State's highest criminal court hears Darlie Routier's appeal - Baby killer may get off?

Associated Press ^ | March 27, 2002 | A/P Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

	Posted on Wed, Mar. 27, 2002
	State's highest criminal court hears Darlie Routier's appeal By The Associated Press AUSTIN - Convicted child killer Darlie Routier should get a new trial because the transcript of her 1997 trial is filled with problems and prevents her attorneys from raising important legal questions, her attorney argued Wednesday. "This whole record (transcript) issue is so outrageous," said her attorney, Stephen Cooper. "It impacts other fundamental constitutional rights of my client, to boot." Arguing before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Cooper said questions surrounding the trial transcript prevent him from probing whether a conflict existed with Routier's original attorney because he also represented her husband in a hearing. John Rolater Jr., a lawyer from the Dallas County district attorney's office, said the trial transcript is in good shape and should be used for the appeal. Routier, a homemaker at the time, was arrested two weeks after her sons Damon, 5, and Devon, 6, were stabbed to death in their upscale Rowlett home on June 6, 1996. Routier was tried and convicted by a Kerrville jury for Damon's death and was given a death sentence. She has maintained her innocence and blames the stabbings on an intruder. Attorneys for Routier had filed an appeal that raises questions about whether her husband had a role in the killings. The appeal didn't blame her husband, Darin Routier, for the crime but states that a conflict involving Darlie Routier's attorney prevented the lawyer from questioning any inconsistencies his account of the event. The appeal alleged Darlie Routier deserves a new trial because her trial attorney had previously represented Darin Routier. Darin Routier maintains neither he nor his wife committed the crime. The appeal cited more than a dozen other claims of trial error.

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[MeekOneGOP]

Some folks think Darin may know more about the murder than he says. I am skeptical about that, but that's just my opinion.

I think he wasn't charged with murder or as being an accomplice because the police didn't have any/enough evidence to make a case to stick. I think it was Darlie and her alone.

I recall something about the burglary scam too. He tried to hire someone to do it as I recall. Or he talked to someone about it. Something like that.

[SerpentDove]

Reply to an old thread on Darlie Routier...

Don't forget the kid's bloody plam print on the leather couch, which had been wiped away but was revealed by Luminol (glow-in-the-dark blood reagent).

Inconsistent with an intruder in a hurry to get away.

I followed that case closely from the first time it appeared in print in the Dallas Morning BirdcageLiner, and knew she was guilty from the start. It just didn't add up, from the beginning.

[SerpentDove]

P.S. If Darin wasn't complicit in this, I'll eat my hat.

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks. I don't recall that little tidbit about the bloody palmprint. Crazy, isn't it ?

I still remember early that morning, hearing about the news on the local TV news. I was in the kitchen fixing breakfast when I heard about a 911 call and kids being killed here in my little community. So when I headed out for work a short time later, I decided I'd ask around to see if it was anyone that we might know. (They didn't report the name of the household in the news report I saw). So you can imagine my shock when I found out it was someone's family that used to work at our company. At the time, I didn't suspect either one of the parents. Then later that day, I was told that Darin had left his Jaguar in our parking lot. I later found out that he had made a habit of doing that though.

[MeekOneGOP]

Perhaps. We may never know for sure, though.

[MEG33]

He might have something to do with her arm bruises after realizing what she'd done..??

[csvset]

SO what was her motive for killing the boys? Just another crazy housewife?

[MEG33]

How can one find reason in this?They were having marriage and money trouble.Think Susan Smith or the Mom in"Small Sacrifices that shot all her children.

[MeekOneGOP]

Well, the most likely of the speculation that I have seen is that the kids got in the way of her lifestyle. So now she is on Texas Death Row. How rational is that?

[southern_angel27]

How anyone of u can sit here and say that the evidence is overwhelming that Darlie killed her small children is shocking to me... I have watched the documentaries, read the news stories, and theres no way I am convinced of her guilt... if shes so guilty and the evidence can prove it then whats wrong with giving her another trial... if it proved it once, don't u believe it cud do it again??? besides, there were too many mistakes made during the first trial... and the b-day party, come on people, what abt the police surveillance tape that showed 2 hours worth of a memorial service before the media showed up to capture 15 minutes of a b-day party HONORING Devon??? it wasn't even Darlie who brought the silly string, it was her sister... and what abt the rest of the family who was carrying on as if it were a party??? shudn't they be arrested and thrown in jail for suspicion of murder??? Our court system has failed here... I truly believe this... there r too many people who have sit back and decided upon the ponderance of the evidence that there is just something wrong here... wud we rather be sure that she is guilty 100% and know we r putting to death a guilty woman, or take the chance that she is innocent and put her to death anyway, just because the state of Texas can't admit that they r wrong??? look at all the evidence and then tell me that it all points to her...

[Vigilantcitizen]

I caught the documentary last night myself for the second time. I don't know whether she did it or not, but I think she deserves another trial.

The state was negligent in it's handling of the case. From the crime lab supervisor that was a severe alcoholic, to the court reporter who was so negligent producing the transcripts, that new ones had to be made from court tapes for the appeal.

[chad5871]

I saw a documentary on either TLC, Discovery, or CourtTV sometime between August 1-10, 2001. I remember specifically that it went through the entire details of the case and also included some reconstruction scenes of what happened. Since then I have been searching for more information on this documentary. Does anybody happen to know what I am talking about or have a video copy? I am very desperate for this - my friend and I want to watch it again - this is a very intriguing case after all. If anyone has any info PLEASE email me at chad5871@yahoo.com - Thank you so much for your help!