Eddie Ray Routh was found guilty in the murders of Chris Kyle, the author of “American Sniper” and another man. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole by Texas State District Judge Jason Cashon.
Routh, 27, admitted he killed Kyle, a former Navy SEAL officer and Chad Littlefield in 2013 at a gun range.
But Routh pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. His lawyers argued Routh suffered from schizophrenia, but prosecutors said any issues Routh had were created by drug and alcohol abuse, according to The Associated Press.
Defense attorneys, however, argued Routh was not intoxicated when he killed Kyle and Littlefield.
The movie “American Sniper” starring Bradley Cooper debuted in North America on Jan. 16 and drew national attention to the case. The film is based on Kyle’s memoir after his four tours in Iraq.
Kyle and Littlefield met with Routh after Routh’s mom asked Kyle to help her son, according to AP. Routh was a former marine, who served in Iraq. He also served in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, according to AP.
Eric Pfahler and Gavin Stern are national digital producers with the Scripps National Desk.
