![]() | This photo is State's Exhibit 52F. It was taken while Routier was still in the hospital. Notice the bad bruise under her arm. The State was telling a lie when they said there were no bruises during her stay in the hospital. State's Exhibit 52F was actually taken earlier. They did not keep a log of the photos, and they were introduced at different times during trial. That is why the exhibit labeling is not in order. Bruises take several hours to a day to appear, depending on the type and depth of the trauma. |
1) Patterson is critical and suspicious of Darlie because she uses the word "they" when referring to her attackers when she is only able to describe one person. This is bad logic on Patterson's part because the attack began in her sleep. Although she saw one person, she does not know how many were with him. Besides, a neighbor witness said she saw a car waiting outside with someone in it. Shortly after arriving at the seen approx 2:35 in the morning, police stopped a suspicious car with several individuals in it. They were quickly let go without taking note who they were, or checking the occupants for blood.
2) Patterson is also critical of her words "my boys are dying", and "my babies are dying", while one of them is already dead. This is bad logic on Patterson's part because one of them IS still alive when paramedics arrive. She is hysterical and is unable to make an affirmative judgment on this, however it is obvious to her that they are seriously wounded and will probably die if not already dead. Her statements are reasonable.
3) Patterson is critical of her words "ran" and "walked" when describing the attacker leaving. If the assailant was walking away leaving Darlie for dead, and then Darlie gets up, the assailant would then run. After such an attack, with the adrenaline running, you loose sense of speed and timing. It is unreasonable to be so critical on this issue.
4) Patterson complains that according to Officer Waddle, who was the first officer on the scene, Darlie did not show concern for her injured children. The 911 tape shows different. The Routier's state that when Waddel arrived, Darin was on the floor performing CPR on Devon while Darlie was tenting to Damon. Darin looked up at Officer Waddel, and Waddel had a sick overwhelmed expression and went to the bathroom. Darlie was panicked and Waddel did not know what to do. Waddel's opinion is worthless.
5) Patterson got a verbal statement at the scene from Darlie, talked to officers as to what she told them, and then got a written statement from Darlie 2 days later. In one statement she says that she realized that her stabbing took place on the couch, in another she says that she noticed she was stabbed after finding the knife, and in the written statement she talks about talks about when she found the knife after turning on the light. Patterson complains that this is inconsistent because these are different times. This is false logic on Patterson's part because knowing she was stabbed while sleeping on the couch, recalling the time she realized she was stabbed, and the moment she finds the knife are all three different times very close to each other. Reporting the actual time of stabbing, and remembering the moment she noticed she was stabbed, could very well be described as different moments. Besides, these time are all within a moments (a single minute) and would not be in conflict.
6) Patterson complains that Darlie said she found the knife after turning on the light and seeing it in on the floor on the other side of island. He complains that you can not see there when standing at the light switch. She did not say she saw it from the light switch. She said she saw it after turning it on. This is bad logic because Patterson in assuming she did not walk up to the island after turning on the light where she could see the floor.
7) Patterson claims that the physical evidence is not consistent with Darlie's claim that the intruder left through the garage window, and the mulch outside was not disturbed. The fact is that there is evidence the intruder went through here. The garage has a slit window screen with traces of blood on the screen. State Exhibit 13A and 13C show cement under the window, not mulch. Also, Patterson claims that Cron is a crime scene expert and respects his work. Unfortunately Cron is only a fingerprint expert. Max Courtney, who is an expert for the state, said that the crime scene was botched by police so prosecutors relied on Cron instead. Although the bloody fingerprint has enough points, and does not match any known person at the scene, Cron never ran that print through AFIS.
8) Patterson claims that since there was so much blood in the kitchen, the intruder would have tracked blood onto the garage floor. This is false logic on Patterson's part because the blood would not get on the floor till she got up from the couch bleeding from her wounds. Therefore it is logical that it is only her footprints and do not include prints of the intruder. Any blood on the intruder would not be dripping because it would be absorbed or held in his clothes like a sponge. Also, trying to duplicate the blood patterns of a knife hitting the floor would be nearly impossible because you have no idea what position the knife is when it hits the floor, or how it might be twisting or turning as it fell. Even if there is a pattern, I would be easily lost when Darlie steps on it.
9) Patterson claims that there was not a lot of blood on the couch, but luminal tests show blood was once at the kitchen sink, indicating she cut herself at the sink. This is bad logic on Patterson's part because blood from any type of meet from meals would test positive, and you can not tell when the sink may have been cleaned. There was blood on the couch, just not a lot because the shirt will hold a lot of it until it is saturated.
10) Patterson claims that screen residue was found on a kitchen knife. This is a bad assumption by Linch and Patterson because during trial it was determined that the residue was consistent with the fingerprint brush which was used on that knife. Patterson's affidavit confirms that the screen was cut from the outside. It is not known for sure what knife was used. If the intruder used his own knife to cut the screen, and walked through the kitchen to get to the family room, it is likely that the intruder decided to take the larger kitchen knife and holster his own in case he had to stab someone. The knifes were in plane view on the kitchen island. He may have put the socks on his hands to avoid leaving fingerprints and that is why one of them may have been found discarded in the alley.
11) According to Patterson, Cron reported that the scene is not consistent with a struggle. This is false. State's exhibit 35C shows the coffee table turned and covers stroonned on the floor. What else would you expect to find after a struggle on the couch? Are the wounds not considered evidence of a struggle? Cron also gets critical about terms like "chasing" the assailant and no high velocity blood spatter was found in the kitchen. First of all she would slow down when she reaches the kitchen if you think you are about to confront someone. Also, we don't know how agile she is because of injuries. This would also slow her down. I would also think she would hesitate once reaching the kitchen, because she does not know what she is about to confront.
12) Patterson complains that the wounds on the children are mortal and deeper than on Darlie's, which cause him to believe that they are self inflicted. This is bad logic on Patterson's part because Darlie is much larger and better able to put up a defense. When coming out of a sleep, and directly into a panic life and death situation, it will take a few moments to get your bearings. She would remember only parts of those moments till she is fully conscious. Also the mode of attack on her would be different on her than her children. If she was being held down at one end of the couch by one person being smothered and loosing consciousness (there were lacerations in her mouth), and awhile being attacked/raped by another (her panties were removed), her kids would at that point come to her aid. It was dark and the attackers my not have noticed the children were under blankets nearby. At that point the attackers would be surprised. One intruder would turn and brutally stab the kids, while the other holding her down slices her throat. Not knowing who else was in the house they immediately flee. The first guy gets out of sight and than Damon approaches Darlie who is now conscious again now that she can breathe. She then sees the second guy leaving through the kitchen and follows after him. Then she turns on the light in the kitchen, discovers what has happened and we know the rest.
13) Patterson was misleading when he reported the doctor's opinion about the wounds. The doctors felt the wounds were defensive but when repeatedly pressed by Patterson with "isn't it possible that she could do this to herself?", the doctors eventually gave in that it was possible. Patterson then reports that the doctors said its "possible" the wounds were self inflicted, but makes no mention that the doctors believe they were defensive wounds. Patterson statement is misleading because it deliberately leaves the reader with the wrong presumption.