Burden of Proof: In the United States, the burden of proof lies with the defense to establish that the defendant was legally insane at the time of the crime.Several factors contributed to the failure of the insanity defense: The insanity defense, a legal strategy used to argue that a defendant should not be held criminally responsible for their actions due to a mental illness, ultimately failed in Eddie Ray Routh’s case. They found Routh was responsible for his actions and that, at the time of the killings, he knew that what he was doing was wrong.

The night before Kyle and Littlefield took Routh at the shooting range for what would have been bonding time with another vet, he had been drinking and smoking marijuana.īut the jury did not absolve Routh of criminal responsibility.

Since he was not in complete possession of his faculties, he was not legally responsible for his actions. But his defense lawyer argued Routh was in a medically diagnosed psychosis at the time of the killings. 2, 2013 at a shooting range in Erath County, Texas. Routh admitted to killing Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield on Feb. The former Marine pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity during his arraignment. The former Marine and Texas native rose to infamy after being charged with Chad Littlefield’s and Chris Kyle’s deaths.Įddie Ray’s subsequent bouts with depression, marijuana use and alcoholism would figure in his trial as part of his criminal defense attorney’s strategy. Who Killed Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield? He was then admitted to the Dallas Veterans Administration Hospital where he was diagnosed with PTSD. He had trouble holding onto a job and struggled with mental health issues. Soon, he began exhibiting troubling behavior. He reportedly told his father, Raymond, of his harrowing experience in recovering hundreds of bodies from the ocean and placing them in mass graves.Īfter serving the Marine Corps, Routh was honorably discharged in 2011. After returning from his deployment, Routh appeared to be deeply troubled. On 2010, Routh was deployed to Haiti as part of a humanitarian mission, helping the earthquake-struck island. What Happened to Eddie Ray?Įddie Ray Routh was an armorer for the Marine Corps in the late 2000s. Despite the media attention surrounding the trial, the story of Eddie Ray Routh serves as a reminder of the complexities of mental health, the challenges veterans face, and the devastating consequences of untreated trauma.

The verdict ultimately found Routh guilty of murder, leading to his imprisonment. The trial that followed delved into Routh’s mental health, his strained relationship with his family, and the impact of his military service. Routh’s troubled history, coupled with his military background and association with the victims, intensified public interest in his case. The incident occurred while Kyle tried to help Routh, struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). His life took a tragic turn when he fatally shot renowned Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield at a shooting range in February 2013. Born on August 10, 1987, Routh hailed from Texas.

Who is Eddie Ray Routh? Why does Chris Kyle’s name seem familiar? And why, in a capital murder case, was Routh not given the death penalty? Who is Eddie Ray Routh?Įddie Ray Routh gained public attention as the man involved in the tragic events that led to the deaths of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. The former Marine was sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole. It took the jury about three hours to convict Routh for the killings of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. 24, 2015, a jury found Eddie Ray Routh guilty of murder.

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