Darin and Routier finally divorced in September 2011, citing a mutual need to get out of the limbo they had been in since her arrest and conviction. He pointed out that the prosecution did not have a motive, a confession, or any witnesses. Darlies case is very similar to another mother who was wrongfully convicted of stabbing her 10 year-old son. Copyright Altoona Mirror | https://www.altoonamirror.com | 301 Cayuga Ave., Altoona, PA 16602 | 814-946-7411. 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. 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. Update 1/19: The Darlene Routier home has been temporarily taken off the market. The judge also ordered DNA profiles from each member of the Routier family also be sent to the California lab for comparison purposes. They said she wanted her sons gone because they were too much responsibility and got in the way of her desired lifestyle. The prosecution, under the leadership of Toby Shook and Greg Davis, suggested that the crime scene had been staged. The only piece of evidence that was found outside of the Routier house was a bloody sock about 75 yards away from the house. Your email address will not be published. Darlie Routier (born January 4, 1970) called 911 after an intruder attacked her and her children on June 6, 1996. When they approached an appeals court with these allegations, they were rejected. Routier was sentenced to death in 1997 Credit: AP:Associated Press. Routiers supporters also pointed out that the silly string video had been edited to make her appear heartless. . CNN . Before the sun had broken on June 6th, 1996 Darlie Routier (26) of Rowlett Texas was pleading with the dispatch operator for immediate help. Texas Monthly: Maybe Darlie Didnt Do It, by Skip Hollandsworth. But how do you know what youre going to do when you lose two children? Darlie Routier is an innocent mother who survived a brutal attack that left her two young children, Damon and Devon Routier, dead. Lethal Indifference by the Texas Defender Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Depression Among Women, Vox: Theres a nearly 40 percent chance youll get away with murder in America, by German Lopez, Altoona Mirror: Virus slows Routier case, by Phil Ray, Area Vibes: Rowlett, TX Crime, statistics released from the FBI, Hood County News: Routier Revisited, by Kathy Cruz, Business Insider: How to Survive Life in Solitary Confinement, by Erin Fuchs, The Texas Tribune: A judge told Texas to put some inmates in air conditioning. The Night Of The Crime. The episode on Darlie was Death Row Stories' season premiere that year, and an on-camera interview was conducted with me thanks to TCU Press' publication just a few months earlier of my book Dateline: Purgatory - Examining the Case that Sentenced Darlie Routier to Death. And as you can imagine, many real estate agents can attest that its infinitely harder to sell a home where a violent death has taken place. Darlie Routier, however, remains on death row in Texas, awaiting execution based on the same bloodstain interpretation evidence that convicted Julie Rea. After police investigation, allegations point to Darlie Routier and Darin Routier for slaughtering their two sons for insurance money.Was keeping up with the joneses becoming . Last updated on 2023/03/03 "22-years after she was convicted of murdering her own child and sentenced to death a team of lawyers is finally getting a peek inside the. 21 talking about this. Peck, Darlie Lynn In Altoona, Pennsylvania, on January 4, 1970, Larry Peck and Darlie Kee welcomed Routier into the world. That's like him saying, your body may be your decision but I have say so over it all in the end. They also found a large, bloody kitchen knife on the counter top, the possible murder weapon. Darin lost Drakes custody because of his support for Routier. ), Perhaps even more suspicious was the fact that Routier made a point of telling the dispatcher on the call that she had touched the knife, saying, I wonder if we could have gotten the prints maybe., As Officer David Waddell said at trial, I thought if she was worried about fingerprints on a knife, she could certainly take care of her kids., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8KlJVf5RXk. Darin, who worked as a cook at Western Sizzlin, helped her mother find employment there. Shes been granted 3 court orders for additional DNA testing to be done on her case to prove her innocence. Darlie Routier herself had suffered bruises and cuts to her throat and right arm and was briefly hospitalized. Right now, Darlie continues to appeal her conviction. In addition, forensic analysts found evidence of large amounts of Routiers blood in and around the kitchen sink, suggesting that she had stood at that sink to cut her own throat and arm which is what someone who purposefully cut themselves in order to have wounds to show authorities as a cover might do. Officers testified that Darlie Routier seemed eerily calm and alert during the call and that she failed to follow instructions about applying pressure to Damons wound. And now that home, which has been on the market for 114 days, can be yours for $396,000 (plus Darlies original drapes, too.). It all changed when their business started to operate at a loss. I have a great simpathy for americans and have a daughter with an american. New DNA tests on that sock and several other items from the home were ordered last year, but no results have come to light. Copyright 2019-2023 by The Sirens Podcast and is a production of The Sirens Network. She came to the conclusion that Darlie was guilty and belonged on death row after doing . The Dallas Morning NewsDarlie Routier in 2018. His only living child was put under his parents care and he was granted only visitation rights. I did the only thing I knew to do to honor him and give him all his wishes because he wasnt here anymore. They claimed she was a shallow and materialistic woman with no remorse. Then discover how Gypsy Rose Blanchard killed her mother Dee Dee. Both boys were pronounced dead on the way to the hospital. Working at the same eatery where Darin, at just 17, proved to be an ambitious assistant manager, she knew that he'd be a good match for her 15-year-old daughter . Came on 8:00 a.m. my time. LOL! In 1997, Darlie Routier was sentenced to death for the murder of her two sons. Testing will be made on a sock that was found away from the scene of the murder, hairs recovered from the sock, Routiers shirt, blankets and pillow cases found at the scene, the jeans worn by Routier and the children, fingernail clippings from the children, a bloody knife and hairs on the knife. Did you see the doubts and understand that it does not make sence from the beginning to the end. Open concept living, breakfast and kitchen areas. The world of James Cron. Devon's stab wounds. With Julie Clark, Terrie Cooklin, J. Stephen Cooper, Kathy Cruz. That leaves Darlie and the overwhelming evidence against her. Her knife used to cut screen, jewelry wasnt taken at sink where clean up occurred, she named 2 men in her jail letters & freaked out on the stand when asked about it, blood under the glass & vacuum, no cuts on her feet, wine glass was latched wouldnt have been knocked down, Domain didnt bark, motion lites not on, she called media herself to film that grave scene. The fingerprints didnt match Darlie or anyone in the Routier family. The silly string was the final straw. JavaScript is disabled. Does anyone know how long it was before getting pregnant with Drake that Darlie got the breast implants? But who knows how anyone in her situation would act. 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. Some of the most respected bloodstain analyst in the county came to a different conclusionthat these stains were transferred from the hairs of his daughter when David attempted CPR on his son. This group supports Darlie's innocence. Darlie Routier, mother sentenced to death for murder gets backing from Innocence Project By L.P Phillips, NewsRadio 1080 KRLD. Darin was all smiles. YouTube: Darlie Routier - the 911 Call, uploaded by Free Darlie Routier. I strongly recommand , Werner Herzogss documentary about death row inmates, the situation is so absurd and inhumane, when will they ever change? They didnt leave the adult. Darlie Routier was arrested 4 days after the silly-string video. Her mother found work at a Western Sizzlin restaurant where Darin worked as a cook. Her family, who has stood by her throughout all these years, had called attention to the fact that there was a solemn ceremony honouring the children held earlier that the newscasts failed to show. Darlies husband, Darin Routier, was sleeping upstairs with 7-month old Drake. Darlie Routier Fact and Fiction - Separating truth from lies in the Darlie Routier trial. Stricken with panic, fear, and the shock of having to watch the life drain out of the bodies of her two small boys, she nearly bled to death waiting for help to arrive. Lawyers say prison officials are violating that order, by Jolie Mccullough, New York Post: Susan Smith, convicted of killing her young sons, could be freed in 2024, by Gabrielle Fonrouge, The New York Times: A Womans False Accusation Pains Many Blacks by Don Terry, The Dallas Morning News: How the case against Darlie Routier unfolded, by DallasNews.com Staff, Death Penalty Information Center: Time on Death Row, Pew Research Center: What the data says (and doesnt say about crime in the United States, by John Gramlich, Gallup: Perceptions of Increased U.S. Cime at Highest Since 1993, by Justin McCarthy. They also pointed out Darlies injuries as being inconsistent with self-inflicted wounds. Attorneys Cynthia Garza and Holly N. Dozier of the Dallas County Integrity Unit also gave their approval to the judges order. Darlie's Last Defense: Crime Scene- Inside, Floorplan of the Routier's house and crime scene photos. And the utility room where the murder weapon was supposedly dropped just didnt have blood spatter consistent with it being dropped there. They both sure seemed to go from one extreme to the other. Next, blood spatter on the back shoulder of Routiers nightshirt was consistent with the idea that she was the one who had done the stabbing. Texas law requires that sellers disclose when they are aware that an unnatural death has taken place on the property. A Tragedy of Errors. I am very disappointed with the interview Ryan Kester did with Roberta Glass. Darlie was just fifteen years . Witnesses testified about the Routiers' marital discord, punctuated by ugly public . You are using an out of date browser. Sells told Fanning about a murder in Illinois in which he had killed a child and was startled by the mother who came into the room. Her mother found work at a Western Sizzlin restaurant where Darin worked as a cook. Required fields are marked *. In the early morning hours of June 6th, 1996 residents slept peacefully in their beds as the moon hung over the quiet neighborhood of Dalrock Heights Addition, in the small town of Rowlett Texas. I agree Darlie is innocent. Still remain close but Darren is moving on in his life, while Darlie continues to have to suffer on Death Row. When that didn't pan out, I think it was depressing for her. A third child, Drake, who was a baby at the time, and Darin, slept through the attack upstairs. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. Obviously the system is not working, So sad. She has a sister named Danelle Fugate. Price: $355,000 (sold after the murder for an unknown price) Darlie Routier Address: 801 Eagle Dr, Rowlett, TX 75088. Later, hospital nurses said that her behavior upon Damons death just wasnt what youd expect from a mother who just lost two children. 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. Now, when are they going to execute the woman. A few unanswered questions have lingered in my mind. Finally, on Jan. 19 the home was put on hold, meaning its temporarily off the market, North Texas Real Estate Information Services (NTREIS) records show. On Oct. 13, 1987, in Lawrenceville, IL, Julie Rea was awaked at 4 a.m. to the sound of her sons scream. Her sentence is to be carried out at the Huntsville Units execution chamber. Darlie Routier is a famous Criminal. I think this woman is innocent. Her mother had the opportunity a few years ago to go on Dr. Phil? There were also marital troubles in the months leading up to the incident. It was later revealed that Darin was sleeping upstairs with Drake at the time while Routier was downstairs with Damon and Devon. On January 19, 2014, both the prosecution and defence teams were permitted to perform further DNA tests on a smudged fingerprint found in the house, a bloody sock found outside, and her nightshirt. And the puncture wounds on the shirt didnt match any wounds on her body, suggesting that the shirt was perhaps purposefully stabbed by her to help serve as evidence for her cover-up story. This unknown assailant also stabbed her two boys sleeping next to her. 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: . Why wasnt the dna testing done prior to indictment? Devon after paramedics tried to save him. The jury found Darlie guilty of capital murder and was sentenced to death on February 4, 1997. Bloodstain scientists Terry Laber and Bart Epstein, who assisted with the defense of David Camm, were hired by Darlie Routiers public defenders. Darlie Routier. He explained his reasons. She was wearing shorts. Furthermore, forensic analysis of the blood spatters around the house revealed patterns that were inconsistent with Routiers version of events. You must log in or register to reply here. Gypsy Rose Blanchard killed her mother Dee Dee. The show aired several times, but the exposure didn't put my book . 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. Shortly after the murders, NBC5 (KXAS . The window in the garage where the intruder allegedly entered just wasnt disturbed in a way that it would have been if someone had come in from the outside. 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. Whether thats true or false may never be known for sure. This was the first time many relatives and friends had seen her and her new *advertiser censored*. Carolina Disenbery of Redfin has listed 5801 Eagle Drive for $390,000. Darlie Lynn Peck Routier was born on January 4, 1970, in Altoona, Pennsylvania to parents Larry Peck and Darlie Kee. Interestingly, further down the page, the disclosure says, Theres indication of a death on the property during prior ownership. Not only do your donations help us produce the show, but they help us in the planning, research and interview phases as well. Darin wanted her *advertiser censored* BIG. 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. But how do you know what youre going to do when you lose two children? She gave birth to Damon Christian Routier on February 19, 1991. Or, maybe they both reasoned that a boob job would cost less than the years of raising a child. When tested, forensics discovered fiber glass rods with a rubbery compound on the knifes blade. He was 17 and Routier was 15 when they met. He and others in the defence team have claimed that a number of errors had been made both during the trial and in the official transcription of it. The 1993-built Routier home has 2,740 square feet with three bedrooms and three baths. 650. I dont think Darlie is guilty. It's Xmas time in both of them, but they could still be a month or two apart. If that doesnt convince you shes guilty, then youre simply saying not guilty because you oppose the death penalty. 1296 Words6 Pages. I hope the truth will be revealed some day and before its too late, considering Darlie is on death row. xxxxx In the early morning hours of June 6, 1996, 911 dispatchers in Rowlett, Texas received a panicked call from 26-year-old Darlie Routier. Her severe injuries are another. This two-story home has formal living and dining areas at the entrance perfect for entertaining. In addition, her story about the intruder didnt seem to make sense. Darlie Routiers case is fascinating for many reasons. Large lot with lots of parking in the back. My profiles are only are good as the information that I receive. Darlie Routier, who was born in Altoona, was arrested for the murder of her two young sons, Damon, 5, and Devon, 6, which occurred on June 6, 1996. Oddly enough, when we visited the home, we realized it was up for sale and was actually listed on Zillow. A full transcript of this episode is available here. Waddell entered the house to find Routier still talking to the dispatchers; one boy had already died and the other was close to death. Lost a lifetime with her son Drake who was left with no choice but to live without his Mother. Darlie Routier from Rowlett, Texas is an American woman that was convicted for the murder of her five- year old son, Damon. Square Feet: 2,740 sqft. 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. Forget the silly string. The police and prosecution had their sights set on one person as the perpetrator: the boy's mother, Darlie Routier. She had actually held a somber ceremony honoring the two boys before the more jovial birthday party. A private attorney was hired by Darlies family a month before trial and failed to call Laber or Epstein. Really? harder to sell a home where a violent death has taken place, Fort Worth-Based Agents Bring Small-Town Approach to Their Games, http://www.darlieroutierfactandfiction.com/, Associates Achieve Celebrity Status as Ebby Halliday Realtors Honors 2022 Top Producers, This East Dallas Contemporary by New Leaf Custom Homes Is Just Perfect, Youll Find Families and Neighborhood Fun at Harmon Ranch in North Fort Worth, Award Season Is Not Just for Hollywood as Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate Celebrates Its Own Stars, Stunning 101-Year-Old Kings Highway Craftsman Marries History With Stylish Updates. Ron Heflin/AP PhotoDarlie Routier being escorted into prison following her sentencing. The DNA profile from 10-2589-502 has an estimated frequency of occurrence of 1 in approximately 150 quintillion Caucasian individuals. Investigating Innocence, 2023 All Rights Reserved. Watched as much as I could but never heard anything about the abortion, etc. The 33K mistakes the court clerk made should have automatically been a mistrial. Worldwide attn and any dna testing? That is really hurting. Oh Doh, it's the 25th, not Friday so it's Saturday. Update 1/19: The Darlene Routier home has been temporarily taken off the market. Private investigator Gary Dunn commented after the release of his client, David Camm: Bloodstain evidence is mostly subjective. Darlies defense was an intruder broke into the house, through a window in the garage and attacked her and the boys. Portraying Routier as a spoilt, materialistic woman who couldnt cope with mounting debt and loss of her affluent lifestyle, the prosecution built the case on the premise that she murdered her children because of the familys financial difficulties. 42, 177-179.) She has said . All bedrooms are upstairs as well as a large bonus room that can be used as a game room. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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. To date, Routier has not been tried for Devon's murder. To date, Routier has not been tried for Devon's murder. We don't know because the pictures aren't dated. They analyzed the bloodstain interpretations of Bevel and came to a different conclusion about these patterns. If you remember her at all, you're probably seeing the same mental image that most of us have: a young, attractive blonde woman chewing gum and spraying Silly String onto the new graves of her little boys. Darin performed CPR but it wasnt enough. After she was convicted in March of 2002, True crime author Diane Fanning published Through the Window: The Terrifying True Story of Cross-Country Killer Tommy Lynn Sells. THEY CONVICTED ON THEIR MORALS AND WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF HER!!! For starters, the initial 911 call soon began to seem suspicious. The home is owned by Opendoor Property Trust and listed by Redfin agent Carolina Dusenbery. Darlie Routier being escorted into prison following her sentencing. She is held at Mountain View Unit in Texas from the last 20 years. [PDF] Download Dateline Purgatory: Examining the Case that Sentenced . 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. In June 1996, newspaper headlines nationwide read, Mother Accused of Stabbing Sons to Death, Faking Intruder Story. The Dallas media with their cameras and bright spotlights were lined up in front of the stately brick home of Darlie, 26, and Darin Routier, 28, a Rowlett couple married for eight years, with three young children. Routier moved to Lubbock with her mother and stepfather Robbie Kee when she was a teenager. I will be looking forward to it. 4 Univ of Idaho Students Murdered - Bryan Kohberger Arrested - Moscow # 74, Canada- Rescue crews searching for a plane, Cessna 208, with two people on board missing in northern Ontario, 28 Feb 2023, http://www.justicefordarlie.net/galleries/galleries.php, Here's a link to that program on the Justice. Darlie Routier and her sons Devon, Damon, and Drake. Me, too, Cami. In the early morning hours of June 6, 1996, a 911 operator in Rowlett, Texas received a call for help. However, holes soon began to appear in Routiers intruder story. Perhaps searching can help. 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. Those buyers do exist. 446. Springer says family members noticed Darlie was very depressed when she found out she was pregnant with Drake, and only came out of it because she convinced herself the baby was a girl. Two years later, Texas Ranger John Allen provided an affidavit in support of Julies petition for a new trial. Brothers Devon and Damon both suffered fatal stab wounds from a large kitchen knife found in the home and Darlie sustainedstab woundsto her arm and throat, just a few millimeters from her carotid artery. At 2:30am in June of 1996, Darlie Routier placed a frantic call to 911. After putting Darlie in jail with bail set at $1 million, the state of Texas placed baby Drake in a . And the killer just coming in and doing that type of damage to these babies and then just leaving ? In 1997, a court found Darlie Lynn Routier guilty of probably the worst of human crimes: killing two of her natural children in cold-blood. And few women appear to literally dance on their childs grave and have aSilly String birthday party at the cemetery, as jurors saw in a video shown by prosecutors during the trial. Routiers attorneys have continued to appeal her capital murder sentence, so no execution date has been scheduled. Routier suffered a near-fatal stab wound to her neck, which just missed the carotid artery. Initially, Darin was quite successful with his small company that tested electronic components. Just reduced. She did it. She was shown smiling, laughing, and spraying silly strings on the graves, while singing Happy Birthday along with her family. I hope the great Innocent Projekt will succeed soon. They would work tirelessly to make sure she paid the price. It is official, Vanessa Potkin has taken the Darlie Routier murder case. Darlie took the stand in her own defense and made a terrible witness. On the night of June 6th, 1996, Darlie Lynn Routier made a frantic call to 911. At one point, Routier contemplated suicide and wrote a note to her children in her diary. Defense attorneys have fought for years to obtain court approval for DNA testing of the blood spatter evidence that was found throughout the lower floor of the Routier home, but progress on the federal court case has been on hold for more than a decade. 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. Bedrooms: 3. To a reasonable degree of scientific certainty (Assuming no identical twin) Darlie Routier is the source of the DNA from 10-2589 . After the murders, the family room carpet was torn out, the kitchen sink removed, and parts of the kitchen floor taken out. One sticking point has been the DNA evidence. Darlie is also well known as, Texas woman who was sentenced to the death penalty via lethal injection for the murder of her five-year-old son, Damon Routier. Despite her attorneys warnings, she took the stand as a witness and withered under cross-examination by prosecutor Toby Shook.". What shoud be the motive ? How do you know how youre going to act?. The infamous address joins homes like 410 Dogwood Drive in Wylie, where Candy Montgomery was accused and acquitted of violently slaying her best friend Betty Gore in 1980, and 942 Beachcomber Lane in Clear Lake, where Andrea Yates drowned her five children pejoratively known as murder houses. However, the prosecution said Darlie made the whole story up. Or, maybe they both reasoned that a boob job would cost less than the years of raising a child. It was a necklace that saved Darlie Routier's life on June 6, 1996. 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. 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. In 2014, both the prosecution and her defence team were granted permission for further DNA tests. Darlie Routier Net Worth: At the time on her conviction she had some credit card debt and they were behind in their mortgage. sitting on death row in Texas she was. She acted strangely. The report noted many sources of variability arise with the production of bloodstain patterns, and their interpretation is not nearly as straightforward as the process implies.