The murders of Chris Kyle andChad Littlefield occurred on February 2, 2013, at a shootingrange near Chalk Mountain, Texas. Kyle, who was a former Navy SEAL,and his friend Littlefield were walking down range to set up targetswhen Eddie Ray Routh opened fire and hit both of them. Routh was a25-year-old Marine who had experienced post-traumatic stressdisorder. The case attracted national attention due to Kyle's fame asauthor of a bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, published in2012.
Murders
Chris Kyle had begun working withveterans after leaving the military. Routh's mother, who worked atthe school that Kyle's children attended, had heard of his work andasked him to help her son. He agreed to take Routh to a shootingrange, which Kyle believed had therapeutic value.
On February 2, 2013, Kyle and hisfriend, Chad Littlefield, 35, were shot and killed by Eddie Ray Routhat the Rough Creek Ranch-Lodge-Resort shooting range in Erath County,Texas. Both Kyle and Littlefield were armed with .45-caliberM1911-style pistols when they were killed, but neither gun had beenunholstered or fired, and the safety catches were still on. Kyle waskilled with a .45-caliber pistol, while Littlefield was shot with a9mm SIG Sauer P226 Mk.25 Mod 0 pistol. Both guns belonged to Kyle.
Routh was a 25-year-old U.S. MarineCorps veteran from Lancaster, Texas. Kyle and Littlefield hadreportedly taken Routh to the gun range in an effort to help him withhis post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Routh had been in and outof mental hospitals for at least two years and had been diagnosedwith schizophrenia. His family also said he suffered from PTSD fromhis time in the military. On the way to the shooting range, Kyletexted Littlefield, "This dude is straight up nuts."Littlefield responded, "Watch my six," militaryslang meaning "watch my back." Four months later,while he was in his jail cell, Routh shared with former Erath CountySheriff's Deputy Gene Cole: "I was just riding in the backseat of the truck, and nobody would talk to me. They were just takingme to the range, so I shot them. I feel bad about it, but theywouldn't talk to me. I'm sure they've forgiven me."
After the killings, Routh went to hissister's house in Midlothian and told her what he had done. Hissister, Laura Blevins, called 9-1-1 and told the emergency operator:"They went out to a shooting range ... Like, he's all crazy.He's ... psychotic." Local police captured Routh after ashort freeway chase, which ended when Routh, who fled the scene inKyle's Ford F-350 truck, crashed into a police cruiser in Lancaster.
Perpetrator
Eddie Ray Routh was born on September30, 1987, in Lancaster, Texas, to Raymond and Jodi Routh. He hadwanted to join the Marine Corps since he was thirteen years old, anddid so after high school. He was deployed to a base near Baghdad inSeptember 2007, where he worked for six months as a prison guard andrepaired weapons. In January 2010, he was sent on a humanitarianmission to Haiti. He was honorably discharged from the Marine Corpsin July 2011 after serving for seven years.
In late July 2011, Routh was diagnosedby clinicians at Veterans hospital as having post-traumatic stressdisorder and was prescribed anti-psychotics and antidepressants. Hewas experiencing auditory hallucinations and paranoia and hadthreatened suicide. VA clinicians believed Routh's psychotic symptomswere caused by alcohol abuse and offered inpatient treatment. Hedeclined and stopped taking his medication.
Victims
Chris Kyle (April 8, 1974 –February 2, 2013), age 38
Chad Littlefield (February 11, 1977– February 2, 2013), age 35
Trial
Routh was arraigned February 2, 2013,on two counts of capital murder, and was taken to the Erath CountyJail for holding under a $3 million bond. His trial was set to beginMay 5, 2014, but was delayed to allow more time to comply with DNAtesting requirements. The trial began on February 11, 2015.
Routh's attorneys argued that he wasinsane at the time of the murders. Forensic psychologist RandallPrice, a witness for the prosecution, suspected Routh was fakingschizophrenia. He said that Routh actually had paranoid personalitydisorder exacerbated by drug use. He also testified that Routh'spsychotic symptoms could be attributed to drug and alcohol abuse.Another expert, Dr. Michael Arambula, testified he did not believeRouth was schizophrenic, and was not insane at the time of themurders because he was intoxicated.
On February 24, 2015, Routh was foundguilty of murdering Kyle and Littlefield. The jury returned theverdict after less than three hours of deliberations. Sinceprosecutors decided beforehand not to seek the death penalty, thetrial judge, Jason Cashon, immediately sentenced Routh to life inprison with no possibility of parole. Routh is imprisoned at theTexas Department of Criminal Justice Ramsey Unit in Brazoria County,Texas.
Funerals
A memorial service was held for Kyle atCowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on February 11, 2013. He wasburied on February 12, 2013, at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin,after the funeral cortege journeyed from Midlothian to Austin, morethan 200 miles (320 km). Hundreds of people, many waving Americanflags, lined Interstate 35 to view the procession and pay their finalrespects to Kyle.
Littlefield's funeral was held onFebruary 8, 2013, at the First Baptist Church of Midlothian, Texas;he was buried at Mount Zion cemetery.