5801 Eagle Dr., Rowlett, TX 75088
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Author: Jewls Krueger
Around 2:30am on June 6, 1996, Darlie Routier called 911 claiming that an intruder had broken into her home and stabbed two of her young sons, five year old Damon and six year old Devon. She claimed that the attacker also attempted to slit her throat. When police arrived a few minutes later, they were unable to find an intruder on the property, but they did discover a slit in a window screen which could've been a point of entry, along with a bloody sock 75 yards away from the house.
Darlie claimed that she fell asleep on the couch that night and both boys were sleeping in the living room on sleeping bags. Darlie's husband, Darin, and their youngest son, Drake, were both asleep upstairs. Sometime after 2am, Darlie woke up to find a man in their living room who had allegedly already stabbed both of her sons and attempted to slit Darlie's throat, although they missed all the major arteries and Darlie's wounds were mostly superficial. Darlie chased the attacker out of the house, picking up a knife that the attacker dropped before calling 911.
An investigation uncovered little sign of a break in, nothing was stolen from the home and an escape route couldn't be conclusively determined. There was a single bloody fingerprint found on a windowsill that didn't belong to anyone in the family, providing the possibility that someone else was present.
One week after the murders, the remaining Routier family members gathered at the gravesite for Devon and Damon to celebrate Devon's seventh birthday. Newscasters were also present and recorded the birthday celebration, in which Darlie looked celebratory and even sprayed silly string all over the graves.
On June 18th 1996, Darlie was arrested and tried for the murders of her two sons. The prosecution claimed that the motive was the financial trouble the family was in and the fact that Darlie wanted a lavish lifestyle that the family could no longer afford. Darlie maintained her story that an intruder was responsible for the murders.
Further Reading
On February 1, 1997, convicted of first degree murder and 3 days later she was sentenced to death. Darlie continues to maintain her innocence in the case, and DNA testing on the unidentified fingerprint is ongoing with the latest technology.
The large 2 story home is located at the corner where Eagle Dr. turns west and it backs up to an ally. The garage where the intruder allegedly escaped according to Darlie is located at the back of the house, in the ally. The home is private property, do not disturb any current residents or neighbors and stay on public roads and walkways at all times.
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