else while asking for a disclaimer is nailing it? She has been denied parole 2x and is up again in 2020. (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.. And according to the law, she should have been released by now, independently of what she says or not. The lawsuit against Ann Rule was thrown out as unfounded because after reading her book they could find no inconsistencies She sat thru the entire trial AND used actual court transcripts. He has also once again decided to defy . Her family members were quite capable of taking care of the children. Do you remember a couple of days after that, December And with hindsight, the fact that this young mother had a personality disorder probably brought a lot of drama to the mix. It is not, nor should be, a Conflict of Interest for a caring adult to Foster one or more siblings. There have many times children have had to testify against their parents so the fact that many cant believe it was ever allowed should honestly research more. But before you get too deep into the drug stuff with Van Houten, she chose to take drugs. It is not a plus, but it is not a crime either. Did CK shoot at car when DD drove away? A. I felt there was something that should be done, but I was at a loss in how to cope with the Court that had given the children to the prosecutor and allowed false testimony to seal her fate. Her mom is still alive and would love to have contact but respect that they wont. I do not post rude comments. But why was the judge in family court hopping over to criminal court? 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. Being interested in a subject without bringing emotions to the table is always the most important step. He separated from his wife and was going to follow Diane who, by now, had decided to move and work in Oregon to be closer to her parents. To Lisa Griggs 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. The mommy murderess pulled her car over the side of the road and shot her three young children in the backseat. woman quot~ unquote, do you remember anything like that? It should have been investigated further. Mr. Therefore, my understanding is that the original sentence is deemed indefinite with parole hearings every 10 years. I watched the highlights of her hearing. There are documented cases of suicides where the person has no GNR, as well as murder cases. It was not unlike brainwashing. They met for the first time in Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 both fainted when they saw their dead child, but it did not count. but I think there are some extreme cases that knock women in a bad psychotic way that can be life threatening. 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. There is also a critical shortage of Foster Carers internationally, so that the Hugis offered to take the children in could be viewed as altruistic. The gun problem or the absence of blood and powder residues are not make believe. Tina, if you look at family pictures of the Downs, Christie is the eldest and this is her picture. What I explain in the blog is that the fact that Foote is the one who removed the children from Dianes care is exactly why he should NOT have been presiding over her murder trial. Every single one of these questions matter. It was also said at trial that the shooter would have been left handed, which was not the case for Diane. So they did everything in their power to slant the media and the public in their favor. They made her out to be a monster, but in Beckys case, it becomes redeemable. Pay attention: Become TUKO.co.ke ambassador get a branded T-shirt, hoodie or water bottle at our TUKO Shop! Hello. I do not discuss her guilt or innocence because this is not what the blog is about, but I personally hope she is released one day. The woman shot her children. The definition of deviant sociopath does not even exist in the DSM-HI: Downs lawyer at the time should have objected as the term was non existent. Being bipolar, she had no impulse control so it should not have surprised anyone. Blood spatter is not an exact science, and is interpreted differently by experts. To this day, his record is mixed; his law license was suspended for6 monthsin 2011, and there was also talk of a suspension in 2015. Ruger #14-76187; described as the gun used by Diane and belonging to Steve Downs, was not the murder weapon. You are not the only one who thinks she is guilty and I know that getting their man at all cost is a popular mantra, but I disagree. There were posters. I found your blog to be very well written, informative and interesting. Besides, none of those diagnoses are illegal. I am just curious. We had a thoughtful jury that examined the evidence over four days. There is her story, the prosecution case and the defense arguments. Or why the fact that he was a con artist made him such a credible guy in this case. I research cases that in my opinion, were poorly tried. I do not have to put any statement advising people that I am about to present the neglected aspects of the trial. Surprisingly, he accepted the new child and learned to love him dearly. GSR can easily fall off just by brushing your hand against a surface. Her family supported her. Who is Elizabeth Diane Downs, Steve Downs ex-wife? I am a strong believer that pregnancy can do serious harm to some women. The detectives took Diane to the crime scene and were able to retrieve shell cases on the ground where the incident happened. Diane Downs' ex husband, Steve Downs, lost a lot in May 1983 when his ex wife shot their three children, following their divorce in 1980. Im sorry but your article is tosh. According to TMZ, in 2017, Hudson and her former partner David Otunga "reached a temporary custody agreement which gives him custody" of their son. Two of the kids survived the shooting with life altering injuries, and one of the children died. Distractify is a registered trademark. She did diagnose her as suffering from cyclothymic disorder and treated her accordingly. 3. The towel and a girl who had a stroke, was separated from her family and was constantly questioned without being recorded or accompanied by a loved one and testifying to facts that do not match the testimony of the forensic expert is not being reduced to conjecture? I hope they have. If she was the shooter, it had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Just a thought.
Why Isn't Steve Bannon in Jail? Ask the Democrats. | The Nation Not giving you free reign here. She always seems to have not a very close contact with reality. 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. Moreover, he apparently told her that he did not want children and this statement alone would seal Dianes fate. Then feel free to correct the facts and to provide evidence to support them. He has lived a life outside the public eye and hasnt ever come out to give interviews to the media about his ex-wife. Its a rather large part of the story. At what point during these meetings did she start calling him Dad? On May 30, 1983, the McKenzie-Willamette Hospital Chaplain told Dianes father to hire an attorney because the State was going to take his grandchildren away. Of course, her mental health has deteriorated. 1) Gunshot residue/blood splatter. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. She did not fit in and was now anxious to assert her independence and live her own life. It is also very is to clean.
why didn't steve downs get custody - dtdigital.net A. I dont recall telling her to get an apartment. So move on. Whenever your shoot a gun that many times and that close to the victims, theres going to be blood and powder residues. And Ann Rule said that the unicorn that was omnipresent in court was part of the premeditation. Within a few weeks, a judge had placed the surviving kids, Christie and Danny, in protective custody. No way. She could have stayed on the side of the road. I wanted to ask you something on this case. But you sure did comment like a true asshole, huh? 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???
TOP 10 why didn t steve downs get custody BEST and NEWEST In one of them, he knew her name and in another one, she had answered a call and been told to meet someone. She did diagnose her as suffering from cyclothymic disorder and treated her accordingly. I do not believe that this type of abuse would occur today. Yep, Downs who was found guilty in 1984, escaped successfully from the Oregon Womens Correctional Center in 1987 and was transferred to Jersey afterwards. The way Christie was coached did not correspond to the reality of the direct evidence. Whats wrong with the system is whats wrong with us. To have separated Christie from her brother and the rest of the family to be able to get her mom was unconscionable. You said yourself that the title was revealing. 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. You read a few comments. Diane asked for proof that her ex husband was behind the shooting. She s. 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. So, how much do you know about him aside from this acting profile? Most people described Dianes injury as minor or superficial but in reality, it was a very serious injury. 20 female celebrities with black hair to follow in 2023, 10 most famous QVC hosts who were fired or left the channel. He then left !his second wife, Charlene, to cohabitate with (and propose marriage to) Diane. Did you read her statements to the parole board in 2008? 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. I feel compelled to comment on this blog, because having recently read Ann Rules book, I feel exactly as you did.
TOP 8 why didn't steve downs get custody BEST and NEWEST Within a few weeks, the kids who had survived were placed in protective custody and were no longer in Steve's care. When they recaptured her, she was very docile. They are the ones who considered Dianes children as, To this day, his record is mixed; his law license was suspended for, Belli filed a motion for a 2-week extension to familiarize himself with the case because he had to be in Italy, and declared Diane innocent in a press conference, but Foote denied the motion and declared . 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. It is a research done on the case according to many sources. I would say so. Q. All smoke and mirrors to fit a certain scenario. As she is incarcerated, her fate is already sealed, servicing her life sentence in prison. She was fighting back and they did not like it. Wow does he ever look different than how they portrayed him in the TV movie. They are still part of their birth family. Diane ran away from her husband many times between 1976 and 1977, but with nowhere to go except her parents house, she would come back. In high school, she met handsome Steven Downs who saw her for the great beauty she had become. Unfortunately couldnt really do anything at that point, as the movie was not VHS yet, it only aired that oncein late 89. It became judicial kidnapping to obtain a coerced confession: inflammatory
Detective Welch reminded Diane of the assault her sister witnessed in February 1983, in which steve Downs broke Dianes tailbone (Appendix 74, page 1025). I agree that the phone call from Angel was totally inappropriate. But the Parole Board refused to hear her. She goes on to say that she has deep regret and mourns the loss and death of her children. I remember when Diane shot her kids and there are some facts Id like to correct from your blog. According to the state, the shooter was well inside the car and would have had gun powder on its clothing, body or hair if 3 people were shot in the car at close distance. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n364/a03.html // Prison-happy U.S. must reconsider use of mercy; Carol S. Steiker, professor at Harvard Law School, Sep. 10, 2008 , http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080910_Prison-happy_U_S__must_reconsider_use_of_mercy.html // US Prison Population Soars to 2.3Mln People at Annual Cost of $7Bln The US prison population has soared to 2.3 million people costing the government more than $7 billion per year. But there was a lot left unsaid about this relationship. They went after Diane at trial for tapping her foot when they played Hungry like the wolf. Right?? Like I said, the 2 years make it a bit more of a gray area. 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. Oh 1 more thing I see a lot of comments on pro Diane web sights that say well she drove them to the hospital. However, in 1980, the couple divorced.
What Happened to Diane Downs' Husband Following Her Sentencing? How about dads side of the family? After arriving at the nearest hospital where the nursing staff and doctors attended to the children, the police were called in and her parents arrived promptly. The fact that the DA adopted the children, since it was after the trial, is more of a gray area. There was no question in Dianes mind that Knick would take another mistress if she married him, and that hed move on again. Except for Paul Cortez. My problem with the circumstances surrounding the crimes against these innocent children is that they were twisted by the media. It probably was not salacious enough for her readers that she polled online to establish if there was enough interest in the story to fill her pockets with a definite blockbuster. Completely unethical, and not in the best interest of those children. In fact, Diane had consulted a psychologist after the tragedy and after months of consultation, she was never diagnosed as a sociopath. It sounds like Diane was trying to tell her to stay away from bad influences. What was the justification? There is so much to say about this blog I wouldnt know where to start. She had a bullet wound in the arm, and the three kids in the back of the blood-soaked car had all been shot at close range. What mother takes her kids out at night and then stops for a stranger with her kids in the car? The case is old and the blog dated, but it is never too late to respond. I watched the paroles hearing in 08, was lucky to find it, it was streamed live at the timemy sister, who is a whiz with computers, found it for me. The most frequent remarks I hear about the case when confronted by the state misconduct and the lack of evidence are gut feelings I dont buy it Shes guilty She did it I know she did it Her story makes no sense Shes evil Shes crazy. It had to be her.. The bitches own daughter identified Downs as the shooter. HUGE conflict of interest. danny also said a cartoon character shot themalso he was SHOT IN THE BACK how could he see the shooter????????? Those cases shouldnt have been in the same court let alone presided over by the same judge. Downs is a worthless as the day is long.. Maybe you should read the blog before commenting. 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. 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? Bannon, a former adviser . I almost felt bad for her.that being she seemed so lost in her lies..she just hangs in limbo now. 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. Even on a worldwide scale, the age of accountability is considered to be twelve years old. McPherron: I mean, it was plastered all over. When Diane had failed to mention it herself, he even informed them that she had bought a .22 caliber shotgun in Arizona, just before she had left for Oregon.
The Pros and Cons of Getting Sole Legal Custody - Verywell Family The cops admitted that they never investigated the tips about a bushy haired stranger. 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: relevance? 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. You do not refute any of the points I made in the blogs. I saw footage of Diane herself laughing during the re-enactment of the crime. The lousy men in their lives never took a hit because after all, it was these witches fault. The detective said to leave that up to the police. Foote then handled the juvenile docket and first encountered Downs when he ordered her two surviving children into state protective custody. But you are right to say that it is my site. Diane found with him,the kind of relationship she had never known before: there was actually care and intimacy involved. You say she made more of a fuss about her arm than about the injuries her children sustained. Considering the lack of evidence, it seems that she was condemned mostly because of herinappropriatestatements and behavior. I must humbly admit that I had not questioned the facts of the case before readily accepting this image of Diane as a cold blooded killer. Instead, there is blood splatter on the ceiling of the car. Even put in different hospitals. I am sorry the meaning of nonsense evades you like the facts of the case in this instance. Because Foote was already familiar with the case, the presiding judge assigned him the murder trial after Downs was charged with the shootings. They had their second child, Cheryl Lynn, in 1976, followed by Stephen Danial, born in 1979. The DA that put away their mom is not an appropriate placement choice. The media keeps talking about several escapes, but there was only one. Do you remember it would have been around say November 19th of 82 that you would have left Charlene at one time? 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. The detectives and the state failed to act properly and it should not be an accepted practice. On the single count of murder, the jurors needed a unanimous decision. It is not a run of the mill case. I had never heard of this case and fell upon several videos that had me completely convinced DD was a narcissistic psychopath. This website supports restorative justice, so of course it leans towards sentences that are not life without parole if it is supported by a warden and mental health specialists. Diane was found guilty and sentenced to life and she has been in prison ever since. When Dianes youngest daughter, who was adopted after being taken away by the state, found out who her real mother was and decided to reach out to her, the media and Rule grabbed hold of her to promote their agenda.
Seems like former husband, Steve Downs, should've been the custodial Legally speaking, we do not go after people because they look evil or crazy. Here's what we know. She had no priors and no history of violence in prison. This same witness corroborated that Diane did not stop to do something suspicious or dispose of the gun. Blood, cuts, limo driver who saw him come in, the shoe print, the blood in the car and on the socks in his bedroom. Imagine the ones there for years. They lied about the ballistics. Crime is entertainment and big money so this case will continue to be on the forefront and the same assumptions will be repeated over and over again. I lived in Eugene, Oregon for years. The police admitting on the stand that after 2 weeks, they stopped looking at suspects appears to be a fact. So I start with that bit of history in mind. It took a lot of time to research this case and present the other side of the coin. But the fact that the prosecutor called her a deviant sociopath in court without any assessment became another nail in her coffin. And she should be allowed parole! 5. The interpretation of blood splatter is different than no blood splatter. You can believe what you like. I will change it. Considering that the marks on the lethal bullets did not fit the bullet fingerprinting found in the rifle, this gun switcheroo was a good save for the state, but did not support the theory presented at trial either. In her book, Ann Rule made sure to mention that running water was heard by a dispatcher when Diane was at the hospital; insinuating that she was washing her hands and getting rid of evidence.