Upamanyu Biswas
‘American Sniper’ chronicles the life and exploits of Chris Kyle, a sniper with 160 officially confirmed kills across four tours in the Iraq War. While the movie delves into Kyle’s life from a variety of different angles, illustrating his experiences in a fairly authentic manner, it refrains from addressing the fateful event that cost the elite sniper his life. After returning home from his tours abroad, Kyle settled into civilian life by helping other veterans get over their PTSD. However, during an encounter with a troubled former Marine named Eddie Ray Routh, Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, were tragically killed, leaving a huge vacuum of grief behind for family, friends, and admirers. Meanwhile, their murderer, Routh, was investigated by the authorities as everyone tried to find answers behind the killings.
Eddie Ray Routh Served Abroad as Part of the Marines
Joining the Marine Corps was a childhood dream of Eddie Ray Routh, who was born on September 30, 1987, to Raymond and Jodi Routh. He enlisted in the army soon after completing graduation from high school, fulfilling his ambitions at a young age. His first deployment was in September 2007, when he was sent to a forward operating base outside Baghdad, Iraq. His job was to repair weapons and work as a prison guard, a stint that lasted around six months. This was his first and only experience of the Iraqi war on the ground. Later, in January 2010, Routh was sent to Haiti on a humanitarian mission as part of the Marines Corps to provide relief to civilians devastated by the recent earthquake in their country. When he returned home, his mother claimed that he had changed psychologically.
Routh served in the army for four years, receiving an honorable discharge in 2011. Following his exit, the former army man appeared at the Dallas Veteran Affairs in late July, alleging that a tapeworm was chewing at him from the inside. Although there was no evidence of any tapeworms, the doctors at the VA diagnosed him with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, prescribing him antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. The situation grew more complicated when Routh grew suicidal, compelling his family to take him back to the Dallas VA for more assessments. He was kept at the hospital for close to two weeks, during which clinicians took another look at his challenges. They believed he was psychotic and suffered from alcohol abuse. Although inpatient treatment was suggested, Routh reportedly rejected the idea and stepped off the medication.
Eddie Ray Routh Gunned Down Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield at a Shooting Range
As the months passed away, Eddie Ray Routh’s challenges continued to grow more severe. He spiraled into increasingly controversial conspiracy theories, such as the government spying on him or music being “picked up [from] a radio station.” In early 2013, he started working at a local cabinet shop, where special arrangements had to be made for his travel. Worried that her son was suicidal, Jodi Routh drove him to work in the morning, and the shop’s owners brought him back once his shift was over. With so few options for rehabilitation remaining, Jodi found a slim chance of hope when she met Chris Kyle, who was helping veterans with PTSD acclimatize to their surroundings since leaving the military. Kyle felt for her situation and agreed to take Routh to the shooting range, which he believed might be therapeutic.
On February 2, 2013, Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, arrived in the sniper’s black Ford F-350 at Routh’s house. The plan was to drive up to the shooting range where they could exercise and, hopefully, let off some steam. However, Kyle was put off by Routh’s demeanor during the ride. He texted his friend, who was in the passenger seat beside him, saying, “This dude is straight-up nuts.” Littlefield responded by writing, “He’s right behind me, watch my six.” After pulling up to the Rough Creek Lodge, a massive property southwest of Lancaster, Texas, the three men raised a red Bravo flag to keep others from straying into the vicinity as they were shooting. Later, the bodies of Kyle and Littlefield were discovered at the luxury resort, and Routh was nowhere to be found.
Kyle has been shot six times, while his buddy was shot seven times. Meanwhile, after the murders, Routh went to a Taco Bell to order burritos. He then traveled to his sister’s house to share the news about what he had done. She informed the authorities about what transpired and Routh was arrested by the police while driving away in Kyle’s black car. He was charged with two counts of capital murder and held in custody at the Erath County Jail. While stuck in his jail cell, he allegedly told the Sheriff’s Deputy his reasons behind shooting Kyle and Littlefield. He said, “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.”
Eddie Ray Routh is Serving Life in Prison Today
On February 11, 2015, the trial for Chis Kyle and Chad Littlefield’s murder kicked into gear. Eddie Ray Routh’s defense tried to push the trial back because of the popularity of Clint Eastwood’s ‘American Sniper,’ which captured Kyle’s life and legacy. During the court proceedings, they tried to prove that their client was insane when the murders took place. “He killed those men because he had a delusion. He believed in his mind that they were going to kill him,” said attorney J. Warren St. John. On the other hand, the prosecution argued that Routh’s claims of psychosis and schizophrenia were false. In her closing arguments, attorney Jane Starnes insisted that Routh was guilty of “cold, calculated capital murder” and that he knew the difference between right and wrong.
The trial wrapped up on February 24, almost two weeks after the start. Routh was found guilty in the killing of Kyle and Littlefield. The defense had never protested the fact that he murdered the two men. Instead, their focus had been on showcasing his challenges with mental health and that he was insane during the crime. Subsequently, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Today, he is housed in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Ramsey Unit in Brazoria County, Texas.
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