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DIANE DOWNS: MURDERER OR VICTIM

YOU BE THE JURY

DOCTOR CARL PETERSON

Isaiah Chapter 41 Verses 10-13

Doctor Carl Peterson was contacted by Susan Staffel of Children's Services Division:   Dr. Peterson letter 1.pdf   The following is an "interpretation" of Dr. Peterson's notes on June 28, 1983, Dr. Peterson wrote: Dr. Peterson 2017.pdf  "Not sending Christie to me to determine murderer."  Another thing in this note, he sees Christie as a protector for her mother.

On September 14, 1983, just two and one-half months months after therapy began, Dr. Peterson, in a letter (third paragraph) to the case worker, says: "Eventually, I anticipate that this strategy will serve to evoke sufficient anger toward the perpetrator to overcome Christy's current blockage of resistance in this area."  Dr. Peterson letter 2.pdf I have a problem here because in his notes he sees Christie as the protector of her mother and now he is trying to "evoke sufficient anger toward the perpetrator" that seems to be Christie's mother, in Doctor  eyes.  What other perpetrator would you need to be angry at.  I love my mom, so it's hard to be angry with her.  I hate the guy who shot me, so it's easy to be angry with him.  What perpetrator is Doctor Peterson talking about?

Was Christie a witness?  Psychologist, Dr. Carl Peterson was retained by the State to help Christie rebuild her memory. I have reason to believe his professional stance may have been compromised.  He wrote a letter to Susan Staffel of Children's Services in which he said:   I am led by concerned professionals to believe that Ms. Downs may have served a casual role in this tragedy,...Shame on you Doctor Peterson for not disqualifying yourself and your prejudice.   This note can be found at the bottom of page 1 of Dr. Peterson letter 3.pdf 

In that same letter, Dr Peterson writes:  In the course of those contacts I have helped Christy to access some of the feelings she associates with her sister's death. Throughout the duration of that work I have continued to be struck by the strength of Christy's resistance or blockage to accessing feelings she undoubtedly associates with the perpetrator of this crime. You can read that letter with both of these comments at Dr. Peterson letter 3.pdf  Whose feelings was Dr. Peterson accessing?  Was he objective?  If you want my opinion, he was accessing his own feelings, giving them to Christie, and he wasn't objective.

On December 19. 1983, almost six months after she began seeing Dr. Peterson, Christie says:  "I want my mom to tell the truth first--m.b. (maybe) I'll get to see her again."  Dr.Peterson.2048b.pdf Now it looks like someone has been telling Christie she has to tell the truth.  Christie wants to see her mom and if she tells the truth they want, then maybe she can see her mom.  Who's truth did they want?

12-19-83    sess    Christie Downs

I want my mom to tell the truth first  m.b. (maybe) I'll get to see her again  --(Mr. Furtick, the Court appointed attorney for Christie "extruded" this statement from Christie.)   Is That what a Court appointed attorney is supposed to do?  I don't think so!!

Page Elem  (Page Elementary School)

out door w Cheryl

g'parents  (went to grandparents house)

eat snack —

watch TV

had dinner

mom ate dinner

kids & mom got in car & went to mom's house

played & then got in car & drove out to

Heather ( Mrs. Purdin) (Heather Plourd's house)

at. (at time) of incident

    ---guns in trunk, big & little

    never saw anybody else  - voice stammer

    didn't see anybody go back to trunk

    even if my mom shot me, Cheryl & Danny, I'd want to go back w (with) her cause it wouldn't happen again.

*  m.b. (maybe) she just got really, really, really angry & it wouldn't happen again. Dr. Peterson offers a suggestion that Christie's mom got really, really, really angry.

talk about Xmas sing at school Now Dr. Peterson changes the subject and talks about a Christmas sing at school and then he comes back with a follow-up to his previous statement:.

*  do you think she'll get really, really, really angry again?  shrugs shoulders Christie has been talking about a Christmas sing at school and is suddenly hit with a question and is wondering where the Christmas sing went to so she shrugs her shoulders.

*  but you don't think that she'd shoot at you?  ---"anymore" This one is the clincher, "anymore."  Dr. Peterson has forgotten what objectivity really is or he is working under the state's program of "convict Downs whether she's  guilty or not". 

  Doesn't it make you feel really, really, really proud to know what good hands the State of Oregon placed Christie in?  Everyone who came in contact with Christie  was helping her remember, even when they didn't know what her memory should have been.  With a child it's easy enough to to help them remember, even if that memory doesn't exist.  You'll notice, in the same session, Christie says: "Even if my mom shot me, Cheryl and Danny, I'd want to go back with her cause it wouldn't happen again."  (She's still trying to guess what they want her to say.)  Doctor Peterson's response was: "but don't you think she'd shoot at you?---anymore"?  Dr. Peterson's mission had changed (---anymore) On October 4, 1983, Dr Peterson wrote a letter to the case worker and expressed his concern that Ms. Downs "might have served a casual role":  Dr. Peterson letter 3.pdf

Dr. Ira Hyman offers his clinical evaluation of what could have happened in Christie's memory enhancement.   On page one, following Dr. Hyman's letter of introduction, he says:

"Dr. Peterson's beliefs about memory are clear in his deposition.  when asked about memory, Dr. Peterson  makes clear that he believes that the underlying memory is always there and that the client can eventually get back to the underlying memory.  This runs counter to the majority of research on memory that shows that memories can be altered and after this occurs it is difficult, if not impossible, to discriminate true from erroneous memories.  In addition, in his letter to Ms. Staffel dated October 4, 1983, Dr. Peterson , makes clear his concern that Christie's mother may have shot her children.  When these beliefs are combined, it means that Dr. Peterson believed that Christie would eventually remember that her mother shot her and her siblings.  In the course of his therapy sessions with Christie, these beliefs would have been communicated to Christie and could be the source of Christie's eventual memory."  See Dry Hyman's complete evaluation: Dr. Hyman.pdf

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