On February 2nd, 2013, Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in United States history, was shot and killed along with fellow veteran Chad Littlefield by Eddie Ray Routh, a Marine Corp veteran.
The event occurred at a shooting range in Erath County, Texas, where Kyle and Littlefield took Routh in an attempt to help him cope with his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The WarFighter Foundation, a veteran non-profit organization, discovered that Routh never saw combat while serving in Iraq.
“Eddie Routh served one tour in Iraq in 2007, at Balad Air Base with no significant events,” the foundation stated, “No combat experience. He never saw combat or any aspect of traumatic events associated with a combat deployment. He never left base. Ever.”
This statement caused many people to question the validity of Routh’s PTSD claim. While it is not unheard of for an individual to experience PTSD without seeing any form of combat, it is very unlikely that a person with PTSD would act in a violent manner. There were several accounts from Marine Corp veterans that served with Routh that stated he was prone to violence prior to being deployed to Iraq. People suffering from PTSD usually internalize their disorder, causing them to become depressed or even suicidal.
There have been unconfirmed reports from various news platforms that Routh may have been on some form of street drug, and this could have possibly contributed to his psychological problems.
Chris Kyle’s widow, Tara Kyle, told ABC, “Someone taking the lives of two people that were there to help them, that’s not PTSD, in my opinion.”
Routh’s trial is set for February 11th, and will continue for several weeks. Routh will more than likely enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity at the beginning of the trail and will attempt to use PTSD as a legal defense.
With the recent success of the blockbuster film American Sniper, which portrayed Chris Kyle’s life as a Navy SEAL in Iraq, it has been difficult to find an impartial jury for the trial. Routh’s attorney has attempted to move the trial out of Erath County in a desperate hope of finding a fair jury, but finding individuals who have not seen the film or do not know the story, especially in Kyle’s home state of Texas, will be nearly impossible.
This February marked the two year anniversary of Kyle’s murder and the start of a lengthy trial process for Routh. The film American Sniper has been in theaters since December of 2014 and along with the trial, has since brought his story back to the center of national media conversations.
The conclusion of this trial will most likely not provide any closure to those who loved or supported Chris Kyle. Routh will not receive justice for the crime he committed if his insanity plea is accepted.