The two men apparently never returned fire. He also often drank alongside his medication, before he began refusing to take it. After hed killed Kyle and Littlefield, Routh got into Kyles truck and fled. "The guns and ammo were in control of Rough Creek Lodge all the way up until the time my client pulled trigger," Zook said. He almost ended up dead after bursting into one room to find a group of armed Caucasian men, some of them blonde, wearing old-style camouflage. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. Routh was a 25-year-old Marine who had experienced post-traumatic stress disorder. Experts say streaming giant will drop star when his MailOnline readers back Jeremy Clarkson to keep his job on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? WASHINGTON -- Last Saturday, the Rough Creek Lodge and Resort, a luxury getaway known for hosting corporate retreats and family vacations 90 miles southwest of Dallas, became the scene of a double homicide. The woman was already dead. EDDIE Ray Routh shot dead American Sniper Chris Kyle in 2013 and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. "We just said we loved each other and gave each other a hug and kiss, like we always did," she said. Long's attorney, Bill Zook, told HuffPost that the explosion tore through skin and ligament, blowing away the entire thumb except for the bone. From the start to finish ABC News is your source for the breaking stories of the rising crime rate in our nation. Routh was arrested after a short freeway chase that saw him flee in Kyle's Ford F-350 truck and crash into a police cruiser. Rather more unconventionally, he also discovered he shot far more accurately if he had a wad of chewing tobacco wedged inside his cheek. Routh allegedly turned his gun on both Chris and Littlefield and is now awaiting trial for capital murder. But they do love that fight for what they would say is justice for each other., 2. "Out of respect for Chris's and Chad's family who have suffered such a tragic loss and due to Law Enforcement's ongoing criminal investigation, we have no comment at this time," he wrote via email. ABC News Make ABC News your daily news outlet for breaking national and world news, broadcast video coverage, and exclusive interviews that will help you stay up to date on the events shaping our world. A funeral service for the 35-year-old Littlefield was set for Friday in Midlothian. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle Killed At Gun Range, Most Lethal Sniper in US History Gunned Down in Texas - YouTube 0:00 / 2:35 Navy SEAL Chris Kyle Killed At Gun Range, Most Lethal Sniper in US. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. She texted her husband a few hours later, writing: "Are you OK? Despite false claims he made in the autobiography about his medals of honor and a fictional altercation between himself and former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, Kyles book made him famous. And, just like with Belushi, his tragic demise in December 1997 turned into a police investigation after it was learned that a woman had witnessed the struggling star's final drug-fueled hours. Routh allegedly confessed to shooting Kyle, author of the best-selling book "American Sniper," and Chad Littlefield on Saturday afternoon at Rough Creek Lodge in Glen Rose. After the teenager placed a shell in the bottom barrel, aimed and pulled the trigger, "the shotgun exploded, blowing William's left thumb off and permanently and severely injuring his left hand and thumb," the complaint states. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Taya Ranae Studebacker was born in Portland, Oregon, and is the daughter of the mayor of Lake Oswego, Kent Studebaker. When they first emerged in warfare as marksmen picking off British officers during the American War of Independence, snipers were denounced as ungentlemanly, even cowardly. Bestseller: Kyle's naked hatred of enemies, who he described as savages shocked some, but the American Sniper became an instant bestseller, selling 800,000 copies to date. Eddie Ray Routh is pictured in court on Feb. 11, 2015. Then there was the young mother, gunned down while holding a little child in one hand and a primed grenade in the other. His wife, Taya, similarly celebrated Rouths convicteion, writing on Facebook, God Bless the Jury And good people of Stephenville, Texas!!. Chris Kyle, author of American Sniper and the most lethal sniper in American military history, was killed on Feb. 2, 2013. On the way to the range, Kyle texted Littlefield referring to Routh, saying: "This dude is straight-up nuts.". "[9] Four months later, while he was in his jail cell, Routh shared with former Erath County Sheriff's Deputy Gene Cole: "I was just riding in the back seat of the truck, and nobody would talk to me. Today with their high-tech gadgetry, monstrous firepower and steely individualism they have become the superstars of the battlefield. But it wasn't the first time Rough Creek has seen tragedy at its gun range. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Prince Harry is dubbed 'a stupid boy' as growing number of ex-top brass criticise him for revealing his Charles's first royal RSVP! I'm sure they've forgiven me.". Another expert, Dr. Michael Arambula, testified he did not believe Routh was schizophrenic, and was not insane at the time of the murders because he was intoxicated. Kyle was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2009 and moved to Midlothian, Texas, with his wife Taya and two children. Before he left, We said, I love you, recalls Taya. Many fans were drawn to Kyles unashamed patriotism and unvarnished account of modern warfare. He went to a military recruiting office interested in the Marine Corps, and eventually achieved 24-week Basic Underwater Demolition/SEA, Air, Land (SEAL) training in 1999 and graduated in 2001. Taya also gave Cooper and costar Sienna Miller, who portrays her in the film, email exchanges she shared with Chris while he was deployed. Routh told his sister and brother-in-law that the men "were out shooting target practice and he couldn't trust them so he killed them before they could kill him," according to the affidavit. He doubled back to his home to find police officers waiting, Nash said, before leading police on a chase that ended because an officer slammed a police vehicle into the truck. [5] Both Kyle and Littlefield were armed with .45-caliber M1911-style pistols when they were killed, but neither gun had been unholstered or fired, and the safety catches were still on. The case attracted national attention due to Kyle's fame as author of a bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, published in 2012. Helicopter crash near Ukraine kindergarten kills kids and top officials, California faces dangerous mudslides after monster storms, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar and George Santos get House committee seats, Qantas plane lands safely on single engine after mayday call over Pacific, New Mexico lawmaker says shootings suspect confronted her outside her home, Gov. [4], In late July 2011, Routh was diagnosed by clinicians at Veterans hospital as having post-traumatic stress disorder and was prescribed antipsychotics and antidepressants. The Washington Post reports that Chris Kyle died from a rapidly fatal shot through his aorta as well as one to his jaw that caused a spinal cord injury. Another of his bullets took out not one but two men on a moped who had just planted a bomb down a manhole. He died trying to help a former Marine.On Feb. 2, 2013, Chris and his friend Chad Littlefield took 25-year-old former Marine Eddie Ray Routh to a Texas shooting range after Rouths mother had asked Chris for help with her son, whom she said was suffering from PTSD. How Ivar The Boneless Became One Of History's Most Feared Vikings, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Kyle had begun working with veterans after leaving the military and Routh's mother had asked him to help her son. As he told the Dallas Morning News in 2012, he wanted to be a cowboy[or] be in the military.. Could new DNA tech crack the JonBenet Ramsey case? / CBS News. "[6][10] Local police captured Routh after a short freeway chase, which ended when Routh, who fled the scene in Kyle's Ford F-350 truck, crashed into a police cruiser in Lancaster. With his huge tally of both Pentagon confirmed and unconfirmed kills, he became a popular SEAL known by his infantry as "The Legend" - which could be something to do with him surviving two shootings and six separate IED detonations. Police in the Dallas suburb also have obtained search warrants for the cellphone's pictures, text messages and recently called or missed phone numbers. He was committed to helping his fellow servicemen.After returning to civilian life, he found ways to assist others. The murders of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield occurred on February 2, 2013, at a shooting range near Chalk Mountain, Texas. He agreed to take Routh to a shooting range, which Kyle believed had therapeutic value. [6] On the way to the shooting range, Kyle texted Littlefield, "This dude is straight up nuts." Since prosecutors decided beforehand not to seek the death penalty, the trial judge, Jason Cashon, immediately sentenced Routh to life in prison with no possibility of parole. While cops were at the murder scene where was Eddie Ray Routh? Despite arguments from the defense that he suffered from psychosis, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses, a judge convicted Routh to life in prison. Counting calories IS king when it comes to losing weight - NOT fasting, study finds. "I found it somewhat odd that they were down there by themselves in an isolated area and that there was nobody there around them," he said. Indeed, Chris Kyles death is just one small part of his larger story. Published: 16:01 GMT, 8 February 2013 | Updated: 17:10 GMT, 8 February 2013, Behind bars: Eddie Ray Routh is charged with two counts of murder after shooting Kyle and Chad Littlefield at a shooting range in Texas. I killed them. When Routh fled again, his sister called the police, telling them, Hes all crazy, hes fking psychotic.. Expert: U.S. forces nicknamed the former ranch hand from Texas The Legend. In November 2004, Kyle was sent to Fallujah, by then completely in the hands of insurgents who were busy fortifying houses and mosques, and booby-trapping the streets with mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices). Chris Kyle survived four tours in Iraq. Routh later told his sister he wanted Kyles Ford pickup truck. With a large red crusaders cross tattooed on one arm, he said his only regret about his work was that he hadnt killed more. According to The New Yorker, Routh drank too much, struggled to keep jobs, had panic attacks, and threatened to kill himself. He also seemed to have strange delusions, like that he was Dracula or that a tapeworm was eating his insides. A funeral service for Littlefield, 35, was set for Friday in Midlothian. Scanning the deserted main street of a small town in the Nasiriya region, he spotted a woman step out of a house with her child. It was supposed to be a simple trip to the gun range. 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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Chris Kyle is the author of the autobiography American Sniper, which depicts his career as the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history, Chris Kyle's book sold over 1.2 million copies and was adapted into a Clint Eastwood film, Eddie Ray Routh shot and killed Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield, Kyle had taken Routh, who was suffering from PTSD, to a shooting range. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. He argued that the lodge should have cleaned the guns prior to the day's shooting. Eddie Ray Routh faces capital murder charges for shooting the former Navy SEAL and his friend, Chad Littlefield. The lawyer contends that the resort's employee never inspected the shotgun barrels. Here are five things to know about the decorated two-time Silver Star recipient, whose nickname was the Legend.. Taya Kyle said she became uneasy when she called her husband at the gun range and he sounded irritated and short, according to The Associated Press. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle had $20,000 bounty placed on his head by Iraqis With up to 160 confirmed kills became deadliest sniper in US military history Shot at shooting range in Texas by troubled. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Kyle struggled with physical and emotional issues, including PTSD, and he self-medicated with alcohol. Autobiography, American Sniper, published in 2012 case attracted national attention due to 's... Information you want to share with HuffPost veterans after leaving the military and 's. Military history, was set for Friday in Midlothian chase that saw him flee in 's... And he self-medicated with alcohol one small part of his larger story in one hand and a primed grenade the! They would say is justice for each other., 2 share with HuffPost to help son... 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