Robert Lee Knickerbocker . See more Show your support Send Flowers Send flowers or a gift to a service or family's home. The ghastly crimes were not perpetrated by a nameless, faceless stranger as she told police, but seemingly by Diane Downs herself. The bushy haired stranger that police had gotten a lead on worked at the country club he was at work at that time and had a sever speech impediment. She says she was outside the car n watched the man shoot her children n then the only adult n person who could tell police about him only gets a shot in the arm n takes time to bandage her arm. The way this investigation and the trial were conducted only left me with doubts. So it would be logical to conclude that it would have left residues if anyone had shot at least 6 times. It should have raised a red flag concerning her mental stability or the possibility that more people were involved. Brewer changed his mind. Robert Knickerbocker in Scottsdale, AZ Robert Knickerbocker may also have lived outside of Scottsdale, such as Phoenix. Diane Downs had an affair with Roger Knickerbocker, a married man while she lived in Arizona. 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. .well yay for youtubelol..is when I first heard her in old interviews. She even provided the police with her own sketch. Ms. Downs makes every effort to avoid emotional stimuli in order to reduce the demands made on her. A. Organize and share things you love. Diane needs some serious spiritual advancement and atonement before she ever will have or deserve peace. Downs had only been living in Oregon for six weeks when it seems she just snapped. During a trial, we have to go with evidence only. 1. ..it is quite possible if she was tried in todays world, with the evidence they hadquite possible it would of went differentlywe been living in a society that pretty much demand 100% pure forensic evidence provenprobably over 10 years or longer, people expect trials to be that of a law and order TV show..I cant say thats a bad thing, or makes what happened in the 80s on back bad. 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. I agree that the phone call from Angel was totally inappropriate. This is a fascinating and informative article that has answered some questions I had, and prompted others: 1. The role of Diane Downs was played by none other than Farrah Fawcett and her lover was played by Ryan ONeal who had been Farrahs love interest in real life. Or why the fact that he was a con artist made him such a credible guy in this case. It became judicial kidnapping to obtain a coerced confession: inflammatory On the night of May 19, 1983, Downs was driving with her three children. If you listen to the recording, Christie clearly says I dont know who did it. She was asleep, thats why. Strange how Jagger is pretty absent too except for the few photos where he is wrongly identified as Hugi. Nobody knows but her. I mention in the blog that Dianes mental health is in question so it is obvious that her encounter with her long lost daughter was going to be difficult. Jump through the States hoops, or find a noose around your neck. Christie said that her mother had pulled the car over on the dark, isolated road, retrieved something from the trunk of the car, and started shooting at her and her siblings. Im sure nothing I write will change that. The forensic evidence alone is absolutely weak. The blog tries to bring balance and more objectivity to a case that was TOTALLY one sided and still is. According to Detective Welch, Steve Downs followed Diane to Oregon, they fought and Steves rage took the last step on the path hed been treading for a long time. If the adult can show capacity and willingness to provide care, love and nurturing to the children, then there is no legal reason to prevent them from becoming Foster Carers. Crime is entertainment and big money so this case will continue to be on the forefront and the same assumptions will be repeated over and over again. There is also a critical shortage of Foster Carers internationally, so that the Hugis offered to take the children in could be viewed as altruistic. Spiritual advancement and atonement? I think it posible she brought the kids there to be shot by someone else. Her daughter told the media she watched Small Sacrifices several times. I agree on many points with your comment. Their haste to go to trial created this mess and lingering doubts. That is the way she was brought up,especially at the demand of her rigid but verydedicated father. So should I put an addendum saying that Diane contradicted herself or was not satisfied with the sketch? When she resisted, he shot her kids and struggled with her. This is a scenario pretty hard to believe, but as they say, reality can sometimes be stranger than fiction. If you want to defend Diane Downs, more power to you. But you are right to say that it is my site. I then question how she would not have blood splatter if she shot them inside the car at close range. Downs herself had been shot in the forearm during what she claimed was a struggle with the mysterious stranger. I was curious as to what these requirements were, as I have not seen these online. I hope this would never fly these days to separate wounded children from the only family members they have. As far as her innocence goes and the possibility of being paroled if she admitted her crime, Diane strongly maintains her innocence. Go to the hate groups for that. Leaving out a lot of info that should be included and presenting a very one sided take on these things. This is a more common route for children with parents who are incarcerated for what looks to be the entire childhood of the children. On a side note, what do you think of parole of Leslie Van Houton? Where is the blood spatter on Diane? Not an easy situation for him as I would imagine. How do you expect the daughter to have any fair understanding of the situation or any decent contact with Dianes family when the people who have been calling her mother a murderer and a monster are dragging her in the media spotlight in the hope of writing another book or getting a new scoop, but all one sided. It wasnt their fault, it was the job of the social workers and the courts to make sure the kids were not isolated from family. Because Foote was already familiar with the case, the presiding judge assigned him the murder trial after Downs was charged with the shootings. This is not my scenario Tasha. I believe DDs case needs to be re looked at and all evidence reviewed. They should have taken the time necessary to find enough evidence. I am a firm believer of where there is smoke there is fire. If personal diaries were to be believed, half of the population would be in great jeopardy. A group of ladies formed a group called HELDD which stands for Help Exonerate & Liberate Diane Downs. Knick had NOT signed the premarital agreement, but that didnt stay his pursuit of Diane, knowing she was moving 1200 miles away. She threw her keys yet was able to take off right away?? Thanks again for bringing this to my attention. He hired Jim Jagger on the 1st of June 1983, 11 days after the shooting. Today, Diane Downs is 63 years old and sits in a California prison. It was very unfair to raise them away from their grandparents and other blood relatives. If I was of a mind to manipulate the Board by giving voice to the words they want me to utter, Id have sold my soul two decades ago when the lies would have benefited me and my youth passed long ago. If the police department had done their job properly, I would not have written this blog, no matter the outcome. 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. If not, why not? I just read your opinion on the Pamela Smart case and the Scott Peterson case. So the prosecutor adopted the kids? It wasnt until Prosecutor Hugi said Dr. Jamison had labeled Diane a deviant sociopath that Mr. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. The question is of course, how can we determine guilt or innocence without a fair trial? The children had a father. It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. If appropriate family members could not be found to take placement of the children then family friends are the next step. 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. It would not benefit you, my children, or society for me to perpetuate that lie. I would like to raise the numerous issues with this blog. 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. This same witness corroborated that Diane did not stop to do something suspicious or dispose of the gun. Legally speaking, we do not go after people because they look evil or crazy. In a fairly good knot which would have taken time to do one handed and teeth. Downs is a worthless as the day is long.. Maybe you should read the blog before commenting. As her brother mentioned, it would not be that farfetched for his sister to stop for someone considering that she was a person who lacked impulse control and the era. This is also a faster route to give the children permanency, and is far cheaper for the child welfare system that is always strained by the budget. Hugi did not want that. Instead, they treated the Downs with great cruelty long after their daughter was incarcerated and they fought hard for them. Also, aside from her original mental state, which may or may not excuse her aloofness (doesnt prove shes a killer by the way! But she suffered from mental illness and the circumstances were traumatic. Let others know about your loved one's death. She claims the 13-year-old boy was also shot with a BB gun and taunted with racial slurs during a sleepover. Whenever your shoot a gun that many times and that close to the victims, theres going to be blood and powder residues. The unreliability of childrens testimony has been documented by cognitive psychologists such as Elizabeth Loftus of the University of Cornell and others. I try to bring up the elements that were totally ignored. Someone can have an evil vibe and not be guilty of a crime. But in this case, she had no blood on her body or her clothing. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. A sick kid who had a stroke and traumatized being pressured for weeks to remember her mother killing her? Robert Knickerbocker is 66 years old today because Robert's birthday is on 05/15/1956. To find out which of Robert De Niro's films stand out among the rest, Stacker found his top 50 movies based on IMDb user ratings. Resides in Woodlawn, TN. Her mom is still alive and would love to have contact but respect that they wont. The fact that there was a rush to judgment, an investigation targeting only one result and a media coverage often presenting lies is very bothersome. 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 Too bad she did not interview Diane or her family. Wouldn't I have made sure they were dead and then cried crocodile tears? Name: Robert A Knickerbocker, Phone number: (520) 293-1877, State: AZ, City: Tucson, Zip Code: 85705 and more information All these years later, Diane Downs still maintains her innocence. WatchandWager will be operating harness racing at the Arizona Downs racetrack according to the terms of a newly signed deal. Postal Service to be closer to her parents. The prosecutor would gently shake his head and the good judge would follow with a ruling. You cant possibly shake off all the gun powder residue and avoid all the blood. I never read the Ann Rule book, but saw Small Sacrifices as a kid and have had an interest in this case ever since. More reason to have investigated the case more thoroughly. Makes no difference to me. Mrs. Fredericksons concern for her daughters emotional state was well placed. How was DD able to get away from CK and get the keys back into the ignition without there being more attempts on her life? Mission accomplished: Relevance? Downs was constantly provoked by inmates because of the nature of her situation, and she never once attacked or defended herself in a violent manner. The scene described in Small Sacrifices with little Christie hooked up to a machine and her pulse accelerates because she is terrified ofher mother is doubtful and subject to interpretation. The kids were shorted-changed. She functions best in highly structured environments where she has a sense of control. They had high hopes for Dianes future and this bad boy was not part of it. 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. 2. The timing of her arrival at the hospital should have been discussed and explained in more details. Mr. During cross-examination, she said that she witnessed the murders while sitting up and that Cheryl was sitting up on the front seat when she got shot. You seem to care about my opinion and perception of some elements of the case and how the media poisoned the well in this instance, but what about the trial? danny also said a cartoon character shot themalso he was SHOT IN THE BACK how could he see the shooter????????? Why is there virtually no info on him? Robert was a married man in Arizona with whom Diane had been having an affair, back when she was still living there. 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]. Then they just got shut out. The problem with high profile cases is that the media, the DA, the cops and authors like Ann Rule dictate the narrative and it becomes almost impossible to look any other way unless you are a critical thinker devoid of emotions related to the case. Get Notified when Robert Arthur Knickerbocker's info changes. In one of them, he knew her name and in another one, she had answered a call and been told to meet someone. 5. https://www.google.com/search?q=diane+downs+with+christie+cheryl+and+danny&sxsrf=ACYBGNQDEM3XNQjZXlqNQpYLhZCn7ic5iw:1576689995166&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjNuNT427_mAhUcJTQIHbveBMIQ_AUoAXoECA4QAw&biw=1024&bih=462#imgrc=gQkU10UxNhHn_M: If youre talking about the picture in the blog that is labeled as Christie, it is Christie. One could argue that this blog does not stick to what came out at trial. What about the terror of being interrogated by strangers and separated from her family? Saying that I seem to be doing what I accuse Ann Rule of doing is kind of ironic because the point of this blog is to try to stay away from innuendo and fantasies like unicorns and songs that might have been playing or not during a tragic murder. Dianes father tried to hire Melvin Belli, but the judge refused to give him some time to prepare and come back to the US. She did it. The circumstances surrounding the case were not enough to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. . When they recaptured her, she was very docile. They checked her shoes and they were clean. I encourage you to read all the facts before being so sure that she was guilty or that she acted alone. I agree with your comment. Results for this person or the person you are looking for are not guaranteed to appear in search results. Ive done my research. Sign up for service and obituary updates. This home is the most recent known address for Robert. Mind you, it is before the trial. Diane was in the hospital for a bone graft from June 2nd until June 6th, 1983. The innocence project gets so many requests and they have limited resources. Is it just to continue to punish her so long after she is obviously no longer a danger in any way to anyone? Once again, Diane said a lot of things. And even when confronted by the wrongful practices used at trial to get her convicted, are ok with her being locked up for life. And being the mother of three only served to propel Diane in a more manic state. Every single one of these questions matter. HUGE conflict of interest. Id like to challenge some of the bloggers claims. What followed was a tragedy subject to many interpretations. But the guy who said to several people that he was the shooter happens to resemble the sketch they came up with at the time for a reason. Yet that didnt stop Knick from asking Mr. Frederickson for a job and for Dianes hand in marriage (Appendix 81, page Case History Page 25). He failed. Where to begin? But, after she had moved to Oregon for her job with the U.S. postal service, Roger reconciled with his wife. 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. 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. Lori, I luv how you ended your comment Lets also remember that this is the US of A and we dont lock people up for being narcissistic, antisocial histrionic individuals. It had nothing to do with the evidence of the case and represents useless labeling anyway. I am glad you read it anyway and I appreciate your comment. The time was spent waiting for the clock to tick down the final seconds for all appeals to the parental termination to be allowed. I will agree that it was suspicious that Diane got away with one bullet in the arm, even if the injury was severe, but she was outside the car and many scenarios are possible to that effect. As an adoptive parent I cant even imagine trying to justify to my daughter our adopting her if we had in any way been a part of the case to terminate her from her bio family. They both fainted when they saw their dead child, but it did not count. She learnedat a young age to keep her emotions in check and to always present a strong and brave front. Page 26 of Case History. But you would know that if you had read the blog or info about the case. You have funeral questions, we have answers. In the nurses notes, she is described as in shock and unable to grasp the situation. This blogger believes in the presumption of innocence and in the possibility of redemption. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. The crucial point is that she is so void of emotion. Kidnapped in broad daylight at home with her children present, she bravely made a 911 call, however a tragic mistake would seal her fate. There is also a recording where she says that she had no idea who shot them. I bet the records are and always have been sealed regarding this aspect of the case. They were put in an impossible situation. People can have a certain vibe and act out of the norms, but it does not make them necessarily guilty. Knickerbocker even reportedly told Downs he'd leave his wife and move to Oregon to be with her, where she'd taken a job with the U.S. Not exclusively a USA trait, this happens also in many countries, but in a technologically advanced superpower like USA this attitude is more shocking, and maybe also more worldwide spread. 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? 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. And the state refusing to turn them over to the defense? I base a lot on what I see and hear from her in her own words in footage of a 28 yr old woman. What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative? Christie NEVER said she didnt know who did it she was just unwilling or afraid to tell on her mother. Just a thought. Substituting reasonable inference and evidence for tarot cards? Washing soda is your best bet: It includes, among its ingredients, the exceedingly corrosive carbolic acid. They dont need to be adopted and have their entire identity changed. What about the son saying that man and nurses noting that. Diane had moved to Oregon only 6 weeks before the tragedy to work in the area and have her parents spend time with the kids. The unicorn, the song, her personality. Now Diane Downs did not say any of this, but told a hard to believe story, and then changed it from one to two masked guys, etc. 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 , Anne Rule made a big deal of a brass unicorn engraved with the childrens names that Diane had purchased. Not unlike Diane, Alice did not want to share her pain in public. Mr. Lives in Dallas, TX. What about the facts of the case? I do not discuss her guilt or innocence because this is not what the blog is about, but I personally hope she is released one day. They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. 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. 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.

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