What happened to Eddie Ray Routh? Everything you need to know

What happened to Eddie Ray Routh? Everything you need to know

In February 2013, the world awoke to the sad news that one of the most lethal snipers in U.S. military history, Chris Kyle, had been shot dead. The perpetrator of the crime was Eddie Ray Routh, who had earlier been diagnosed with PTSD. If you followed the story, you must be interested in knowing what happened to Eddie Ray Routh and what he is up to nowadays.

What happened to Eddie Ray Routh?
Former Marine Cpl. Eddie Ray Routh returns from a break during his capital murder trial at the Erath County, Donald R. Jones Justice Center in Stephenville, Texas Photo: Rodger Mallison
Source: Getty Images

In recent times, filmmakers are drawing on real-life stories and memoirs to create new movies. The American Sniper is an award-winning film that follows the life of Chris Kyle. It is based on Chris's memoir American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (2012). The film is directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Jason Hall.

Who is Eddie Ray Routh?

Eddie was born on September 30, 1987, in Lancaster, Texas, United States. He is 34 years old as of 2021. The names of his parents are Raymond Ray Routh Sr. and Jodi Routh. Eddie grew up alongside his sister Laura Bess Routh. After completing his high school education, he joined the Marine Corps.

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In 2007, he was deployed to a base near Baghdad, where he served as the prison guard and repaired weapons. He was also deployed to the humanitarian mission in Haiti. In July 2011, he was discharged from the Marine Corps after serving for seven years.

Did Eddie Ray Routh have PTSD?

Within a year after being discharged, Eddie's life was falling apart. He had trouble keeping a job and began behaving erratically, having panic attacks and saying crazy, delusional things. He experienced auditory hallucinations and even threatened to kill himself. Alarmed, his family members took away his guns.

What happened to Eddie Ray Routh?
Former Marine Cpl. Eddie Ray Routh enters the courtroom after a short mid-morning break for jurors at the Erath County, Donald R. Jones Justice Center Photo: Paul Moseley
Source: Getty Images

Eddie was admitted to the Veterans Administration hospital in Dallas in July 2011, where he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Doctors prescribed a raft of antipsychotic and anti-anxiety drugs, but he declined the treatment offered at the inpatient facility and stopped taking medications after being discharged.

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What happened to Eddie Ray Routh?

On February 2, 2013, the world awoke to the sad news that there was a shooting incident near Chalk Mountain in Texas. Surprisingly, Eddie was the perpetrator of the shooting incident that ended the life of Chris Kyle. Kyle had retired from the military, and he was helping the veterans to deal with mental issues.

On the day of the unfortunate incident, Eddie's mother had asked Kyle for help in dealing with her troubled son. Kyle and Littlefield asked Eddie to accompany them to a remote shooting range at the Rough Creek Lodge and Resort, southwest of Dallas. They were armed with an arsenal of pistols, rifles, and ammunition. Upon arrival at the range, he turned on them and shot them.

Kyle and Littlefield never had a chance to defend themselves. Littlefield was struck seven times in the back, shoulder, head, and hand. On the other hand, Kyle was hit six times in the head, shoulder, chest, and right arm. After killing Kyle and Littlefield, Routh drove Kyle's pickup truck back to his home in Lancaster, Texas.

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So, why did Eddie Ray Routh kill an American sniper? At that time, Routh was under extreme mental stress and was convinced that Kyle and Littlefield were planning to kill him as they were not talking to him when he was riding in the back seat of the truck on the way to the shooting range. So, he felt bad about it, and this is the reason why he shot them.

What happened to Eddie Ray Routh?
Eddie Ray Routh Photo: @dailymail
Source: UGC

When the case was brought before the courts, he admitted to shooting Chris Kyle and his friend 13 times. Eddie's defence attorneys entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. However, the psychologists testified that he was not legally insane but had a paranoid disorder made worse by his drink and cannabis abuse.

Where is Eddie Ray Routh now?

After deliberating on the case, the jury found him guilty of the murders of Chris Kyle and Littlefield and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Is Eddie Ray Routh still alive? He is still alive and is serving his sentence at the Louis C Powledge Unit in Anderson County, Texas.

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What is Chris Kyles' wife doing now?

You must be wondering what Kyle's wife, Taya Kyle, is up to since her husband was murdered by Eddie Routh. She is currently working as a contributor for Fox News and lives in Texas. After her husband was killed in 2013, Kyle began giving speeches regarding his U.S. Navy military service and issues faced by veterans across the country.

She became an advocate for widowed women and families who have lost serving family members. Taya published her autobiography titled American Wife: A Memoir of Love, Service, Faith, and Renewal, in which she explains how she dealt with her husband Chris' untimely death. She and Chris were blessed with two kids, Colton Kyle and McKenna Kyle.

Who played Eddie Ray Routh in American Sniper?

The film adaptation of Eddie's story was already in theatres in Stephenville when his murder trial began there on February 11, 2014. In the film, Vincent Selhorst-Jones was cast to play the role of Eddie Ray Routh while Bradley Cooper takes on the role of Chris Kyle.

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What happened to Eddie Ray Routh?
Former Marine Cpl. Eddie Ray Routh appears in court on the opening day of his capital murder trial at the Erath County Donald R. Jones Justice Center Photo: Tom Fox-Pool
Source: Getty Images

Did Chris Kyle die during filming? Unlike in the real-life story, the filmmakers left out Chris Kyle's violent murder at the end of the blockbuster movie for the sake of his two kids. When he penned the final script of the movie, Jason Hall thought about how the death scene would affect Chris's children. The film ends at the scene where Chris is heading to the Rough Creek Lodge with Routh.

Now you know what happened to Eddie Ray Routh. Eddie was diagnosed with PTSD shortly after being discharged from Marine Corps. He suffered a host of mental problems and resorted to marijuana and alcohol. Sadly, he ended the lives of Chris and Littlefield, who had been called upon by his mother to help him out with his mental issues.

Tuko.co.ke published an article about what happened to Tobuscus. Toby Turner, aka Tobuscus, is a renowned multi-talented American internet personality. Toby is a musician, actor, and comedian, all of which he thrives at with a vast social media backing. But, the internet sensation has not always lived a glamorous life.

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Some years back, he was caught in a controversy that almost ended his career. In 2016, he found himself famous for all the wrong reasons when his ex-girlfriend April Fletcher made rape charges against him. Following April’s accusations, Tobuscus life became a nightmare. So, were the complaints legit, and did he ever bounce back?

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