I think that looked at through a more objective lens, many aspects of the Downs case are highly questionable. She then said she pulled over because she thought the stranger needed help. They were not truth seekers and enjoyed a nice burning at the stake instead. It does not get any bigger than this. 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. Police witness reports of strangers and confessions were suppressed or not pursued. The reason she is likely locked up is because she was diagnosed with narcissistic, histrionic and anti social personality disorder, that makes her a very dangerous person (especially since she is a murderer). I have watched her parole hearing. Did CK shoot at car when DD drove away? I will take a screen shot of the sketch. 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. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. They were traumatized and needed familiar faces to feel safe. Mr. Downs must have had a bad feeling about Jagger because before trial, he tried to retain defense attorney Melvin Belli who had the reputation of fighting for his clients and to win all his cases. This blogger believes in the presumption of innocence and in the possibility of redemption. (Appendix 3). Makes no difference to me. I point out some obvious facts and discrepancies, and that due process was shoved aside because the state and the media presented a guilty image right from the start. On her way to the hospital,she was followed by someone who said she was going slow, but Diane said she was driving fairly fast. If it was not such a high profile case, Diane Downs would have been paroled a long time ago, considering her good behavior and lack of priors. So I start with that bit of history in mind. We found 5 phone numbers and email addresses. She states, I did not shoot my children and I cant say I did. It was pitch black outside. Nowadays, this insanity would never be tolerated. I especially loved reading everyones comments. A new trial would be out of the question, so to me, parole would be the solution. Thanks for the link. They said so and were told to go back to deliberate. Ffs maybe u should go back to writing screenplays. I didnt know that. One of them named Angel, called 15-year-old Christie on the phone. The interpretation of blood splatter is different than no blood splatter. Messed. Just before 11 P.M., Diane Downs reportedly pulled her blood-soaked car up to the door of McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and screamed, Somebody just shot my kids!, Photo by: Diane Downs [Wikimedia Commons]. The bitches own daughter identified Downs as the shooter. Considering the lack of evidence, it seems that she was condemned mostly because of herinappropriatestatements and behavior. Brewer changed his mind. That is the reason effective trial counsel challenges the competency of a nine-year-old child to testify in a court of law. As far as Hugi is concerned, it was a total conflict of interest. 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). They should have looked for a possible accomplice and checked all the leads. 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. She was in solitary confinement for years and even escaped from prison once but was recaptured. Join Facebook to connect with Robert Knickerbocker and others you may know. The next day, on June 16, 1983, CSD terminated Dianes visitations with her children altogether. Page 10 of Case History. But it is not hard to see that the way this tape and her confession were obtained was not legitimate. In the spring of 1986, Christie confided to school mates that shed been coerced to lie in court, to implicate her mother (Appendix 1-2). The fact that Dianes injury was way more serious than they tried to pretend? Not hard to go there. The fruit of this abduction was the May 23, 1983, videotape re-enactment staged by Detective Tracy in which Diane is clearly hysterical. Our laws are not written that way. Just like Rule though, your blog is extremely biased, and reads almost as though she told you exactly what to write at times. Diane followed the detectives to their car. Mr. Jagger said it wasnt t enough to know a witness had lied, but she would have to prove it. 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. When he said that he and his wife had reconciled he wasnt lying either, because, throughout the investigation and the trial in which Robert testified against Diane his wife stood by him. If not from her high profile status, she would already be out. Robert Knickerbocker in Scottsdale, AZ Robert Knickerbocker may also have lived outside of Scottsdale, such as Phoenix. Is there any update? In fact, if appropriate family is found, termination is not required. Her trial was speculative and based on so many fallacies. . It simply states the facts of the case. The fact that she drove there and it saved the life of two of her children should give anyone pause. They removed them and proceeded to interrogate the poor girl until she gave them what they needed. Speculative? She's been imprisoned for nearly 35 years. She had no priors and no history of violence in prison. From reading the blog and my little understanding of this case, Ms Downs remains in custody as she is considered a dangerous offender. He freely admitted HE decided to ask for a divorce on his birthday without consulting Diane, who was out of town Were they involved in the plot too?? It was omnipresent in the courtroom as well as the Duran Duran song, The judge instructed them to continue on to force a verdict. All the reports and even the warden thought she was not a threat anymore. The Diane Downs case a case where a woman was convicted of shooting her three children, killing one of them, along a roadway in Springfield, Oregon became the subject of ABCs 20/20 in the episode entitled My Mothers Sin. Stephen Daniel (known as Danny), 3, Cheryl Lynn, 7, and Christie Anne, 8, were all shot multiple times in the May 19, 1983 attack. Plus: California man uses Bitcoin to pay hitman to murder his ex; police accuse woman of abandoning baby found frozen to death in 1985; woman who may be victim of alleged D.C. serial killer identified; and Ghislaine Maxwell makes bid for lighter sentence. In fact, watching that was the first time I heard her voice and saw her presence, it was a year or so later that old interviews showed up on YouTube. This video of Jagger absolutely looks like the photo that you find on search engines for Fred Hugi. Name: Robert A Knickerbocker, Phone number: (520) 293-1877, State: AZ, City: Tucson, Zip Code: 85705 and more information They claimed to have found two lead cartridges in Dianes rifle at home that supposedly matched the ones used during the crime. The diagnosis of the psychiatrist for the state is also clearly documented. The State produced a witness (Ms. Patterson) to testify that Diane Downs entered the hospital bathroom, left the door open, and ran water in the sink (Appendix 87, page 476). $30k AVERAGE INCOME Our wealth data indicates income average is $30k. Add a Memory Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Right away, the police asked her to go back to the crime scene even thoughshe did not want to leave her children behind. Diane recanted the stories about her dad who vehemently denied them. .well yay for youtubelol..is when I first heard her in old interviews. The point is our trials need to be conducted fairly and based on evidence. 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. . I never read the Ann Rule book, but saw Small Sacrifices as a kid and have had an interest in this case ever since. Because Foote was already familiar with the case, the presiding judge assigned him the murder trial after Downs was charged with the shootings. Christie became the star witness against her mother and who could resist such a touching testimony? Lets not forget that she was presumed to have fired a gun 6 times at close range within the confines of a small car. You didnt know that?? Whether or not Mrs. Frederickson could have attacheda clinical lab to Dianes not being herself the day the Detectives pressured Diane to accompany them, the fact is Diane was clearly suffering the residual effects of that chemical poison in her system. Meaning it was unlikely she was the shooter. Many troubling elements of the case were discovered after the trial, but there was enough during the proceedings to be asking questions. In reply to Kit It was very unfair to raise them away from their grandparents and other blood relatives. I personally disagree with that practice but it is common. I still remember my mother picking up the paper and seeing the headline. I am a firm believer of where there is smoke there is fire. Evidence from a ballistics expert. I am not saying she is innocent. Thank you for presenting a side of the story & case apart from the usual narrative. She was not given one inch of presumption of innocence. If she did have memories of the actual shooting, that would be very rare. View their profile including current address, phone number 480-307-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. (520) 293-.css-1y2reja{color:transparent;position:relative;z-index:12;text-shadow:0.1rem 0.1rem 0.6rem #089FE4;}JPTD, aka Robert C Knickerbocker, Robert a Knickerbocke. After Diane got divorced from her husband in 1980, she had taken up a job at the U.S. postal service office, and thats where she first met him. Three weeks after the crime, Judge Foote from family courts, removed Danny and Christie from the care of Diane Downs and her family. The whole blog claims the trial was flawed. Refine Your Search Results. You paint a picture that is actually inaccurate and misleading. There is only one major problem with your scenario. And it is not like these two were white as snow. Why am I not arguing the facts of the trial? Re Diane Downs I invite reading Synopsis quite similar to above: OREGONs Juridical Small Sacrifices They had him micromanaged, and with the testimony of little Christie they were in business: argumentative Eventually, in early 1983, Knickerbocker told Downs that he was not going to leave his wife for her and that he did not want to be father to Downs children or any children, for that matter. It means you dont orphan the kids. Removing the children from her and presiding over her criminal trial? A. I dont recall telling her to get an apartment. The best policy for Diane Downs would have been to remain silent, but she fought back and smiled at the wrong time and according to them, enjoyed the attention. She has done her time in prison and I hope that she gets the chance to get out and spend time with her mother and siblings. 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. . The whole family were co-conspirators and involved in the crime? Robert Knickerbocker in Phoenix, AZ Robert Knickerbocker may also have lived outside of Phoenix, such as Carefree and Scottsdale. This case flew under my radar so to speak because it happened before my time. Rule sued the Seattle Weekly after they published the article titled Ann Rules Sloppy Storytelling, but she lost and had to make restitution. 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. So, were there any other attempted carjackings in the area that night? It probably makes you feel so good. I stuck to what came out at trial and not the fantasy factory coming from the state, the media and Rule. Late Tom Billings had been the first who openly questioned Diane Downs guilt. UNLOCK PROFILE. Robert L Knickerbocker. 5. 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. In a perfect world this would always be the case. A demonstration in court strongly suggested: Suggested, not confirmed. 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. Yes, like many Americans, I think that the US system is barbaric. You say she made more of a fuss about her arm than about the injuries her children sustained. . Or be mentally ill. I also grew up in as time of the most infamous case in Australias judicial history: Lindy Chamberlain and the dingo stole my baby. WTF? Lets also remember that this is the US of A and we dont lock people up for being narcissistic, antisocial histrionic individuals. Maybe because of her notoriety and the victims were children. Fred Hugi was pretty upset when Ann Rule went Hollywood with his case. 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. 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 Open ended sentences like this are meant to provide a means of control and public safety when considering dangerous offenders who may pose a continued risk to the public. Not meaning to sound disrespectful, but you seem to be doing what you accuse Ann Rule of doing. But you dont mention that she again has changed her story. Glenda Mack says she has no idea who would hurt the young boy she had been raising since he was a newborn. Ur not showing facts that Ann Rule lied n misled n ruined lives with. You cant possibly shake off all the gun powder residue and avoid all the blood. But in this case, she had no blood on her body or her clothing. Child Protective Services takes confidentiality to the extreme (warranted in most cases). They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. In 1979, headstrong Diane gave birth to Danny who was not Stevens biological son because he had no desire to be a father again. But I am realistic. That is pure bullshit. Can you imagine your little boy growing up to beat to death (with his bare hands and boots) Is she referring to her ex husband? Years later, Christie was heard saying by classmates that she did not know who shot her. The powers that be knew they had nothing on Diane so Christie became their sacrificial lamb. Women who were somewhat normal begore, get pregnant, have the baby, then drown it a toilet, kill or beat the the baby in the first year..shaking or other means..its less often then notbut better believe these type of cases are reported constantly now on social media. 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. You may leave a message for the family by clicking here. They hardly investigated any other lead after a couple of weeks. Tracy, I never said she was in the car. Yes, shes as guilty as Simpson. And her mental health should definitely have been a factor to release her with follow up care. Despite the arrival of two daughters, Diane and Steves marriage was unstable, and Diane would often take the kids and leave their home, but would always eventually return home to Steve. Every single one. Of course buying drugs with three kids in the middle of the night from a guy like that is not the mindful thing to do, but would be more consistent as an explanation for her actions. But why was the judge in family court hopping over to criminal court? Diane Downs changed her story so many times, even at her parole hearing. This test confirmed Diane had not held a gun. Page 40 of Case History. She never mentioned that before, and she doesnt mention the FBI agents name. Some would say that Diane Downs was condemned because of her lies and inconsistencies, but I think that it was mostly because of her disturbing demeanor and brash personality. The judge instructed them to continue on to force a verdict. 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 ? I can only imagine to absolute horror of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca during their horrific murders. Wasnt it speculative on their part? She complained about it, but that does not mean she did not suffer for her kids. And the interrogations were not tapedand barelydocumented. How could Christie say anything but the things they told her to say with that kind of influence? Lets not take that lightly. If Diane was bipolar, the non-stop chatter would have been inherent to the situation. But if you compare them, and if stranger there was, there are similarities but it is not dead on. The kids were shorted-changed. My problem with the circumstances surrounding the crimes against these innocent children is that they were twisted by the media. If you had, you would clearly know that I do not claim her guilt or innocence. I asked her brother James an answer to your question. Melvin Belli How things could have been different. 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? You simply are a rude individual looking for a reaction. He told the police that Diane had previously stalked him and had even seemed willing to kill his wife to have him all to herself. I try to bring out the details that were ignored because Down was so unpopular. Dianes motive was simple, she wanted to remove her kids from the way so that she could be with Robert. Diane needs some serious spiritual advancement and atonement before she ever will have or deserve peace. And even when confronted by the wrongful practices used at trial to get her convicted, are ok with her being locked up for life. Except for Paul Cortez. Jeff, you mention being harsh as if there was a justification for it. We make them president. The only reason they kept her in prison even if she had all the right documentation and support, is because she is high profile. And if you add the fact that they never found the gun, it doesnt leave much evidenceto back upthe theory that she was the shooter. So it looks and sounds like she is getting special treatment because of her notoriety. She signed an affidavit to that effect and wanted the jury informed of it but it was never done. That same gun turned up at a police raid years later in Perris, California, and it did not match the ballistics from the shooting site. that you told Diane to tell steve that she was Knicks Rule made up stories to sell books and the rights to a movie. There are no facts? After graduation, Steven joined the Navy and Diane was sent to Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College where she failed miserably at remaining pure and chaste, not unlike most girls of her generation who rejected their strict religious upbringing. is this a reason??? She repeated it years later at school. It became judicial kidnapping to obtain a coerced confession: inflammatory Hugi got the evidence needed to convict after numerous meetings with Christie. 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. So the prosecutor adopted the kids? A conviction founded on lies is no conviction at all. Page 50 of Case History. They should have left her alone. 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. Only after these avenues are exhausted should non-relative placement be looked at. And their plan worked. 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. The kind of TV series that they produce on high profile crimes will make sure to turn public opinion. If Oregonians were not all convinced at first, the media and the crown made sure they would be. No one bothered with these details so I did. Downs said that she then faked throwing her keys out of the car into some bushes, pushed the gunman away, and got back into her car and drove as fast as she could to the hospital with her gravely injured children. I was curious as to what these requirements were, as I have not seen these online. Without the media blast and rush to judgment from the police and DAs office, we might have uncovered the truth. They finally charged her and she did 10 years for the death of her children. Accused of her side of the story what the state says how would it be possible for her to do what they presumed. 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. If it doesnt matter to you, it should. Something that would never stand in court now. I found your blog to be very well written, informative and interesting. Diane was cooked the minute she walked in that courtroom. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. If you read the blog, you will see many examples of media hype and character assassination. I have nothing to gain and I am not making up songs and dances about a unicorn. Diane was pregnant during the trial so if found not guilty, how would she have regained the love of her life? I think DD is guilty, but I also think her trial was far from due process, and that is the important issue. Her family supported her. Fred Hugi was pretty upset when Ann Rule went Hollywood with his case. Rule even talked about writing a book about her but it never materialized. (Appendix 81, page 1466). He is in his 70s now and his photo is not on his linkedin or anywhere I could find. Very little is definitively known in this area. Resides in Woodlawn, TN. The unreliability of childrens testimony has been documented by cognitive psychologists such as Elizabeth Loftus of the University of Cornell and others.

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