The Intruder – A Serial Offender

The case of Dalie Routier is probably the most tragic example of how the state of Texas made the word ‘justice’ something to be feared rather than embraced.

The young mother of three boys was convicted of killing two of them on 6^th June 1996 by stabbing them to death – probably one of the most terrible crimes a mother could be accused of or commit.

It may have seemed like an open and shut case. The forensic evidence was compelling. However, it wasn’t long before inconsistencies, flawed evidence, and the manipulation of the truth by prosecutors came to light.

It is not my intention to cover the disgraceful actions of the prosecution in manufacturing a false case against Darlie Routier – that has been covered in depth by other writers.

The version of events by the defence was that an intruder was responsible for the violent and shocking attack in the Routier home, and there is more than sufficient evidence to support that.

Of course, the main priority of Darlie’s supporters and defence team is to gain her freedom as soon as possible, so attention to theories of who could have been responsible for the attack take second place to challenging the many flaws that led to her conviction, and rightly so.

Even so, who launched the attack on the Routier’s home is something of interest to me because I think there are important pointers in the evidence to the type of criminal who may have been responsible for this shocking crime.

The first problem is that the Rowlett Police Department did not investigate whether someone other than Darlie Routier was responsible for the crime – even though there was evidence to support this.

The crime happened at around two twenty in the morning, and by six o’clock (based on the theory of one man) the perpetrator (as far as the police were concerned) was Darlie Routier.

In any investigation, it is essential that all possible avenues are thoroughly investigated as a process of elimination to ensure, as far as possible, that the police are investigating the guilty party and not an innocent. This was not done so any other evidence that could have been available to them or collected concerning an intruder was not discovered.

Nonetheless, there is evidence that does indicate and intruder was responsible.

The likelihood is that there would be no other immediately identifiable suspects because the Routier’s has no known enemies, or anyone who would want to do them harm.

I would propose that the attack on the Routiers was conducted by a stranger, and there are key parts of the evidence that would indicate such a stranger would be of a particular type of criminal.

Of course, this is my theory based on my experience and knowledge. It may be right, it may not be, I will leave that for the reader to decide. But every time I have analysed this case over the past six years I keep coming back to the same place – the crime was committed by a serial offender, most probably a serial killer. There are no other motives that we know of, such as robbery, revenge, and so on.

Serial offenders such as serial killers are fairly straight forward in the way they commit their crimes. Each has their own driving force; the reason they feel compelled to commit the crimes they do. Each has their own ritualistic behaviour they feel compelled to go through in order to gain the level of satisfaction they desire from their actions. There are many common behavioural patterns that can be identified across different perpetrators of serial crime.

Although taken individually there is nothing to indicate any involvement of a serial offender, when we look at some of the key pieces of evidence in this case together we can see a pattern emerging that indicates a serial offender is a high possibility as a suspect in this crime.

 

Why Darlie?

This is something we can have no answer for unless we have the perpetrator. There could be hundreds of thousands if not millions of reasons why someone is attractive to a serial offender. The only other way we could have some idea is if we have information on similar offences that seem to be related. Other than that we can not know.

 

Stranger in the area.

The first piece of evidence that we consider is that a stranger (or strangers) were seen by several witnesses in the area prior to the crime. Reports of a black car parked with occupants who appear to remain in the car for long periods of time without doing anything were reported. This car was seen at various locations where there was a clear view of the Routier home.

Although there is some variation between accounts, the fact remains that there was a black car with tinted windows that was out of place, and there was an occupant who stayed in the car.

There is no known reason for this car to be in the area or to be parked in the position in which witnesses observed it. It is a residential area with no commercial or municipal facilities that someone could be visiting or want to use.

Vehicles or people in the area are going to be involved in a limited range of activities. Either they live in the area, are visiting one of the residences, are providing services to the area, or are conducting work on the local infrastructure. The occupant(s) of the black car sightings were doing none of these.

Through witness statements, we know the car arrived, stayed for a while, and then left with no other known activity related to the car or its occupants. This is a hallmark of someone conducting surveillance.

On the night of the incident, a neighbour opposite the Routier home reported that they saw a small black car parked in front of their mailbox at around 2am. When the neighbour was alerted by the commotion outside after the attack, the black car had gone – this was before they heard to sirens of emergency vehicles getting close.

The vast majority of serial killings are the result of planned courses of action by the perpetrator. Part of the ritualistic nature of the majority of serial killings is planning the crime so the killer gains the maximum advantage over their victims to gain the maximum pleasure or benefit the offender desires.

Targets are selected depending on the particular driving forces of the perpetrator, who will then observe the target to ascertain the best opportunity or circumstances under which the killer may be able to commit their crime.

Serial killers like predictability. They want to follow the path of least resistance with the maximum chance of success of achieving their objective. They don’t want unnecessary interference, and they want the lowest chance of being discovered or caught.

In an area such as Eagle Drive there is nowhere secluded where an individual could park for an extended period and not be noticed. The times the car was observed tended to be at times when there wouldn’t be much activity in the area, for example early to mid-afternoon.

It is highly likely that the car and driver were in the area at other times, perhaps in the late evening or early hours of the morning when no one saw them. The car and driver may have driven along Eagle Drive at other times, and may have been seen by other residents who do not remember what would seem a normal event.

 

Darin’s Jaguar

During the normal day to day routine of the family, Darin usually parked his car in the driveway because the car would not fit in the garage. But two days before the incident at the Routier home, the car had been transported to a garage for repairs.

If someone were watching the Routier home it would be easy to presume that the absence of the Jaguar also meant that Darin was not at home. If it was absent for a second day this could be perceived as Darin being away for an extended period, rather than just at the time the garage was under observation on previous occasions.

To a person planning an attack on the home this would mean that one ‘problem’ or ‘encumbrance’ to their objective was now absent, and that it could be a favourable time to strike now that there was a lone female and three very young children in the property with no protection.

As I mentioned earlier, serial killers are not interested in engaging in unnecessary confrontation. They will strike at a time that gives them the best chance of achieving their objective by following a path of least resistance.

 

The time of the attack is significant.

The attack occurred just after two in the morning.

The quietest time in most residential areas around the world is between 2am and 4am – that is the time when most people are asleep and when there is the least activity on the streets. This is the time of night when the human circadian rhythm induces the strongest sleep drive.

This timeframe provides the best opportunity for someone committing violent serial crime to be successful in their objective. There is less likelihood of people in the vicinity being aware of the criminal because they are likely to be in the deeper stages of sleep, and it is also the time when the intended victim is likely to be more docile and pose less resistance to the criminal.

Again, the serial killer wants the path of least resistance. At this time of night any potential human threat to this type of violent criminal is likely to be easier to subdue than during hours when humans are more alert.

There have been many cases where a deadly attack has taken place against one person and other people in the same residence (and sometimes in the same bed) have been unaware until much later on – at a time where their natural impulse to sleep becomes less.

At 2am it is also reasonable to assume that the majority of people will be where they normally sleep at night, which is usually in their bedroom.

In the case of the Routiers, it was normal for the boys to sleep in their room, and Darlie and Darin, together with baby Drake, to sleep in their bedroom. A person observing the property may have noticed a pattern of lights being turned on and off that indicated this was the normal routine.

We know that Darlie slept downstairs off and on because she was sensitive to baby Drake’s movements that would disturb her sleep or keep her from settling. It could be that an offender may have noticed this pattern of behaviour if there were external signs of lights being used room to room.

Either way, an observer would gain a good understanding of the family’s routine over a period of time.

 

The kitchen knife.

We know that the horrific violence that occurred in the Routier’s home that night was inflicted using a knife from the knife block in the Routier’s kitchen.

This would indicate that the intruder did not go to the Routier’s home equipped with a substantial weapon (such as a large knife or firearm) ready for a bloody confrontation, to inflict bloody injuries on a victim, or to inflict immediately fatal injuries.

This is not unusual in serial killing cases, in particular for the worst category of serial killer, the sexual sadist.

They often have their own elaborate ritualistic methods for conducting their crimes, and these often include using methods of killing which enable them to experience gratification for as long as possible. Some common methods among this group include using the victim’s personal belongings (such as clothing, in particular underwear), used to strangle or suffocate the victim. Or items from the victim’s home which can be used in a similar way so the criminal can experience the gradual draining of the victim’s life.

The use of the knife appears to have been a spontaneous response to the situation the perpetrator found inside the Routier’s home – a situation they did not expect.

The attacker was met with a scenario they had not planned for or expected. Damon, Devon, and Darlie were in the lounge area, and not in their respective bedrooms as the attacker expected at that time of night/morning.

Damon and Devon were not the intended targets. They were barriers to the perpetrator achieving their objective.

The perpetrator would have become frustrated and angry at having their plans disrupted and would seek to rectify the situation as quickly as possible so they could continue. Hence the perpetrator using a convenient weapon (the kitchen knife), and using it with extreme force.

The fact that Damon received significantly more (but less penetrating) injuries than his brother could indicate that he woke (or partially woke) when the perpetrator entered the area. The perpetrator would then have to act swiftly to ensure the child would not do anything that would alert anyone else. Therefore, the stabbings occurred in quick succession with less power than those his brother suffered.

Alternatively, because Damon was more separated from Devon and Darlie he could have received the immediate violent response form the intruder as they vented some of their anger or frustration.

With Damon dealt with (most likely with the perpetrator believing he was dead) the perpetrator could then take relatively more time to remove Devon as a barrier to the perpetrator’s objective. With Devon being closer to Darlie, the perpetrator could take a second to build up enough emotional force to silently stab the boy to such an extent that the knife wounds nearly penetrated the boy’s body and were likely to be immediately fatal. Raise the knife, pause to generate maximum downward force, strike, retract, and repeat. It would have been decisive and silent – blows that the perpetrator could almost guarantee would be effective.

The perpetrator’s attention would then turn to his intended victim, Darlie.

It is unsurprising that Darlie was not subjected to the same very directed stabbing as the two boys. Stabbing Darlie was not the intention, or part of the killer’s ritual. In fact, slashing at Darlie may have occurred as it became clear to the killer that their plan was disrupted beyond recovery, turning their attention to ensuring there were no witnesses remaining at the scene.

Being in a highly frustrated (or disappointed) state the perpetrator would have attempted to leave the scene as soon as possible and not waste valuable time or resources engaging in unproductive (as they would see it) violence.

A serial killer would much rather escape the scene and choose another time and place with more chance of success than take unnecessary risks when the situation doesn’t go to plan or serve the killers ritualistic needs from the experience.

 

Darlies panties went missing

Later on Darlie realised her panties were missing. She had them on when she lay on the sofa before she fell asleep.

This fits with the ritualistic methods of the majority of serial killers – the taking of trophies that are items of a very personal nature to the victim. These trophies can be clothing – in particular underwear – jewellery, or even parts of the victim’s body such as hair or skin.

The perpetrator keeps these items as a reminder of the feelings they experienced as they were committing the crime, allowing them to re-live the experience to some extent.

It is common in sleeping rape cases for the underwear of the victim to be removed before they are awake, or during the early stages of waking when they are most disorientated. A serial killer who is skilled in their ritual would have little problem removing panties from a victim while they are asleep.

Escaping a crime scene with a trophy is the prime conclusion for many serial killers, and other violent serial offenders.

 

The perpetrator took the sock

Darlie Routier did not place the sock in the alley approximately 75 metres from the Routier home.

Having aborted their crime, the only interest of the perpetrator was getting away as quietly and cleanly as possible. There was no reason to take the knife with them, it would have become yet another inconvenience in a disastrous attempt.

On dropping the knife at the entrance to the utility area the perpetrator picked up the sock which was on their direct exit route as they left, and they used it to remove spots of blood – either from their skin or clothing.

The amount of blood on the sock was very small compared to the amount of blood generated at the scene as the boys and Darlie bled out, and which covered Darlie’s t-shirt and hands. This indicates that the sock was not used to clear a lot of blood, and neither was it picked up by someone whose hands were covered in blood.

The sock was disposed of approximately 75 metres from the Routier home in the alley at the back of the house. This was the route taken by the perpetrator.

The location of the sock is also significant with regards to the perpetrator’s actions after the crime. Although we have no further information because the police did not investigate this possibility, it does tell us something when we look at a map of the area.

It tells us that the perpetrator chose to head south east from the Routier residence using the convenience of the alley at the rear of the property. They chose not to go west along Eagle Drive which they could have done, and which would have been far easier if they wanted to get into a vehicle quickly, but would have been much more complicated to escape the residential area.

Heading south east along the alley would give them easy access to a vehicle either parked further along the alley or on Eagle Drive, and consequently an easier and much faster escape from the residential area, either by using Linda Vista Drive on to Dalrock Road, or driving to the end of Eagle Drive, and turning on to Willowbrook Drive and on to Dalrock Road.

Dalrock Road is a main road with easy access to a number of alternative routes out of the area. Being a main road, other traffic would have been using it throughout the night enabling the perpetrator to blend in and escape unnoticed during the crucial minutes before the police would arrive at the crime scene.

However, the most obvious route the perpetrator could have used to get to a vehicle does not account for the sighting of the ‘little black car’ seen outside of the house of the neighbour directly opposite the Routier home.

On exiting the Routier home the perpetrator headed in a south easterly direction using the alley at the back of the house. A much more logical, shorter, and easier route would have been to exit the Routier home directly on to Eagle Drive and go the short distance to the ‘little black car’.

Two things could have made the perpetrator take the longer route along the alley.

They were in a panic and wanted to get away as soon as possible, not really thinking of the direction they were going in. But this hardly seems indicative of someone capable of the cold-blooded planning used in this incident.

The alternative and most likely is that they attempted to take the shorter route but something or someone spooked them and they went in the opposite direction to circle around to the ‘little black car’. A route that was darker and where it would be easier for the perpetrator to conceal themselves using neighbouring gardens and other cover. It would be easy for the perpetrator to cut between the houses, many of which had no dividing fences or barriers.

If they were spooked, this would explain why the sock was discarded where it was and not closer to the Routier home.

The perpetrator would need cover away from the street light and the flood lights of the Routier home that were reportedly lit. Then they could return to their car with the minimum chance of being noticed.

The location of the sock is likely to be the point at which the perpetrator made their way back on to (or across) Eagle Drive in between the properties.  It is the point where light from street lamps etc would be weakest.

The perpetrator could have crossed Eagle Drive at that point, and make their way behind the properties on the opposite side of the road to emerge closer to the car.

The total time it would take to cover the alternative route, which is in the region of 150 metres, would be no more than around 30 seconds for someone in a rush, running or jogging at a normal pace for an adult – in the region of 11 miles an hour, or around 5 metres per second.

There are no witness statements that indicate anyone saw a ‘little black car’ leaving the area. This is to be expected if people were aroused from sleep when the commotion started outside on Eagle Drive. The car would have left within 35 to 40 seconds maximum, long before the commotion started.

The police attending the incident made no report of passing or encountering a ‘little black car’ on their way to the Routier home. This is hardly surprising because they were not looking for a vehicle at the time. They were concentrating on getting to the scene of a reported incident at a domestic dwelling.

 

Murder in Texas

During 1995 and going into early 1996 the murder rate had dropped on previous years. However, there was a sharp increase in the number of murders of people unknown to the perpetrator. In part, this was due to a trend where criminals would target strangers and their property for serious violent crime for no other reason than the violence itself.

Texas is the second highest state (after California) for the number of known serial killings, which is probably related to its size.

In the period 1995 to 1996 approximately 36% of murders remained unsolved in Texas, which is a significant number and could well include undetected serial murders.

 

Rowlett Police Department

As I mentioned earlier, I am not going to address the case against Darlie as presented by the prosecution. Needless to say the police department demonstrated incredible incompetence in the way they approached the investigation, and this is covered in depth by other resources and writers.

Where it concerns this theory is that investigators effectively stopped investigating less than four hours after the crime occurred. Instead of investigating all leads and possibilities they concentrated on one – that the crime was committed by Darlie.

This seriously inhibits us in finding useful information that could be vital in establishing if this crime was part of a string of other offences by the same perpetrator or not.

For example, obviously Darlie was targeted for some reason, yet the police did not investigate if there were any events that could indicate Darlie (or any of the family) were the subject of a stranger’s attention leading up to the crime.

Neither did the police investigate if anyone could have held a significant grudge against any of the Routiers.

If the police had taken the theory of an intruder committing the crime in a professional manner, they could have investigated vehicle movements through the analysis of public and private CCTV along the main routes. They could have conducted a campaign to try and establish the identity of an intruder by using the press and public appeals. The police could have investigated known offenders who matched the description given by Darlie and others though their databases and departments.

 

It’s not too late

Although many years have passed since the tragic events in Eagle Drive, there is always a chance that a perpetrator could still be caught, or at least possible suspects revealed.

The chances are that the offender has never been caught, and may never have been implicated in any crime. Often serial killers can operate for decades and never come under suspicion.

When we think of serial killers we envisage that they go on some kind of rampage, or are constantly indulging in their sick activities. But there are a high number of serial offenders who may go years or even decades between crimes.

Finding potential suspects or crimes that could be linked to this case takes resources and dedication. It is highly unlikely that the police would even consider such an investigation when they think they have the perpetrator behind bars. So we come to something of a dead end.

Hypothetically, if an investigation were launched there are several key things an investigator could look for.

• Similar crimes. A home invasion where a female was subjected to violence, probably involving throttling or strangulation, or where the victims own possessions (such as clothing) were used against them.
• Crimes at a similar time of day where a female was subjected to an attack most likely in their own home. Of particular interest would be where personal items have been taken or gone missing.
• Victims that bear similarities to Darlie. Young women, perhaps blonde, who stand out in their community.
• Crime where the perpetrator resembles Darlie’s description of the intruder, and most likely involve extreme violence.
• Crimes where female victims have been abducted.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, and flexibility in the types of crime and victims would be needed during the initial stages.

Serial killers can operate over vast distances, but I would commence any enquiries limiting the search to the state of Texas. Being one of the biggest states it is likely that the perpetrator has committed crimes within its borders.

Defining a timeframe to search is tricky. We know that serial killers can operate over many years and commit only a few known offences. Initially I would limit a search to a year before and a year after this incident and see what materialises from that, expanding the timeframe as necessary. The important thing is that the timeframe is thoroughly investigated.

 

Conclusion

I am not claiming that this IS what happened, I am claiming that it is a REAL possibility considering the facts and evidence of the case as they are known, and this should have been investigated by police at the time.

It is a theory or framework from which more in-depth investigation and analysis could take place.

There are a series of indicators or flags that fall into place in the correct order which indicate there is a high likelihood that this crime was committed by a very violent serial offender.

The main flags are:

• Surveying or stalking the intended victim to analyse when the best opportunity to strike would be. (In this case, the perception that Darlie was alone with the children because Darin’s car had already been absent from its usual parking place at the home).
• Not taking a substantial weapon to commit the crime. (Preferring to use another method).
• The taking of a trophy (Darlie’s panties).
• Showing no interest in stealing anything that was readily available. (Not the objective and the perpetrator is likely not to have means to readily dispose of valuable items through a ‘fence’).
• Leaving the scene before completion – but not ensuring all victims were dead. (There was an interruption or resistance that was difficult to overcome, leading to frustration that the objective could not be completed).

This crime was neither committed by Darlie Routier nor was it a random attack. It was planned and executed as close to the plan as was possible.

The important thing for a serial killer is the objective, often involving a ritual (or series of events) that need to be completed in order for the criminal to gain maximum satisfaction. If things don’t go to plan they become frustrated and would much rather get out of the situation as easily as possible than risk being exposed or caught – unless that is their objective, which is rare.

Serial killers are not brave and will avoid anything that they see as detrimental or non-productive. Killing the two boys was nothing more than a nuisance to the offender. When it became clear that their plan had gone seriously wrong the offender tried to implement some form of damage control and then escape.

You may agree, you may not. Based on my experience and knowledge, and having looked at the case of Darlie Routier in-depth from different perspectives I keep coming back to the same conclusion. This crime was committed by a serial offender of a particularly nasty nature.

 

Martyn J. Symons, June 2018