Darlie Routier | |
|---|---|
.png) Routier in 1996 | |
| Born | Darlie Lynn Peck January 4, 1970 Altoona, Pennsylvania, U.S.[2] |
| Criminal status | On death row |
| Spouse |
Darin Routier
(m. 1988; div. 2011) |
| Children | 3 (including Devon and Damon) |
| Conviction(s) | Capital murder (with regards to Damon) |
| Criminal charge | Capital murder (with regards to Devon; has not faced trial) |
| Penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Date | June 6, 1996 |
| Imprisoned at | Patrick O'Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas[1] |
Darlie Lynn Peck Routier (born January 4, 1970) is an American woman from Rowlett, Texas, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of her five-year-old son Damon in 1996. She has also been charged with capital murder in the death of her six-year-old son, Devon, who was murdered at the same time as Damon. To date, Routier has not been tried for Devon's murder.
Damon and Devon were stabbed to death with a large kitchen knife in Routier's home, while Routier sustained knife wounds to her throat and arm. Routier told authorities that the crime was perpetrated by an unidentified intruder. During the trial, the prosecution argued that Routier's injuries were self-inflicted, that the crime scene had been staged, and that she murdered her sons because of the family's financial difficulties; the defense argued that there was no reason Routier would have killed her children, and that the case did not have a motive, a confession, or any witnesses. In February 1997, the jury found Routier guilty of the murder of Damon, and sentenced her to death by lethal injection.
Two appeals filed by Routier, who maintains her innocence, based on allegations of irregularities during the trial were denied. Since at least 2018, DNA tests have been ordered multiple times after technology has advanced. As of 2024, the results of these tests are still pending.[3] Routier's case has been the subject of multiple books and television shows. Routier's ex-husband believes that she is innocent.[4]
- ^ TDCJ Number: 00999220. "TDCJ Offender Details". offender.tdcj.texas.gov. Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Mother of death row inmate refuses to give up hope".
- ^ Ray, Phil (June 22, 2019). "Fingerprints in Routier case to be tested". Altoona Mirror. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Video Darlie Routier's ex-husband says she's innocent in sons' murders". ABC News. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.