Poll: Did Darlie Routier murder her children?

[Jeana (DP)]

What you're saying makes a lot of sense. I can see blacking out or post-traumatic stress but to ever have implied that she slept through the wounds that were inflicted on her, (even if she could have somehow slept through the attacks on her boys), is preposterous. And then the claim that her 5 year-old woke her up by pulling on her sleeve and that's when she felt a man climb off of her, (in one of her versions anyway) ... first of all, she didn't wake up from a full-grown man climbing on top of her but she woke up to a 5 year-old's tug on her shirt? Secondly, if a 5 year-old woke up to a strange man on top of his mother, would he get close enough to pull on her sleeve to wake her? Probably not ... he probably would have screamed or run outside or run upstairs, etc., out of utter fear.

I'm not through all of the reading yet but I can definitely see where you are all coming from.

I agree. It makes absolutely no sense. Lots of her supporters like to say that none of us would know how we'd react, blah, blah, blah. Maybe I couldn't sit here and tell anyone "exactly" what I'd do, but I think I know myself well enough to know that there would have been no doubt that one hell of a fight took place in my immediate vicinity. Darlie claims that she was a light sleeper (her reason for being down on the couch in the first place. So, I'm at a loss to understand how then she could possibly have slept through any of the events that occurred while she was allegedly asleep. I'm also at a loss to understand why these intruders would attack the boys first and leave the only adult in the room for last. She claims to have been attacked first and claims to have been the "target" of the entire incident. None of us are stupid, so maybe its just me, but I don't see how that could possibly have been true. The number of and the degree of seriousness of the wounds of the boys compared to the relatively minor wounds that Darlie suffered should have been completely reversed had she been the intended target. Its clear from the massacre that the boys suffered (over kill) that they/he did indeed KNOW how to cause death . . . and it had absolutely nothing in common with Darlie's wounds.

 

[Dani_T]

They did find wet towels.

They did?? I don't remember reading anything about finding wet towels?? Do you remember whose testimony it was in?

 

[Jeana (DP)]

They did?? I don't remember reading anything about finding wet towels?? Do you remember whose testimony it was in?

No, but I remember the conversation with the Darlies about them putting wet towels and bloody clothing together in an evidence bag. Sorry I can't remember more, but I'm old. :doh:

 

[Dani_T]

No, but I remember the conversation with the Darlies about them putting wet towels and bloody clothing together in an evidence bag. Sorry I can't remember more, but I'm old. :doh:

I thought it was just that they put two pieces of evidence in one bag and that at least one of them was bloody? I'll as at GAC and see if any of the know it alls over there know

 

[cami]

I thought it was just that they put two pieces of evidence in one bag and that at least one of them was bloody? I'll as at GAC and see if any of the know it alls over there know

Chewie would know. And wasn't it because the two articles were touching each other at the crime scene and in some pds it's sop to bag them together.

How could they bag bloody clothing with towels at the crime scene when both Damon and Darlie's clothes were removed at the hospital?

Plus Devon was wearing only underwear and they weren't removed at the crime scene.

I know they like to claim that the boys blood was transferred to Darlie's nightshirt when she and damons clothes were bagged together at the hospital but wouldn't you then have transfer stains and not cast-off from the bloody weapon stains? And that doesn't explain how Devon's blood got there? Yeah we know how they like to explain how his blood did get there, the amazing gusher--well it is Texas after all and everything is bigger in Texas eh. :crazy:

 

[Dani_T]

I know they like to claim that the boys blood was transferred to Darlie's nightshirt when she and damons clothes were bagged together at the hospital but wouldn't you then have transfer stains and not cast-off from the bloody weapon stains? And that doesn't explain how Devon's blood got there? Yeah we know how they like to explain how his blood did get there, the amazing gusher--well it is Texas after all and everything is bigger in Texas eh.

Yep.

Interesting point you make about the clothing being all removed at the hospital though. Do you know if they make specific claims about what exactly was bagged together?

 

[Goody]

How could they bag bloody clothing with towels at the crime scene when both Damon and Darlie's clothes were removed at the hospital?

:crazy:

I believe they put two towels together at the scene, and the hospital personnel put Darlie's shirt and Damon's jeans together at the hospital, then turned the bag over to paramedics, who took it to the fire hall, who then took it to police, and then someone left it in a squad car, etc. They didn't like that either. And they complain about the paper bags. They think they should have used plastic bags. However, I have seen paper bags used many times on these crime profile shows in the actual crime scene footage, so I don't think that is a legitimate complaint. The only questionable negative in this to me was that police admitted they'd gotten the bags from a local grocery store. (Somewhere in the testimony but I haven't verified it) That might not have been so wise, yet with nothing specific to show contamination, I am not sure how important it is.

 

[Goody]

Darlie is 100% innocent. I have followed this case very closely from Day One. I believe Darin had something to do with it. After he admitted to speaking with people just THREE DAYS before the killings about hiring someone to burglarize the house for the insurance money, that sent up a huge red flag for me.

Well, that might depend on who he was talking to about setting up this burglary. Did he look up a he knew would do it or who would know someone who would do it, or was he just out and about putting the word out in general?

 

[indicajane]

I've read both sides of this story since it began. i've watched several television programs on it as well. I am very cynical, and generally believe everyone is guilty, but I'm sorry...I can't come to that conclusion in this case.

I just have seen no evidence that Darlie didn't love her children, or that she would have been better off with them dead. There just isn't a decent enough motive for such a violent murder. She didn't drown them, she didn't poison them, she didn't kill them in a passive manner. She wasn't insane, there wasn't enough life insurance to make it worth it. She left the baby alive, who obviously needed far more care then two older boys. I just can't buy it. Her injuries were too severe for me to be convinced they were self inflicted by a women who was supposedly as vain as Darlie.

I also don't understand why even if she /was/ found guilty that this was a Death Penalty case. Susan Smith didn't get death, and her crime was far more sadistic in my opinion.

 

[cami]

What you're saying makes a lot of sense. I can see blacking out or post-traumatic stress but to ever have implied that she slept through the wounds that were inflicted on her, (even if she could have somehow slept through the attacks on her boys), is preposterous. And then the claim that her 5 year-old woke her up by pulling on her sleeve and that's when she felt a man climb off of her, (in one of her versions anyway) ... first of all, she didn't wake up from a full-grown man climbing on top of her but she woke up to a 5 year-old's tug on her shirt? Secondly, if a 5 year-old woke up to a strange man on top of his mother, would he get close enough to pull on her sleeve to wake her? Probably not ... he probably would have screamed or run outside or run upstairs, etc., out of utter fear.

I'm not through all of the reading yet but I can definitely see where you are all coming from.

Yes she says Damon woke her up and then he followed her as she followed the intruder. That baby had SIX stab wounds to his upper torso from the back into his lungs and liver and she wants people to believe he walked and talked and saved her life. :liar:

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I've read both sides of this story since it began. i've watched several television programs on it as well. I am very cynical, and generally believe everyone is guilty, but I'm sorry...I can't come to that conclusion in this case.

I just have seen no evidence that Darlie didn't love her children, or that she would have been better off with them dead. There just isn't a decent enough motive for such a violent murder. She didn't drown them, she didn't poison them, she didn't kill them in a passive manner. She wasn't insane, there wasn't enough life insurance to make it worth it. She left the baby alive, who obviously needed far more care then two older boys. I just can't buy it. Her injuries were too severe for me to be convinced they were self inflicted by a women who was supposedly as vain as Darlie.

I also don't understand why even if she /was/ found guilty that this was a Death Penalty case. Susan Smith didn't get death, and her crime was far more sadistic in my opinion.

Hi and welcome!! There is absolutely no need for you to apologize for your opinions!!!! We value everyone's opinions here.

I did notice what, to me anyway, seems like a smalll contradiction. In your second paragraph, you say "She didn't drown them, she didn't poison them, she didn't kill them in a passive manner." However, in your last paragraph you say "Susan Smith didn't get death, and her crime was far more sadistic in my opinion." This leads me to think that you're admitting that the manner in which the boys was murdered was worse than drowning, poison or killing them in a passive manner," but then you say that Susan Smith's crime was far more sadistic. Can you be more specific about what you meant? Susan Smith drowned her children, which was FAR more passive and "neat" than the massacre of Devon and Damon. Have you seen the actual crime sceen photos and the autopsy photographs? This was one of those "overkill" situations. There was a great deal of rage behind these killings. Murdering someone with a knife is a "personal" in your face crime.

Also, I'm wondering how you feel about the 16 different versions of the events of that night. I'm wondering how you feel about the lies that Darlie and Darin were confronted with during their testimony. I'm wondering how you feel about the fact that Darlie never shed a tear for the boys.

Thanks in advance for anything you can tell me.

P.S. I think the difference between the juries giving Smith life and Darlie the death penalty was the brutality of the murders of Damon and Devon and the fact that Darlie's in Texas and Smith is not. Texas is pretty tough on people like Darlie.

 

[indicajane]

I'm sorry, I'm not used to discussing my thoughts about these subjects, everyone thinks I'm crazy for being obsessed with such morbid subjects already

I was in South Carolina when the Smith children disappeared, and gave birth to my oldest child on the same morning that Susan Smith finally confessed. I saw all the flyers with the mysterious black man on them at the local mall. (I was in spartanburg, which is just a few miles down the road) I suppose what I meant by sadistic is several differences in the reaction to the deaths of her children as opposed to Darlie's. Susan Smith had those children strapped in their car seats, and she watched that car go into the water. I forget exactly how long they said it would take for the car to finally submerge, let alone fill completely with water, but it was quite a long time. Plenty of time for her to change her mind, to aid them, or even to get aid... Darlie not only was severely injured, but I believe that when the er arrived at the scene one of the boys were still alive. If the boys could have identified her as the attacker, wouldn't she have been totally certain they were dead befor calling for assistance? And I suppose what I meant by passive is that the stabbing WAS overkill. Overkill from what I understand is usually a sign of strong emotions, if Darlie killed those boys in a cold calculated manner in order to achieve some goal...wouldn't she have chosen a less /hands on/ approach? As I said, for vanities sake if nothing else, i can't see her attacking her neck or face....chest maybe, depends on how much she paid for those implants.

 

[Dani_T]

I just have seen no evidence that Darlie didn't love her children, or that she would have been better off with them dead. There just isn't a decent enough motive for such a violent murder. She didn't drown them, she didn't poison them, she didn't kill them in a passive manner. She wasn't insane, there wasn't enough life insurance to make it worth it. She left the baby alive, who obviously needed far more care then two older boys. I just can't buy it. Her injuries were too severe for me to be convinced they were self inflicted by a women who was supposedly as vain as Darlie.

Hi and welcome,

You're not alone in your thoughts- lots of people come to the case feeling this way (and in fact I did when I first read about the case).

But I have personally come to realise that I couldn't understand why anyone would do this for any reason. Not a mother like Darlie. Or an intruder off the street. Or a hired . It just makes no sense to me (which is probably a good thing).

The thing that makes me convinced of her guilty is the fact that the physical evidence tells me it was her. The evidence which incriminates her, the complete lack of evidence of anyone from outside the house doing this, and (to a lesser degree) the continued inconcistencies and elaboration on her stories which make less and less sense.

As much as I would like to believe she couldn't have done it, as much as I can't understand why she could have done it the fact is there is a mountain of evidence which needs to be addressed by anyone who is going to claim she is innocent. Unfortunately it cannot simply be enough to say that you think she loved her kids and had no reason the kill them- look at Diane Downs, Susan Smith, Kathyrn Folbigg. On the surface they all loved their kids as well and had no reason to kill them - but they did. The temptation in this crime is to make it emotional and to base our responses on emotion, because of the very emotive nature of it. But someone killed those boys and the evidence has a big flashing neon arrow pointing right down at Darlie.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I'm sorry, I'm not used to discussing my thoughts about these subjects, everyone thinks I'm crazy for being obsessed with such morbid subjects already

I was in South Carolina when the Smith children disappeared, and gave birth to my oldest child on the same morning that Susan Smith finally confessed. I saw all the flyers with the mysterious black man on them at the local mall. (I was in spartanburg, which is just a few miles down the road) I suppose what I meant by sadistic is several differences in the reaction to the deaths of her children as opposed to Darlie's. Susan Smith had those children strapped in their car seats, and she watched that car go into the water. I forget exactly how long they said it would take for the car to finally submerge, let alone fill completely with water, but it was quite a long time. Plenty of time for her to change her mind, to aid them, or even to get aid... Darlie not only was severely injured, but I believe that when the er arrived at the scene one of the boys were still alive. If the boys could have identified her as the attacker, wouldn't she have been totally certain they were dead befor calling for assistance? And I suppose what I meant by passive is that the stabbing WAS overkill. Overkill from what I understand is usually a sign of strong emotions, if Darlie killed those boys in a cold calculated manner in order to achieve some goal...wouldn't she have chosen a less /hands on/ approach? As I said, for vanities sake if nothing else, i can't see her attacking her neck or face....chest maybe, depends on how much she paid for those implants.

(1) Darlie was NOT severely injured; (2) she was in a rage when she murdered the boys - not cold and calculated, and I believe her "goal" was to murder the boys - that's it; and (3) her face was not injured.

 

[Goody]

I just have seen no evidence that Darlie didn't love her children, .

Why do you think that mothers who kill their children don't love them? Many of them are just sending them to God, where they will be happy basking in the joys of heaven, fulling intending to replace them later on when they can make up for the deed. They find children easily replacable, like Diane Downs and Susan Smith. Susan, I believe, loved her children very much. I think most mothers who murder their children love them. The children just get in the way and they can't figure out another way to deal with it. So they find some way to separate themselves emotionally and kill. Most just don't make their kids suffer so much physically as these two did. There seems to be a definite indifference going on here to that.

I also don't understand why even if she /was/ found guilty that this was a Death Penalty case. Susan Smith didn't get death, and her crime was far more sadistic in my opinion.

Susan confessed. Darlie didn't. Darlie could have struck a deal in the early days like Susan did but she apparently thought she could beat the system. The most telling evidence against Darlie is the blood evidence on her shirt and screen fiber on the bread knife, which was not the knife used as a murder weapon.

 

[Dani_T]

Why do you think that mothers who kill their children don't love them? Many of them are just sending them to God, where they will be happy basking in the joys of heaven, fulling intending to replace them later on when they can make up for the deed. .

Kinda like (parphrasing) "If you knew Devon and Damon you would know they are up in heaven having the biggest party and they wouldn't want us to be sad"

 

[cami]

Susan Smith had those children strapped in their car seats, and she watched that car go into the water. I forget exactly how long they said it would take for the car to finally submerge, let alone fill completely with water, but it was quite a long time. Plenty of time for her to change her mind, to aid them, or even to get aid... Darlie not only was severely injured, but I believe that when the er arrived at the scene one of the boys were still alive. If the boys could have identified her as the attacker, wouldn't she have been totally certain they were dead befor calling for assistance? And I suppose what I meant by passive is that the stabbing WAS overkill. Overkill from what I understand is usually a sign of strong emotions, if Darlie killed those boys in a cold calculated manner in order to achieve some goal...wouldn't she have chosen a less /hands on/ approach? As I said, for vanities sake if nothing else, i can't see her attacking her neck or face....chest maybe, depends on how much she paid for those implants.

It took six minutes for the car to submerge. She had six minutes to change her mind and help her children.

When the er arrived Damon was gasping for breath and very near death. A traumatized child. I don't think he could have spoken out, "mummy did it". Once the paramedic picked him up, he died in his arms.

Why would a stranger inflict over kill on the children? Why would he give Darlie a few scratches and brutally stab those children?

 

[jubie]

I had just one little speck of doubt until I read the words in Cami's post that "Damon was gasping for breath and died in the paramedics arms...."

wrong wong wrong! I'd be holding my babies so close and damn NO would they be in someone elses arms for those final moments. I don't give a crap if he was trying to help I'd just march myself into the anbulance with my child in my arms!


How sad.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I had just one little speck of doubt until I read the words in Cami's post that "Damon was gasping for breath and died in the paramedics arms...."

wrong wong wrong! I'd be holding my babies so close and damn NO would they be in someone elses arms for those final moments. I don't give a crap if he was trying to help I'd just march myself into the anbulance with my child in my arms!


How sad.

I agree completely!! Officer Walling (the first on scene) testified that he told Darlie several times to tend to the children. She just stood there. How could she stand by and watch the children bleed to death without so much as trying to comfort them, hold them and try and let them know that she was there???????? If she had been covered in their blood from head to toe I would be able to entertain the idea that she was innocent. BUT the only blood of theirs on her is on the back of her shirt?????

 

[Goody]

Kinda like (parphrasing) "If you knew Devon and Damon you would know they are up in heaven having the biggest party and they wouldn't want us to be sad"

Exactly. How else could one live with such a deed if they couldn't truly convince themselves that it was okay in some way.