Our systems are down at work which is annoying me because my desk looks like a hurricane hit it. I am trying to patiently wait for them to come back up so I can get to work.
Last night I started reading a magazine that comes specifically to our area because we are still considered to be in a "rural" neighborhood. It was discussing the fact that there is a huge shortage of large animal vets in Texas. Emily's childhood goal was to go to A&M and become a vet. She is now teetering on that, or being an attorney. I am sure that will change fifty times, but they are great goals. Honestly, it's funny because they were my goals too, and I finally disclosed that to her last night. Unfortunately, I decided that high school was more about having a good time than making good greats, and thus it sealed my fate. My government teacher begged me to try to be an attorney, and offered to write me a letter of recommendation for college. I love my career, but looking back I should have applied myself more. So why am I discussing this? Let me explain.
If I had been an attorney I would have chose criminal defense. For years my uncle was a criminal defense attorney, and was very good at it. One day I asked him "Shawn, why did you choose this profession?". He is a wise man, and he replied "Because 10% of everyone sitting on death row is innocent". Wow, how profound. Since I live in my "perfect bubble" I had never considered that our justice system would put an innocent person on death row. I wondered how those people felt, and what kind of lives they lead in prison. My uncles statement has always stayed with me. I have never shared with him what a profound impact it had on me, but it did.
So why am I talking about this? Well there is one case in particular that has haunted me, and I have driven my friends crazy with over the years. Darlie Routier. She currently sits on death row in Gatesville Texas for the murder of her son. Both her children were brutally murdered on the night in question, but they only tried her for one child. This case was sad, it was tragic, and two little boys lost their precious lives. So do I know she is innocent of this crime? No, I don't ... only Darlie really knows the truth. I do however think her trial was the biggest mess, and she was railroaded. I cannot see my uncle ever allowing many of the issues that her trial had to ever take place. This was a very high profile murder case, and the jury wasn't even sequestered. They were able to roam the town, listen to conversations, read the newspapers, and watch media influence. There were mounds of evidence not entered into the trial, and I believe the whole situation was handled incorrectly from the start.
So what's the story? Well you can read more on that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlie_Routier . I won't rehash everything on here because it's just so terrible. I do believe the attorney's, and even the judge were shocked at the death penalty conviction she received. To receive the death penalty you have to show the person is a continued threat, this after Darlie had never shown any violence in her life until now (supposedly). So why has this case fascinated me for so long? It just doesn't all add up. Here are my questions.
1. How did the husband not hear anything? What about their dog?
2. Why would she only wash the sink? That makes no sense? Why use her OWN kitchen knife?
3. How in the world could she possibly plant a tube sock with both children's blood over 3 houses away. This would have had to have been done while she was on the phone with the 911 office, so it's impossible
4. The bloody knife only had 1 child's blood on it, where was the other knife used?
5. Who's bloody fingerprints are inside the house that they haven't been DNA tested?
6. Who was the man outside the home that said he was her husband Darin Routier when the police arrived, yet they found Darin inside the house?
7. Check our her pictures on http://www.fordarlieroutier.org/ your telling me that's self inflicted?
8. The media showed her famous "silly string" cemetery video which basically convicted her. Yes, it was strange but she was drugged up, there were several children there, and they didn't show the hour footage beforehand of her wailing at the kids graves.
9. What about her husbands confession to friends that he had indeed tried to hire people to break in for insurance fraud.
10. What about the other people in the neighborhood who claimed someone tried to break in that night.
There are countless other questions I have, but I didn't sit on the jury. Although, several jurors have come forward saying if they had seen the pictures of her bruises, and other evidence they could not have convicted her. Darlie was media judged based on her appearance, but her appearance doesn't make her a killer http://www.justicefordarlie.net/. Barbara Davis who wrote the book "Precious Angels" against Darlie even retracted her statements, and went public she believes Darlie is innocent. You can see her statement here http://www.authorbarbaradavis.com/statement.php.
Like I said, I don't know if she is innocent, but there was definatley reasonable doubt. I do believe she should get a new trial based on all the conflicting information that came out after the trial. Not to mention Jurors received a trial transcript with 33,000 errors. The prosecuting attorney has just been indicted falsifying government documents. This a man who once asked "what if Darlie is innocent", replied "Then that just proves I am a damn good attorney". So who knows what the answer is. There are two little children that lost their lives in 1996, and I pray justice is served to whomever committed this awful crime.
Food for thought....... since 1973, 132 people have been released from death row proven innocent. 10 people (that we know of) have been executed for crimes they didn't commit. Also, how many people were just "sure" that the Ramsey's killed Jon Benet..........until they were vindicated. Just something to think about.
OK there is my strange rant for the day, but like I said criminology, and the law have always interested me.
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