Nelda Watts

Ok, folks. Forget the Silly String tape. It’s peanuts compared to this.

Nelda Watts, a retired school teacher, lived directly across the street from the Routiers. This is what she saw on June 18th, 1996, less than two weeks after Devon and Damon were stabbed to death:

Q. And, where was Darlie Routier and her
 husband, Darin Routier?


A. They were in the front yard. There were many funeral wreaths, there were stuffed animals, flags, signs that people had placed
 there.


Q. Okay. And as you looked out there, what were Darin and Darlie Routier doing?


A. Darin was taking the animals and flags off of the wreaths.

Q. What is the first noise that you heard?


A. It sounded sort of like children
 laughing, that kind of thing.
 Darin would take a stuffed animal off of one of
 the wreaths and toss it over to Darlie and she would jump
 up and catch it, and then she would toss it back to him
 and he would chuck it toward the vehicle, the back end of
 the vehicle was open, and if he threw it in, she would
 jump up and cheer.

Q. Okay. What else did you see?


A. Well, he took a flag off of one of
 them, and she cheered as he climbed up the water fountain
 and put it at the top of the fountain…after they got
 most of the animals off and I didn’t stand there the
 whole time, but I looked again, because I was waiting to
 go out and get the mail. I didn’t want to go out there
 while they were out there doing that.
 So I looked again, and they were
 taking the wreaths and dragging them around toward the
 back, I assume for the trash.


Q. Okay. This was on the 18th of June of
 1996?


A. Yes, sir, it was the 18th.


Q. As best you recall?


A. I know it was.

o.
m.
g.

Grieving parents?I think not,insanity or pure evil or maybe both.

I'm familiar with this case, but not as expert like many of you. My question, then, may be one that is obvious to everyone else:

If Darlie is guilty/crazy/whatever, that explains why she was acting like this. But why on earth would Darin be doing it?

justbeachy...I believe the word "whipped" may come to mind?

Justbeachy,

While I dont think Darin commited the crime, I think he was involved in the cover up. He is sooo infatuated with his wife that I believe at that point that he thought that she had gotten away with it. JMHO.

:goodpost: Mary!

Darlies behavior tells me that she was very confident that she was not/ would not be a suspect.

TBH The stupidity of it makes me giggle yet at the same time her arrogance makes my blood boil.

I would like to think that most humans would at least have the tact to pretend like they gave a damn even if they did not.

In regards to Darin, I can't conclude to why he would act this way. I guess he could have been just going along with what Darlie was doing.

I can't imagine my Husband going along with such behavior under those circumstances though, even if it was to cheer me up.

It astounds me that they acted that way in public. Crazy crazy crazy

Rebdot said:

:goodpost: Mary!

In regards to Darin, I can't conclude to why he would act this way. I guess he could have been just going along with what Darlie was doing.

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Darlie had the dominant personality in that relationship.

It's been suggested that Darin felt guilty about the murders - almost as if he drove her to it - because he wasn't helping much at home, ignored her depression/suicidal thoughts, badgered her about her weight, left her without a car, couldn't get a loan for her Cancun trip, wasn't bringing home the bacon, etc.

Could be... although most of us can't imagine how a parent could support a spouse who murdered his children.

Mary456 said:

Darlie had the dominant personality in that relationship.

It's been suggested that Darin felt guilty about the murders - almost as if he drove her to it - because he wasn't helping much at home, ignored her depression/suicidal thoughts, badgered her about her weight, left her without a car, couldn't get a loan for her Cancun trip, wasn't bringing home the bacon, etc.

Could be... although most of us can't imagine how a parent could support a spouse who murdered his children.

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Darin was used to a woman telling him what to do. His mother ruled with an iron fist and I don't mean in that in an abusive way. Sarilda was a good mother who believed in talk in the home. Her sons were good boys and did as she told them.

I think Darin just fell back into familiar patterns with Darlie.

But it is strange Mary, even from the very beginning. He didn't bother to even ask about Damon at the hospital. Strange man, all he talked about was Darlie and her body. He might have been in shock though. And at the SS party he sure didn't seem too pleased with it. He had his head down and backed up rather than participate. He appeared ashamed.

Maybe she's got something on him. Why does he stay married to her all these years

Kathaboo K said:

Grieving parents?I think not,insanity or pure evil or maybe both.

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Sounds more like celebrating parents. Those two are disgusting. Too bad he isn't next door to her just for being an insensitive goof.

I know there isnt a right or wrong way to deal with death, but this is just, not right at all.

This woman is claiming that someone broke into her house, murdered her two children and attacked her. I'm sorry but it is not human nature to act in this way.

After my mum died I could not do anything at all except be a complete mess, and I dont know anybody else who has lost someone close that has acted in any other way. Even 14 years later I could not imagine taking a can of silly string to the cemetary and having a little party to celebrate her life.

To be honest her attitude reminds me of Diane Downs. No-one can touch me, I'm going to get away with this attitude. Wrong. Big time.

LadyL said:

o.
m.
g.

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HOw about Gangsta Paradise played at the funeral cause it was the boys "favourite" Gosh those two, I'd love to throttle them.

Darin claims it was his idea to place to Swiss Army knives in the coffin, even though I don't think Darin was involved he grieves in a way I cannot understand.

Is it not true that he did not apply for custody of Drake because he felt he couldn't have a child in his life at the moment because he was going to put all his attention in to getting Darlie of DR, He simply didn't have time to look after his only surviving son. :maddening:

Rebdot said:

Darin claims it was his idea to place to Swiss Army knives in the coffin, even though I don't think Darin was involved he grieves in a way I cannot understand.

Is it not true that he did not apply for custody of Drake because he felt he couldn't have a child in his life at the moment because he was going to put all his attention in to getting Darlie of DR, He simply didn't have time to look after his only surviving son. :maddening:

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Um sort of. He told the CPS that if Darlie bonded out, he would support her 100% so they took temporary custody of Drake (CPS) not wanting to trust Darlie if she got out. Sarilda and Len Routier immediately filed for temporary custody of Drake and they got it.

But yeah I think once the trial was over he didn't file for custoday, he let his parents keep Drake. It's not like that now. I don't Darin even visits Darlie anymore and he basically has full-time custody of Drake.

cami said:

I don't Darin even visits Darlie anymore and he basically has full-time custody of Drake.

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I don't believe he's visited Darlie for years now.

In fact, I wonder if they're still legally married.

They are still legally married. and last I heard Drake still lived with Sarilda.

armywife210 said:

They are still legally married. and last I heard Drake still lived with Sarilda.

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Thanks for the update, AW.

Ok so the story about them playing in the front yard: This only makes sense if the baby was there with them. Was the baby in the car perhaps?

armywife210 said:

They are still legally married. and last I heard Drake still lived with Sarilda.

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AW, why does Darin have "single" as his marital status on MYspace?

they might be "legally married" but that's all.

Just to update, I actually think that I misspoke when I said Drake lives with Sarilda. I think he has actually been with Darin for quite some time.
Darlie said herself in one of her interviews that if she weren't in prison they would not still be together. So I guess there's the answer.

The problem I have with the neighbor saying that Darin and Darlie were cheering, climbing the fountain, and throwing around the stuffed animals and other things left as a memorial in the front yard is that IF this happened..... I don't care HOW whipped Darin was, or how much he loved Darlie... Whether he was involved in the cover up or is completely innocent... there would still be a sense of mourning for his boys, his sons, his flesh and blood. They were ripped from him brutally and tragically. So how is it that HE was able to celebrate? By all accounts Darin was there. The neighbor says it was Darlie that he was with, but Darin says it was her sister. Either way, how was it that HE was able to push aside the dreadful emptiness and the anger that someone (regardless of who it was) stabbed his babies long enough to celebrate?

My opinion is that the incident was drastically blown out of proportion, as things often get. It seems more likely that they (Darin and Darlie or her sister) were picking up some of the dying flowers that were left, and perhaps some of the stuffed animals that they didn't want to get ruined by the weather. Maybe a couple of stuffed animals were tossed from one person to the other as one was going to the back to dispose of the dying flowers and the other was picking up the stuffed animals.