Darlie Lynn Routier case

[TJ]

This segment aired on Friday August 24th, 2001 but I don't see it featured on the official site. It was about a Texas woman who was found guilty of stabbing her 2 oldest sons to death - she's on death row although there seems to be a lot of evidence supporting her innocence. I surfed for information on it and there is a site that has the entire segment (actually 2 segments) online in Real Player format. Click on the multimedia section on the site - http://www.fordarlieroutier.org/

Was she wrongfully accused and convicted, what do you think?

[Kane]

I saw the segment on Darlie Routier. It's nice to see that Unsolved Mysteries is still featuring stories under the topic "Final Appeal," where, of course, people claim to have been wrongfully accused. Because the evidence against Routier is highly questionable, I felt that her case was a strong candidate for "final appeal" segment to be featured on Unsolved Mysteries.

The evidence in the case is obviously circumstantial. The more I hear regarding the evidence, the more apparent it is to me that Darlie is truthful about her claims of innocence. There's just not enough evidence that convinces me otherwise.

[silverdreamer]

In my opinion Unsolved mysteries did a very poor job of protraying the darlie case. I saw the case on medical detectives that is one the same network that emergency is on, and the evidence is OVERWHELMINg.....like they found blood that was wiped away from the floor right under the kitchen sink, and it was a puddle because someone was standing over the sink and washing something....and a knife impression was found on the carpet, and it was wipped away...the blood evidence is the key for her GUILT.

[loreocookie]

Originally posted by Kane:
I saw the segment on Darlie Routier. It's nice to see that Unsolved Mysteries is still featuring stories under the topic "Final Appeal," where, of course, people claim to have been wrongfully accused. Because the evidence against Routier is highly questionable, I felt that her case was a strong candidate for "final appeal" segment to be featured on Unsolved Mysteries.

The evidence in the case is obviously circumstantial. The more I hear regarding the evidence, the more apparent it is to me that Darlie is truthful about her claims of innocence. There's just not enough evidence that convinces me otherwise.

Hey Kane,

I've noticed you've got a lot of posts on here. How do you know so much about this show?

[Kane]

Originally posted by loreocookie:
Hey Kane,

I've noticed you've got a lot of posts on here. How do you know so much about this show?


I've been watching Unsolved Mysteries since 1989, and it is one my two all-time favorite TV shows (the other is The Incredible Hulk).

Hope this helps. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif

[7hurricane]

Sorry but Darlie is very guilty! Read the book. She should have been sentenced to death!

[DarkDante]

I feel Darlie is guilty as well - although I have only seen the segment once or twice my inital reaction was guilty - Anyone notice similarities between this case and the MacDonald case. It's funny in one case I believe the guy is totally innocent and in the other I think the woman is guilty. I guess thats the way it is sometimes.

:)

Later.

[KyooMac]

I saw the Medical Detectives episode on Court TV, she's guilty.

[george ramos]

Other evidence that supports her guilt is the fact that Routier claimed that at one point she ran barefooted through her kitchen to call for help. The floor of the kitchen was covered with broken glass, but Routier had no injuries to her feet. Also a video widely shown had Routier and other family members holding a "birthday party" at the graves of the murdered children. Routier was shown acting very happy and even spraying silly string on her son's graves. She didn't even seem sad that her children were dead. She's a sociopath. She may very well have her conviction overturned some day. She has a better chance than Jeffrey Macdonald who will die in prison.

[KyooMac]

Oh man, I totally forgot about the silly string!! They showed an interview of her in prison, she's still trying to deny it. pashaw

[benoitbabe]

Darlie is innocent. I too saw it on medical detectives. They were inacurate. i have not heard or read anywhere that anything was wiped.
She could not have cut herself. He wounds were as deep as the surgical incision on my neck. So, to say her wounds were superfical is rediculas.
As far as the silly string inncident goses she never denied that. If you've seen the police tape they had a graveside service before the birthday party. They never showed that to the jury. She had entirely black arms from defence wounds also. Also, the lady who wrote the book now belives in her innocents.
Don't forget the bloody sock down the block. I'm just stating facts.
Just so you know forensic files,medical dectives and new dectives etc. always make sure those who think are guilty look that way on the shows.

[Awsi Dooger]

I feel Darlie is guilty as well - although I have only seen the segment once or twice my inital reaction was guilty - Anyone notice similarities between this case and the MacDonald case. It's funny in one case I believe the guy is totally innocent and in the other I think the woman is guilty. I guess thats the way it is sometimes.

:)

Later.

My instincts and handicapping are identical to yours, DarkDante. For one thing, people SAW the group who MacDonald claimed murdered his family. There were reports of a spotting at a coffee shop and, of course, many were later identified including Helena Stoeckley, who made admissions including specific facts about the inside of MacDonald's home that only someone who had been there would have known. In 1971, Stoeckley was polygraphed by Robert Brisentine, United States Army lead polygrapher. The test results corroborated she was present at the scene, and knew the identity of the co-assailants, according to Mr. Brisentine. Mr.Brisentine was ordered not to discuss his results with the defense, but he did so over their objections. Due to Judge Dupree rulings at the trial, this testimony was never heard by the jury. In 1982, Stoeckley was polygraphed again by a different examiner. The results were the same.

MacDonald has also been extremely consistent regarding his version of events. Perhaps it's just her ditzy nature, but the Darlie Routier I've seen interviewed is all over the place. The breakdown of the blood and physical evidence works against her. I think she's guilty. I don't know of any sightings of the perpretator(s). Maybe there was a sock or something away from the home.

[Thracian]

I think she's guilty. I read a book about the case, although I can't remember the title. I'm not sure I'd be convinced of that just by watching the Unsolved Mysteries segment, though. I saw the American Justice episode about it, too. It's interesting to see what different programs emphasize.

[Tap Dancer]

Here's another website: www.justicefordarlie.net (http://www.justicefordarlie.net/)
It has some very graphic photos. :(

I know I've seen the story a few times on UM. The last time I saw it was a long time ago, but I remember the silly string video. Other details are fuzzy to me at the moment. I honestly don't know what to believe. Although cutting oneself isn't impossible, it's hard to imagine her being able to bruise herself like that. On the other hand, to celebrate your dead son's birthday like that after witnessing such a horrific crime... It seems strange and was a very stupid thing to do.

[NDAlum2003]

I grew up in the area and remember the case being all over the news. Darlie was pretty guilty from the start. Unfortunately the evidence was overwhelming, and the couple's financial problems were also brought into evidence.

[hayes]

I've read every book published on this case and watched everything on it from court tv....american justice..city confidential....dateline...all those and I really really wanted to believe she was innocent..Its really hard for me to imagine a Mom doing this

but after all the reading....I think she's guilty..no one else really had a motive and the statements she gave were inconsistant wtih the evidence...the one single smashed wine glass on the floor...the tossed to the side vaccum cleaner, but to me, the most telling were the doctor reports about her wounds being merely superficial compared to the deep mortal puncture wounds suffered by damon and devon, two drastically different types of wounds, and who breaks in to kill to small innocent children and leaves the only adult witness alive who could identify him? her story makes no sense at all, but I really want to believe her, but the evidence just says she's guilty, it was especially troubling to me that they left all the boys old pictures and baby clothing and the baby clothing she had bought for the daughter she'd hoped she was carrying while pregnant with the third son drake all abandoned in the attic after they sold the house, who could leave those kind of precious things of your beloved children behind discarded like trash? and driving off leaving the little boys tennis shoes on the front step? I don't understand darin's reaction/actions either, it just seemed like a classic case of a coupled that married and started having children waaaay too early and were in serious debt, I'm not sure that was the motive, but I'm sure it was a frustrating factor in darlie's hectic life of shopping

also telling were the statements given by employees at pawn shops and other stores of darlie being mean and overbearing while shopping and yelling curse words at her son's and totally ignoring them whenever she came in to buy tacky gold jewelry for the week, she just seems very very self-centered and I don't think she acted the way a typical victim would as well in accordance with losing two precious little children, the woman disturbs me greatly

it's just against human nature to believe a mom could and would do this

[amandab1234]

I've read every book published on this case and watched everything on it from court tv....american justice..city confidential....dateline...all those and I really really wanted to believe she was innocent..Its really hard for me to imagine a Mom doing this

but after all the reading....I think she's guilty..no one else really had a motive and the statements she gave were inconsistant wtih the evidence...the one single smashed wine glass on the floor...the tossed to the side vaccum cleaner, but to me, the most telling were the doctor reports about her wounds being merely superficial compared to the deep mortal puncture wounds suffered by damon and devon, two drastically different types of wounds, and who breaks in to kill to small innocent children and leaves the only adult witness alive who could identify him? her story makes no sense at all, but I really want to believe her, but the evidence just says she's guilty, it was especially troubling to me that they left all the boys old pictures and baby clothing and the baby clothing she had bought for the daughter she'd hoped she was carrying while pregnant with the third son drake all abandoned in the attic after they sold the house, who could leave those kind of precious things of your beloved children behind discarded like trash? and driving off leaving the little boys tennis shoes on the front step? I don't understand darin's reaction/actions either, it just seemed like a classic case of a coupled that married and started having children waaaay too early and were in serious debt, I'm not sure that was the motive, but I'm sure it was a frustrating factor in darlie's hectic life of shopping

also telling were the statements given by employees at pawn shops and other stores of darlie being mean and overbearing while shopping and yelling curse words at her son's and totally ignoring them whenever she came in to buy tacky gold jewelry for the week, she just seems very very self-centered and I don't think she acted the way a typical victim would as well in accordance with losing two precious little children, the woman disturbs me greatly

it's just against human nature to believe a mom could and would do this

I think shes GULITY! I just watched this on forbidden site. The silly string, the fact that she didnt see the intruder even though he was standing or kneeling above her tells me shes guilty. (My opinion at least). When is she scheduled to die? Or has this case changed since then? I know this post is old..

[mystery_daisy]

After reading much about this case, I too think she is guilty. A knife that was placed back in the butcher block in the house had remnants of the window screen on it, (the screen that was cut, which was supposedly the method of entry). Also there was only one set of bloody footprints in the home, Darlie's! The body language of Darlie and her husband both-they smile when talking about the murders. Also no footprints outside the window with the torn screen and the bloody sock seems placed where it was found. I do hope the little boy, Blake is okay-I think he's still living with Darrin.

[amandab1234]

After reading much about this case, I too think she is guilty. A knife that was placed back in the butcher block in the house had remnants of the window screen on it, (the screen that was cut, which was supposedly the method of entry). Also there was only one set of bloody footprints in the home, Darlie's! The body language of Darlie and her husband both-they smile when talking about the murders. Also no footprints outside the window with the torn screen and the bloody sock seems placed where it was found. I do hope the little boy, Blake is okay-I think he's still living with Darrin.

If you ever get a chance, watch the episode. They show a video of her visiting her sons grave a few days after he died(it was for his birthday). She seems way too cheerful and happy considering shes at her sons grave. (This is where u see the silly string...). That video was disgusting...

[mystery_daisy]

Yes, I've seen that video, but I don't take it into consideration in my opinion on her guilt or innocence of the murders b/c it's taken out of context. As was mentioned earlier in this thread there was a conservative graveside service before this little celebration of her deceased son's birthday.

She does seem too cheerful, you are right.

It's not the way I would grieve but everyone is different. But if she is guilty of the murders then yes, the video is kind of disgusting I must say.

[xxxxmattxxxx69]

There are question marks on both sides of her being guilty or not guilty. But the question is if not her then who. If she was having problems with Darin then why not try and kill him and her other son? If I had to decide I would say not guilty. Donnie Hanson got off with more evidence pointed his way.

[88keys]

There are question marks on both sides of her being guilty or not guilty. But the question is if not her then who.


I think the husband should have been looked at more closely. I find it strange that he was upstairs and didn't hear a thing through the whole attack. Darlie had a large life insurance policy on her, and he would have benefited from it.

[xxxxmattxxxx69]

I think the husband should have been looked at more closely. I find it strange that he was upstairs and didn't hear a thing through the whole attack. Darlie had a large life insurance policy on her, and he would have benefited from it.


Darin was asleep upstairs with the other son Drake. I'm not entirely sure but some people are deeper sleepers than others and in a big enough house you may not hear from other parts. Darin's finger prints were not on the sock nor anything relevant to the crime scene

[TheCars1986]

The fact that no viable suspect (except Darlie) has ever surfaced after all of these years tells me she's guilty. No viable suspect, no apparent motive anyone (other than Darlie) would have in brutally slaughtering her two young sons, and no physical evidence left behind connecting anyone other than Darlie Routier to the crime. Guilty as hell, IMHO.

[raydog]

Routier is guilty. She made several damning statements to her friends and was mad about having to clean up the crime scene. Also wasn't the glass broken out to the yard instead of into the kitchen?

[TheCars1986]

Routier is guilty. She made several damning statements to her friends and was mad about having to clean up the crime scene. Also wasn't the glass broken out to the yard instead of into the kitchen?

Yes the glass was found out in the yard, not to mention there was absolutely NO BLOOD found anywhere but the Routier residence. Quite a feat for an unknown intruder to flee the scene of a brutal double homicide and leave no trace evidence of blood.

[Willie Black]

I think the husband should have been looked at more closely. I find it strange that he was upstairs and didn't hear a thing through the whole attack. Darlie had a large life insurance policy on her, and he would have benefited from it.First time poster long time reader so please be gentle. I remember watching and or reading somewhere that the husband was the very first person that LE looked at, and that more than a few of the original investigaters are not sold on the idea that he is still not the most viable suspect. Supposedly, his initial interview raised a few red flags based on his obsession with his wife and her relationship with the kids as well as the insurance policy on her life. I'm not saying that I believe he's guilty but I felt the need to share for those of you who are willing to look a little harder at the husband there are members of LE who's opinions are on the record.

[amandab1234]

Yes the glass was found out in the yard, not to mention there was absolutely NO BLOOD found anywhere but the Routier residence. Quite a feat for an unknown intruder to flee the scene of a brutal double homicide and leave no trace evidence of blood.

I know she's on death rown. When is she set to die?

[biscuitgirl]

I think Darlie is guilty but what about the other supposed similar crimes that were happening in nearby neighborhoods. Do you think Darlie knew about these and tried to cover up the crime to make it look like the neighborhood breakins?

[TheCars1986]

I think Darlie is guilty but what about the other supposed similar crimes that were happening in nearby neighborhoods. Do you think Darlie knew about these and tried to cover up the crime to make it look like the neighborhood breakins?

Most likely. Interesting how her defense tried to set up these other crimes as an indicator that the same person committing these break-ins was the one responsible. Yet in all of the other burglaries in the area at the time there was absolutely no violence involved. Doubtful that a burglar would go to such extreme lengths (stabbing three people, two of which were young children) to avoid being captured.

I know she's on death rown. When is she set to die?

I'm not exactly sure when she's supposed to die.

[Ava]

I just started reading "Hush Little Babies: The True Story Of A Mother Who Murdered Her Own Children" and am reserving my opinion for the time.

It looks like Darlie and Darin are divorcing:

http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2011-07-01/death-row-inmate-darlie-routiers-husband-files-divorce-lubbock