/Width 625 Her name is Lisa Lyn Nastasha Moore. Diane Downs was convicted of shooting her 3 children, killing 1, in 1983. Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. Cheryl Downs died. The Shocking Story Of Christie Downs, The Little Girl Who Survived Being Shot By Her Own Mother. Christie was eight years old at the time of the shooting and was nine years old at the time of the trial. James Frederickson, brother of Diane Downs, participates in a special radio program Thursday, details below or visit this page. She not only married her high school sweetheart but had three healthy children: Christie Downs, Cheryl Lynn Downs, and Stephen Danny Downs. Is he still an attorney? From left, Cheryl, Steve, Diane, Stephen Danny, and Christie Downs in early 1980. A spokesman for Danmark says that any profits from the book will go to the state of Oregon under a law passed in the wake of the Downs case. And I've called and they say 'no it's not blocked' but she keeps telling me it is blocked. Because she seemed "aloof". At 20 years old, Becky found herself broke, homeless and pregnant for a second time. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. One is Frank Gable; the man convicted in the
Murder of former Oregon Corrections Chief Michael Francke, and
another is a young African-American man from Eugene, Oregon,
Darryl Sky Walker, who was convicted for killing a fellow
university student; a Portland judge's son, even though another
suspect bragged over throwing the fatal blow. Unfortunately for the trio of toddlers, their parents Steve and Diane Downs were already verging on a bitter divorce. Christie indicates in that interview that she isn't sure about Downs' involvement in the crime. Christie's relationship status is married. Vx 5000 Steam Cleaner Ebay, This article misstates facts. Daniel Hugi. But that is an amazing story. He worked quickly and eventually was able to revive Christie. Karl Logan Wife, While she seemingly found one in 1981, her boyfriend Robert Knickerbocker was already married with his own kids. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. (SALEM) - Here's the first question: what kind of
person would set out to Murder their own children, deny the crime,
and then choose to spend the rest of their natural life in prison
rather than simply admitting they did it and being released?The second question is, what has happened in
Oregon's courts to make facts become less than what they are? She then told police that a bushy-haired stranger had shot them during a failed carjacking. Wes: No question abut it, no question about it. Legend Of The Condor Heroes 1983 Watch Online, Tim: Right, and she drove straight to the hospital, which is not the act of one who is trying to take life away. Don't worry, if you are NOT an American citizen; it's OK for any one to sign it. Therefore, they grew up privately and continue to live their adult lives privately. Tim: So that is Fran Werta, the mother-in-law, his partner that you just mentioned. All you people defending this monster, are as nutty as she is!!!! Christie Whitney is 48 years old today because Christie's birthday is on 10/07/1974. Christie Downs was only five when her parents divorced in 1980. I mean the headliner of the car was soaked with blood, it looked to me from the photos that anybody who would have been anywhere near that shooting would have had plenty of evidence on them. How convenient again. I mean, she is so close to death, its unbelievable.. Daniel Hgi. I'm glad Christie and Danny are doing very well. This would be laughable if the nature of the case wasn't so serious. (For more information visit https://www.findlegaladvice.org to read more about personal injury cases.). And Christie's mother, Diane, could-- say whatever she wanted. Looking for Whitney Christie online? Salem-News.com is an Independent Online Newsgroup in the United States, setting the standard for the future of News. Daniel Hugi. POST-TRIAL EVIDENCE IN THE 1983 CASE OF DIANE DOWNS:Many years after Diane Down's trial, additional evidence surfaced. Family PhotoFrom left, Cheryl, Steve, Diane, Stephen Danny, and Christie Downs in early 1980. The District Attorney, Fred Hugi, convicted Downs and adopted her remaining children. So now they blame some guy that's dead & can't defend himself? As one guard put it: The last thing her ego needs is another interview.. We know that Christie is married at this point. In a recorded telephone interview, h. Postal Service. "I decided to put [my son] up for adoption.". ET. They also concluded from a blood stain that the way the towel she wrapped around her arm was very accurate. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. Despite her difficult start, Becky was adopted and says she had a good childhood. Rule has written a number of extremely successful books that trace the crimes of famous serial killers, men like Ted Bundy, who had been a personal friend of Ann Rule's years prior to her work involving Downs. Fourteen year-old Christie Ann was left with speech impairment, and 9-year-old Danny is paralyzed from the waist down. Im very self-disciplined and I need to have control of my own existence. Wes: Yeah, I wish there was some way around it. Inside The Horrific Death Toll Of The Soviet Dictator, How Carroll Shelby Built America's Most Iconic Muscle Car And Became A Racing Legend, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Her surviving children were adopted by the prosecutor in this case and his wife. The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. Interested in surrogacy, Diane Downs signed a $10,000 contract in September 1981 and agreed to be artificially inseminated, according to The Washington Post. Danny and Christie Ann Downs are among Diane Downs' surviving children after Cheryl Lynn died following the tragic shooting. Ram Equipment Listing By Vin, On Feb. 28, 1984, nine months after the shootings, Downs was arrested and charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder. Family PhotoDiane Downs children, Christie Downs (standing), Stephen Danny Downs (left), and Cheryl Downs (right). Tim: Well the newspaper, the Eugene Register Guard, they covered parts of the story that showed they were trying to be fair, do you agree with that? He and his wife, Joanne, legally adopted the children in 1986. Read also Wes: If she had been sitting behind the driver's seat as she said, the trajectory would have been downward and there would have been spray all over, blood spray all over the seat, and it was not. They both were Karate buddies, that is how they met. Sign Up. "And they give me love, they give me satisfaction, they give me stability, they give me a reason to live and a reason to be happy, and thats gone, they took it from me, but children are so easy to conceive.". In that letter you requested that the
Governor consider your plea that her conviction was a
miscarriage of justice.Your daughter
has the right to request executive clemency from the Governor. James Hanes' family and friends identified him as the killer. But hes not a wacko. surviving children, Christie A True Crime Podcast Christie, Danny & Becky Today christie hugi whitney. Beeper goes off, said, Get in here. While the newfound lovers graduated together, Steve enlisted in the U.S. Navy while Diane went to Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College in Orange, California. I wonder how those reporters would feel if they had a bullet through their arm. Elizabeth Diane Downs, the convicted childkiller who escaped July 11, 1987 from the women's prison in Salem, Ore., is escorted out of state police headquarters in Salem following her capture July 21, 1987. Fred Hugi, adopted the children. Modesto, CA Hickman, CA The lead prosecutor in the case, Lane County Assistant Dist. As a matter of fact I might have it around here too. Cheryl Lynn Downs, 7, was killed. From Fran Werta, there have been one after another that have come forward. Hugi lived 66 miles from the prison, and during the ten days Diane escaped, he feared she would try to contact her children. Feng Shui House On Curved Road, Epstein And Clinton, View phone numbers, addresses, public records and possibly related persons for Christie Whitney. As a matter of fact, the governor, two different times, sent letters so she could file clemency, but she says 'I won't do it, I won't confess to something I didn't do, she says 'I'll rot in prison'. Tim: That seems like it should bring a trial by itself, a new trial, right? 8 . Conflicting . While Christie Downs was conceived within a couple of months, her parents grew rapidly unhappy. They told me that he was picked up by the police near the crime scene, and he was released that same night. When Christie Downs regained her ability to speak, the authorities asked who shot her. She's doing well. An often cited lack of visual remorse was a big part of what led to her conviction. endobj Wes: We should have hope, I'm beginning to lose confidence though. Behind closed doors, Christie and the others were subject to a host of neglect and joined by parents who spent most of their time arguing. Millions were exposed to this book and film and all walk away believing Downs is guilty. "I have an amazing family, and there's not room in my life for someone like Diane Downs," Becky says. Christie was lying down like her mother said. :'(, She's exactly where she needs to be. And, considering how the emotionally flat blonde responded to the whole experience of the shooting, the trial, and the conviction, it was no surprise that ABCs 20/20 decided to cover the case. Find your friends on Facebook. I think his intention was to get out of it as easy as he could. How could the truth hurt the kids? Downs says. See Photos. JFIF K K C She often enlisted Christie Downs to watch over the younger siblings or left them at their fathers house so she could find a new partner. When Wilhite went to go update Downs on her daughters condition, he said he was surprised by her reaction. With James Hanes, you have a number of people that knew him who have said they believe he is the killer. /Title ( C h r i s t i e h u g i w h i t n e y) Then, at Moon Valley High School, she met Steve Downs. Login about (866) 961-3665. Is he practicing today as far as you know, still? Danielle Peterson/Statesman Journal via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Wes: What she did was she went into a room where the drug trade was She had been told, 'You can go any place you want but don't go into this area here because that's off limits.' No gunshot residue, no blood splatter. Wilhite immediately jumped back into his car and raced to McKenzie-Williamette Medical Center as fast as he could. The writers were doing the best with what they had to work with, but I don't think the courts were fair. It is possible that the young girl, who the prosecutor, Fred Hugi, wanted to adopt, was well-coached, if not blatantly coerced. A few years later, daughter Christie was interviewed and the audio of that interview is very revealing. In 2005, she gave birth to her first child, a boy, and later gave birth to a daughter who she named Cheryl after her sister. During the trial, the state brought out their star witness, Downs' 8-year old daughter Christie. She remained at large for 10 days until she was found with a group of men less than a mile from the prison. In that conversation, Christie, who was attending Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon, said that she really didn't know who shot her. She sees a camera and her whole world brightens, says Ann Rule, a Seattle-based author whose book, Small Sacrifices, about the Downs case rode the best-seller list of the New York Times for 25 weeks last year. Rhd Mr2 Turbo For Sale, Current Address: QSIE 66th St, Springfield, OR. The 33-year-old former mail carrier, one of Oregons most notorious criminals of modern times, also smiles a lot when she talks of a new book, due out this spring, about her trial. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. - Tim King Salem-News.com, Apr-17-2013: Midnight Meditations: Diane Downs Murder Case in Oregon - Dr. Thomas Arthur Billings, Aug-17-2012: Diane Downs: Child Killer or Victim of Injustice? DIANE Downs is serving a life sentence for horrific crimes she committed against her own children. Convicted child killer Elizabeth Diane Downs, who describes herself as the most hated woman in America, giggles nervously as she talks of her plans to marry a former police officer from Oregon. 1: with Change.org https://www.change.org/petitions/a-g-eric-holder-sent-jeff-merkley-gov-john-kitzhaber-investigate-abuse-of-power-and-criminal-forgery-by-former-oregon-a-g-david-frohnmayer-and-lane-county-government#share 2: with Moveon.org http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/justice-for-nadia-sindi?source=c.url&r_by. Tim: Yup, and then Horton went on to no longer be a prosecutor but to be a representative of the very people he had been Wes: Yeah, I think he had to leave, because the pressure was on. Wilhite recalled Diane being emotionless when he told her that Christie had suffered a stroke and was in a coma. She says things to me like, Boy, this has really spoiled my vacation, and she also says, That really ruined my new car. Medical records show that while Christie was in State custody, she was given high doses of Dilantin, which is a drug that causes a hypnotic state. And-- so with that, then we were free to treat her as need be. When she was asked who shot them, she replied with, my mom. After everything was said and done, and Diane was convicted, both Christie and Danny went to live with Fred Hugi, the lead prosecutor in the case. Her father in Arizona was allowed limited visits.Click on this link for more post-trial evidence:http://dianedowns.com/CHRISTIE%20DOWNS.htm?fbclid=IwAR0Vk2Rc0b9y5Vx91fe6g3HFNo9EHUG59zOQzO6I9UJNlxkFVqFzxTVZVjA I had a great family, a great life. She was white She was not breathing. I would get "locked up", myself, because I COULDN'T cope. Another is the former
prison guard, William Coleman, who faced 40 years on false charges
at one point, but was found not guilty of Oregon's charges by a
unanimous jury verdict. From Arizona to Oregon, the family had moved just shortly before the incident for Dianes job in the U.S. postal service. /Producer ( Q t 4 . If she buckled under pressure, it would hurt the State's case. Christie and Cheryl were a product of Diane's marriage to her ex-husband, Stephen (Danny) Downs. I had to quit reading it because it's so ridiculous. Wilhite said he also noticed that when Downs went to visit Christie in the recovery room, her stats would spike. No mention of the gang was ever mentioned in any court proceedings.The 'Free Souls' is a Scottish Rite Freemasonic motorcycle gang that was established in Eugene, Oregon (near Eugene) in 1968. Is Cgp Grey Autistic, Christie and Danny are now in their 30s and have chosen to live private lives. Tim: Most people who have paid attention to this story believe he is indeed the person who pulled the trigger that night. Pelis 24 Hs, Tim: Nope, did they have different writers working on it over the years, I imagine? Wes: I think that he had several opportunities just like that and he just 'No further questions'. She replied simply, My mom. The trial of Diane Downs began in Lane County on May 8, 1984. She was transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in New Jersey after she escaped in July, 1987, by scaling a fence at the Oregon Womens Correctional Center in Salem. Downs says she spends her time exchanging letters with her new fiance, whom she described as a former police officer who saw her on The Oprah Winfrey Show and wrote her because he felt sorry for her. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Three Christie, 8, Cheryl, 7, and Danny, 3 were the product of her marriage to her high school sweetheart, Steve Downs. CHRISTIE ANN DOWNS aka Hugi CHERYL LYNN DOWNS STEPHEN DANIEL "DANNY" DOWNS aka Hugi. The Barber Of Seville Lyrics, Eventually, the man she found, Robert Knickerbocker, had no interest in being a daddy and broke things off. Incarcerated for nearly 30 years, Downs
maintains her innocence and a look at the case explains why. Wilhite, a general surgeon, checked the page -- in those days you didn't have cell phones, he said -- and was instantly filled with dread and adrenaline. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. In fact, Downs would have already been released if she admitted to the crime, but she refuses, she will spend the rest of her life in prison before making that claim, she says. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. Wes: Yes, Fred Hugi was prosecutor, and the state awarded him the children. 1 0 obj Their child is accused of something where it just doesn't make sense, and then put away for so long. Wes: Three hundred and sixty three I think it was pages. Watch my updated video with the identity of the bushy-haired stranger here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skrc6qjtBd4\u0026t=33sThe following news release was submitted exclusively to The Jerusalem Post (oped@jpost.com) on September 4th, 2020.Diane Downs (born August 7, 1955) is an American woman who was convicted of the murder of her daughter and the attempted murder of her other two children with a .22 caliber pistol in May of 1983 along the remote Old Mohawk Road a couple of miles north of Springfield, Lane County, Oregon. And I thought to myself, What am I going to do with three shot children?. joe arpaio net worth, lyon college football player dies, 20 day forecast greensboro, nc,