Chris Kyle’s suspected killer, Eddie Ray Routh , has requested a change of venue in the upcoming murder trial of the Navy SEAL portrayed by Bradley Cooper in American Sniper . On February 2, 2013, just four years after Kyle left the military, he and his friend, Chad Littlefield, were allegedly shot and killed by Eddie Ray Routh, a former Marine they were helping to cope with his PTSD .
Eddie Ray Routh, 25, was with American Sniper Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield at a gun range in Texas. Eddie Routh’s trial is slated to begin on February 11.
“My client will pled not guilty by reason of insanity,” Routh’s defense attorney, J. Warren St. John, told the media.
Texas prosecutors overseeing the Chris Kyle murder case are not seeking the death penalty against the former Marine accused of shooting the military hero.
The Eddie Ray Routh change of venue request is not the only issue plaguing his defense team. The incredible success of American Sniper has left the attorneys very concerned about finding an impartial jury in the Chris Kyle murder case.
“The film will be an issue. I think any case with significant publicity has an issue with picking a jury. I’ve had them in the past, and anything that has significant national attention makes it hard to pick a jury,” Eddie Routh’s attorney said.
J. Warren St. John is not permitted to speak publicly about the Chris Kyle murder trial due to a court protective order preventing all involved parties from speaking to the press. In 2013, a Texas judge issued the gag order in the American Sniper trial due to the “unusually emotional nature of the issues involved in the case and the extensive local and national media coverage the case has already generated.”
#MilitaryMonday Please take the time to Thank a veteran or Police Officer or Firefighter or First Responder today in honor of Chris.
— Official Chris Kyle (@ChrisKyleFrog) January 19, 2015
Here’s an excerpt from the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation website.
“When one person serves, the whole family unit serves. All too often, the support network of those serving our country – either on the military frontline or as first responders – Paramedics, Fire, Police and Government Agency Officers, can be overlooked or forgotten. The pressures that come naturally with carrying out service to our country can lead to a negative ripple effect among family units, which flows into the communities within which they serve, work and live. The aim of the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation is to provide meaningful, interactive experiences to service members, first responders and their families, aimed at enriching their family relationships.
Chris Kyle – the author of New York Times Best Selling book – American Sniper – and his wife, TayaKyle, knew all too well the issues encountered by military personnel and first responder families. Prior to his untimely passing in February 2013, Chris had begun casting his vision for the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation to provide experiences for service and first responder families to work through many of the difficulties he and Taya had experienced post-deployment.Taya Kyle and a dedicated team are ensuring Chris’ vision, desire and legacy to the country he served carries on now and into the future.The experiences provided by the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation are designed to give those it is assisting the opportunity to reconnect and remember what they love about each other, thus empowering families to thrive.”
Bradley Cooper and Taya Kyle at the Dallas premiere of #AmericanSniper . pic.twitter.com/7Ey6QqikkH
— American Sniper (@AmericanSniper) January 21, 2015
Eddie Ray Routh has been behind bars since being charged in the murders of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. During preliminary trial proceedings in 2013, the judge denied a change of venue in the American Sniper murder trial.
What do you think about the change of venue request on behalf of Eddie Ray Routh, the accused murdered of American Sniper Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield?
[Images via: Facebook]