Eddie Ray Routh is still alive. The former Marine who killed Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield at a Texas gun range in February 2013 is 38 years old and incarcerated at the Ramsey I Unit in Texas, serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. According to Texas Department of Criminal Justice records, he has no scheduled release date.1Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Inmate Search Detail: Routh, Eddie Ray
Where Routh Is Held Today
Shortly after his conviction, in March 2015, Routh was moved from a prison near Abilene to the Jester IV correctional psychiatric facility in Richmond, Texas, for diagnostic evaluation. A TDCJ spokesman said Jester IV had “more extensive medical facilities” than the unit where Routh underwent his initial screening.2Navy Times. American Sniper Convict Moved to Prison Psychiatric Center He has since been transferred to the Ramsey I Unit, where he remains.1Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Inmate Search Detail: Routh, Eddie Ray
Why He Cannot Be Paroled
Routh was sentenced to life without parole. Because prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, that sentence was imposed automatically after the jury’s capital murder conviction.3BBC News. American Sniper Trial Verdict He has no parole eligibility date.
The only theoretical route out of a life-without-parole sentence in Texas is executive clemency. The governor has constitutional authority to commute a sentence, but only on the written recommendation of a majority of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. A commutation application also requires signed recommendations from the current sheriff, prosecuting attorney, and judge in the county and court of conviction, each stating that the current penalty appears excessive and recommending a specific alternative.4Criminal Justice Policy Foundation. Clemency in Texas No clemency proceedings involving Routh have been reported.
What He Was Convicted Of
On February 2, 2013, Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield took Routh to a shooting range at Rough Creek Lodge, about 77 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Kyle, a retired SEAL sniper and author of the bestseller American Sniper, had taken up mentoring veterans after leaving the Navy in 2009. Routh’s mother, who worked at the school Kyle’s children attended, had asked Kyle to help her son, who had cycled through VA hospitals since 2011.5The Trace. Chris Kyle American Sniper Murder Eddie Routh Mental Records
On the drive out, Kyle texted Littlefield: “This dude is straight-up nuts.” Littlefield answered: “He’s right behind me, watch my six.”6NBC DFW. American Sniper Chris Kyle, Chad Littlefield Were Armed When Shot, Killed The three reached the range around 3:15 p.m. A hunting guide found the bodies about two hours later.7The Modesto Bee. Rough Creek Lodge Shooting Details Kyle had been shot six times and Littlefield seven, both repeatedly in the back.8ABC News. American Sniper Trial Details Fatal Shooting Revealed in Opening Routh took Kyle’s truck and weapons, drove to a Taco Bell, then visited relatives. He told his sister he needed to reach Oklahoma “before Texas could get him,” and was arrested by police.5The Trace. Chris Kyle American Sniper Murder Eddie Routh Mental Records
The Trial and the Rejected Insanity Defense
Routh’s trial began on February 11, 2015, in Erath County before State District Judge Jason Cashon. Erath County District Attorney Alan Nash led the prosecution; Warren St. John, Shay Isham, and Tim Moore represented Routh.9Courthouse News Service. American Sniper Killer’s Appeal Under Way10The Flash Today. Guilty
Under Texas law, an insanity defense requires the defendant to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that, because of a severe mental disease or defect, he did not know his conduct was wrong. Texas courts have interpreted “wrong” to mean “illegal,” so a defendant who believes his actions are morally justified is still not legally insane if he understood they were against the law.11FindLaw. Routh v. State of Texas
Defense psychiatrist Dr. Mitchell Dunn testified that Routh suffered from schizophrenia and paranoid delusions, and had told a forensic psychologist a month before the shooting that his coworkers were “cannibals who planned to eat him.”12ABC News. American Sniper Trial: Routh Believed Workers Were Cannibals The prosecution’s experts pushed back. Dr. Randall Price diagnosed paranoid personality disorder and said he suspected Routh was “faking schizophrenia,” attributing his symptoms to alcohol and marijuana. Dr. Michael Arambula concluded Routh was intoxicated at the time of the killings, which under Texas law precludes an insanity claim.13ABC News. American Sniper Trial: Eddie Ray Routh Knew His Actions Were Wrong
Routh’s own recorded statements did the most damage. In his videotaped confession to Texas Ranger Danny Briley, he admitted he understood the difference between right and wrong and “knew killing them was wrong.” Asked at least three times whether he knew his actions were wrong, he answered “yes, sir.” He described himself as having “fled” the scene, and told a reporter he felt “sh–ty” about what he had done, adding, “you live and you learn.”11FindLaw. Routh v. State of Texas14NBC News. American Sniper Trial: Jury Hears Confession
On February 24, 2015, a jury of ten women and two men convicted Routh of capital murder after less than two and a half hours of deliberation.9Courthouse News Service. American Sniper Killer’s Appeal Under Way Jurors afterward said Routh’s history of invoking his veteran status and PTSD diagnosis as an excuse when he got in trouble after drinking had undermined his credibility.15The Guardian. American Sniper Trial: Jury Rejects PTSD Defense
The Appeal
Routh appealed to the Court of Appeals of Texas, Eastland, arguing the evidence was insufficient to overcome his insanity defense, that his statements to Ranger Briley should have been suppressed, and that the trial court wrongly denied a mistrial motion. On March 31, 2017, the appeals court rejected all three arguments and affirmed the conviction.11FindLaw. Routh v. State of Texas
With the direct appeal exhausted, the capital murder conviction final, and no clemency proceedings on record, Routh’s status is settled: alive, in custody at the Ramsey I Unit, and serving a sentence that carries no path to release.