February 2, 2013
KYLE
Christopher Scott Kyle was a US Navy SEAL veteran and sniper. Kyle served 4 tours in the Iraq War and was awarded several commendations for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat. He was awarded one Silver Star Medal, four Bronze Star Medals with "V" devices, a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and numerous other unit and personal awards. Kyle was honorably discharged from the US Navy in 2009 and published his bestselling autobiography "American Sniper" in 2012. An eponymous film adaptation of Kyle's book directed by Clint Eastwood was released 2 years later. On February 2, 2013 Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield were shot and killed by Eddie Ray Routh at the Rough Creek Ranch-Lodge-Resort shooting range in Erath County, Texas. Both Kyle and Littlefield were armed with .45-caliber 1911-style pistols when they were killed but neither gun had been unholstered or fired and the safety catches were still on. Kyle was killed with a .45-caliber pistol while Littlefield was shot with a 9 mm SIG Sauer handgun. Both guns belonged to Kyle. Routh was a 25-year-old US Marine Corps veteran from Lancaster, Texas. Kyle and Littlefield had reportedly taken Routh to the gun range in an effort to help him with his post-traumatic stress disorder. Routh had been in and out of mental hospitals for at least 2 years and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. His family also said he suffered from PTSD from his time in the military. On the way to the shooting range Kyle texted Littlefield "This dude is straight up nuts". Littlefield responded "Watch my six" (military slang meaning watch my back). 4 months later while he was in his jail cell Routh shared with former Erath County Sheriff's Deputy Gene Cole "I was just riding in the back seat of the truck, and nobody would talk to me. They were just taking me to the range, so I shot them. I feel bad about it, but they wouldn't talk to me. I’m sure they've forgiven me". After the killings Routh went to his sister's house in Midlothian and told her what he had done. His sister called 911 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 a short freeway chase which ended when Routh who fled the scene in Kyle's Ford F-350 truck crashed into a police cruiser in Lancaster. Routh was arraigned February 2, 2013 on 2 counts of capital murder and was taken to the Erath County Jail for holding under a $3 million bond. His trial began on February 11, 2015. On February 24, 2015 he was found guilty of killing Kyle and Littlefield. The jury returned the verdict after less than 3 hours of deliberations. Since prosecutors decided beforehand not to seek the death penalty the trial judge sentenced Routh to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Routh is imprisoned at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Powledge Unit near Palestine, Texas.
