She declines to identify the man except that he is a former Oregon police officer who has since moved to New Jersey. endobj In Downs' view those escape attempts are evidence of her "healthy attitude about society" and that she is ready for parole. JFIF K K C Wes: He survived the accident but he was in bad shape. /AIS false She went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. Her first three children with her husband Steve are Stephen "Danny" Daniel (born 1979), Cheryl Lynn (born 1976), and Christie Ann (born 1974). White also would not identify him. The surgeon who helped to save Christie's life told ABC News: When I looked at Christie I thought she was dead. Tim: Most people who have paid attention to this story believe he is indeed the person who pulled the trigger that night. The DA, Fred Hugi, adopted both of Downs' surviving children, and though it seemed an odd move, reporters made little of that massive conflict of interest. Christie Downs was only five when her parents divorced in 1980. Im very self-disciplined and I need to have control of my own existence. Join Facebook to connect with Christy Whitney and others you may know. An appeal of the conviction was set aside without comment on Jan. 4. While she seemingly found one in 1981, her boyfriend Robert Knickerbocker was already married with his own kids. A year later, when Diane was arrested and put on trial, Christie, at just 9 years old, having just recovered her ability to speak, testified against her in court. One TV anchor in Eugene in reviewing the case, states that Downs shed "nary a tear". Wes: He was in a motorcycle accident out near his place, in the country in Springfield, actually Junction City. In May of that year, Downs shot her three children in her car at a remote roadside in Springfield, Oregon, before shooting herself in the forearm, cops said. Also the lawyer, Jagger, um, seems.. OK well you just, we went over the one court document, that was the police officer that ran the forensic tests that indicated that she hadn't used a weapon. I had a great family, a great life. Charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and criminal assault, Diane Downs was convicted on all charges on June 17, 1984. At around 10 p.m. that May night, police said Diane Downs pulled over to the side of a country road near Springfield and shot her three small children multiple times at close range. Not a minor injury. Tim: So how often do you hear from Diane? It was a fairly serious injury wasn't it? The Barber Of Seville Lyrics, After months of physical and mental therapy, Christie Downs was able to take the stand and tell what happened to her that horrible night. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. 4,617 17. Wes: And the headliner that Christie was lying down too, because the splatter went up. Rosie Revere Engineer Text Pdf, Interested in surrogacy, Diane Downs signed a $10,000 contract in September 1981 and agreed to be artificially inseminated, according to The Washington Post. /CA 1.0 Wes: Yeah, I wish there was some way around it. Kim White, a state Corrections Department spokeswoman, confirmed that Downs has asked the department for permission to marry the man. Noah Emmerich Weight Loss, So now they blame some guy that's dead & can't defend himself? 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. Christie is married and had a baby boy in 2005. As for Danny, he has kept his life private. Anybody who would want to be involved with the most hated woman in America must be a nut, Downs says. Parrot Security Vs Kde Edition, And, Cheryl Lynn, had reportedly told a neighbor of her grandparents that she was afraid of her mother. By the time Wilhite arrived, Downs had driven her blood-soaked car to the emergency room. /Width 625 To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Danny Downs survived but was paralyzed. Select this result to view Christie Ann Whitney's phone number, address, and more. << The girl was later renamed Rebecca Babcock. I was afraid of how am I going to handle all this? he added. 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. Eventually, the man she found, Robert Knickerbocker, had no interest in being a daddy and broke things off. "They have both graduated from college. Wilhite said he and the hospital staff who worked on the Downs kids on that horrific May night were not surprised by the outcome of the case. And-- so with that, then we were free to treat her as need be. Shes not crazy though.But Downs denies her guilt and says the bonds between her and her children remain.Theyre part of my body that broke away, she says. Spongebob Trap Remix Loud, The District Attorney, Fred Hugi, convicted Downs and adopted her remaining children. 7) Wes: We didn't receive any consideration. In this sense it is the ultimate expression of being convicted in the media and because it involved the violent death of a child, the official story outrages those exposed to it, and so little was done for Downs by the media, the courts, or even her own attorney. Downs was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years for killing her 7-year-old daughter and wounding her two other children on a rural road outside Springfield, Ore., on May 19, 1983. Wes: They didn't have him testify in court, but in the hospital he asked 'why that man shot me, why that man shot me?'. They both were Karate buddies, that is how they met. IN MEMORIAM. Danny Downs survived but was paralyzed. Danny Downs survived but would never walk again. Tim: Right, and she drove straight to the hospital, which is not the act of one who is trying to take life away. The City And The Pillar, /Subtype /Image COC co-host Dr. Andrew D. Jackson will track us through the questionable forensics in Dianes case, aided by Dianes brother, Mr. James Frederickson. Tim: No I don't think the courts were fair either in looking back at this, but it is the Register Guard where we can go read about certain parts of this case that will really make you shake your head. Im lucid. As one guard put it: The last thing her ego needs is another interview.. Tim: Great we'll put it on the screen so people can see it there. One died; two survived but had serious injuries. endobj Facebook gives people the. Wes: No she hasn't. Daniel Hugi. I mean, she is so close to death, it's unbelievable.. Christie Downs survived the shooting with injuries. She was asleep on the back seat like her mother said. According to ABC, Wilhite recalled knowing within 30 minutes of speaking to their mother that the 28-year-old was guilty. Beeper goes off, said, Get in here. When she [Downs] showed up, her [Christies] pulse rate went up high and you could see terror on her face, Wilihite said. Yet, Christie testified that she was sitting up. Read More on The US Sun "You cant replace children, but you can replace the effect they give you. The couple was together between 1973 and 1980 when Steve left her because he believed that Diane was cheating on him. On page 32 of that (transcribed) conversation, Dena Reinhardt continues her very long conversation with Christie \"Or do you think she really, you think she really didn't do it, huh? 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. And I said to her, We don't know that. In a recorded telephone interview, her daughter, Christie, said that she was coerced into testifying that her mother was the shooter. 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. Conflicting reports say Downs also acted as a surrogate during her fourth pregnancy, giving birth to a daughter after her trial in 1984. Email us [email protected] call212 416 4552. Cheryl Lynn Downs, 7, was killed. James Frederickson, brother of Diane Downs, participates in a special radio program Thursday, details below or visit this page. Fidelity Information Services Layoffs 2019, Christie, now in her mid-40s, still lives in Oregon, in Springfield, and has a big, loving family. She was afraid of her mother. We just ignored it, Wilhite said. Grapes Of Wrath Chapter 29 Quotes, - Tim King Salem-News.com, Dec-10-2008: Diane Downs Denied by Oregon Parole Board - Salem-News.com. Its release surely will spark more discussion of the case, but Downs says she doesnt believe her children will suffer if people talk about her case. We know that Christie's political affiliation is currently a registered Democrat; ethnicity is unknown; and religious views are listed as unknown. Family PhotoDiane Downs children, Christie Downs (standing), Stephen Danny Downs (left), and Cheryl Downs (right). She's doing well. Sometimes Joanne goes by various nickname including Joanne R Hugi. Christie is now in her forties, according to Tuko, and the accident left her with a speech handicap. /Filter /DCTDecode Tim: OK, and Diane worked as a postal delivery worker, I think many people don't realize that that was Wes: Yes, she was working in Eugene, and Eugene is a twin city to Springfield. The Week in Photos: California exits pandemic emergency amid a winter landscape, Column: Did the DOJ just say Donald Trump can be held accountable for Jan. 6? Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Tim: And Jagger, the fact that he didn't choose to challenge any of that material that came across. Lead prosecutor Fred Hugi argued she shot her kids to revive the affair with Knickerbocker. Fourteen year-old Christie Ann was left with speech impairment, and 9-year-old Danny is paralyzed from the waist down. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. The lead prosecutor in the case, Lane County Assistant Dist. From Arizona to Oregon, the family had moved just shortly before the incident for Dianes job in the U.S. postal service. Conflicting . If LCDA Alex Gardner wrote a letter to Ms. One post I saw somewhere said Danny is still partially paralyzed. Famed true-crime author, Ann Rule, provided an update on them by writing on her now defunct website: Christie and Dannywho somehow survived their gunshot woundshave no contact with Diane. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz Critics said she deliberately became pregnant in order to garner sympathy from the jury. Wes: In fact Clayton Nysten was his partner, and he told me (it was) James, but it is hard to get anybody to listen, at least the people who have the power to do something about it. Well, kind of, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Best coffee city in the world? Downs was found guilty on all charges on June 17, 1984, and was . Diane Downs children, Christie Downs (standing), Stephen Danny Downs (left), and Cheryl Downs (right). She had been shot in the left forearm, though her wound was not life-threatening. See Photos. Is he practicing today as far as you know, still? While Christie Downs was conceived within a couple of months, her parents grew rapidly unhappy. [Oregon]. Christie indicates in that interview that she isn't sure about Downs' involvement in the crime. . HELDD. Downs told investigators that she and her children had been shot in a carjacking, but police found a secret diary detailing her obsession with a. There's very few cases quite like this one, he said. Family PhotoFrom left, Cheryl, Steve, Diane, Stephen Danny, and Christie Downs in early 1980. Daniel Hugi. (laughter) Now some of the newspaper coverage seemed somewhat fair, of the trial, is that true? They still must meet with the prison chaplain and obtain the approval of the superintendent who submits the request to a committee for a recommendation. She went to the University of Oregon and now lives with her husband and children in the town. How convenient. They have both graduated from college. What Color Is Damask Neutral, Christie testified in court, \"My mom shot Cheryl then Danny then me.\" The State had been preparing Christie for over a year and she was \"the\" key witness. She has never done anything to indicate that she was involved in that crime. Tim: And this is the prosecutor who, after the case was over, went to work for the same people he had been convicting, or not convicting. 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. This whole thing is hogwash & those of you that buy it are pathetic. She was white She was not breathing. Tim: And it was during that time that she was approached by a man who described himself as a federal investigator named Coffin. Christie is related to James Philip Whitney and Frederick A Hugi as well as 2 additional people. (DALLAS, Texas) - 30 years have passed, but the parents of Diane Downs, Wes and Willadene Frederickson, still remain hopeful that their daughter can find justice in Oregon's courts for a wrongful conviction and life sentence. In a previous article I cited a US soldier who smiled while talking about the loss of his friends in Afghanistan. Phone Number: (541) 968- HMDA +3 phones. Other places in which Christie has lived are Eugene, Oregon and Springfield, Oregon. 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. See Photos. ), Fred Hugi, Dena Reinhardt of Las Vegas, Nevada, made a chance phone call to the Hugi home. You had quite a dazzling career with the Postal Service didn't you? The defense, meanwhile, relied on the idea that a bushy-haired stranger was to blame. It was suspected I hit over 100 miles an hour coming down the freeway, he said. We've got three children who have been shot, Wilhite told 20/20. And my whole body just tingled. Mark also told me that he and his brother, Mike Koch were well-known meth cooks (manufacturers of methamphetamine) during that time period (1983). Pruning Fiddle Leaf Fig Bush Into Tree, Phone Number: (541) 968-**** Arrest Records & Driving Infractions Christie Hugi View Arrests Vx 5000 Steam Cleaner Ebay, Karl Logan Wife, Their child is accused of something where it just doesn't make sense, and then put away for so long. They both told me that Mark was walking into Eugene from his mother's house when it happened. See Photos. stream James Hanes' family and friends identified him as the killer. Wes: I don't know, I've kind of lost touch with it, I know where he is. An often cited lack of visual remorse was a big part of what led to her conviction. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. And Christie Downs was left temporarily unable to speak after a stroke. Tim: And that is where we believe she saw Pat Horton, who was a prosecutor for the state of Oregon out of Lane County, right? Wilhite said he also noticed that when Downs went to visit Christie in the recovery room, her stats would spike. I went and met with them and she gave me the first affidavit that Diane didn't shoot her children but her son-in-law did. 2023 Salem-News.com. Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. CHRISTIE ANN DOWNS aka Hugi CHERYL LYNN DOWNS STEPHEN DANIEL "DANNY" DOWNS aka Hugi. Before moving to Joanne's current city of Springfield, OR, Joanne lived in Walterville OR. Christie and Danny are now in their 30s and have chosen to live private lives. /Creator ( w k h t m l t o p d f 0 . << But what happened to her kids, Christie Ann and Stephen "Danny" Daniel? Therefore immediate release from prison decision is past due. We had people in several cities that would have taken them, that were family members. They keep people who should be free, release people who should be jailed. 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 also concluded from a blood stain that the way the towel she wrapped around her arm was very accurate. They have both graduated from college. Background Report for Christie Whitney may include: Search results. 7w7WNe bLvA]=F:yAPcirO. She says things to me like, Boy, this has really spoiled my vacation, and she also says, That really ruined my new car. Following the crimes, she told police that a \"bushy-haired stranger\" had flagged her down, attempted to carjack her, shot the children, and herself, and then she drove directly to the hospital in Springfield. Christie Ann Downs was born on Oct. 7, 1974, in Phoenix, Arizona. Many attribute the conviction of Downs to the arrival of author Ann Rule at Downs' trial. Tim: Yeah there was pressure on him for the drugs having disappeared. But hes not a wacko.