Yet, since her conviction, many have raised questions about her confession being coerced, her trauma as a survivor of sexual and domestic abuse and how that may have played into that confession, and the use of junk science and misleading evidence at her trial. Yes, the DNA results have been sealed by the Courts and are now confidential. I thought there was going to be new DNA testing done on this case in October 2019. A bloodied knife lay on the kitchen counter. Texas Monthly reported post-trial that Darin admitted he had been considering an insurance scam shortly before the murders. The clip sickened Dallas County District Attorney Greg Davis, because it had only been a week since these boys deaths and yet weve got a full-blown birthday party out there at the gravesite. That was how I read info in the documents above. This is like a witch hunt. And if you just think about that, there are six women on Texas' death row. Shelby is Associate Editor of CandysDirt.com, where she focuses on sponsored content, estate sales, and suburbs. For starters, the murder weapon was a knife that had come from Routiers own kitchen, which raised suspicion that there had really been an intruder. Darlie Routier and her sons Devon, Damon, and Drake. Why? Advocates say the pandemic has exacerbated a long-standing problem of Illinois prison officials failing to inform families when their loved ones fall ill. Get these reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. We are very confident that, given the compelling evidence of her innocence, if this case was tried today, she would be acquitted. 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. Large lot with lots of parking in the back. Never have been. Not able to consider her as the killer. This story is the fifth in a series, Unrequited Innocence, that looks at cases where people were sentenced to die and have not been exonerated despite significant evidence of innocence. Amna Nawaz But they didn't do it. Cooper is looking for a new trial, preferably in Dallas County, for the Rowlett mother who maintains an unidentified intruder savagely stabbed her young sons to death and stabbed and injured her in June 1996. Cooper said they are currently on the third round of DNA testing. Body language experts, look at her body language. That is really hurting. Most of all- to the women her, who want her to rotten in jail. It's hard to completely anticipate. Darlie Routier got a fair trial. If Acadiana Criminalistics recommends additional testing of samples, the specific evidence is to be sent to Mitotyping Technologies in State College to undergo mitochondrial DNA testing. Her other child, an infant named Drake, was upstairs asleep with her husband Darin and both were unharmed. Police almost immediately focused on Routier, who was sleeping in a downstairs television room with the children. She grew up in New Orleans and graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin. All this new info is certainly interesting. How quickly could that all move? I pray for everybody who suffering a wrongfully sentence, it is a nightmare. New DNA tests on that sock and several other items from the home were ordered last year, but no results have come to light. In the early morning hours of June 6, 1996, 911 dispatchers in Rowlett, Texas received a panicked call from 26-year-old Darlie Routier. 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. The results will determine whether or not to continue. They didnt leave the adult. The IP has chosen to organize and fund further DNA testing. as expected. Webdarlie routier dna results 2021. It still wasnt right. One sticking point has been the DNA evidence. One out of three people proven innocent by DNA testing falsely confessed during custodial interrogation to crimes they were completely innocent of. Whether thats true or false may never be known for sure. But why would an intruder put the knife back? Prosecutors said theyre confident in the case against Routier. I 100% agree she is guilty. Drakes father, Darin Routier, didnt take custody of him right away after the murders, because he wanted to get his finances in order, Liz Stevens reported. This video became known as the silly-string video.. Nothing new, she's still guilty and DNA confirms it. There hasnt been much movement since October 2019. Interestingly, further down the page, the disclosure says, Theres indication of a death on the property during prior ownership. 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. It appears they are doing their due diligence to see IF they will take her case. While moving from one home to another, her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah, died. The vacuum was turned over on her blood, illogical. I hope and pray her case will be re-examined and the TRUTH COME OUT!! Authorities suspected abuse and immediately began interrogating her after her daughter's death. Being that she is not listed as one of their clients, but reading that they are asking for more testing in the documents, I took that to mean they would get the results and look at her case to see if they might take it. Smith pointed out that many of the items being sent for analysis have never undergone DNA testing. Left unexplained was how her blood was on the knife as she stabbed her sons, if the state timeline was correct. Did anything ever come of that? The pattern of blood drops in the kitchen seemed to come from someone who had been standing still, not running after an attacker, as Routier had claimed she had done. We did see a statement from Melissa Lucio today. The Dallas Morning NewsDarlie Routier in 2018. Darlie Routier Said An Intruder Carved Up Her Sons But The Evidence Says She Did. Less than a half-hour after they arrived at the house, authorities doubted Routiers version of events. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get our public service journalism emailed directly to you. The real killer went free and probably did other crimes unhindered due to this injustice. "It's not really new; we're just now getting to it. Few women are sentenced to death by lethal injection. 3 and with the agreement of both parties, has tested multiple items of evidence from the Routier crime scene. Kee, who has staunchly maintained her daughter's innocence, thinks that if the trial had been conducted in Dallas County, the outcome would have been different. In addition, her story about the intruder didnt seem to make sense. Come on.. All Rights Reserved. The Associated PressDevon (left) and Damon Routier in 1995. And so that was used against her. I dont care if they were done over again. Her defense team, including attorney, Douglas After 20 Years, Death Row Inmate Darlie Routier Waits For DNA Testing Routier received a death sentence for one of her sons, Damons, death in 1996. She described the attacker as a white male about six feet tall. How does that factor into this? They also pointed out Darlies injuries as being inconsistent with self-inflicted wounds. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. Those kids didnt get a FAIR life. But how do you know what youre going to do when you lose two children? It is a horrible reallity ,There for I am more than thankful, I live in Germany, where we have a justice system which is reasonable and solid and fair. Damon died on the ambulance ride to the hospital. Prosecutors said Routier's behavior showed a lack of grief and remorse. And circumstances which are proving she must be innocent. As of 2021, the results of these tests are still pending.Routier's case has been the subject of multiple books and television shows. It is my understanding the innocence project only takes cases that have DNA proving innocence. The same compound and materials youd find on a window screen. She had invited local news crews to film her and her family and friends celebrating what would have been her son Devons seventh birthday at the gravesite eight days after their deaths. And we heard about Melissa's case. Bruising on her arms prob caused by boys kicking her off. Mulder did not present the forensic findings or that a man matching the attackers description was seen 10 minutes from the Routier home after 2 a.m. the night of the murders. Bruising on her arms prob caused by boys kicking her off. They claimed she was a shallow and materialistic woman with no remorse. Not long after, infamous footage surfaced that showed her laughing and spraying silly string around her sons grave. She is a client of the Innocence Project. Were just looking for a new trial.. Well, The Innocence Project became involved in Melissa's case just 100 days ago, so relatively recently, after her execution date was set. One week after being released from the hospital, Darlie was captured on police surveillance having a graveside birthday party for Devon, who would have turned 7-years old. All bedrooms are upstairs as well as a large bonus room that can be used as a game room. On September 20, 1988, Tara Calico left her home in New Mexico to go on a bike ride she took, In November 1981, actress Natalie Wood mysteriously drowned off the coast of Southern California during a boating trip with her, In July 2014, 52 year old Lynn Messer mysteriously disappeared from her familys 260-acre farm in Bloomsdale, Missouri. Convicted child killer Darlie Lynn Routier won the right from the states highest criminal appeals court Wednesday to use DNA to test her contention that an unidentified intruder murdered her young sons in their Rowlett home. Required fields are marked *. the huge man she described didn't leave that little fingerprint. Cameras then captured Routier and company chewing gum, laughing, singing, and spraying silly string over the graves. I would think a date would be set by now. 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. Prosecutor Greg Davis saw the video and seized upon it as proof that she showed no grief over the death of her sons. And if you just think about that, there are six Learn more about Friends of the NewsHour. Nobody kills the children and leaves the adult. She said her screams awakened her husband, Darin, who was upstairs with their infant; he rushed down and tried without success to revive one of the two sons. She was found guilty of murdering 5-year-old Damon but never tried in the death of her 6-year-old son Devon. Routier's "family and friends, we've all been going through this for 22 years with no closure at all with the threat of [death row] hanging over her head.". Jurors saw a lot of the Routier home during the four week-long murder trial, wherein prosecutors painted an unflattering picture of Darlie and the Routiers newfound wealth. Update 1/19: The Darlene Routier home has been temporarily taken off the market. Testing is still ongoing. She was found guilty of murdering 5-year-old Damon but never tried in the death of her 6-year-old son Devon. In letters sent to the court and entered into Routier's case file, peoplehave pleaded with Dallas County Judge Gracie Lewis to run tests of the fingerprint in the hope that it may point to the person they think is the real killer. DNA testing was a mature science when this crime occurred. In the police telling, she had staged a break-in, murdered her sons and cut her own throat, all to collect on the boys $5,000 life insurance policies. Two of them, The Innocence Project is representing. She had her throat slashed. As for the new testing, the Dallas County District Attorneys office told NBC 5 when its completed there will be a hearing to review the results. Those who believe Routier is innocent often cite the lack of DNA evidence and the fact that a bloody sock, presumably belonging to the supposed intruder, was found in the alleyway behind the family home (among other pieces of evidence). About half of wrongful convictions that have been overturned with DNA evidence have involved some type of faulty forensics. 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. Mariah is in my heart today and always. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Kee said prosecutors never proved her daughter guilty. County tax appraisals are based on the homes age, square footage, property size, location, and sales of comparable properties. But how do you know what youre going to do when you lose two children? They ended up deliberating on the Silly String, Routiers mother Darlie Kee later told The Dallas Morning News. The home has had few updates through the years. She still has at least one more appeal after this is all over with. However, the prosecution said Darlie made the whole story up. Too many loose ends for a decent prosecutor to ever think about trying this woman. The fingerprints didnt match Darlie or anyone in the Routier family. It was a big win for advocates who argued that Lucio was wrongly convicted and that her case represents larger problems with the criminal justice system. (No Ratings Yet) 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. As you mentioned, it goes back to the district court. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We started to look into it. IMO thats exactly whats happening. All rights reserved, was found guilty of murdering 5-year-old Damon, Following a Delivery Truck? Once you're convicted, it's extraordinarily difficult to overturn a wrongful conviction. The prosecution said her motive was that she was no longer the glamorous, blond center of attention and was angry at her kids. 5 Darlie Routier has been on death row for 23 years When is Darlie Routier due to be executed? The sock was 75 feet down the alley for instance. Four years later, her attorneys asked that DNA testing which they feel will exonerate her be used, though that has yet to be done. Darlie Routier was arrested 4 days after the silly-string video. And false and misleading scientific evidence is one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions. Right now, it looks like you're a cold-blooded killer. Darlie Routier and the DNA testing I thought there was going to be new DNA testing done on this case in October 2019. 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. Reality #1. Darlie took the stand in her own defense and made a terrible witness. A series of post-conviction petitions, as well as a Texas Monthly investigation, have cast significant doubt on the state case. ), 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. In early October, a group of people following the case organized a three-day rally outside the Dallas County courthouse to sustain public interestand ask why testing has not been completed. Once competitors, Opendoor announced in late November a partnership with Redfin in select U.S. markets. That is Vanessa Potkin, director of special litigation at The Innocence Project, speaking with us tonight. The jury didnt buy it - and on February 1st, Darlie Routier would be found guilty of murdering her son Damon. Darlie Routier Home Is on The Market in Rowlett. "We've got more reason to look at additional items that were not tested before, so we're just working through that list we've had for several years," Cooper said. It's unclear whether testing or federal database checks were done on the bloody fingerprintthat was found on a table near the body of one of the boys. The Dallas County district attorney's office said that "multiple items of evidence" have been tested this year after court orders from November and December 2017, and that DNA testing is ongoing. Seems like her case has gone on much longer than other people who have been put to death in TX. And the utility room where the murder weapon was supposedly dropped just didnt have blood spatter consistent with it being dropped there. After years of legal wrangling, Routier appealed her conviction in 2001 only to have it upheld in 2003. I heard there was a bloody fingerprint found on a table in the living room where the murders took place that either wasnt properly tested or did not match anyone living in the house. Please check your entries and try again. Thanks MsMarple. Texas inmates spend an average of 11 years on death row before being executed by lethal injection. At least that is the way I read it. The garage screen was cut from the inside and the kitchen knife had screen shavings on it. The prosecution argued that the Routiers were overextended and owed $10,000 in back federal taxes, $12,000 in credit card debt, and payments for two mortgages on Eagle Drive, all totaling approximately $200,000. THEY CONVICTED ON THEIR MORALS AND WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF HER!!! During the four-week-long trial, Darlie was found guilty of the murder of Damon only. 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