'American
Sniper' Kyle called Texas murder defendant 'nuts'
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[February 12, 2015]
By Jon Herskovitz
STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Reuters) - Shortly
before being slain, Chris Kyle, the Navy SEAL whose autobiography was
turned into the hit movie "American Sniper," texted a friend next to him
in a pickup truck that the man who moments later would shoot them both
was "nuts," a defense lawyer said on Wednesday.
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A Texas jury heard opening statements and the first witness in the
trial of former U.S. Marine Eddie Ray Routh, 27. He is charged with
murdering Kyle and Chad Littlefield, Kyle's friend and neighbor, in
February 2013 at a shooting range about 70 miles (110 km) southwest
of Fort Worth.
Routh was driven to the range by Kyle, who had been helping fellow
veterans heal the mental scars stemming from combat.
As the three men sped over Texas country roads, Kyle, who was
credited with the most kills of any U.S. sniper, sent a text to
Littlefield that read: "This dude is straight up nuts," defense
attorney Tim Moore told jurors.
Prosecutors told the jury of 10 women and two men in rural Erath
County that Routh was aware of what he was doing and acted
"knowingly and intentionally" when he gunned down Kyle and
Littlefield.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2012/Jun/18/images/ads/current/ldn_sda_062409.png) Kyle, a ranch hand turned military man, has been lionized in his
home state of Texas where many people see him as a model of
dedication to country and servicemen. His story has gained renewed
attention thanks to the Oscar-nominated movie directed by Clint
Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper.
Defense attorneys did not dispute that Routh shot the men but
pressed their case that he should be found not guilty by reason of
insanity. They said he was in a paranoid psychotic episode and did
not know his actions were wrong when he shot the two men. They said
Routh suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, caused
by overseas deployments.
Routh, dressed in a dark suit and sporting a crew cut, took notes at
points through the trial.
Kyle's widow, Taya, the first witness called, said her husband was
renowned for his skills as a sniper and serviceman.
“He was good at what he did," she said, choking back tears as she
recounted life with him and learning of his death.
'ARE YOU OK?'
She said she knew something was amiss when she spoke by phone to
Kyle at the shooting range, a scenic location he often visited to
help fellow veterans trying to manage PTSD.
"I could tell something was up," she said, adding Kyle was quick on
the phone, likely to avoid letting Routh know his irritation.
"I texted 'Are you OK? I am getting worried,'” she said. No response
arrived.
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A few hours later, a police officer came to her house to say that
officers were searching for her husband's pickup truck. Shortly
after that, she learned her husband was dead, she told the jury,
trying to hold back tears.
Staff at the lodge that housed the shooting range and emergency
medical technicians said Littlefield's body was found on a shooting
platform, while Kyle was found a few yards away in the dirt. Both
were soaked in blood and there were no signs of life.
"Chris was face down, nose in the dirt," one of the lodge staff
said. The two were declared dead at the scene.
Taya Kyle said bonding over target practice helped her husband
discuss difficult matters with veterans trying to adjust to life
after battle.
"They can really talk and commiserate and get some healing done,"
she said of the outings.
Erath County District Attorney Alan Nash said Routh shot the two men
multiple times in the back and stole the truck and weapons, knowing
it was wrong.
Nash said Routh served as a weapons tech in a safe zone in Iraq. The
defense told the jury that Routh was severely affected mentally by
his earthquake relief efforts with the Marines in Haiti in 2010.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2012/Sep/18/images/ads/current/demay_inv-lda081412.png)
The trial is expected to take about two weeks. If Routh is
convicted, prosecutors said they would seek a life sentence.
(Additional reporting by Lisa Maria Garza in Dallas; Editing by Will
Dunham and Peter Cooney)
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