The trial of Eddie Ray Routh, who killed Chad Littlefield and “American Sniper” Chris Kyle, ended last night when a Texas jury found him guilty of murder after two hours of deliberation. Routh was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Routh’s defense said that he was mentally ill and suffered from PTSD, which led to the delusions that caused him to kill the two Navy SEALs at a shooting range a year ago. But in the end, that wasn’t enough to prove to the jury that he didn’t know what he was doing, which was enough to lead to a conviction.
The defense team claimed Routh’s bizarre behavior after he shot Kyle and Littlefield suggests that he was delusional at the time. Defense attorneys also noted that Kyle had described Routh as “straight-up nuts” in a text message to Littlefield as they drove to the luxury Texas resort.
However, Dr. Randall Price, a forensic psychologist, testified last week that Routh “did know what he was doing was wrong, and he did it anyway.” The psychologist said Routh had a paranoid disorder that was exacerbated by his use of drugs and alcohol.
The Routh trial has been a high-profile case due to the book written by Chris Kyle, American Sniper, and the movie of the same name that was released last month. Chris Kyle is the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history with over 160 confirmed kills, and American Sniper is already expected to be one of the highest grossing movies of the year.
Hopefully now the families of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield can find some peace and closure knowing that the two heroes’ killer is behind bars for life.
See the video of Eddie Ray Routh’s sentencing below, and read the rest of the article here.
