"American Sniper" Murder Trial - Jury selection begins. Stephenville, TX

Juror Selection to Begin for 'American Sniper' Murder Trial

Feb 5, 2015, 3:12 AM ET

By RYAN OWENS via GOOD MORNING AMERICA


World News Videos | ABC World News

Jury selection is scheduled to begin today in the trial of Eddie Ray Routh, the Marine veteran accused of shooting Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the central character portrayed in the blockbuster movie “American Sniper.”

Kyle -- who’s widely recognized for having made the highest number of confirmed kills in American military history -- was fatally shot at a gun range in Texas in 2013. Another man, his friend Chad Littlefield, was also killed.

About 800 potential jurors have been summoned for possible selection in the trial, based upon the expectation that only about half will show up. From that jury pool, the judge and attorneys will select 12 jurors and two alternates.

The two-step process begins with the possible jurors being asked questions about whether they have seen the movie, which stars Bradley Cooper as Kyle, or have read Kyle's autobiography of the same name. The second portion will consist of the attorneys questioning potential jurors.


PHOTO: A Feb. 3, 2013 booking photo from the Erath County Sheriff’s Office shows Eddie Ray Routh

The murder trial is taking place in Stephenville, Texas, a 17,000-population city located about 100 miles southwest of Dallas. At Jake and Dorothy’s Café, which has been in operation since the 1940s, the trial has been a main topic of conversation.

“I saw the movie, and I think they are going to have a hard time finding an impartial jury,” said resident Susan Cockburn.

Read more:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/jury-screening-begin-american-sniper-murder-trial/story?id=28741237

http://m.waxahachietx.com/midlothian/news/local/jury-selection-starts-for-chris-kyle-chad-littlefield-slayings/article_6051a20e-f113-51b8-90d9-b7d8d333ad97.html?mode=jqm

Article from my hometown paper. Even though the trial is not close to here Chris Kyle grew up in a town about 15 miles away so our paper is keeping up with the trial.  Chris had taken the suspect to a shooting range over in StephenVille so that is how it ended up over that far away.  It's about 97 miles from here to Stephenville. That poor town us so small and there budget is not proably ready for something this big. I would think the military would help with this since he served and has such a big name but that is just wishful thinking on my part. This trial Will probably drain their little county budget for sure.

Jury pool narrows in 'American Sniper' murder trial (Video)

Jim Douglas, WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas 6:50 a.m. EST February 6, 2015

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Despite concern about excess publicity, 151 potential jurors remain in the pool for the capital murder trial of Eddie Ray Routh, accused killer of famed Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield.

Erath court officials say the first day of jury selection went smoothly Thursday.

Roughly 40 people were disqualified or dismissed by the judge. One man was dismissed after telling Judge Jason Cashon that he was a Vietnam veteran being treated for PTSD.

Routh appeared in court, clean-cut and wearing a suitcoat. He looked and acted engaged.

Read more:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/06/jury-being-selected-in-american-sniper-murder-trial/22962663/

Nene_Please wrote:http://m.waxahachietx.com/midlothian/news/local/jury-selection-starts-for-chris-kyle-chad-littlefield-slayings/article_6051a20e-f113-51b8-90d9-b7d8d333ad97.html?mode=jqm

Article from my hometown paper. Even though the trial is not close to here Chris Kyle grew up in a town about 15 miles away so our paper is keeping up with the trial.  Chris had taken the suspect to a shooting range over in StephenVille so that is how it ended up over that far away.  It's about 97 miles from here to Stephenville. That poor town us so small and there budget is not proably ready for something this big. I would think the military would help with this since he served and has such a big name but that is just wishful thinking on my part. This trial Will probably drain their little county budget for sure.

Hi Nene_Please,

Thank you so much for sharing the link!

'American Sniper' Chris Kyle's family voices confidence in justice system


Chris Kyle in 2012. Jury selection continues in the murder trial of the man accused of shooting Kyle and a friend, Chad Littlefield. (Paul Moseley / Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske  

February 6, 2015, 5:30 AM | Reporting from Stephenville, Texas

Slain "American Sniper" Chris Kyle's family says they are confident of “a fair and just verdict” in the murder trial of the troubled veteran who is accused of killing him..

Eddie Ray Routh stands accused of shooting Kyle, 38, and Chad Littlefield, 35, at a gun range near here two years ago this week. They had taken Routh, then 25, with them to try to help him.

In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Kyle’s family said part of what he fought to defend was the justice system, which they now must trust to decide the fate of his accused killer.

~Snipped~

Kyle became one of the country’s most lethal snipers during four tours of duty in Iraq. The book he wrote about his experiences, "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History," became an Oscar-nominated movie directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper.

Routh, now 27, is to appear in court Friday for the second day of jury selection. He has been held at Erath County Jail on two counts of murder and one count of capital murder in lieu of $3-million

Read more:

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-american-sniper-taya-kyle-20150205-story.html#page=1

Chris Kyle Murder News

http://abcnews.go.com/topics/news/chris-kyle-murder.htm

RELATED MEDIA INFORMATION:

Former SEAL Chris Kyle Allegedly Killed by Former Marine He Was Trying to Help

Feb. 3, 2013

By DEAN SCHABNER via WORLD NEWS


World News Videos | ABC World News

Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and his neighbor Chad Littlefield took former Marine Eddie Ray Routh to a Texas gun range to help him, but for some reason Routh allegedly turned his gun on his two mentors, killing them both, police said today.

ABC News affiliate WFAA-TV in Dallas reported that investigators said Routh, 25, was recovering from post traumatic stress disorder, but police today said they could not confirm that.

~Snipped~

Witnesses told police that Routh left the shooting scene in Kyle's pickup truck. He drove to his sister's home in Midlothian and when he allegedly told her and her husband that he had shot the two men, the couple called police.

Read more:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/seal-chris-kyle-allegedly-killed-marine/story?id=18389238

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Ex-Navy sniper, another military vet killed at Texas gun range

By Greg Botelho and Josh Levs, CNN
Updated 8:23 AM ET, Mon February 4, 2013



VIDEO: What happened the day ex-Navy sniper was killed 01:56

A former Navy SEAL known for claiming a record number of sniper killings in Iraq was one of two men shot dead at a Texas gun range, allegedly at the hands of a fellow military veteran, officials say.

~Snipped~

About four hours afterward, and 90 miles from where those two men's bodies were found by a hunting guide, authorities arrested suspect Eddie Ray Routh, 25, on a capital murder warrant.

Routh's family members could not be reached immediately for comment Sunday. No attorney has made a public statement on his behalf.

Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant said Sunday that he believes the suspect is in the process of seeking a court-appointed attorney.

~Snipped~

Public records show Routh previously lived at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, though his latest address was in Lancaster, Texas.

At the time of shooting, he was unemployed. Bryant said that Routh's mother, a longtime schoolteacher, "may have reached out to Mr. Kyle to try and help her son."

~Snipped~

'He led by example,' Kyle's friend says

Kyle learned to shoot on hunting trips with his father, then went on to serve four combat tours in Iraq with the SEALs, though his official biography notes he also worked with Army and Marine units. He received two Silver Stars and other commendations before leaving the Navy in 2009 -- claiming that, in his years as a sniper, he'd killed more than 150 people, which he called a record for an American.

~Snipped~

After leaving the military, he founded Craft International, a military training company. Kyle also spoke up on current events, including accusing President Barack Obama of being "against the Second Amendment" because of his gun control initiatives, according to a video interview with guns.com.

The married father of two children established the nonprofit Fitco Cares Foundation to help veterans battling PTSD -- post-traumatic stress disorder -- get access to exercise equipment.

Littlefield, who leaves behind a wife and children, was a friend and another veteran who worked to help people with PTSD, said Fitco Director Travis Cox.

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/03/justice/texas-sniper-killed/index.html

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'American Sniper' fame weighs on trial of accused killer (Video)

By Ben Brumfield and Andrew Spencer, CNN
Updated 3:21 PM ET, Thu February 5, 2015

(CNN)—Everyone knows who Chris Kyle was -- the "American Sniper." That may make work challenging for a small Texas county tasked with giving his accused killer, Eddie Ray Routh, a fair trial.

Jury selection is set for Thursday, and an Erath County court will begin sifting through 800 hundred potential jurors, the Stephenville Empire-Tribune reported.

An attorney for Routh wants the trial's venue moved, saying a fair trial is impossible there.

~Snipped~


A day at the range

Kyle, who claimed to be the deadliest sniper in U.S. history for his 160 confirmed kills in Iraq, had already risen to fame for his bestselling autobiography, "American Sniper," when he died on February 2, 2013.

He had taken two friends, both veterans, to a firing range.

Routh, an unemployed former Marine, was one of them. He suffered from severe PTSD. Kyle was doing charitable work to help former soldiers suffering from the psychological disorder.

The other man with them was Chad Littlefield.

It was a Saturday, and the three men arrived at the Rough Creek Lodge, about 90 miles southwest of Dallas after 3 p.m.


No witnesses

The range makes up a small, remote part of the sprawling 11,000-acre resort, and the men were isolated.

"So, there wasn't anybody anywhere close to that," Sheriff Tommy Bryant said back then. There were no witnesses to the killing of Kyle and Littlefield.

Less than two hours after they had arrived, a hunting guide passing by found the two victims motionless, went to the lodge and called 911. Kyle and Littlefield were dead when officers arrived.

Routh was gone, and so was Kyle's black Ford pickup. Law enforcement put out an all-points bulletin.


Police: Fleeing in Kyle's truck

Routh drove up in it at his sister's house 65 miles away, police said. She called 911.

"I'm terrified for my life," she said. Routh had told her that he killed two men.

"They went out to a shooting range. Like, he's all crazy," Routh's sister told authorities. "My husband is going to talk to you, because I'm so nervous."

Routh got back into the truck and hit the road again, police said. But he was easy to find. Officers caught up with him that evening at his home in a Dallas suburb.

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/05/us/american-sniper-chris-kyle-jury/index.html

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Will "American Sniper" bias jury in Chris Kyle murder trial?

February 5, 2015, 7:32 AM | Jury selection is about to start for the trial of Eddie Ray Routh who is accused of murdering Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield. Kyle's life is the subject of the film "American Sniper." The defendant's attorney says a fair trial is impossible. Mark Strassmann reports from Stephenville, Texas.

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/will-american-sniper-bias-jury-in-chris-kyle-murder-trial/

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The Legend of Chris Kyle

The deadliest sniper in U.S. history performed near miracles on the battlefield. Then he had to come home.

By Michael J. Mooney
From D Magazine April 2013

There’s a story about Chris Kyle: on a cold January morning in 2010, he pulled into a gas station somewhere along Highway 67, south of Dallas. He was driving his supercharged black Ford F350 outfitted with black rims and oversize knobby mudding tires. Kyle had replaced the Ford logo on the grill with a small chrome skull, similar to the Punisher emblem from the Marvel Comics series, and added a riot-ready aftermarket grill guard bearing the words ROAD ARMOR. He had just left the Navy and moved back to Texas.

Two guys approached him with pistols and demanded his money and the keys to his truck. With his hands in the air, he sized up which man seemed most confident with his gun.

~Snipped~

He told the robbers that he just needed to reach back into the truck to get the keys. He turned around and reached under his winter coat instead, into his waistband. With his right hand, he grabbed his Colt 1911. He fired two shots under his left armpit, hitting the first man twice in the chest. Then he turned slightly and fired two more times, hitting the second man twice in the chest. Both men fell dead.

Kyle leaned on his truck and waited for the police.

When they arrived, they detained him while they ran his driver’s license. But instead of his name, address, and date of birth, what came up was a phone number at the Department of Defense. At the other end of the line was someone who explained that the police were in the presence of one of the most skilled fighters in U.S. military history. When they reviewed the surveillance footage, the officers found the incident had happened just as Kyle had described it. They were very understanding, and they didn’t want to drag a just-home, highly decorated veteran into a messy legal situation.

Kyle wasn’t unnerved or bothered. Quite the opposite. He’d been feeling depressed since he left the service, struggling to adjust to civilian life. This was an exciting reminder of the action he missed.

Read more:

http://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2013/april/the-legend-of-chris-kyle-01

Eddie Ray Routh, a 27-year-old Iraq war veteran, is seen before and after his 2013 arrest for murder. Uncredited/AP


The former U.S. Navy SEAL sniper, seen left, and his friend Chad Littlefield, seen right, were allegedly murdered by Routh at a rural gun range.  HANDOUT/Reuters/Facebook



The two men were gunned down at the Rough Creek Lodge in Texas on February 3, 2013.

Read more:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/jury-selection-begins-murder-american-sniper-hero-article-1.2104755

5 questions, answers about 'American Sniper' murder trial

AP News | Feb 07, 2015

Iraq War veteran Eddie Ray Routh is preparing to stand trial, charged with capital murder in the shootings of "American Sniper" author and former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield. Routh's post-traumatic stress disorder brought the men together, as Kyle and Littlefield sought to help the ex-Marine. Routh's parents think that diagnosis should carry some weight with the jury. Here are some questions and answers about the proceeding, and how PTSD might play a role.

Q: Did Eddie Ray Routh and Chris Kyle know each other?

A: No. Mother Jodi Routh has told numerous news outlets that she ran into Kyle at the school where she serves as an aide. She had heard about Kyle's work with wounded veterans and asked if he might be willing to help her son, who was struggling with PTSD and alcohol abuse. Kyle and Littlefield went to Routh's home on Feb. 2, 2013, to take him to a shooting range, where the killings occurred. It appears to have been the first time they'd met.


Q: What is Routh's defense strategy?

A: Since Routh admitted the slayings to his sister and brother-in-law, and in an interview with the Texas Rangers, the trial will revolve around his state of mind at the time. Routh's attorneys have filed a notice of intent to pursue an insanity defense. Prosecutors have chosen not to seek the death penalty if Routh is convicted, but will ask that he be given life without the possibility of parole. Defense attorneys have expressed concern about whether Routh can receive a fair trial, since the proceeding, set to begin Feb. 11, will come as the Oscar-nominated movie "American Sniper," based on Kyle's memoir, is filling theaters nationwide and even in Erath County, Texas, where trial will be held.

Q: What is PTSD?

A: According to the American Psychiatric Association, PTSD is characterized by "clinically significant distress or impairment in the individual's social interactions, capacity to work or other important areas of functioning." Paula Schnurr, acting executive director of the National Center for PTSD, says the individual need not have experienced the trauma himself. "PTSD can also occur when people have witnessed a horrific event occurring to others or learning about some types of horrific events that may happen to a loved one, such as losing a loved one to murder or suicide," said Schnurr, whose agency is part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Symptoms include recurrent dreams or flashbacks, changes in mood, avoidance and hypervigilance. Anger and irritability are also in the profile, though not all people experience those symptoms, says Schnurr. "We know from research that individuals with PTSD have an increased likelihood of engaging in aggressive or violent behavior," she said. "There is a statistical association between PTSD and violence, both domestic violence and violence against others. But when I say violence I mean aggression or violence and that may include threats and not acts, so it's a broad category." An estimated 15 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD.

Q: How has the PTSD defense fared in the criminal courts?

A: The record has been decidedly mixed. The authors of a 2012 article in The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law concluded that success hinges largely on how well the expert testimony links the symptoms and crime. "Appellate courts have found criminal defenses based on PTSD to be viable and compelling when a clear and direct connection between the defendant's PTSD symptoms and the criminal incident was found by the expert," wrote the authors of "PTSD as a Criminal Defense: A Review of Case Law." ''The PTSD phenomena that appellate courts have found to be most relevant to criminal defenses include dissociations, hyperarousal symptoms, hypervigilance symptoms, and the overestimation of danger." Some jurisdictions have recognized PTSD "as a valid basis for insanity, unconsciousness, and self-defense," the authors found. However, Georgia recently executed Vietnam veteran Andrew Brannan in the 1998 murder of a deputy sheriff, despite arguments from his attorneys that he had PTSD and was 100 percent mentally disabled.

Read more:

http://townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2015/02/07/5-questions-answers-about-american-sniper-murder-trial-n1954255

RELATED ARTICLES:

Jesse Ventura sues the widow of the 'American Sniper' saying that Chris Kyle defamed the former wrestler by writing about how he 'punched him in a bar fight'

By Meghan Keneally
Published: 12:25 EST, 31 May 2013  | Updated: 12:26 EST, 31 May 2013

The former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler is now suing the widow of a former Navy SEAL sniper for defamation because the soldier wrote about an alleged fight he had with Ventura.

Ventura initially filed the suit against Chris Kyle, the SEAL who had the most confirmed kills in American military history, because Kyle said that he knocked Ventura to the floor during a fight outside of a bar.

Ventura, now 61, has now refiled the suit and against Kyle's wife Taya after Kyle was killed in February when he was shot by a former soldier who allegedly had PTSD.

Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2334026/Jesse-Ventura-sues-widow-American-Sniper-saying-Chris-Kyle-defamed-wrestler-writing-punched-bar-fight.html#ixzz3RAYfbkWG

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$1.8 Million for Ventura in Defamation Case

By MONICA DAVEY | JULY 29, 2014

~Snipped~

In 2012, Mr. Ventura sued Chris Kyle, the former Navy SEAL member, saying that his book, “American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History,” included passages about Mr. Ventura that were false and defamatory. The case thrust Mr. Ventura, long gone from the political scene in Minnesota, back into a swirl of waiting news media, a modest contingent of court watchers curious to see the former governor, and at least one protester who appeared outside the courthouse at one point with an anti-Ventura sign.

Mr. Ventura was not named in the book, but was alluded to in a chapter called “Punching Out Scruff Face,” about a confrontation with a celebrity inside a California bar in 2006. In interviews after the book’s release, Mr. Kyle said he was referring to Mr. Ventura.

In testimony, Mr. Ventura acknowledged that he had been inside the bar, a place that was frequented by special Navy units like the SEALs, but he denied claims that he had said the SEALs deserved “to lose a few,” as Mr. Kyle wrote. Mr. Kyle also wrote that he had punched Mr. Ventura; Mr. Ventura said that never occurred.

Read more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/30/us/jesse-ventura-chris-kyle-navy-seal-book-lawsuit.html?_r=0

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Will American Sniper Chris Kyle's Family Have to Pay Jesse Ventura $1.3 Million?

By Jacqueline Andriakos @jandriakos
01/21/2015 AT 07:35 PM EST


Chris Kyle (left) and Jesse Ventura
Chris Haston/NBC/Getty; Jeff Neira/ABC/Getty

Former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura insisted the family of Chris Kyle "hasn't suffered one dime of monetary loss" due to his defamation suit win against the late Navy SEAL. But Ventura may have spoken too soon.

On an episode of his podcast We the People with Jesse Ventura, Ventura explained there were still many “misconceptions” about his recent lawsuit. Ventura claimed Kyle falsely accused him of saying he hates America and that the SEALs "deserve to lose a few" in the war. Ventura was awarded $1.8 million in damages: $500,000 for defamation and $1.3 million for unjust enrichment.

"The jury gave me what they felt I was damaged. The majority of that money is going to my attorney. Again, this will cost the Kyle family nothing for the lie that was written about me," Ventura said in the podcast.

Ventura also said Kyle's widow Taya had her expenses "paid entirely from a giant insurance company."

But Ed Huddleston, a lawyer for the Kyle estate, says this is a premature assumption.

"It is not true that the insurance company is currently agreeable to cover the entire judgment. At present, the insurance company's position is that it would only cover $500,000 of the judgment if the judgment becomes final. That position leaves the Estate at risk for the remaining $1.3 million if the judgment becomes final," Huddleston says in a statement to PEOPLE.

Read more:

http://www.people.com/article/jesse-ventura-chris-kyle-lawsuit-american-sniper

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Chris Kyle’s former business partners say widow of ‘American Sniper’ engaged in ‘character assassination’

Robert Wilonsky

Published: January 28, 2014 2:18 pm


An image of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle with his wife Taya that was part of the February 11 memorial service held at Cowboys Stadium

In court documents filed this month, the former business partners of slain American Sniper Chris Kyle claim his widow engaged in “character assassination” when she sued them just before Christmas.

On December 23, Taya Kyle claimed in documents filed in Dallas County that Steven Young and Bo French are conspiring to “steal” Craft International, the tactical training company her husband helped start with a $1.9 million loan. Kyle and her attorney, Larry Friedman, allege that since Kyle was shot to death in February 2013, the pair has been “manipulating Craft’s stock, mishandling funds, diverting assets and mismanaging and usurping Craft’s contracts.”

~Snipped~


Craft says Taya Kyle wanted control of the company's logo.

Young and French say that despite all that, in September Taya demanded, among other things, that Craft “immediately cease using any images or references to Chris Kyle” and “publish a public written statement to the effect that there is no longer any business or personal relationship between Craft” and the Kyles, including Chris. “In short,” Young and French alleges, Taya Kyle “wanted to rewrite history.”

Read more:

http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/chris-kyles-former-business-partners-say-widow-of-american-sniper-engaged-in-character-assassination.html/

'Legend' of American sniper Chris Kyle looms over murder trial (Video)

By Ed Lavandera, CNN Correspondent
Updated 9:54 AM ET, Mon February 9, 2015

Dallas (CNN)—A generation of soldiers has served grueling tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq since the 9/11 attacks, but few soldiers have gripped the country's conscience in the way Chris Kyle has.

In the autobiography that inspired the blockbuster film "American Sniper," Kyle wrote that his work on Iraqi battlefields earned him the nickname "Legend."

That's what those fighting with Kyle called him. His enemies used another nickname. They dubbed him "al-Shaitan Ramad," or the Devil of Ramadi, indicating the fear a man can instill in his foes when he's capable of taking out a target from a distance of almost 1.2 miles.

Of course, he wasn't the only sniper engaged in those epic battles of the Iraq War, but the legend of Kyle resonates with a wide American audience.

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/09/us/chris-kyle-american-sniper/index.html

Jury Selection Continues for Chris Kyle Slaying Trial (Video)

263 Jurors to Report for Jury Selection Monday

By  Ken Kalthoff


Eddie Ray Routh

Updated at 1:31 PM CST on Saturday, Feb 7, 2015

A reduced pool of 263 qualified jurors returns to continue jury selection Monday after two days of the Eddie Ray Routh murder trial in Stephenville.

Routh, a former U.S. Marine, is accused of killing former Navy Seal Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield two years ago at the Rough Creek Lodge shooting range near Glen Rose.

Kyle’s life is depicted in the recent movie American Sniper.

The Erath County District Clerk contacted an enormous group of 800 citizens for jury duty to seat an impartial panel of 12 jurors plus two alternates for the high profile case. More than half were eliminated due to mailing address problems and legal exemptions before in-person selection began Thursday.

Read more:

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Jury-Selection-Continues-for-Chris-Kyle-Slaying-Trial-291062541.html

"Opening arguments are planned for Wednesday. The initial group of potential jurors has been reduced to 263 and those in the pool who have seen the movie are eligible to serve on the jury, county officials said."

http://wibqam.com/news/articles/2015/feb/09/american-sniper-texas-murder-trial-nears-as-final-jurors-screened/

Yes because the movie is only about his life before the shooting.

'American Sniper' trial raises questions about veterans, PTSD and firearms


Eddie Ray Routh is shown in an undated photo with his mother, Jodi. Routh's trial is set to begin Wednesday in the shooting-range deaths of "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle and a friend. (Associated Press)

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske

February 10, 2015, 8:23 AM | Reporting from STEPHENVILLE, Texas

Joe Washam recently went hunting at a south Texas ranch with fellow veterans, including some suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder..

Washam, a former Army sergeant who developed PTSD after he was wounded in Iraq, noticed one man's hands shake.

Read more:

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-american-sniper-guns-20150210-story.html#page=1

Jury seated for trial of 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle's alleged killer

Published February 10, 201 · Associated Press


These photos show, at left, Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL and author of the book 'American Sniper', and Eddie Ray Routh, a former Marine accused of killing Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield at a shooting range southwest of Fort Worth, Texas on Feb. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul Moseley, File)

STEPHENVILLE, Texas –  A jury was seated Monday in the trial of a man charged with killing the former Navy SEAL depicted in the Oscar-nominated movie "American Sniper," with the judge estimating no more than two dozen people were dismissed from service because of publicity about the case.

Ten women and two men will serve as jurors for Eddie Ray Routh's trial, which starts Wednesday with opening statements. Routh, a former Marine, is charged with capital murder in the deaths of 38-year-old Chris Kyle and Kyle's friend, 35-year-old Chad Littlefield. Kyle and Littlefield were trying to help Routh when prosecutors say he shot them at a Texas gun range in 2013.

Read more:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/02/10/jury-seated-for-trial-american-sniper-chris-kyle-alleged-killer/

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Jury seated for ‘American Sniper’ murder trial in Stephenville



Eddie Ray Routh listened to the jury selection process in the courtroom in Stephenville on Monday. He faces life in prison without parole if convicted. If he is found not guilty by reason of insanity, he could face up to life in a state mental hospital.

By JAMIE STENGLE  
The Associated Press

Published:  09 February 2015 06:30 PM
Updated: 09 February 2015 09:19 PM

Read more:

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20150209-jury-seated-for-trial-in-american-sniper-death.ece

Proceeding Expected Before 'American Sniper' Trial Start

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Feb 10, 2015, 1:42 AM ET

AP

A judge is expected to hold a pretrial proceeding ahead of opening statements in the trial of the man charged with killing the former Navy SEAL depicted in the Oscar-nominated movie "American Sniper."

The procedural matters were scheduled for Tuesday with openings expected Wednesday in the trial of Eddie Ray Routh, a former Marine charged with capital murder in the deaths of Chris Kyle and Kyle's friend, Chad Littlefield. They were fatally shot at a gun range in 2013.

~Snipped~

Routh's attorneys plan to pursue an insanity defense. Prosecutors aren't seeking the death penalty. Routh faces life in prison without parole if convicted

Read more:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/proceeding-expected-american-sniper-trial-start-28850622

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Chad Littlefield's Parents Get Strength From Slain Son's Memory (Video)

By  Jon Koonsman


Don and Judy Littlefield (left) met with Jon Koonsman in Stephenville last week to talk about their son, Chad Littlefield (right).

Updated at 11:23 PM CST on Saturday, Feb 7, 2015

"Mom, life is so good it's scary."

Chad Littlefield was in high spirits when he spoke those words on Feb. 1, 2013. When he stopped by his parents' Desoto home for lunch that Friday afternoon, he stayed a little longer than usual.

The younger of Don and Judy Littlefield's two boys, Chad spoke of his little girl and where he was spiritually. After about an hour, he hugged and kissed each of his parents and started down the sidewalk toward his truck.

Upon reaching the curb, Chad sat down the package he was carrying then turned and walked back up the sidewalk to give them each another hug. It was a little unusual, but neither Don nor Judy paid it much thought as they resumed their busy afternoon.



More:

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Chad-Littlefields-Parents-Get-Strength-From-Slain-Sons-Memory-291173221.html

Hollywood to reality: Trial for American Sniper killer begins

Rick Jervis, USA TODAY 2 p.m. EST February 10, 2015

The film American Sniper is capturing the attention of millions of moviegoers -- and now millions more will be focused on the trial of a mentally troubled man who killed the hero upon whom the film is based.

~Snipped~

A key issue in the trial will be Routh's alleged post-traumatic stress disorder, which could play a central role in his defense. Routh, 27, has confessed to the Feb. 2, 2013, killing of Kyle, 38, and Littlefield, 35, at an upscale shooting range near Fort Worth. Family members have said Routh, a former Marine and Iraq War veteran, was suffering from PTSD and had checked out of a psychiatric hospital just five months before the shootings. His attorneys plan to pursue an insanity defense.

Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty and will ask that Routh be given life without parole, if convicted.

"This trial will scare many people in the public who don't know about PTSD," said Dr. Harry Croft, a San Antonio-based psychiatrist who has evaluated veterans with combat-related anxiety for more than two decades. "PTSD by itself is not a common cause of this kind of violence."

~Snipped~

But attorneys didn't need to find jurors who hadn't heard of Kyle or seen the movie based on his life – only those who agreed to judge the case impartially based on the evidence, said Geoffrey Corn, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who teaches criminal law at South Texas College of Law in Houston.

Winning an acquittal on reasons of insanity is difficult and extremely rare in murder cases, he said.

"An insanity defense normally fails," Corn said. "A jury tends to believe if you're sane enough to pick up a gun, you're sane enough to be held accountable for what you did."

Read more:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/02/10/murder-trial-american-sniper-ptsd/23143657/

Nene_Please wrote:Yes because the movie is only about his life before the shooting.

Exactly!

Watch Live: 'American Sniper' Trial

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/watch-live-american-sniper-trial-n304331

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Opening Statements Begin In The Chris Kyle Murder Trial | Watch Live

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/show/cbs-11-live-video/

______________________

American Sniper Trial: Live Stream

http://www.wildabouttrial.com/trial_videos/american-sniper-trial-live-stream/

______________________

LIVE STREAM: Sniper Trial

http://wwlp.com/2015/02/11/live-stream-sniper-trial/

Police presence increases ahead of 'American Sniper' trial opening arguments

Officers on round-the-clock patrols in town of Stephenville

Author: Keith Garvin, Anchor/Reporter, kgarvin@kprc.com

Published On: Feb 10 2015 08:46:57 PM CST   Updated On: Feb 10 2015 10:26:30 PM CST

STEPHENVILLE, Texas -  Law enforcement in the town of Stephenville is already making their presence known ahead of Wednesday morning's opening arguments in the murder trial for the man charged with killing former Navy Seal Chris Kyle and Kyle's friend, Chad Littlefield.

Officers are on round-the-clock patrols and streets are filled with roadblocks.

Read more:

http://www.click2houston.com/news/police-presence-increases-ahead-of-american-sniper-trial-opening-arguments/31203584

Wife of 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle to testify

Author: The Associated Press

Published On: Feb 10 2015 03:13:14 PM CST

STEPHENVILLE, Texas -  Prosecutors say the widow of Chris Kyle, the former Navy SEAL depicted in the Oscar-nominated movie "American Sniper," will be among the first witnesses to testify during the trial of his alleged killer in Texas.

Read more:

http://www.click2houston.com/news/wife-of-american-sniper-chris-kyle-to-testify/31197876

'American Sniper' Trial: Details of Fatal Shooting Revealed in Opening Statements

Feb 11, 2015, 11:12 AM ET
By MEGHAN KENEALLY



The prosecution methodically walked through the fatal day when "American Sniper" Chris Kyle and his friend were killed, giving an idea of how he will combat an insanity plea expected from the accused, Eddie Ray Routh.

He described how Routh was "a little strange," but that didn't stop Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, from doing one of their favorite things, "spending time with veterans."

Erath County District Attorney Alan Nash described how Routh allegedly shot Kyle five times in the back and side and once in the top of the head, and Littlefield four times in the back, once in the hand, once in the face and once in the top of the head.

~Snipped~

“He used this 'wet' marijuana that morning and he drank whisky with it," Nash said. "But he admits [later to his sister] that he murdered these two men, that he used drugs and alcohol that morning and he knew what he was doing was wrong.”

~Snipped~

Routh's defense attorney Tim Moore followed, launching his opening statements by making the expected insanity plea clear.

“When he took their lives, he was in the grip of a psychosis, a psychosis so severe that he did not know what he was doing was wrong,” Moore said, adding that Routh thought "that he had to take their lives because, in his psychosis, he thought they were going to take his."

Moore added that Routh proposed marriage to a woman the night before the fatal shooting, and she is expected to tell the court that he was acting strangely.

“He was seeing things, he was hearing things," Moore said, "that he was telling her not to talk out loud to write things down on paper because people were listening.”

Read more:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/american-sniper-trial-details-fatal-shooting-revealed-opening/story?id=28887021

Wild About Trial retweeted
WildAbout Trial ‏@WildAboutTrial3 · 1m
We are at a quick break in the #AmericanSniper trial but will resume shortly. Heading back into the courtroom. Dynamic opening statements.

Trial under way for man accused of murdering 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle (Video)


Published February 11, 2015 · FoxNews.com

The jury in the trial of the man accused of killing Chris Kyle heard opening statements Wednesday in a case where defense lawyers will work to convince them that the defendant was insane when he allegedly gunned down Kyle at a rural shooting range.

~Snipped~

Routh's family members said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Prosecutors, however, intend to paint a darker picture. They describe Routh in recent court filings as a heavy drinker and marijuana user with a history of killing animals and threatening women with knives.

While the judge has not decided how much of that information can be shared with the jury, prosecutors have lined up what promises to be an emotional first day of testimony when they call Kyle's widow Taya to the stand.

Read more:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/02/11/chris-kyle-murder-trial-gets-underway/

Widow of slain 'American Sniper' testifies she 'could tell something was up' (Video)

By Ralph Ellis, Ben Brumfield and Jason Hanna, CNN
Updated 2:38 PM ET, Wed February 11, 2015

(CNN)—The widow of Chris Kyle, the protagonist in the top-selling book and hit movie "American Sniper," testified Wednesday that she "could tell something was up" the day her husband and a friend were shot to death at a Texas rifle range.

Taking the stand in the murder trial of Eddie Ray Routh, Taya Kyle said she talked to her husband on the phone February 2, 2013, and he seemed irritated. When she asked him if he was OK, his reply was "very short, short like, 'I wish I could say more but I'm not going to because there were people around,'" she testified.

Later she texted and asked again if he was OK. He didn't reply, which was uncharacteristic of him, and she became worried, she testified.

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/11/us/american-sniper-chris-kyle-trial/index.html

Eddie Ray Routh - Prosecution Opening Statements (Chris Kyle)

Published on Feb 11, 2015




Eddie Ray Routh - Defense Opening Statements (Chris Kyle)

Published on Feb 11, 2015




Eddie Ray Routh - Jury Instructions (Chris Kyle)

Published on Feb 11, 2015


Source: Croaker Queen - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyFXpkWhSr9IAqD4LKq02fg

Widow of slain 'American Sniper' gives emotional testimony

Associated Press
By JAMIE STENGLE
1 hr ago


© AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox, Pool Taya Kyle, left, wife of slain Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, leaves the Erath County Donald R. Jones Justice Center courtroom following the days proceedings in Stephenville, Texas, during the capital…

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) — The widow of the Navy SEAL depicted in the Oscar-nominated film "American Sniper" clutched military dog tags as she told jurors about her final moments with her husband, just hours before he and a friend were slain at a Texas gun range.

Taya Kyle was the first prosecution witness called Wednesday in the murder trial of the ex-Marine accused of fatally shooting Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield two years ago. The trial in the small town of Stephenville, located about 30 miles from the rural luxury resort where the men were killed, has attracted national attention with the recent release of the blockbuster movie based on the memoir of the sniper who served four tours in Iraq.

Read more:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/widow-of-slain-american-sniper-gives-emotional-testimony/ar-AA9hNzW

Jacob Rascon
@Jacobnbc
NBC News correspondent based in Dallas.

----------------------------------------------------


Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  3m  
Dash cam video shown to 'American Sniper' jury shows police chasing Routh in Kyle's truck, Routh surrendering.




Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  . 2h
Officer tells 'American Sniper' jury Routh led police on a short chase before they spiked his tires, arrested him.




Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  3h    
Texas Ranger tells 'American Sniper' jury Kyle and Littlefield found with loaded pistols in their waistbands, with safeties on.


Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  3h    
What appears to be 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle's sniper rifle, left at the crime scene.




Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  4h  
'American Sniper' jury shown photo of guns Kyle, Littlefield and Routh had apparently been shooting before killings.




Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  4h    
'American Sniper' trial day two underway with testimony from Texas ranger who responded to the crime scene.




Read more:

https://twitter.com/Jacobnbc

Tasha Tsiaperas  
@ttsiaperas
Sprang forth from a meadow. TCU, UNT grad.
Reporter at The Dallas Morning News.

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Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 2m
Prosecutors: Man accused of killing 'American Sniper' stopped for burritos, fled from police | @dallasnews http://share.d-news.co/IMCLBXU


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 7m
Officer says he was going 100 mph while trying to catch up with Eddie Ray Routh, defendant accused murdering #ChrisKyle #AmericanSniper


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 7m
Lancaster officer testifies hi-speed chase wound through residential neighborhoods, a school zone and commercial areas before highway


Tasha Tsiaperas retweeted
Naomi Martin @NaomiMartin · 14m
Dashcam video shows #AmericanSniper murder defendant Eddie Routh surrender after ~6 min chase #SniperTrial #ChrisKyle




Read more:

https://twitter.com/ttsiaperas

Ken Kalthoff  
@KenKalthoffNBC5
Reporter NBC5 KXAS TV. Dallas and DFW area news.
Dallas, Texas

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Ken Kalthoff @KenKalthoffNBC5  ·  10m    
Next witness is Lt. Michael Smith, Lancaster Police @NBCDFW #AmericanSniper




Ken Kalthoff @KenKalthoffNBC5  ·  23m  
Lancaster police video shows suspect in custody after chase @NBCDFW #AmericanSniper




Ken Kalthoff @KenKalthoffNBC5 · 28m
9 minute chase of Kyle's pick up ends with Eddie Routh's arrest @NBCDFW #AmericanSniper




Read more:

https://twitter.com/KenKalthoffNBC5

‘American Sniper’ trial: Police describe the high-speed chase to capture Eddie Ray Routh, killer of Chris Kyle

By Dan Lamothe | February 12 at 2:13 PM


Eddie Ray Routh appears in court for the second day of his murder trial in Stephenville, Tex., on Thursday. He is accused of killing former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and Kyle’s friend Chad Littlefield at a rifle range near Glen Rose, Tex.

STEPHENVILLE, Tex. — Officer Flavio Salazar was on duty with the Lancaster Police Department in Texas when he was dispatched to the home of a murder suspect. Eddie Ray Routh, then 25, had just arrived there while driving the massive black pickup truck of Navy SEAL veteran Chris Kyle, whom he had killed at a luxury resort 90 miles away.

Salazar, a retired Marine gunnery sergeant and nine-year police officer, told a court Thursday that more than a dozen police in Lancaster were dispatched to Routh’s home: “the whole night shift, and whoever was left on days, plus the detectives who were in the station.”

The police found themselves in a 20- to 30-minute standoff with Routh, as he refused to get out of Kyle’s Ford F-350 truck.

Read more:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/02/12/american-sniper-trial-police-describe-the-high-speed-chase-to-capture-eddie-ray-routh-killer-of-chris-kyle/

Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·   13m    
#ChrisKyle suffered 6 gunshot wounds: right jaw, back/shoulder, two in chest (which were fatal) and two in upper right arm. #AmericanSniper


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  26m  
Read our updates: After shooting that killed 'American Sniper,' suspect spoke of hell, voodoo, the apocalypse http://share.d-news.co/IMCLBXU


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  28m   
#ChrisKyle had two tattoos: a cross with an eagle on his left upper arm and a frog skeleton on his right upper back, medical examiner says


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  30m  
Medical examiner: #ChrisKyle tested positive for one medication - an antidepressant - but no illegal drugs or alcohol.


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  31m   
#ChrisKyle was 6' 1", 216 pounds. “He was a muscular man, but had six gunshot wounds,” says medical examiner


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  37m   
#ChrisKyle died of multiple gunshot wounds. He was shot six times, testifies medical examiner


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  48m   
Barnard performed autopsies on both #ChrisKyle & Chad Littlefield on Feb. 3, 2013, day after they were shot dead at gun range #SniperTrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  51m   
And we're back on with testimony in the #SniperTrial - Chief Dallas County Medical Examiner Jeffrey Barnard is on the stand. #AmericanSniper


More ...

https://twitter.com/ttsiaperas

After shooting that killed ‘American Sniper,’ suspect spoke of hell, voodoo, the apocalypse (Video)

Tasha Tsiaperas

Published: February 12, 2015 8:10 am

Update at 4 p.m. by Naomi Martin:

In a tense conversation shortly after ex-Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and his friend were shot dead, murder suspect Eddie Ray Routh talked about hell, voodoo and the apocalypse.

“Everything’s just happening so fast. … I don’t know if I’m going insane,” Routh can be heard telling a police officer in his driveway.

The conversation was recorded on an officer’s body-worn camera and played for an Erath County jury in Routh’s double-murder trial Thursday afternoon. It shed light on a key issue: Routh’s mental state shortly around the time of the shootings.

~Snipped~

Prosecutor Jane Nelson acknowledged that Routh made some “some kind of odd statements” in the taped conversation, but she sought to emphasize that the discussion centered around Routh’s unwillingness to leave the truck. She suggested talk of the apocalypse could have been metaphorical references to world problems.

But Routh’s defense attorney, R. Shay Isham, highlighted parts of the conversation that were difficult to hear on the tape that could show Routh was out of touch with reality.

“It’s diseases right now,” Isham quoted Routh as saying. Routh also asked Chevara “if it’s voodoo that’s upon us,” Isham said, and “Is the apocalypse upon us right now?”

“I can feel everybody feeding on my soul,” Isham also quoted Routh as saying.

Read more:

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2015/02/testimony-continues-thursday-in-american-sniper-trial.html/

Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas   ·   2h  
Trial has concluded for the day. Will resume Friday morning.


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas   ·  2h  
ME says the wounds in Littlefield's head and one in the back were most severe. Even extreme medical measures couldn't save him or #ChrisKyle


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  2h   
Medical examiner showing gunshot wounds on Chad Littlefield in the head, back and chest.


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas   ·  2h  
Medical examiner using prosecutor to show where Littlefield was shot in the head.




Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  2h   
Chad Littlefield tested negative for any substances. He had tattoos: multicolor Jesus face w roses upper r. arm, and "Morgan" left upper arm


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas   ·  2h   
Chad Littlefield shot 7 times, while #ChrisKyle shot 6 times


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  2h   
Medical examiner testifies: Chad Littlefield 6' 230lbs. earplugs in both ears. #ChrisKyle had an earplug in the right ear.


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  3h   
#ChrisKyle was shot with a .45 caliber ACP gun and Chad Littlefield was shot with a 9 mm Sig Sauer pistol #SniperTrial #AmericanSniper


More ...

https://twitter.com/ttsiaperas

FYI: This trial is not being live streamed.

The judge allowed the cameras inside the courtroom only for the opening statements, however, the judge ruled the trial proceedings will  be videotaped and the videos will be released after the court trial has concluded.

I provided above the links to three different reporters who are tweeting about the trial from Stephenville, TX.  I hope that can help those who are following this case.

Ranger: 'American Sniper' was armed when he was killed

Sebastian Robertson and Jim Douglas, WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas  7:31 p.m. EST February 12, 2015


Photo Gallery - Weapons found at the crime scene. (Photo: WFAA)

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — A Texas Ranger testifying at the murder trial of a former Marine charged with killing famed Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and his friend said Thursday that the two victims were armed when they were shot multiple times.

Texas Ranger Michael Adcock said it didn't appear that the weapons Kyle and Chad Littlefield carried ever were removed from their holsters. Their wounds included multiple gunshots to the back.

~Snipped~

Jurors on Thursday saw graphic photos that show Kyle and Littlefield after they were shot to death, and many family members of the victims, including Kyle's widow who testified Wednesday, stayed to see them. They saw the weapons that prosecutors say Routh used to kill the men and told the panel that every rifle that investigators found was empty, implying that the bullets had been used to kill Kyle and Littlefield.

Read more:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/12/american-sniper-trial-day-2/23290389/

Video of car chase shown during 'American Sniper...

Published on Feb 12, 2015
CNN's Martin Savidge has the latest on the "American Sniper" murder trial, including what the accused did right after the killings and the high-speed chase that followed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lMQaJw8sYY#action=share

Alysia Stern ‏@AlysiaStern  · Feb 11  
Happy Birthday up in heaven to Chad Littlefield who would have been 38 today. #AmericanSniper #ChrisKyle



https://twitter.com/AlysiaStern

_______________________

Testimony of Mother of Chad Littlefield, Killed Alongside Chris Kyle, Causes Some in Courthouse Pressroom to Gasp

Feb. 11, 2015 2:56pm   Jason Howerton

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — As the murder trial of Eddie Ray Routh commenced on Wednesday, one of the victims’ mothers, Judy Littlefield, revealed a tragic truth during her testimony that made some people in the Erath County courthouse’s designated pressroom gasp.

Chad Littlefield’s mother gave emotional testimony, revealing that Wednesday — the first day of the murder trial for his killer — would have been her son’s birthday. Born on Feb. 11, 1977, Chad Littlefield would have turned 38 on Wednesday.


Chad Littlefield

Reacting to the horrific reality for the mother, several people in the pressroom let out audible gasps.

Routh has admitted to killing legendary Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and Littlefield at a remote Texas gun range in Glen Rose, Texas. The men were believed to have been trying to help the troubled veteran.

Fighting back tears on the stand, Judy Littlefield testified that her son was a “man of faith” who loved his family and wanted to help others. She also revealed that her son came back for a “second hug” on the last day that she saw him, which she described as “strange,” though obviously not in a bad way.

Read more:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/02/11/testimony-of-mother-of-chad-littlefield-killed-alongside-chris-kyle-causes-some-in-courthouse-pressroom-to-gasp/

_______________________

‘American Sniper’ trial: Portrait emerges of Chad Littlefield, slain friend of Chris Kyle

By Dan Lamothe February 12


Judy Littlefield, the mother of Chad Littlefield, is shown photos of her son by Assistant District Attorney Jane Starnes on the witness stand during the murder trial of Eddie Ray Routh in Stephenville, Tex. (Tom Fox/pool photo via European Pressphoto Agency)

STEPHENVILLE, Tex. — A day before Chad Littlefield was killed alongside Navy SEAL veteran Chris Kyle, allegedly by a military veteran struggling with mental illness, he told his mother he wanted to brush up on his Bible stories so he could share them with his daughter. He’d always had strong Christian faith, his mother said, but being a father had changed him for the better.

“He told me, ‘Mom, it quit being about me the day that little girl was born. It’s all about her now,’ ” said his mother, Judy Littlefield.

Read more:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/02/12/american-sniper-trial-portrait-emerges-of-chad-littlefield-slain-friend-of-chris-kyle/

Competence at center of 'American Sniper' murder trial

Associated Press
By JAMIE STENGLE and EMILY SCHMALL
52 minutes ago

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) — While defense attorneys mount an insanity defense for the former Marine on trial in the shooting deaths of "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield, prosecutors have described Eddie Ray Routh as a troubled drug user who knew right from wrong. Criminal law experts say the case hinges on whether the defense can prove Routh did not know that the killings constituted a crime.

Routh's attorneys have said the 27-year-old, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and was taking anti-psychotic medication, was insane when Kyle and Littlefield took him to a shooting range to provide support and camaraderie. Routh, his lawyers say, believed the men planned to kill him.

Because Routh was at a shooting range and both Kyle and Littlefield were armed, "it's an easier case than others for the proposition that he believed they were about to kill him," said George Dix, a criminal law professor at the University of Texas, Austin.

Read more:

http://news.yahoo.com/american-sniper-trial-opens-police-video-evidence-070252753.html

Deputy heard Routh say he killed ‘American Sniper’ Chris Kyle, friend because ‘they wouldn’t talk to me’

Tasha Tsiaperas

Published: February 13, 2015 8:08 am

Update at 4:15 p.m. by Naomi Martin:

A former sheriff’s deputy testified Friday afternoon that he heard Eddie Ray Routh confess why he fatally shot former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and Kyle’s friend.

“I heard Mr. Routh say, ‘I shot them because they wouldn’t talk to me,’” testified Gene Cole, the former deputy. “I was just riding in the back seat of the truck and nobody would talk to me.

“They were just taking me to the range, so I shot them. I feel bad about it but they wouldn’t talk to me. I’m sure they’ve forgiven me.”

Cole said Routh made that statement as an inmate at the Erath County Jail on June 22, 2013, about four months after the slayings. Cole, who is now a Belton police officer, documented the quote in a report at the time.

After the bombshell from the former deputy, Judge Jason Cashon ended proceedings for the day. Testimony will resume Monday morning.

Read more:

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2015/02/third-day-of-testimony-begins-friday-in-american-sniper-trial.html/

Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  8h  
Routh was smoking marijuana with his uncle when 'American Sniper' arrived to take Routh to the gun range, uncle says.



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Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc   ·  9h  
Defendant's uncle tells 'American Sniper' jury Routh is a good shot, has a sense or morality, knows right from wrong.



------

Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  10h    
Investigator tells 'American Sniper' jury that he also found anti-psychotic medication belonging to Routh inside Routh's home.

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Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  11h    
'American Sniper' jury shown photos of ammunition, drug paraphernalia found in Routh's home after his arrest.




More ...

https://twitter.com/Jacobnbc

Live trial coverage: Killer of ‘American Sniper’ and friend apologized but said people were ‘eating on my soul’

Tasha Tsiaperas

Published: February 16, 2015 8:22 am



Eddie Ray Routh entered the courtroom Monday morning for Day 4 of his capital murder trial in Stephenville. (Rodger Mallison/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Pool photo)

[This post has been updated.]

STEPHENVILLE — In a videotaped confession, Eddie Ray Routh said he would apologize to the families of ex-Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and Kyle’s best friend after he killed them.

The recorded confession was played Monday during the capital murder trial of 27-year-old Routh, a former Marine accused of killing Kyle and Chad Littlefield on Feb. 2, 2013, at an Erath County gunrange. Routh confessed to the February 2013 slayings but has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

“I’m just sorry for what I’ve done,” Routh said during a videotaped confession with Texas Ranger Danny Briley.

Read more:

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2015/02/testimony-resumes-this-morning-in-american-sniper-murder-trial.html/

Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 26m
Briley has been dismissed from the witness stand. The trial has ended for the day. #snipertrial will resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday.


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 41m
When Briley asked Routh about how Kyle, Littlefield were helping him, he said, they "talked to me pretty sh#%%y." #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas   ·  40m    
Nash: "Is intoxication a defense to capital murder?"
Briley: "It is not."
#snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  42m    
Alan Nash: "Is it your opinion that Chad Littlefield was down on the ground when he was shot in the head?"
Briley: "He was."
#snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  43m    
Prosecutor rehashing confession with Briley. Pointing out times Routh said he knew actions were wrong #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  48m  
Prosecutor questioning Briley in redirect. Briley says Routh accurately described murder weapon. Routh said he was close when he shot them.


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  52m  
Prosecutors asking to meet before judge about Moore's line of questioning. #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  53m  
Moore: "You're entitled to use deadly force if you, in your mind, think that that other person is going to use deadly force against you."


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas   ·  58m  
But, Briley says, he didn't smell alcohol on Routh's breath. No blood sample taken from Routh to test for drugs, alcohol. #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas   ·  58m  
Briley: "There were some unusual statements. Statements that don't surprise me from someone who may have use drugs or alcohol."


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  59m  
Briley to Tim Moore on re-read quotes from confession: "You skipped a large portion, but yeah. That's accurate." #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  1h  
Texas Ranger Danny Briley has been on the #snipertrial witness stand for almost 5 hours. Def. atty Tim Moore still questioning confession.


More ...

https://twitter.com/ttsiaperas

Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·   1h    
'American Sniper' trial takes a turn. Tonight @NBCNightlyNews, the bizarre nearly hour-long videotaped confession.




Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  3h  
Routh asked again if he knows the difference between right and wrong. This time he responds, "Yes, sir."


Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  4h
Routh on what he would say to Kyle and Littlefield families: "I would tell them I was so sorry for what I'd done."




Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  4h  
Ranger takes break from Interview. Routh talks to himself, and asks the jailer if his parents are coming to see him.




Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc  ·  4h    
When asked whether or not he knew killing Kyle and Littlefield was wrong, Routh responds, "Right."




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Ken Kalthoff @KenKalthoffNBC5  ·  3h  
Routh sat silently in court through 50 minute recording @NBCDFW #AmericanSniper



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Jacob Rascon @Jacobnbc   ·   46m    
'American Sniper' trial day five: defense requests mistrial after the prosecution misidentifies a piece of evidence.




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Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 26m
#snipertrial in hour recess until 1 p.m. Salazar has stepped down from witness stand.


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 30m
Defense atty asking Salazar about the Remington rifle found in Chris Kyle's stolen truck. It was loaded. #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 32m
Salazar is a former Marine. He emphasized this to Routh while he was in back in police cruiser. Prosecutor asking abt his military hist.


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 35m
Video of Routh in car over. Salazar said they took him back to the Lancaster police station. #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 38m
Routh silent on car ride to jail. Sit slumped in backseat of police cruiser. #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 47m
"I don't even know what to make of the world right now. I don't know if I'm insane," Routh says after officer asks if he's alright.


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 49m
Police cruiser video of Routh often inaudible. It's hard to clearly hear what he's saying to officers. #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 55m
Routh leans back in back of cop car. He appears to shift to be more comfortable in his handcuffs. #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 58m
Officer to Routh: "It's OK. We're here to help you out. ... Just relax and take a deep breath." #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 1h
Routh inside police cruiser after arrest. #snipertrial



Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 1h
About to play video of Routh inside police cruiser after arrest. #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 1h
Salazar: whenever a crowd was close to Routh while he was in police cruiser, he was agitated. When alone, he was calm inside car.


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 1h
Lancaster police officer Flavio Salazar recalled to witness stand. #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 2h
Moss has finished testifying. Court on 15 minute recess.


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas · 2h
Routh's boots had Chad Littlefield's blood on his boot. #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  2h    
Moss is showing Routh's boots that were tested for DNA. #snipertrial




Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  2h  
Amber Moss, another forensic scientist with Texas DPS, now on witness stand. She specializes in DNA testing. #snipertrial


Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  2h  
Forensic scientist showing pipe found at Routh's home. Looks like cigarette but is used to smoke weed #snipertrial




Tasha Tsiaperas @ttsiaperas  ·  2h  
Forensic scientist: analyzed plant substance found in Routh's home. Was marijuana. Didn't find any meth. #snipertrial

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