It is said that they didn't go to Steve because he wasn't a fit father or well equipped to take care of children who had gone through such a traumatic experience. You say she made more of a fuss about her arm than about the injuries her children sustained. I go through every new finding and I point out what was done at trial that did not respect due process. 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. For the upcoming Halo TV show, original Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes was recast, despite Cortana voice actor Jen Taylor reprising her role from the iconic video game franchise. 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. There are no facts? In reality,the whole caseturned out to beno small sacrifice for Diane Downs, but it was a huge victory for the State, the media anda very lucrative deal for theQueen of crime fiction herself; Ann Rule. This is not the reason she is still locked up. Those cases shouldnt have been in the same court let alone presided over by the same judge. In Rules book, Diane is portrayed as a horrible selfish mother but her family and friends saw another version; she lovedher childrendearly and worked hard to be a good provider. You indicated you were not going to get a divorce? They often argued about their financial issues and fought over infidelities. As she walked away, Detective Welch called after her, If you dont testify against Steve, youre going to lose everything. Diane turned back to say, Show me proof, and walked away. 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. 2 years in foster care waiting to be legally free for adoption is not that uncommon even today. Why? 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. I agree about pregnancy and childbirth affecting women differently, and even having different effects for the same woman with different pregnancies. 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. Downs wanted to get rid of the kids because her new boyfriend didn't want . As a result, joint legal custody which means parents share in the decision-making 1 is becoming the default decision in many family court systems. If it doesnt matter to you, it should. But I think that in all fairness, many of them dont even know the details of the case and have watched Small Sacrifices instead. Id like to challenge some of the bloggers claims. Police witness reports of strangers and confessions were suppressed or not pursued. I am not her advocate, but I think she did not get due process. 4. The children should have been receiving therapy throughout. But showing no remorse is part of claiming her innocence and part of the vicious circle of parole hearings. If he was getting too close to the witness emotionally he should have stepped away from the case. What about the terror of being interrogated by strangers and separated from her family? 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. The way Christie was coached did not correspond to the reality of the direct evidence. Diane clearly would have had to have had her rights terminated by the court. I wanted to ask you something on this case. If you are not bothered by lack of due process and a prosecutor making up psychiatric labels and adopting kids from a defendant or a judge who gets promoted from family court to criminal court to hang Diane, I am sure bothered by it. Jesus Ortiz Paz's parents, net worth, wife, and daughter. Diane was found guilty and sentenced to life and she has been in prison ever since. So, how much do you know about him aside from this acting profile? As for where he is now, we'll be honest, we're not completely sure. The flesh and muscle had been cored three days earlier, but the steel plate and bone graft could not be effected for two weeks (a precaution against infection). Isnt is odd how something we are exposed to as children can stick in our memory? Everything was in the bag and ready for trial. They said so and were told to go back to deliberate. I do not believe that this type of abuse would occur today. Also, the title of the website clearly demonstrates an inherit bias. Q. 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. In 1992 I became involved in this work following my interest and research into a notorious murder trial that was held in Oregon many years ago. Reduces conflict because communication is limited. Back in Phoenix, Arizona, in Moon Valley High School, Steve Downs met Elizabeth Diane for the first time. I care about what was said at trial. And she laughed at it by saying it was healthy to want to join the free world, especially if you proclaim your innocence. 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??? Her mom is still alive and would love to have contact but respect that they wont. Thanks again for bringing this to my attention. According to Oregon law, this would have to be supported by a psychiatrists report or a Wardens letter and Diane provided both. 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. But for what it is worth, I believe she tried to kill her 3 kids. Q. If there is a fair trial and sentencing, I usually dont write about a case, but high profile cases tend to need more scrutiny because emotions run high. I am a firm believer of where there is smoke there is fire. Legally speaking, we do not go after people because they look evil or crazy. Conflict of interest on steroids!! In her case it seems to be more a matter of punishment. Just similar stuff.and that I guess, makes it easy for me to see how that song could of fueled her up.never underestimate the power if a song..what feels intense and exciting to you, may not to another, but shoot, anytime I hear pink floyd run like hell.takes me right back 1991 in the heat of my chase..for me, I got the answers I wanted from 89 when my friend said that about the Duran song and it involved in that case. There are some stories that stick with you for a long time. It is called a conflict of interest. I stuck to what came out at trial and not the fantasy factory coming from the state, the media and Rule. She even provided the police with her own sketch. 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. 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. I agree. 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. statement regarding the effects of the childrens medications while in hospital should acknowledge where the blogger obtained information about the side effects.). You are already subscribed to our newsletter! The jury verdict was guilty on all counts, but there was a mixture of votes. Again I go back to how times were back then. 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. 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. In reply to Nick. As was his habit, Knick failed to take into consideration what Diane or his wife had to say on the matter. Many troubling elements of the case were discovered after the trial, but there was enough during the proceedings to be asking questions. Where is Diane Downs' husband now? Diane changed her story about the stranger on the road. She functions best in highly structured environments where she has a sense of control. Just goes to show how difficult it is sometimes to find the truth. He has lived a life outside the public eye and hasn't ever come out to give interviews to the media about his ex-wife. And if she did it, she has served her time without displaying any violent tendencies whatsoever. It gave Anne Rule carte blanche to legally use these labels in her book and it stuck. Do you remember probably about four or five days after U seem very one sided on every case Ann Rule has ever written just as u claim she did to u. N her parents didnt want custody of the children just like the father. Common sense will tell this Court, when Diane accidently slammed her mangled arm into the steering wheel of Detective Tracys car, it was ANYTHING but a laughing matter. You wondered at times, which side he was working for. 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. 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. 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 asked her brother James an answer to your question. The rest of the family? In addition, the children were suffering life-changing physical and mental trauma, which would take years to heal. Why did CK shoot the kids multiple times and DD once? Her ex-husband has been of great interest, considering his absence from the media despite the case getting significant attention. . After parting ways, the couple would soon meet again in Arizona which would end up in them reigniting and reconnecting their fling. Fingerprints at the crime scene were not produced by the State. Judges are subject to certain ethical standards and have a duty to be impartial. This blog is riddled with inconsistencies, suppositions and a lack of the most basic referencing (e.g. I watched the highlights of her hearing. She threw her keys yet was able to take off right away?? After a failed marriage that got her a divorce from Steve Downs, she wanted to be with her lover. WTF? And the fact that Tracy wrote in his notes that Christies reaction could have been excitement to see her mom but they decided to only mention extreme fear? And the motive? Love Island's Jay Younger reveals what you DON'T see on the show She wrote to the governor several times after being dismissed coldly by Hugi and the system. She was still trying to extricate herself from a bad relationship with Steve Downs and was in no hurry to repeat the mistake. I tried to contact you by email but my email wouldnt acknowledge you email address. It sounds like Diane was trying to tell her to stay away from bad influences. Why didnt they mention that he said a bad man and whatever else in his condition when they knew it was not possible? The court can just do an APR, Assignment of Parental Rights. Is it just to continue to punish her so long after she is obviously no longer a danger in any way to anyone? The fact that the accused in this case was atypical, makes her the perfect target.
why didn't steve downs get custody