Why Did Eddie Ray Routh Kill Chris Kyle? Motive and Verdict

Eddie Ray Routh killed Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield on February 2, 2013, at a Texas shooting range, and the question of why Eddie Ray Routh killed Chris Kyle has no single clean answer. Routh himself gave shifting accounts in the hours and days after the shootings: that the two men “wouldn’t talk to” him, that they were “pig assassins” sent to kill him, that he had to “take their souls” before they could take his. A jury heard all of it, weighed it against evidence that he knew what he was doing was wrong, and convicted him of capital murder.

What Routh Said About Why He Did It

Routh’s own explanations never settled into one story. To former Erath County Deputy Gene Cole, he said, “I shot them because they wouldn’t talk to me. I was just riding in the back seat of the truck and nobody would talk to me.”¹ To Texas Ranger Danny Briley, during a 90-minute videotaped interrogation, he offered something darker: “I knew if I didn’t take his soul, he was going to take mine next. I’m just tired of playing chess with my life.”² He called the two men “headhunters” who were “trying to hunt everybody down” and compared talking to Kyle to “talking to the wolf.”³

To a psychiatrist, he said he believed Kyle and Littlefield were “pig assassins” sent to kill him. He also complained that they had tried to “force feed” him and that Littlefield “wasn’t shooting at the shooting range.”⁴ To his sister Laura Blevins, arriving at her home about 45 minutes after the killings, he said he had “took two souls before they could take his” and that the victims “were out to get him.” He talked about people “sucking his soul” and said he could “smell the pigs.”⁵

Alongside the paranoia, there were flashes of ordinary awareness. Routh told Ranger Briley he was “sorry for what I’ve done.” Asked directly whether he knew his actions were wrong, he answered: “Yes, sir.”² Briley described his manner as “very philosophical” and said that “some of the stuff I had no clue what he was talking about.”

His Mental State Going Into That Day

Doctors at the Dallas Veterans Affairs hospital diagnosed Routh with PTSD in July 2011, after his service as a Marine armorer that included a 2007–2008 deployment to Iraq and Haiti earthquake relief in 2010.⁶⁷ A month after that diagnosis, he was hospitalized at the Dallas VA for nearly two weeks after threatening suicide with his father’s .357 Magnum. Clinical notes from that stay described him as “psychotic.” He was prescribed the antipsychotic Risperidone along with antidepressants, but told doctors the drugs made him feel like a “fucking zombie” and periodically stopped taking them.

The episodes escalated as the killings approached. In September 2012, he was taken to Green Oaks Hospital in Dallas after threatening to kill himself and his family.⁸ On January 19, 2013, just two weeks before the shootings, Routh had a severe psychotic break at his girlfriend’s apartment. He brandished a knife, barricaded the front door, and held his girlfriend and her roommate inside, reportedly believing he was protecting them from the “evils of the world.” At Green Oaks, clinicians described him as being in the throes of “first-break schizophrenia” and documented him as both suicidal and homicidal. He was prescribed Haldol, Paxil, and Seroquel, transferred to the Dallas VA on January 21, and discharged on January 24.⁶ His mother took him back to a VA hospital on January 30, three days before the killings. He was not admitted.

Why Routh Was With Kyle in the First Place

Chris Kyle had been out of the Navy since 2009 and worked with veterans struggling after combat, often using shooting and other physical activities as an informal bridge back to civilian life.⁹¹⁰ Routh’s mother, Jodi, worked at the elementary school Kyle’s children attended in Midlothian, Texas. She approached Kyle about her son, who she felt was not getting adequate care through the VA, and Kyle told her he would “do everything I can to help.” About two weeks later, Kyle called to say he planned to take Eddie shooting.¹¹

Jodi Routh later testified that she did not know they would be going to a shooting range.¹² Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield, a 35-year-old civilian, picked Routh up on February 2 and drove roughly 90 minutes to the Rough Creek Lodge property in Glen Rose. On the way, Kyle grew uneasy and texted Littlefield: “This dude is straight-up nuts.” Littlefield answered: “He’s right behind me, watch my six.”¹³ They did not turn back. At the range, Routh shot both men from behind with pistols they had brought, then drove away in Kyle’s truck.

Why the Jury Rejected the Insanity Defense

Routh’s trial began on February 11, 2015, in Stephenville, Texas. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, so the case turned entirely on whether the jury would accept an insanity plea.¹⁴

Under Texas law, the defense had to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that, at the time of the offense, Routh had a “severe mental disease or defect” and, because of it, did not know his conduct was wrong. Texas courts read “wrong” narrowly to mean “illegal.” A defendant who understood that society considered the killing against the law cannot claim insanity, even if he thought the act was justified in his own mind.¹⁵

Three experts split on the diagnosis. Dr. Mitchell Dunn, a psychiatrist called by the defense, testified that Routh had schizophrenia and was experiencing a “break in reality testing” that day. He described delusions that people were “sucking his soul,” that the government or the “Mexican Mafia” was after him, and that Kyle and Littlefield were “hybrid pigs sent here to kill people.” Dr. Randall Price, a forensic psychologist for the prosecution, diagnosed “cannabis-induced psychosis” and suggested Routh was faking schizophrenia, even speculating that the pig-men delusions came from television.¹⁶ Dr. Michael Arambula testified Routh was intoxicated at the time of the offense, which under Texas law disqualifies an insanity claim on its own. He put it bluntly: “If you are intoxicated on any substance, the game is over in an insanity bout.”¹⁷

Substance use became a central fight. Prosecutors said Routh smoked marijuana and drank whiskey on the morning of the killings.¹⁸ Routh’s uncle, James Watson, testified that the two smoked two pipes of marijuana together that morning, but said the marijuana was not laced and that Routh was not violent at the time.¹⁹ Prosecutors also asserted Routh had smoked “wet” marijuana dipped in formaldehyde, though a search of his home turned up marijuana that tested negative for foreign substances.¹⁵ The defense pointed out that the VA had diagnosed Routh with psychosis and PTSD and prescribed medication for those conditions well before February 2.

The jury only had to decide one thing: did Routh know what he was doing was wrong? Several pieces of evidence said yes. Routh had told Ranger Briley he “understood the difference between right and wrong” and “knew that killing them was wrong.” After the shootings he fled in Kyle’s truck, told his sister he was heading to Oklahoma before “Texas could get him,” and led police on a high-speed chase. He could recall specific details about the trip, the firearms, and the sequence of events.¹⁵ On February 24, 2015, after deliberating less than three hours, the jury convicted Routh of capital murder.¹⁴

Where Routh Is Now

Because prosecutors had not sought the death penalty, the capital murder conviction carried an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Texas 11th Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction on March 31, 2017, and denied a rehearing on April 20, 2017.²⁰ According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Routh (TDCJ Number 01980993) is held at the Ramsey I unit, with his projected release date, maximum sentence date, and parole eligibility date all listed as “life without parole.”²¹

1
People. Witness: Chris Kyles Killer Said I Shot Them Because They Wouldnt Talk to Me
2
ABC News. American Sniper Trial: Accused Shooter Told Cops He Knew Actions Were Wrong
3
Time. American Sniper Trial: Eddie Ray Routh
4
Elon University. Why Did the Insanity Defense Fail in American Sniper Trial
5
Texas Public Radio. Sister of American Sniper Defendant: He Said He Killed Two
6
The Trace. Chris Kyle American Sniper Murder Eddie Routh Mental Records
7
CBC. Vet Accused of Killing Navy SEAL Sniper Had Sought Mental Help
8
KERA News. Trial Comes for Eddie Ray Routh, Marine Accused of Killing American Sniper
9
KPBS. Slain Sniper Chris Kyle Was PTSD Advocate
10
CBS News. Snipers Death Spotlights Risks of Gun Therapy for Veterans
11
Fox2Now. Accused Killer of American Sniper Chris Kyle Acted Bizarrely for Years, Family Says
12
NBC DFW. Prosecution Expected to Rest in American Sniper Trial
13
CNN. American Sniper Chris Kyle Trial
14
Time. Eddie Ray Routh Found Guilty in Chris Kyle, Chad Littlefield Murders
15
Findlaw. Eddie Ray Routh v. The State of Texas
16
The Guardian. American Sniper Jurors Eddie Ray Routh Mental State
17
ABC News. American Sniper Trial: Eddie Ray Routh Knew His Actions Were Wrong
18
CBS News. Was American Sniper Shooter Psychotic When He Killed Two
19
Courthouse News Service. American Sniper Killer Was Not Insane, Prosecution Experts Insist
20
Courthouse News Service. American Sniper Killer Will Get No Rehearing
21
Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Inmate Search: Eddie Ray Routh