Why? What was the motive?

[dasgal]

Darlie may not have planned this ahead of time, but the possibility exists that she might have thought about it on occasion when things didn't go her way and that night it gelled in her mind as a decision.

Darlie's reasoning for the killings IMO go beyond the arguments about money with Darin, and his inability to give her what she wanted (vacations, money etc..) on demand.

Darrin by all accounts loved those two boys. In separation/divorce cases the world over, when spouses/significant others are have relationship difficulties, things are said, or done, to deliberately hurt the other. I've read of situations where one in the relationship had a beloved a pet, and the other killed it out of jealousy, anger, rage, whatever you would want to call it. Simply because attention was lavished on the pet, and the partner wanted ALL the attention. Some have done nasty things to step-children for the same reasons.

After being angry at Darrin, beyond angry perhaps into a smoldering rage, how better for Darlie, in her mind, to hurt Darrin than to take away two children he loved as a punishment for not giving her what she wanted.

Darlie seemed to be incapable of, or let's put it this way, REFUSED to believe that her own spending habits, as well as Darrin's were responsible for their financial situation.

I disagree. Her diary would seem to suggest that she considered suicide. Her actions did in fact suggest suicide on at least one occassion. However I agree with you that the children was a big F you to Darin, or at very least a selfish desire. I honestly think this was supposed to be a murder suicide. I think Darlie's injuries, while not life threatening, were real attempts by her to off herself. Even though she spent some time, an hour, a few minutes, to think about this, I don't feel like it's premeditated. It feels like an emotional response to me. I think it was a combination of her distress and her medication. But never for a moment do I think this was anything as "rational" as monetary motives at all. I know this was the prosecutions assertions, but IMO, that is a really bad stretch of the imagination.....a grasp for a motive.

 

[whitywendy]

I disagree. Her diary would seem to suggest that she considered suicide. Her actions did in fact suggest suicide on at least one occassion. However I agree with you that the children was a big F you to Darin, or at very least a selfish desire. I honestly think this was supposed to be a murder suicide. I think Darlie's injuries, while not life threatening, were real attempts by her to off herself. Even though she spent some time, an hour, a few minutes, to think about this, I don't feel like it's premeditated. It feels like an emotional response to me. I think it was a combination of her distress and her medication. But never for a moment do I think this was anything as "rational" as monetary motives at all. I know this was the prosecutions assertions, but IMO, that is a really bad stretch of the imagination.....a grasp for a motive.

I have always thought that the motive of money was just wrong. I did not see it. Yes, people do some crazy things for/over money, however, I just did not believe that Darlie killed her boys for the Life Insurance money.

 

[dasgal]

Well heck no. The amount of money was not even enough to bury them. The whole killings were a very emotional act, very personal. If you look at the boys, almost all their wounds are in "kill areas". She is trying to kill them quickly so they don't suffer. The only "bad shots" occur when she switches hands on the second attack after dumping the sock. She even stabs her own arm on accident.
This is definately NOT a thought out action. I totally disagree with the prosecution (sorry Jeanna) about the mode and manner of the murders. These were not bloodlust, these were not greedy killings. These were killings made to hurt her husband, to be with them in death....in heaven, to end what she thought was her family's universal suffering, a big f you to Darin and her sister, and a general end to her medicated/non medicated depression. This is an emotional response, and not a well thought out one. I believe she is really freaking sorry.

 

[workingmom]

Hi everyone. I've been lurking here for several years now but have never really had the desire to post until now. I have spent hours and hours trying to figure out "why" she did it. For me, I believe it was a combination of factors:

1. Darlie was still more or less a self-centered teenager when she had Devon and Damon came shortly after. I don't think she ever really matured after that. You know how it is with teenagers, everything's all life and death drama all the time.

2. I think Darlie was very aware of their dire financial situation and how bad it was spiralling out of control; however she was somewhat of a "control freak" so I think it really got to her that this was something she thought she had no control over. I have a cousin that has been living the high life in Dallas for years. They have a million dollar home, take all kinds of vacations, etc... He grew up in a working class household and he has said on MORE than one occasion that he would commit suicide if he ever had to give up his lifestyle. Seems very similar to Darlie's mindset to me.

3. She was depressed after having third child. Even though she liked babies, I don't think she ever wanted that third child. IMO if she had never had Drake, who knows? Maybe Devon and Damon would still be here.

4. Little boys can be very difficult, especially at that age. I have a 6 y.o. myself and sometimes it takes every ounce of self-restraint I have to keep my temper with him. It's about this age that they start not minding you, making lots of messes, talking back, arguing, etc..It can be very draining.

5. Diet pills - I have taken phen/fen before and yes, they will turn you from 0 to *advertiser censored* in about 2 seconds. My personal experience with them is you don't sleep well, every little thing can set you off. Your kid spilling a drink on the floor can send you into a 30 minute fit of anger. It might not be this way for everyone, but was for me when I was on them.

6. After 8 years of marriage, Darlie and Darin's wasn't so exciting anymore, especially since they coulnd't spend, spend, spend.

7. DArlie is suspicous of Darin messing around, maybe even with her sister.

If you take all these things and wrap them up into someone like Darlie and it's a volatile mix. I think either one of two things happened. Either something set her off and she snapped or it was a murder-suicide gone wrong. Again, just my opinion.

 

[dasgal]

I very much agree. It's a very sad situation. I think if she could go back, this never would have happened.

 

[whitywendy]

Well heck no. The amount of money was not even enough to bury them. The whole killings were a very emotional act, very personal. If you look at the boys, almost all their wounds are in "kill areas". She is trying to kill them quickly so they don't suffer. The only "bad shots" occur when she switches hands on the second attack after dumping the sock. She even stabs her own arm on accident.
This is definately NOT a thought out action. I totally disagree with the prosecution (sorry Jeanna) about the mode and manner of the murders. These were not bloodlust, these were not greedy killings. These were killings made to hurt her husband, to be with them in death....in heaven, to end what she thought was her family's universal suffering, a big f you to Darin and her sister, and a general end to her medicated/non medicated depression. This is an emotional response, and not a well thought out one. I believe she is really freaking sorry.

Thank you! This has been my line of thinking too. I think she just freaking lost it that night with everything closing in on her, she just could not handle it. I also believe she is sorry, however, I do not feel sorry for her because she could of prevented her landing on DR but owing up to her loss of sanity at the time.

Now, Andrea Yates and few others, yes I feel sorry for them. They knew something wasn't right and wanted/sought help.

 

[dasgal]

Thank you! This has been my line of thinking too. I think she just freaking lost it that night with everything closing in on her, she just could not handle it. I also believe she is sorry, however, I do not feel sorry for her because she could of prevented her landing on DR but owing up to her loss of sanity at the time.

Now, Andrea Yates and few others, yes I feel sorry for them. They knew something wasn't right and wanted/sought help.

Due to the meds, personally I think she was as out of it as Yates. But if you read my posts about Yates, you will know it's not my contention that she didn't somewhat plan this in her poor dark mind.

 

[White Rain]

I disagree. Her diary would seem to suggest that she considered suicide. Her actions did in fact suggest suicide on at least one occassion. However I agree with you that the children was a big F you to Darin, or at very least a selfish desire. I honestly think this was supposed to be a murder suicide. I think Darlie's injuries, while not life threatening, were real attempts by her to off herself. Even though she spent some time, an hour, a few minutes, to think about this, I don't feel like it's premeditated. It feels like an emotional response to me. I think it was a combination of her distress and her medication. But never for a moment do I think this was anything as "rational" as monetary motives at all. I know this was the prosecutions assertions, but IMO, that is a really bad stretch of the imagination.....a grasp for a motive.

If this was to be a murder/suicide why not kill Drake too? She could have easily slept upstairs that night and gotten Drake up on the premise of feeding him, killed him, Damon, and Devon, and then herself. Why would she leave Drake behind?
I hope my questions on here don't sound rude...they aren't meant to be.

 

[White Rain]

Well heck no. The amount of money was not even enough to bury them. The whole killings were a very emotional act, very personal. If you look at the boys, almost all their wounds are in "kill areas". She is trying to kill them quickly so they don't suffer. The only "bad shots" occur when she switches hands on the second attack after dumping the sock. She even stabs her own arm on accident.
This is definately NOT a thought out action. I totally disagree with the prosecution (sorry Jeanna) about the mode and manner of the murders. These were not bloodlust, these were not greedy killings. These were killings made to hurt her husband, to be with them in death....in heaven, to end what she thought was her family's universal suffering, a big f you to Darin and her sister, and a general end to her medicated/non medicated depression. This is an emotional response, and not a well thought out one. I believe she is really freaking sorry.

I'm not so sure I think Darlie is sorry. Here she is now trying to blame it on Darrin somehow. If she was sorry she'd quit looking for a way out, and accept her sentence. Darlie seemed to believe in God...if she does, wouldn't she want to make things right and clear her conscience here on Earth before she goes before the Lord to be judged?

 

[White Rain]

Thank you! This has been my line of thinking too. I think she just freaking lost it that night with everything closing in on her, she just could not handle it. I also believe she is sorry, however, I do not feel sorry for her because she could of prevented her landing on DR but owing up to her loss of sanity at the time.

Now, Andrea Yates and few others, yes I feel sorry for them. They knew something wasn't right and wanted/sought help.

Hey Wendy, what makes you think Darlie is now sorry for what she did?

 

[whitywendy]

Hey Wendy, what makes you think Darlie is now sorry for what she did?

I just don't believe that she did this on purpose. Just because she doesn't want to die by the hands of the State of Texas doesn't mean she isn't sorry for what she did. Just because she hasn't admitted to the public, doesn't mean in her mind that God hasn't forgiven her. I think allot of people who are sitting in prison claiming to be innocent, actually deep down feel sorry/bad for whatever crime brought them there. Esp. 1st time offenders. Some people with their faith, believe it is a personally one that as long as they are faithful and truthful to their GOD and forgiveness is given, then who cares about what the "others" think or know.

Basically what I am trying to say is that I believe allot of people do things that they regret but will never admit they actual did it.

 

[White Rain]

I just don't believe that she did this on purpose. Just because she doesn't want to die by the hands of the State of Texas doesn't mean she isn't sorry for what she did. Just because she hasn't admitted to the public, doesn't mean in her mind that God hasn't forgiven her. I think allot of people who are sitting in prison claiming to be innocent, actually deep down feel sorry/bad for whatever crime brought them there. Esp. 1st time offenders. Some people with their faith, believe it is a personally one that as long as they are faithful and truthful to their GOD and forgiveness is given, then who cares about what the "others" think or know.

Basically what I am trying to say is that I believe allot of people do things that they regret but will never admit they actual did it.

Ok I can buy that maybe...but if you feel you have made your peace with the Lord then why continue to blame other people? Ok, just say like you thought she regretted it but will never admit it...that's not really being truthful to the Lord in my eyes....this is just my opinion but I don't think you can say "ok Lord, I confess my guilt to You, but as far as everyone else I will continue to deny guilt." I agree that our opinons don't much matter compared to the Lord, but still...
Why not make her peace with the Lord and shut the H*ll up if she feels guilty? She doesn't have to go on and on and provide scenario after scenario as to what happened...you can just shut up and not plead guilt or innocence if you are really sorry...there are so many murders these days...if you shut up and said nothing else the public would eventually forget about you...and I seriously doubt any newspaper would come up with something like "Darlie has not pleaded her innocence in a year or more, so therefore she MUST be guilty."
The Lord is the judge of ALL...not just murderers, molesters, etc...so if you make peace with the Lord you should not care what anyone else thought and shouldn't have to continue to proclaim your innocence...you should trust in the Lord to make it ok...
You can feel guilty and express your guilt to the Lord all you want...but as long as you are still denying it you have not taken 100% cause of it you have not take the full guilt of it and you are NOT 100% admitting your guilt, IMO.
If she trusts in the Lord and has made right with him, she should NOT care about what any of the rest of us thinks, therefore the lies should NOT continue...just imo...you know I love ya chic, but this we have to agree to disagree on. Darlie, imo, has shown NO sign of regret for what she has done. The only regret I know of is her getting caught.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I just don't believe that she did this on purpose. Just because she doesn't want to die by the hands of the State of Texas doesn't mean she isn't sorry for what she did. Just because she hasn't admitted to the public, doesn't mean in her mind that God hasn't forgiven her. I think allot of people who are sitting in prison claiming to be innocent, actually deep down feel sorry/bad for whatever crime brought them there. Esp. 1st time offenders. Some people with their faith, believe it is a personally one that as long as they are faithful and truthful to their GOD and forgiveness is given, then who cares about what the "others" think or know.

Basically what I am trying to say is that I believe allot of people do things that they regret but will never admit they actual did it.

I think she regrets the murders now. That doesn't mean that she should be excused. She still needs to be executed.

 

[mollymalone]

I disagree. Her diary would seem to suggest that she considered suicide. Her actions did in fact suggest suicide on at least one occassion. However I agree with you that the children was a big F you to Darin, or at very least a selfish desire. I honestly think this was supposed to be a murder suicide. I think Darlie's injuries, while not life threatening, were real attempts by her to off herself. Even though she spent some time, an hour, a few minutes, to think about this, I don't feel like it's premeditated. It feels like an emotional response to me. I think it was a combination of her distress and her medication. But never for a moment do I think this was anything as "rational" as monetary motives at all. I know this was the prosecutions assertions, but IMO, that is a really bad stretch of the imagination.....a grasp for a motive.

Darlie is driven by her emotions true. But anyone can write anything in a diary whether true or not. Especially IF Darlie believed Darrin or someone else might get to see it and beg her not to take such an action. Which could have been Darlie's whole point in writing it. Especially if her hope was that if Darrin were to read it the expected action would be to be "oh baby don't do it I can't live without you" etc..

As a teen I wrote wicked stuff in my diary simply because my mother and brother used to read mine and I hoped to provoke a specific reaction so I could call them on the fact that I wasn't doing anything wrong or inappropriate, but they sure were by reading something that was essentially private thoughts.

IF, and that's a big IF for me, Darlie was writing about suicide because she really felt that way, I could see where a murder suicide would be premeditated, but that brings up the question of why just those two boys? Why not the entire family? Or all of her children? I believe that the wounds she suffered were self inflicted, but as a means of covering up her crime. To protect herself as a "victim."

I do agree that it wasn't a rational decision by any means. However, Darlie being one who (IMO only) was engaging in an emotional response out of anger, rage or simply FU, distress or whatever, had ample opportunity to not pick up the knife. Even after picking it up she had ample opportunity to put it down without using it.

 

[mollymalone]

Well heck no. The amount of money was not even enough to bury them. The whole killings were a very emotional act, very personal. If you look at the boys, almost all their wounds are in "kill areas". She is trying to kill them quickly so they don't suffer. The only "bad shots" occur when she switches hands on the second attack after dumping the sock. She even stabs her own arm on accident.
This is definately NOT a thought out action. I totally disagree with the prosecution (sorry Jeanna) about the mode and manner of the murders. These were not bloodlust, these were not greedy killings. These were killings made to hurt her husband, to be with them in death....in heaven, to end what she thought was her family's universal suffering, a big f you to Darin and her sister, and a general end to her medicated/non medicated depression. This is an emotional response, and not a well thought out one. I believe she is really freaking sorry.

I don't believe it had to do with money either. The wounds on the boys, (I'm by no means an expert on wounds) I thought the wounds as described, the length etc seemed to me to be deep wounds for the most part. Some experts have said that killing with a knife is an up close and personal way of killing someone. Repeated stabbing with a knife denotes a very deep and personal emotion. Kill them quickly? By repeatedly stabbing, and if one child actually was alive for a period of time after that? How horrible, painful and tortuous that would be for them. That's not mercy to keep them from suffering IMO.

Again, if this was to join them in death, to end the suffering of her family, what about Drake? Do you feel she wasn't as attached to him as she was the other two childreN?

 

[mollymalone]

If this was to be a murder/suicide why not kill Drake too? She could have easily slept upstairs that night and gotten Drake up on the premise of feeding him, killed him, Damon, and Devon, and then herself. Why would she leave Drake behind?
I hope my questions on here don't sound rude...they aren't meant to be.

Same here, I'm not trying to be or sound rude. I have the same question.

Darlie is sorry Darlie got caught. I agree, if she's found such peace, why continue to change her story time and again.

 

[whitywendy]

Ok I can buy that maybe...but if you feel you have made your peace with the Lord then why continue to blame other people? Ok, just say like you thought she regretted it but will never admit it...that's not really being truthful to the Lord in my eyes....this is just my opinion but I don't think you can say "ok Lord, I confess my guilt to You, but as far as everyone else I will continue to deny guilt." I agree that our opinons don't much matter compared to the Lord, but still...
Why not make her peace with the Lord and shut the H*ll up if she feels guilty? She doesn't have to go on and on and provide scenario after scenario as to what happened...you can just shut up and not plead guilt or innocence if you are really sorry...there are so many murders these days...if you shut up and said nothing else the public would eventually forget about you...and I seriously doubt any newspaper would come up with something like "Darlie has not pleaded her innocence in a year or more, so therefore she MUST be guilty."
The Lord is the judge of ALL...not just murderers, molesters, etc...so if you make peace with the Lord you should not care what anyone else thought and shouldn't have to continue to proclaim your innocence...you should trust in the Lord to make it ok...
You can feel guilty and express your guilt to the Lord all you want...but as long as you are still denying it you have not taken 100% cause of it you have not take the full guilt of it and you are NOT 100% admitting your guilt, IMO.
If she trusts in the Lord and has made right with him, she should NOT care about what any of the rest of us thinks, therefore the lies should NOT continue...just imo...you know I love ya chic, but this we have to agree to disagree on. Darlie, imo, has shown NO sign of regret for what she has done. The only regret I know of is her getting caught.

:slap:I love what you said and agree with you 100% when it comes to people who's thinking pattern isn't distubed. However, Darlie def. doesn't have a NORMAL personality as we have all come to the conclusion of so therefore you can't class her in with society's normal way of thinking. I hope I worded that right.

 

[whitywendy]

Darlie is driven by her emotions true. But anyone can write anything in a diary whether true or not. Especially IF Darlie believed Darrin or someone else might get to see it and beg her not to take such an action. Which could have been Darlie's whole point in writing it. Especially if her hope was that if Darrin were to read it the expected action would be to be "oh baby don't do it I can't live without you" etc..

As a teen I wrote wicked stuff in my diary simply because my mother and brother used to read mine and I hoped to provoke a specific reaction so I could call them on the fact that I wasn't doing anything wrong or inappropriate, but they sure were by reading something that was essentially private thoughts.

IF, and that's a big IF for me, Darlie was writing about suicide because she really felt that way, I could see where a murder suicide would be premeditated, but that brings up the question of why just those two boys? Why not the entire family? Or all of her children? I believe that the wounds she suffered were self inflicted, but as a means of covering up her crime. To protect herself as a "victim."

I do agree that it wasn't a rational decision by any means. However, Darlie being one who (IMO only) was engaging in an emotional response out of anger, rage or simply FU, distress or whatever, had ample opportunity to not pick up the knife. Even after picking it up she had ample opportunity to put it down without using it.

I understand what you are saying but Darlie wasn't the type to write in a diary everyday. She decided to start putting her thoughts down after her grandmother passed away.

I am not one for keeping a diary. However, when I get depressed I tend to turn to the paper to get it out. I can count on my hands how many times I have done this. Some people are just like that. We have been taught to put our feelings down on paper. Some don't do it until sadness consumes them. So I do believe that she was depressed (PPD) and wrote her thoughts down. I do believe that after she wrote her thoughts down, that she realized what she actually thinking and that was why she called Darin. She needed help.

 

[whitywendy]

I don't believe it had to do with money either. The wounds on the boys, (I'm by no means an expert on wounds) I thought the wounds as described, the length etc seemed to me to be deep wounds for the most part. Some experts have said that killing with a knife is an up close and personal way of killing someone. Repeated stabbing with a knife denotes a very deep and personal emotion. Kill them quickly? By repeatedly stabbing, and if one child actually was alive for a period of time after that? How horrible, painful and tortuous that would be for them. That's not mercy to keep them from suffering IMO.

Again, if this was to join them in death, to end the suffering of her family, what about Drake? Do you feel she wasn't as attached to him as she was the other two childreN?

Molly - I know you were not asking me, but I would like to put 2 cents in. I believe that Darlie was suffering from PPD. Back in 96 PPD wasn't really discussed or treated as it is today. I don't think that she had bonded with him. I have to admit that I had this after the birth of my son. I loved my son by words, but I didn't bond at first. I really can't explain the thoughts and emotions I was feeling. NOW, I never once thought of hurting him. I just didn't play and bond like you normally do. It got so bad that I was placed on medication to get ME back to normal. It took several months before I finally felt the love that I should of normally felt. I felt like such a terrible mother and human being. I love kids. All of them. Always have and for me not to feel close to my old child almost killed me.

So I just don't think she loved him the way she loved Devon and Damon at the time.

 

[White Rain]

I think she regrets the murders now. That doesn't mean that she should be excused. She still needs to be executed.

Jeana, do you think she regrets them only because what she is now facing, or do you think her regret is for what she did to those boys?