Dr. Phil Speaks with the Parents and Sister of Eddie Ray Routh

Dr. Phil: Inside the Mind of the Man Who Shot the "American Sniper" | March 16, 2015

Dr. Phil speaks with the parents of Eddie Ray Routh

March 10, 2015

WWLP-22 – In a national television exclusive, Dr. Phil speaks with Jodi and Raymond Routh, Sr., the parents of former Marine Eddie Ray Routh, who just last week was convicted of killing Navy Seal sharpshooter Chris Kyle. Kyle’s autobiography was the subject of the critically acclaimed movie “American Sniper,” and he, along with friend Chad Littlefield, was shot point blank by Routh at a Texas shooting range in 2013. This is the first time they have spoken publicly about their son since the trial. Dr. Phil also talks with Eddie’s sister Laura about her brother and the events of that tragic day in 2013.

During the trial, Eddie Ray Routh’s attorneys argued he was not guilty by reason of insanity citing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder psychosis and schizophrenia. On February 25th, a jury convicted him of capital murder. The judge then sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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'American Sniper' suspect's ex-comrades mourn man they knew

February 22, 2015

The Associated Press - For those who served with Eddie Ray Routh in the Iraqi desert, the man on trial for gunning down the famed "American Sniper" Chris Kyle and a friend is not the Marine they had come to know.

"The Routh I knew looked up to people who did that kind of job," said former Cpl. Ryker Pawloski. "He respected war fighters like you wouldn't believe." 

"It just doesn't fathom," agreed Corey Smalley, who shared a metal trailer with Routh at Camp Fallujah. "He wasn't the picture-perfect Marine, even though that's what he wanted to be. And the people he looked up to the most were people like Chris Kyle. He always wanted to be those people - be the people that Marines from now on will always be talking about."

Routh achieved that - but not the way he'd hoped.

The 27-year-old stands charged with capital murder in the Feb. 2, 2013, slayings of the former Navy SEAL and his friend, Chad Littlefield. Kyle, who by his own count made more than 300 kills, volunteered with veterans facing mental health problems. Kyle and Littlefield took Routh to a shooting range after his mother asked Kyle to help her son cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and other personal demons.

Routh's attorney, Tim Moore, read a text message during the trial in which Kyle described Routh as "straight-up nuts." Family members have testified that Routh came back from his military service a changed man. He was hospitalized multiple times for mental health issues and had trouble keeping a job.

"I noticed that he kind of lost his desire for life," his uncle, James Watson testified.

Moore said that when Routh killed Kyle and Littlefield "he was in the grip of a psychosis" so severe he didn't know it was wrong and thought "it was either him or them."

Erath County District Attorney Alan Nash described Routh as "a troubled young man," but said mental illnesses "don't deprive people from being good citizens, to know right from wrong."

After the killings, Routh's parents described a young man haunted by what he'd seen in Iraq and earthquake-ravaged Haiti, and who sought relief at the bottom of a bottle. Many combat veterans say Routh exaggerated his experiences, and scoff at the notion that he saw anything that would cause PTSD.

Men who served with "Routhy" in Combat Logistics Battalion 8 at Camp Fallujah in 2007-2008 concede he had a drinking problem, even before Iraq. And they don't recall their unit suffering anything overly traumatic.

But they say something must have happened to turn Routh from a gung-ho Marine into an alleged double killer.

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February 16, 2015

Gordon Duff, Veterans Today - Chris Kyle, the former Navy SEAL revered as a national hero was worth more dead than alive, financially and politically. Martyred, murdered by a former US Marine, or so we assume, his political capital is soaring as Americans relearn love of bravado and swagger and, as is so often the case, embrace mythology and outright lies.

As the trial continues, the narrative becomes more and more fanciful, two heroes gunned down while armed to the teeth, country boys at a millionaire’s dude ranch, a killer who shoots, gets tacos, and moves right on with life.  Nothing wrong here, not so far, happens every day.

Living or dead, there was little truth behind Chris Kyle, now a Hollywood “golden calf” and poster boy for more wars, for torture, a poster boy for indecency.

Kyle, portrayed in the blockbuster film, American Sniper, is portrayed by Bradley Cooper. Kyle’s death is left out of the film and perhaps for good reason. It is very likely that Kyle, killed by Eddie Ray Routh, an Adam Lanza clone, was murdered simply to shut him up.

Dead, Kyle is a key asset supporting America’s illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and cleanses the filth from the Bush name, as Jeb plans his run for the American presidency.

The American Sniper phenomena is surprising. There is enough “out there” to trash Kyle already. His “aw shucks” demeanor on TV appearances had been overshadowed by his nearly endless fabrications.

Every time Kyle opened his mouth, he put his foot in it, from his wild claim of beating up former governor of Minnesota and professional wrestler, Jesse Ventura to stories about killing looters in New Orleans or “street thugs” trying to steal his car.  Perhaps Kyle had seen Ventura with Alex Jones?

None of these stories stood up under scrutiny.