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DIANE DOWNS: MURDERER OR VICTIM

YOU BE THE JURY

GUN SEARCH

Isaiah Chapter 41 Verses 10-13

Beginning the day after the shooting and for seven days, Lane County, Oregon spent 1,149 hours looking for the gun Diane Downs had been accused of using to shoot her children and herself.  Their search, which included 70 feet on both sides of the roadway and in the water, was unsuccessful so they determined that she took the gun out of the area and hid it.  They covered the area like a blanket and found no gun.  Diane was convicted of using a gun they couldn't find.

They searched the car thoroughly at the hospital and found no gun.  This could only mean that she either drove in her car or walked somewhere to hide it.  Joseph Inman, a witness for the prosecution was very careful to point out how he followed Diane as she drove down a country road (Old Mohawk), which is the route Diane said she traveled.  He not only fixed the time, but the location, which confirms that she came down Old Mohawk Road to the hospital.

The State couldn't find the gun, yet Diane was charged and convicted of shooting her children with Ruger #14-76187.  Diane said the gun in question was left in Arizona with Diane's ex-husband, Steve Downs.

                            MEMORANDUM lane county

SUBJECT Downs Homicide Evidence Searches DATE June 20,1983

Per our conversation, the following reflects the searches completed for you on the Downs homicide case:

Friday - 05-20-83

Arrived at the scene with Search and Rescue Explorer Post #178 members at approximately 1145 hours. I contacted Deputy Card who advised what to look for

and the area we were to search. The group searched both sides of the road at the scene. The field on the East-side of the road was searched to a distance of approximately 70 feet from the roadway. The West-side of the road was searched from the road to the water. When this area was finished we left.

Saturday - 05-21-83

On this date, the Water Search and Rescue Unit (divers) started a search at approximately 0800 hours. One group of divers searched the water at the scene on Old Mohawk Road while the other group searched at the Hill Road Bridge. We then took all the divers to the McKenzie River under Hay den Bridge and searched this area.

Sunday - 05-22-83

On. this date, I took both divers and Explorer Scouts and started searching the water again at the crime scene on Old Mohawk Road. The scouts searched from the crime scene on Old Mohawk Road (both sides of the road) to Hayden Bridge. They searched approximately 50 feet out on each side of the road.

Wednesday - 05-25-83

On this date we took both divers and Explorer Scouts and began searching at approximately 0730 hours. The scouts were at the scene on Old Mohawk Road, on the West-side of the .road just South of the scene. They cut down approximately 100 yards of blackberry vines, about 20 feet wide. Four of scouts started at the scene on Old Mohawk Road and walked the road from Old Mohawk Road to Marcola Road, North to Sunderman Road on the North-end, South on Sunderman Road to Marcola Road, South on Marcola Road back to Old Mohawk Road. The divers went to the bridge on the North-end of Sunderman Road and searched the water there, then carne to the South-end of Sunderman Road at Marcola Road and searched the water under the bridge on Marcola Road.

Thursday - 06-02-83

On this date we took the divers to Hayden Bridge and started searching at approximately 1100 hours. We searched the water in the shoot and under the bridge and also under the railroad bridge.

Friday - 06-03-83

On this date we took the divers to the Hayden Bridge area and started searching at approximately 1430 hours. We searched the area at the upper end of the shoot above the boat ramps.

Saturday - 06-04-83

We took the scouts and the divers and began searching at approximately 0830 hours. We went to the Sunderman Road area at the South-end near Marcola Road. We searched the bank of the river and the water at this area. We searched from the road to the water and the water on both sides of the bridge across the water.

This is the amount of man hours, number of people and the cost of the volunteers if we had to pay and also the actual cost of these missions.

SAR PERSONNEL     MAN HOURS     VOLUNTEER COST     ACTUAL-COSTS     TOTAL COST
             80                                 1,149                     $7,937.15                         $820.56                     $8,757.71

                                                                                                        Earl McMullen, Deputy

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