December 27, 2014 By Phil Ray (pray@altoonamirror) , The Altoona Mirror Attorneys involved with the Darlie Lynn Routier death penalty case in Texas anticipate that a new round of DNA testing will be approved in January, a step that the defense hopes will cast doubt on Routiers guilt in the murders of two of her three sons 18 years ago. The information was released in a Christmas Eve status report filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio. District Judge Fred Biery in early 2014 ordered that he be given a status report every six months on the state proceedings involved in the Routier appeal to her conviction in the stabbing deaths of her sons, Damon 5, and Devon, 6, on June 6, 1996. Routier, 45, a Blair County native who has relatives in the area, has maintained her innocence, contending there was an intruder in their Rowlett, Texas, home that night. She has contended that that she and the children, sleeping downstairs in her home, were victims of the intruder. He former husband, Darin, was upstairs sleeping with the couples newborn. They were unhurt. A federal petition in the case was filed in 2008 but has been on hold since then pending the outcome of DNA testing. The federal judge indicated last year he was considering dismissal of the 75-page petition but was persuaded to hold the case in abeyance, thereby allowing the completion of the DNA tests. He agreed but ordered the periodic status reports. The status report from the prosecution and defense filed this week stated that a DNA expert working for the defense in the last six months made cuttings from various pieces of evidence and then met with a representative of the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification concerning the testing of these cuttings. The center agreed to conduct the testing on the defenses high-priority items. The parties are scheduled for a status conference with the trial court in January 2015, at which time they anticipate that the trial court will enter an order permitting UNTCHI to conduct the proposed testing, the report stated. © Copyright 2014 The Altoona Mirror. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. dministrator of We Stand for Darlie Routier Group. Please read the latest news on Darlie Lynns case. Continue to fight for her freedom, and bring this INNOCENT woman home!! Lets all pray this will FREE Darlie Routier off Texas Death Row
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 23:29:00 +0000
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