Darlie Routier talks of new hope from death row
A Rowlett mother placed on death row for the murder of her 2 sons has expressed hope that new DNA tests will clear her name.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled Wednesday that Darlie Routier, who has always claimed a home intruder was the true killer, will be allowed to re-conduct DNA testing on items from the scene of the crime...
...Routier said she hopes the DNA tests will find another source of blood, other than her's or her two sons'...Routier was convicted more than 10 years ago.
Talking from jail, Routier said that new technology will prove that she is not a killer.
"Well, do you have that much time?" said Routier when asked how so many people, and the justice system, could have been wrong in her case.
When Rowlett police arrested Routier in 1996, they were certain they had it right. The prosecution said Routier stabbed her children, Devon and Damon, and then stabbed herself to cover it up. The jury agreed.
"I was there," she said. "I know that I didn't murder my children. I know I did not attack myself."
Wednesday, a judge ruled Routier's legal team can take a fresh look at hair and blood evidence. All that will be tested is evidence that, at the time, could not be linked to anyone in the house.
"Everything that I've said is a truth," Routier said. "And it's right there. It's just a matter of a person taking the time to really look at
it."
...The judge's ruling said the case against Routier is still strong. But if
new testing supports Routier's claim, it might be enough to sway a jury.
(source: WFAA News)
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Mrs. Routier remains on the state's death row for women in Gatesville.
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Timeline: Darlie Routier case
June 6, 1996: Routier brothers Damon, 5, and Devon, 6, are found stabbed to death in the family's Rowlett home. Darlie Routier, 26, has cut and stab wounds on her neck and upper body. Husband Darin Routier, 28, and son Drake, 8 months, are unharmed.
June 18, 1996: Mrs. Routier is arrested on capital murder charges.
February 1997: After a change of venue, jurors in Kerrville convict Mrs.Routier of capital murder and sentence her to death for killing Damon.
May 21, 2003: The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals upholds the conviction and sentence.
Dec. 1, 2004: The Court of Criminal Appeals denies a writ of habeas corpus.
Jan. 25, 2007: Dallas Judge Robert Francis denies Mrs. Routier's request for DNA testing.
June 18, 2008: The Court of Criminal Appeals overrules Judge Francis and grants limited DNA testing.
20 comments:
ugh. this is a touchy topic. i just dont know. i dont think or want to believe that Darlie would have done this to her children. She loved those boys. I would rather see 10 guilty people go free than 1 innocent person rot in jail. I wonder what happened to Drake and Darin? I have never heard any updates? does anyone know?
All I know is that in August Darlie evidently Filed her First Motion of Discovery in her Federal Habeas Proceedings in August-- Looks like a lot of information/files on Darlie's website. Also, I understand that Drake and Darin still live with their father in Texas.
You sound like you know that the justice system is often very uneven and that one innocent person in prison is one too many.
Thanks for your comment/question & sympathy for Darlie--maybe some others will have more information?
Darin's parents still have legal custody of Drake but he (Drake) is living with his dad (Darin) in Lubbock. Drake will be 13 in November.
Over the past 4 years I have come to know Darlie very well. We are in contact weekly throgh letters & I also am in contact with her mother via e-mail. Darlie is waiting for word from the courts on additional DNA testing that will further PROVE her innocence. There is already SO much evidence proving her arrest & subsequent death sentence to be totally bogus. I am not sure how many of you are familiar with this case but there isn't anything I do not know. Before I contacted Darlie's mother (also named Darlie) I did extensive research on this case including reading the court transcripts word for word & reviewing crime scene photos. I could go on & on about the evidence but here are just a couple things that are pretty darn convincing. #1) There was not a drop of Devon's blood found on the murder weapon only Devon & Darlie's. How is this possible? Well, there was a 2nd knife brought it by the killers. #2) The nurses & doctors testimony on the stand directly contradicts their chart notes. On the stand they claimed that she did not act like a mother who had lost her children..no crying, just "whining". Yet, their chart notes (each nurse) clearly states "tearful","crying","sobbing" "VERY tearful" "Very upset, unconrollable sobbing". Did you know that within 20 minutes (admitingly) of being on the crime scene a retired investigator decided Darlie was guilty? They hadn't even found the bloody sock yet, which the prosecution still can not explain. There were THOUSANDS not hundreds of mistakes on the orginal court transcripts in which the court clerk subsequently lost her license & was jailed for purposely changing quotes & testimony. The LEAD investigator on this case was not even called as a prosecution witness & when the defense called him, he plead the 5th!! Why? What was he afraid of? Have you ever heard of such a thing? Her wounds were so clearly defensive wounds, her arms were solid balck & blue bruises. Her throat was slashed with in 2 mm of her carotid artery...how would she know when to stop? 2mm & she would have bled to death!! Anyway, there is more & if anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Drake still lives with his father and visits Granda Darlie frequently who takes him to see his mother as often as possible. She is allowed 4 hours per week with Drake since her lives more than 200 miles away. Otherwise, it is 2 hours. She has sent me recent photos of him & he is almost a teenager. The last time Darlie touched him was when he was 9 months old. I alo have photos of her & dispite her incarceration, she looks great & maintains a positive attitude. She is confidant that the truth will prevail. We just need the court to FINALLY allow the DNA testing to be done on the sock & all of the foreign (does not belong to anyone in the family,law enforcement or rescue personnel) stains found at the crime scene. That's all she is asking for & it has taken 11 years to even be considered as all the lower courts denied her request. Just what is the State of Texas so afraid of?
why would you defend a woman who kiled her two childen ?? all the attonery's have done is present a horse and pony show, there is no doubt she killed her boys, she is as fake as her tears
I have just one question. If the prosecution is correct and Darlie killed the boys because they got in the way of her lifestyle, why then did she not insist on keeping Drake in the living room that night and kill him too? There is a lack of mens rea in this case. I believe that it is possible that a great injustice has occured. Darlie could not have caused the bruising on herself and the jury was never shown this evidence. The venue of the trial was moved to a more conservative town. I am currently a criminal justice major and I plan to delve further into Darlie's case, but unless I can find overwhelming evidence to the contrary, I believe the State of Texas did not meet their burden of proof.
I would just like to know how it is that you can sleep through someone cutting your throat, but wake up and see your alleged killer and not immediately freak out or tend to your child whom alleged was standing next to her as she walked to the garage. There are many inconsistencies in her story and I really hate to even think of a mother killing her children. It makes me incredibly sad to do so. I don't think she wanted anything financial out of this, I think that it was a possible murder/suicide that she couldn't go through with. Why didn't she have Drake there too? Some wome don't bond with their babies until they are few to several months old....that is a fact. I do hope that I'm wrong....I really hope they find evidence that proves me wrong.....very sad situation.
Thanx for the comments...Be sure to read "Gee Dee", the person who's commented here who's in touch with Darlie and seems to have studied a lot on this case.
Also read up on the case from all sides on your own.
I am glad some here do try to recognize the various reasons why some mothers may not bond -- and other concerns.
However, sure doesn't sound like there is enough or even the right kind of evidence to convict.
Nevertheless, we at The Journey of Hope are not only against the death penalty, but we also want to be sure that all parties are able to express their concerns, needs and own tragic experience and work toward healing.
We are also for prevention, of course...so some of these comments may apply to OTHERS in future situation if not to Darlie.
If ANYONE is reading this or any other items posted here and needs help for depression, not bonding with babies or children, feelings of being trapped, knowing you need help, please pray for the right kind and SEEK out this help now! Please don't wait.
The right minister, psychologist, social worker, psychiatrist or even a friend, family7 member you trust may help save your life and your situation.
All the best!
Connie
I sincerely believe that she does deserve a new trial. I believe they made a complete mess of the previous. I'm glad that she will be able to get items retested and see if the fingerprints can be identified. The most important thing that people have to remember is that whether or not she did this, she needs to be forgiven and her family needs prayer. If she is guilty, she is paying the price of her crime. If she is innocent, hopefully one day she will forgive those who put her there.
Hello,
I started reading about Darlie for a class writing, at first I was like how could you! I have spent over 1 month on everything I can find. You cansee personal writings about her and then you see actual transcipts from the trial and my god the main investigater in this did NOT take notes on a double murder and a possible murder!!!! Hello, I hate to say this, but it is the truth cop for cop, they stick together, and the are harrassed as much as us as citizens. Meaning if I said a cop slaped me, what person in the system is going to defend me; no one.
I am a mother of a 7 and 4 year old and you know what, times are tough for my family that doesn't mean I would take that out my children, it's not them that are causing hardship. Anyone ever listen to her 911 call; yes I understand that if you did wrong of course you are going to be crazy with emontions.
Guess I am so torn, because how as mother do you stab your child, sleeping or not they wake and see you doing this, its a nightmare Darlie will have to live with. Yet I can't see it.
Susan Smith, or women that bag up their newborns their cases are simple to see, this one, NO.... there is something deeper.
Half the cops did not have written records; they think hey this family is rich and then poor okay kill the children.... NO... I do not see it, read the testimonies of nieghbors that left their children in darlies care.
Okay I am middle class, I call 911 I live in the Detroit Metro aera, someone stabs me and kills my children but I lived. Hello pain endearance, we are talking about an adult verus 2 young stabbed children.
I thought before I actuallty felt she was not innocent that
A. For money she allowed her huband to beat her badly from the picutes and kill the children to release finacial burden
B. She did it because of PPD yet one children up stairs survived.
Then I chose these choices
why did she not kill her husband he had a live insurace police.
The women had horendus ugly briusing all over her body and stab wounds 2mm slight of her juggler and her panties where missing.
then we have 2 young boys that witnessed there mothers attack
not to metion this family was weathly
and not to mention any criminal knows that the top floor or basement is not a place to be.
Its so hard to judge or to be judgemetal or to look at this case like no way she couldnt, be in the case present and the evidence kept out of the court, its hard not to say this women is on death row as an inncoent women.
Unlike susan that drowned her children and after nine days admitted it to gave love elsewhere with another man.
Or a women that could take her 6 week old daughter and put her in a microwave and cook her, because the father did not beleive it was his, these are proven facts.
In this case I have been reviewing there are no staight forward facts; people in Texas wereup bigger positions. No one in the system would defy that standard.
I just hope that that if Darlie is not guilty, I will Smile.
Thank for listening....
Since the beginning of this year we haven't posted any anonymous comments any more. We do believe that anyone who wants to say something should also leave his/her name.
This was announced on the blog. Unfortunately we can't get the blog itself to not allow anonymous posts.
One comment was rejected today for not leaving an identity
I am researching this story for a book that I am currently writing. There is no doubt that this is a sad, tragic story. I haven't 100% made up my mind as I am trying to keep an open mind here so the writing won't appear biased. For the sake of debate here though I will say that I am leaning towards Darlie being guilty. A new trial might be the only way to get all of the answers. I'll say one thing...if Darlie is innocent her behaviour at the house, medical center and elsewhere sure seems out of whack when compared to other grieving parents that I have come across.
Well I am friends with Drake, he goes to my school he is a very nice guy. He doesn't seem to show any emotions about his mother maybe because he didn't really know her but who knows he doesn't talk about it much. My dad also went to school with Darlie and never thought she would do something like this i personally think she did not do this but we all have our own opinions
Thanx so much for your comment, friend of Drake. Although we usually don't or can't publish comments submitted as anonymous, this one worked and seemed quite appropriate. I sure do understand the reason to remain anon. for this discussion.
Since this community of comments on Darlie is still quite alive, keep it going. I'll try to alert others who tune in the the newest items.
Only by such reflections and conversations when honest, civil and humble are we able to arrive at some manner of truth. Also, thereby, we are all invited to be a part of a transformed future.
One comment rejected since we don't allow comments without identity of the writer any more
When I first watched on TV about Darlie and her boys I was leaning towards her being guilty and then I found out that the photos of all her injuries were not shown in the courtroom. It is my understanding that some of the jurers would not have voted guilty if they had seen those photos and I certainly can understand that. There is no way she could do all of that to herself. Why can't they get her a new trial based on these negleted photos? After seeing them I truley believe her to be innocent. Also it should have been told at her trial abot the very sad memorial before the famous....silly string that was caught on tape.
At first I thought she was guilty, but that was long ago and I have learned a lot as I am working on a doctorate in clinical psychology. I wonder if Darlie has been hypnotized to see what more she can remember. I believe she passed out during the attack - not that she slept through it. Looking at the pictures of her bruises, it's totally obvious that she didn't hurt herself. Sadly, I believe her husband did it or had someone do it. I wish I could do something to help.
This woman is clearly not guility.a misscarage of justice at it's highest level. this is whats wrong with our justice system. when they know they made a mintake and wont admit it.
This is another case of injustice. There is no way her wounds were self-inflicted. Looks to me like an officer was covering for his son. Maybe the hair in the screen that was said to be the officers was the officers sons.
I believe Darlie is guilty of the murder of her two children.The photos of her bruises were seen by the jury. They played a big part in her defence. The photos have been enlarged/copied so many times it's hard to see the real bruising. The photos were taken on the 10/06/96. Less than a week later there are no visible bruises on Darlie in the silly string video.The "prayer service" video that shows a truly grieving Darlie has never been seen. Snippets maybe,but nothing shows an emotional Darlie. Her attorney declined to show the "prayer service"video at trial. That is very strange to me. Could it be that Darlie is as happy in that video as she is in the s/s video? If it could help her case why would an attorney with such a good reputation decline? Another question is if the evidence with blood is all so contaminated as her family claim,how can they hope new tests will prove her innocence? Can't have it both ways. This is just MO.
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