American Sniper Murder Trial Comes to a Close

Empty courtroom
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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