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| The murder trial of Eddie Ray Routh is drawing to a close. Image: Shutterstock |
Jurors
in the American Sniper murder trial will hear closing arguments early next week. The trial involves the murder of Chris Kyle,
author of the bestselling book and subject of the Oscar-nominated American Sniper. Kyle, a former Navy SEAL, and Chad
Littlefield were murdered when they accompanied ex-Marine Eddie Ray Routh to a
gun range two years ago. Though there’s
no disputing the fact that Routh pulled the trigger, there is some question of
whether or not he was in his right mind when he did so.
Routh,
27, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and defense witnesses during the
trial have portrayed him as troubled—scattered, depressed, paranoid, hearing
and seeing things, drinking heavily, and smoking marijuana.
“It was
clear he was psychotic,” said Dr. Michael Dunn, a forensic psychiatrist who
reviewed Routh’s medical records and interviewed him after the crime. According to Dunn, Routh believed that pigs
were taking over the world and that Kyle and Littlefield were plotting to kill
him.
Prosecutors,
on the other hand, strove to prove that Routh was aware of the immorality of
his actions and was overplaying the mental illness. They showed an hour-long video of Routh’s
confession, during which he expressed remorse and, when asked if he knew the
difference between right and wrong, answered, “Yes, sir.” In addition, the prosecution’s forensic
psychologist, Dr. Randall Price, suggested that Routh may have created the pig
story from an episode of “Seinfeld” or gotten the idea from a show called “Boss
Hog.”
Legal
experts acknowledge that the case is a tricky one. "You've got testimony
that he did it because they wouldn't talk to them," attorney Kendall Coffey said. Coffey, a Miami, Florida-based
lawyer who has been following the case, noted that the defense’s job is to
convince the jury that the defendant was insane—it’s not enough to merely raise
a reasonable doubt about the prosecution’s argument that Routh was in his right
mind.
"That
doesn't sound like a sane motive. But, again, it's not up to the prosecution to
prove. It's all on the defense to make that case,” he explains.
Coffey
also noted that the jury will not be informed of the potential effects of a not
guilty verdict—namely that Routh would likely be sent to a mental institution
for years, if not for life. Coffey
suggested that knowing this outcome could be in the cards would affect the
jury’s ability to look solely at the facts of whether or not Routh was mentally
capable when he committed the crime.
The
defense rested their case on Thursday without having Routh testify. A verdict is expected as early as Monday
following closing statements.
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