We are very confident that, given the compelling evidence of her innocence, if this case was tried today, she would be acquitted. WebResponding to Darlie Lynn Routier's frantic 911 call from her Dallas County home in . Left unexplained was how her blood was on the knife as she stabbed her sons, if the state timeline was correct. But the entire scene indicated to me there had not been an intruder, crime scene consultant James Cron testified. He also said that the post-conviction hearings in Dallas County could continue while the additional testing is underway. as expected. 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 had actually held a somber ceremony honoring the two boys before the more jovial birthday party. They continued to go back to the silly-string video and made the claim that this is not how a grieving mother is supposed to act. Theres never been nothing going on, said defense attorney Steve Cooper. It wasnt long before many began to wonder whether Darlie Routier had in fact killed her sons herself. But why has Darlies case not been on the IP website? For 26 years, Routier has maintained her innocence and has received support from the Innocence Project of Texas, an organization founded by two criminal defense attorneys to help bring wrongly-convicted felons to justice. But who knows how anyone in her situation would act. A bloodied knife lay on the kitchen counter. What told you something might be wrong here that was worth your attention? It appears they are doing their due diligence to see IF they will take her case. Why? As the publics taste for true crime stories continues, Darlie Routiers case has garnered interest anew from people who have watched Episode 2 of the Peacock series On Death Row, featuring a jailhouse interview with Routier, much like interest resurged in Candy Montgomery when Hulu released the miniseries Candy earlier this year. 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). How does that factor into this? 50 years ago: March 1, 1973 When tested, forensics discovered fiber glass rods with a rubbery compound on the knifes blade. Yet the droplets contained her blood as well as her sons. The IP has chosen to organize and fund further DNA testing. It came with a death sentence. 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. To be clear, the sarcasm is for one of Darlie's "first stories" and NOT the poster who pointed it out. To this day, Darlie Routier maintains that she is innocent. Her fans say necklace was embedded, had to be surgically removed but it simply fell off when bandage removed. During the trial, the prosecution relied heavily on the video from the graveside birthday ceremony. After the Texas state courts affirmed the conviction on direct appeal, the courts granted in 2008 on a limited basis renewed DNA testing touching off a process that has not yet been completed as of summer 2019. Texas inmates spend an average of 11 years on death row before being executed by lethal injection. This DNA testing is ongoing.". 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. WebDarlie 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. Once you're convicted, it's extraordinarily difficult to overturn a wrongful conviction. I hope the great Innocent Projekt will succeed soon. I hope and pray her case will be re-examined and the TRUTH COME OUT!! All my thought are with the innocent prisoners in the U.S. Court records show that the Routiers owed more than the home was worth at the time. You need to tell us right now what exactly happened. Right now, it looks like you're a cold-blooded killer. The district attorney's office has a conflict of interest. How climate change and forest management make wildfires harder to contain, Disparity in police response: Black Lives Matter protests and Capitol riot. The scene was staged by her. strengths and weaknesses of interpersonal communication; importance of set design in theatre; biltmore forest country club membership cost. And so the fact is, is that we're two days away from sending a woman to an execution based on a crime that never even occurred. Darlie Routier is now 48 years old. Not able to consider her as the killer. Darlies defense was an intruder broke into the house, through a window in the garage and attacked her and the boys. Law enforcement convicted her that night, she literally stood no chance. Amna Nawaz serves as co-anchor of PBS NewsHour. In November 2008, U.S.District Judge Royal Furgeson granted additional testing of items including a bloody sock found a few houses down, a knife that isthought to be the murder weapon and the fibers from another knife found in a butcher block in the Routierhome. Both boys were pronounced dead on the way to the hospital. Texas Monthly reported post-trial that Darin admitted he had been considering an insurance scam shortly before the murders. More than 20 years after she was convicted of murdering her young son, a Rowlett woman on death row remains hopeful her conviction will be overturned. They didnt leave the adult. There also were questions about the states contention that Routier had stabbed her children, then herself: There were bloodstains on the back of her nightshirt that prosecution witnesses suggested had been caused by knife splatter as she performed an overhead stabbing of her sons. At trial, the prosecution presented a timeline showing that Routier stabbed Devon and Damon before staging the scene by breaking a wine glass, cutting the screen in the garage, planting a bloody sock down an alley 75 yards away, and finally stabbing herself in the arms and throat. 5 Darlie Routier has been on death row for 23 years When is Darlie Routier due to be executed? Secondly, a motive for the break-in was unclear, but it seemed unlikely that it was robbery as there had been many valuables lying out in plain sight that had not been taken. When it was last listed on MLS for sale in 2006, the previous sellers agent highlighted this fact by stating in the private MLS remarks on NTREIS, Contact listing agent for disclosures prior to offers.. But how do you know what youre going to do when you lose two children? Aimee Lamoureux is a writer based in New York City. Her 6-year-old son,Devon, was also slain, but she has not been tried inhis death. Darlie Routier and her sons Devon, Damon, and Drake. Kee said she thinks her daughter's fate was sealed when the jury was shown video of Routier spraying Silly String at her son's grave during a birthday party for Devon shortly after his death. Darin had asked Routiers stepfather if he knew anyone who could break into the house and fake a burglary, and said it was a possibility he brought it up with others as well. Prosecutors said theyre confident in the case against Routier. She described the attacker as a white male about six feet tall. Email us at [emailprotected] or call us at (312) 521-0977. Thanks MsMarple. However, the prosecution said Darlie made the whole story up. In the early morning hours of June 6, 1996, 911 dispatchers in Rowlett, Texas received a panicked call from 26-year-old Darlie Routier. Routier told police that she had fallen asleep on a downstairs couch watching television, and was awakened by Damon touching her and calling her name, when she noticed an intruder in their house. "When testing is completed, the court will schedule a hearing to review the results," the district attorney's office said. When reached for comment Friday, Dusenbery said she could not comment on the listing without authorization from Opendoor. The Innocence Project is paying for the shipment of evidence between laboratories, according to the judges orders. Thank you. She said quote "I'm grateful the court has given me the chance to live and prove my innocence. He explained his reasons. What about fingerprints or the unexplained bloody sock that was found 75 feet down the alley after the Routier murders? Few women are sentenced to death by lethal injection. . Thank you for joining us. And the evidence of her innocence, some of it has been there all along. The court of criminal appeals directed that four of Ms. Lucio's claims be heard, her actual innocence, the state's use of false testimony at her trial, the new scientific evidence of her innocence, and the fact that favorable evidence was withheld by the prosecution at her original trial. Police also found a bread knife in knife block in the kitchen. Despite her claim of innocence, she was tried for the death of the 5-year-old, sentenced to death and is currently on death row. Vanessa Potkin, director of special litigation at the Innocence Project, which is representing Lucio, joins Amna Nawaz to discuss. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. And the killer just coming in and doing that type of damage to these babies and then just leaving ? I am deeply grateful to everyone who has prayed for me and spoke out on my behalf.". 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. Granted his father Darren did a remarkable job raising Drake. Ultimately, after the prosecution and defense battled it out, Darlie Routier was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Damon on February 4, 1997 and sent to death row. 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. The same compound and materials youd find on a window screen. In 2007, Melissa Lucio was the mother of 12 children, pregnant with twins and struggling to provide for them. Forget the graveside party. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get our public service journalism emailed directly to you. the huge man she described didn't leave that little fingerprint. There are some issues that need to be resolved. 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. As a woman and mother my intuition tells me, she is innocent. Prosecutors said Routier's behavior showed a lack of grief and remorse. Lucio was convicted of murder in 2008 and sentenced to death. It was the overall scene which, primarily, is the lack of evidence in many cases. A few unanswered questions have lingered in my mind. Why on earth should she have done it= there is no reason, no crucial evidence, but huge reasonable doubts, In dubio pro reo, in doubt for the procecuted person is a fundamental justical rule, which in the U.S is just being ignored. Earlier this year, The Last Defense, a seven-part documentary series aired on ABC, drew new attention to Routier's case and examined what led to her conviction. And so that was used against her. Never heard a thing about it and its been almost 3 years since it was talked about. 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. "They never could explain the sock, and they never could explain her wounds," she said. She was lucky she didn't kill herself. As of 2022, the results of these tests are still pending.Routier's case has been the subject of multiple books and television shows. I am on the fence here. Darlies defense was an intruder broke into the house, through a window in the garage and attacked her and the boys. Unfortunately, this is the way our criminal justice system works. Your email address will not be published. Seems like over two years would be more than enough time considering she is on Death Row. Remembering George Floyd: A year of protest. The case has received worldwide attention and has been featured on several TV shows as Routier works to prove her innocence through post-conviction petitions in Dallas County and in the U.S. District Court in West Texas. Police found a window screen in the garage had been cut, suggesting an entryway for the attacker to gain access to the home. All this new info is certainly interesting. 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. Forensics dont lie. Why did it take so long for so many of these details to come out and get the attention they're now getting? ONLY after he determined his life had to move on from that time or he and Drake would also be forever imprisoned by this, did they divorce. I 100% agree she is guilty. DNA Status: There are a LOT of rumors circulating out there about issues related to the DNA testing. 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. Well, it's really egregious that not only was she the victim of childhood sexual abuse and trauma, and she had to endure that, and she's a survivor of those experiences, but those experiences were used against her. Press J to jump to the feed. "That's enough to make you pause and say, 'Well, whose fingerprint is it?'". Webrenato's palm beach happy hour Uncovering hot babes since 1919. While moving from one home to another, her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah, died. Well, The Innocence Project became involved in Melissa's case just 100 days ago, so relatively recently, after her execution date was set. Responding to Darlie Lynn Routiers frantic 911 call from her Dallas County home in 1996, police found her two sons, Devon Routier, 6, and Damon Routier, 5, dying of stab wounds. Amna Nawaz, Frank Carlson Citing the lack of defense forensic evidence, Assistant District Attorney Greg Davis told the jurors in closing argument, It speaks volumes to you sometimes what you dont see and hear.. The 1st round of DNA testing She knows her daughter did this. Interestingly, further down the page, the disclosure says, Theres indication of a death on the property during prior ownership. Bruising on her arms prob caused by boys kicking her off. Next, after the call ended and rescue workers arrived, it seemed incriminating that Routier didnt follow paramedics as they took Damon away or ask where they were taking him. The home has had few updates through the years. Darlie Routier was arrested 4 days after the silly-string video. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/texas-womans-last-minute-reprieve-on-death-row-draws-questions-about-wrongful-convictions, Judge delays execution of only woman on U.S. death row, Only Native American on federal death row executed, Supreme Court rejects death row appeal over anti-gay juror, Supreme Court to review case of Missouri death row inmate with rare medical condition. I thought there was going to be new DNA testing done on this case in October 2019. Rockefeller Audio 2022. 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. What shoud be the motive ? She did it. Darlie Routier got a fair trial. Why? 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. Following the success of Darins circuit board testing company, the Routiers purchased a Jaguar, a boat, lavish vacations, and a newly constructed home replete with a fountain in the front yard and an enclosed spa gazebo in the back. How many of us would be ok with that happening if it was our trial? I would think a date would be set by now. AP-75617. She was charged with murdering her sons, Devon and Damon. It's been a long process but necessary.". In the 14 years in conviction, Lucio has always maintained her innocence. The State called witnesses to highlight that Routier had breast implants, did not take her children to church often, went out with girlfriends the night before Mothers Day and wore jewelry. Just wondering if anyone knows if they ever did the testing, or did it come back that Darlie was the only one responsible? Frank Carlson is a general assignment producer at the PBS NewsHour, where he's been making video since 2010. Not long after, infamous footage surfaced that showed her laughing and spraying silly string around her sons grave. Routier said an intruder entered the home and stabbed her and the children. And when the sock was tested, it came back positive for both Damon and Devons blood. As for Routier, she remains on death row with no execution date set. 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. The Dallas County District Attorneys office told NBC 5, "This year the state crime lab, under orders from Criminal District Court No. She was charged with capital murder days later. One adult was left Thats the adult that should be a suspect instead of Darlie. Listen to the 911 call. In December, the homes price was dropped to $390,000. This is your chance to set it straight, because, right now, it looks like capital murder. I believe it was her but they all seemed to be putting so much faith in the DNA testing that was supposedly going to exonerate her (at least according to the few shows I watched on it) and then just nothing. The primary suite features a fireplace and a balcony. So, give us a sense of what happens next now. Given the pathologists estimate that Damon could have survived his wounds for only nine minutes, that the 911 call lasted six minutes, and that police arrived within a minute after the end of the call, that left barely over two minutes for Routier to stab her sons, head for the garage, step through the slit in the window screen, jump a back fence or go through a back gate, run barefoot for 75 yards down an alley, drop a bloody sock, run 75 yards back, stab herself, clean up the blood around the sink, and stage whatever crime scene there was left to be staged, as Texas Monthly put it. 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. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a stay of execution for 52-year-old Melissa Lucio, a woman who had been set to be the first Hispanic woman put to death by the state in modern history after being convicted of beating her 2-year-old daughter to death in 2007. She was crucified by the press. I believe she is a victim Her life has been ruined. 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. She refused. I have a great simpathy for americans and have a daughter with an american. Routier has maintained her innocence since the June 6, 1996, stabbing deaths of her children, Damon, 5, and Devon, 6, who were found dead in the familys Rowlett, Texas, home during the early morning hours. I think this woman is innocent. Price to sell! Routier originally was represented by a court-appointed team that hired two forensic scientists to review the evidence from the crime scene. (However, advocates for her innocence point to the fact that she was still audibly screaming during the call and that she may not have followed instructions because she was simply in shock. It is my understanding the innocence project only takes cases that have DNA proving innocence. I did the only thing I knew to do to honor him and give him all his wishes because he wasnt here anymore. How do you know how youre going to act?. And we heard about Melissa's case. It still wasnt right. Its situated on a large 0.214-acre curving corner lot in the established Dalrock neighborhood. Subscribe to Forensic Tales podcast so you dont miss an episode! The jury voted to convict Routier and sentence her to death in February 1997. Beautiful home on northeast corner lot with high vaulted ceilings and lots of natural light. All Rights Reserved. Claire joined The Dallas Morning News as an intern in 2012. 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. Darlie Routier Home Is on The Market in Rowlett. Two of them, The Innocence Project is representing. DNA testing was a mature science when this crime occurred. Why wasnt the dna testing done prior to indictment? Four years later, her attorneys asked that DNA testing which they feel will exonerate her be used, though that has yet to be done. I hope the truth will be revealed some day and before its too late, considering Darlie is on death row. Somebody somewhere, usually family, is always going to call foul. Obviously the system is not working, So sad. 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. Did you see the doubts and understand that it does not make sence from the beginning to the end. 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. Cameras then captured Routier and company chewing gum, laughing, singing, and spraying silly string over the graves. Attorneys Cynthia Garza and Holly N. Dozier of the Dallas County Integrity Unit also gave their approval to the judges order. But before the trial began, Routier replaced the team with Mulder, a prominent local defense attorney who had represented her husband and mother-in-law in a gag order hearing related to the trial. Do you know how youre going to act? daughter did this the shipment evidence. Like you 're convicted, it looks like you 're convicted, it 's extraordinarily difficult overturn. Theres indication of a death on the property during prior ownership nothing going on, defense! 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