Dallas County

New DNA Testing Underway in Darlie Routier Capital Murder Case

More than 20 years after she was convicted of murdering her young son, a Rowlett woman on death row remains hopeful her conviction will be overturned.

Darlie Routier is now 48 years old.

She was found guilty of murdering 5-year-old Damon but never tried in the death of her 6-year-old son Devon.

DNA evidence in her case is being tested this year, some of it for the first time.

“There’s never been nothing going on,” said defense attorney Steve Cooper. “We’re just looking for a new trial.”

Cooper is looking for a new trial, preferably in Dallas County, for the Rowlett mother who maintains an unidentified intruder savagely stabbed her young sons to death and stabbed and injured her in June 1996.

Routier is currently on death row.

Cooper said they are currently on the third round of DNA testing.

The Dallas County District Attorney’s office told NBC 5, "This year the state crime lab, under orders from Criminal District Court No. 3 and with the agreement of both parties, has tested multiple items of evidence from the Routier crime scene. This DNA testing is ongoing."

Cooper spoke of some of the items being tested, but did not go into great detail.

“It’s specks of blood, suspected blood or other DNA,” he said. “But this is really a blood case in various locations that has not been identified being Darlie’s or one of the boys.”

Asked if any results so far are ground-breaking, Cooper responded: “There’s a couple things I am excited about. However, it’s not ground-breaking as I believe you are using the term.”

Cooper said some previous testing included pubic hair found at the scene and was of no use.

He added that time has also taken a toll on other potential evidence.

“The 85-J unknown fingerprint was in blood and we’ve tested that and there’s no DNA in it. It’s just degraded over time.”

As for evidence proving the intruder defense, Cooper said, “We don’t have that yet but we’re still working.”

Prosecutors said they’re confident in the case against Routier.

As for the new testing, the Dallas County District Attorney’s office told NBC 5 when it’s completed there will be a hearing to review the results.

That could happen sometime next year, according to Cooper.

As for Routier, she remains on death row with no execution date set.

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