American Sniper Trial: Prosecution Focus On Routh’s Past

As the trial for the murders of Chris Kyle, inspiration for American Sniper, and Chad Littlefield begins, prosecutors are focusing on the past of defendant Eddie Ray Routh, USA Today reported yesterday. The state is alleging a history of “self-intoxication” and other problems involving the alleged killer of Chris Kyle.

“On Tuesday morning, they filed a motion listing 37 extraneous offenses they will present if District Judge Jason Cashon allows it. Among other things, prosecutors want to show that on the morning the former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and friend Chad Littlefield were gunned down at a remote gun range, Routh got high on alcohol and marijuana and had threatened his girlfriend with a knife,” USA Today reported regarding the past of “American Sniper” trial defendant Routh.

Prosecutors contend Routh, even while serving as a Marine, had been taking marijuana, K-2, and methamphetamine, as well as excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. Allegedly, Routh had been high on marijuana or drunk on alcohol on several occasions, and had threatened to kill himself and family members. The state claims he was drunk and high the morning before joining Kyle and Littlefield at the shooting range where he allegedly murder the subject of the movie American Sniper.

Routh had been referred to as a Marine with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that needed help, but Erath County prosecutors in the trial are disputing that characterization, WFAA 8 ABC News reported. The case against Routh having PTSD was made by more than a dozen documents the office released yesterday.

“Prosecutors also said Routh “killed small animals and took an interest in watching them die. He made statements that he ‘liked to hear them take their last breaths,'” according to the filings,” WFAA 8 ABC Newsreported.

In an additional report, WFAA 8 ABC News listed the claims by “American Sniper” trial prosecutors against Eddie Routh:

• claimed PTSD after a DWI arrest
• threatened to murder jailers
• lied to get VA benefits
• made false statements that he shot a child in Iraq and stacked the bodies of earthquake victims in Haiti

There is one other issue of Routh’s past the prosecution appears not yet to be highlighting in it’s focus on the past of the alleged killer of American Sniper Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield. Eddie Ray Routh had allegedly become a Muslim terrorist sympathizer while serving as a prison guard at Balad Air Base in Iraq, Inquisitr reported a few days ago.

“Until now, the narrative has been that Kyle had taken Routh to target practice after Routh’s mother requested the 38-year-old sniper to help Routh deal with PTSD. But once at the gun range, Routh killed Kyle,” HNGN reported about the alleged killer of American sniper Chris Kyle.

[Image via USA Today.]