On the night of June 6th, 1996, Darlie Lynn Routier made a frantic call to 911. She told the dispatcher that she and her two sons had been stabbed.
Five minutes later, police arrived at Darlie's home in Rowlett, a suburb of Dallas. Darlie's eldest son, Devon, had already died from four knife wounds.
He was just three days shy of his seventh birthday. His brother, five year old Damon, had also been attacked.
Damon later died in the care of a paramedic. Darlie had a deep gash in her neck and wounds on her arms. She was immediately transported to a local hospital for emergency surgery and survived.
Eight months later, Darlie Routier was convicted of killing her two young sons and sentenced to die by lethal injection. It is a verdict that many refused to accept.
Darlie's family believed unidentified fingerprints at the crime scene belong to the intruder. A fingerprint on the door leading to the garage, and a second print on the credenza behind the couch, have never been positively identified by investigators.
Her family insists crucial evidence was overlooked during her trial. But authorities argue that their case against Darlie Lynn Routier is overwhelming.
Darlie's lawyers continue to appeal her sentence. If and when those appeals are exhausted, Darlie Lynn Routier will be executed for brutally murdering Devon and Damon.
