Why does Darin defend Darlie?

[InstantProof]

To me, it is clear on the 911 call that Darin is not involved and, although hard to make out what he is saying, he yells at Darlie and she yells back that she didn't do it. Then, he must go straight into denial, or doesn't want to lose his "hot" wife or something. Maybe he treated her poorly and felt some guilt? The episode of Forensic Files dealing with this case has been re-airing recently and they don't paint Darin as a suspect but they talk about how he made many mentions of his wife's breasts and how hot she is to paramedics / cops on the scene. For Darlie's motive, they mention that Darin was no help with the kids. The majority of the episode dealt with her story not matching the evidence, and her attempt at a clean up.

 

[Zzzz]

To me, it is clear on the 911 call that Darin is not involved and, although hard to make out what he is saying, he yells at Darlie and she yells back that she didn't do it. Then, he must go straight into denial, or doesn't want to lose his "hot" wife or something. Maybe he treated her poorly and felt some guilt? The episode of Forensic Files dealing with this case has been re-airing recently and they don't paint Darin as a suspect but they talk about how he made many mentions of his wife's breasts and how hot she is to paramedics / cops on the scene. For Darlie's motive, they mention that Darin was no help with the kids. The majority of the episode dealt with her story not matching the evidence, and her attempt at a clean up.

I'm no defender of Darin, but all the hoopla over his discussion of her breasts is overblown, IMO. Darlie's initial story (which changed often) was based on the idea that the attack was an attempted rape and the intruder looked in the window and saw her. Her jailhouse letters to relatives included the contrived story that some neighbor suspect could see her sunbathing in the back yard. I think Darin was just trying to drive home the point that the invasion was a rape attempt gone awry because his wife was so hot. Thus the breast comment to the cops.

 

[chlban]

I'm no defender of Darin, but all the hoopla over his discussion of her breasts is overblown, IMO. Darlie's initial story (which changed often) was based on the idea that the attack was an attempted rape and the intruder looked in the window and saw her. Her jailhouse letters to relatives included the contrived story that some neighbor suspect could see her sunbathing in the back yard. I think Darin was just trying to drive home the point that the invasion was a rape attempt gone awry because his wife was so hot. Thus the breast comment to the cops.

That's certainly plausable. I kiind of always just assumed that it was denial. The same kind that let Cindy Anthony go from yelling about the are smelling like a dead body was in it to trying to convince people it was a bad pizza.
The kind that left the Parents of Scott Peterson and the mother of Jeffrey MacDonald and Mama Darlie and all the others just ignore the evidence and continue to believe,.

I would imagine it is very difficult to believe that that your spouse, whatever personality faults they may have, could actually butcher your children.

Maybe I've given him too much credit. I do think that, on some level, he knew as soon as he saw the scene.
What I don't know is what that level of understanding was and, much like Cindy Anthony, just how he was able to talk himself out of what he "knew" in that first instance of realization

 

[Leischa]

I'm no defender of Darin, but all the hoopla over his discussion of her breasts is overblown, IMO. Darlie's initial story (which changed often) was based on the idea that the attack was an attempted rape and the intruder looked in the window and saw her. Her jailhouse letters to relatives included the contrived story that some neighbor suspect could see her sunbathing in the back yard. I think Darin was just trying to drive home the point that the invasion was a rape attempt gone awry because his wife was so hot. Thus the breast comment to the cops.

This is the most reasonable explanation to what he said about her breasts. Although, I have to say that the thing he told the first responders while they were still at the house (that this was the biggest thing that ever happened in Rowlett...) sounds very strange too. I used to just connect these two things he'd said but, if you only take in consideration the one about her breasts, I guess it could be related to the rape attempt.

 

[fruity]

I think it is a feeling of guilt and fear. I think she had threatened to do something but he didn't take her seriously, and if he didn't stick up for her she would have somehow twisted it to implicate him.

 

[dodie20]

I think there might have been some kind of conflict already going on, because I always thought it was strange that she wasn't sleeping upstairs with him. It's like, ok, spouses fight, but how big of a fight does it take to lead to sleeping in separate rooms? and what are the odds that the night a wife is sleeping in a separate room, (regardless of the reason), also happens to be the same night that her children get murdered? I'm sorry, but to me, it seems like when she gathered those children into the living room with her, she was already plotting. I don't understand the mentality, but there are a lot of parents who kill their children to get back at a spouse. I don't get the train of thought, but I guess it has something to do with extreme anger. Or maybe if Darlie saw her marriage as unraveling, she might have felt resentment towards the boys... because while she would be losing her husband, they wouldn't be losing their daddy? Anyway, to answer the question...if they were having marital problems, (and I think the signs were there), then he might have felt guilty for doing something to set off the whole thing, or maybe he supported her because he knew if he didn't, she'd confess that she told him exactly what she was wanting to do, but instead of getting her help, he just went to bed. just guessing, but IMO, it would have to be something along those lines-something to do with protecting himself...if not direct involvement, then indirect involvement. I know, especially when I was young, that if my husband threatened to kill himself or our kids, and then actually did kill the children, I'd feel just as responsible, as if I had used the knife myself. And as angry as I'd be, my guilt would make me feel bad for my husband too. I'd be like, 'this is my fault. If I had just helped him in his anguish, none of this would have happened'. But, Idk if DR, was that kind of man, so this is just a theory. moo.

 

[blefuscu]

While I totally believe Darlie is guilty I've never understood why she didn't try to implicate Darin in the murders. She's obviously ok with lying, she maintained her innocence despite the evidence against her, so why didn't she lie and say Darin was involved? I don't think it's protect him. It just strikes me as odd. I'm not advocating her lying by the way, but we've seen plenty of husbands and wives throw the other under the bus.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

I know this sounds odd but I think even Murderers have boundaries that they won't cross. He believes her. Mostly I think because he can not go to a place where she did this. I think that she loves that Darin still believes in her and does not want to do anything to skew that.
This case just bothers me. The thought of a mother doing what she did is just horrific and unbearable to believe when as a mother we worry about our kids just being hurt like kids are. Skinned knees, broken bones from climbing, childhood illnesses. To think that someone in the position of a mother can kill her kids with such avarice and intention is just foreign to us.
If she accuses Darin he will know she is lying and killed them. He will know for certain. She needs him to be on her side and believe in her fully.

 

[dodie20]

they were young and immature, (imo), and probably he left most of the day to day to her and might not have realized how bad off she was. I guess I believe the jury got it right, but honestly, I don't know if I could have found her guilty if I was on the jury. I would have been looking for something, anything, to sway my reasonable doubt. For some people, it would be a whole lot easier to slam the door on suspecting the spouse, than it would be to go down that road. Who would want those horrible visions in their heads? I don't agree with her being on death row though, because there was just something off about this whole thing. She had no reason to do this and gained nothing. Even the most evil mother would have a reason for murder. She would go out and buy extra life insurance or something. Maybe if DR had admitted it, she wouldn't have gotten such a harsh sentence.

 

[Zzzz]

The reason Darlie has so many supporters is simply because people can't believe a mother could do this. They ignore the overwhelming evidence because of that belief. But she did do it; the evidence is conclusive and clear in the trial transcripts and the 911 tape. Sociopaths don't think like the rest of us. Their motives are selfish and aren't ones we easily recognize. She was stressed, yes. And that contributed, as did the diet pills - they make people frenzied. But she did it and did it alone.

 

[cami]

To me, Darin covering for Darlie doesn't make any more sense than Darlie covering for Darin. Why would he want her out of prison (especially in the early years) if he knew she'd killed two sons and that she could go back to her family life with Devon and him? Wouldn't he fear for his son's life, and for his own?

Also, what I previously said is not that Darlie was intentely covering for Darin, but rather that she didn't think it was him so she said ''no'' when they asked her repeatedly if her husband was the murderer. Tell me, if the police and prosecution didn't think that he could've been the killer, then why did they ask her this question over and over again?

Right now I'd qualify myself as a fence sitter. But I don't believe in the intruder theory... or at least not without the involvement of at least one of the two parents.

And, about the fact that Darin would've had to go through the utility room, garage, back yard, through the gate before coming back inside... I think he had other options:

1- He planted the knife at the entrance of the utility room and, while she was turning back to turn the lights on, ran past the nook and upstairs. There is a wall there and, if the timing was right for him, he could've done that without her noticing him. Darlie saw the man head towards the utility room. She turned around, hit the lights, then got to the utility room and found the knife there, which made her think the killer was hidden in the garage or had escaped through it.

2- Again, let's pretend Darin was the killer. He left the knife at the door of the utility room, went to the garage, closed the door (was it closed? I can't remember for sure), then out the window into the yard. He waited a few moments outside (he could probably see her move through the house with the kitchen light on, and also hear her screaming). The moment he saw her leave the room, he came back inside through the sliding glass doors in the Roman room. There was a partial print (in blood, if I'm not wrong...) found there so someone had to have used that door at some point. Also, in the pictures, we can see that the blinds were higher on the side of the entrance than on the other side. So anyways, let's say he gets back in the room through those doors, and Darlie is now at the bottom of the stairs screaming her lungs out for him to come down. The rest of this kind of puzzles me and this is why I prefer scenario number 1 over this one. She would have seen him downstairs and not getting down the stairs...

1. There is no way this scenario could have occurred. You only have to look at the photos of the room to see there is no way Darin could have run past Darlie without her seeing him.

2. There is no partial print in blood on the sliding glass doors. There is no evidence anyone went through the screen, intruder or Darin.

Most of the evidence against Darlie is blood evidence. There is no blood evidence to prove Darin was involved at all. Darin was first suspected by Patterson, the lead investigator, he was investigated and cleared of the murders. Darlie committed the murders alone.

If Darin is in the Roman Room, how did he get back upstairs to come down when Darlie screamed for him?

 

[chlban]

While I totally believe Darlie is guilty I've never understood why she didn't try to implicate Darin in the murders. She's obviously ok with lying, she maintained her innocence despite the evidence against her, so why didn't she lie and say Darin was involved? I don't think it's protect him. It just strikes me as odd. I'm not advocating her lying by the way, but we've seen plenty of husbands and wives throw the other under the bus.

Because initially she thought she was going to get away with it by implicating the "stranger." Once she was charged, which I don't think she saw coming, to implicate Darrin would mean she would have to admit she lied about everything.

I would bet good money she has considered implicating him, but again, that requires that she admit she lied about everything that night. There were, and amazingly still are, people that believe she is innocent. She could lose many of those supporters. Add to that fact tha Darrin's mother has always been one of Darlies most vocal supporters, whiich never made sense to me

I think Darlie is delusional enough that she probably still believes she will find a way to worm her way out of this. She won't, but Texas han't killed her yet, so my money says she is still hoping.

 

[neesaki]

they were young and immature, (imo), and probably he left most of the day to day to her and might not have realized how bad off she was. I guess I believe the jury got it right, but honestly, I don't know if I could have found her guilty if I was on the jury. I would have been looking for something, anything, to sway my reasonable doubt. For some people, it would be a whole lot easier to slam the door on suspecting the spouse, than it would be to go down that road. Who would want those horrible visions in their heads? I don't agree with her being on death row though, because there was just something off about this whole thing. She had no reason to do this and gained nothing. Even the most evil mother would have a reason for murder. She would go out and buy extra life insurance or something. Maybe if DR had admitted it, she wouldn't have gotten such a harsh sentence.

I don't know there could ever be a reason for her heinous crime, but explanation, yes. Don't forget that Darlie was taking diet pills, and had been for quite some time to the point that I'm sure they had built up to a toxic level in her system. These type drugs can cause severe mood swings including depression, extreme anger, over-reactions, and impulsivity.

Also, Drake was still a baby, so she could also have possibly been suffering to some degree from postpartum depression. Add these to her pre-existing condition of extreme self-absorption and narcissism. Plus, IMO, her strong leanings towards a personality disorder such as antisocial or narcissistic. Plus the marital discord and financial pressures , especially considering how high maintenance she was, and IMO she became a walking time bomb. Regarding the diet pills, they were only a catalyst and part of the big picture, not the cause alone. All of these factors weigh in concerning the horrific crime she committed, killing her own children. Among the worst of the worst, Darlie Routier.

 

[Leischa]

1. There is no way this scenario could have occurred. You only have to look at the photos of the room to see there is no way Darin could have run past Darlie without her seeing him.

2. There is no partial print in blood on the sliding glass doors. There is no evidence anyone went through the screen, intruder or Darin.

Most of the evidence against Darlie is blood evidence. There is no blood evidence to prove Darin was involved at all. Darin was first suspected by Patterson, the lead investigator, he was investigated and cleared of the murders. Darlie committed the murders alone.

If Darin is in the Roman Room, how did he get back upstairs to come down when Darlie screamed for him?

1. When she turned around to hit the lights, I think that, with the right timing, he could've had the time to run from the area near the garage to the staircase. And I did look at the pictures.

2. I remember reading that there was some blood or a foot print near those doors (if not on the doors themselves).

I never said there was any blood evidence that was proving Darin's involvement. I'm just trying to look at other options because, to me, it doesn't make any sense that she's the one who did it. And it's not because I can't believe that a mother could kill her own children (it happened in the past, without a doubt), and also not because she's pretty or anything like that.

I read everything there is to read and I think that the blood evidence against Darlie is rather weak.

But anyway, since I don't feel like fence sitters or pro-darlie people are welcome in here (no wonder why there are so few!), I guess I'll just let you guys discuss this case without me.

 

[anastacia]

I've never been able to accept that Darin had nothing to do with the crime. In the 911 call Darlie placed the night of the murders, Darlie says to Darin, "Someone broke in here and did this Darin!" The tone of her voice sounds as if she's giving him a warning, like "it's okay, Darin. I'm telling the cops that a stranger broke in here and did this.

Plus we know that Darlie didn't have time to run and plant the sock in the alley, but I think Darin did while she was making the 911 call.

Also I read somewhere that one of the conditions for the Routier family contributing to the legal fee's Darlie had was that she never implicate Darin.

I'm not convinced Dariie is the one who actually killed the boys. She did have monster bruises on her arms. It doesn't change anything really. If she is covering for her husband then she's just as guilty as he, imo.

The tone of her voice when she speaks to Darin in the 811 call has always haunted me. It's not like she's alibiing for herself, but rather warning Darin.

 

[cami]

1. When she turned around to hit the lights, I think that, with the right timing, he could've had the time to run from the area near the garage to the staircase. And I did look at the pictures.

2. I remember reading that there was some blood or a foot print near those doors (if not on the doors themselves).

I never said there was any blood evidence that was proving Darin's involvement. I'm just trying to look at other options because, to me, it doesn't make any sense that she's the one who did it. And it's not because I can't believe that a mother could kill her own children (it happened in the past, without a doubt), and also not because she's pretty or anything like that.

I read everything there is to read and I think that the blood evidence against Darlie is rather weak.

But anyway, since I don't feel like fence sitters or pro-darlie people are welcome in here (no wonder why there are so few!), I guess I'll just let you guys discuss this case without me.

I just think it's very important that the correct information be given and not the wrong information. There is no blood, nor bloody footprints anywhere near the sliding glass door, which is at the back of the Roman Room. If you read somewhere there is, that is incorrect information. There is no blood anywhere near the exit window, nor is there any bloody footprints. The only bare, bloody footprints are Darlie's--leading away from the kitchen sink.

 

[cami]

1. When she turned around to hit the lights, I think that, with the right timing, he could've had the time to run from the area near the garage to the staircase. And I did look at the pictures.

2. I remember reading that there was some blood or a foot print near those doors (if not on the doors themselves).

I never said there was any blood evidence that was proving Darin's involvement. I'm just trying to look at other options because, to me, it doesn't make any sense that she's the one who did it. And it's not because I can't believe that a mother could kill her own children (it happened in the past, without a doubt), and also not because she's pretty or anything like that.

I read everything there is to read and I think that the blood evidence against Darlie is rather weak.

But anyway, since I don't feel like fence sitters or pro-darlie people are welcome in here (no wonder why there are so few!), I guess I'll just let you guys discuss this case without me.

I just think it's very important that the correct information be given and not the wrong information. There is no blood, nor bloody footprints anywhere near the sliding glass door, which is at the back of the Roman Room. If you read somewhere there is, that is incorrect information. There is no blood anywhere near the exit window, nor is there any bloody footprints. The only bare, bloody footprints are Darlie's--leading away from the kitchen sink.

 

[Adub]

I keep changing my mind if Darin was involved or not. If he was involved, there's the answer for why he supports her. If he wasn't involved (which I'm leaning towards).. I do think he must know she did it. My theory is, in the beginning he was probably in complete and utter denial that his wife who he loves could do this. Secondly, he probably struggled with terrible guilt/remorse for not getting her help when she cried out for help a month prior with the talk of suicide. He probably put blame on himself. I'm sure Darin knew she was unwell for a long time. I think a lot more went on in that house than we will ever know. I think the reason he comes across as strange is because he does know the truth at some level.

 

[Zzzz]

I keep changing my mind if Darin was involved or not. If he was involved, there's the answer for why he supports her. If he wasn't involved (which I'm leaning towards).. I do think he must know she did it. My theory is, in the beginning he was probably in complete and utter denial that his wife who he loves could do this. Secondly, he probably struggled with terrible guilt/remorse for not getting her help when she cried out for help a month prior with the talk of suicide. He probably put blame on himself. I'm sure Darin knew she was unwell for a long time. I think a lot more went on in that house than we will ever know. I think the reason he comes across as strange is because he does know the truth at some level.

I don't think he was involved, as evidenced by the 911 tape. But you are right, he probably acted so strange because he had to know at some level that she did it. That's the only explanation for his weird behavior. At the time, he was relying on the financial support of her extremely vocal mother so he couldn't rock the boat. I wouldn't say he continues to support her. He stopped visiting her around 2001.

 

[cami]

I don't think he was involved, as evidenced by the 911 tape. But you are right, he probably acted so strange because he had to know at some level that she did it. That's the only explanation for his weird behavior. At the time, he was relying on the financial support of her extremely vocal mother so he couldn't rock the boat. I wouldn't say he continues to support her. He stopped visiting her around 2001.

Darin no longer supports Darlie. In fact he divorced her in 2011. He has been living with his girlfriend for years now. They just built a huge new ranch with a separate home for his parents and he has Drake living with him.