Same, majored in college too, although, in the system, in the newest DSM it states non conformity is considered a disorder. There's the academia and there's the industry. Sad but true, but no harm in arming ourselves with knowledge hey! I mean, maybe others aren't bothered by the treatment and diagnosis, but I'm a weirdo, hence my pursuit of psychology LOL! 😉🙃😊
I married into a family of pedophiles: brothers and daddy. Scary yes. I could write a book on the warning signs. Two of these men were ministers. Pedophiles are not the sterotype of dirty old men they are often quite the opposite. They are often the nice uncles and the Santa Clauses. They love for children to sit on their laps for sexual stimulation.
this psychiatrist is incredibly intelligent and i found her explanation of sociopathy really good, it went beyond just the basic 'cant empathise' cliche and explained how it related to a lack of emotional intelligence
Ben Dover all I said was pick up a book how sorry if you thought I have u a tude tho but the best way to learn is to watch videos an to learn more about whatever subject you want to know about I read so many books on psychopaths there is just so much to it that's why I said to read about it
That child was terrified of her mother. The evidence was clear, James. Diane is where she should be so people are safe, and thank God she can't breed anymore!
Christie was NOT terrified of her Mother. That is even proven with her Ex husband Steve how can you say such a lie, my guess is Ann Rules book. AND that is not evidence. If you knew anything about this case then you would know there is no evidence she shot her kids.
James F How can you say she wasn't terrified? The child took the stand and told her story she saw her mother shoot that is terrifying no matter what you think. Even if she still had love for her mother the confusion alone of why her mother did this had to be terrifying. Many of us followed the trial long before the book by the way.
Tess A HI Tess before I answer the question I am also intrigued by your statement "It's evident this woman is a thorough, well-trained professional who definitely knows her stuff. She's precise, accurate, & on point....Luv it!!!!" Did either one of these persons Interview Diane to help them with their conclusions? Or was it all from the internet or Ann's book?
Tess A If you are a professional, how can a loosely dropped opinion make you so excited? Shouldn't professionals be more scientific when assessing serious cases like this one? It's like, you are a professional and that's enough proof to support your statements. I don't think so.
I'm a criminology student and I learned something very interesting in class: Psychopaths are BORN and sociopaths are MADE. Diane is a psychopath. She didn't become bad; she was born that way. I also hate how oblivious, ignorant, and obnoxious she acted in all her interviews. She's despicable.
The Greek Pianist Semantics. Many psychologists use the term sociopath/psychopath interchangeably. Who cares if they’re born and/or made, they’re vile, reprehensible creatures and a danger to others - even the “successful” psychopaths who manage to stay under the radar and never end up in prison.
The only thing I would like to know, James is...if a stranger came along to your sister's car and wanted to "rob/steal" it...why would he waste time shooting the children, who would hardly be able to give a adequate description of him, and leave a fully grown adult (Diane) barely grazed? Would love to hear the logic behind this.
Yeah, psychopaths are wastes of space. I've got one in the family. They have no idea of the effects of their behaviour; so end up living a deeply unfulfilled life.
It's a good thing that Diane Downs will never be free. The judge during her trial made sure that future parole board members will never forget her crime. The late Farrah Fawcett did a flawless job portraying her in Small Sacrifices.
I have such empathy all my life thank God I'm not a sociopath, I don't know me being upset when everybody else is very upsetting but I think I'd rather be that way they're not having any feelings for others like Diane Downs
I lost my daughter in Kmart when she was 5 years old for a brief few minutes and you could hear me screaming and crying in fear. My first thought was OMGOSH someone kidnapped her. I was so utterly distraught. Diane shows no emotion for her children except what looks like pure joy that she shot them.
I lost my son once at the mall for maybe 10 minutes.I was crazed with fear,He was found,If he hadn't been I prob would have needed an ambulance called That was a long time ago.
James you need to stop stalking these boards with your comments. You're one of the very few who believe she's innocent, after 30 years I'm sure that wont change. However, spending all this time on these boards is pointless and will only cause you more distress. Noones going to change there mind because you don't agree. No matter what reasons you throw out there, there's hundreds to throw back. Her children have never spoken out in favor of her, and for good reason. She is where she belongs.
@@velvet2406 Not an excuse for what she did, but Diane was born to a teen mom who had five kids by age twenty-five, and catered to her head-of-the-household husband. Diane is quoted extensively in Ann Rule’s Small Sacrifices about her perceived lack of attention in childhood.
The evidence is that when her daughter was able to speak again, she said her mother shot them all. And that just makes her look worse because she was in a serious relationship with a guy who didn't want kids.
I've followed this closely for years. I know more than you think. I watched her glee at being the center of attention at the beginning of all this. Her lack of sorrow for her dead and injured children. The lack of feeling she has for them even now. The only person she cares about is herself. Her story is unbelievable. You know that. She's where she belongs so she can't hurt anyone else--even you. Because if she were free, she'd be hurting you and your family. She's a psychopath, James.
Oh yeah!! Thing is with people like her they literally think they are the smartest people in the whole world and they BELIEVE their own bullshit. Biggest flaw they have is that they can't keep their mouths shut! They do several interviews and get themselves too involved instead of just laying low or just being NORMAL. And they have no emotion at all. Other sociopathic killers pretend to cry and don't have a single tear come down their face. . .Diane didn't even do THAT!!! Not once has she shown any type of grief or sorrow. She has always been an ice maiden. Not once been sad and is always laughing, smirking and doing whatever she could to get noticed!! Still to this very day, she loves to hear the sound of her own voice!! Ugh I hate her, I just HATE her. How nobody has tried to kill her in prison I do not know
Yeah it is pretty obvious she is psycho. About as normal as norman bates. _Sociopaths have a conscience, albeit a weak one, and will often justify something they know to be wrong. By contrast, psychopaths will believe that their actions are justified and feel no remorse for any harm done._ this woman showed no remorse whatsoever and completely denies to this day, well in her last parole hearing video from the last hearing in December 2010, she is in total denial. not sure if the 2021 hearing was delayed or not.
I do not have a hugh education on this womans pathology. With that being said, Im pretty sure if you ask a mother what they would have done if they were a victim/witness in this case it sure as hell wouldnt be oh I just let my kids get shot as I watched. Most mothers I know would throw themselves on top of their kids in an effort to shield them. And then she is calm and lets them treat her minor wound while telling the police what just happened. Any other mother would have to be dragged away and given something to calm her down. No way in hell would she smile and play up to the camera.
+Carrie Koffas In this situation, the worst case scenario is that Diane shot her own children (what I believe) and the best one is that she is a terrible mother. What GOOD mother drives her children down a deserted road late at night to sight see? Have you seen her LAUGHING when she's reenacting what happened. She's a sick person, pure evil. Regarding her wound, the picture of her wound on this site does not seem to support your statement: cmm.lefora.com/topic/705180/CRIME-SCENE-EVIDENCE-DIANE-DOWNS-VEHICLE#.Vk3INb-4elw
+Sandra “Makeuplvr69” Martin It is true what Carrie said. She has a plate in her arm to hold the bones together. BUT if you see you her would looks so minor is just another ploy to convince people of her guilt. If you look at the evidence you will see the truth. Are you interested in the truth?
@@jamesf3695 James, who is Diane's brother, hate to rain on your pity party but I was in a head on collision in 1980. Broke my elbow (one of the strongest joints in the body), had the same surgery and hardware your sister did and have a bigger scar. Bfd...it hasn't impacted my life in the slightest . Oh, I also broke my wrist on the other arm and my ankle from slamming on the brakes. She couldn't tie her shoes for two damned months? I couldn't wash my hair, dress, or bathe without help for three months. Again stop with the pity party. As I understand, the hardware was eventually taken out of Diane. I still have mine.
@Reality Bytes so you're saying she should have had the kids removed from her custody because of her addiction, right? I bet Cheryl would agree. Just wrong addiction.
Wow! This is an excellent description of a psychopath! I've seen hundreds of not-quite-right descriptions but this doctor has it RIGHT! YES! How do I know? Unfortunately, I spent ONE tortuous year with a poster child NPD followed by TWO Hellish years with a BPD. Evidently I was a Magnet! I read every book I could find, all of Freud, all of Jung, and I kept my curiosity going. I learned about gaslighting, projection, selective memory, black and white thinking. I learned about Narcissistic Rage, walking on eggshells, etc. The NPD was an ex-Top Gun pilot; the BPD was a psychologist in practice for 19 years in Escondido. I only stayed out of academic curiosity and got out at the very last minute....well, after the BPD called the police, filed false charges against me, kept me locked up so I couldn't leave, destroyed evidence, tried to poison me then stole the evidence, had a restraining order issued (he was an expert court witness in Escondido so they believed him!), had me stuck in jail for 10 days and stole every possession I had plus about $60,000. So yeah, I stayed a tad too long but I sure did learn a lot! Now I can see these soulless zombies coming from about a mile away!
The most chilling thing I saw was the re-enactment she did of the shooting, she's giggling and acting as if she's merely auditioning for some kind of action movie. Disgusting, just freaking disgusting.
It's not just Elizabeth Vargas, or Barbara Ziv or Anne Rule. The jury got it right, James. They convicted her of murder and attempted murder. She's been in jail for years because of that conviction. All of her appeals have been denied and so have her probation appeals. She'll never get out of prison, unless she manages to break out again. We know what she is and what she did. You can't change that. It's done.
A hole in Diane Downs' story: She said when she got out of her car to speak with the supposed "bushy" or "shaggy" haired stranger, she had the car keys in her hand, and pretended to throw them. Yet she claimed "Hungry Like the Wolf" played without stopping. But if the keys were in her hand, that means the music couldn't have been playing, or the air conditioner running. Those won't work without the key in the ignition.
Very descriptive in terms that one can actually understand of what a psychopath is. I’ve always had a hard time understanding exactly what they are about but this lady explains it well.
Is it possible to upload the full interview with Diane Downs where she talked to Anne Jagger in 1983? This case fascinates me since years and I'd love to see the full version of this infamous interview.
Read Ann Rule's book, Small Sacrifices. It is, in my opinion, one of her best (and I love all her books) and it will answer any lingering questions you have about Diane Downs and why she did this.
I understand what the psychiatrist says about disconnecting from emotion - but the joy Downs felt when re-enacting the shooting for the cameras is evidence of emotion. I've heard the defining a sociopath in terms of not relating to others - but here the psychiatrist argues the sociopath can't even relate to him / herself. If she doesn't know what it means to be happy or sad - then how can she feel happy ( in the limelight for the cameras ) or the kind of infatuation that apparently led her to kill / maim her kids? It's been said she was obsessed with her married lover who didn't want to be a Dad. Therefore her kids had to go. I'm not so sure about being unable to relate to herself. I think she could _only_ relate to herself and her needs and desires. I think I like the definition of lacking empathy for others better.
+aerialkate Sociopaths definitely get joy from things but it is a shallow joy, usually that comes with ones ego being fed. She was happy because she was the center of attention and on TV. That is not an emotion in the same sense as joy one gets from loving their own children and connecting to other people. Enjoyment is what you are talking about - which should be defined a little different than true emotions which usually come from connecting to other human beings in some way. Put it this way. The feelings that sociopaths feel are the more primal ones - fear and rage, hate, and also sshallow pleasure and gratification.
She's not necessarily relating to herself but relating or moving towards the attention that is on her and this is where the narcissism comes in. She loves herself and anything and anyone that feeds herself. The cameras, the lovers, even her kids when they served a purpose for HER. Attention is a drug for narcissists because it makes them feel needed. Nothing gives them greater joy!
@Folires Morales Christie and Danny were adopted by the prosecutor who put their mother in prison. Both have graduated from college; Danny is a computer expert and Christie is raising a family.
You're right, Martin. Christie, Diane's daughter, testified that Diane shot all three of the children. Christie suffered a stroke. Danny was paralyzed for life. Cheryl was killed. I'm not sure what James does with his niece's testimony. He shows great compassion for his sister, but I see very for his nieces and nephew. I'm sure he'll say Cheryl was brainwashed. It's what Diane claims, and we know what paragon truth she has always been. What an exemplary life she's led. Mother of the Year!
JAMES SHES DIFFERENT FROM YOU SIR,I GET WHERE U R COMING FROM BUT YOU MUST HAVE SEEN SIGNS OF LYING AS YOU GREW UP WITH HER I PRAY FOR YOU ,JIM FROM SCOTLAND.GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE MATE.
What Downs did is reprehensible, so were the actions of Ted Bundy. I have read many psychological reviews of these types of people and they share many similarities in what occurred in their early, early childhood so as parents I think all should be aware there are reasons these people turned out the way they did. To me, that is so sad to realize the power parents have to detrimentally harm an innocent. I recommend watching the Y T video 'Child of Rage.'
I recall watching the Cayce Anthony trial. The dysfunction in that family was , so over the top you could observe how she grew up a sociopath. She would lie and steal money from family members yet, her mother said she was " a good mother " as grandma was raising that little girl while Cayce partied with friends. It was obvious she had killed her child as she became a burden for her and also she wanted to hurt her mother.....it was her ultimate anger reaction, to kill the little girl her mother loved so much. During the trial the grandmother lied about " chloroform " searches on her computer , likely done by Cayce but she was still protecting her daughter from her responsibilities and from the law ; behavior she had exhibited, all of her life, never making her daughter accountable for her actions. Poor little girl did not have a chance to grow up normal, in these conditions. The jury was afraid to send Cayce to death row, so they went for not guilty. They were hoodwinked by the defense lawyers and afraid of the death penalty, so they sent a murderer, free. Such as it happens when defense lawyers are allowed to handpick jury members. Manipulations do not represent justice.
With a lack this severe of basic human emotions and in Ted Bundy's case being a sadistic, unhinged, necrophille there's no way it's mostly their upbringing. Their upbringing wasn't ungodly terrible and many people have poor or even bad upbringings. Diane Downs and Ted Bundy were born dysfunctional or were born with a predisposition to develop this way. In no way are the ordinary people with a bad upbringing.
My ex girlfriend. I would sit there and cry when she tortured me and she would totally dismiss it and would turn it around and make it about Her and how I did it
I do not know why this happened as I was not there. Where was her ex that night? The only thing I am 100% positive about is the truth from the court transcripts and police reports. What I do know is Diane was convicted of shooting her family with Ruger 74-16787 and the police tested her hands and she never held a gun that night, they also showed she never fired a gun that night. The gun she was convicted with was found and ballistics were ran on that gun and the ballistics did not match.
And why are the kids fatally or near-fatally wounded, and she, being right-handed, is shot in the left arm? She's the biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children. None of Downs story is even plausible. Any parent will tell you, you do NOT stop a car on a deserted country road, at night for a complete stranger ESPECIALLY with your kids in the car. You DONT. No matter what you say. Moreover, what on earth was she was doing in that place to start with. Sightseeing when it's pitch black out?
Being a psychopath, a sociopath or a narcissist is not being mentally ill. It is considered social dysfunction, often triggered during their upbringing and certainly nurtured as well. Many people raise psychopaths and do not know they do it. If you do not show compassion and a sense of respect for all creatures, you mold a psychopath. They lie, cheat and steal while hurting and murdering animals....that is the big read flag. No conscience can easily be observed in small children if not ignored by oblivious parents and teachers.
She sounds alot of Susan Smith, Casey Anthony, Stacy Barker, Andrea Yates and there is Diane Downs who murdered her own children then shot herself in the arm and drove herself to the hospital and blamed it all on someone who wasnt even there. She is crazy to shoot her kids and she is still in denial of it all even to this day! She was crazy to kill her kids and it was because she had a realtionship and it blew up in her face and so she took her anger out on her kids. Beyond sad and sick too.
Aspurgers syndrome is not an disorder in emotional development but linguistic and learning development that results in challenged social interaction. A lack of empathy is usually a symptom of that lack of social skills but not to the degree of a sociopath who can kill a human and feel nothing more than as if they had broken an inanimate object.
I bet if they would have tested the towel that she had put around her arm for ballistic residue it would have came up positive. Psychopaths are not dumb.
I agree with everything she says her except I do think some people can be calm in a crisis because they know they need to keep it together to try and save someones life. It doesn't mean they are not terribly upset or freaked out. Obviously this does not apply to Diane who was a cold blooded killer.
CocoPink44 yeah. like I just don't cry or show much emotion in the face of death. It's due to being raised by much older parents and having elderly relatives die often during my childhood. after a while, I just realized death is expected and not to be feared. Later in life, i was seen as cold by friends when my relative or theirs would die and they would cry and be inconsolable. I just shrugged it off and was like...it happens you know? As a mother, of course I would be distraught, but part of me would be calm and if my child is dying and can't be saved, I would be calm for them. I hate when people say that people who don't cry or emote are suspicious. makes me feel like they're calling me a sociopath.
Has anybody watched I believe it was 2011 her last parole hearing and she change the whole damn story to you she went to meet a guy for pictures that was for her FBI boyfriend look it up
I really think my mom is a sociopath. My brother has paranoid schizophrenia and he would go missing. I would loose my mind with stress call the police, and try locate him. She on the other hand would go to bed at the same time each day, (for her beauty sleep) and never stress about the situation. It baffled me so much and I felt like I was in the twilight zone. My father was the same both superficially charming but not really caring of others. Also does not feel stress.
This came out on my 2nd birthday and it makes me sick to know she attempted to kill her children and succeeded with one. I hope she never gets out of jail.
diane is definitely guilty, and i agree, a psycho/sociopath. i do wonder how many people who display psychopathy, are true victims of a crime and end up suspects in the crime. how many are wrongly imprisoned? i guess it's good to keep a person like that under 'control', but if they didn't do the crime that would suck to have the cops desperately trying to build a case on me because i had flat affect, laughed inappropriately and didn't seem overly bummed about my dead & dying kids.
I'd love to see the world for one day through the eyes of a psychopath.. and I also wonder if a psychopath sometimes wonders what normal people feel.. for example, how empathy feels like..
My Uncle is the one who she killed her kids for. They use a fake name "Lou Louiston" but his name is really Nick. I have had a few conversations with him about what happened. He is VERY nice guy who is living in Alabama with my Aunt.
Her descriptions are horrific and her facial expressions wowza. I would have been hysterical. Those poor children all of them. Oh it's truly chilling indeed!
I'm not buying this. That's being too generous towards the murderer. The next thing you know all the psychiatrists will be saying oh they cant help it let's help them. So then they get to have a free college education in prison free health care evt. Ect. While their victims wont have anything. Then they'll say oh they are doing so well they can now contribute to society let's let them out. So out they come with a college degree and ready to have this great new improved life while their victims are rotting from an early death in their graves. It's almost as if they were rewarded for their heinous crimes. Something is wrong here They treat the crimminals like the victims. It happened to my sister Karin in 1974. The guy did it before and was let out after five years and did it to my sister. What a twisted crimminal justice system we have
This country has a justice system that places the best interests of the public and victims BEHIND compassion for the perpetrator. It's a cowardly justice system.
Never fired a gun before??? First, that doesn't matter if it was first time or the 10th! Second, didn't they try and recover the slug from the trailer in Mesa where she shot a round into the floor but it was too damaged to run the tests to see if it was from the same gun? Didn't Nick Nickerbocker testify he saw the gun in the trunk of her car and her ex husband? Although it was never found I think they established quite well she was in possession of the same kind of gun,
Coco there is only one thing you said that was true. Knick did testify that he saw her ex husbands gun in the trunk of her car. THE GUN WAS FOUND ballistics were ran and it was determined it was not the murder weapon..
I was not meaning she never fired a gun, I mean the night of the shooting the police ran tests on her person and that night she NEVER HELD a gun, she NEVER fired a gun that night... how did she shoot her kids without even firing or holding a gun... you are quoting from Ann Rule and her book with the bullet from the trailer in Mesa your source is a liar.
+James F What I find interesting about you James, and the entire Frederickson family, is that you all are so desperate to prove Diane innocent...to look for any shred of evidence that would point away from her, yet you all so easily discount what has been determined to be true of Diane. She is a diagnosed (not just by court drs., but psych testing performed during multiple attempts to become a surrogate mother for money) deviant Sociopath-Psychopath/Narcississt w/Histrionic personality disorder, who was an admitted abusive/neglectful mother, was flagrantly promiscuous...multitudes of affairs (getting kicked out of bible college for promiscuity), purpousely getting knocked up soely to gain sympathy during her trial, and even escaped from prison to hook-up with another prisoner's husband (hoping to get knocked up again), and even accused her own father in court of molesting her as a child...then of course recants those statements later. The child she gave up for adoption said Diane's letters scared her to death, and that's she's "bat-shit crazy!!" Her descriptions of her supposed "attacker" have changed over the years as well to include some bizarre conspiracy including dirty narcotics officers. To say nothing of her bizarre demeanor in front of the media during the investigation...a complete lack of emotion for her children, that was clear for everyone (who is normal) to see. Nothing, and I mean nothing out of her mouth can be believed...she has zero credibility because of her moral character, habitual lies, and the ways in which she has conducted her life! Had this tragedy not occurred, what is absolutely known without question to be TRUE about Diane is not only enough to have declared her too unfit as a mother to have even raised them in the first place, but also intrinsicly deviant to the point that she was a danger to society! What I wonder, is if the reason that you and your father so vehemently deny the possibility of of Diane's guilt, and consistently try to shift the blame elsewhere, is because the two of you share the same traits that she possesses? That is why you two are constantly trying to convice everyone that black is white. This wasn't some grand conspiracy to destroy Diane Downs, though that's what you're asking everyone to believe. I can think of no other explanation why, after all these years, there is no acknowledgement of any accountability for ANY wrongdoing on her part! The two of you are probably every bit as scary as she is!!
What I find most disturbing is how people including you feel you have the right to convict somebody based on how a person acts and attack anybody who believes differently than you do. You did not mention any piece of evidence you only talk about how she acted. I am also embarrassed about how she acts both in 1983 and now. But I am not talking about her promiscuity or her ability to be a mother, I am talking about SHE DID NOT SHOOT HER CHILDREN. That CANNOT BE DENIED
James F I don't know that it cannot be denied, and neither do you. There isn't any credible evidence that points away from Diane...except her word. Which isn't credible, as you've just stated by admitting that her behavior is too bizarre to believe anything she says. Christie says that her MOM shot them, and you have no proof that Christie is a liar, but by denying everything that's what you are doing. You've made an assumption that she was coersed into that statement, but again you have no proof of that. Christie has never recanted her statement. Isn't it time to let this thing go? None of it can be changed or undone, and I think you know deep down that Diane isn't going to ever be let out of prison. Your family needs to come to some kind of acceptance.
A normal person would have died trying to protect those children. I'm not a mother but if I had any children in my care I think it would just be instinctual to protect them-I wouldn't have a chance to think about it. We're hard wired to protect the venerable and defenseless. This woman is missing the part of brain that gives humans souls. Even animals who definitely love and have feelings albeit less complicated feelings protect their young. To call her cold-blooded is an insult to snakes and lizards.
I know she shot her children, but I was wondering what would a psychopath/sociopath do if someone does harm their children very badly or try to kill them etc?
They would still not panic and have a very emotional reaction. They could get furious at the aggressor, they might not have an emotional connection with the kids but might see them as property, property that has been damaged by other. She would try to kill the murder, get revenge if possible but she was likely to provide assistance to the kids, wrap their wounds and drive fast to the hospital to save them. So, yeah, she would still not have a very emotional reaction but she would be pissed to know her kids were dead or injured, in a way she would see property damaged.
Did she arrange for the shooting of her kids by someone else? Was that person the man in the car she stopped for? I just started reading more about this case after all these years.
That's not true you couldn't call the police on the side of the road no cell phones and you would get in the car and drive to the hospital, wonder why she let the others live and not killed them? That doesn't make any since she would know the other kid would talk.
A witness testified he was driving behind Diane just after the shooting. She was going 5 miles an hour. She couldn't deliver cold corpses to the ER. She was hoping they wouldn't survive. And they nearly didn't.
Your Highness could you please pardon my sister from the atrocities that have been committed against her and my family. First order of the day would be to have you show me proof she held a gun that night.
I Can't get enough of learning about psychology . So fascinating
Same, majored in college too, although, in the system, in the newest DSM it states non conformity is considered a disorder. There's the academia and there's the industry. Sad but true, but no harm in arming ourselves with knowledge hey! I mean, maybe others aren't bothered by the treatment and diagnosis, but I'm a weirdo, hence my pursuit of psychology LOL! 😉🙃😊
I majored in Clinical Psychology because of how interesting psychology is to me.
I know, huh?
Hailey Babi Same!
I married into a family of pedophiles: brothers and daddy. Scary yes. I could write a book on the warning signs. Two of these men were ministers. Pedophiles are not the sterotype of dirty old men they are often quite the opposite. They are often the nice uncles and the Santa Clauses. They love for children to sit on their laps for sexual stimulation.
this psychiatrist is incredibly intelligent and i found her explanation of sociopathy really good, it went beyond just the basic 'cant empathise' cliche and explained how it related to a lack of emotional intelligence
Agree!
Where could you find more explanations of psychopathy and sociopathy like hers I wonder?
Ben Dover pick up a book about it maybe? Lol
@@kokopuff508 I was asking for specific sources, but thanks for the 'tude.
Ben Dover all I said was pick up a book how sorry if you thought I have u a tude tho but the best way to learn is to watch videos an to learn more about whatever subject you want to know about I read so many books on psychopaths there is just so much to it that's why I said to read about it
The Dr. Seems very intelligent & down to earth
Yes, I have a HUGE crush on her.
@Zafar Khan I thought she got that wrong too .
I could listen to her for hours..
folkosire, I can listen to her for 4 min & 30 seconds
I love her break down on what a psychopath is .
That child was terrified of her mother. The evidence was clear, James. Diane is where she should be so people are safe, and thank God she can't breed anymore!
Christie was NOT terrified of her Mother. That is even proven with her Ex husband Steve how can you say such a lie, my guess is Ann Rules book. AND that is not evidence. If you knew anything about this case then you would know there is no evidence she shot her kids.
James F
How can you say she wasn't terrified? The child took the stand and told her story she saw her mother shoot that is terrifying no matter what you think. Even if she still had love for her mother the confusion alone of why her mother did this had to be terrifying. Many of us followed the trial long before the book by the way.
Tess A HI Tess before I answer the question I am also intrigued by your statement "It's evident this woman is a thorough, well-trained professional who definitely knows her stuff. She's precise, accurate, & on point....Luv it!!!!" Did either one of these persons Interview Diane to help them with their conclusions? Or was it all from the internet or Ann's book?
Tess A you can also reply to me directly at jamessbs2000@gmail.com
Tess A If you are a professional, how can a loosely dropped opinion make you so excited? Shouldn't professionals be more scientific when assessing serious cases like this one? It's like, you are a professional and that's enough proof to support your statements. I don't think so.
I'm a criminology student and I learned something very interesting in class: Psychopaths are BORN and sociopaths are MADE. Diane is a psychopath. She didn't become bad; she was born that way. I also hate how oblivious, ignorant, and obnoxious she acted in all her interviews. She's despicable.
look up Jeanice Barcelo, on why people act the way they do
The Greek Pianist Semantics. Many psychologists use the term sociopath/psychopath interchangeably. Who cares if they’re born and/or made, they’re vile, reprehensible creatures and a danger to others - even the “successful” psychopaths who manage to stay under the radar and never end up in prison.
Joseph Irizarry *Antisocial personality disorder.
My sympathy for people like her ends when they hurt someone
@MightyWhiteOfMe dude what movie where you watching? You are way off
I watched her latest parole hearing on CZcams, she’s actually added even more lies to her so called story. She must never ever get out 🦋
She’s also describing Jodi Arias. Scary how evil psychopaths can get.
Mary Teryan And sociopaths too
Except that Jodi Arias' victim had a hand in what she did to him. Those poor kids were innocent.
I thought they were all pretty evil or are there psychopaths who are not evil? or not very evil?
@@baconbapThere is nothing Travis Alexander did to make Jodi stab him multiple times, slice his neck and shoot him.
The only thing I would like to know, James is...if a stranger came along to your sister's car and wanted to "rob/steal" it...why would he waste time shooting the children, who would hardly be able to give a adequate description of him, and leave a fully grown adult (Diane) barely grazed? Would love to hear the logic behind this.
Yeah, psychopaths are wastes of space. I've got one in the family. They have no idea of the effects of their behaviour; so end up living a deeply unfulfilled life.
this lady would make a great teacher ...
If Diane is innocent, I'm the 1st female King of France.
Female king ?
It's a good thing that Diane Downs will never be free. The judge during her trial made sure that future parole board members will never forget her crime. The late Farrah Fawcett did a flawless job portraying her in Small Sacrifices.
@Zafar Khan it was the Diane Downs Case that got me hooked into crime documentaries
Even the biggest car thief is NOT going to take a car full of kids!! .. Kidnapping is a FELONY!!😉👍
mistracy39 Yes, one thing you don’t want to do is take/hold someone against their will, you’ll get a kidnapping charge.
I wish I could hear more from this doctor. She explained everything so well.
Thank God I feel sad when I see someone sad, that means I'm not a sociopath. What a relieve
me too may God bless you aways
God does not bless everybody some born evil and some made evil.
After reading about sociopaths and psychopaths, these days I honestly feel grateful when I feel sad for others...
I feel bad only for injustice , but seen a animal getting brutally kill or hurt somehow it kills me😢
I have such empathy all my life thank God I'm not a sociopath, I don't know me being upset when everybody else is very upsetting but I think I'd rather be that way they're not having any feelings for others like Diane Downs
I lost my daughter in Kmart when she was 5 years old for a brief few minutes and you could hear me screaming and crying in fear. My first thought was OMGOSH someone kidnapped her. I was so utterly distraught. Diane shows no emotion for her children except what looks like pure joy that she shot them.
I lost my son once at the mall for maybe 10 minutes.I was crazed with fear,He was found,If he hadn't been I prob would have needed an ambulance called That was a long time ago.
James you need to stop stalking these boards with your comments. You're one of the very few who believe she's innocent, after 30 years I'm sure that wont change. However, spending all this time on these boards is pointless and will only cause you more distress. Noones going to change there mind because you don't agree. No matter what reasons you throw out there, there's hundreds to throw back. Her children have never spoken out in favor of her, and for good reason. She is where she belongs.
Bro what
Diane is the stuff nightmares are made of..
Maybe she had no attention in life as a child
@@velvet2406 Not an excuse for what she did, but Diane was born to a teen mom who had five kids by age twenty-five, and catered to her head-of-the-household husband. Diane is quoted extensively in Ann Rule’s Small Sacrifices about her perceived lack of attention in childhood.
The evidence is that when her daughter was able to speak again, she said her mother shot them all. And that just makes her look worse because she was in a serious relationship with a guy who didn't want kids.
I've followed this closely for years. I know more than you think. I watched her glee at being the center of attention at the beginning of all this. Her lack of sorrow for her dead and injured children. The lack of feeling she has for them even now. The only person she cares about is herself. Her story is unbelievable. You know that. She's where she belongs so she can't hurt anyone else--even you. Because if she were free, she'd be hurting you and your family. She's a psychopath, James.
Oh yeah!! Thing is with people like her they literally think they are the smartest people in the whole world and they BELIEVE their own bullshit. Biggest flaw they have is that they can't keep their mouths shut! They do several interviews and get themselves too involved instead of just laying low or just being NORMAL. And they have no emotion at all. Other sociopathic killers pretend to cry and don't have a single tear come down their face. . .Diane didn't even do THAT!!! Not once has she shown any type of grief or sorrow. She has always been an ice maiden. Not once been sad and is always laughing, smirking and doing whatever she could to get noticed!! Still to this very day, she loves to hear the sound of her own voice!! Ugh I hate her, I just HATE her. How nobody has tried to kill her in prison I do not know
Yeah it is pretty obvious she is psycho. About as normal as norman bates.
_Sociopaths have a conscience, albeit a weak one, and will often justify something they know to be wrong. By contrast, psychopaths will believe that their actions are justified and feel no remorse for any harm done._
this woman showed no remorse whatsoever and completely denies to this day, well in her last parole hearing video from the last hearing in December 2010, she is in total denial. not sure if the 2021 hearing was delayed or not.
Thank you so much for the explanation!
I do not have a hugh education on this womans pathology. With that being said, Im pretty sure if you ask a mother what they would have done if they were a victim/witness in this case it sure as hell wouldnt be oh I just let my kids get shot as I watched. Most mothers I know would throw themselves on top of their kids in an effort to shield them. And then she is calm and lets them treat her minor wound while telling the police what just happened. Any other mother would have to be dragged away and given something to calm her down. No way in hell would she smile and play up to the camera.
her wind wasn't minor it was a gunshot wound that broke two bones they said her arm folded in half
+Carrie Koffas In this situation, the worst case scenario is that Diane shot her own children (what I believe) and the best one is that she is a terrible mother. What GOOD mother drives her children down a deserted road late at night to sight see? Have you seen her LAUGHING when she's reenacting what happened. She's a sick person, pure evil. Regarding her wound, the picture of her wound on this site does not seem to support your statement: cmm.lefora.com/topic/705180/CRIME-SCENE-EVIDENCE-DIANE-DOWNS-VEHICLE#.Vk3INb-4elw
+Sandra “Makeuplvr69” Martin It is true what Carrie said. She has a plate in her arm to hold the bones together. BUT if you see you her would looks so minor is just another ploy to convince people of her guilt. If you look at the evidence you will see the truth. Are you interested in the truth?
@@jamesf3695 James, who is Diane's brother, hate to rain on your pity party but I was in a head on collision in 1980. Broke my elbow (one of the strongest joints in the body), had the same surgery and hardware your sister did and have a bigger scar. Bfd...it hasn't impacted my life in the slightest . Oh, I also broke my wrist on the other arm and my ankle from slamming on the brakes. She couldn't tie her shoes for two damned months? I couldn't wash my hair, dress, or bathe without help for three months. Again stop with the pity party. As I understand, the hardware was eventually taken out of Diane. I still have mine.
@Reality Bytes so you're saying she should have had the kids removed from her custody because of her addiction, right? I bet Cheryl would agree. Just wrong addiction.
Wow! This is an excellent description of a psychopath! I've seen hundreds of not-quite-right descriptions but this doctor has it RIGHT! YES! How do I know? Unfortunately, I spent ONE tortuous year with a poster child NPD followed by TWO Hellish years with a BPD. Evidently I was a Magnet! I read every book I could find, all of Freud, all of Jung, and I kept my curiosity going. I learned about gaslighting, projection, selective memory, black and white thinking. I learned about Narcissistic Rage, walking on eggshells, etc. The NPD was an ex-Top Gun pilot; the BPD was a psychologist in practice for 19 years in Escondido. I only stayed out of academic curiosity and got out at the very last minute....well, after the BPD called the police, filed false charges against me, kept me locked up so I couldn't leave, destroyed evidence, tried to poison me then stole the evidence, had a restraining order issued (he was an expert court witness in Escondido so they believed him!), had me stuck in jail for 10 days and stole every possession I had plus about $60,000. So yeah, I stayed a tad too long but I sure did learn a lot! Now I can see these soulless zombies coming from about a mile away!
The most chilling thing I saw was the re-enactment she did of the shooting, she's giggling and acting as if she's merely auditioning for some kind of action movie. Disgusting, just freaking disgusting.
Diagnosed by psychologists as a narcissistic, histrionic antisocial personality and thus diagnosed as a sociopath.
Also, there was a living witness, her daughter. She testified that her mom shot her.
Well this confirms it. My ex-sister in law is a sociopath borderline psychopath.
Smart doc. Explains things great
It's not just Elizabeth Vargas, or Barbara Ziv or Anne Rule. The jury got it right, James. They convicted her of murder and attempted murder. She's been in jail for years because of that conviction. All of her appeals have been denied and so have her probation appeals. She'll never get out of prison, unless she manages to break out again. We know what she is and what she did. You can't change that. It's done.
No, what I said was they found bullet casings in her house that had, at one time or another, been in and out of the murder weapon. TRUTH
A hole in Diane Downs' story: She said when she got out of her car to speak with the supposed "bushy" or "shaggy" haired stranger, she had the car keys in her hand, and pretended to throw them. Yet she claimed "Hungry Like the Wolf" played without stopping. But if the keys were in her hand, that means the music couldn't have been playing, or the air conditioner running. Those won't work without the key in the ignition.
Very descriptive in terms that one can actually understand of what a psychopath is. I’ve always had a hard time understanding exactly what they are about but this lady explains it well.
Don't bother James, she's never getting out.
Thank you.
thank you Gary
Still talk to Diane?
Very well said
Is it possible to upload the full interview with Diane Downs where she talked to Anne Jagger in 1983? This case fascinates me since years and I'd love to see the full version of this infamous interview.
Read Ann Rule's book, Small Sacrifices. It is, in my opinion, one of her best (and I love all her books) and it will answer any lingering questions you have about Diane Downs and why she did this.
Go watch the movie that lifetime made of her I want to say that Farrah Fawcett played her
I still can't understand why Diane Downs is eligible for parole even though it was denied.
AngeLa Marie I know it’s crazy. She has another hearing in 2020 or 2021 I believe
These terms are thrown around so carelessly, it's nice to see a realistic explanation of what they really mean.
After telling her story so many times and for so many years, does she actually end up believing they are true?
This is both chilling and fascinating
I understand what the psychiatrist says about disconnecting from emotion - but the joy Downs felt when re-enacting the shooting for the cameras is evidence of emotion. I've heard the defining a sociopath in terms of not relating to others - but here the psychiatrist argues the sociopath can't even relate to him / herself. If she doesn't know what it means to be happy or sad - then how can she feel happy ( in the limelight for the cameras ) or the kind of infatuation that apparently led her to kill / maim her kids? It's been said she was obsessed with her married lover who didn't want to be a Dad. Therefore her kids had to go. I'm not so sure about being unable to relate to herself. I think she could _only_ relate to herself and her needs and desires. I think I like the definition of lacking empathy for others better.
+aerialkate Sociopaths definitely get joy from things but it is a shallow joy, usually that comes with ones ego being fed. She was happy because she was the center of attention and on TV. That is not an emotion in the same sense as joy one gets from loving their own children and connecting to other people. Enjoyment is what you are talking about - which should be defined a little different than true emotions which usually come from connecting to other human beings in some way. Put it this way. The feelings that sociopaths feel are the more primal ones - fear and rage, hate, and also sshallow pleasure and gratification.
She's not necessarily relating to herself but relating or moving towards the attention that is on her and this is where the narcissism comes in. She loves herself and anything and anyone that feeds herself. The cameras, the lovers, even her kids when they served a purpose for HER. Attention is a drug for narcissists because it makes them feel needed. Nothing gives them greater joy!
you are spot on correct
What happened to Christine Downs. I would like to hear what she has been doing and how she managed to live with such a tragedy in her life.
@Folires Morales Christie and Danny were adopted by the prosecutor who put their mother in prison. Both have graduated from college; Danny is a computer expert and Christie is raising a family.
You're right, Martin. Christie, Diane's daughter, testified that Diane shot all three of the children. Christie suffered a stroke. Danny was paralyzed for life. Cheryl was killed. I'm not sure what James does with his niece's testimony. He shows great compassion for his sister, but I see very for his nieces and nephew. I'm sure he'll say Cheryl was brainwashed. It's what Diane claims, and we know what paragon truth she has always been. What an exemplary life she's led. Mother of the Year!
My former neighbor had histrionic personality disorder...she was absolutely exhausting! I hope I never run into another person like her again.
JAMES SHES DIFFERENT FROM YOU SIR,I GET WHERE U R COMING FROM BUT YOU MUST HAVE SEEN SIGNS OF LYING AS YOU GREW UP WITH HER I PRAY FOR YOU ,JIM FROM SCOTLAND.GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE MATE.
Watched this just before bed. Great now Im gonna have nightmares for a week.
Her constant smile looks so evil. She seems to enjoy telling her story. I’m truly sorry for the children as they were so innocent.
What Downs did is reprehensible, so were the actions of Ted Bundy. I have read many psychological reviews of these types of people and they share many similarities in what occurred in their early, early childhood so as parents I think all should be aware there are reasons these people turned out the way they did. To me, that is so sad to realize the power parents have to detrimentally harm an innocent. I recommend watching the Y T video 'Child of Rage.'
I recall watching the Cayce Anthony trial. The dysfunction in that family was , so over the top you could observe how she grew up a sociopath. She would lie and steal money from family members yet, her mother said she was " a good mother " as grandma was raising that little girl while Cayce partied with friends. It was obvious she had killed her child as she became a burden for her and also she wanted to hurt her mother.....it was her ultimate anger reaction, to kill the little girl her mother loved so much. During the trial the grandmother lied about " chloroform " searches on her computer , likely done by Cayce but she was still protecting her daughter from her responsibilities and from the law ; behavior she had exhibited, all of her life, never making her daughter accountable for her actions. Poor little girl did not have a chance to grow up normal, in these conditions. The jury was afraid to send Cayce to death row, so they went for not guilty. They were hoodwinked by the defense lawyers and afraid of the death penalty, so they sent a murderer, free. Such as it happens when defense lawyers are allowed to handpick jury members. Manipulations do not represent justice.
With a lack this severe of basic human emotions and in Ted Bundy's case being a sadistic, unhinged, necrophille there's no way it's mostly their upbringing. Their upbringing wasn't ungodly terrible and many people have poor or even bad upbringings. Diane Downs and Ted Bundy were born dysfunctional or were born with a predisposition to develop this way. In no way are the ordinary people with a bad upbringing.
@@tarkamlokar9709 amen to that.
@@tarkamlokar9709 I agree. Many grow up in bad homes but stay sane and are good people. Something was off alerady.
My ex girlfriend. I would sit there and cry when she tortured me and she would totally dismiss it and would turn it around and make it about Her and how I did it
If psychopaths don't feel stress or sadness, give me some of THAT
That’s a good thing...if only I spend most days stressed
I do not know why this happened as I was not there. Where was her ex that night? The only thing I am 100% positive about is the truth from the court transcripts and police reports. What I do know is Diane was convicted of shooting her family with Ruger 74-16787 and the police tested her hands and she never held a gun that night, they also showed she never fired a gun that night. The gun she was convicted with was found and ballistics were ran on that gun and the ballistics did not match.
He was in Arizona on a date. It's been proven he was no where near Oregon.
@@stephaniemccracken1324 a guy said he got paid 25þ to do this...
And why are the kids fatally or near-fatally wounded, and she, being right-handed, is shot in the left arm? She's the biggest threat to him, not three sleeping children. None of Downs story is even plausible. Any parent will tell you, you do NOT stop a car on a deserted country road, at night for a complete stranger ESPECIALLY with your kids in the car. You DONT. No matter what you say. Moreover, what on earth was she was doing in that place to start with. Sightseeing when it's pitch black out?
I wanted hear more from her.. Psychiatry is so fascinating to me. I listen for hours
Being a psychopath, a sociopath or a narcissist is not being mentally ill. It is considered social dysfunction, often triggered during their upbringing and certainly nurtured as well. Many people raise psychopaths and do not know they do it. If you do not show compassion and a sense of respect for all creatures, you mold a psychopath. They lie, cheat and steal while hurting and murdering animals....that is the big read flag. No conscience can easily be observed in small children if not ignored by oblivious parents and teachers.
you are a very intelligent person
She sounds alot of Susan Smith, Casey Anthony, Stacy Barker, Andrea Yates and there is Diane Downs who murdered her own children then shot herself in the arm and drove herself to the hospital and blamed it all on someone who wasnt even there.
She is crazy to shoot her kids and she is still in denial of it all even to this day! She was crazy to kill her kids and it was because she had a realtionship and it blew up in her face and so she took her anger out on her kids. Beyond sad and sick too.
Aspurgers syndrome is not an disorder in emotional development but linguistic and learning development that results in challenged social interaction. A lack of empathy is usually a symptom of that lack of social skills but not to the degree of a sociopath who can kill a human and feel nothing more than as if they had broken an inanimate object.
I bet if they would have tested the towel that she had put around her arm for ballistic residue it would have came up positive. Psychopaths are not dumb.
Lack of emotional response
I agree with everything she says her except I do think some people can be calm in a crisis because they know they need to keep it together to try and save someones life. It doesn't mean they are not terribly upset or freaked out. Obviously this does not apply to Diane who was a cold blooded killer.
CocoPink44 yeah. like I just don't cry or show much emotion in the face of death. It's due to being raised by much older parents and having elderly relatives die often during my childhood. after a while, I just realized death is expected and not to be feared. Later in life, i was seen as cold by friends when my relative or theirs would die and they would cry and be inconsolable. I just shrugged it off and was like...it happens you know? As a mother, of course I would be distraught, but part of me would be calm and if my child is dying and can't be saved, I would be calm for them. I hate when people say that people who don't cry or emote are suspicious. makes me feel like they're calling me a sociopath.
Have you lost a child? My sister lost two. I know what that pain looks like and Diane exhibited none of it.
some say she was and maybe used to control her emotions to not lose control of herself.
Can anyone tell me where can I see the whole episode for this? It doesn't even say which show it is from...
Has anybody watched I believe it was 2011 her last parole hearing and she change the whole damn story to you she went to meet a guy for pictures that was for her FBI boyfriend look it up
She is crazy
Yes, I saw that parole hearing. She wore me out with that constant jabbering. And it made no sense at all. I lost track of what she was trying to say!
Yes just seen it yesterday it’s utterly insane
I really think my mom is a sociopath. My brother has paranoid schizophrenia and he would go missing. I would loose my mind with stress call the police, and try locate him. She on the other hand would go to bed at the same time each day, (for her beauty sleep) and never stress about the situation. It baffled me so much and I felt like I was in the twilight zone. My father was the same both superficially charming but not really caring of others. Also does not feel stress.
A Narcissist will run you over to get their morning coffee and not care a Psychopath would enjoy it. Narcissist/Sociopaths are a different species.
It's actually the opposite. Psychopaths don't give a damn, narcs need supply to survive.
I agree, and why any justice system would think this human should ever be free again is awful.
it is very sad.
I’m the complete opposite of a psychopath and part of me is envious of their ability to not care or get nervous
My ex exactly. Only, everyone believed him!
julie wisley actually there still are some believe who believe she is innocent. I know it’s really stupid she is clearly guilty
AND we're feeding her.
This came out on my 2nd birthday and it makes me sick to know she attempted to kill her children and succeeded with one. I hope she never gets out of jail.
100% facts!
Love this lady ... so young looking too !!! So smart
diane is definitely guilty, and i agree, a psycho/sociopath.
i do wonder how many people who display psychopathy, are true victims of a crime and end up suspects in the crime. how many are wrongly imprisoned? i guess it's good to keep a person like that under 'control', but if they didn't do the crime that would suck to have the cops desperately trying to build a case on me because i had flat affect, laughed inappropriately and didn't seem overly bummed about my dead & dying kids.
Where's the whole interview?
I'd love to see the world for one day through the eyes of a psychopath.. and I also wonder if a psychopath sometimes wonders what normal people feel.. for example, how empathy feels like..
folkosire They see empathy in others and see it as a weakness to exploit.
I don't want to see the world through the eyes of a psychopath.
She gives a great layman's explanation.
Wow she hit it right on the noise 👍
My Uncle is the one who she killed her kids for. They use a fake name "Lou Louiston" but his name is really Nick. I have had a few conversations with him about what happened. He is VERY nice guy who is living in Alabama with my Aunt.
🙄
Her descriptions are horrific and her facial expressions wowza. I would have been hysterical. Those poor children all of them. Oh it's truly chilling indeed!
will do james your a good man.
As the bushy haired stranger I just wasn’t ready or prepared for how strong Diane was, how she fooled me by fake throwing the car keys!
I'm not buying this. That's being too generous towards the murderer. The next thing you know all the psychiatrists will be saying oh they cant help it let's help them. So then they get to have a free college education in prison free health care evt. Ect. While their victims wont have anything. Then they'll say oh they are doing so well they can now contribute to society let's let them out. So out they come with a college degree and ready to have this great new improved life while their victims are rotting from an early death in their graves. It's almost as if they were rewarded for their heinous crimes. Something is wrong here
They treat the crimminals like the victims. It happened to my sister Karin in 1974. The guy did it before and was let out after five years and did it to my sister. What a twisted crimminal justice system we have
This country has a justice system that places the best interests of the public and victims BEHIND compassion for the perpetrator. It's a cowardly justice system.
Coy,but showing off!!!THIS WOMAN,DIANE DOWNS IS INSANE!!!
Is stealing worse than kicking somebody in the street?
you are right it is a huge waste of tax dollars $55,000 a year to house inmates in the federal prison system for person who are not guilty
Well, since she is guilty it's money well spent.
Never fired a gun before??? First, that doesn't matter if it was first time or the 10th! Second, didn't they try and recover the slug from the trailer in Mesa where she shot a round into the floor but it was too damaged to run the tests to see if it was from the same gun? Didn't Nick Nickerbocker testify he saw the gun in the trunk of her car and her ex husband? Although it was never found I think they established quite well she was in possession of the same kind of gun,
Coco there is only one thing you said that was true. Knick did testify that he saw her ex husbands gun in the trunk of her car. THE GUN WAS FOUND ballistics were ran and it was determined it was not the murder weapon..
I was not meaning she never fired a gun, I mean the night of the shooting the police ran tests on her person and that night she NEVER HELD a gun, she NEVER fired a gun that night... how did she shoot her kids without even firing or holding a gun... you are quoting from Ann Rule and her book with the bullet from the trailer in Mesa your source is a liar.
+James F What I find interesting about you James, and the entire Frederickson family, is that you all are so desperate to prove Diane innocent...to look for any shred of evidence that would point away from her, yet you all so easily discount what has been determined to be true of Diane. She is a diagnosed (not just by court drs., but psych testing performed during multiple attempts to become a surrogate mother for money) deviant Sociopath-Psychopath/Narcississt w/Histrionic personality disorder, who was an admitted abusive/neglectful mother, was flagrantly promiscuous...multitudes of affairs (getting kicked out of bible college for promiscuity), purpousely getting knocked up soely to gain sympathy during her trial, and even escaped from prison to hook-up with another prisoner's husband (hoping to get knocked up again), and even accused her own father in court of molesting her as a child...then of course recants those statements later. The child she gave up for adoption said Diane's letters scared her to death, and that's she's "bat-shit crazy!!" Her descriptions of her supposed "attacker" have changed over the years as well to include some bizarre conspiracy including dirty narcotics officers. To say nothing of her bizarre demeanor in front of the media during the investigation...a complete lack of emotion for her children, that was clear for everyone (who is normal) to see. Nothing, and I mean nothing out of her mouth can be believed...she has zero credibility because of her moral character, habitual lies, and the ways in which she has conducted her life! Had this tragedy not occurred, what is absolutely known without question to be TRUE about Diane is not only enough to have declared her too unfit as a mother to have even raised them in the first place, but also intrinsicly deviant to the point that she was a danger to society! What I wonder, is if the reason that you and your father so vehemently deny the possibility of of Diane's guilt, and consistently try to shift the blame elsewhere, is because the two of you share the same traits that she possesses? That is why you two are constantly trying to convice everyone that black is white. This wasn't some grand conspiracy to destroy Diane Downs, though that's what you're asking everyone to believe. I can think of no other explanation why, after all these years, there is no acknowledgement of any accountability for ANY wrongdoing on her part! The two of you are probably every bit as scary as she is!!
What I find most disturbing is how people including you feel you have the right to convict somebody based on how a person acts and attack anybody who believes differently than you do. You did not mention any piece of evidence you only talk about how she acted. I am also embarrassed about how she acts both in 1983 and now. But I am not talking about her promiscuity or her ability to be a mother, I am talking about SHE DID NOT SHOOT HER CHILDREN. That CANNOT BE DENIED
James F I don't know that it cannot be denied, and neither do you. There isn't any credible evidence that points away from Diane...except her word. Which isn't credible, as you've just stated by admitting that her behavior is too bizarre to believe anything she says. Christie says that her MOM shot them, and you have no proof that Christie is a liar, but by denying everything that's what you are doing. You've made an assumption that she was coersed into that statement, but again you have no proof of that. Christie has never recanted her statement. Isn't it time to let this thing go? None of it can be changed or undone, and I think you know deep down that Diane isn't going to ever be let out of prison. Your family needs to come to some kind of acceptance.
Well, she knows be an awesome teacher.
A normal person would have died trying to protect those children. I'm not a mother but if I had any children in my care I think it would just be instinctual to protect them-I wouldn't have a chance to think about it. We're hard wired to protect the venerable and defenseless. This woman is missing the part of brain that gives humans souls. Even animals who definitely love and have feelings albeit less complicated feelings protect their young. To call her cold-blooded is an insult to snakes and lizards.
NOTHING AT ALL IN HER HEART FOR HER BABIES!!
YES!!YES!!!YES!THIS WOMAN IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!!!
I know she shot her children, but I was wondering what would a psychopath/sociopath do if someone does harm their children very badly or try to kill them etc?
They would still not panic and have a very emotional reaction.
They could get furious at the aggressor, they might not have an emotional connection with the kids but might see them as property, property that has been damaged by other.
She would try to kill the murder, get revenge if possible but she was likely to provide assistance to the kids, wrap their wounds and drive fast to the hospital to save them.
So, yeah, she would still not have a very emotional reaction but she would be pissed to know her kids were dead or injured, in a way she would see property damaged.
Psychopaths Do feel stress.
Only for themselves,not for others
Where does Susan Smith fit in? She was very distressed and emotional after she killed her two babies.
They shared a similar MO
I want to listen to this woman forever
Did she arrange for the shooting of her kids by someone else? Was that person the man in the car she stopped for? I just started reading more about this case after all these years.
That's not true you couldn't call the police on the side of the road no cell phones and you would get in the car and drive to the hospital, wonder why she let the others live and not killed them? That doesn't make any since she would know the other kid would talk.
A witness testified he was driving behind Diane just after the shooting. She was going 5 miles an hour. She couldn't deliver cold corpses to the ER. She was hoping they wouldn't survive. And they nearly didn't.
Your Highness could you please pardon my sister from the atrocities that have been committed against her and my family. First order of the day would be to have you show me proof she held a gun that night.
Interesting take.