The Case Of Darlie Routier

Before the sun had broken on June 6th, 1996 Darlie Routier (26) of Rowlett Texas was pleading with the dispatch operator for immediate help. In this almost 6 minute long call (in which the police get there in 3 minutes and about 45 seconds in) Mrs. Routier seems to be in complete shock, as she begs the operator to quickly send police. However, in between brief periods of hysterical breathing and unintelligible sobs she soberly remarks how she picked up the suspected murder weapon and this could have tainted any fingerprints that were there before. It was her attitude that landed her in the media’s glare, however it was the evidence in this case, all circumstantial, that landed her on Texas’s Death Row. In this paper I aim to highlight and elaborate

When compared to the stab wounds of her sons, one of which was so deep it almost went entirely through to his back (McClain, 1996), one can note that Mrs. Routier’s injuries were anything other than critical. Even the medical team that tended to Darlie noted that her wounds were not consistent with what she had told them. Paper-like cuts on her fingers she proposed, were from trying to grab the knife from the supposed intruder (Paige Campbell,

The only logical way Darlie’s story could hold up was if: A.) The intruder left calmly after murdering both boys and being pursued by the third, adult victim he didn’t kill, or B.) He had left out of the garage window and went out of his way to take the concrete walkway, which consequently was also the longest path to the gate. The gate as well was noted to be difficult to latch and unlatch, and when Cron arrived at 5AM the gate was