When he was 25, Kyle became a sniper with the U.S. Navy SEALs. I would worry about him all the time. Police have detained 25-year-old Eddie Ray Routh, a former Marine who was with the two men at the shooting range.--------------------------------------------------------TomoNews is your daily source for top animated news. Littlefield responded, "Watch my six," military slang meaning "watch my back. The phone may contain pictures of Routh with the victims before their deaths at a Texas shooting range, according to police documents released Thursday. Kyle took up a position just set back from the street window of a top-floor flat and in a macabre touch he and his partner used an upturned babys crib to rest their rifles on as they lay down on rolled-up bedding and waited. Complete coverage of Chris Kyle on Crimesider, First published on February 8, 2013 / 10:46 AM. Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield were shot and killed by a former Marine that they had taken to a gun range as therapy to address his PTSD in 2013. Kyle had begun working with veterans after leaving the military and Routh's mother had asked him to help her son. I was in some badass situations, but it wasnt just me. Those pistols were loaded with the safety on. He was experiencing auditory hallucinations and paranoia and had threatened suicide. After all, hed helped other vets before. Christopher Scott Kyle (April 8, 1974 - February 2, 2013) was a United States Navy SEAL sniper. Subscribe now to get instant access to the real story behind Chris Kyle, in this issue of PEOPLE. [17][18] Routh is imprisoned at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Ramsey Unit in Brazoria County, Texas. [14], Routh's attorneys argued that he was insane at the time of the murders. I look through the scope, get my target in the cross hairs, and kill my enemy, before he kills one of my people.. As depicted in the films tense trailer, Kyle opened fire as ordered on a woman approaching a group of Marines with a hand grenade. Chris, who served four tours in Iraq before his death at age 38 in 2013, was so complicated in so many ways but so simple in other ways, his widow, Taya Kyle, tells PEOPLE in this weeks issue. STEPHENVILLE, TX Another dramatic day of testimony in the American Sniper Trial. According to the civil suit complaint filed in a local Texas court, Long and his brother Stephen were taken to the range by a resort staffer on Aug. 3, 2009. Taya founded the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation to honor her late husband and help enrich military families relationships. He agreed to take Routh to a shooting range, which Kyle believed had therapeutic value. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Kyle, who was a former Navy SEAL, and his friend Littlefield were walking down range to set up targets when Eddie Ray Routh opened fire and hit both of them. He declined and stopped taking his medication. A funeral service for. Heres how. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Chris Kyle was shot and killed at a shooting range in Erath County, Texas, alongside his friend Chad Littlefield on February 2, 2013. Taya Ranae Studebacker was born in Portland, Oregon, and is the daughter of the mayor of Lake Oswego, Kent Studebaker. [2], Murders of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield, "The fatal intersection of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and the Marine veteran who killed him", "Chad Littlefield, 1977-2013: The Other Shooting-Range Victim", "Inside the Tortured Mind of Eddie Ray Routh, the Man Who Killed American Sniper Chris Kyle", "Noted sniper slain at Erath County gun range", "Man charged in fatal shooting of ex-SEAL/author", "Chris Kyle's Widow Breaks Down on the Stand and the Chilling Text Message", "Author of 'American Sniper' among the dead at Rough Creek", "Ex-SEAL Chris Kyle remembered after shooting death", "At 'American Sniper' murder trial, a psychosis defense", "Jury Returns Guilty Verdict in 'American Sniper' Trial", "Jury finds Eddie Ray Routh guilty in 'American Sniper' case", "Chris Kyle Funeral Procession Arrives in Austin. As Kyle listened, Jodi told him about how her 25-year-old son, Eddie, had struggled to adjust to civilian life after serving in the military. Eddie lived with his parents and was a thin, scraggly 25-year-old. Kyle was not a soldier particularly racked by conscience. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle leaves behind his wife Taya and two children. Hall added that Kyles widow, Taya, had also asked him not to include her husbands murder for the sake of their children. 5. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Stay informed on the latest crime news with abcnews.com.ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Tune into ABC World News Tonight with David Muir for unparalleled reporting. It was supposed to be a simple trip to the gun range. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Moore suggested Kyle, who worked with troubled veterans and had only met Routh that day, suspected something was wrong after picking up Routh. Ironically, the man whom the Iraqis couldnt kill despite placing a $20,000 bounty on his head fell victim to a former U.S. Marine veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. I'm sure they've forgiven me."[6]. [21][22], Littlefield's funeral was held on February 8, 2013, at the First Baptist Church of Midlothian, Texas; he was buried at Mount Zion cemetery. Storm: Kyle wrote a graphic memoir, American Sniper, about his four bloody tours of Iraq, released last year. "The guns and ammo were in control of Rough Creek Lodge all the way up until the time my client pulled trigger," Zook said. He remains jailed in Erath County on $3 million bond. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. After hed killed Kyle and Littlefield, Routh got into Kyles truck and fled. He would always say, Mow a vets lawn, help them deal with their groceries, do anything. Any little thing would have a massive impact, so if this [film] can help Chris spread the message he wanted to spread, then we will all have done our job.. Taya Kyle reveals how American Sniper brought her husband back to life and why she trusted Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper. He had wanted to join the Marine Corps since he was thirteen years old, and did so after high school. Were so thrilled that we have the verdict that we have tonight, Kyles mother, Judy, told reporters. Kyle went on to serve in many major battles during the Iraq war, where he became renowned as one of the country's deadliest snipers. "It seems to be run OK from the outside. Anything we can do, I think its worth it for these guys who have put it all on the line, she says. He went to his sister Laura Blevin's house and explained what he had done, before she dialled 911. But what that does is give you a really solid and honest relationship on which to build [the performances]., 4. Kyle, 38, and a friend had taken troubled Eddie Routh to a shooting range as therapy only for Routh to shoot them dead. A week later, Kyle followed through. In 2011, he started the FITCO Cares Foundation, and the next year he published his book, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal American Sniper. "Saturday Night Live" funnyman Chris Farley followed his idol John Belushi to an early death via a drug overdose. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. Before he left, We said, I love you, recalls Taya. Chad Littlefield (February 11, 1977 February 2, 2013), This page was last edited on 19 October 2022, at 20:59. He was deployed to a base near Baghdad in September 2007, where he worked for six months as a prison guard and repaired weapons. They say pictures of weapons, shell casings, and even the bodies of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. In 2006, he returned, this time to fight in Ramadi, now considered the countrys most dangerous city. ': Kim Kardashian is hailed the 'Queen of TikTok' after giving herself a Want the best deals for peak-season holidays? Routh would show off Kyle's items at an uncle's house and his sister's house, and also stop at Taco Bell for a burrito, Nash added. "We just said we loved each other and gave each other a hug and kiss, like we always did," she said. After reading about Chris Kyles death at the hands of Eddie Ray Routh, discover the story of Simo Hyh, the deadliest sniper in history. Cops eventually used stop sticks to puncture his tires. Eddie Ray Rouths mugshot, taken after Chris Kyles death. 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Retired Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and a friend, Chad Littlefield, were fatally shot at the resort's gun range, allegedly by Eddie Ray Routh, a reportedly emotionally troubled veteran Kyle was trying to help. World News Tonight keeps the American public informed, up to date, and empowered by providing the latest information and analysis of major breaking news from around the country and the world. [6] On the way to the shooting range, Kyle texted Littlefield, "This dude is straight up nuts." Bored of the long waiting game of sniping, Kyle started helping the Marines clear houses of possible enemies. Tom Fox Pool/Getty ImagesEddie Ray Routh was found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. Online calculator reveals how inflation-busting 14.4% hike will Father-of-four 'killed a woman he met on dating website by spiking her with Oxycodone to knock her out for 'Thiswas not on my 2023 bingo card! HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. Mother reveals devastation after learning her daughter, two, is battling a rare disorder that affects only Netflix is hiring a flight attendant for one of its private jets with a mouth-watering pay of up to $385,000 Not quite love at first sight! 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle Killing: 911 Call Released Made from Texas Gun Range ABC News 14M subscribers Subscribe 2.6K Share Save 775K views 9 years ago The former Navy SEAL and author was. Were even sharing a few of our favorite models at the end. Find the right rowing machine with help from this buying guide. Tara Kyle cries on the stand during court inside the Erath County Donald R. Jones Justice Center during the murder trial for Eddie Ray Routh in Stephenville, Texas, Feb. 11, 2015. On Jan. 25, 2013, Jodi Routh approached Chris Kyle at the elementary school his kids attended and where she worked. [13] The trial began on February 11, 2015. Since prosecutors decided beforehand not to seek the death penalty, the trial judge, Jason Cashon, immediately sentenced Routh to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Routh was a 25-year-old Marine who had experienced post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite arguments from the defense that he suffered from psychosis, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses, a judge convicted Routh to life in prison. Kyle's life came to a tragic end on February 2, 2013, when he and a colleague, Chad Littlefield, were shot at a gun range outside of Forth Worth, Texas, by Eddie Ray Routh, an ex-Marine who had . Originally published on 12 February, 2015Former Marine Eddie Ray Routh, 27, is being tried for the 2013 murder of "American Sniper" Chris Kyle, 38, and the m. Later, itll be up to his lawyers to convince jurors that mental illness kept him from knowing right from wrong. Eddie Routh had spent four years in the Marines but since leaving he had twice been hospitalized for mental illness. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Kyle was known as the best sniper of his time. Here are five things to know about the decorated two-time Silver Star recipient, whose nickname was the Legend..