Any thoughts on how the detectives basically made up their mind right away in spite of numerous tips coming in? She has an excellent conduct report and never reacted violently to any of the harassment from other inmates. He freely admitted HE decided to ask for a divorce on his birthday without consulting Diane, who was out of town Lack of impulse control is also another symptom that might explain why a mother would stop at night to help a stranger flagging her on the road. Diane Frederickson was born August 7, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona. Sad situation. The blogger continues, I am not one sided. I know several foster parents and social workers. But it is not hard to see that the way this tape and her confession were obtained was not legitimate. Lise do you know if the kids have ever reached out to the grandparents/family in the last few years? But they tended to ignore other important aspects. They removed them and proceeded to interrogate the poor girl until she gave them what they needed. The unreliability of childrens testimony has been documented by cognitive psychologists such as Elizabeth Loftus of the University of Cornell and others. Mr. Clickhere to read about faulty ballistics.. 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. Sonny arrives at his restaurant and gives Dex, who is there, the night off. Simply because I researched them. You indicated you were not going to get a divorce? In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. The jurors had doubts. You cannot skip due process because of mob mentality. 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. But in the case of DD, there were a lot of elements missing. As for where he is now, we'll be honest, we're not completely sure. I was also stunned that she took the reports of all of Dianes ( mostly married) ex lovers as absolute truth and never once questioned that they might have been lying and retrospectively minimising their feelings for Diane to protect themselves. Wasnt he the stranger? tell someone else. No conflict of interest there? I am posting Jamesanswer: Yes the allegations were said and you cannot take back what was saideven if retracted This was very stressful. I would say so. At the time, among 49 prisoners denied parole, the board had given only four inmates, including Downs, a 10-year wait. Shes guilty. The Parole Board had an obligation to parole Diane between 1998 and 2002 if she could provide reasonable cause to show she was not a danger to society. If she did have memories of the actual shooting, that would be very rare. This coercion came to Dianes attention in January 1989 (Appendix 39). Page 41 of case history. Im glad you continued to look for more information as time went on. I would like to raise the numerous issues with this blog. After the trial that convicted Diane Downs, Fred Hugi, the Prosecutor adopted Christie and Danny (they were in foster care for 2 years before he decided to adopt them), the two surviving children. 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). They were in a group home and he was getting unsupervised visitation with them. The judge instructed them to continue on to force a verdict. None of this is EVIDENCE of anything in regard to the murder trial, and not once did I read that it was. 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 you have an attorney, use him.. They should have taken the time necessary to find enough evidence. The police DID fingerprint the car, from grill to trunk and in between. A. The old toilet block which could be replaced by a cafe (Image: Adam Postans) A new caf planned for the Downs in Bristol would likely be blocked by a 160-year-old Victorian law . 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. And if he really was attached to them and wanted to offer them a permanent home, it means he was unfit to be the prosecutor in this case. 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? And Steven was free to follow her lead or not. The detectives took Diane to the crime scene and were able to retrieve shell cases on the ground where the incident happened. Or that they are not even curious about it. Why arent you debating the faulty ballistics, and the fact that the gun they affirmed was used in the commission of the crime was not the right one? why didn't steve downs get custody. A conviction founded on lies is no conviction at all. Page 50 of Case History. She. Fred Hugi was pretty upset when Ann Rule went Hollywood with his case. I agree. You said yourself that the title was revealing. But if you compare the time she was seen by the witness to the timing of her arrival at the hospital, it seems to indicate she went pretty fast, butnone of it was explained ordemonstrated properly. Yes, dad relinquished his rights but he knew that they loved their grandparents and had allowed Diane to take them for a visit without telling the authorities. You do not refute any of the points I made in the blogs. The prescribed normal dosage for a full grown man is 30 milligrams per day. 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? My opposition to movies about true crime stories is unshakable. She repeated it years later at school. Brewer changed his mind. And she laughed at it by saying it was healthy to want to join the free world, especially if you proclaim your innocence. Go to the hate groups for that. It can safely be presumed, other children told their parents, and that some of those parents reported the disturbing revelation to states Attorney, Prosecutor Fred Hugi. I had nonetheless heard of the legendary Diane Downs; the cruel sociopath who had sacrificed her own children to be free to pursue a relationship with the man she loved. You mention her youngest daughter, and how Ann made sure she only heard negative information about Diane.. In the nurses notes, she is described as in shock and unable to grasp the situation. Child Protective Services takes confidentiality to the extreme (warranted in most cases). it also isnt right that the rules get to keep being changed after the fact as far as how often one may apply for parole. May be the guy who says he did it. Saudi Princesses in Captivity for More Than a Thousand and One Nights Are Tweeting the Blues, Having recently done research on the Liysa Northons case which was the subject of a book written by Ann Rule titled, Some 287 errors and falsehoods were documented by Liysa and verified by official sources. Diane did not get a fair trial. Diane had spent three days in the hospital ingesting massive doses of Morphine, Demerol, Percodan, and visterol. that you told Diane to tell steve that she was Knicks Id like to challenge some of the bloggers claims. The lovely Farrah Fawcett who played in the movie Small Sacrifices was known for her epic battles with lover Ryan ONeil. Where is the blood spatter on Diane? Hardly circumstantial or coincidental what are the chances that a bushy haired stranger, masked men, or someone that knew her (take your pick from Dianes ever shifting account) would have the exact same bullets matching to bullets from a gun owned by Diane ? 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. I guess he did not want too many people to know about the improprieties that happened in his courtroom. Dilantin is known to cause mental confusion and you can check it online, but consider the dosage she was on and it needs no clarification. If there is one thing Diane knew about her lover, is that he was fickle and did not like trouble of any kind. Foote then handled the juvenile docket and first encountered Downs when he ordered her two surviving children into state protective custody. But he overestimated the kind of people that would go along with this soap opera. statement regarding the effects of the childrens medications while in hospital should acknowledge where the blogger obtained information about the side effects.). By the way, Dianes parents mourn the loss of their grandchildren to this day. Tracy, I never said she was in the car. This blogger believes in the presumption of innocence and in the possibility of redemption. Another conflict of interest. They were tons of witnesses that saw him at work. Either way he could NOT have seen who shot him unless he has eyes in the back of his head. 5. She was in solitary confinement for years and even escaped from prison once but was recaptured. Then they just got shut out. It had nothing to do with the evidence of the case and represents useless labeling anyway. A demonstration in court strongly suggested that the shooter had to be left-handed to have been able to shoot in the car at the right angle. A very reasonable request that was rejected. As I stated towards the beginning of my response, Im taking issue with the blog and the subjective language used. Thanks Kit, It is a bit of a mystery to me that not more people see that if we removed the high profile name and the accompanying media storm, the case was no slam dunk. Everything I outlined should be public knowledge. All the reports and even the warden thought she was not a threat anymore. She complained about it, but that does not mean she did not suffer for her kids. But my beef is with the interference by the media, TV shows and Ann Rule. That disinformation was alleged by Mr. Hugi the third day into Jim Jaggers defense and it was never objected to by Mr. Jagger . That hurt our family deeply. As we have reported in great detail in the past, Diane Downs could not possibly have committed the crime of shooting her children, or there would have been evidence of gunpowder residue and blood. Any thoughts on that? There are many cases where investigators jump to conclusions either because in their gut they think they know or pressure to make an arrestand i guess with all the attention this case got they gave their gut and the public what they wanted. According to your own experience Lori, dont they try to give grandparents custody or at least access in cases comparable to this one? 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. Seriously. This case certainly had its share of circumstantial evidence. Mr. But I am realistic. 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. Problem with that is Diane has said during an interview with detectives that the sketch looks nothing like what she described. The inconsistencies and obvious lack of evidence in this case should have called for a wider investigation instead of solely focusing on their prime suspect. It simply states the facts of the case. They had him micromanaged, and with the testimony of little Christie they were in business: argumentative Steve Downes has voiced the Master Chief in the Halo games since his 2001 debut, and his voice has become synonymous with the character.However, despite Jen Taylor being asked to reprise her role as the . I cant believe anyone even believes or even follows you. Phenobarbital was administered alongside the Dilantin. How ironic. Robert Schlosser, Cathy's father, lives in a 900 . Years later, Christie was heard saying by classmates that she did not know who shot her. If he was getting too close to the witness emotionally he should have stepped away from the case. Just saw the video of Dianes parole hearing. It is not a plus, but it is not a crime either. As for how to answer this question,,, seems like he is assuming guilt and because of this my parents or me or my brothers and sister, our uncles and aunts were not considered because of an unproven allegation Does he truly believe this is ok??? The hell with doubts, ballistics and pesky details about the shooting, we cannot disagree becausethere is hunting and fishing to do and friendships to uphold. 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. She had been isolated from her whole family and being unethically interrogated. In fact, Diane and her lawyer wanted Christie to be able to heal before being questioned and to be accompanied and taped during the sessions. Within three weeks, Diane had lost custody of her remaining wounded children and had become the number one suspect in the eyes of the police department and District Attorneys office. 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. It seems that the Downs were totally ignored. Plus, the circumstances of this charade were more than sinister. The strong, emotive language. 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. I agree. I read the letter they sent to the Downs when they were fighting to see their grandchildren. Steve Bannon won't be detained before trial on charges of contempt of Congress after he failed to comply with subpoenas from the House committee investigating January 6. 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. But if the blogger is arguing that the blog is balanced and objective, thats patently untrue. I am not saying that Diane was a saint or Ann Rule a demon. Johns Hopkins said lockdowns reduced deaths by 0.2%. Yes, shes as guilty as Simpson. Thank you Lise. The only reason they kept her in prison even if she had all the right documentation and support, is because she is high profile. Mr. Jagger read the report and said, you were right. It always feels like punishment at all costs. And in fact this would have been about the time that Charlene broke a bottle of liquor that you had. I had never heard of this case and fell upon several videos that had me completely convinced DD was a narcissistic psychopath. She did diagnose her as suffering from cyclothymic disorder and treated her accordingly. Usually it isnt there but every once in awhile, it comes out. They are the ones who considered Dianes children as Small Sacrifices. The blog tries to bring balance and more objectivity to a case that was TOTALLY one sided and still is. Guilty or not, we should know better than to use the justice system as a psychic tool when theres not enough evidence. You make an interesting observation when you say: Anyways. They did not like her attitude and she did not behave the way they expected a grieving mother to act. Now in hindsight, seeing footage on youtube, especially the interview she did with the reporter Anne Jagger, the things she says and facial expression is exactly described in the bookhad to find the section in the book, but on that note, Anne rule did site that interview correctly. In fact, what investigator Tracy had written in his notes is that the heart monitor jumped because of excitement or intense fear. Nobody near to help. Plus, Diane could have never cleaned her clothes and her hair to remove blood and gun powder. 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. The lack of balance and objectivity. Wasnt it speculative on their part? This is a scenario pretty hard to believe, but as they say, reality can sometimes be stranger than fiction. She did not have the opportunity to clean her hands with the right product to erase all traces and she was tested pretty fast, contrary to many other cases. It was far fetched, unfoundedand convenientlyrelayedby Rule to boost the sales of her book. 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. (Appendix 81, page 1466). She felt fulfilled when she was pregnant because she believedit was the road to unconditional love. In case you did not read the blog: During Dianes examination at trial, Fred Hugi said in front of the jury, in the form of a question, that she had been diagnosed as a deviant sociopath. I do not know what happened on Old Mohawk Road on that dark evening, but I know that they did not have enough evidence totry andconvict Diane Downs. Is. Two jurors had voted that Diane was not guilty of attempted murder or first-degree assault, but endedup voting to convict her of murder. Because she had driven that area for years for her work. It is called a conflict of interest. I am also engaged in other wrongful convictions that have taken place within the US. 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. A. I was still living in the house, yes, sir. She attacked her husband and ripped his neck open in a jealous rage (Appendix 81, page 1520), tearing from his neck the gold chain he still wore from his first marriage (a gift from his first wife). This unhealthy marriage survived and became a daily struggle. 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