The defence had attempted to have proceedings moved from Erath county, where Kyle was killed, on the basis it would be impossible to get a fair trial. The case was the highest-profile insanity plea in Texas since the 2006 retrial of Andrea Yates, who was found not guilty after a jury decided she was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she drowned her five children in a bathtub. Why did he stop to buy a Dr Pepper and burritos in the truck he stole from Kyle? Routh’s defence team mockingly summarised one of the prosecution’s arguments as “he couldn’t possibly be insane because he could negotiate the drive-thru at Taco Bell”. Did Kyle and Littlefield breed a seething resentment by forcing their guest to eat lunch at the Lone Star State’s most beloved fast-food chain, Whataburger, when he was not hungry? Routh’s threatening behaviour at a family fish fry was analysed and even seemingly banal actions were probed as possible evidence of his mental state. Addressing the jury, her colleague, district attorney Alan Nash, concluded with a plea to the jury’s local pride: “This defendant gunned down two men in cold blood – shot them in the back in our county. Prosecutor Jane Starnes told the jury that claims Routh believed in killer “pig people” were “a load of hogwash”. While the trial took place amid national focus on the case and the film, there were times when proceedings adopted a distinctively Texan, and sometimes bizarre, tenor. They argued he was a paranoid schizophrenic man who was having a psychotic episode when he shot and killed Littlefield, 35, and Kyle, 38, on 2 February 2013.Ĭhad Littlefield was killed when he and Chris Kyle accompanied Routh to a shooting range. Routh’s legal team did not dispute he carried out the killings but hoped to convince the jury to return a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity and produced examples of his strange behaviour. The movie, and his bestselling 2012 autobiography on which the film was based, made Kyle an emblem of patriotic heroism for many Americans and an icon for a slew of conservative commentators. It has made over $400m globally at the box office and was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning best sound editing at Sunday’s ceremony. We’re so thrilled that we have the verdict that we have tonight.”Ī former navy Seal reputed to be the deadliest sniper in US military history, Kyle was the subject of the film directed by Clint Eastwood. Outside the building Chad’s mother, Judy, told reporters that the family had “waited two years for God to get justice for us on behalf of our son and, as always, God has proved to be faithful. Their words and the jury’s exit promoted emotional scenes inside and around the small courtroom in this town about 100 miles south-west of Dallas. You became an American disgrace,” said Jerry Richardson, Chad’s step-brother. “You took the lives of two heroes men that tried to be a friend to you. She had walked out during the defence’s closing statement on Tuesday afternoon, seemingly upset by their line of argument.īut many of Littlefield’s relatives remained and two gave forceful victim impact statements, speaking directly to Routh, who mostly sat still and looked straight ahead towards the judge rather than turn to meet their gaze. Kyle’s widow, Taya, had been in court daily and was the first witness called by the prosecution 13 days ago, but was not present to hear the verdict. Chris Kyle, author of American Sniper and subject of a film of the same name.

Eddie ray routh needs to be executed