My husband and I became very involved in the investigation of a friends murder.
We saw 1 st hand how easy it is to overlook important clues.
We did not have the funds to have DNA tests done on items retrieved from the crime scenes- yes more than1place where clues could be found in fact 3 different sites in 2 states. The police however did- I will forever be on the nagging end of the scale should anyone I know be kidnapped, murdered, or victimized by a crime. I will take a proactive approach and urge complete preservation of all crime scene evidence. Until this case occured and I watched bungle after bungle- I ALWAYS trusted that the police would be able to do an excellent job.
Rowlett is a smaller town. The funding available to them is not what it is in Dallas, Houston, Austin. The police who work there have probably selected Rowlett as a good place to work because they wouldn't have to see as much heinous crimes as in the large cities I listed. Police are people too.
Would you really WANT to have to enter crime scenes like seen in MTJD and investigate them. Rowlett would be a very attractive place to work in law enforcement if I was a policeperson, good pay and benefits, not as much violent crimes to tear at your soul.
They didn't have a great deal of experience doing what they had to do. they had training but training is nothing when you compare it to the real thing.
Photos- not documented as to order taken by labeling the rolls as they came out of the camera-very important as to establishing timelines and other determinations. This is very basic and was not done properly.
Couch- I didn't know before but I do now if the police release evidence to you from a crime scene don't throw it away, clean it, donate it etc. Put on rubber gloves. Wrap it in plastic and seal it up like you are protecting your 16 year old daughters virginity. Do not put tape directly on the item wrap it over well then tape it. If I had known before it was too late I'd have told Mama Darlie to do just that. No one ever suspected we would have to do our own investigation. Since when has the idea been that you are also responsible for doing your own investigation. No you let the police do their jobs cause that is what we pay them for. Darin has no idea what high tech crime tests really are, he was assured by the police they were running every test, using every resource, no holds barred sir we will find who murdered your sons.
Police follow clues like a hound dog does, they caught a sniff on a trail but they forgot that trail does double back and IMO they didn't investigate the possibility of an intruder to its full extent. They didn't investigate Darin's cell phone records from that night either- did they know he had one?
The day of the funeral I talked to Darlie, Darin, Mama Darlie- I advised them to lawyer up and hire a private investigator and referred them to 2 retired Texas Rangers. They had complete and total faith in the police. They were somehat shocked at my suggestion too. Darlie Lynn was the only one that seemed to enertain the thought and heed my advice. I told her they were the best and that her boys deserved the best, she agreed.
Lets say she did it- Why would she have wanted extra investigators (of the caliber of Texas Rangers) she knew on the crime, to find even more evidence to point the finger of blame at her. Why would she say we don't need a lawyer if she had done it- it was her naivity not her guilt.
Despite the fact that as posters we all have our opinions and sometimes, like armpits they stink to others. The one thing that unifies us all here is the boys.
Not one person here wants to see a kiiler go free or justice not be served. I know you care because of the posts I read. We are united in our passions for those boys- because of this I have the highest respect for all the posters here regardless of their position on the case.
I know both sides get frustrated trying to convince the other that they are right.
I want to KNOW -What happened to my 2 favorite little "cowpokes" you see the last time I saw the boys we played Cowpersons and Native Americans.
I loved them, I know Darlie Lynn loved them to the very bottom of her soul.
They were not inconvient burdens to her- they were her reason to get up in the morning. She adored all kids, she spoiled her kids ROTTON. Her depression was about not be able to give her kids her best.Mothers who have
killed their children like Andrea Yates to "save them" from themselves or the horrors of this world admit it. They are mentally ill obviously but in their minds they can easily confess to it as they did the right thing.
MOTIVE: No one has been able to give me a motive that rings true to the person I know. I know Darlie Lynns faults believe me she was vain, she was "houseproud", she spent money on useless junk I would have saved in that mason jar in my backyard. She knew of other ways to keep that big house and lifestyle besides murder.
BANKRUPTCY
The laws surrounding bankruptcy have changed but at the time Darin and Darlie could have filed and kept EVERYTHING and paid back VERY LITTLE TO NOTHING FOT IT.Credit card agencies and banks solicit very heavily,bankrupt individuals more
than you can believe. If you declare it they figure you want to get your scores back up there and they're there to "HELP".
Debt protection would fall under the federally mandated laws and they would not suffer repossions, even collection phone calls would be stopped. A lot easier answer than killing your kids.
The blood evidence tested (cause this stuff is not cheap ) was tested at the discretion of the investigating officers. Why test items looking for alternatives if you don't really believe there is an alternative. The police are not wacked out by investigating her,most child killings are done by parents and they needed to investigate all plausible answers- A terroist plot by a foreign government would not have been plausible. But very little if any attention was given to her intruders.
I don't know how I would react if attacked in my sleep. I don't imagine if you are being hit or held down that the thought : Hey thats the 2x 4 I bought at Lowes and left in the garage how did it get in here and why am I being hit with it. OH WOW are those Bugle Boy jeans you are wearing while laying down on my arms trying to stab me. Get real,what information you could derive from what was happening is not even stored in your brain as a memory as trying to stay alive takes over. Crime victims are very unreliable sometimes when it comes to complete recall and an unemotional observance of the small details.
It doesn't seem strange that Darlie can't remember in cronlogical order if Damon pushing on her shoulder, hearing a glass break and seeing a figure at the end of the couch. Her subconcious mind still knows she has been attacked but her concious one doesn't want to admit it. The order it happened is less important than the fact that it can all proven true.
Damons blood was on her nightshirt, and the spot on the back could be from that shoulder shove she says he gave her. It was very small and his hands would not have been covered in blood, It is kinda hard to touch your back enough to transfer a large amount of blood to your hands.
There was broken glass on the floor
Boot imprssions on her showroom style kept carpet show someone wearing shoes was in the house, blood outlines of 1 of these impressions show someone was standing there and blood was not under the imprint just outlining it. That says someone is standing here in boots while blood is flowing.
If you have ever been around a crime victim right after the crime they
are shaken and sometimes the details of the crime are foggy and unclear to them. Details are sometimes recalled days later when the brain realizes they are still alive, they made it thru the ordeal and the support system around them has made them feel safe again- somewhat.
I don't expect her to be able to report the crime and the details in a clinical sense and no one should expect that from her as well.
The fight or flight intinct is still going strong for hours even days for some folks
it all depends upon your own psycologal ability to handle stressful situations.
Would you take a cruise ship on it?
