Do you think Darlie premeditated the murders of Devon and Damon?

[TexasChica7]

This case has touched so many people- I think Darlie is a sociopath and therefore had no idea how a normal person would react in the cirumstances. The party at the graveside showed that she and her family were still a bit rough around the edges and not at all the sophisticated suburbanite wife she wanted to portray.
This case still continues to shock and was brought back up into the spotlight several years ago when a series of bizarre and ultimately tragic events happened with the daughter of the judge who heard the case. She went on a spree that included staging a home invasion and attack on her husband, and then killed herself and her two children just a week or so before Christmas. She faked threatening notes that many thought tied back to this case.
The motive? The same as Darlie's- she and her husband were broke, their real estate business was failing and their marriage and financial lives were crumbling. She couldn't face a life without all the finer things she had become so accustomed too. It really was a humdinger of a story- she was having an affair with the son of a local TV personality and all kinds of things came out of the woodwork.

 

[OEJ]

I do think Darlie was suffering some post-partum depression, but not psychosis. I think this amplified the already existing Borderline-type personality I think I see in her. I think severe Borderlines are already narcissistic, histrionic, and sociopathic. I think, in her mind, she had to create a scenario of such magnitude that Darin would rush in to be there for her. She could be the taken care of princess again without the boys as rivals. She wouldn't have to take care of their needs, either, which is a biggie for the severely Borderline Personality. I once knew a Borderline who would feel absolutely murderous with jealousy and resentment at the thought of taking care of someone else when it should be HER needs that are the focus. She even withheld a much-needed monthly shot for her dog until it died and threatened to kill the other one. Of course, she ran around to everyone with her conspicuous tears for sympathy after the first one died.

The baby could live because the baby was still bringing "new mommy" attention to her.

 

[Zzzz]

I haven't seen much said about the fact that Darlie was taking diet pills at the time of the murders (as was Jeffrey MacDonald). Some said that the diet pills made MacDonald frenzied and contributed to the murders of his family. I think that may have contributed to Darlie's murders as well. The combination of diet pills, personality disorder and postpartum depression just made her maniacal. The fights with her husband (c'mon, that's the reason she was sleeping on the couch), her selfish irritation with her kids and the fact that they were spending way beyond their means were all catching up with her. It was a perfect storm.

 

[Madeleine74]

Actually, a lot has been written over the years about Darlie taking diet pills. If you do a search you'll find tons of posts about that, dating back years.

 

[SummerChic]

Only Darin and Darlie themselves knew what went down on that fateful night and is covering it up for each other. Don't think they'll ever confess but their conscience will eat them up.
Everything about this case screams GUILT on Darlie's part. There was no intruder in their house and the crime scene seemed too staged.

Seems like they were having 7 year itch and a mountain of marriage/financial problems. And on the top of that, she had postpartum depression. She snapped. Big time.

I have a theory that Darin was the intruder. He may have just gotten back home very late in the early wee morning hours after dropping off her sister home ( alleged affair?) and he has not gone to bed yet because he was still wearing jeans. Most men would jump from bed wearing boxers and run if someone or the kids were screaming, never in jeans. Absurd!

Anyway, Darlie was in the act of murdering her boys and Darin may have tried to stop her by telling her to give him the knife twice... It's possible she was going for her 3rd boy or herself but Darin stopped her. So he took the knife (which is the 2nd missing knife that was never found) and hid it somewhere in the house where police will never think to find .. It may be still there in the house and I had a thought what if they buried it in Darlie's beloved water fountain.
This case needs to solved and it's time for Darlie and Darin to fess up. I think Darlie really wanted to die that night but couldn't do it.

 

[jazzlily]

I believe Darlie is guilty. A home invasion and murder would be rare when 3 people are left alive. There would be no benefit for a stranger or strangers to kill 2 small boys, leave the parents and baby boy alive and steal nothing. There's no logical reason for the murders. But there were money and marital problems in the Routier relationship. Her behavior at the grave site cemented her guilt to me.

 

[Fireweed]

Okay since Darlie reminds me quite a lot of a former friend of mine who is a narcissistic sociopath, let me put out my .02 as to why I think it was premeditated. My friend is obsessed with wealth and fame. Absolutely obsessed. She does not just think that it would be nice to be rich and famous; she thinks she deserves to be rich and famous. I could just see Darlie thinking that being the mother of two murdered young sons would make her into a bit of a celebrity. She would be pitied (something my friend hates - that no one pities her enough), and she would get to do interviews and get books deals and they would make a movie out of her. Because she lacks empathy, it did not really matter to her that she had to kill her sons in order to get that.

Oh yeah and my friend gets so livid at her husband because he does not make a lot of money. It is like his salary is somehow a personal thing against her. I have seen this type; no one here could really truly imagine how they think. They are always baffled when people do not want to give them everything they think deserve. They will often do things that are inappropriate and cannot figure out why others thought it was inappropriate.

One final thing re the silly string video. It is not really the idea of celebrating their birthdays that bothers me, or even the silly string; it is the look of absolute gleeful joy plastered all over Darlie's face during that moment. She is very obviously in an actual state of bliss.

 

[chlban]

Okay since Darlie reminds me quite a lot of a former friend of mine who is a narcissistic sociopath, let me put out my .02 as to why I think it was premeditated. My friend is obsessed with wealth and fame. Absolutely obsessed. She does not just think that it would be nice to be rich and famous; she thinks she deserves to be rich and famous. I could just see Darlie thinking that being the mother of two murdered young sons would make her into a bit of a celebrity. She would be pitied (something my friend hates - that no one pities her enough), and she would get to do interviews and get books deals and they would make a movie out of her. Because she lacks empathy, it did not really matter to her that she had to kill her sons in order to get that.

Oh yeah and my friend gets so livid at her husband because he does not make a lot of money. It is like his salary is somehow a personal thing against her. I have seen this type; no one here could really truly imagine how they think. They are always baffled when people do not want to give them everything they think deserve. They will often do things that are inappropriate and cannot figure out why others thought it was inappropriate.

One final thing re the silly string video. It is not really the idea of celebrating their birthdays that bothers me, or even the silly string; it is the look of absolute gleeful joy plastered all over Darlie's face during that moment. She is very obviously in an actual state of bliss.

That is a really interesting theory. It's also interesting that you have friend with the same mindset which may be what gives you insight into a theory I haven't really seen before.

It is certainly plausable, IMO. There has never been any doubt in my mind she is not "wired" normally, but I had never really thought about the desire for fame as a motive.

 

[JenniferTx]

That is a really interesting theory. It's also interesting that you have friend with the same mindset which may be what gives you insight into a theory I haven't really seen before.

It is certainly plausable, IMO. There has never been any doubt in my mind she is not "wired" normally, but I had never really thought about the desire for fame as a motive.

I think Darlie wants to hold on to her fame till the very end. Maybe in her twisted mind she was thinking that people would feel sorry for her and believe she could no way possibly kill two of her children. She wanted to be famous and didn't care how she became famous. She needs all the attention that she can get. I don't think she will ever confess her deadly sins of that night ever.
The look on Darlie's face during that silly string video just screams happiness. Her supporters will say that she was acting like that because she was high on the pain meds but she didn't look high on anything to me just happy and giddy.

 

[Madeleine74]

I don't think she did it to become famous. I think she did it to get rid of her 2 oldest kids. They were a burden to her. Maybe she did it to hurt her husband as well. She was probably quite unbalanced at the time. But fame? No, that I don't see. She had no idea the crime would become national...even internationally famous. None of these killers ever realize just how widespread their cases will go and how much investigation will be brought to bear.

 

[Zzzz]

I don't think she did it to become famous. I think she did it to get rid of her 2 oldest kids. They were a burden to her. Maybe she did it to hurt her husband as well. She was probably quite unbalanced at the time. But fame? No, that I don't see. She had no idea the crime would become national...even internationally famous. None of these killers ever realize just how widespread their cases will go and how much investigation will be brought to bear.

She is a narcissist but I agree that she didn't do it for fame. She was infuriated with life, Darin and kids. She just decided to eliminate one of those burdens and assumed she'd get away with it. The fact that she could plunge a knife into the chests of her two small children and then moments later try to cover it up with lies and staging just shows she truly is a psychopath.

Mentally ill people like Andrea Yates admit their heinous crimes. Psychopaths have no remorse and play innocent.

 

[Fireweed]

Yeah maybe fame is not the right word, but I certainly think she fantasized about how much attention she would get for the rest of her life as the mother of two children who were murdered.

 

[madeleine]

I always found this absurd...so if the "intruder" cut the window screen from the outside this means he had his own knife...why bother looking for and using another one?not only this but he was stupid enough to leave the murder weapon behind but careful enough to take his own knife...

 

[Louie14]

Yes she did.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

I do believe that she premeditated this. I don't think it was months of planning more a plan about making life easier that got to the boys being gone. And I think that she acted pretty soon on her plan. Days even hours.

I think for me the part that really sways me to guilt is the odd crime scene " clean up" she tried. The cutting of the screen, The two different knives used, and then the knocked over vacuum on top of the her and the kids blood. The kids blood on the back of her shirt.
But one thing that sticks with me is the officer that said that as he watched the child who was still alive moving and looking consumed with fear, Darlie was on the phone and not even trying to help or console him. I just can not get past that. You would have to pry my baby from my hands to perform CPR or help him, I just can not imagine standing there and then my son dying alone on the floor.

There are few cases that really say GUILTY this loud. DO I want to believe it? No. There are times I see something about the case and I want there to be someone else responsible because I can not imagine what these babies went through at the hands of their mother. It would be better in my head if it was some random animal. But there is no motive, No evidence, nothing that points to anyone bur her. And that is just so stinking hard to process.

 

[cami]

I do believe that she premeditated this. I don't think it was months of planning more a plan about making life easier that got to the boys being gone. And I think that she acted pretty soon on her plan. Days even hours.

I think for me the part that really sways me to guilt is the odd crime scene " clean up" she tried. The cutting of the screen, The two different knives used, and then the knocked over vacuum on top of the her and the kids blood. The kids blood on the back of her shirt.
But one thing that sticks with me is the officer that said that as he watched the child who was still alive moving and looking consumed with fear, Darlie was on the phone and not even trying to help or console him. I just can not get past that. You would have to pry my baby from my hands to perform CPR or help him, I just can not imagine standing there and then my son dying alone on the floor.

There are few cases that really say GUILTY this loud. DO I want to believe it? No. There are times I see something about the case and I want there to be someone else responsible because I can not imagine what these babies went through at the hands of their mother. It would be better in my head if it was some random animal. But there is no motive, No evidence, nothing that points to anyone bur her. And that is just so stinking hard to process.

ITA, I rejected her as the killer just due to the fact that I didn't believe a mother would so brutally murder her own two children. But once you get in depth and start reading the documents, you quickly see the lies and the evidence that just screams she did this. There is no way to give her the out. May God have mercy on her because I surely don't.

 

[dogperson]

I think it was planned somewhat ahead, but maybe just for days or hours. Originally I thought she might be innocent but after reading all the threads and seeing a TV interview with her recently, I have changed my mind. Right this moment I can't recall which show I saw her on, something on the ID Channel, but it was laughable how obviously she was trying to implicate her husband. The reporter would ask her questions about him and his possible guilt. She would dramatically pause, cast her eyes upward and to the left, then give a very unconvincing "no" which viewers were intended to interpret as a "yes".

 

[anastacia]

Yes, people grieve in separate ways, but they do GRIEVE. Darlie wasn't grieving imo. I think she's a pure sociopath and as such does not feel any emotions. She knows she should be feeling emotion, so she pretends. That's why she went from the crying at the graveside one minute to laughing and spraying the silly string the next. She felt nothing so she mimicked the emotions of those around her. If they were crying, she cried, if they were laughing, she laughed. It came across as fake because it was.

 

[Tawny]

But one thing that sticks with me is the officer that said that as he watched the child who was still alive moving and looking consumed with fear, Darlie was on the phone and not even trying to help or console him. I just can not get past that. You would have to pry my baby from my hands to perform CPR or help him, I just can not imagine standing there and then my son dying alone on the floor.

This right here? Nail in her coffin for me. If you love your baby, truly love him and would die for him, you don't stand idly by while he dies on the floor. I would have AT LEAST been as close as humanly possible looking into his eyes telling him he is loved and to not be afraid, trying everything to make him calm, even if I knew he was dying. I just can't even believe an innocent mother would not be doing something similar. JMO!

 

[BillyKunstlerFan]

the murders were on the verge of first and second degree murder. If she had fessed up, she maybe could have PB'd her way to a concurrent 60-year FDM sentence and get out as an old woman (or two consecutive second degrees).

A bonafide first degree would have involved hiring a hitman to off Devon and Damon. Lastly, while I think she did it, one of the things that her supporters should be saying is, why did she kill two of her kids, but not all of them? Usually murder of children usually involve the annihilation of the whole family (the Coleman case in St Louis being a typical example).