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

[Madeleine74]

A bonafide first degree would have involved hiring a hitman to off Devon and Damon.

That's not accurate. And, in addition, there was nothing that would qualify this murder as second degree. It was first-degree premeditated murder.

 

[PamelaWi]

Darlie planned/thought about this act for a while. She planned when (downstairs alone with the boys), how, and her cover up. There is no way she thought to cut the screen, stage the broken glass and vacuum cleaner, try to dispose of the sock and a possible second knife (with her panties down the storm drain, but the sock fell short), and then self-inflict her injuries. The jury got it right, first degree.

 

[Mystymiss]

My opinion is She killed those boys because of spite! You see Darlee was
down stairs because she was mad at Darrin (husband). Didn't Darrin take the babysitter home that night where it took him a long time to return.
My bet is the two had an argument about that. She sat on the sofa stewing about the argument and the boys fell asleep on the floor watching TV. That's when she decided to teach Darrin a lesson by killing the boys. Then she made up the rest.. MO

 

[PamelaWi]

My opinion is She killed those boys because of spite! You see Darlee was
down stairs because she was mad at Darrin (husband). Didn't Darrin take the babysitter home that night where it took him a long time to return.
My bet is the two had an argument about that. She sat on the sofa stewing about the argument and the boys fell asleep on the floor watching TV. That's when she decided to teach Darrin a lesson by killing the boys. Then she made up the rest.. MO

This is the same sister who was seen rubbing Darin's back during the opening statements in the trial. Chances are Darlie grew jealous when Darin took longer than needed to drive Dana home that night and acted on her previous thoughts of killing her boys. She wanted the good life she had before having kids. She wrote in her diary that she wanted to grow old with Darin, but did not want to give up herself to do so.

 

[PamelaWi]

A little off topic, but I have often wondered if Darlie killed her boys to save face when she could not afford the trip to Mexico. After all, Darin admitted they lived large. Darlie was always dressed up, liked to wear many items of jewelry, threw elaborate parties and put in a fountain and Jacuzzi in her elaborately decorated home. IMO she liked to show off, including dressing to accentuate her breast augmentation. If she killed the boys, she rid herself of having to be tied to the home and was given an excuse to skip out on the planned girls' trip to Mexico that she did not have the funds for, therefore saving face and still being able to play the part of a successful young woman.

 

[cami]

My opinion is She killed those boys because of spite! You see Darlee was
down stairs because she was mad at Darrin (husband). Didn't Darrin take the babysitter home that night where it took him a long time to return.
My bet is the two had an argument about that. She sat on the sofa stewing about the argument and the boys fell asleep on the floor watching TV. That's when she decided to teach Darrin a lesson by killing the boys. Then she made up the rest.. MO

I completely agree, Revenge Filicide

 

[Zzzz]

I completely agree, Revenge Filicide

Revenge filicide is really the only motive - that coupled with sociopathic behavior. The boys' life insurance didn't amount to enough to make that a motive.

She was mad at Darin for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that his business was in a downturn and their overspending was catching up to them big time.

 

[Madeleine74]

Pre-planned vs Premeditated.

Not exactly the same thing.

One is a legal concept (premeditated). The other is not required to be proved in order to determine premeditation.

The decision to lift the knife and bring it down into her children and then do it over again proves "premeditation." She knew if she stabbed her boys they would die and she made the decision to do it anyway. That meets the premeditation burden. The decision can (and often does) happen in mere seconds.

Pre-planning is thinking about it ahead of time and forming a plan to carry out a killing. She may have done that or she may not have done that. We can't know for sure. Pre-planning is not a required element to prove, though it is often very useful if investigators happen to have that evidence. It's like icing on the cake.

 

[cami]

Revenge filicide is really the only motive - that coupled with sociopathic behavior. The boys' life insurance didn't amount to enough to make that a motive.

She was mad at Darin for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that his business was in a downturn and their overspending was catching up to them big time.

I think about the things he told Jamie Johnson, the CPS worker, who removed Drake. He told her Darlie was having a hard time with the children, she was overwhelmed and fed up them. She cleaned the house fanatically and they were behind her making a mess, that the boys were interfering in their relationship, that Darlie was tired, depressed and fed up. Of course he denied it all at trial and called Johnson a liar. We know they had a big fight that night, we know they wanted to separate. We know Darin was desperate to borrow $5000. What if Darin told Darlie, you want a separation, go then and since you can't take care of the children, you won't be taking them with you, they stay here.

Darin knew as soon as he came down those stairs she murdered the boys, we know he's questioning her on the 911 call or else why would she state in an angry voice, "someone walked in here and intentionally did it Darin" And he tried desperately to cover for her. He doesn't now, he's moved on. If she were innocent, he would be more and more vocal about getting her out. MOO

 

[Cailin Rua]

I think she had been thinking about it for a while in an abstract sort of way but something triggered her that night, probably a fight with Darin.

If she had gone with a "post-partum depression + diet pill rage" defense she might have at least stayed off death row.

 

[Trident]

I don't believe Darlie killed her children, premeditated or otherwise. If one looks into the people who worked in her home, it may/or not, depending on our own mindset, be enlightening. I think there was someone so jealous of her and her lifestyle that they destroyed her children and tried to destroy Darlie. That would explain a great many of the "clues" we have seen in this case.

IMO there was someone who hated/was so jealous of Darlie that they killed those boys and tried to kill Darlie.

Until you understand how horrible it was for some of the European people during/after WWII, you might not understand where I'm coming from. But, I was a child who grew up with these people who came to the US after the war and it wasn't always pretty. Hell, in the sixties a neighbor of mine told me how her European relatives were jealous of her. I don't believe many of you understand the feelings that went on during that time period and how they affected people's minds.

:cow:

 

[White Rain]

I don't believe Darlie killed her children, premeditated or otherwise. If one looks into the people who worked in her home, it may/or not, depending on our own mindset, be enlightening. I think there was someone so jealous of her and her lifestyle that they destroyed her children and tried to destroy Darlie. That would explain a great many of the "clues" we have seen in this case.

IMO there was someone who hated/was so jealous of Darlie that they killed those boys and tried to kill Darlie.

Until you understand how horrible it was for some of the European people during/after WWII, you might not understand where I'm coming from. But, I was a child who grew up with these people who came to the US after the war and it wasn't always pretty. Hell, in the sixties a neighbor of mine told me how her European relatives were jealous of her. I don't believe many of you understand the feelings that went on during that time period and how they affected people's minds.

:cow:

Are you implying Basia or her mom? Even if not What "clues" have been explained?

 

[Luvrosco]

I believe she's a narcissist and a manipulater. The boys were in her way and it was premeditated. The only thing I can't explain is why didn't kill the baby,too if she wanted a child free life.

 

[cami]

I don't believe Darlie killed her children, premeditated or otherwise. If one looks into the people who worked in her home, it may/or not, depending on our own mindset, be enlightening. I think there was someone so jealous of her and her lifestyle that they destroyed her children and tried to destroy Darlie. That would explain a great many of the "clues" we have seen in this case.

IMO there was someone who hated/was so jealous of Darlie that they killed those boys and tried to kill Darlie.

Until you understand how horrible it was for some of the European people during/after WWII, you might not understand where I'm coming from. But, I was a child who grew up with these people who came to the US after the war and it wasn't always pretty. Hell, in the sixties a neighbor of mine told me how her European relatives were jealous of her. I don't believe many of you understand the feelings that went on during that time period and how they affected people's minds.

:cow:

Oh so it was Basia who murdered the boys. But she has an alibi. Maybe it was a Nazi since we're talking war here. If one looks into the evidence they will be left in no doubt that Darlie murdered her children. I too grew up with people who came to Canada from Europe after the war, one of them was my mother.

Please explain the clues that lead you to believe it was someone from Europe.

 

[Leena]

I believe Darlie premeditated the murders within the legal definition. She was clearly mentally unstable and likely thought about it for some time. This is a woman, as a full time housewife, who couldn't manage to get the family laundry done. The boys were growing bigger and were kept locked outside as much as possible. Her white carpets had to be kept clean you know.

I am the Mother of 3 boys, aged 20, 18 and 14 now. This case hits home and breaks my heart. I see my two oldest in Devon and Damon. It's unimaginable what she did, but make no mistake she did it. I've read the transcripts and everything I could find searching for something to prove she didn't butcher those little boys. It's not there. I was in her shoes down to the diet pills after my 3rd baby. I know the stress. 3 small children can drive a sane Mom batty and Darlie is far from sane...legally sane yes but she is definitely histrionic and I believe sociopathic after seeing all of her interviews over the years. A baby looks at Mom as the center of the universe. Almost 7 year old Devon...not so much anymore . They start to get mouthy at that age. I believe when they had to pull Damon from pre-school in May and Devon was on summer break all the fissures in her psyche started to crack wide open. She had 3 little ones full-time. Trust me, 3 small boys is exponentially harder than 2 . Sprinkle a little fen-phen on this powder keg and she blew. I heard Basia in an interview last year explain on 6-5-96 when she picked up her Mom, Darlie's laundress, she inquired about Damon's whereabouts. Darlie said "he'd better be outside or in his room". Basia found him in the backyard kicking around a stick by himself. I am haunted by that.

 

[Occams Razor]

Based on her suicidal tendencies and post-partum depression, I suspect she had visualized killing herself AND her kids prior to the event. But I don't necessarily think she'd "planned" it down to the last detail or anything. They probably staged the scene in a panic before calling 911, at which point the clock started ticking on the "official timeline of events".

Stabbing is a very violent and personal method of killing, whether we're talking suicide or murder. I had a great grandma who slit her own throat in a suicide attempt, so I guess anything's possible. But it just seems like Darlie would've shot, drowned, poisoned or done something else to the kids and herself if the event had been well planned-out in advance. I suspect she had visualized it previously and then just snapped that night for some unknown reason (sort of like how Diane Schuler "snapped" that day on the highway).

But I'm not opposed to the idea of Darin helping or doing it all on his own either. In fact I'm fairly certain that if Darlie was involved, so was Darin.

 

[JezMyOpinion]

DNA confirms her guilt:
https://youcouldbewrong.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/dr-06262015103716.pdf …
Darin knew what she had done the second he saw the boys: [video=youtube;cDQOAj1LeqU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDQOAj1LeqU&t=67s[/video]
In an update to her case, Darlie and her attorneys have conceded that she is the only possible killer, as noted by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on May 21, 2003. A request for retesting forestic evidence was granted on June 18, 2008. During the Summer 2014 a judge ordered for more forensic testing again. That testing was completed in June of 2015. Only unidentified thing is a smudged finger print that is Darlies size, just too smudged to id.

 

[allyntine]

I wrote to Darlie about 10 years ago after watching one of the crime shows. I thought that how the show portrayed her was very biased. I can't say that the silly string video meant anything one way or the other. After reading her letter I am convinced she is guilty. The whole letter was about herself and getting out of prison. She wanted help raising money. She wanted help with publicity. She mentioned her sons once but only to say she "did not kill my babies". Her main focus was bashing the police and spreading the word so she could be released. Just my opinion but if I was wrongly convicted of killing my children YES I would want to be released.....but my main frustration would be that they didn't find the people who took away my babies.

 

[dreamer1985]

I voted that she fantasized about it and then snapped that night. I read some parts of the trial transcripts and there were several incidents that indicate to me that she may have been flirting with their deaths for a while.

1. they were allowed to ride all over heck and back on bikes around the neighborhood that did not even have speed bumps. One witness said he/she told Darlie about his/her concerns about the kids and Darlie was like "so what".

2. One time the Routiers went boating with another family in tow. The other family made their kids where life vests but Devan and Damon were not given vests. They did not swim very well either. This really disturbed the other family.

3. On June 5 the baby was allowed to cover his face with blankets because "he liked it". The maid was very disturbed.

As for why I say she snapped

1. the bread knife on the window screen. That screams desperate and rash to me. It would be more practical I think to use a box cutter. She could not even be bothered to rinse it off. I think she was in a trance as she visited that knife block those two times.

2. it did not occur to Darlie that it might be a good idea to have that very difficult gate left open in the backyard. With more planning in advance I think she would have thought of that.


3. Darlie had to be "attacked" to. I don't think she planned way in advance to go to town on her neck and arm at the kitchen sink. If that was the case I highly doubt she would go the "boogie man" route. I think it may have occurred to her while running the sock down the alley. We will never know. I can only imagine her feeling sick when she realized what she had to do.

That is just my speculation.