Standards of conduct are defined by state law, but they generally require a judge to avoid appearances of impropriety, such as avoiding deciding a dispute in which the judge is personally involved in the issue at stake or has a relationship to one of the parties.. Diane, 18, had run away from home to do so. Also, he has never given television interviews about his family or ex-wife, who is now serving time in prison. Their haste to go to trial created this mess and lingering doubts. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Teams of people and detectives combed the area for months looking for the gun but it was nowhere to be found. They made her out to be a monster, but in Beckys case, it becomes redeemable. 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. Rule made up stories to sell books and the rights to a movie. Despite all these misgivings, they chose to stay strong in the marriage and had their first child, Christie Ann, in 1974. What disease did Ray Liotta have, and what caused his death? 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. How could they expect a normal mother/daughter reunion between a beaten inmate whose mental health had degraded and a daughter trapped in this insanity? It is because she is a high profile person. Since he was in possession of a similar gun, he was a suspect as well, but, when the ballistics did not match, Diane Downs quickly became the prime suspect. 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). But Ann Rules utterly biased account is an insult to investigative journalism and there seems to be very reasonable doubt here. She never mentioned that before, and she doesnt mention the FBI agents name. If they could not find the gun or any trace of a shooting on Diane, and you think shes guilty, it would mean she had an accomplice. Here's what we know. 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. What about the facts of the case? http://www.glamour.com/story/i-found-out-my-mother-was-a-killer-the-rebecca-babcock-story. I still remember my mother picking up the paper and seeing the headline. Problem with that is Diane has said during an interview with detectives that the sketch looks nothing like what she described. 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. Detective Welch reminded Diane of the assault her sister witnessed in February 1983, in which steve Downs broke Dianes tailbone (Appendix 74, page 1025). 6. It was omnipresent in the courtroom as well as the Duran Duran song, The judge instructed them to continue on to force a verdict. The previous video you sent me shows a Jagger pretty animated and involved in the defense of his client. Anyways. He actually was the one who suggested theybecome intimate after many friendly, platonic conversations. 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. Why is there virtually no info on him? That disinformation was alleged by Mr. Hugi the third day into Jim Jaggers defense and it was never objected to by Mr. Jagger . Diane described the stranger that shot them on the road and a police artist came up with a sketch. That testimony was left unchallenged by Mr. Jagger. Nobody had any reason for a conspiracy of this magnitude over a literal nobody. If Diane was bipolar, the non-stop chatter would have been inherent to the situation. When they assess the conduct of an inmate, what counts is mostly how she behaves inside through the years and if she shows violent tendencies. Not right at all. As it was getting dark and the young ones fell asleep in the car, their mother decided to head home. They examined her clothes also. It was the story of Diane Downs. They had high hopes for Dianes future and this bad boy was not part of it. It was kind of interesting to hear Mossimo Giannullis lawyer pleading to have his client sent home or put in general population because his mental health suffered drastically in solitary confinement because of covid after 56 consecutive days in solitary. McPherron: I mean, it was plastered all over. 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. But the fact that the prosecutor called her a deviant sociopath in court without any assessment became another nail in her coffin. This is a fascinating and informative article that has answered some questions I had, and prompted others: 1. Basically then at that Too bad she did not interview Diane or her family. There was no blood on the front seats so Cheryl was laying down and Christie was asleep laying down and never witnessed anything. The authorities believed that the children's father was not a good fit to look after the children after what they had endured when their mother tried to murder them. I will post it when I get it. 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? The prescribed normal dosage for a full grown man is 30 milligrams per day. They now throw people in prison in the US for debts. I would also like to express my disbelief that the same judge presided over both the child welfare case and the criminal one. It probably makes you feel so good. But Diane was not the one dragging Knick out of Charlenes bed every morning intent on making or breaking his relationship with another woman. 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. While these are all good questions, (and were maybe all asked in the jury room during deliberations) I doubt the answers even matter anymore. Wasnt Mr. F supposed to be a child molester? Her other daughter and son were severely injured. It sounds like Diane was trying to tell her to stay away from bad influences. But for what it is worth, I believe she tried to kill her 3 kids. It means you dont orphan the kids. The unicorn, the song, her personality. So either way, it would not be so far fetched that someone said he was the shooter.A little investigation would not hurt. Her lover and former husband testified against her but it did not represent evidence but character assassination. What happened to Diane Downs' husband? When a white attractive woman like Diane Downs appears on the scene while displaying seemingly unpleasant characteristics as a mother and a personality disorder, there is no telling what the media will do with the story. 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. He could not during the marriage so he walked away. No forensic evidence pointing to her, just conjecture based on how mothers should act. She had been the bread winner for most of her marriage, and never wavered in her desire to bring financial stability to her family. We dont know what the Hugi family was doing during this time, probably seeing the kids regularly and getting licensed and approved to take the kids home with them. By many accounts, her children adored her. I feel compelled to comment on this blog, because having recently read Ann Rules book, I feel exactly as you did. Mainly because the courts have to give every chance possible and all the services necessary to the bio family to try to preserve the relationship. That her child was basically forced to admit that she saw her mom shoot them? She always seems to have not a very close contact with reality. Either way, it appears to be a conflict of interest. Is it too late to respond to this? Here's everything you need to know. She signed an affidavit to that effect and wanted the jury informed of it but it was never done. The GSR? Sheriffs Deputy Roy Pond admitted in court that he had already concluded that Diane was guilty and stopped following leads on the orders of his sergeantthree weeks after the shooting. The states own witness, Dr. George Suckow and Dr. Polly Jamison denounced Prosecutor Hugis practice as improper and unethical (Appendix 101 and 104). Right away, the police asked her to go back to the crime scene even thoughshe did not want to leave her children behind. Meaning a trial where lying or failing to disclose exculpatory evidence by prosecutors is not happening. Instead of shooting the little kids, why didnt the carjacker/killer (CK) simply shoot DD dead and take her car? This whole case is flawed. 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. (that one is more of a question). Im sure nothing I write will change that. Gosh Donna, you really dont have a clue. And the interrogations were not tapedand barelydocumented. had to wait for Christie to be able to tell them who did it. And Ann Rule said that the unicorn that was omnipresent in court was part of the premeditation. I also grew up in as time of the most infamous case in Australias judicial history: Lindy Chamberlain and the dingo stole my baby. He is in his 70s now and his photo is not on his linkedin or anywhere I could find. 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. Dianes father tried to hire Melvin Belli, but the judge refused to give him some time to prepare and come back to the US. 5. And what happened to her little daughter is beyond unethical. And if she did it, she has served her time without displaying any violent tendencies whatsoever. This test confirmed Diane had not held a gun. Page 40 of Case History. And she laughed at it by saying it was healthy to want to join the free world, especially if you proclaim your innocence. If not, why not? She (Diane) managed to jump in the car after getting shot in the arm. Diane was 18 years old at the time and had run away from home to get married. There is also a recording where she says that she had no idea who shot them. In one of them, he knew her name and in another one, she had answered a call and been told to meet someone. Diane has not been deemed an ongoing public threat that I am aware of. 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. Instead of grieving, Alice went partying and had sex. She goes on to say that she has deep regret and mourns the loss and death of her children. 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. Even Ann Rule in her book, keeps mentioning that they only had a few months to get Christie to talk, otherwise they could not keep her away from her mother any longer. Dianes brother, James, sat in court one day andnoticed Foote looking at Hugi before ruling on an objection. All Rights Reserved. Yes, but it is a fact that she was starting to say that she did not know who shot them when it happened. The former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader sparked a romantic relationship with Howey and shortly after her career took off with a little help from the Something Borrowed actor's father, who was an. 3. Did CK shoot at car when DD drove away? I have researched the case and pointed out discrepancies and the fact that it was not the slam dunk that they were portraying. What matters to me is that her rights were trampled during her trial. The media keeps talking about several escapes, but there was only one. I watched the highlights of her hearing. She was still trying to extricate herself from a bad relationship with Steve Downs and was in no hurry to repeat the mistake. 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? This case needed to be examined more thoroughly, but the mob mentality didnt allow it. One of them named Angel, called 15-year-old Christie on the phone. There are documented cases of suicides where the person has no GNR, as well as murder cases. And being the mother of three only served to propel Diane in a more manic state. Nuts maybe, but not threatening. 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. But they tended to ignore other important aspects. Brewer stood ready to testify in June 1991, that it was because of Prosecutor Hugis lie that he changed his mind to convict and that he alone was responsible for silencing the dissenting votes of two other jurors (Appendix 97). But Diane couldnt do that. Diane, of her own admission, had plenty of affairs while she worked at the Post Office. Diane Downs is an infamous killer who tried to murder her three children to pursue love. 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 kids were shorted-changed. So it looks and sounds like she is getting special treatment because of her notoriety. They had him micromanaged, and with the testimony of little Christie they were in business: argumentative Basically, I dont believe the site owner has produced enough proof of anything. "I knew within 30 minutes of talking with that woman that she was guilty": Surgeon who helped save one of Diane Downs' kids in 1983 after she shot her recalls chilling interaction. Q. They were put in an impossible situation. Not unlike Diane, Alice did not want to share her pain in public. I found nothing. The point is our trials need to be conducted fairly and based on evidence. Q. What was the justification? This was the prosecution and conviction of (Elizabeth) Diane Downs who has now been incarcerated for too many years in one of Californias (overcrowded) State prisons. I do not have to put any statement advising people that I am about to present the neglected aspects of the trial. Many attribute the conviction of Downs to the arrival of author Ann Rule at Downs' trial. Everything I outlined should be public knowledge. I almost felt bad for her.that being she seemed so lost in her lies..she just hangs in limbo now. Tis why at 10 years old I was hearing about this case in Ohio, and family members talked about it around me.it hit with great force that way. It is not my point. However, in 1980, the couple divorced. That didnt seem right so we wrote a letter to Mr Hugi with a request for visitation rights. But strangely, they took no photos of the crime scene and did not lift fingerprints from the drivers side of the car. Lack of blood spatter is not evidence of innocence Especially when a shooter is leaning in and shooting into a box (car) while standing outside. Offers may be subject to change without notice. And after Diane left Arizona she didnt call Knick to inquire about his love, but rather about when he would repay the $500 (Appendix 81, pages 1479-1480). Again thats opinion, and neither balanced nor objective. Same with her brother. 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 sayreadthis to understand accounts of people laughing at the wrong time and how it is related to their personality disorder. I try to bring out the details that were ignored because Down was so unpopular. I lived through the media coverage. Were they involved in the plot too?? Of course, her mental health has deteriorated. In fact, Knick admits Diane took that gold chain as collateral against a $500 LOAN she made to him. All the years in prison probably made her way more disturbed than she ever was. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Brewer changed his mind. Now Diane Downs did not say any of this, but told a hard to believe story, and then changed it from one to two masked guys, etc. Regina, I love your comment! I am publishing your comment because once in a while, I need to post the pitiful representation of true crime readers who made Anne Rule a rich author. He needed, now more than ever, to vacate the area asap. In my opinion, the investigation was too hasty and only focused on Diane. After six weeks in Oregon where the children were happily spending time with their grandparents while Diane worked her postal route, the incident happened on a dark road that led to Diane being accused of murder and attempted murder. http://www.salem-news.com/articles/july152013/midnight-med-tb-2.php It appeared rigged: Rigged? Her 7-year old daughter Cheryl died but her 3-year old son Danny and her 8-year old daughter Christie survived. Just like Rule though, your blog is extremely biased, and reads almost as though she told you exactly what to write at times. It seems they all went the easy way. 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. It was the story of two troubled young souls trying to survive without a safety net. Inside, outside, top to bottom. In a perfect world this would always be the case. Diane wanted to wait for her daughter to feel better, be accompanied by an expert and have the meetings taped? When she resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. Maybe I should have elaborated more about this comment. Either way he could NOT have seen who shot him unless he has eyes in the back of his head. Its too late for me to call myself a murderer (when I am not) just to purchase my freedom. You left and you and Diane Downs spent an evening at a motel? She learnedat a young age to keep her emotions in check and to always present a strong and brave front. 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. Being interested in a subject without bringing emotions to the table is always the most important step. Insulting a woman in prison since 30 years instead of debating the inconsistencies of this case is pretty pathetic. I actually can relate to things she did and was like, especially chasing after a guy that dont want youi did one night stands during my chase..to try to get over himits was a dumb idea and really made things worse, but it made sense at the time. You read a few comments. 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. In the moment of who shot youmy momhave a hard time believing that could be coached. You mention that her attorney should have raised objections. Christie became the star witness against her mother and who could resist such a touching testimony? Nevertheless, Steve and Diane tied the knot on November 13, 1973. ?.the fact you are ignoring something SO OBVIOUS is a red flag. Fred Hugi was pretty upset when Ann Rule went Hollywood with his case. Mission accomplished: Relevance? It was also said at trial that the shooter would have been left handed, which was not the case for Diane. No one bothered with these details so I did. I was shocked any asked why she thought that. They rarely are, especially in the US. woman quot~ unquote, do you remember anything like that? 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. 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. I never found a photo of James C. Jagger online. Within a few weeks, a judge had placed the surviving kids, Christie and Danny, in protective custody. The only reason they kept her in prison even if she had all the right documentation and support, is because she is high profile. But the high profile nature of the case might hinder the process. What followed was a tragedy subject to many interpretations. That was the extent of her investigation of Dianes side. 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. Who is Elizabeth Diane Downs, Steve Downs ex-wife? I agree on many points with your comment. ..it is quite possible if she was tried in todays world, with the evidence they hadquite possible it would of went differently we been living in a society that pretty much demand 100% pure forensic evidence proven. And even when confronted by the wrongful practices used at trial to get her convicted, are ok with her being locked up for life. Wrong. She keeps her emotions under tight control, presenting only socially acceptable feelings and burying other contradictory feelings.. In fact, Diane had consulted a psychologist after the tragedy and after months of consultation, she was never diagnosed as a sociopath. Its tiresome. So yes I think she did it, I think ration left her a long before she did itI think post pardum played in this, I think, she was scattered all over the map.againjust hearing it in her own words. Susan, I dont know if there ever was a lawsuit against Ann Rule from the Fredericksons family. Have you actually read the transcript of the trial?? But there were discrepancies; the tool marks did not matchand the detective lied on the stand about it. Her father passed away in October 2017 after having fought relentlessly for her release. I've just seen that in Halo's new tv series, Steve Downes isn't going to voice master chief. A new trial would be out of the question, so to me, parole would be the solution. I agree that the phone call from Angel was totally inappropriate. She has an excellent conduct report and never reacted violently to any of the harassment from other inmates. If the goal was to get rid of them, why didnt she emulate her lesser half in this matter? Blood spatter is not an exact science, and is interpreted differently by experts. Why didnt they mention that he said a bad man and whatever else in his condition when they knew it was not possible? , 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. If you want to defend Diane Downs, more power to you. There were posters. Much worse. As soon as Diane was found guilty, Hugi demanded that Diane be evaluated by a psychiatrist before sentencing so they could declare her a dangerous offender and give her a stiffer sentence.
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