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By Mark Loyd and Rayanne CarminesTimes Staff WriterBoth sides in the capital murder trial of Darlie Routier rested Thursday and jury deliberations could begin as early as this afternoon.The seven-man, five-woman Kerr County jury heard closingarguments this morning and will decide, possibly as earlytoday, whether Routier, a 27-year-old Rowlett homemaker, stabbed her two sons to death on June 6, 1996, and thenwounded herself to cover the crime.Routier, who could face the death penalty if convicted, maintains that an intruder killed her boys and wounded her.Prosecutor Toby Shook said Routier’s testimony Wednesday only helped the state’s case.“The best evidence comes when the defendant takes the stand. The jury gets to see the defendant’s true character,” he said.“Those were not genuine tears,” he said of Routier’s emotional testimony. “I think the only time you saw real tears is when she was caught in lies. I think she got caught with the goods.”Defense attorneys also expressed optimism going into closing statements.“I am very satisfied with the evidence put before this jury,” attorney John Haggler said. “The jury has heard a lot of evidence in this case and I’m very optimistic. I’m confident the jury will do the right thing.”The jury heard from one witness from each side Thursday.The prosecution called Billy Parker, a private investigator hired by the Rowlett Police Department at a cost of $1 toreview case evidence before interviewing Routier.“The evidence was in direct contradiction to the way the crime was reported to have occurred.” Parker said.During a three-hour interrogation on June 18 at the Rowlett Police Department, Parker said he asked Mrs. Routier six to 12 times if she killed her sons.Davis asked, “Did Mrs. Routier ever deny killing her children?”“No sir, she did not,” Parker replied.Instead he said Routier, “always had the same verbal response. ‘If I did it, I don’t remember.”’On one occasion, he added, “She did not respond. She just shrugged her shoulders.”Under cross examination Mulder asked Parker if he took any notes of the interview with Routier. The former police officer of 20 years said he did not. He also told Mulder he did not use any recording device during the interview because there was not one available at the Rowlett Police Department.The defense called forensic psychiatrist Richard Coons to explain how Routier might have experienced memory lapses after experiencing a traumatic incident.Coons, who said he had reviewed no case information, testified based on a hypothetical situation presented by defense attorney Preston Douglass. The circumstances mirrored the Routier case.Coons testified that victims of traumatic expenences often suffer from disassociation, which can cause memory lapses.Many times, he said, thoseSee TRIAL, 8A
Newspaper Details
Kerrville Daily Times
Kerrville, Texas, US
Fri, Jan 31, 1997
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Jared T.
NA, NA 30 May 2023
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