And to make matters worse, she was tried, convicted and sentenced to death based on the testimony of Tom Bevel, a hired bloodstain pattern expert. Two unknown fingerprints were found in the house. The entire video showed somber moments at the graveside service before having this symbolic birthday party. Secondly, a motive for the break-in was unclear, but it seemed unlikely that it was robbery as there had been many valuables lying out in plain sight that had not been taken. Jurors saw a lot of the Routier home during the four week-long murder trial, wherein prosecutors painted an unflattering picture of Darlie and the Routiers newfound wealth. After the murders, the family room carpet was torn out, the kitchen sink removed, and parts of the kitchen floor taken out. Susanna Reid investigates whether Death Row inmate Darlie Routier is an innocent woman who tragically lost her two sons, or a twisted killer who stabbed her own boys in cold blood However, the prosecution said Darlie made the whole story up. This is like a witch hunt. Todays story is an episode that examines what it really means to be innocent until proven guilty. However, and this may be an important point of contention for some, though the seller does abide by the Texas law that requires the disclosure, it does not explicitly draw attention to the homes history. Make Your Voice Heard! According to the testimony of San Antonio chief medical examiner Vincent DiMaio, the wound inflicted on Routiers neck was only two millimetres away from severing her carotid artery. They married four years later and in 1989, their oldest son Devon was born. sitting on death row in Texas she was. Since Monday, two lawyers working on Routier's appeal have poring over the DA's. files from 1996. Born in Rowlett Texas, an American woman convicted of the murder of her son, Damon Routier, stands on death row awaiting execution by lethal injection . Her other son, Devon, was also killed the same day, though she was never convicted . Darlie Routier is still in her appeal process and any false statements being made about her case publicly could damage or destroy her appeals. District Attorney's court files in Darlie Routier's case. At one point, Routier contemplated suicide and wrote a note to her children in her diary. . Her husband, Darin, according to court documents, was asleep with the couples newborn in an upstairs bedroom. https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/85922/kelly-faces-execution-tonight-but-shes-not-the-killer/, https://spotlightonlaw2.wordpress.com/darlie-routier-are-there-any-reasonable-doubts-jan-30-2016/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RYmfwSJdxA. Their youngest, Drake, the only Routier boy to survive the incident, was born on October 18, 1995. Oddly enough, when we visited the home, we realized it was up for sale and was actually listed on Zillow. All of a sudden I woke up, stabbed my kids, tried to slit my head off? Darlie Routier herself had suffered bruises and cuts to her throat and right arm and was briefly hospitalized. She has always maintained her innocence and has claimed the boys were killed by an intruder. She reported that an intruder had broken into the house, stabbing her two children and attacking her. Motive is still a mystery, but the prosecution painted her as a shrewish, materialistic young woman who, sensing her lavish lifestyle crumbling, slew her two sons Damon and Devon in a mad attempt to resuscitate her and her husband's personal economy. He pointed out that the prosecution did not have a motive, a confession, or any witnesses. Darin lost Drakes custody because of his support for Routier. The middle son, Damon, was fighting for his life in the ambulance. She has never been charged in the murder of her 6 year old son Devon, who was also stabbed to death the same night. The jury thought she was defensive and argumentative. I have followed this case since inception. I am very disappointed with the interview Ryan Kester did with Roberta Glass. The dungeness crab pave was the standout, but the other dishes, while solid, were rather forgettable. Texas inmates spend an average of 11 years on death row before being executed by lethal injection. However, the news cameras never showed it. After knowing this case for so long , a quarter of a century, by the way,. *Indicates a source that is speculative and/or otherwise unofficial. In February 1997, she was sentenced to death by lethal injection for the murder of Damon, but was not trialled for Devon's murder. They had applied for a loan shortly before the murders but were rejected because of their dire financial situation. THE DARLIE ROUTIER 911 TRANSCRIPT ANALYSIS OF THE 911 CALL Audio of 911 call (Note: it is on the For Darlie Routier site run by her mother, who claims the transcript by the police was altered.) Records show the Routier home has changed hands three times since it was foreclosed on in November 1996, several months after the murders took place. Also on serveral you tube channels they, for instance. Her trial began in January 1997, just 6 months after the murders. Prosecutors wanted the option to pursue a second indictment for Devon should the first fail in court. When Routier was a teenager, she relocated to Lubbock with her mother and stepfather Robbie Kee. It still wasnt right. And finally, a lot of ppl say the crime how Darlie described it , does not make sence! On June 6, 1996 a little after 2:00 a.m., Darlie Routier called 9-1-1 reporting that an intruder stabbed her and her 2 sons, Devon and Damon. Darlie Routier killed her children. these children were loved anf so well cared of. Donations keep us running smoothly. Shes been granted 3 court orders for additional DNA testing to be done on her case to prove her innocence. While the jury deliberated, they asked to watch the silly-string video 7 times. Five minutes later, police arrived at Darlie's home in Rowlett, a suburb of Dallas. Those kids ran wild in the neighborhood. so as Darlie the monster the prosecution. The judge also ordered DNA profiles from each member of the Routier family also be sent to the California lab for comparison purposes. I believe she is a victim Her life has been ruined. In the early morning hours of June 6, 1996, 911 dispatchers in Rowlett, Texas received a panicked call from 26-year-old Darlie Routier. Darlie Routier Case: Jury Trial Transcripts. Forget the silly string. Damon died on the ambulance ride to the hospital. Police discovered that a window screen had been cut in the garage, a possible entry point for the intruder. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. When that didn't pan out, I think it was depressing for her. I worked at the dcme as a clerk when the kids were brought in. A private attorney was hired by Darlies family a month before trial and failed to call Laber or Epstein. Specifications: Darlie Routier House. They also found a large, bloody kitchen knife on the counter top, the possible murder weapon. I had doubts about her conviction from the start. If you'd like to donate today, consider one of the ways listed below, or subscribe to our Anchor.fm or Patreon. She acted strangely. Darlie Routiers case is fascinating for many reasons. Nevertheless, the defense would later claim that Darlie Routier simply would have had no time to stage a crime scene and that unidentified bloody fingerprints on the coffee table and in the garage likely came from the alleged intruder. A Killer in My House: The Darlie Routier Story. Peck, Darlie Lynn In Altoona, Pennsylvania, on January 4, 1970, Larry Peck and Darlie Kee welcomed Routier into the world. There is no way that she did it! I think she said it was 9:00 a.m. central time in the US. He also said that the post-conviction hearings in Dallas County could continue while the additional testing is underway. Waddell entered the house to find Routier still talking to the dispatchers; one boy had already died and the other was close to death. She wasn't ready for another baby so soon, but consoled herself by thinking this was the girl she wanted. He bought a 1982 Jaguar and a thirty-foot cabin cruiser while she underwent a breast augmentation surgery in 1992 and bought a large amount of flashy jewellery. Darlie Lynn Peck Routier (born January 4, 1970) is an American woman from Rowlett, Texas, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of her five-year-old son Damon in 1996. In 2009, the National Academy of Sciences released a critique of forensic science practices in U.S. courtrooms, noting that since the introduction of DNA testing in 1989 that faulty science was found to be responsible for the wrongful convictions in a number of post-conviction DNA exonerations. You must log in or register to reply here. Like the case of David Camm who was finally exonerated after serving 13 years in prison, Darlie Routier was accused and convicted of the brutal murders of her two precious children--based solely on controversial forensic evidence known as bloodstain pattern analysis. She has a sister named Danelle Fugate. Furthermore, the defense said, the wound on her neck was only two inches away from her carotid artery, which was not consistent with a self-inflicted injury. However, Darlie has always maintained her innocence and there are many, many things that don't fit the "Darlie did it," theory used to convict her. But the Routier family? Darlies defense was an intruder broke into the house, through a window in the garage and attacked her and the boys. Almost immediately, cops have only one suspect. They provided a favorable report to her defense attorneys. Bevel testified that he magnified small patterns of stains on the mother's nightshirt that he interpreted as cast-off patterns, which to him suggested that it was the mother who wielded the knife that killed her two children. Routier, Darlie Lynn: TDCJ Number: 999220: Date of Birth: 01/04/1970: Date Received: 02/05/1997: Age (when Received) 27: Education Level (Highest Grade Completed) 12: . He said to his dying day Darlie did not get a fair trial. When it was last listed on MLS for sale in 2006, the previous sellers agent highlighted this fact by stating in the private MLS remarks on NTREIS, Contact listing agent for disclosures prior to offers.. These sources are used for gathering general information related to the story and are then independently verified by our team. Media ruined and I mean completely ruined any chance of a FAIR trial, probably anywhere in any surrounding states, let alone the county in TEXAS where this occurred. It was June 6, 1996, and the call was made at 2:31 a.m., with the police arriving merely three minutes later. This unknown assailant also stabbed her two boys sleeping next to her. He has since remarried. The Illinois Innocence Project had corroborated the serial killers confession. What you saw was an old 48 Hours they bought from CBS and renamed "against the law". The Dallas County Appraisal District estimated a 2022 tax value of $375,790. The only piece of evidence that was found outside of the Routier house was a bloody sock about 75 yards away from the house. Darlie Routier Fact and Fiction website Maybe Darlie Didn't Do It article comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment blueskies8484 Additional comment actions. Update 12/18: The home has dropped again in price to $390,000. She was crucified by the press. The Night Of The Crime. Oh Doh, it's the 25th, not Friday so it's Saturday. Why? Too many loose ends for a decent prosecutor to ever think about trying this woman. Darlie Routier is a famous Criminal. I thought this might be nice to pass on to some of your penpals - kind of give them something to focus on of a positive nature [smile] Creating Your Own Life Darlie Lynn Peck Routier is an American death row inmate convicted of killing her five-year-old son. She had actually held a somber ceremony honoring the two boys before the more jovial birthday party. Her wounds were superficial & she didnt know what/where carotid was. Darlies husband, Darin Routier, was sleeping upstairs with 7-month old Drake. Plus all the Refuted Evidence, it is a scandal and shame. The scene was staged by her. One adult was left Thats the adult that should be a suspect instead of Darlie. This is the same knife Darlie told 9-1-1 that she already picked up when chasing the man out of her house. Dalrock is especially desirable for its proximity to Lake Ray Hubbard and location on a peninsula-like shore of the lake. He chuckles everytime he is asked about it as if they have some sort of secret joke running. She and her family have been attacked. But recognizable features like the bathroom fixtures, green marble floors, green marble fireplace, and even the Routiers burgundy custom draperies, reportedly costing $12,000, still remain. The knife the Routier family was attacked with. She was born on January 4, 1970 and her birthplace is Pennsylvania. My profiles are only are good as the information that I receive. 210 Likes, 191 Comments. In 2014, both the prosecution and her defence team were granted permission for further DNA tests. Darlie's eldest son, Devon, had already died from four knife wounds. Judge Audra Riley of Dallas County signed on order on Sept. 30 instructing multiple agencies including the Dallas County District Clerk, the Rowlett Police Department, the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification to collect their evidence from the Routier case and send it to the Forensic Analytical Crime Laboratory in Hayward, Calif. One on the windowsill in the garage and a bloody fingerprint was found on the coffee table. Shes been on death row in Texas for over 23 years. Forget the graveside party. I did the only thing I knew to do to honor him and give him all his wishes because he wasnt here anymore. Yes, people, you forget how many crazy, psychopathic and completely crazy criminals are around ,all over, the security feeling you have in Germany or Europe, compared to the US, is completely different. Amid a media frenzy, Darlie Routier's trial begins. Bedrooms: 3. Your email address will not be published. That is really hurting. They continued to go back to the silly-string video and made the claim that this is not how a grieving mother is supposed to act. Darlie speaks with the dispatcher and says that an intruder has broken into her home and stabbed her two boys, five-year-old Damon and six-year-old . CNN . But how do you know what youre going to do when you lose two children? Darlie's 911 call is chilling and horrific. In the early morning of June 6, 1996, the police received a phone call from freaked out Darlie Routier. However, holes soon began to appear in Routiers intruder story. If what the friend said is true, then Darin must be almost as disturbed as Darlie. She was officially charged with capital murder four days later. I work up a profile based on crime scene evidence, however, I will only agree to offer my assistance if I feel like the case materials were documented to my satisfaction. I agree with you and believe she didnt get a fair trial. As such, the current 2022 disclosure is marked with a Yes. Police discovered that a window screen had been cut in the garage, a possible entry point for the intruder. Darlie took the stand in her own defense and made a terrible witness. Devon Rush Routier was born less than a year after their marriage, on June 14, 1989. Her sentence is to be carried out at the Huntsville Units execution chamber. http://www.darlieroutierfactandfiction.com/. Photo Credits For Slideshow: Dallas Morning News, CNN, Soapboxie, Cold No More @ Wordpress. She has also been charged with capital murder in the death of her six-year-old son, Devon, who was murdered at the same time as Damon. That's like him saying, your body may be your decision but I have say so over it all in the end. Bloodstain scientists Terry Laber and Bart Epstein, who assisted with the defense of David Camm, were hired by Darlie Routiers public defenders. A full transcript of this episode is available here. The jurors were shown the Silly String video. Four years later, her attorneys asked that DNA testing which they feel will exonerate her be used, though that has yet to be done. Whether thats true or false may never be known for sure. She has said . Her defense team, including attorney, Douglas Mulder, argued that the bloody sock found down the street from the Routier house containing DNA proves that Darlie couldnt have committed the murders. They said she wanted her sons gone because they were too much responsibility and got in the way of her desired lifestyle. Race and Gender of Victim The case of Darlie Routier has been heavily debated since her capital murder conviction and death sentence were handed down by a Kerrville jury on February 4, 1997. Does anyone know how long it was before getting pregnant with Drake that Darlie got the breast implants? This transcript was created from the official tape logs maintained by the Communications Section of the Rowlett Police Department Transcribed by Barry Dickey and Dennis Lowe for Graffiti Productions, Inc. Her mother had the opportunity a few years ago to go on Dr. Phil? 752 Words4 Pages. Shortly after the murders, NBC5 (KXAS . Just reduced. When his back-up arrived, he went through the house but did not find any intruder. One of Darlie Routiers attorneys, Richard R. Smith of Dallas, said the judges order was welcome news. Bevel was the same bloodstain expert who was responsible for the wrongful conviction of David Camm. How many murders has anyone seen or heard of involving JUST children ? Devon after paramedics tried to save him. How very strange. During the four-week-long trial, Darlie was found guilty of the murder of Damon only. One bloodstain expert said it's like looking at the clouds . Its situated on a large 0.214-acre curving corner lot in the established Dalrock neighborhood. Right now, Darlie continues to appeal her conviction. Routier was sentenced to death in 1997 Credit: AP:Associated Press. The Innocence Project is paying for the shipment of evidence between laboratories, according to the judges orders. You should be able to watch that program on Friday on your discovery channel. It wasnt long before many began to wonder whether Darlie Routier had in fact killed her sons herself. Todays episode contains references to violence against children, depression, suicidal ideation, and incarceration. Darren stayed with Darlie for many many many years after while she was on Death Row, because he absolutely DID AND DOES BELIEVE IN HER INNOCENCE. We want to give credit to these sources for pointing us in the right direction of more official sources and/or being the first source to present us with information. Darlie baked cookies for the neighbourhood kids who would later testify on her behalf before the court. Attorneys for Routier, including Smith and J. Stephen Cooper of Dallas, Richard Burr of Houston and Jane Pucher and Vanessa Potkin of the Innocence Project, all agreed to the procedure as outlined by the judge. Julie was acquitted in a new trial, and the courts have issued her a Certificate of Innocence. At 2:30 a.m., a 9-1-1 operator received a frantic call for help. Buzzfeed News: Why are We Obsessed with Mothers Accused of Murder?, by Alessa Dominguez Theres no evidence of any intruder and no evidence to place Darin as a direct part of the murders. People form an opinion of Darlie's guilt or innocence based on a variety of media: Facebook, TV shows, true crime books, and supporter websites. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Copyright Altoona Mirror | https://www.altoonamirror.com | 301 Cayuga Ave., Altoona, PA 16602 | 814-946-7411. Born in Pennsylvania, Routier had spent her teenage years in Lubbock, Texas where she met her future husband Darin Routier when she was 15 years old. If Darlie Routier had died on the operating table, which was a real possibility since the knife that slashed her came within 2 millimeters of her carotid artery, then she would have been deemed a victim, along with her two boys -- and given the total lack of intruder evidence, the only possible perpetrator would have been Darin. Coincidentally both of her sons, 6 year old Devon and 5 year old Damon died during the attack but the conviction only tried the murder of Damon. Darlie Routier, however, remains on death row in Texas, awaiting execution based on the same bloodstain interpretation evidence that convicted Julie Rea. A Tragedy of Errors. Large lot with lots of parking in the back. As a woman and mother my intuition tells me, she is innocent. Just inform yourself about the doubts which has been proven. We are calling on YOU to urge Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins to Stop the Execution of Darlie Routier! They both sure seemed to go from one extreme to the other. Either way, the jurors did not get to see any photographs of her injuries.