UNITED STATES: Chris Kyle’s life was a story of heroism and tragedy.
The celebrated Navy SEAL, whose legendary sniper skills earned him the nickname “The Deadliest Sniper in U.S. Military History,” was tragically murdered in 2013.
The killer, who shot him was Eddie Ray Routh who served in Iraq and Haiti, made insane claims about why he did it.
Who Was Chris Kyle?
Kyle’s military record was awe-inspiring. During four tours in Iraq, he achieved a confirmed kill from an astonishing 2,100 yards—a feat immortalized in his 2012 autobiography, American Sniper.
The book became a bestseller and inspired a blockbuster film starring Bradley Cooper. Yet Kyle wouldn’t live to see his Hollywood portrayal; his life was cut short just a year after the book’s release.
On February 2, 2013, Kyle, 38, and his friend Chad Littlefield, 35, were fatally shot at a gun range in Texas. Their killer was Eddie Ray Routh, a 25-year-old Marine veteran.
Routh, who had served in Iraq and Haiti, struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues following his honorable discharge in 2011.
Kyle and Littlefield had taken Routh to the range, hoping it would be therapeutic. Instead, the outing turned deadly.
Why Routh Killed Chris Kyle?
During an interrogation, Routh explained why he shot Kyle first: “I imagine they’re head hunters, trying to hunt everybody down.” His chilling reasoning didn’t end there.
“If I did not take down his soul, he was going to take down mine,” Routh told investigators.
Months later, Routh expressed regret but gave a puzzling account: “I feel bad about it, but they wouldn’t talk to me. I’m sure they’ve forgiven me.”
Prosecutors argued that Routh knew exactly what he was doing, despite his defense claiming he was insane at the time. In 2015, a jury rejected the insanity plea, convicting him of murder. Routh was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
