Routier family (Associated Press)
http://crimelibrary.com/fillicide/routier/images/APG485029%20Darlie,%20Darin,%20Damon%20&%20Devon.jpg
The fact that Darin was in the house while this was going on, then saw the "evidence" and still believes his wife is innocent is why I wondered if he was in on it all along. I can't imagine seeing such flimsy evidence and having my children murdered and not realizing my spouse had done it. But, if it was a concerted effort I could see the strong stand of innocence being maintained.
Meek, the jag being left at your office is new to me. Why in the world would he leave his car, any car, overnight like that? That makes no sense...... unless he didn't want it in the garage for some reason......didn't the "intruder" come through the garage? Did they make more of that and I just missed it?
I understand your wonderings, believe me. I went through the same thing beginning on June 6, 1996 - the date of the kids murder.
First of all, to kill 2 of your own children is bizarre regardless of who did it - Darlie, Darin or both. The evidence all pointed to Darlie as I've stated earlier. The evidence I have seen is damning to Darlie, and nothing I've seen points to Darin. If Darin was complicit, I would think that there should be evidence of it, but there's not. All I can judge from is the evidence, and there's plenty of it, all pointing to Darlie.
Regarding the car, I admit that sounds so strange for him to leave his car in our company's parking lot, especially since he didn't work there anymore. So I did some checking right after it happened and found out that it wasn't the first time he had left his car there and in fact he did that quite often. He had worked at our company for 3-5 years or so, and he had friends there still at the time and our company gave him contract work. I figure he probably went out with Bryan, our production manager, or some other of his old friends. He may have been partying and got a ride home and would pick his car up later? Best I can figure.
Oh, btw - I meant to include another tidbit on my post on #31 and forgot. The date of the murder - June 6, 1996? That was my 12th anniversary with the company. I started work on June 6, 1984. I always thought that was so strange.......
Here is an interesting link that includes a recording of the 911 call Darlie made at 2:31 that morning after she killed the kids:
Million Dollar Mysteries: Darlie Routier
http://www.fox.com/mdmystery/103/routier.htm
The 911 Call Darlie Made
http://www.fox.com/mdmystery/103/routier_911_call.htm
http://www.fox.com/mdmystery/103/images/routier_crime_scene_photo_06.jpg
WFAA TV Video: Includes Interview with
Darlie's Mom and Footage of Darin http://www.wfaa.com/popups/03-02/28wfaa020327_am_routier.html
Here's the Dallas Morning News version of today's report. It's better than the original post, btw......
Court hears Routier's appeal
http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/stories/032802dnmetdarlie.d1295.html
Court hears Routier's appeal Attorney argues that reconstructed transcript merits new trial
03/28/2002
By HOLLY BECKA / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN - After five years of charting unprecedented and often bizarre legal waters, Darlie Routier's direct appeal reached a turning point Wednesday when the state's highest criminal court began considering her claims of trial error.
Arguing before a gallery packed with the death row inmate's family and supporters, appellate attorney J. Stephen Cooper urged the Court of Criminal Appeals to give his client a new trial because her transcript was illegally repaired and is still missing a key conflict-of-interest hearing.
"This whole record issue is so outrageous in my experience and so unprecedented," Mr. Cooper told the court. "It's my No. 1 issue because it impacts other fundamental constitutional rights of my client, to boot."
Video
 |
Prosecutor John Rolater Jr. argued that the faulty transcript was corrected by legally acceptable standards and that "there is nothing lost." He also said no conflict of interest existed.
Ms. Routier was convicted of fatally stabbing her 5-year-old son, Damon. She was also accused in the same 1996 attack of murdering her 6-year-old son, Devon, but was never tried for that crime. Ms. Routier has maintained her innocence, saying an intruder attacked her and her boys in their Rowlett home.
|
AP Darlie Kee (left), mother of convicted child-killer Darlie Routier, receives a friend's support outside the court. |
The nine appellate judges have no timeline in which to rule. The court will either grant Ms. Routier a new trial or not based on her 14 claims of trial or procedural error, a primary complaint being her reconstructed transcript.
If her conviction is upheld, the second phase of her state appeal a writ of habeas corpus based on new evidence would get under way. Federal appeals could follow.
Ms. Routier's family members say it has been a long wait.
"I'm at least relieved that we're finally at the beginning part of her appeal," said Darin Routier, her husband.
Darlie Kee, Ms. Routier's mother, said she thought the proceeding went well.
"I think they'll look at the points and study everything, and, hopefully, the results will be what we want. ... I'm encouraged by Mr. Cooper's work on this case," she said.
|
AP Husband Darin Routier attends court in Austin. |
Ms. Routier's 1997 conviction was followed by years of legal wrangling and a protracted effort to fix the error-riddled transcript.
The original court reporter was first held in contempt for not finishing the transcript on time and later caught lying about her bungled work. Threatened with perjury prosecution, Sandra Halsey admitted she had made audio recordings of the trial.
A judge ordered court reporter Susan Simmons to try to fix the transcript using Ms. Halsey's steno notes and tapes. Ms. Simmons testified that she repaired and certified all but 54 pages. She made a new version of those pages based on Ms. Halsey's steno notes but wouldn't vouch for their accuracy because she found errors in the notes.
Ms. Simmons said her reconstructed version relied mainly on the audiotapes, which Ms. Routier's attorney argued Wednesday violated the law. The law says a court reporter's notes are the official record, he noted.
Mr. Rolater argued that Ms. Simmons didn't create a new transcript but merely re-edited Ms. Halsey's work with the tapes, which he said is standard practice.
Mr. Cooper also contended that the steno notes and tapes omit a key hearing on defense attorney Doug Mulder's conflict of interest. Mr. Cooper said the conflict arose because Mr. Mulder first represented Darin Routier, whom prosecutors have called the only other suspect, in a gag-order hearing related to the case.
The missing hearing established whether Ms. Routier was properly told of her rights and waived the conflict.
Judge Cathy Cochran asked Mr. Cooper to explain the conflict.
"He's represented Darin, and then he turns around and says [to jurors] that Darin's the killer?" Mr. Cooper responded. "Mulder would be hung out to dry by the governing bodies in our profession."
After Mr. Mulder became Ms. Routier's attorney, the trial judge noted on his docket that he heard testimony on the conflict issue, but the hearing isn't found in the transcript, Mr. Cooper said.
Mr. Rolater contended that there's no proof that such a hearing was conducted. He argued that Mr. Mulder never had a conflict because he and Mr. Routier never had a substantial attorney-client relationship. He noted that Mr. Routier was never charged or even called as a state's witness.
Mr. Routier maintains that neither he nor his wife committed the crime.
"Nothing is missing in this case," Mr. Rolater said later. "There is part of the record that is not certified, but that's not lost, that's not missing. The transcript is as good as a transcript can be in this court."
Mr. Cooper noted that he had subpoenaed witnesses for a hearing on the conflict matter and other issues that was abruptly canceled. He said the law does not require him to produce affidavits as proof.
"It's frustrating, although not untypical, for a prosecutor to resist mightily in the trial court from giving me a hearing where I can prove all these things and then come into this court and say, 'Well, he never proved anything.' "
E-mail hbecka@dallasnews.com
Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/stories/032802dnmetdarlie.d1295.html
