Full Coverage of the Eddie Ray Routh Murder Trial by Texan News Service

Coverage of trial from Texan News Service.

Commentary from magiclougie is in brackets [ ]. 

JURY SELECTION

8:31 AM - 9 Feb 2015
Eddie Routh trial update: 145 potential jurors being questioned. The rest of 263 called were sent home. May be called Tue if needed.

8:34 AM - 9 Feb 2015
1 juror excused for talking to a reporter. When asked if they could judge solely on evidence despite publicity, all raised their hands.

8:57 AM - 9 Feb 2015
Eddie Routh wearing gray sport coat, no tie, black rimmed glasses, buzz cut hair, clean shaven. About 6'2". Husky. No resemblance to mugshot.

Erath DA Alan Nash tells panel only punishment possible in this case is life in prison. There will be no punishment phase if convicted.

Now asking if anyone knew Chad Littlefield or Chris Kyle, or if they know victims' families. Only 1 response.

9:05 AM - 9 Feb 2015
Going through people involved in case. Paramedics, range workers, law enforcement. Likely witnesses. Simply knowing does not disqualify.

Each side will get 11 strikes to cover 12 jurors and 2 alternates. 

2:00 PM - 9 Feb 2015
Routh's lawyer questioned jury pool on publicity and insanity. All said they could decide on evidence only.

3:35 PM - 9 Feb 2015
Jury seated. 10 women. 2 men. Testimony in Routh trial starts Wednesday.

8:45 AM - 10 Feb 2015
Eddie Routh in court. Brief pre-trial motions. State wants to photograph his tattoos. Granted

3:55 PM - 10 Feb 2015
Prosecutors want to show jurors Eddie Routh's "high life" tattoo to emphasize drug use.

3:58 PM - 10 Feb 2015
Prosecutors also hope to introduce a list of 37 extraneous offenses. Drugs, DWI, killing small animals, flooding cell.

As spectators arrive the first day of trial, courthouse bells played the hymn "My hope is built on nothing less."

State troopers at courthouse. Routh arrived in caravan on backside of building.


DAY 1, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

Trial starts 9AM Central on Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Eddie Routh pleads "Not Guilty" to the murders of Christopher Kyle and Chad Littlefield.

State tells jury they must answer 2 questions:Did Routh intentionally cause death & when he did so, did he know what he was doing was wrong?

State has burden to prove Routh intentionally killed Kyle/Littlefield. Defense has burden to prove he did not know it was wrong i.e Insanity

Trial Opening Statements on Video: Texas v. Routh, 2/11/15


Prosecutor tells jury Routh served as a marine in the green or "safe zone" in Iraq.

Prosecutor tells jury that Chad Littlefield was shot 4 times in back [this is a lie]. Also in face and top of head with 9mm handgun.

Prosecutor tells jury that Kyle was shot with a .45 4 times in the back [this is a lie], 1 in the side, and 1 in the head, but this is contrary to the evidence.

NOTE: The prosecution has consistently said over the past two years that the shots were to their backs, but this is contrary to the evidence. The reason the prosecution did this was to present Routh as a coward to the public and jury pool. Plus, throughout the trial, prosecutors told the jury that the men were shot in the back.

Eddie left the shooting range with the 9mm (that was issued to SEALs) and the .45 [he left only with the 9mm and not the .45, so this is a lie by the prosecution; and Routh has consistently denied that he used two guns; he said he only used the 9mm when he shot at Kyle and Littlefield and that he said he shot Kyle 2-3 times, but he was not specific on the number of times he shot Littlefield].

Prosecutor tells jury that Routh stole Kyle's truck and first went to his uncle's to show him the new guns he got, and then went to his sister's and showed her his new truck and new guns [this is a lie by the prosecution: he went to his uncle's and then his sister's seeking their advice because he was running on adreneline and didn't know what to do]. Then he admitted to his sister that he murdered 2 men.

Prosecutor tells jury about gunshot wounds. Littlefield was shot four times in the back [again, this is a lie perpetrated by the prosecution team since the murders on February 2, 2013]. Chris Kyle was shot five times.


Routh told his sister he was going to flee to Oklahoma in Chris Kyle's truck.

Nash: Routh told sister he planned to flee to Mexico [he told her he was going to Oklahoma]. Led law enforcement on pursuit. State trying to show he knew he had done wrong.

Prosecutor: Routh admitted to sheriffs he smoked pot and drank whiskey the morning he killed Littlefield and Kyle [this is another lie by the prosecution: Routh never told the police he drank that morning].

Prosecutor Nash says Littlefield was shot 4 times with a 9mm in back [again, repeating this lie], one time in the face, one time in head; and Kyle was shot with a different gun 5 times in back [again, repeating this lie], 1 time in head.

Nash says the .45 pistol was the gun used to kill Kyle and a 9mm used to kill Littlefield. Says both were found on Routh [again, this is a lie; only the 9mm was found with Routh in the truck after he was apprehended].

Nash says 9mm had markings proving it was issued by Navy to Kyle.

Routh defense attorney Tim Moore has floor.

Says Routh took Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield's life because he was "in the grip of psychosis."

Defense says Routh was in a psychosis the morning of Feb 2, 2013. He thought it was "his life or theirs."

Defense says Routh thought he had to take their lives. Says he did not know what he did was wrong.

Moore said in the state of psychosis, Eddie Routh felt he had to kill the 2 men or else they would kill him.

Using whiteboard, Moore running through Routh's mental illnesses. Said he struggled with alcohol & marijuana.

Moore says Routh was admitted to a VA Hospital and was suicidal. Then taken to psychiatric hospital in Dallas.

Defense showing that Routh was brought to mental hospital on many occasions and was always released, even though he was severely ill.


Two weeks before killings, Moore said Routh had a psychotic episode. Held people at knife point in apartment. Police take him back to mental hospital.

Moore: Eddie Routh released from hospital even with mental illness that could hurt others.Was told to stay on medication.

Moore said the night before the killings, Routh proposed to girlfriend and that she accepted, but next morning, he was paranoid and told her to leave.

Defense describe Routh's marriage proposal to Jennifer Weed. He was very paranoid; told her not to speak out load, people are listening.

Moore said while driving to gun range, Chris Kyle texted to Chad Littlefield, sitting next to him, about Routh: "This dude is straight up nuts."

After being arrested by Lancaster PD, Routh was interviewed by a TX Ranger. Moore tells jury they'll see interview and "psychotic responses."

"At time of this tragedy, Eddie Routh was suffering from a mental disease and did not know his conduct was wrong."

Defense attorney Moore says multiple mental experts will testify that they believe Routh was insane at the time of the murders [the judge would later disqualify one of the defense's expert witnesses, leaving only one to testify in front of the jury that Routh was insane; but the judge allowed both of the prosecution's paid expert witnesses, with very similar credentials, to testify in front of the jury that Routh was not insane].

By law, defense only has to prove by "preponderance of evidence" that Routh did not know right from wrong. Not "beyond reasonable doubt."


On witness stand is Taya Kyle, Chris Kyle's wife and resident of Midlothean for four years. She married Kyle in 2002. [She is from Oregon and met Kyle while she was living in San Diego.]

Taya Kyle said Rough Creek built a long range shooting range with the help of Chris. He had specific dimensions and specific guidelines.

She can barely speak. Tears as she tries to say his name.

Her breaths are shaky. "I'm sorry. I'm not nervous, just emotional."

Asked where he served. She says Falujah where contractors were burned.

Then she says Ramadi, where 2 friends died beside him. She talks directly to jury.

She says she learned later that he went down a bullet filled alley to save a journalist.

Describes a marine dying on Chris's chest as he tried to save him. Painting picture of selfless man.

Taya says Chris came home physically and emotionally battered. 30% disability for PTSD. 2 knee surgeries.

Taya says she talked to Chris from range. Could tell he was irritated by something.

Chad Littlefield's wife called. Also worried. Taya called and texted Chris. No response.

Then police officer arrives at house. After several minutes, he tells her Chris is dead.

State asking Taya if Kyle had trouble adjusting to civilian life when he came home from war. She says he did- he drank, had night sweats.

Taya says Chris struggled adapting to civilian life. Drank a little, had trouble sleeping, put on weight.

Taya now testifying about how Chad Littlefield and Chris Kyle became friends. Met before book. Chad clicked with Chris' personality.

Kyle and Littlefield worked out together in Kyle's garage early mornings, around 5:30 am.

Taya talking about their day on Feb. 2, 2013: kids had sporting events, after the game they took separate cars home because he had plans with Routh [he did not have plans with Routh: Routh, and Routh's family and friends, did not know Kyle was planning to pickup Eddie that day].

Taya had plans in afternoon to take their daughter to "Build-a-Bear" while Chris was at the range. Chris left around noon.

Taya voice cracks as she talks about last time she saw Chris. They were at house. "We said we loved each other. Hugged and kissed, like always."

Multiple family pictures of Chris shown to jury.

After leaving, they talked by phone around 2-3pm. Chris was at was very quick on the phone. She asked if he was okay. He said "yep."

Taya said she could tell something was wrong when she spoke to Kyle on the phone at Rough Creek. Said he sounded off, irritated. It was short conversation. Felt Chris couldn't say much cause others were around.

Chad's wife called Taya wondering if she heard from guys. Taya called Chris. No answer. Texted: "Are you okay? I'm getting worried."

When Taya hadn't heard from Kyle she texted him that she was worried. And then a police officer, a friend of Chris who would occasionally drop by, came to the home.

Officer asked Taya if she had seen Chris' truck. She said no. Officer said he believed Chris had been hurt.

Neighbor came to get Kyle children, she called her mother, she started to get texts from a lot of people. "I knew something was up."

Taya did not answer calls, only wanted to hear from police. Was told by the original officer, Kyle friend, that husband was dead.

In later testimony, state showed multiple calls to Kyle phone Feb. 2, 2013. Taya tried to reach her husband at 5:18 and 5:30. Routh's mom tried Kyle 6:06.

Taya Kyle questioned by defense.

Defense asks Taya if it would be sound judgement for someone to pick up somebody with alcohol on breath and go to gun range.

Taya said Chris would not drink before range, but in dealing with and helping vets, not unheard of for someone to have a drink before range.

Warren St. John asks if Chris would take drunk person to gun range [prosecutors say Eddie Routh drank and smoked pot before trip].

Taya testified earlier Chris did not want to be around shooters who had been drinking.

Back under direct examination, Taya says Chris did not associate with those who did illegal drugs. Probably couldn't identify effects.

Taya Kyle has been excused from stand.

The defense asked for a mistrial, which is common in a trial like this, but the judge quickly denied it.

It was directly after Taya had recounted her son claiming the day up until finding out about Kyle's death was "the best day of his life." After the motion for a mistrial was denied she said, "I guess he doesn't like my stories."


Judy Littlefield takes the stand:

Judy Littlefield cries a little bit when asked Chad's birthday. February 11, 1977. He would have been 38 today. She can barely say it's his birthday.

Chad Littlefield and his wife have a daughter named Morgan who had just turned 7 when father was killed.

Picture of Chad shown for court. He is wearing the "Punisher" symbol Kyle wore overseas. Plus picture of Chad and his daughter shown to jury.

Chad Littlefield would help install fitness equipment with Kyle for his charity FitCo.

Littlefield and Kyle were both soccer dads. They met on the field where their kids played together.

Chad stopped for lunch day before he died. Usually at lunch, he'd stay for an hour. That day he stayed for 2 1/2 hours.

Miss Littlefield says the topic of conversation was how Chad felt in a good place spiritually. Talked how he wanted daughter raised.

Chad's mom said he was a "neat freak." Didn't settle for drug store cologne. "Had to have the Armani and the Chanel."

She says Chad checked on her every day. "A good son." A "passion for veterans," but not a vet.

Judy found out something was wrong at 9pm on Feb. 2, 2013. She went to Taya's house and there was a lot of law enforcement.

Judy Littlefield says her son would not go to range with someone drinking.

Mrs Littlefield said her son had no experience dealing with people on drugs.


Frank Alvarez of Rough Creek Lodge, where murder happened, is third witness.

Prosecution having Alvarez to paint a picture of Rough Creek Lodge: 11,000 acres, world class restaurants, spa, shooting activities, zip line.

Prosecutor going over photos of Rough Creek Lodge with their resident manager for almost half an hour.

Prosecutor is showing a map of Rough Creek Lodge in relation to the surroundings roads and highways.

Prosecutor is beginning to present crime scene photos as evidence.

Taya is in courtroom. Taya is watching and shaking her head as they present this graphic photos.

Graphic crime scene photos being shown. Shows both Kyle and Littlefield lying near range deck [others said Kyle was off the platform and Littlefield was on the platform].

Prosecutors are asking Alvarez about how Kyle checked-in. Alvarez gave Kyle the clear to use the range around 3:15 p.m. Kyle was only planning to be out there for 45 minutes. Alvarez did not meet Routh or get his name from Kyle [this is because Kyle and Littlefield went inside to register, leaving Routh in the backseat of the truck].

Shows the empty chamber of Chris Kyle's long colt revolver [which he had just finished shooting at the practice target].


Justin Nabours was called to the stand. Nabours is 25-years-old. He is a staff worker at the crime scene after the men were killed, and he gave chest compressions to Kyle and Littlefield.

Justin went to the gun range because his client, who he was taking on a pig hunt, asked if his son could meet Chris Kyle.

Nabours said that they were headed to the shooting range at around 3:40-3:50. There were two red flags up by the entrance of the range so that people would know there were others shooting on the range as a safety precaution.

When Nabours approached the scene, he could see rifles and ammunition, but no people. He thought they were putting out the "bravo flag" down the road. He waited five minutes (there were two others with him). When the people he assumed had left did not show, he approached the platform and saw the two bodies. Chris Kyle was laying face down on the grass. He saw the second body, Chad Littlefield, laying on his back on the platform. Nabours told the people with him to call 911 and head back to the lodge. He called staff for help. Routh was not at the scene at this time.


EMT Bobby Epps is called to the stand. He is the lieutenant for Somervell and has worked there for the past eight years.
   
Paul Boccafogli is the general manager at Rough Creek Lodge that arrived at the scene with Alvarez.

Epps said that they received the call at 5:10 p.m. They arrived on the scene between 5:30 and 5:40 p.m. They requested a helicopter to the scene when they found-out two people had gunshot wounds. The helicopter request was later cancelled. Epps said they were not familiar with where the shooting range was located, because they have only been called to the main lodge when called to Rough Creek.

Epps said that Rough Creek staff were trying to save the two before they got to the scene. The staff already pulled-out emergency equipment that they owned.

It was noted in the morning session today that there was confusion as to within which county Rough Creek Lodge lies. Because of this, emergency contacts (such as EMTs, police, and rangers) bounced back-and-forth as to who should arrive at the scene. It is believed that this is why there was such a gap between the time when the bodies were found and when Epps said they got the call.

Epps was working on Chris Kyle; He hooked-up the Philips monitor to him, which has three stickers. One went onto the right side of his chest, on in the middle, and the last on the left. This monitor detects breathing, and Kyle had no pulse. Epps could see that Kyle had two gunshots to his torso, one on the right cheek of his face. Epps said there was blood in his hair and on his abdominals. He said that Matthew Green was working on Chad Littlefield.

Epps left the stand.


Matthew Green was called to the stand. Green is a paramedic firefighter and has worked as a Somervell firefighter for ten years, a paramedic for two.

Green worked on Littlefield on the platform at the scene. He detected that there was no pulse nor heartbeat. His paramedic partner confirmed this. Green said Littlefield's skin color was not normal and body temperature was cold. Green said Littlefield had a gunshot wound to the forehead, left arm, and upper abdominals. (One other gunshot location was said but was not noted.) Green added that it looked like Littlefield's brain and skull matter were lying next to him.

20 minutes after Alvarez showed-up to the range, Somervell County law enforcement arrived.

Routh was seen fiddling with a pen when they were showing the pictures of the bodies.

When Nabours called for help from staff, Alvarez was one of the two that showed-up.
   
The two people originally with Nabours when first approaching the scene were guests at Rough Creek Lodge. They are the ones who were asked to call 911 and return to the lodge.
   

Keith Martin is called to the stand. Martin is the deputy for Somervell County and has been working for the county for five years. Somervell paramedics arrived approximately 20 minutes after he did, which was around 5:35 p.m. Erath county public safety arrived around 6:00 p.m.


Renee Parrish was called to the stand. Parrish works for the Midlothian Police Department as a dispatcher. She has been employed there for three years. Parrish is the dispatcher who answered the call from Routh's sister and brother-in-law.

They are playing the 911 call in court now.

The sister claims that her brother came to their house telling her and her husband that he committed a murder. Parrish asked for them to come to the police station, and she said that they would.
   
Routh's sister sounds afraid and in panic on the phone during her 911 call.
   
Routh is looking down and writing notes while the dispatch call is playing.    
   
Parrish released from the stand and excused as a witness. The judge asked Parrish not to talk about her testimony until the trial is over.
       

Chet Kelley is called to the stand. Kelley is a close friend of Chad Littlefield. Kelley and Littlefield went to high school together. Their wives are close friends as well.    
   
Kelley's wife had called Littlefield's wife out of concern. Kelley tried to call Littlefield, but Routh answered the phone. He said, "This isn't Chad, this is Eddie." Kelley responded to Eddie on the phone and said, "I'm sorry Eddie, I must have the wrong number."

Kelley did know of Routh; his sister had babysat his children. He was not friends with Routh, nor did he have his phone number.

Kelley said he was excited to be able to get an answer from Littlefield when no one else had been able to, but then thought he had the wrong number when Routh answered.    
   

DAY 2, FEBRUARY 12, 2015

Routh has walked into the courtroom. -9:02 a.m.

The jury is walking into the room. -9:10 a.m.

The first on the stand today is Texas Ranger Adcock. He will talk about the crime scenes.

They are now looking at maps of Rough Creek Lodge and roadways.

They are discussing that the shooting structure is four miles from the lodge and on a paved road.

Panoramic photos of the crime scene are being presented as evidence. They are graphic; weapons at the scene and bodies.

He became involved in the investigation after he received a call from his lieutenant. He arrived at Rough Creek Lodge in the evening, and the front gate was locked.
   
When he arrived to the scene, he said he saw two wounded males.

Adcock said he found many shell casings at the scene from differed caliber weapons. Photos from the crime scene are being brought to the stand. [The only gun fired at the practice targets that day was the .45 Kyle had just unloaded and the 9mm Sig Sauer handgun that Routh says he used to shot Littlefield and then Kyle; however, investigators say a .45 was used to shot Kyle and the 9mm Sig Sauer in Routh's possession at the time of his arrest was used to shot Littlefield.]

The Rough Creek Lodge pictures include weapons and the marked crime scene.

Some pictures were shown on the screen for all spectators to see, and some were only shown to the judge. [Why would only the judge not the jury see some of the pictures?]

Ranger says Kyle and Littlefield were both found with loaded pistols in their waistbands in locked position, safety on.


Although many guns and ammo remained, none were loaded. Chris Kyle had fired all bullets in his pistol.


Adcock brought to the stand a revolver found at the crime scene. He also brought 38 special shell cases. Other than collecting the shell cases, they were not used for analysis.

Routh is attentive and taking notes during the trial.

Adcock did an inventory of Kyle's truck last year in April. Based on investigation, he found important materials that are now brought-up to the stand.

The materials were found on the driver's door. Kyle had a black Ford, 4-door pickup.

What was found in the truck was Taco Bell receipts with a drive-thru purchase of 2 bean burritos at 6:50 p.m. on I-35, Red Oak Service Road.

When inventorying the truck, there were no weapons inside, no place to put a gun. Adcock says he doesn't remember seeing any "gun places."  He would have to go back and look at his notes.

After two hours of testimony, Abcock has concluded.


F. Salazar from the City of Lancaster Police Department is brought-up to the stand next.

Salazar said he was patrolling the day of the crime. He has been patrolling for nine years. The crime scene was right up the road from his location. He heard about the crime via radio call. When he arrived to the scene, other officers were also pulling-up. His job was to hold the perimeter, and he had out a rifle. Salazar and other officers had a description of Kyle's missing truck, and they knew they were looking for a man.

According to Salazar, eventually the truck became disabled on I-35 North of I-20.

A copy of the video from Salazar's patrol car is brought to the stand.
   
Salazar was a U.S. Marine in Iraq when Chris Kyle was there.

The car chase that evening included 5 to 8 cop cars. All the Lancaster police cars involved were on I-35. It was a high chase at about 100 mph [lasting for about six minutes].

Officer F. Salazar placed stop-sticks underneath Routh's vehicle, but they didn't flatten his tires, due to them being placed too close to the tires.


Lieutenant Michael Smith is called to the stand by the prosecutor. He served on the department for twenty years. Smith got a call on Feb. 2, 2013, by a retired Detective Shavera, because he was concerned about his house and family. Detective Shavera lived right next door to Routh. [Shavera was not called to testify for some reason?]

Smith says that Shavera got a call from Routh's sister to check on Routh at his home. He and Smith checked Routh's home after he received the call. They knew that if Routh's dog was in the home, then Routh would be there. They saw the dog was still in the kennel out back, so they knew Routh wasn't home. Shavera and Smith were both off duty and went to the scene in unmarked vehicles.

Acording to Smith, the officers were at Routh's house when Routh arrived and pulled to the curb of his house. Smith and Shavera got out of their vehicles to speak with him.

Another officer, Logan, had a body camera on his lapel and has footage of that night.

Shavera was talking to Routh through the window of the truck while Smith was listening to their conversation. Smith said that Salazar and another officer were on their bellies, trying to place sticks to flatten his tires.

According to Logan's lapel-camera-footage, Shavera said to Routh, "Eddie! Eddie, turn it off [referring to the truck]. It's not worth it." Smith said Shavera was trying to get Routh to talk to them and trying to get Routh to roll the window down.

In the footage, Shavera said, "I don't want to hurt you, Eddie. We all grew-up together. Throw me the keys out here, and don't take off while they get down here. We are here, because we have to be. And we aren't going anywhere. As a friend and as a neighbor, you can always come to talk."

This is all information recorded from Logan's lapel camera.

In Logan's lapel camera footage, Routh asked, "Why can't you get in the truck with me?"

In the footage, Routh also asked, "Is this about me walking on Earth right now?" And Shavera replied, "I don't know what you mean." So, in the recording, Routh asked again, "Like, is this about me walking on Earth?"

Shavera was still trying to get Routh to leave the truck. Shavera said, "Remember what we talked about? Don't worry about what you can't control. Worry about what you can control."

Eddie Routh peering at officers trying to talk him out. He says he's having evil thoughts. Sgt tells him he can control evil thoughts.

Routh says "It happened so fast. I don't know if I'm going insane."

In the footage, Salazar and another officer are still trying to put sticks down.

Shavera then tried to call Routh's mom so that she could talk to him while he is still in the truck with the window rolled-up. Shavera put Routh's mom on the speaker to talk to Routh through the window.

Shavera told Routh's mom, "He will come out of the truck if you can come to him." But Routh's mom was in Abilene. Routh's mom told him that she would come see him if he would get out of the truck.

In the footage, Routh asked, "Do y'all have any guns?" And Shavera replied, "Yes, we do. It's our job. Routh said, "Well, I do too."

In the footage, Routh turned on the car after talking for a few more minutes. He then turned it back off and said, "I want to take a nap." Shavera replied, "How about you take a nap somewhere else?" Then, Smith said to Shavera that Shavera should tell Routh that he will get in the truck only if Routh rolls the window down and let's him look around before getting in the truck with him.

In the video, Shavera said, "Do me a favor, Eddie. Keep your hands up the way you've been doing so we can all relax."

Routh then turned the truck on again and took off down the street, 'peeling-out.'

Smith (still on the stand) said that he was in the second vehicle in the chase and wasn't sure what car Logan was in.

There were 5-8 cop cars in the chase. It is not specified what time the chase took place [it was around 8:30 pm].

The truck that Routh was in eventually stopped because it was disabled.

In the video, after the chase ended, Routh said to Shavera, "Everyone wants to barbeque by ass right now. I'm making the decision to stay in this truck, because my soul is on this side of the glass and so is my high."

Detective tells Routh they can walk and talk. Routh says "anarchy killing the world."

Routh's lawyer is asking Smith if these quotes by Routh in the video are correct:

"I don't know if I'm going insane."
"Is this about, like, Hell walking on Earth right now?"
"I don't even know what peace and law and order is about."
"Is the apocalypse on too?"
"I can't keep sitting here, watching these cats scurry by while they keep fucking walking, running around me."
"I can feel everyone feeding on my soul, and that was not good."

Smith replied that all of the quotes from Routh are accurate.

Smith said that yes, all of this was in the video between Routh and Shavera [but retired officer Shavera, who lived next door to Routh for years, was not called to testify].

Smith said, "I wasn't that concerned about what he was saying."

Smith said another quote from Routh, "I have taken some souls, and I have more to take," was accurate.

Smith said he knew Routh since he was a little boy, but didn't know him on a personal level.

Comment From Guest:
Did they do any drug testing on him? I haven't heard throughout this if they proved he was under the influence.

Texan News Service:
During the opening statements yesterday, the prosecution said that there were drug tests run, and those results showed that he used "wet marijuana and whiskey" the morning of the crime. [If this is true, then the prosecution lied because no tests were run and testimony during the trial proved Routh did not use wet marijuana.] The defense also said, "He may have smoked a little marijuana and had a little alcohol, but that was in the morning."

There has already been a motion made pre-trial to include "acts of misconduct" made by Routh, which includes previous arrest records. The request was approved by Judge Cashon. These motions were made Oct. 1, 2013.


Dr. Jeffery Barnard is called to the stand.

Barnard is from Dallas county as has been there since 1991. He received his M.D. from A&M.

He has been chief since 1991 as a medical examiner, but he started his career in 1981.
   
Barnard did the autopsies for both Littlefield and Kyle. He said he did the two autopsies on Feb. 3, 2013.
   
Barnard said that when he first saw the bodies, he took photographs.

Barnard said that x-rays were taken before they were undressed to be sure that bullets didn't fall out and could not be used as evidence.

Barnard is now looking at Chris Kyle's autopsy report and pictures, which Barnard said shows that Kyle was shot six times.
   
Barnard notes that Chris Kyle was 6'1" and 216 pounds.
   
He said that Kyle had tattoos on his upper left arm, which was a cross and eagle and another one of a frog skeleton on his upper back.
   
Barnard said that Kyle had one substance in his system, which was venlafaxine, an anti-depressant.

Kyle was shot six times. [The hunting guide who discovered the bodies said that Kyle's body was face down in the dirt just off the platform. Since his wounds were rapidly fatal, he would have been shot in the spot were his body went down. So he was off the platform and Routh must have been on the platform shooting down at him.]
   
Barnard says one shot entered Kyle's right side of his face, the jaw area, which Barnard believes caused injury to Kyle's back-side of his spinal cord.

Barnard said another shot was to the shoulder but never exited the body.  What Barnard believes this shot killed Kyle. He said that bullet bounced around his whole body, from his right to left, hit his heart and arteries, and hit both lungs.
   
Barnard added that two more shots broke his right arm and exited the underside of his arm. Barnard said that one of the two bullets that exited his arm superficially penetrated his abdomen. He added that bullets one and two were rapid-ally, fatal injuries.
   
Barnard said that two more shots were also rapidly fatal wounds.

Prosecution is presenting new evidence, but have not shown it yet. Jury has been dismissed from the court until new evidence has been approved to be presented. The evidence that needed to be admitted was envelopes with bullets that had finger nails and hair on them.

Dr. Barnard is talking about Littlefield now. He is looking over a photograph and pointing out Littlefields tattoos: the face of Jesus on his right upper arm, the name "Morgan" on the right side of his upper arm, and a tattoo on his ankle that was not described.
   
They are now showing pictures from Littlefield's autopsy.

Littlefield was shot seven times. [The hunting guide who discovered the bodies said that Littlefield was on his back on the platform. One scenario is that he fell to his knees after the first shots were fired, leaning forward first, and then he must have fallen backward after he was shot again. Diagrams presented at trial showed that his knees were bent and his back was on the platform.]

One shot entered the left side of his face by the nose and under his eye and traveled down and exited by his left shoulder.

Another shot went through the neck and back of the head. [It seems logical that it entered from the back of the head and exited the neck.]

Another shot was through the right upper shoulder.

Another shot entered through the chest and exited the middle of the back.

Another shot was through the lower back and exited the right upper chest. [This doesn't makes sense: it is more logical that the shot entered on the right upper chest and exited the lower back.]

Another shot entered the front of his left palm and exited the back of his left hand. [When this shot exited the back of his left hand, could it have been the same shot that entered the chest or right upper shoulder?]

Another shot that penetrated Littlefield was on the top of his head. 
   
Barnard said the neither Kyle nor Littlefield had a chance of survival.



NOTE: For more on the autopsy and bullet wounds, see Howard Ryan's testimony on Day 10 of the trial.


DAY 3, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

The jury is being brought in. 9:11 a.m.

The first witness to the stand is Sergeant Greg Stewart from the Erath County Sheriff's Office.

Sgt. Greg Stewart testifying about logging evidence.

The next items of evidence are the articles from Kyle's truck. All of these are sealed bags and aren't actually visible. All items of evidence so far have come from a Texas Ranger and were brought to court today by Stewart.


Stewart is excused from the stand and David Armstrong, a Texas Ranger, is on the stand. He has served as a ranger for three years and has a total of 12 years of law enforcement experience.

Armstrong, based out of Garland, was advised to be in route to Lancaster when he found out that Routh was heading to Lancaster in Kyle's truck.   
   
Though the chase was over before he arrived, Armstrong was able to arrived to the scene where the chase ended.    
   
Armstrong identified Routh as being the man at the scene.

Armstrong took pictures at the scene and secured the truck with evidence tape so it could be taken to the lab.   
   
Armstrong was shown pictures of the scene and asked if that was accurate to what the scene looked like when Armstrong was there.

Armstrong observed two firearms in the truck when he first arrived on scene.

Armstrong is shown pictures of two guns found as evidence. He identified that they both were in Kyle's truck. The first gun shown was fond in the front pocket of the driver's side door. The second one was a rifle between the passenger seat and the center console. [Why did prosecutors say the .45-caliber handgun used to shot Kyle was found in the truck, when it was found at the crime scene?]

After towing Kyle's truck, they traveled to Lancaster Police Department and filed a search warrant for Routh's home.

As soon as the warrant was granted, they searched Routh's house. Armstrong is shown pictures and a floor plan from Routh's house (approx 1000 sq ft) to confirm that it was the same residence he visited.



Armstrong says the guest bedroom in Routh's home looked to be disturbed when they searched it.

Armstrong found drug paraphernalia at Routh's home: pipe, grinder, bong, and pot in guest room bedroom closet and desk.

An issue is being discussed with the judge to see if there has been evidence presented that is dismissible.

Pictures are being shown displaying the drug paraphernalia found in Routh's home.

The jury has been excused so the judge can accept evidence.

Female clothing was found in the master bedroom of Routh's home.

Pictures form inside Routh's home are being shown to the jury.

Pictures of a note found with Chris Kyle's name and telephone number were shown.

An assortment of firearm ammunition found in Routh's home in the guest bedroom is pictured.

Armstrong now shows the jury the evidence he is pulling out of the box. A cotton strand, a package of rolling papers (used for tobacco or marijuana), a grinder (typically used for tobacco or marijuana), another ceramic pipe with residue, and a bag full of what looks to be a drug of some sort.

Armstrong and three other Rangers were the first to search Routh's home.

Prescription medications with Routh's name on them were found on top of the refrigerator. One of them was an antipsychotic medication commonly used to treat schizophrenia.

Armstrong says he smelt marijuana in Routh's home.

Nash is clarifying with Armstrong the ammunition found in Routh's closet.

There were no guns found in Routh's home; they only found ammunition.

Defense challenges Ranger Armstrong over cause for search warrant.

Defense attorney Tim Moore is cross examining Armstrong about the accuracies of his report.

Ranger concedes no officers told him Routh smelled of liquor or marijuana when arrested.

Ranger Armstrong says Routh's anti-psychotic meds found.

Defense Atty Tim Moore says medicine, on fridge, primarily for schizophrenia.


James Watson, Routh's uncle, is the first called up to give testimony. Watson is from Cedar Hill and has been living in Alvarado since before the shooting.

Watson says that Routh has a sense of morality and believes in God. He says he taught Routh how to hunt as a young boy and that he is a "good shot" and knows how to handle guns well.

Routh was in the Marines for four years. When in Iraq, he was an "armer."

"He lost the desire for life" after returning from Iraq, Watson said.

Routh went to Haiti after Iraq and Watson states that he was more depressed after returning from Haiti.

Watson says Routh lived with his girlfriend, Jen, in Watson's house. Then he moved in with his mother prior to the shooting.

Routh drove a Volkswagon Beetle that was painted as a lady bug after he got rid of his truck.



The last time Watson saw Routh before the day of the shooting was Christmas Eve 2012. Watson says that Routh was not acting unusually.

Watson went to Routh's home in Lancaster the morning of the shooting. He was called there because Routh and his girlfriend had an argument and he wanted to calm him down.

Watson arrived at Routh's house at 8 a.m. Routh was alone in the house and was acting normally. They discussed the argument between Routh and his girlfriend, then drank some coffee.

Nelson asks if they drank any whiskey and Watson replies, "I don't remember, but that doesn't mean I didn't."

Starnes is an assistant Texas attorney general helping the Erath County District Attorney Alan Nash. 

Starnes asks Watson if they smoked marijuana that morning and he confirms that they did.

Starnes takes out the pipe they smoked from that morning and asks Watson to smell it and confirm that it smells like marijuana. Watson says they smoked one bowl that morning.

Starnes asks, "Would you know good weed when you get it?" Watson replies that he would and that the weed they smoked that morning was good and their high lasted two to three hours.

Starnes said that the originally story was that they smoked two to three bowls, not just one.

Someone drove up to the house and Routh went outside, leaving Watson inside. Routh left.

Eddie and Watson were sitting on his back porch when Chris Kyle walked up the gravel driveway. Eddie took off with Kyle without saying anything.

"I heard someone introduce them self and said you must be Eddie." - Watson's recollection of Kyle picking up Eddie to bring him to gun range

Watson knew Routh was going with Chris Kyle to a gun range from a conversation earlier that morning. Watson didn't really know who Kyle was, though. [This is somewhat contradicted by other testimony.]

Watson was concerned about where Routh was when he left and said it was very abrupt. Watson called Routh's girlfriend to confirm he had left with Kyle, and then he returned to his home and took a nap. [Routh's girlfriend later testified that the uncle called to ask where Eddie went, and she didn't know; she called Kyle because his number was on the refrigerator.]

Watson states the he has a seizure disorder and suffers from anxiety and depression himself.

Watson said Routh was driving a new Ford pickup truck later that day and that Routh said he was "driving a dead man's truck." He says he thought he was talking about himself. "He thought people were out to get him."

This was not shocking to Watson because it was usual for Routh to make strange comments. Watson says he thought Routh was talking about himself.

Routh's uncle says Eddie said odd things after Marine service." Bizarre things. Seemed depressed.

Routh said he felt like he was being chased and Watson began to question him about that.

Routh didn't say much more to Watson besides showing him the glock pistol he had.

Watson did not ask Routh where he had gotten the truck or the gun.

When Routh arrived at Watson's house in the truck the front door was open. Watson says that he does not believe anything Routh did or said was odd. He says that Routh has a different manner of speaking saying, "He's plain spoken... He tells it how it is."

Watson says Routh was very frustrated after leaving the marines. He couldn't find a good job, never had a place of his own, fought a lot with his girlfriend, and didn't feel appreciated in general.

Watson is on probation out of Johnson county for assault on a public servant (an ambulance technician). Watson states that he is sober and confirms that he is here because he was subpoenaed, and that is the only reason.

The day of the shooting, Watson lied to officers the first time when asked if they were under the influence of marijuana. The second time they asked he admitted to it.

The defense has begun questioning Watson.

Watson recaps that Routh was very depressed after the marines and had no desire for life. Tim Moore, Routh's attorney, is talking about Routh's time in the VA hospital and the medication Routh was on.

Moore asks Watson if there is anything he wants to clear up from his first story to the law enforcement officials. Watson replies that he did not.

Moore asks about the marijuana that Routh and Watson smoked that morning. Moore believes the weed could have been laced, but Watson said that it was not.

Moore asks what Watson and Routh do when they are high and Watson replied, "We just sit around and enjoy it."

Moore stands and heads to the table with evidence on it. He takes out the tin box that Starnes had previously that holds the pipe Routh and Watson used that morning.

He continues to ask question about weed, the timing of when they smoked it, and the number of bowls they smoked.

Moore is holding up pictures of Routh's house and questions Watson about where they smoked and talked that morning. Watson states that they were in the kitchen and on the back porch.

Watson says it was between 10 a.m. and noon when Routh left. They were sitting on the porch when they heard a vehicle pull up. Routh walked out and that was the last time he saw him before the shooting. [It was actually 1:07 pm when Routh left with Kyle.]

Watson says Routh showed up at his house that afternoon around 5:00 p.m. to show him the truck and did not stay very long.

Starnes and Moore ask to approach the bench and proceed to walk up. They are discussing something with the microphone turned away from the conversation.

Watson tells Starnes that Routh can be an angry drunk, but while he is high he is relaxed an happy. Watson states to Moore that Routh was not drunk that morning.



James Jeffress is now taking the stand. He is a forensic scientist from Garland.

Jeffress works at the Garland DPS Lab. He collected evidence for this case. Chris Kyle's truck came to his lab. They documented the exterior and interior of the truck.

Pictures were taken of the truck and the truck was marked with adhesive seals for evidential purposes.

Two guns were found in the truck when Jeffress went through it.

Alan Nash is presenting the evidence (the guns) from Kyle's truck and questioning Jeffress about the guns.

Nash is presenting pictures of the guns that Jeffress had tested. Every firearm that was collected from the truck has been tested.

Jeffress collected the shell casings from the scene and tested them for connections to the guns that were collected.

More than nine guns were found on the scene. The bullets found in Chris Kyle match a firearm that was on the scene.

Nash and Jeffress are discussing the evidence (bullets) from Chad Littlefield's autopsy.

It is confirmed that the gun that was used to shoot Kyle was not the same gun used to shoot Littlefield.

Littlefield was shot with a 9 mm and Kyle was shot with a .45.

Six shell casings were found from the .45 that Kyle was shot with.

Nash and Jeffress continue to discuss locations of guns and shell casings.

Jeffress has been dismissed.


Officer Gene Cole is now on the stand. He is an officer for Belton and has been for a year. Prior to working in Belton he worked for Erath Count Sheriff's Department for a year. He was a patrol deputy in Erath.
   
Cole was called in for assistance while the other officers were performing a "range of motion" on Routh in June 2013.

On June 22, 2013, Cole spent 20-30 minutes with Routh. He did not converse with him at all.

He was standing by when Routh said, "I shot them because they wouldn't talk to me. They wouldn't talk to me on the way to the range... I feel bad about it, but they wouldn't talk to me."

The next witness has too long of a testimony to continue today, so the court will be released early today and resume at 8:30 a.m.


DAY 4, FEBRUARY 16, 2015

The attorneys approach the judge to decide if there should be a hearing outside the presence of the jury. The judge decides that there should not, so the jury enters the courtroom. He has asked for all to be seated, and the jury is now in place.

The state calls Sergeant Kenny Phillips to the witness stand. He works at the jail on day shifts, and for transports. Phillips has worked there for thirteen years. As a Sergeant, he has over 7 employees on his shift. They take care of prisoners and everyone's safety. He was involved in transporting Routh in 2013.  

He says he arrived at Lancaster PD and picked up Routh around 2 or 3 am on Feb. 3, 2013.

He received an assignment to pick up a man and transport him from Lancaster. He took an unmarked Crown V.  They discussed how to transport him. He identifies Mr. Routh (the defendant) as the man he transported.

Phillips said he cuffed Routh himself but did not question him. Routh stayed in handcuffs when Phillips put him in his car for transport. The Lancaster PD cleared the area and Phillips says they drove about an hour and fifteen minutes back to Erath County. He said Routh was irritated with him for not letting him have a cigarette. He says he didn't argue with Routh because he didn't see a point in it.

Phillips said they "changed him out" (Routh) and kept his clothes as evidence.

Phillips has identified the presented evidence as Routh's boots that Phillips collected from him that day.

Phillips says the defendant is not housed with any other inmates. Phillips says his first impression of Routh in February 2013 was "under the influence". He adds his difference and change in the days to come in the jail were very different. He used the word "detox". [This is purely his opinion: the DA and the officer who interrogated Routh on the night of the murders decided not to do a blood test to determine the level, if any, of alcohol or drugs in Routh.]

Phillips says he recognizes the scenes in pictures given to him by the prosecutor. They are pictures of Routh's boots, which he concludes are the same ones in court today.

After being asked by the prosecutor, Phillips says that he did not have any idea who Routh was prior to meeting him in this situation.

They are discussing the medications (no names mentioned) that Routh is taking while in the jail.


Texas Ranger Ronald Eugene Pettigrew was called to the stand. He has worked as a soldier in the Army, in Highway Patrol, in Narcotics, and is currently a Texas Ranger stationed in Decatur.

He (Pettigrew) said that they decided who was taking what assignment, and he agreed to help secure the truck in a lab to be inspected. They put it in an auto bay and secured it, taped up and locked in a garage.

They secured it on the night of the 2nd and returned it on the 4th to help review the truck. He assisted in observing the investigation.

He located one cell phone in the center console. He collected it and took it to be secured at a location in Irving. He did not turn the phone on so that the professionals could properly keep all of the information on the cell phone that could possibly be used for evidence. He did not know who it belonged to.

When questioned by the prosecutor, Pettigrew agrees that he believes the phone to be one from the scene of the murders. He also says, when questioned, that a wallet was also found in the truck.

Pettigrew is given a piece of evidence that he claims he obtained from the truck at 1:07 p.m. on Feb. 4th. He is shown pictures by the prosecution that he says were correct depictions of how the evidence was found on that day.

He delivered the items gathered from the autopsies of Kyle and Littlefield to the lab.

Pettigrew is asked to describe his previous job experience with narcotics. He says he was involved in that area for 13 years. His specialty was methamphetamine labs. [Why is he being questioned about narcotics and meth when it has nothing to do with his part of the investigation and there is no evidence of meth or 'wet' marijuana?]

He is questioned and concludes that he is fluent in the drug-slang and lingo used. He is asked what "wet" marijuana is. Pettigrew says that it usually refers to marijuana dipped in formaldehyde. He is also asked to explain "Purple Hearts," which he says is used when referring to certain special types of XTC marijuana. He says that "Purple Hearts" are usually reported to be stronger and more potent than typical marijuana. It is a type of purple cannabis and sells for higher prices. [This testimony of purple cannabis is misleading and irrelevant.]

The defense is now asking Phillips what his education involves. He says he has never been to college, does not have a degree, and has never attended chemistry classes. He says he is not a Chemist. He adds that he had to learn chemistry to know about meth for his previous job.


Texas Ranger Michael Dawn Stoner is called to the stand.

He covers primarily Johnson and Somervell counties. He has served in Highway Patrol, Narcotics, and is now a Ranger.

He assisted in the investigation and evidence handling of the murders of Kyle and Littlefield.

At the scene, he took pictures, crime scene video, and partook in crime scene investigation.

He was involved in transporting the boots earlier identified as Routh's.

He transported them from Erath County to Glen Rose, then to the crime lab the next day. He steps down from the stand.

NOTE: Routh has been very persistent in his note taking and so far has only taken a break from taking notes during his uncle's testimony. I have personally taken multiple looks at his yellow legal pads from a short distance and they appear to me to be notes. - Travis M. Smith, Texan News Service


Special Agent Jeff Shaffer has been called to the stand. He was previously employed by the secret service to investigate digital forensics.

Shaffer confirms that the cell phone found in Kyle's truck belonged to Chad and the phone found at the gun range belonged to Kyle. He has also confirmed the phone numbers of each phone.

Routh's voicemail messages to Kyle: on Jan. 26, 2013, Routh left a 20 second voicemail on Kyle's phone and 3 on Jan. 28: 6 second, 20 second, & 12 second.

"Hey Chris this is Eddie Ray Routh...give me a call back."

"Hey brother....give me a shout, talk to you later. Bye."

"Hey man, I was just going to call you, talk to you...It's a rainy day today, kind of sad."

All from Routh to Kyle.

There are multiple calls on Kyle's phone to and from Routh, some that were missed, on various days including Feb. 2, 2013.

A phone number belonging to Jenn Weed is confirmed by Special Agent Shaffer and called Kyle twice on Feb. 2, 2013. She tried to call Kyle at 1:37 [Kyle responded to her call] and 6:14 days of murders.

There was a missed call on Feb. 2, 2013 at 6:06pm from Jodi Routh on Kyle's phone.

Shaffer recognizes a phone call from Chet Kelley (friend of Littlefield) on the evening of Feb. 2, 2013 that was 34 seconds long.


Texas Ranger Danny Briley, who conducted the interrogation of Routh on the day of the murders, has been called to the stand. Briley specializes in the investigation and preservation of crime scenes.

Briley looked for evidence of struggle by the victims at the crime scene. He said "there was no question this was a brutal killing," and that they were looking for someone "violent." He also stated that the gunshot wounds were evidence of the killer's violence.

He believed it to be an intentional killing and not accidental. "You can't 'accidentally' shoot someone that many times."

Briley confirms to Nash and the jury that they were probably looking for an expert marksman and that the crime scene supported the idea that the killer was skilled with firearms.

Briley analyzed position of Kyle and Littlefield's bodies at the crime scene. Had to analyze the shell casings, which is tough at gun range.

During Briley's investigation of the crime scene, Routh's sister phoned 911 and gave law enforcement the confirmation they needed as to who the killer was.

Briley was able to confirm one of the bodies at the gun range to be Littlefield by the description of the tattoos given to him.

Texas Ranger Danny Briley still on stand after break. They are outlining the possible route Routh took after the murders.

Rough Creek Lodge is approximately five miles from Highway 67, and it is 3.7 miles from the gun range to the entrance of Rouch Creek Lodge.

Briley said that is is 55.7 miles from the entrance of Rough Creek Lodge to James Watson's (Routh's uncle) home.

Total drive distance is approximately 105 miles from the gun range to Routh's home in Lancaster according to Briley.


DAY 5, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

Courtroom is 100 percent full and family members of Littlefield, Kyle, and Routh are all present.

Nash is asking Briley about his training in dealing with immediate interviews/interrogations of possible criminals or witnesses.

Briley says that he has had the responsibility of questioning several possible murder suspects. They frequently lie about their actions and will not answer or attempt to change the subject, he says.

When Briley arrived to the Lancaster Police Department, Routh was brought in for Briley to begin questioning.

He arrived in the evening on Feb. 2, 2013. The interview was one-on-one between Briley and Routh.

Briley said to Routh on that day, "Hey I know you've had a tough day. I'd like to talk to you."

Showing compassion is a technique used to get answers out of suspects, Briley said. Routh agreed to speak with Briley.

Briley said there were multiple times that Routh would begin to "block" answers. Routh would realize that he needed to hide an answer when asked about drug usage that day, who was shot first, or what happened.

There were times that Briley would get bizarre answers from Routh. "I noted that he responded in a very philosophical manner at times," Briley said.

Routh would also use military terms at times that Briley was aware of. There were also times that he would say thing that Briley "would have no idea what he was talking about."

There were times that his answers were completely illogical. Briley gave the example that, "He starts comparing pig shit to bull shit, and we weren't talking about anything that had to do with that."

When he pinned Routh down on questions, it was clear that Routh knew what he had done was wrong, Briley said.

"Did the defendant confess to killing Chad Littlefield and Chris Kyle?" Alan Nash asked.

Briley responded, "Yes he did."

Playing taped confession. Audio is difficult to understand. Routh appears tired. Speaks slowly.

After Briley read Routh his Miranda rights, Routh said, "It was so sad how it had to happen. Isn't there counselors to talk to people about this kind of stuff? People have to be held accountable."

Briley "I know today has been difficult what you went through. I want to talk about what happened"

Routh: I've been having a pretty rough time of it.

"Nobody wants to admit they are right. Nobody wants to admit they are wrong." - Routh

Routh begins to bring up Chris Kyle and then pivots in a bizarre direction about bullshit.

Routh refers to Chris Kyle as The Wolff, "you know, the one in the sky," he said.    
   
Routh is talking about being raised in Lancaster, how he graduated high school, and saying that he was a prison guard (which he was not) in the military.

Routh said the "first time I ever met either one of them was yesterday. They came and got me at my house and they took me to the country out there. We went and did some shooting sports, ya know... You know."

"I was reasonable and fair with the boys... You know."

"I try and be as reasonable as I can every day. I'm pretty damn fair."

"I just with this world wasn't such a soulless place. Just seems like there isn't a soul for the soup anymore," Routh said.

Routh continually changes the subject or stops talking every time Briley gets close to saying that the two were murdered.

"The warlords aren't very happy with me; everybody knows that. Everybody in town," Routh said.

Routh: you can't let people keep eating your soul, you know? Warlords aren't happy with me.

Says he hasn't slept in days. Running on adrenaline. "I've been running on pure adrenalin for a few days."

"So sad how it had to happen, you know?" 

"I can't just give you up my soul up for free." - when Briley asked Routh what he did to Kyle and Littlefield

"That's gotta be a common ground, so we can all get better."

"I told her [his sister] I killed men today. It wasn't a want; it was a need. I had to get out of that situation or I was going to be the next one to get my head shot," Routh said.

Briley asked, "How many did you have to kill today?"

Routh responds, "Two."

Routh confirms that he used a pistol to kill both. He also confirms that a 9 mm was used to kill one of them.

Routh said their (Kyle and Littlefield) training wasn't as good and that his has been better.

He said he shot the "one that he couldn't identify" (Chad) first.

"Nobody wanted to talk to me about what was right. Everybody wants me to live for free on these farms and just shoot for a living." Routh

"I knew if I didn't take his soul, he was gonna take mine next. I'm just tired of playing chess with my life."

He stands, stares, yawns, shuffles around tiny room. Says he told sister, "I had to kill men today."

Routh: It wasn't a want to. I had to get out of that situation."

"I was going to be the next one out there getting my head shot."

How were they helping you today, the men you killed? "They talked to me pretty shitty." Ranger testifies that he was angry with them.

Ranger Briley goes through interview transcript. Says Routh knew the time of the shooting about 3 pm.

What did do you do after you killed them? Routh says, I fled. The keys were already in the truck.

"I've had so many abandonment and trust issues here," Routh said.

Routh said that being in the police station is the first time that he has felt safe in two days.

Routh is asked what "these men, these heroes, told you today?"
"They told me stuff about their life experiences, but I've already seen this stuff across the pond," Routh said.

"I loaded up a .45 and shot it," Routh said when asked if he shot anything at the range that day.

"I never shot any of the targets though." [Did Routh shot a .45 at the practice targets or not?]

When asked if he shot anything else, he starred straight ahead and went silent.

"Was the gun (the .45) used to shoot anyone today?" Briley asks.

Routh stares at the table in silence then answers, "The revolver? No."
   
Briley: "Was the other guy named Chad?"

Routh: "Yeah"

Briley: "Where did you shoot him?"

Routh: "Is there any way I can see my parents yet? I'd like to see them and at least hug my mom one last time, you know?"

Is there anything you'd like to say to the families? "I'm just sorry for what I've done, once the word gets out."

Briley: "You want to do that because you know what you did was wrong today, right?"

Routh: "Yep."

Briley asked Routh if there was anything he would like to say to the families and he said, "Yeah, I'm just sorry for what I've done and that we can work this out."

Briley leaves the interrogation room.

"I want to go to jail for this," Routh said to someone off screen.

Briley has returned and told Routh that his family will see him tomorrow and that he has some things he wants to clarify.

"What did they do after you shot them?" Briley asked. Routh replied, "They laid there and they weren't breathing anymore."

Routh tells Briley that the clothes he is wearing at that time are the clothes he was wearing at the gun range.

When asked if he has ever used meth, Routh says drugs are what's getting us into this war.

Routh says he did not use meth.

Was there a drug bong in some of your stuff? "Uhhh...tobacco"

He asks about the bong again. "There may have been some pot"

Have you used today? Yes sir, I've been trying to relax. It has been helping me. Asks to see mother.

Briley asked what his was laced with and Routh said, "Could have been anything, probably something wet."

Says he smoked a little bit of pot that might have been laced with something.

Briley asks what Routh's weed was laced with; "Was it formaldehyde?" Routh says it could have been. 
"You can't always trust the weed in Texas. It's always laced up with drugs," Routh said.

Anything to say to families? "I'm sorry for what I've done. We can work this out." Asks to see mom again.

Briley asked, "You know what you did today was wrong; do you understand that?"
Routh said, "Yes, sir."

"What do you think should happen?" Briley asked.

Routh was silent.

Briley leaves the room briefly and reenters.

Briley back in the room asking Routh to clarify the murder weapons.

You talked to your sister and told her what you did. Did you ask your sister if she wanted to see the guns? "Yeah I did."

You had started to me that you would like to say you are sorry to the families. What would you say to them? "Id them I'm so sorry"

"I'd tell them I'm so sorry for what I've done. I would do it differently"

Can you think of anything else you would say? "No"

"What are you going to tell your mom?" Briley asks.

"That I love her?"

"Do you wish this would have never happened? Seem like you want to cry about it," Briley said.

"I do a little," Routh said.
 
"You notice any blood on your boots?" Briley asks.

Routh bends over and looks down, "A little bit."

Briley tells Routh to have a seat and he'll have someone come over and get him.

He is heard asking to "smoke a cig or something" on camera as the tape continues.

Routh asks someone off screen, "Does anyone even smoke anymore? It's a terrible habit, I know."

Taya Kyle left the courtroom before the video began [yet she sat through the crime scene photos].

Routh asks multiple times if someone off screen can loosen or take of his handcuffs. He gets up and walks around the room and switches chairs.

The interview lasted approximately 35 minutes. The tape is still being played. Routh is alone in the room.

"I'd say fuck y'all. Y'all can eat my shit and die. Eat shit and die. When pigs fly, you'll eat shit and die," Routh said to someone off screen

Routh leaves the room with an officer.

The video of the questioning was approximately 1 hour and 31 minutes in length.

The court has returned from recess and Texas Ranger Danny Briley is still on the stand currently being questioned by prosecutor Alan Nash.

Prior to the video Briley had not talked to Routh and no promises or threats were made to Routh for a statement.

The third voice that came from off camera was identified as Officer Logan of the Lancaster Police Department.


Prosecution questioning Briley.

He says he asked Routh about drug use because the Rangers searching Routh's home notified him of drug paraphernalia at Routh's home and Routh's general deceptive behavior also lead him to ask about drug use.

Briley identifies the deceptive behavior as being the pauses with "uhh" and "umm" when asked about drugs.

Nash asks if Briley is familiar with formaldehyde being used as an additive to weed. Briley says he has come across it. [This line of questioning should not have been allowed because evidence at trial showed the weed was not laced, plus Routh's blood was not taken].

Briley says a warrant was not sought for a sample of Routh's blood because he clearly admitted to the crime several times. [Don't police have procedures requiring blood to be taken for evidence?]

Briley examines a brown leather wallet that was obtained by Ranger Pettigrew from Kyle's truck after the chase concluded.

The wallet belongs to Routh. It contains military credentials, receipts, and various other items.

Now defense cross examines after interrogation video.

Witness has been passed to Tim Moore of the defense.

"I'd like to establish a timeline. Wouldn't that be beneficial to the jury, you think?" Moore said.

Defense atty Tim Moore is going over the day's timeline: 9a Routh at uncles house,

Routh's uncle arrives at Routh's home at approximately 9 a.m.

Kyle called Routh multiple times that day with the last being at approximately 12:30 p.m.

Kyle, Littlefield, and Routh left Routh's home at approximately 1:07 p.m.

Approximately 30 minutes before Kyle arrived there was a bowl or two of marijuana smoked.

The text from Kyle to Littlefield about Routh being "straight-up nuts" happened at approximately 2:30 p.m.

At 3:15 Frank Alvarez checks the group into the lodge and they proceed to the shooting range.

Rough Creek Lodge employees find the bodies around 5:00 p.m.

Around that same time is when Routh goes to his uncle's home in Alvarado.

5:30-5:50 p.m. is approximately when Routh goes to his sister's home and she calls 911.

At 6:50 p.m. Routh is at the Taco Bell drive-thru in Red Oak.

At 7:53 p.m. Routh is in front of his home in Kyle's truck with Lancaster police surrounding him.Barricades himself int he truck.

Routh is arrested at approximately 8:30 p.m.

According to Briley, the interrogation started at 11:25 p.m. He received Routh's sister and her husband's sworn statements at the Lancaster Police Department that evening.

Briley did not hear Routh's sister's 911 call and did not hear anything about his being psychotic or having to "take their souls."

Moore is asking Briley if he had different specific information or quotes by Routh that have been previously reported such as, "I've been trying to have faith all day and right now I just don't know what is right or wrong in the world."

After reading several individual quotes from Routh, Moore asks if Briley had any of that information. He said he had not.

Briley says "all the info I had was that he had anti govt views and a drug problem" in response to the defense asking if he knew about his paranoid rant. 

Moore asks Briley if he had the information that Routh had been released from the VA hospital eight days prior to the incident. Briley says he did not.

When asked what his purpose was when interrogating Routh, Briley said, "My purpose was to expose the truth."

Moore asks Briley if he felt Routh knowingly and intelligibly waived his Miranda rights. He says he felt he did.

Moore continues to ask if he felt Routh knowingly and was in the right frame of mind waived his rights.

When Briley asked Routh if he understood his rights in the questioning, Routh responded with a long response that did not make sense. Briley said he felt it seemed nonsensical.

Briley says that at the initial stages of the interview he is just going along with whatever themes he was going to talk about.

Moore continues to read through Routh's comments made while being questioned.

Briley says he feels that the answers Routh was giving were avoiding the questions, not as much as being insane. [Briley is not a trained pyschologist.]

Briley says he felt that Routh was beginning to set himself up for a self-defense and begins using blocking techniques when asked about drugs.

Briley disagrees with Moore on what Routh thought was "right" when he fled the scene. Moore says Routh thought he was in the right by fleeing. Briley feels that Routh knew the right thing was to not kill the two and he fled because he knew what he did was wrong.

Briley is asked if he knew Chris Kyle before the incident and answers, "Just knew of him, didn't know him personally."

Briley says that Routh is talking in "what we have learned as to be Eddie being Eddie."

Routh's drug use is being discussed and Briley says, "His (Routh) comments speak for themselves."

Briley did not smell any alcohol on Routh during the interrogation.

Briley says that he feels that Routh was under the influence of marijuana and Moore has asked him to point it out to him. "What he says is that it's possible that what he used was laced with something and that it could have been formaldehyde," Briley said.

Moore questioning Briley hard about not testing Routh's blood for drugs or alcohol.

Moore is now asking why the blood test would have been a negative result, referring to the blood test that was not taken. "That's a question for the chemist."

Moore is now asking abut his previous statement about Routh possibly setting up a self-defense situation.

Counsels have approached the judge's bench on the request of Alan Nash. After they finish, Moore resumes the self-defense questions.

"A reasonable person can use self-defense when they are justified," Briley said.

"A reasonable person, when justified, can use deadly force," Briley said.

Prosecution back up:

"Does that include shooting an unarmed person in the back?" Nash asks. [Both Kyle and Littlefield were armed and were not shot in the back, but the prosecution has been feeding this story to the media and jury]

Briley says that Routh accurately describes the murder weapon. [Note that he said "weapon" and not "weapons" because Routh said in his interrogation that he did not shot anyone with the .45 handgun.]

Routh had stated he shot them "a couple, few" times and he was "right up close to them." [If Routh was within a few feet or less of them, why is there only a drop of Littlefield's blood on the toe of his one boot and no blood on his clothing?]

Briley says that Routh visibly shook his head 'no' when asked if the two knew he was going to shoot them.

"He is not insane in my opinion at this point," Briley said. [Moore is an investigator not a pyschiatrist.]

Moore objects, the judge sustains, and the request for a mistrial is denied.

It is Briley's opinion that Littlefield was down on the ground when shot in the top of the head and was no danger to anyone.

Moore and Nash are going back and forth reading different responses that Routh gave during the interrogation.

Based on Briley's experience, Routh's response of "Have my parents made it in yet?" to the question of where he shot Littlefield meant that he knew where he shot Littlefield and remembered.

Briley also felt that because of Routh's recollection of the time frame being "pretty close" also shows that Routh was not insane.

Routh never asked to stop the interview and never asked for a lawyer. Briley also says that Routh nodded his head after being asked if he understood his rights. [How can a head nod be acceptable since it is open to interpretation and definitive response?]

Prosecutor: Is it your opinion that being personally offended could be a motive for murder? Briley: It is.

Prosecutor: Routh has the presence of mind to remember the time when the men were no longer breathing.

Briley has read jail mail and listened to phone calls Routh has sent or received since Routh has been in jail. He says that Routh says things similar to what he did during the interview when talking with his family and on medications.

Briley says the way Routh spoke on the tapes is the way he speaks to his family in letters. Speaks poetically, philosophically, and strange. 

Those type of off the wall comments are what Briley has come to know as "Eddie, Eddie, Eddie." [Briley does not know Routh and should not be allowed to testify to his pattern of communication.]

Briley never found that Routh was ever in imminent danger even after interviews and investigations of the crime scene.

The witness is passed to the defense.

It was District Attorney Nash and Briley who decided not to take a sample of Routh's blood that night at the Lancaster Police Department. [They did this because they didn't want proof that would contradict their case that he had cannibis-induced psychosis and under the influence of alcohol.]

Briley has been passed back to the prosecution.

Briley says that someone can claim self defense, but that does not mean they will be granted it, and it must be clear cut.


DAY 6, FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Court has to discuss other matters before the jury enters.

They are going through drug paraphernalia taken from Routh's home.

Ranger David Armstrong has collected these items.

On Friday, the state suggested vials could be type used with syringe. Now removing vials from evidence. 

Defense claims that District Attorney Alan Nash has obstructed the jury by misrepresenting the defendant.

The defense also claims that Ranger Armstrong committed perjury..

The court rises for the jury to be brought in.

The prosecution addresses the court. Glass viles are brought-in as evidence (allegedly from the defendant's home). The court decides to disregard the glass viles. The viles were not found in the defendant's home and did not belong to Routh.

Prosecution calls Jennifer Rumpy to the stand, a forensic scientist for the Department of Public Safety for the city of Garland, to explain vials in question.

Prosecutor retracted a piece of evidence that was presented as drug paraphernalia -- but were vials from crime lab used to preserve evidence

Defense asks for mistrial in a Routh Capital murder. State showed vial of liquid, with implication it could be drug Friday.

Defense arguing the ranger who testified about the vials committed perjury.

Judge is not considering perjury at this time; tells jury to disregard the erroneous evidence.

Judge denies mistrial request. 

Forensics expert explains why vial of testing fluid was left in box of evidence. Required to preserve.

Liquid was fluid placed by lab. Prosecutor now explaining to jurors that the liquid was testing fluid. Jury told to disregard.


Forensic scientist now going through tests for pot on evidence.

Jennifer Rumppe found traces of pot, but on many items, not much substance to test. No meth. No PCP found.

Prosecutor says several times "to be fair to defendant." Trying to make clear that only drug found was small amount of pot.

She was given items from Routh's home to analyze for drug testing. This includes drug paraphernalia collected from Routh's home.

The witness is opening evidence collected from Routh's home that was sent to be analyzed.

Witness refers to a metal box, in which it includes loose leaf items, and other substances.

Witness is still going through items taken from Routh's home.

Witness performed analysis on loose leaf items found in metal box to determine if it was marijuana. Analysis did indicate the substance as marijuana.

Witness is showing various pipes to the court.

Witness did not test for THC on items.

Formaldehyde was hard to test for because it evaporates too quickly.

Witness found that there were no controlled substances detected on the hookah pipe.


DPS forensic scientist Amber Moss on the stand

Moss compared Kyle and Littlefield's DNA to the blood stains on the toe of Routh's boots.

State calls Amber Moss to the stand, forensic scientist for Texas Department of Public Safety. Moss works in DNA testing.

Was given evidence from the case.

Was given samples from a Ranger from Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield, as well as samples from Eddie Ray Routh.

Evidence from the case. There was a stain on the toe of the right boot. The blood stain on the boot was consistent with victim Chad Littlefield. The boots belong to defendant Eddie Ray Routh.

The lab the witness works in received clothing items from the defendant, but the clothing did not contain evidence.

Clothes from Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield were also sent to be analyzed. The stains on Kyle's clothing were consistent with Kyle and same with Littlefield.

Stains were found and analyzed on some of the fire arms present at the scene. A stain found on one of the handguns, the DNA stain was consistent with Chris Kyle. Another handgun had a DNA stain consistent with Chad Littlefield.


State calls Flavio Salazar to the stand.

Another video from the backseat of Salazar's patrol car is presented to the court.

Video of Routh in backseat of cop car being played for the jury

Routh now acting more panicked, upset. Officer says "take a deep breath" Eddie says "I'm trying to."

There is an inaudible exchange between Routh and officers but they are telling him repeatedly to relax . Routh lies down in car. Breathing heavily.

Routh moving all around the backseat of cop car. Lies down, gets up. Looks dazed.

Officer asks, Marine you alright? "I've been so paranoid and schizophrenic all day. I don't know if I'm insane or what's going on in the world right now." Routh

Routh says he doesn't know what to think. Wonders if he's insane.

Jurors watched half hour video of Routh in back of squad car. Officer says Routh cried a little first.

Officer Salazar. Former Marine in Iraq, says armorers like Routh usually didn't leave bases in Iraq.

The police have pulled up to the Lancaster Police Department, and the defendant got out of the car. The video stops.

According Salazar, Routh was distraught and crying when he was checked out by EMT's during the drive back to the police department.


State has called Jason Upshaw.

Upshaw is the Chief Deputy for the Erath County Sheriffs Department. Has served in this role for the past two years.

Upshaw says that Routh has been confined to a single-man cell since his arrival in the county jail. Inside the cell is a television with multiple cable channels and a telephone.

Upshaw says that they are able to track when an inmate makes a phone call, and records those calls through a third party vendor. Upshaw also says he can obtain those recorded calls at anytime. Also record the visits an inmate may have with anyone excluding his or her attorney.

Upshaw is confirming a call made on May 31, 2013 between Routh and Nicholas Schmitle of the New Yorker Magazine. 

The audio is being played now. Eddie is talking very clearly about a phone call he received from his fiance on the way to the gun range.

Routh says that he got up at 4am that morning, made a sandwich - bacon and egg. He also recalls pulling up to the first window of a Whataburger on the way to the range with Kyle and Littlefield and asking them, "Aren't y'all tired of eating all this shit that everyone else is eating?"

Routh says that Kyle was shooting a .45 and he remembers Kyle handing him a Colt .45. Routh picked up a 9mm and he thought "Ok, we are shooting pistols here. I guess its a duel. It was the smell in the air, it smelled like shit. That's when I took care of business, got in the truck, put in a dip and left."

"I stopped at a Dollar General, got a Dr. Pepper, and remember the line was out the ass."

"I looked at Littlefield and asked him, what the fuck are you even doing here man? Are you going to shoot? Are you going to shoot? It's not a spectator sport." He continues, "And he saw it." Asked if he shot Kyle first, "No, I shot him (Littlefield) first. I shot Kyle second."

"He was just finishing a magazine, I guess I should have used the .45, they carry a little more weight."

"It smelled like sweet cologne you know. It wasn't sour it was sweet," Routh says of the smell of Kyle's truck, "it smelled like love and hate you know. I guess I was smelling myself really, I was riding in the backseat."

The recording has stopped and Nash is confirming that the call was on 5/31/13, almost four full months after the murders took place. "That is correct," says Upshaw.

The witness has been passed to the defense. St. John is asking Upshaw of his knowledge of Routh's medication history while in the custody of Erath County.

Upshaw does not know what the medication is, or what it is taken for, only knows that Routh takes one in the morning and one around 2pm.

Witness has been passed back to the prosecution.

Upshaw confirms that the jail continued the prescriptions provided to them by the VA, and that Routh has had no psychoanalysis done since being in jail. Upshaw also says that Routh never said anything about being afraid or scared of Kyle or Littlefield. Also notes that Routh's behavior and overall appearance has changed drastically since being in custody.

Upshaw has reconfirmed that Routh has only taken prescriptions assigned to him prior to being arrested by the VA and that Routh has not had any illegal drugs.

Chief Upshaw has been excused from the stand. The State has decided to rest and the trial is subject to rebuttal.

The jury has exited the courtroom.

The defense feels that the State failed to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Eddie Ray Routh killed Littlefield and Kyle and knew what he was doing was wrong. Judge Cashon overruled. Jury is reentering now.


The defense has recalled Texas Ranger Michael Adcock to the stand.

R. Isham is questioning Adcock on the weapons found on the range and is presenting the first rifle for him to view.

Five rifles are shown. All were confirmed to be found at Rough Creek Lodge in a close proximity to Littlefield, and at least one of the semi-automatic rifles had a magazine in it.

Witness has been passed. Adcock confirms that all the rifles can be bought at most any sporting good store and that the rifles are more commonly referred to as 'sporting rifles' not 'assault rifles.'    


Defense calls Jodi Routh to the stand, Routh's mother.

Jodi Routh confirms her two children to be Laura and Eddie. Also confirms Eddie is 27-years-old. Also says that, "he was a good kid" growing up. Confirms Eddie graduated from Midlothian High School in 2006.

Jodi Routh says that Eddie's father taught him about firearms growing up. Also says that she believes he was in a war zone while in the military.

Jodi Routh said that Eddie's duties in Haiti included: providing food, relief, removing bodies from the beaches and providing various other humanitarian services.

Jodie Routh says that Eddie never showed any signs of having a mental illness before going into the military.

Jodie Routh served as a special-education paraprofessional at Long Branch Elementary in Midlothian at the time of the murders. She worked there from 1998-2013.

"Well, he wasn't his happy-go-lucky self that he had always been. A lot more serious. Very concerned for his family," Jodi Routh says of Eddie when he returned from the military.

Jodi Routh has not yet shed a tear, but is becoming to be slightly more emotional in her speech.

"Was he acting paranoid?" - St. John

"Yes sir he did," Jodi Routh said about her son Eddie.

Jodi Routh says that Eddie admitted himself the first time he went, and was admitted against his will three days later because "he was very suicidal." She went on to say that he said he was going to kill himself "with a gun" in 2011. Eddie Routh was released three weeks later.

Jodi Routh said that Eddie was prescribed nine different medications after his three weeks in the VA.

When asked by St. John about Eddie's hospital visits after the 2011 stay, Jodi Routh responded, "he went for several group therapy meetings, he went to the psychiatrist every few weeks to discuss his medications. The next time he (Eddie) was admitted was January 2013."

"When was the first time you approached Chris Kyle?" St. John asked.

"It was the first week after we came back to school from the holidays in 2013," Jodi Routh said.

"What did you ask Chris Kyle to do?" - St. John

"I wondered if he could help Eddie out with some workout equipment, and he said yes. He told me to put my number in the kid's backpack. Chris came back up to the school that afternoon. I told Chris that Eddie has post-tramatic stress and Chris said that he would love to do any and everything to help my son," Jodi Routh said.

Jodi Routh said that she had no knowledge that Kyle and Littlefield were picking up Eddie Routh on the day of the murders. She said that her daughter was the first to contact her that day and that she never was contacted by law enforcement.

"I had Chris' number in my phone and I dialed that number praying to God that he [Chris] would answer," Jodi Routh said.

Routh said that she has smoked marijuana with her son before and feels that smoking did nothing more than calm him down.

Witness has been passed.

Jane Starnes is taking the lead on the cross-examination of Jodi Routh. Routh says that her son enjoyed hunting even after leaving the military.

Starnes is currently going back over Eddie Routh's military deployment with mother Jodi Routh. Jodi said that she felt Eddie wanted to stay in the military before he went to Haiti.

"That's Eddie being Eddie," was a common saying in the Routh family according to Jodi Routh. She said he likes to be witty, sarcastic, and can sometimes say things that "some people" might find shocking.
   
Starnes is now asking Jodi Routh about marijuana usage. Jodi Routh says that Eddie and his sister, Laura, began using drugs when they moved in with an uncle who later died of a drug overdose.

Jodie Routh says that Eddie Routh has been drinking alcohol since age 17. She has seen him drink excessively, also told an officer in 2012 that "Eddie would drink until he passes out."

Starnes and Jodi Routh are discussing a family "fish fry" that occurred in 2012 at the Routh's home in Lancaster.

Jodi Routh confirms that Eddie Routh got into an altercation with his father over the sale of a firearm. "He wanted to get his benefits from the marine core and not have to sell a family heirloom." Eddie Routh then threatened to kill himself and the entire family according to Jodi Routh. She then had approximately eight guns removed from the family's home.

Jodi Routh was not aware that Eddie Routh threatened to kill Jenn Weed and Laura (her roommate), that he threatened to "take them out to East Texas and kill them," or that he threatened to "use them as human tampons." [Why is the prosecution allowed to lie and testify about the fish fry? Jen has never said that she was threatened by him that day. Why no objection from the defense?]

Jodi Routh confirms that sometimes Eddie Routh would sometimes have angry outburst which affected his ability to find a job after the military, and also that after the military "the least little thing" would set him off.

Jodi Routh says that she was not aware of any fights between Eddie Routh and Jenn Weed, "he didn't talk to me about their affairs."

Jodi Routh says that Eddie Routh did not like the doctors at time "because they didn't listen." She also says that he did not like group therapy and that Eddie did not give up marijuana or alcohol after he was asked to by the therapy groups. According to Starnes, Eddie Routh was not allowed into the Waco rehab group because they required him to show a period of sobriety and he would not do so [there is no evidence of this presented at trial other than the prosecutors themselves testifying to it].

Starnes is confirming with Jodi Routh her interaction with Chris Kyle. Pictured are the two notes with her, and Eddie Routh's phone numbers on it. The yellow note is the one Jodi Routh sent home with on of the Kyle's children. 

Starnes is confirming with Jodi Routh that Jodi neglected to tell Chris Kyle of Eddie Routh's outburst and murder threats at the fish fry or the death threats [the prosecutors continue to lie and testify themselves to an event that has not been presented as evidence] made to then girlfriend Jenn Weed and roommate Laura. Jodi Routh did tell Kyle that Eddie enjoyed shooting sports and that Kyle understood that Eddie was over-drinking.

Jodi Routh said that in retrospect she should have told Chris Kyle of Eddie's outburst and threats to the lives of himself and family members. "I was just trying to find help for my son."

Jodi Routh said that Jenn Weed was helping Eddie Routh maintain his medication regiment, and that Weed came to stay with Routh on Feb. 1, 2013 when she [Jodi Routh] left town.

Starnes asked Jodi Routh if she was "aware that Laura Routh and her husband actually used some of that money [Eddie Routh's back pay from the VA he received after being placed in jail] for a down-payment on their house?" St. John of the defense objects, it was sustained by Judge Cashon.

Starnes is presenting pictures of Eddie Routh from his time in the military to the jury.

Jodi Routh left for Abilene on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013 after work. Jodi Routh's daughter called her the next day and fanatically told her that Eddie Routh told her that he had killed two men and was driving a big black truck. She said that she had a pretty good idea who the truck belonged to, which is why she called Chris Kyle's cell phone. She then called other family members to warn them.
   
Jodi Routh said that she warned Eddie Routh not to talk to Nicholas Schmidle from the New Yorker.

Starnes is asking Jodi Routh about the money that Eddie received from the VA. Eddie received a lump sum from the VA for back-pay of "about $35,000." Eddie Routh is still receiving pay from the VA and the judge has advised Jodi Routh to "not let you or anyone else access that money."


DAY 7, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

The defense calls Donna Taylor to the stand.

Taylor is in the business of custom cabinetry.

Taylor is a life-long friend of Routh's mother and has known Eddie Routh for 27 years.

"I've always know Eddie to be sweet, kind, ready to help," Taylor says when asked about Routh in high school.

Taylor says Routh was distant and disturbed after returning from military service. "He was just bothered. Something was bothering him."

Routh worked for Taylor for a while making doors, cabinets, etc. Routh worked for Taylor from September 2012 to February 2013 [so he was not unemployed as the prosecution has claimed].

Taylor says she would occasionally find Routh in a "catatonic state" at work, staring off into the distance. She would try to help.

Taylor said Routh never came to work drunk.

Taylor did smoke pot with Routh on a few occasions. She says she smokes to self-medicate her injuries.

Taylor said Routh worked at the shop 40-50 hours a week.

Defense passes the witness.
   
Nash of the prosecution asks how often Routh and his mother smoked pot together. Taylor says not every day.

Nash asks if she would be surprised to know that Routh was smoking before work and on breaks, and she says she would. She says she believes his catatonic states at work were because of his war experiences and she did not ask if it was drugs.

Taylor said she knew Routh was comfortable with firearms, having grown up with his father and grandfather hunting. She says Routh was not afraid of them from a young age.

Taylor says Routh did go hunting after the marine corps.

Taylor did not observe Routh in any "catatonic states" on his last day working for her, Feb. 1, 2013. He was talking normal that day and had been well enough to work that day.

Taylor had met Roth's girlfriend a few times in passing.

Nash brings photographic evidence to Taylor. They are check stubs from her company. Routh was working regularly.

Nash brings up an incident. Routh's mother asked Taylor to take guns from their household after Routh made threats to himself and the family and he went on to the VA hospital.

The guns are now in Routh's father's possession. Routh "never got those guns back," Taylor said.

Taylor says Routh did not have access to marijuana in the VA hospital and she was not aware of Routh's return to marijuana after leaving the hospital.

Taylor mostly interacted with Routh during business hours mostly.

Donna Taylor is released from the stand.


The defense calls Gaines Blevins (Routh's sister's husband) to the stand.

Blevins works for a fire protection company. He did not know Eddie Routh before marrying Laura Blevins and did not know him before he entered the military, only during and after.

Blevins lived about 20 miles from Routh.

Gaines and Laura Blevins were both home when Routh came there on Feb. 2, 2013. He had spoken on the phone with Routh around 5:00 p.m. Routh asked if they were home and he said they were.

Routh came to their home around 5:30-5:45 p.m. On Feb. 2. He pulled up and walked right into the house.

Blevins described Routh's demeanor as confused and not there completely.

"Is it just me or is the world freezing over?" is the first thing Routh said to him. Blevins asked what he moaned and he "babbled about other incoherent things," Blevins said.

Routh told Blevins that he had "taken two souls before they could take his." Laura Blevins asked what he meant and Routh told them he had shot two people.

Laura and Gaines Blevins told Routh he needed to go to the police and get help. "We tried to convince him we need to contact the police."

Routh told Blevins he still had the guns in the truck and offered to show them to them. At that point, Blevins told Routh he should leave.

When asked about the truck, Routh told them "he traded his soul for it."

Gaines and Laura Blevins called the police and went to the police station after Routh left.

The witness is passed to the prosecution. Jane Starnes is questioning Blevins.

The last time Blevins had seen Routh was around Christmas of 2012. Blevins said nothing unusual had happened around that time.

In Jan. 2013, Blevins went with Routh and his girlfriend hog hunting on land owned by Donna Taylor near Corsicana.

Starnes recounts the events of Feb. 2, 2013. Blevins had not spoken with Routh since the hog hunting trip, so they had not spoken in a few weeks.

Starnes confirmed that Routh said, "I sold my soul for a new truck." Blevins also says that Routh said, "I shot two people."

Blevins confirms that Routh said he would try to get to Oklahoma.

Blevins wanted Routh to leave before his daughter could get home, so he told Routh to leave.

Blevins had told a ranger later that night that Routh can become violent.

Blevins would sometimes see Routh smoke marijuana when visiting Lancaster.

Blevins did not smell alcohol or marijuana on Routh that day.

Blevins is released from the stand.


The defense calls Laura Blevins, Routh's sister, to the stand.

Laura Blevins is almost three years older than Routh.

Blevins says Routh was an average student. He went into the marine corps 10 days after graduating high school and celebrated his 18 birthday in boot camp.

After Routh got out of the marines, Blevins says she would see him regularly.

On Feb. 2, 2013 Blevins and her husband were at home relaxing and their daughter was at the spa with her grandmother.

When Routh called Blevins around 5:00 p.m. She let her husband answer the phone because she did not want to speak to him.

Blevins says Routh would go off on tangents where she did not understand him and when he became violent she no longer wanted him around her daughter.

Blevins was mad when her husband told Routh he could come by the house. "I knew that he wasn't quite right," she said.

The things Routh was saying made Blevins know "he was not himself." He talked about "pigs sucking his soul." [The prosecution claimed throughout the trial that Routh first mentioned pigs in April 2014 after watching "Boss Hog" and an episode of "Seinfeld," and they asserted he used this to feign psychosis, but he talked about the pigs to his sister the day of the murders - the defense never addressed this during the trial nor did they object to the numerous times the prosecution made thie claim in front of the jury.]

After leaving the scene in Kyle's truck, Routh stopped briefly at his uncle's house and then drove to the home of his sister and brother-in-law, 65 miles away from the gun range. He admitted to the killings and told his sister, "People were sucking his soul." He left their home in Kyle's truck and headed to his parents' small home in Lancaster, where he had been living. He’d gone home to get his dog and planned to drive to Oklahoma. His sister called 911, telling the operator he claimed to have killed two men. "He said that he killed two guys. They went out to a shooting range. Like, he's all crazy. He's f***ing psychotic. I'm sorry for my language. I don't know if he's on drugs or not, but I know that he's been." Routh's sister, who drove with her husband to the police station immediately after calling 911, told police that her brother "was out of his mind, saying people were sucking his soul and that he could smell the pigs." Routh's sister told The New Yorker that her brother said “he killed them” — Kyle and Littlefield — “before they could kill him; he said he couldn’t trust anyone anymore.”

Blevins didn't want Routh in her home. Wwhen he talked about shooting people, she did not believe him, because he often says strange things.

Blevins asked where he was, and he told her he was at a gun range and made the statement about taking souls, saying "they were out to get him."

Blevins says she was in a state of disbelief and thought he was "talking nonsense."

"The man that was my brother was not in my house. The person that came in my house was not who I know as my brother," she said.

When she saw the truck, she became more concerned, because she knew Routh could not afford that truck.

She told him, "I love you, but I hate your demons."

She said he switched back to himself for a moment, but it was fleeting. Blevins begins to get emotional.

Before the break, the defense passed the witness, Laura Blevins, to the prosecution.

Blevins, who is Routh's sister, returns to the stand. Jane Starnes of the prosecution is questioning.

Starnes asks about a family gathering in September of 2012. There was a confrontation between Routh and his father. He had been drinking and threatened to shoot himself and the family members.

Blevins says she removed herself and her daughter from the gathering.

Blevins spoke with Routh after the incident where she told him how upsetting the ordeal was. Blevins says Routh was remorseful about the situation.

In Jan. 2013 when Routh threatened his girlfriend and roommate, Blevins no longer wanted to contact Rotuh.

Prior to Routh arriving at Blevin's home, they were relaxing at home. Based on the past issues, she was alarmed when Routh arrived.

Starnes confirms with Blevins that nothing out of the ordinary happened when she had last seen Routh at Christmastime.

Blevins was opposed to her husband going hunting with Routh in early Jan. 2013.

Starnes confirms that Blevins called 911 immediately and went to the police station. Blevins wrote out a statement a few hours after Routh had been by her home.

In her statement she wrote that Routh said people were sucking his soul and he could smell the pigs. She wrote that when asked who he killed, Routh said "Chris Kyle and his friend."

He told her he was "going to Oklahoma to get out of this mess."

Blevins said he had turned to her and "looked more like my litte brother; someone who needs me."

She did not hear Routh tell her husband that he would show them the guns.

Routh and Blevins lived with an aunt and uncle for a time when they were in high school. They were allowed to smoke pot when they lived there.
   
"Once he became a marine, he drank more."

Blevins says she smoked pot one time with her brother after she had her daughter. After that time, her and her husband decided they would not have anymore drugs because she had to think of her family.

State passes the witness.

Blevins says her brother was funny and more relaxed when smoking.

Blevins says she was genuinely afraid when making her statement to police.

Blevins is released from the stand.


The defense calls Jennifer Weed to the stand.

Jennifer Weed has a degree in psychology.

Weed met Routh on a dating website in March of 2012. They met at Routh's home in Lancaster in early April. She met his mother that night.

They began dating exclusively in May.

She says Routh was charismatic and funny and they liked to do things outdoors and she went hunting with him on a few occasions.

She lived 20 miles away and after they were dating a while were spending most weekends together.

Weed did see Routh smoke marijuana. It "relaxed him" but had not significant effect that she noticed. She said he smoked a lot in her opinion.

She says smoking marijuana did not cause Routh to become aggressive.

Weed was not present when Routh and his father got into a fight at a family gathering in Sept. 2012.

Weed did visit Routh when he was in the VA hospital.

Routh lived with Weed for just under a month after his release from the hospital. He moved back home and they stayed in contact.

Weed spent a weekend with Routh early mid-Jan. when he was expressing erratic behavior. She says he was staring at walls, crying, and laughing. She stayed with him until he seemed more normal.
   
When Routh spent a night with Weed later that week he expressed behavior that was not normal. He was calling her names and saying she was trying to steal his soul.

The following day he had woken up more normal, but when they went to leave the home she noticed he was sweating through his shirt.

When they tried to leave he took a decorative ninja sword from the wall and insisted they could not leave for their safety.

Weed says he did not smoke any weed and had only had a shot of liquor the night before.

Routh put down the ninja sword and got a butcher knife from the kitchen and continued to tell them they could not leave because people were out to get him.

Weed says Routh gestured with the knife and held it, but never threatened her or her roommate with the knife.
   
Weed's roommate texted a police officer friend and police came on scene.

Routh was admitted to Green Oaks Hospital (a mental institution) and then was taken to the VA hospital where Weed visited on three occasions.

When she visited him he was apologetic, but did not have a clear recollection of the incident.

After being released, Routh returned to Lancaster. Weed went there and spent the weekend with him. She said he was closer to his normal self, but later in the day his medication would fade and he would be less himself.

On Feb. 1 2013 Weed went to Lancaster to spend the weekend with Routh. She found Routh and friends sitting on the back porch smoking marijuana. She was angry about this and was not speaking to Routh.

Weed says the smoking had become an issue between them. She did not like him smoking and they had had a previous agreement that he would get clean in early Jan.

Routh's friend left late that night and Weed and Routh had the house to themselves. She wanted to talk to him, but she said he was not acknowledging her presence and told her he was seeing and hearing things, but did not saw what.
   
Routh told her that "they were listening to us." He began writing messages to her in a yellow legal pad.

Weed said that usually when Routh talked about "they" he was talking about the government.

They woke very early on Feb. 2 and took a shower. She says Routh would refuse to shower for weeks and would only shower if she showered with him and washed him.

They got into a fight over Routh dipping and she knew Routh's uncle was coming over and she warned him that they were fighting.

Routh was filling out an application for a VA hospital in Waco. Weed says they had researched that hospital while trying to find him help.

She was refusing to help fill the application because she was angry.

The night before, Routh had asked Weed to marry him when they were in the kitchen. She says he had asked a few times before while he was in the VA hospital but she said she wouldn't do that "until he was allowed to have shoelaces."

After Routh's uncle arrived, Weed left. Around 2-3 p.m. Routh's uncle called to find out where Routh went and she said he may be with Chris Kyle. She called Kyle, and he texted back saying Routh was with him. 

Weed says she did not know Routh and Kyle had finalized plans to go to the range the day of the shooting.

[It was never brought up at trial that no one associated with Routh, including Routh himself, knew Kyle was coming that day to Routh's home to pick him up. Routh found out when he received a call from Kyle that day. Kyle's cell phone showed multiple calls to Routh on February 2, 2013, the last one at 12:30 p.m., before he reached Routh's home at 1:07 p.m. Routh left his home without saying anything to his uncle, which is why the uncle called Weed and why Weed called Kyle to ask if Routh was with him.]

Weed says that after being told that Routh was headed north, she was advised to go somewhere where she would not be found by Routh.

Weed says she met her roommate and was living with her before meeting Routh on a dating site known as "Plenty of Fish."

Weed says Routh was very charming, fun and easy going. She says he did not have a cell phone, or Facebook. "If he wanted to talk to me he called on a landline, there was no texting."

Weed said Routh was his own businessman and was going to have a goat mowing company. He was going to get a bunch of goats and that was going to be his business.

Weed describes Routh as "very talkative"

"He could talk the paint off the wall, it was almost as if he was uncomfortable with the silence," said Weed

Weed says they hunted hogs and dove together a few times and fishing together quite frequently often staying at Routh's parent's house. "He seemed to be a pretty good shot," said Weed.

"He didn't go into the details of what his job was in the Marines, nothing specific," said Weed.

Weed said Routh could be pretty hair-trigger angry, often had road rage.

The day of the argument at the fish fry Weed says Routh had been drinking beer the day. Weed then left and went to a family engagement of her own, leaving Routh.

Around 11:00 p.m. Routh had called Weed from Green Oaks Hospital.

Routh told Weed he would come to her apartment once leaving Green Oaks "after the pigs released him."

Routh blamed his family about the incident and begged Weed to let him live with her. Weed agreed. After living together one month, the two were getting on each others nerves and the two broke up.

The two get back together around Thanksgiving 2012.

Weed says she does not smoke marijuana because she does not want to stereotyped with her last name being "Weed."

Weed said Routh would smoke marijuana in the laundry room in Lancaster, she adds that Routh's parents also smoke marijuana on the back porch.

Weed says that with some of the things Routh said he seemed to have a religious undertone with the "demons" he kept talking about

Prior to the January incident, Weed convinced Routh to try to sober up because she felt it was holding him back.

Jan.19 Routh told Weed that they couldn't leave (her apartment) because "they couldn't get us here."

Weed recalls that she did not feel threatened, but protected. [During the trial, prosecutors claimed that Routh threatened Weed and her roommate. In the cross examination of Routh's mother, the prosecutor said Routh threatened to kill Weed and Laura (her roommate), that he threatened to "take them out to East Texas and kill them," and that he threatened to "use them as human tampons." The defense should have objected to this since Weed, nor anyone else, testified to this. In fact, Weed testified to the contrary, saying he didn't threaten her and that he put down the weapons whenever she came near him.]

Weed then recalls Routh grabbing a butcher knife and waving it around while he talked.

Weed's roommate Gabby tried to calm down Routh.

Routh is taking notes, Weed is identifying one of the swords Routh used to hold Weed and her roommate hostage.

Weed says they were "actually very dull swords and the knife was from a butcher block."

Weed talked Routh into opening the back door "for the dogs" while the police knocked on the front door, Her roommate ran out the back.

Routh was transferred from Green Oaks to the VA. Weed visited Routh and he apologized, but did not seem to have memory of the event. Routh was sad and apologetic.

Weed says Routh hated the VA and did not respect the doctors because they were not veterans themselves. Routh also had trouble accepting doctors that were not American.

After being released, Weed visited Routh the day of his release and discovered Routh smoking marijuana with a friend.

Weed monitored Routh's prescription intake when they were together.

Weed said whenever Routh was smoking marijuana he would offer it to her, but never pressured her to smoke.

After fighting about the marijuana, Routh asked Weed to marry him and she answered yes.

Weed says Routh would hardly shower, and the morning after the proposal she tried to initiate sex with him unsuccessfully as Routh was uninterested.

The two then fought about Routh dipping Copenhagen, and he then kicked her out of the house.

Weed is now being shown images of texts that she sent to James Watson the day of the fight.

She wanted James there to take care of Routh so she could leave.

Weed then left and didn't hear from Routh until several weeks later.

She says she knew he had been in communication with Kyle.

Weed was warned to get out of her house and planned to go to her parents' home.

Weed says she was very protective of Routh and even took down his Facebook page after the shootings. She visited Routh twice in jail, and didn't consider their relationship terminated until later on.

Jennifer Weed has now stepped down and left the courtroom.

The judge is addressing the jury as court will be let out earlier than expected today. He also says that this will probably be the only early day.

Court is in recess until 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Routh did not have a Facebook when they met, during the course of their relationship he had created one. That is the account Weed deleted.


DAY 8, FEBRUARY 20, 2015
   
Court has begun. 9:33
   
The judge is allowing experts to tesify.

Charles Overstreet, a psychology expert is on stand.

Overstreet served 12 years in the Army.

Overstreet was asked to visit Routh and ran a PTSD checklist on him while he was in jail a month after the shooting.

Overstreet says Routh suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was prescribed with anti psychotic medication along with antidepressants.

"He was suffering from a mental disorder, and did not know the consequences of his actions at the time" Overstreet states about Routh's mental disorder.

Overstreet states that he does not have a doctorate degree nor a physician license in the state of Texas.

The prosecuter is questioning Overstreet about Routh's mental disorder.

Overstreet says his understanding of what the word wrong means from what the law says is "that means that he would have the capacity whether his actions that he commits"

"Under Texas law, wrong means illegal" the Judge reads definition of the word wrong.

Overstreet says that he believes Routh did not have the capacity to know what he was doing was wrong at the time.

Overstreet says that it is his theory is that Routh saw Littlefield and Kyle's motives of being skeptical of him misinterpreted them as being threatening and that was why he turned and fired at Mr. Littlefield and Mr. Kyle.

Overstreet states that he is not licensed to diagnose any sort of disorders to anyone.

Overstreet was sent to visit Routh to provide an assessment of what his mental status was. He only reports what he sees and recommends treatment plans or that the client should see a specialist that can diagnose them and prescribe them medication.

Court is in short recess until further notice.

The jury has not yet been present this morning, this was all a hearing without the jury's presence inside the courtroom to see whether or not the expert would be able to testify in Routh's defense. Will return after recess.

Routh has entered the courtroom.

The Judge has entered the courtroom.

The judge rules that Overstreet is not qualified to testify in this proceeding.


The judge swore in Dr. Dunn.

Mitchell H. Dunn, MD, is a forensic psychiatrist.

The jury is still not present in the courtroom.

Dr. Dunn has reviewed the crime scene photos and autopsy review.

Prosecutors are questioning Dr. Dunn on whether or not he has seen evidence of the murder, police chase, and any interviews with Routh, police officers, and any members of Routh's family members and girlfriend.

Dr. Dunn has been released from the stand.

The jury is entering the courtroom.

Everyone is seated in the courtroom.


Jodi Routh has been called to enter the stand.

The prosecutor is questioning Jodi about the incident with Jennifer and her roommate, and why she did not inform Chris Kyle about that before Eddie and Chris met.

The prosecutor questions Jodi why she didn't inform Kyle of Eddie's former incidents, just weeks before the murder. "Don't you think that information could've said Chris Kyle's life?" Jane Starnes assistant attorney for Texas asks Jodi. Jodi says "it didn't occur to me at the time."

Jodi replies that it did not occur to her that her son was suffering from a mental disability.

The defendant made an objection of relevance of the photo of Jodi Routh with her son in his marine uniform. Judge overruled the objection.


Mitchell Dunn, MD, has entered the stand.

Dr. Dunn is the medical director of the forensic program at a hospital in Dallas.

Dr. Dunn explains the difference between an insanity case and being incompetent to stand in a trial.

Dr. Dunn says he has experiences hundreds of insanity cases.

Dr. Dunn has testified in insanity cases before.

"A delusion is a fixed false belief that you're not able to get out of" says Dr. Dunn.

The defense is questioning Dr. Dunn about the evidence he's been shown including interviews and documents again.

April 15, 2014, Dr. Dunn interviewed Eddie Ray Routh for 6 hours and 15 minutes.

Dr. Dunn is questioned by the defense if that is the length of a normal interview. Dr. Dunn says that's a much longer interview than usual, he wanted to make sure he questioned Routh over everything and "this was a big deal, so I wanted to spend a lot of time with him" Says Dunn.

Psychosis not otherwise specified (clear that he was psychotic but could not lead it to any cause) and PTSD were two of the things Eddie was diagnosed with according to Dr. Dunn.

Eddie had a delusion where he thought that he had a tapeworm eating at him and that he was wasting away, which is a symptom of psychosis.

Eddie was prescribed antidepressants, mood stabilizing medications, antipsychotic agent and medications to help with his PTSD and also his anxiety along with sleep medicine.


Green Oakes gave Eddie a diagnosis of psychosis in Sept 2012 and put in their notes that he was a veteran suffering from PTSD along with alcohol dependence, cannabis abuse, bipolar disorder and that he admitted he had been smoking marijuana at some point, and tested positive in a drug test for marijuana.

Eddie was hospitalized Jan 19, 2013. The day of the incident at Jennifer Weed's apartment where he held her and her roommate in their apartment and would not let them leave.

Evaluation from Green Oakes that day was that he was paranoid that someone wanted to take his girlfriend and about the government, along with psychotic disorder not otherwise specified, mood disorder, history of PTSD and major depressive disorder.

Dr. Dunn explains a substance induced psychosis, by alcohol or another substance, like weed.

On Routh, Dunn: "It was clear that he was psychotic. There was no question about it. They weren't sure of the cause of the psychosis."

Dunn says "I noticed he was suffering significant symptoms of psychosis, he was having a lot of unusual thinking that people are going to harm him, and even his girlfriend at that time of that incident."

Routh believed that his neighbor was a part of the Mexican mafia, according to Dunn, as he explains Routh's mental disorder according to his interview with him.

The defense asks Dunn if that would be schizophrenia, Dunn says yes that schizophrenic people have bizarre ideas as Routh did.

"Just because somebody looks normal, doesn't mean that they are not mentally ill." -Dr. Dunn

Dunn says that 1/3 of the people who receive medication get helped, and that people shouldn't think that just because someone is on medication that they will get better. Although some do get better, either healing completely without hearing voices or having delusions, or they hear less voices, and some don't heal at all. The ones that don't heal are still released from the hospital, otherwise they would not have room for all of the sick people.

Dunn says during the time Routh believed his coworkers were animals he also believed they were half-pig and half-man. He then began to believe other people were hybrids as well.

Dunn says when people make up mental illness they will take from what they see on television and in movies.

When Dunn interviews someone in a criminal case he sees if it has more to do with the offense. However, Routh's delusions were often unrelated to the issue.

"As unusual as this is, it wasn't all that unusual," Dunn says of Routh's delusions.

Before the incident with Routh's girlfriend, Routh reported a strange smell from his neighbors home and told Dunn he believed they may be cannibals. He also told Dunn that his neighbor may be eating his own excrement.

Before his girlfriend Jennifer Weed had come over on February 1, 2013, Routh had drank some with his neighbor and smoked some marijuana. When Weed arrived, Routh believed that she was a pig-human hybrid.

Dunn asked if this was something that was belief he had many times, but Routh told him it was new.

This is the night before the shooting.

Routh reports thinking that it was strange that Weed ate bacon at breakfast that morning. He also said her ears and body looked different.

Routh told Dunn that he smelled an odd musk smell after they took a shower.

Dunn is recounting his interview with Routh after the shooting.

Routh can be seen watching Dunn and taking notes.

Routh told Dunn that the morning of Feb. 2, 2013 Routh tried to break up with his girlfriend, but she was not hearing him.

Routh said that when his uncle, James Watson, came over they drank whiskey and later in his interview told him about smoking marijuana.

Routh told Dunn that when Kyle came to pick him up he did not shake his hand and he thought it was odd. Routh knew there were guns in the truck and recalled that they would do an outdoor activity.

Routh said they stopped and got Whataburger though he was not hungry. He was nervous sitting in the truck next to the guns.

The odor Routh smelled in the truck was the same he smelled coming from his neighbor's home, which made him anxious.

Routh said they did not speak hardly at all and he began to think it may become a "one-way trip" and was nervous.

Routh knew that his girlfriend had contacted Kyle to find him and thought it was "bold."

Routh said he thought it was odd that the men were not telling him much about where they were going and what they were doing.

He thought they may be "pig assassins" that were sent to kill him.

Dunn says that we remember things best when there is an emotional tie when asked if it was odd that Routh remembered many details. If he was very anxious, it would not be atypical for him to remember the day well.

Routh noted Kyle putting up a flag and then heading down to the range. He said they did not speak to Routh and the men took about 10 guns from the truck.

After the guns were unloaded they fired at targets. When Littlefield was not shooting at all he thought it was "totally odd."

Routh told Dunn that he thought he was in danger and then fired at Littlefield, hitting him at what he called "center mass" and then fired at Kyle several times. He said Littlefield was twitching, so he fired at him more times to stop him.

He said at the time he thought he had "neutralized the threat."

Routh said Kyle had a pistol and he was certain he would shoot him.

Dunn asked Routh why they had not shot him already, and he said it was because they were biding their time.

Routh said he did not plan to steal the truck, but the keys were there.

Routh said it was necessary to shoot them, and it was what he had to do. He said the Bible says not to kill people, but it was what he had to do. Routh knew he would be arrested, however, he still had done what he had to do.

Dunn said Routh believed he was acting in "self-defense."

Routh went to his uncle's because he wanted to talk to someone, but Watson did not say much.

He said he went to his sister's, but she made him leave.

He said he thought his speeding away from the police was "dumb" and he should have called the police from the range, and that that would have been more logical.

Routh told Dunn that while he was in the jail he thought some of the officers were "pig people."

Dunn did see the video of the interview with Ranger Briley (which came right after Routh's arrest).

Dunn's opinion is that when Routh committed the offense was suffering mentally and did not know what he did was wrong. He said he believe Routh was suffering from schizophrenia.

To make this diagnosis, he noted his delusional beliefs and scattered thoughts.

He notes that when Routh was interviewed by Briley, his responses were scattered and off-the-wall.

Dunn notes that Weed said he was hearing things the night before, but he did not focus on what she told him, but the symptoms that Routh expressed when interviewed by Dunn.

Dunn believes his mental illness had become symptomatic in the July of the year before the shooting.

One of the strongest pieces of evidence of Routh's mental illness, Dunn says, was Kyle's text from the car ride to Rough Creek Lodge which said "This dude is straight-up nuts" and Littlefield's response of "watch my 6." He said this is compelling evidence because they were closest to him and interacting with him when the offense happened.

Dunn is talking about Routh's interview with Briley after he was arrested. The quotes are being read to show that his responses were unrelated to the questions and delusional.
   
Routh's answers in that interview with Briley were indicative of mental illness and that Routh believed he did what he had to do, Dunn says.

"If you are going to be killed, then you have the right to defend yourself. He defended himself in his mind. I'm not saying it's logical, but it was logical in his mind," Dunn said, "In his mind, he thought he was going to die unless he took care of business."

"It's my opinion that his psychosis was not substance-induced," Dunn says.

Dunn says marijuana does not cause this type of psychosis. He says the substance will not continue to affect thought, it will fade, but Routh's delusions lingered for months.

A drug-induced psychosis occurs during the period of intoxication. Dunn notes Routh retained his ability to shoot a gun and drive a car, which is not indicative of the drug-induced psychosis.

Defense passes the witness.

The prosecution is questioning the witness.

Jane Starnes of the prosecution is confirming with Dunn that the definition of insane in legal terms is different from the definition in medical terms.

She also confirms with Dunn that terms like "crazy" are often thrown around when they are not actually meaning mentally ill.

Starnes is confirming that being mentally ill alone is not enough under the law. There must also be the issue of not knowing what was done was wrong.

Starnes is reviewing with Dunn the records that he went over to become familiar with the case. He was contacted by the defense to become involved and provided him with details.

Dunn did not see any mail to or from Routh at the jail.

He did not see the interviews of Gaines and Laura Blevins from Feb. 2, 2013.

He reviewed VA and Green Oaks records, but did not talk with any of the doctors.

Dunn charges $400 an hour, including time spent traveling.

Another doctor had interviewed Routh seven times before Dunn did. [Is this Overstreet? If not, why isn't this doctor testifying?]

Dunn's usual practice is to interview without the presence of a third person, such as a defense attorney.

To Dunn's knowledge, Routh has never been found to be incompetent.

When Routh went to the VA hospital several times, he was diagnosed with psychotic disorder, not otherwise specified (NOS). At that time, it meant there was inadequate information to make a diagnosis. A psychotic disorder is present, but they are unable to know if it is mental strictly or influenced by drugs or something like it.

Dunn says sometimes it is something muddying the ability to know clearly what is happening or for time.

Starnes is confirming with Dunn that sometimes with medical records, a diagnosis may be passed on because it was given before and they just carry it through. Dunn confirms that this does happen on occasion.
   
Routh did not report any hallucinations to Dunn.

Starnes is discussing with Dunn a belief Routh had that he had a tapeworm when he was working outside and how it was one of his fixed false beliefs.

Starnes confirms that almost every time Routh went to the hospital he was tested positive for marijuana.

In the January 2013 incident, Routh was paranoid about government and other things. Starnes confirms that marijuana can cause paranoia.

Dunn is discussing dosage of certain drugs for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The antipsychotic can be used for mood disorders and some jails use it as a sleep aid in low doses.

Dunn notes that people with schizophrenia often also have a drug abuse problem.

The normal high for marijuana lasts two to four hours. This can change based on time frames and metabolism.

Dunn says he put Routh through a malingering test, which is a test to prove the mental instabilities are not fake.

Dunn confirms with Starnes that Routh did lie to him about marijuana use at a certain time.

Dunn says he does not go into cases assuming they will tell the truth. He does research ahead of time.

Starnes tells Dunn that he told people about things he had seen in Haiti that involved cleaning dead bodies. He did not say this to Dunn.

Starnes tells Dunn that when Routh was trying to get disability, he had listed problems with every part of his body, which was untrue. This was in 2010 and Dunn says he has no evidence of his psychosis that long ago.

Starnes is telling Dunn about a show Routh had watched called "Boss Hog" where there is a character called Pigman. Routh had discussed watching the show in a phone call in April of 2014.

Starnes is confirming that throughout the interview Routh has been known to make disparaging comments about people who are not white. This includes his hispanic neighbors, who he thought were in the mafia, and his hispanic neighbors, who he thought their food smelled odd.

Routh continued to go to work through the symptoms. Dunn says more often the mental illness that causes people to not go to work is depression, but can be others as well.

Auditory hallucinations are the most often with schizophrenia. Visual hallucinations are the second most common. Smelling hallucinations, Dunn says, are more often with seizures. Smelling is less common with schizophrenia.

Dunn says Routh may have either been hallucinating smells or interpreting actual smells in a delusional way.

Starnes is noting that next to the Erath Country Jail is next to Hard 8, which produces barbecue smells.

Starnes is confirming that the statement, "Aren't you tired of eating everyone's shit?" is odd and could evoke a statement from someone who heard it.

She notes that though Kyle in a text message called Routh "nuts," but he has no training in psychology.

Routh had to stop to urinate twice on the trip to Rough Creek Lodge. Dunn notes that this could be caused by nerves.

Routh had told Dunn that he was "pretty sure" Littlefield had a gun. He did not tell Dunn he shot him in the back [once again, the prosecution is testifying contrary to the facts: Kyle and Littlefield were not shot in the back].

Starnes recalls that Dunn said Routh was acting in self-defense. Starnes is confirming that Routh cannot claim self-defense because he did not have reasonable belief to be in danger. His beliefs were unreasonable, which is why he is being considered for insanity.

Starnes is recalling Routh's quotes saying that he knew from the Bible that killing people is wrong and that he would be arrested.

Dunn is saying that you can be aware that something is wrong or will be perceived as wrong, but still feel the need to do it under the circumstances, such as Routh believing he was in danger.

Dunn confirms that he knew Routh reloaded the 9 mm when he fled the scene.

Routh did not call the police and left his sister's home when she said she would call the police and told her, "I'm going to run to Oklahoma to get away from this mess."

Starnes is discussing the use of the word "wrong" and what it means under the law. She is saying that there are people who will have different moral beliefs from the majority. What is right or wrong under the law is not defined by each person.

"If you shoot someone seven times... we can pretty much assume you want that person dead," Starnes said.

Dunn says Routh went to see his uncle and sister after the shooting so he could talk to them about what he had done.

Routh knew he was in trouble when the police cars surrounded him in Lancaster and when he was chased and stopped by police, Dunn confirms.

Routh told Dunn he frequently smoked marijuana with his family and alone.

Routh told Dunn that his training was better than Kyle's as he was an expert marksman. He said he waited for the opportune time to shoot the men.

Dunn says it is his opinion that Routh does not have PTSD. Dunn did not believe he had the significant trauma to cause the PTSD.

Starnes is confirming that the mental illness cannot keep Routh from the ability to feel emotions. She is giving the example of jealousy and anger.

Dunn says he did not come across as angered when he spoke about Littlefield and Kyle not talking to him in the car, but more perplexed by it.

Starnes confirms that Routh had a history of angering easily.

Routh told Dunn that he had broken up with his girlfriend that morning, but did not tell him that they had gotten engaged the night before.

When Routh went to Green Oaks, he would ask to be transferred to the VA instead.

Dunn says voluntary intoxication did not play any part in the offense. The information that he smoked marijuana the morning of Feb. 2, 2013 does not change his opinion.

Starnes confirms that Routh did not seem to be talking to himself in the interview with Briley or in the backseat of the police car.

When talking to Briley, Routh used the word "fled." When talking with Dunn he said he "left" the scene.

Starnes is going through the interview that Routh had with Ranger Briley on Feb. 2, 2013.

Starnes confirms that according to Texas law there is no such thing as temporary insanity.

Prosecution passes the witness.

Moore of the defense talks about how Routh's comment on the smell of the food is likely not enough for Kyle to call him "nuts" and that the Dr. Pepper may have been the cause for the stopping to urinate.

Dunn establishes that though Routh acted out of what he called self-defense, he could not claim self-defense by law because he was unreasonable because of mental illness. This, under the law, is insanity.

Moore asks about when Routh was surrounded by police outside of his home in Lancaster. Dunn says he was saying "odd things" that were consistent with what Routh said to Briley later that night.

Moore is reading Routh's quotes to Dunn such as, "Everything is getting so crazy around here I don't know what do" and "I can feel everybody feeding on my soul."

Dunn says these quotes are consistent with his illness and with his interview with Briley as well as his interview later.

Later, in the police car, Routh talked more about not knowing what was going on in the world and talked about smelling things again.

Moore confirms with Dunn that Routh talking strangely had been going on for hours.

Dunn confirms that he did not diagnose Routh with PTSD. He confirms that at another time, prior to the incident, he was diagnosed with PTSD.

Defense passes the witness to the prosecution.

Starnes confirms that there is such a thing as "senseless crimes" that have no justification.

Defense takes the witness and confirms with Dunn that he believes that Routh was mentally ill and did not know what he was doing was wrong at the time of the shooting.

The jury is released to discuss an issue outside the presence of the jury.

The judge has called a recess to review evidence.

Defense has not formally rested.

The prosecution has additional evidence to present, starting tomorrow.

Hearings about witnesses the prosecution will call are ongoing, but the jury is not present.


DAY 9, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

The state now has the opportunity to present rebuttal evidence. The prosecution calls Erath County Chief Deputy Jason Upshaw.

Upshaw is confirming the evidence that Nash of the prosecution has is a phone call recording from less than two weeks after Routh entered the jail on Feb. 16, 2013.

The call is between Routh and a reporter from The New Yorker. In the recording, Routh talks about needing to get to New York to do some writing.

Routh tells the reporter that he feels like his whole life has been set up for failure and everyone knows it.

The reporter asks about Routh military experience. Routh tells him and says he needs to get out of the cell and talk to a writer.

Routh tells the reporter that he needs to get his story out.

Routh tells the reporter that he will call him back the following Monday afternoon.

Nash confirms that Routh had access to cable television in his cell.


The state calls Dr. Randall Price, a forensic psychologist.

Price has been a forensic psychologist for 30 years.

He has also been a college professor for 43 years. He has also practiced clinical psychology where he is involved with the assessment and treatment of people with mental issues. He did this for a few years and then began working in forensic psychology.

Price does evaluations at the request of attorneys and courts and does reports as well as testifies in court on occasion.

He has also lectured university students on law and psychology.

Price says that insanity cases are not very common, but he has done them "many, many" times.

Jane Starnes of the prosecution is confirming with Price that mental illness is different from insanity by law.

Price was first contacted to get involved with the case in March 2013 by Nash. Price received hundreds of pages of records as well as video and audio tapes.

Price started with Routh's school file from when he was a child, then went on to his military records and employment file. He also looked at files from the police department, hospitals, and the jail.

Price also went to the hospitals to talk to the doctors and nurses.

Price received a court order after spending about a year and a half reviewing Routh's recording. He interviewed Routh on Dec. 15, 2014.

Comment From CD:
So does that mean the prosecution has to obtain a court order to be able to interview the defendant?

Texan News Service:
Yes, Price received a court order to do the interview.

Price spent approximately four and a half hours with the defendant on the first day. After the hours of testing, Routh had Price stop the interview. This is allowed as part of the informed consent.

Texan News Service:
Price returned to finish the interview on Jan. 16, 2015. He was with Routh for approximately five and a half hours.

Starnes asks about Price's process of examining. He says he starts with the research into their background and then in the interview with the informed consent. Price says he starts of just talking to the person. He notes that the entire time he talks with the person he is taking notes.

He examines the mental status of the patient and gets their version of the offense.

Price says something that is important in these evaluations is to see how accurate their self-views are. Price says it is critical to be able to see if they are being honest with information and not intentionally changing the information for personal gain.

Price says there is inconsistency between the files and talking with Routh. He notes that different psychologists will have different diagnoses because Routh will not give the same answers in each interview, which he says is not uncommon.

Price performed 10 different tests on Routh and also talked to him about his background and experiences in professional and personal life.

Price says that it is his opinion based on his evaluations is that he "does not meet the definition of insanity in the state of Texas."

He was expressing symptoms of mental disease and this was largely the results of drug and alcohol use set in the context of other mental issues. Price is noting that intoxication is not a defense to a crime.

Price notes that the mental disorder has to lead to the person not knowing what they did was wrong. He says, "he did know what he was doing was wrong and he did it anyway."

He bases this on several factors like what he did and said.

Price notes that he has a different opinion than Dr. Dunn. Price does not believe Routh was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the offense.

Price believes Routh was voluntarily intoxicated at the time of the offense and that largely caused the actions.

Price notes that it is common when evaluating patients that if they will fake symptoms they can come from television or movies.

They can detect when a patient is faking because they will fake what they believe the disorder to be, rather than what it really is. These patients will get the information from TV or films and it can be the source of what they try to simulate.

Price notes that Routh is a fan of the "Seinfield" show and a character believe he sees a pig-person. Routh is also a fan of the show "Boss Hog" which also has to do with pigs.

They are speaking about this related to Routh's ideas of pig hybrid people he sees. Price says this could be suspicious.

Price notes that the diagnosis of Routh now is different than at the time of the offense. There have been influences to change his mental state over the two years since the offense. Price says the influences are his being incarcerated, not having access to alcohol or drugs, and has been on antipsychotic medications.

"He is not the same now as he was on the second of Feb. 2013," Price says. He notes that he has to investigate to see how he was that day.

Price says there are five components to Routh's mental state the day of the offense: 1) long-standing personality disorder 2) adjustment disorder 3) substance-induced psychotic disorder 4) cannabis use disorder and 5) alcohol use disorder.

Price notes that there are many kinds of personality disorders and it is not uncommon for people to have traits of more than one.

He says Routh has what is called a paranoid personality disorder. This is a person that always thinks someone is trying to take advantage of them, harm them, deceive them, etc.

For the purpose of the insanity statute, Price says the personality disorder is not a severe mental disorder.

Having a personality disorder does not cause hallucinations, Price says. Paranoid personality disorder heightens reactions to drugs.

Price says he sees evidence of Routh's paranoid personality disorder throughout his history in his research.

Price says the adjustment disorder is common and arrises in people when they are going through a difficult time, but often fade. He says Routh began having adjustment issues when he was leaving the marines and adjusting to life outside the service.

Price notes that people tend to think marijuana is not a larger problem than alcohol and believe it to be a safe substance. Price says in moderation there is evidence that this is true. This is very different from heavy and chronic uses.

"In moderation" for marijuana use may mean on the weekend, but Price says heavy use would be smoking daily. Price says Routh is a "heavy" user of marijuana.

Price notes that the potency of marijuana in the U.S. has changed over time, becoming much more potent.

Price is talking about how marijuana often has pleasant effects, but can also have unpleasant ones such as paranoia, anxiety, the distortion of time and space, and visual distortions.

Cannabis-induced intoxications, or feeling high, typically lasts 3-4 hours, says Price. Cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms can last beyond the period of the intoxication.

Starnes confirms that though the person may not be high they may still experience the symptoms. Even if someone does not appear to be intoxicated, the symptoms can be present and with a background of consuming more they may have a higher tolerance.

Price says alcohol and cannabis are additive. When both are consumed, the effects are stronger.

Starnes is confirming that despite having mental illnesses, a person can still have normal emotions.

Texan News Service:
Price looks at pattern of speech as part of the mental status examination. In Routh, Price says his rate of speech and volume was normal. He has speech habits, such as use of swear words which was a reinforcement of shock factor.

Price says Routh talks in a certain way, such as using the word "soul" often. Routh told Price that your soul is your life and who you are.

"That's the way he talks," says Price of Routh's use of strange metaphors and speech patterns. He notes that when he interviewed Routh he still used his strange speaking despite not showing symptoms of psychosis.

Price says he began to learn Routh's pattern of speech and could understand through his odd way of speech what he was trying to say.

Price says that Routh's pattern of speech on the phone after 13 days in jail was drastically different from how he was speaking on Feb. 2, 2013 and it had to do with his environment and being away from alcohol and drugs. If the speech was caused by schizophrenia, he should not have improved so drastically in the short amount of time, Price says.

As Price talks about the different tests performed on Routh in his interview, Routh can be seen taking notes.

Nothing about pig-men or hybrid pigs came up when talking with Routh.

When Routh first applied for disability as a veteran, he "over-endorsed," Price said. When asked to check everything he had a problem with he checked everything. This included every body system, head to toe.

Price did ask Routh questions to determine if he had narcissistic parts of his personality, and he endorsed several of them. Routh did tell Price people were envious of him because he was tall and handsome and a marine.

Price did a test concerning substance abuse (SASSI) where he had to respond to questions about the past six months and also his entire life. Routh admitted drug and alcohol problems at some point in his life, but denied these problems in the six months prior to the offense. Price says this is inconsistent with the evidence provided by other people and research and called it a "manipulative attempt."

Price says that in his opinion, Routh does not have PTSD.

Similar to what Dr. Dunn said yesterday, Price noted that Routh did not have the traumatic experience to cause PTSD.

About his history of drug and alcohol use, Routh told Price that his experiences started with adolescence. He did not smoke marijuana in the marines, but returned to the habit after he left the marines. He said that he would smoke sometimes several times in a day.

Routh told Price that he smoked marijuana the night before the offense (Feb. 1), but told him that he did not smoke it the day of the offense (Feb. 2) which is different than what he has told other people. Routh's uncle has given statements saying they smoked two bowls of marijuana before he was picked up and Routh told Ranger Briley that he had as well.

Price asked Routh about his military history. Routh was deployed to Iraq as a prison guard, a ship in the Mediterranean, and also Haiti. He also worked with firearms with the maintenance and care.

"There was no indication that he had any direct combat experience," Price said.

Routh had told Price that he did not like the prison guard job because it kept him out of combat and he did not like caring for the people he thought he should be fighting.

While working on the ship in the Mediterranean, Routh said he only left a few times to pick up a paycheck.

Starnes is saying that in previous interviews Routh had said had seen many dead bodies of children, but Routh told Price he had only possibly seen one.

Price says that Routh gets annoyed easily when having to deal with paperwork.

Price asked Routh about the days leading to the offense. He told Price that on Feb. 1, 2013 he had drinks and smoked with friends. He said he could not sleep that night.

He told Price the next morning (Feb. 2, 2013) he got up very early and was unsure of who he corresponded with on the phone that morning. He told Price he tried to fill out VA paperwork for a PTSD program. Later that morning, he had a fight with his girlfriend about tobacco and drug use and she left. He told Price that he did not smoke that morning.

Routh told Price that he was very agitated and "just couldn't get the edge off" that morning. Routh told Price he was surprised when Kyle came to pick him up and that Littlefield was with him. He indicated to Price that he did not know they were going to a shooting range.

Routh was agitated and suspicious by the guns in the backseat next to the ammunition. He told Price that he was agitated by the men buying him Whataburger though he was not hungry.

Routh says that his agitation began when Kyle did not shake his hand when he came to the house, and that it offended him.

Routh told Price that the men were not treating him right by not talking to him and did not like that they were going to a shooting range so far away. He says this is when he became concerned for his life.

"I've got to do something to get out of this situation," Routh told Price he was thinking upon arrival at the gun range.

He told Price he shot Littlefield and then Kyle, both with a 9 mm handgun. "When I shot them I thought - Jesus Christ, what have I done?" Routh told Price.

"In hindsight, I should have stayed there and called the police," Routh told Price.

Price is recounting the places Routh went after he left the gun range.

Routh told Price that he "shot the target facing me first" though he shot Littlefield in the back. [The prosecution claims that Kyle and Littlefield were shot in the back, but this is contrary to the evidence.]

Price talked to Routh about how his statement that he used one gun is contradictory to the evidence that he used two different guns. Routh said they were wrong and must have done their job wrong in the autopsy.

Price confirms that Routh left out quite a bit of detail about the event of the shooting. He was detailed in the car ride leading up to it, but was not when it came to the shooting.

It is Price's opinion that Routh does not apply for legal insanity and was sane at the time of the offense.

Price is giving evidence that Routh knew what he was doing was wrong: Routh chose an opportunistic time, he told Price he was "instantly remorseful" after the shooting, and he fled the scene.

He gives more reasons, such as when Routh said he was "in too deep" and had to leave and his stopping at Taco Bell because he figured he would be arrested.

Price says Routh had disjointed thinking in his interview with Ranger Briley and he was deflecting when difficult questions were asked.

Price also notes the several times when Routh told Ranger Briley and Dr. Dunn mentioned the wrongness of killing.

Price notes that Routh had a history of talking about mental issues when he was in trouble. Being arrested before, he had talked about his PTSD. After the shooting, he talked about feeling mentally unwell, which Price said may have been "setting the stage."

The prosecution passes the witness and a lunch recess is called. The trial will resume at 1:10 p.m.

The courtroom is filling back up. Trial should resume shortly.

In case you are just tuning in:

Dr. Price, a forensic psychologist was brought to the stand by the prosecution this morning. The defense will start the afternoon session with questioning. Contrary to Dr. Dunn's opinion, Price believes Routh was sane at the time of the offense and was aware his actions were wrong.

The judge has reentered the courtroom and is bringing in the jury.

Moore is proceeding with questioning by the defense. He is confirming that Price has done four cases in Erath county before both by the state and the defense.

Price's hourly rate is $250 an hour.

Price was initially hired to assist the prosecution within the month after the offense took place.

Price met with Ranger Briley twice while researching the case.

Price confirms with Moore that he was very involved with the case from the beginning.

Price produced an initial report in December 2014 from the first part of the interview he spent with Routh. The report was made of incomplete conclusions and opinions, with the intention of finishing the reporting more later.

Price confirms that this was a complicated case for him to do. He is confirming with Moore that the decision from the initial report is not exactly the same as the decision from the final report.

Moore is confirming with Price that he said different psychologists will have different diagnoses of Routh. Each psychologist will get somewhat of a different story from the patient, which Price says is common.

Moore confirms with Price that Routh began smoking marijuana regularly when he was a teenager.

Price says that there was not psychosis noted during his teen years or any cannabis induced episodes.

Moore notes that Routh's first psychotic episode was in July 2011.

Moore confirms that the five different times Routh had been to the hospital Price believes had to do with cannabis. They were never able to be certain if the cannabis was related because he was not clean from the drugs.

Each of these times, doctors prescribed antipsychotic medication.

Moore asks Price if he is an expert on marijuana and how it affects the human body. Price says he has made of study of it and has had cases that have caused him to do in-depth study of it.

Price confirms that marijuana stays in your system longer than alcohol.

Moore confirms with Price that obtaining a blood test would be more complete information and give a better idea of the marijuana in a person's system.

Moore is asking about Routh's speech patterns. Price says that Routh likes to phrase things in a way that sounds different to other people, like metaphors or symbolic language that are "weirder" than other people's. He gives the example of his use of the word "soul," which Routh uses in a way other people often do not.

Routh talked many times after the offense about how he had to take souls before his could be taken.

When Routh made it back to his home later that evening, Price believed Routh was still in a cannabis-induced psychosis. He says he does not know if he was necessarily still intoxicated, but was still experiencing symptoms

Price says that in the interview Routh had with Ranger Briley his speech is not normal and is evidence of delusional thinking, but not consistent. He does not seem to be anxious in the interview. He is responsive usually, but sometimes not responsive.

Price believes Routh shows symptoms of cannabis-induces psychosis at the tie of this interview.

Price says Routh does not show evidence of the symptom of "marked anxiety" during the interview.

As Moore questions Price, Routh continues to take notes.

Texan News Service:
Routh tested in the average to below-average range on an intelligence test and his IQ score was average when Price tested him.

Routh told Price during his interview that he often smelled a weird odor and continued to smell it at the prison. He told him the smell was that of pig or horse excrement.

Price confirms that he did not feel that Routh suffered from PTSD and neither did Dunn. Moore says that the VA hospital diagnosed Routh with PTSD, but this was after Routh had been telling the hospital that he had PTSD already, Price says.

Routh has always maintained in interviews that he shot both men with the same gun, which was a 9 mm.

It has been proven in autopsy that the men were shot with two different types of guns.

Defense passes the witness.

Starnes asks if Price believes there was a motive for saying there was only one guns. Price says the only hypothesis he has is that it may look worse if he admitted that there were two guns.

Starnes verifies that not all mental disabilities will allow veterans to receive money from the VA. It has to be service connecter, which PTSD is.

If a veteran says he has symptoms of PTSD, they will go with a "more likely than not" idea and take the veteran's word for it out of respect for the veteran, Price says.

Starnes confirms that just because someone is prescribed antipsychotic medications does not necessarily mean they are psychotic.

April 2014 is when Routh began reporting of pig people and hybrid pig people began [this is not true - he first told his sister about the pigs on the night of the murders, when he stopped there before going home and being apprehended by police].

Price says that nothing Routh said to him led him to believe he was afraid of firearms, he actually liked firearms and has had a lot of experience with them.

The prosecution passes the witness.

Moore notes that the possession of marijuana was once a felony. He is talking about how this is no longer the case, and there are even states that have legalized it.

Price says that cannabis-induced psychosis is rare. Over his 30 year career, Price has diagnosed it twice.

Moore notes that the majority of people said that smoking marijuana calmed Routh and was beneficial.

Moore notes that schizophrenia is more prevalent than cannabis-induced psychosis.

There were some people that noted Routh's drug use in conjunction with drinking caused a violent response.

Price is released from the stand.


The state calls Dr. Michael Arambula, a forensic psychiatrist.

Arambula also worked as a pharmacist.

Arambula is one of the few forensic psychiatrist that is board certified in the area. He has been a medical doctor for over 20 years.

Aside from seeing patients at a forensic consultant, Arambula is a public servant. He is president of the Texas Medical Board.

Arambula charges $300 an hour, $200 for travel.

Arambula has done forensic psychiatry at state institutions.

Arambula has done evaluations for PTSD and is familiar with different military bases around the world.

Arambula did a forensic examination of Routh and did research on his medical records and other types of records.

Arambula evaluated Routh on Jan. 30, 2015.

Arambula's opinion is that Routh was not insane at the time of the offense. "He was not insane because he was intoxicated at the time of the offenses," Arambula says.

"There is substantial evidence that he knew it was wrong," Arambula says.

Arambula does not agree with Dr. Dunn that Routh was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the offense.

Arambula is speaking about Routh's past hospitalizations. He was diagnosed with a mood disorder in the past and psychosis NOS (not otherwise specified), which means the person has psychotic symptoms, but they are probably not solely mental illness. Arambula says this is usually because drugs or alcohol were a factor.

Starnes says there are comments in the medical records saying drugs and alcohol were a factor each time Routh went to the hospital.

Arambula says that casual use of marijuana is more on the weeked, whereas heavy use is once a day and higher.

Arambula believes Routh to be a heavy user of marijuana.

If somebody is a heavy user they will become tolerant to the sedating effects of marijuana.

Arambula says you can have lingering effects of marijuana, even if you are not high.

Effects of marijuana include smells and visuals being more vibrant, and people believing they are more in touch with the world. Senses are generally heightened, Arambula says.

Marijuana has a very long half-life, especially if the person is a regular user, Arambula says.

Not everyone reacts to marijuana the same, Arambula says. They will react depending on the situation, it is "context-driven" he says.

The way a person is feeling before they smoke marijuana can affect the way the drug affects them.

With marijuana, Arambula says there is euphoria, the high, and then the effects persist and impairment persists.

Starnes is now asking about when Arambula went to evaluate Routh. He says his process begins with all the records that were sent to him. Then, he does a general psychiatric evaluation.

Arambula spent three and a half hours with Routh.

Upon meeting the defendant, Arambula did not shake his hand. He learned later tin the interview that this offended Routh.

Routh told Arambula about the importance of hand-shaking, and Arambula says he explained why he has the practice of not shaking hands in evaluations.

Comment From CD
Why doesn't Arambula shake hands?
   
Texan News Service:
He had a previous experience years ago with the evaluation of a sexual offender that caused him to adopt this practice. He did not go into detail.

Arambula talked to Routh about his history with the military and the different bases he lived on.

He learned that Routh's job in Iraq. He worked with guns and was a prison guard.

He did not ever see combat there, and Arambula got the feeling that he felt like he did not get the action he wanted in the field with these jobs.

When Routh was on the ship in the Mediterranean he did not leave but a few times. He helped and took care of guns, which was his specialty. Arambula did not see evidence of traumatic experience.

Arambula also spoke to Routh about his drug usage. He said he preferred hydro, which is a more potent version of marijuana. Routh had a certain high he liked to maintain and when it faded after 4-5 hours, he would reuse.

Arambula said that Routh tended to minimize the amount of use. Arambula got the impression that his use was regular.

Routh told Arambula about how he would smoke before work on occasion, but usually saved it for the evening.

His girlfriend did not approve of his drug use.

Routh told Arambula that he drank a lot of alcohol with his time in the marines and preferred Crown Royal and vodka.

During his last hospitalization in the VA, Routh had an interaction with another patient that spooked him, Arambula says. Routh said this kept him on edge for a while after.

Routh did not ever mention the word "pig" in his interview with Arambula.

Routh reported feeling suspicious of his coworkers, but could not state why.

Routh told Arambula that Feb. 1, 2013 was like any other day. At the end of the day he smoked marijuana and drank whiskey with a friend.

Comment From mlj
When was the last VA stint in relation to the incident at RCL?

Texan News Service:
He left the hospital eight days before the shooting.

Dr. Arambula, a forensic psychiatrist is on the stand. He does not believe Routh was insane at the time of the offense and believes he knew what he was doing is wrong. Arambula believes that Routh's actions were influence by marijuana. Like Dunn and Pierce, he does not believe Routh has PTSD.

Arambula says that when someone has schizophrenia they often have multiple delusions that are specific and detailed.
When asked about their delusions, Arambula says people who are schizophrenic can give details about their delusions when asked. Routh lacked detail in his delusions.

Starnes confirms with Arambula that being on an antipsychotic does not makes a person psychotic. The antipsychotic Routh was prescribed with a very low dose, which Arambula says is indicative of a mood disorder.

In schizophrenia, delusions will not go away, but they will differentiate in intensity.

Starnes brings up the phone call Routh made from the jail 13 days after his arrival. He notes there was a dramatic difference in speech from the day arrested to that phone call. Arambula says that there was not time for the medications to cause the change. He says his remarks about feeling insane when he was arrested seem more like he was looking out for himself.

Routh denied having an argument with his girlfriend the morning of the offense.

He told him that he drank whiskey that morning and smoked marijuana. He denied that they smoked marijuana together and said he did not feel impaired when he left with Kyle.

Routh said that he had a light buzz and did not feel impaired when he was picked up to go the range. Arambula said this is because of his tolerance he had built up from usage over time.

Routh told Arambula that he knew they were going to the shooting range that day. He also told him that he had not told any person that before.

Routh did not know Littlefield would be coming on the trip. He was aggravated by this as well as the men not shaking his hand or talking to him, he told Arambula.

Routh said he noticed a musky odor while in the truck.

Routh said to Arambula that something was not right, but he could not identify what it was.

Routh told Arambula about how he knew Rough Creek Lodge was a "fancy" range. He did not say that anything about the range reminded him of another experience or anything in Iraq.

"If you are paranoid that someone is going to kill you, you're not going to turn your back on them," Arambula says about how Routh told him that he walked in front of the men with his back to them.

Routh said he was more concerned with Littlefield from the beginning. Littlefield did not make any moves toward Routh, but he started shooting him. Then, he shot Kyle.

When he was shooting Littlefield and Kyle he told Arambula that everything slowed down, which is a side-effect of marijuana intoxication.

Routh told Arambula that he did not have issue with Kyle, but after he shot Littlefield he had to shoot him also because he knew Kyle would shoot him if he did not.

"His feelings were scattered and moved around, and that is more consistent with a mood disorder," Arambula says. This has to do with him not believing Routh had schizophrenia, as Dr. Dunn does.

Arambula says evidence of Routh knowing what he did was wrong are that he fled the scene and when he told his sister he "murdered" two men. He notes that Routh went to Taco Bell for something of a "last meal."

"It's obvious. Anyone should recognize and know that he was intoxicated," Arambula says about Routh's mental state at the time of the offense.

Arambula states that he believes Routh's actions in the back of the police car where he talks about feeling insane is him setting up his defense. He saw this in his interview with Briley as well. "He is embellishing," Arambula says.

Prosecution passes the defense.


Moore is asking about Arambula's daily work at his practice.

Arambula worked doing evaluations on inmates at prisons.

Moore is asking about Routh's interview with Briley and where his "off-the-wall" comments are coming from. Arambula says this was how Routh often just said strange things.

Whether or not marijuana will affect a person's motor skills factors into many things like how much/often the person smokes and the potency of the marijuana, Arambula says.

"Do you believe that Mr. Routh has any kind of psychosis at all?" Moore asks.

The process of Routh's thinking was more affected by his mood than by his psychosis, Arambula says.

Moore is asking about the types of medications Routh has been prescribed in the past.

Arambula confirms that he did not see any scientific indication that Routh's marijuana was "wet" or laced.

Moore continues to ask if a person can be intoxicated on marijuana and still have the ability to have hand-eye coordination. Arambula persists that this depends on the person and the dose.

Moore asks why Arambula's answers are not more specific and he says because he does not have laboratory evidence and the literature on marijuana effects is not specific on time frames.

Moore asks if Arambula purposefully did not shake his hand. He said he did not purposefully do that. Arambula says he did not treat him differently, it is his practice not to shake hands when he evaluates inmates.

Arambula notes that a delusion is a psychotic belief. He says that the belief that Kyle and Littlefield wanted to kill him is not enough to be a delusion because he was unable to give details when asked.

Routh's mood disorder, in Arambula's opinion, did not rise to being a severe mental defect. If he believed Routh was schizophrenic and not intoxicated it could rise to severe mental defect, but he does not believe Routh was schizophrenic.

The defense passes the witness.

Arambula notes that Routh's talk of pig people was not consistent as well as walking out in front of the men with guns was not consistent to his fear.

The witness is released. The attorneys are called to the judge's stand.

The judge calls the end of the proceedings for the day for the trial to resume Monday morning at 9:00 a.m.

Still no decision made on the trial being delayed tomorrow due to ice. 

UPDATE 2/23/15, 7:49 AM: Due to weather, the trial proceedings have been cancelled for the day. They will resume at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.


DAY 10

Trial proceedings are set to resume at 10:00 a.m.
9:29
   
Comment From Stephanie
Are they cancelling the trial today too (Tuesday) or still starting at 10 am

Texan News Service:
The trial is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
9:39
   
Comment From Guest:
Do you know if Taya made it back to be in the courtroom today?

Texan News Service:
I have not yet seen her.
10:19
   
Eddie Ray Routh and his lawyers have just walked in the courtroom and sat down.

Court is in session as of 10:23 a.m.
10:24
   
Judge Cashon listened to an audio recording this morning in the presence of counsel.


First witness is Howard Ryan. A forensic operation specialist from New Jersey.

Ryan spent the last 16 years working for the state police as a crime scene specialist. He analyzed blood stains and recreated crime scenes.

He also worked at the crime scene investigation school in New Jersey, and was also an instructor at a crime scene investigation school in Tennessee.

He was approached by one of the Texas Rangers and was told about the murders of Kyle and Littlefield and was asked to come on board and help.

The prosecution also got in touch with Ryan, and he was given crime scene photographs, crime scene reports, lab submissions and results, and other investigative material sun as the autopsy report.

Ryan explains that it is important to establish where the shooter and victims were standing when the shootings took place.

Ryan explains that it was very helpful to have the blood stain patterns from the crime.

"We had scenarios where he (Kyle) had been standing when the events took place and where his final resting place was." Ryan.

Ryan explains that knowing where the bullets entered and exited were very important because it shows how far away Kyle and Littlefield stood from Routh when he shot them.

Littlefield was shot at various locations on his body, indicating movement, according to Ryan. His wounds were sustained on several sites on his body.

"The wound track on each guns shots, either way the body was down lower, on one knee or both knees (Littlefield), his face and head were exposed to the muzzle. Both gunshots went through the body. We were expecting more of a forward splatter of blood. We were expecting more kinetic energy, bringing more biological evidence with it," said Ryan

The jury is not currently present.

"The bullet that passed between his shoulder stayed in his clothing," leaving Ryan to believe that Littlefield could have been up against a hard surface.

"It is our opinion that he was shot in the back," said Ryan of Littlefield.

One of the two shots severed Littlefield's spinal cord.

Comment From Guest
Has Taya made it there yet ?
   
Texan News Service:
So far I have not seen her.
10:52
   
Ryan is explaining where the position of the muzzle was.

Defense is now asking Ryan questions.

The prosecution is questioning Ryan about his two scenarios of what position Littlefield was in when he was shot.

Ryan is explaining how gunshot residue aided him in deciding his scenarios.

Judge Cashon has said that this evidence will aid the jury, and they are now being brought in.

A Ballistics dummy has just been brought in to the courtroom.

Comment From Guest:
Did Kyle get shot first?
   
Texan News Service:
Littlefield was shot first according to Routh's multiple taped confessions.

Comment From Guest:
Were the bodies found near each other?

Texan News Service:
According to court testimony the bodies were found approximately 10 feet apart. Littlefield on the shooting deck and Kyle just off the deck.

Comment From co:
Has there been any explaination as to how he was able to shoot both men with two different guns and without either of them getting a shot off?

Texan News Service:
Howard Ryan said Littlefield was shot twice first, with one shot hitting his spinal cord and one going into the top of his head from a high angle. Kyle was then shot in the jaw area, also hitting his spinal cord. 

Comment From Guest:
Has Mrs Kyle made it to court yet?

Texan News Service:
Yes, Taya Kyle and her sister were both present this morning. They made it back from LA safely.
12:42

Ryan is being officially sworn in, and he is being introduced to the jury.

Ryan has 27 years of experience in the forensic field. He specializes in crime scene reconstruction and blood stain pattern analysis. Ryan is explaining the kinds of training he does for different law enforcement agencies. Ryan is explaining what he received from the Texas Rangers to aid him in the case such as crime scene photos, reports etc.

Ryan says the crime scene was very confined and all shots took place in the same general area. Kyle's wounds were located all on the upper right side of his body [which is not the back, contrary to what the prosecution keeps saying], and Ryan says this is unique. Ryan said that Kyle never saw the shots coming.

Ryan said when he went to the crime scene and stood on the deck of the gun range, he realized how close everything was, it was a small area. He did not get that impression in the photographs he received.

Ryan is now explaining what causes gun shot residue.

Ryan explains that Kyle was not facing Routh when he was shot [just as Routh described; he said Kyle started to turn toward him, which would explain why the shots all were to the right side of Kyle's body.]

The jury is being shown crime scene photos of Kyle and how he fell when he was shot.

"It was obvious he never saw it coming," said Ryan of Kyle.

Crime scene photos of Chad Littlefield are being shown, and Ryan is explaining blood evidence.

Ryan believes that Littlefield was originally standing when he was shot. He was shot in his hand and there was substantial blood evidence in his hand.

Ryan is explaining his scenarios to the jury.

Ryan believes that the second scenario where Littlefield was shot on his back is more plausible due to blood stains and projectiles.  

Ryan has prepared a mannequin depicting the location of the wounds and trajectory of shots to Littlefield.

We cannot see the mannequin from the pool feed in the overflow room. The jury has been asked to stand and move around to observe.

According to Ryan there are two possibilities concerning the two shots to Littlefield's head. Littlefield was either already deceased or in distress, either way was defenseless. Ryan does not believe that Littlefield was deceased when he was shot in the the head.


The state is about to play a 2 minute phone recording from April 11, 2014.

The call is from Routh while he is in the Erath County jail.

Routh is talking to his mother about watching a "pig show" called Boss Hog. He is describing the show and how they are trapping a pig and cooking it on the show.

The state has labeled the previous phone call as "The Boss Hog call." They are now playing an additional phone call from May 21, 2013.

The second call is from Routh to The New Yorker reporter.

The reporter is telling Routh that the article has been printed and a copy is being mailed to him. "Do you think about that day?" "It tore my heart out that I did it."

"They wouldn't talk to me, they wouldn't even answer me. I didn't even know Chad was Chad, I just knew he was Littlefield."

"They would kind just give me a half ass answer. Mr. Kyle handed me his cell phone and said my girlfriend was calling."

Routh is talking about breaking up with his girlfriend the day of the murders. "I told her to kick fucking rocks. Things can change overnight you know."

Routh is talking about making breakfast for him and his girlfriend on the morning of Feb. 2, 2013. He also says that he thought it was strange that they stopped at Whataburger on the way to gun range, because he never told them he was hungry.

Routh is recounting their arrival to the gun range. "I guess that's pretty much saying, duel mother fucker you know....and that's when I had to take care of business....got back in the truck, put in a dip and left."

This phone call has already been played once during the trial.

Routh again states that he shot Littlefield first and Kyle second. "It was like, I started shooting and he (Kyle) was just finishing a magazine."

Routh again states that he felt like he had to kill them before they killed him. Also says that he was smelling "love and hate."

The state has excused Upshaw and rests again.


The defense has decided to rebuttal again. They have recalled Dr. Dunn.

Dunn is again describing the symptoms of schizophrenia. Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, lack of motivation/general social withdraw.

"Does the evidence in the medical records support Mr. Routh having a mood disorder?" - Moore

Dunn states that his diagnosis points to Routh more than likely having schizophrenia.

Dunn feels that Dr. Arambula was wrong in his diagnosis of Routh having a mood disorder. 

Dunn feels that Arambula's claim that someone with schizophrenia only has 1-3 delusions is false.

Notes that Routh's belief that his neighbor was in the Mexican Mafia, his co-workers were cannibals and that Routh thought his girlfriend Jenn Weed was a demon in a crack whore's body.

Dunn disputes Dr. Arambula's claim that once someone is voluntarily intoxicated that "the game is over." He also does not feel that Routh was intoxicated, noting his driving 105 miles, shooting accurately, and lack of slurred speech.

Dunn says that the interview with Texas Ranger Briley was the best evidence of Routh having schizophrenia.

Dunn is reading over Routh's quotes from the interview with the Ranger Briley. Notes multiple quotes, and says that he does not believe Routh to be smart enough to be setting up his insanity defense with disorganized speech.

Dunn says that he treats approximately 20-30 people a week with schizophrenia.

Dunn says that he believes that Routh's statement in the back of the Lancaster police car about being "paranoid and schizophrenic all day" is true and is not an attempt to set up his defense.

Comment From Guest:
Is Dr Dunn Licensed?

Texan News Service:
Yes, he has been re-certified twice.

Dunn does not believe that jealousy was a motivation for Routh.

"It is my diagnosis that he (Routh) does not have a cannabis induced psychosis," Dunn said.

Dunn notes that after Routh held his girlfriend and her roommate hostage that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia by Dr. Swanson at Green Oaks hospital before being transferred to the VA.

Witness has been passed to the prosecution.

Jane Starnes of the prosecution is cross-examining Dr. Dunn.

Dunn confirms that Routh tested positive for marijuana and/or THC every time he was hospitalized.

Dunn said that cannabis induced psychosis will usually last for one day, but could possibly last for a couple days. Also agrees with Dr. Arambula that if the drug induced psychosis comes secondary that "the game is in fact over."

Dunn agrees with Sarnes that even if someone is mentally ill that they could still commit a crime because they are irritated or offended with someone.

April 15, 2013, Routh told Dunn that he did not smoke marijuana on the morning of Feb. 2, 2013. Also told him that he had to "pile up dead babies" in Haiti. Dunn agrees with Starnes that both were lies.

Pigs, pig hybrids, and half pig-half people are again being discussed. TV shows Boss Hog and Seinfeld have been brought back up. Routh told Dunn about pig hybrids during an interview. [It should have been clarified by the defense that Routh first spoke of pigs the day of the murders, at his sister's house, before being apprehended in Lancaster. and not in April 2014, as the prosecution is claiming.]

Dunn refers to Routh as an "inaccurate historian." Starnes confirms that this is basically a nice way of doctors in Dunn's field "to refer to someone as a liar."

They are discussing a VA doctor's evaluation of Routh, which notes that there are no signs of delusions.

Dunn admits he did not meet with Dr. Swanson of Green Oaks hospital. Swanson said that he met with Routh for 10 minutes one day and 30 seconds the next day. Swanson also said that he diagnosed Routh with schizophrenia based mainly off of his age.

Dunn has been passed to the defense after admitting that Routh lied often.

St. John of the defense is again asking about Routh's intelligence. Dunn said that Routh is not very intelligent.

St. John is revisiting the comments made by Routh during his interview with Briley on Feb. 2, 2013. Dunn again says that he feels that Routh was psychotic on that day.

Witness has been passed again. Starnes is questioning again.

Starnes is confirming the actions of Routh after the murders, noting his failure to call the police, going to Taco Bell "because he knew he was going to be arrested," and his leading police on a high speed chase.

Witness again passed to the defense.

Dunn has been allowed to step down. BOTH SIDES HAVE CLOSED. ALL OF THE EVIDENCE HAS BEEN PRESENTED.

Closing arguments are next. Short recess will be followed by closing arguments and the jury will begin deliberation TODAY.

Judge Cashon has reentered.

Jury is told not to include during their deliberation what will happen to Routh if he is found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Jury is being brought back in now. Charge by Judge Cahson is up next.

Judge addressing the jury:

Cashon says that the jury must decide, based on all the evidence that has been presented that they must decided if the defendant Eddie Ray Routh has been found guilty.

All portions of the offense must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt to convict the defendant.

The jury may not use personal knowledge or discuss anything that has not been presented as evidence during the trial.

Judge Jason Cashon is reading the jury their charge. Closing arguments coming up next.

Some testimony may be read back to the jury by the court reporter, ONLY if the jury puts the request in writing that they are having a dispute over a certain portion of a statement.

The jury may refer to their notes, but may NOT share their notes with other jurors.

The jury may only return a verdict when all 12 jurors have agreed on the verdict.

Jury being told that if a person knowingly kills a person they may be convicted of the crime. Also being read what intoxication means and that intoxication is not a legal defense.


Jane Starnes of the prosecution is presenting the States closing arguments.

"It is unfair to call this the 'American Sniper' trial."

"It wasn't just one person killed out there, it was two. Chad Littlefield wasn't famous, he never wrote a book, but he was a father, a son, a brother. Two people were murdered out there at Rough Creek Lodge, and that is what makes it a capital murder, and that is why we are here."

"That compassion and friendship that they were showing to Eddie Ray Routh is ultimately was cost them their lives."

"There need to be his friend overrode their instinct. Somewhere along that ride to Rough Creek, Eddie Routh allowed his true colors to show, he let his freak flag show. We don't know what caused Chris to send that text....We don't know that they were joking."

"How many people do you think saw Eddie Routh at the store wearing Jen Weed's clothes and thought, 'that guy's a nut!' Eddie's actions were so alarming that the two every thought to turn around...or only use the handguns."

"We aren't here to blame Chris and Chad for their deaths. We aren't here to fix the VA system. That's not our job to fix the healthcare system."

"Your job today is to follow this oath you took when you became a juror on this case. Your job is to take the nine days of evidence you've seen, look at the charge judge Cashon has given you, and come to a conclusion."

Starnes is going over the basic facts. Date, location, etc. of the murders.

"We know he shot them with the firearm." Starnes shows the two murder weapons to the jury.

"Let's talk a little bit about the intentional or knowingly portion of this crime. We have to show that this man killed these two men intentionally or knowingly. What was he thinking when he pulled that trigger. It's not a mistake, or an accident to shoot Chris six times or to shoot Chad seven times."

"He waited until Chris' gun was spent to start shooting. He waited for the opportune time. And how did he shoot them? He shot Chad in the back two times. He then shot Chris in the back. [This is questionable: throughout the past two years and the trial, the prosecution said Chad was shot five times in the back and Chris was shot four times in the back.] He shot him in the face, and then in quick succession he shot him in the arm."

"You heard from Dr. Barnard and Howard Ryan, that this guy who had served four tours was shot down at a shooting range. But Chad's death was not as quick. You know that Chad reached out and was shot through his hand. You know that Chad reached out and ran his hands through that pool of blood. And then you know that he walked around and shot Chad in the back of the head. He wanted Chad dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead. He then stood over Chad's body and reload's that magazine [there is no evidence to support that he stood over Chad's body when he reloaded]. What does he need that gun for? He took that gun because it was a trophy [this is pure conjecture]. He then fled that scene because he knew he had to get away."

"Oh and then he confessed. 'I shot him because they wouldn't talk to me.' We have DNA evidence of Chad's blood on his boots." [Why only on the toe of his one boot. If they were shot at close range, shouldn't Routh's clothes have blood on them? There was no blood on anything of Routh's but a little bit on the toe of his one boot.]

"We have overwhelming evidence that he committed this capital murder

"Just because something is a senseless crime does not mean that he was insane. We don't have to prove that he is insane, they (the defense) have to prove that he was insane."

"They brought you his family members, his girlfriend, his employer, and they brought you Dr. Dunn. I'll give you that Dr. Dunn is qualified, but he seems to ignore the facts. Dr. Dunn was wrong."

"We brought you two extremely qualified witnesses." Noting doctors Price and Arambula, and runs down the list of all of their credentials.

Dr. Price told the jury that the defendant has a naturally suspicious personality, added to drug and alcohol use, and general aggressive behavior.

"Yeah, he has some mental problems, but they don't rise to severe according to Dr. Price."

"That's a load of hogwash," Starnes says referring to Routh's claim of pig people hybrids.

Starnes is talking about the drug items found at Routh's home. "Well it's probably laced up with something," Routh says of the pot he smoked the day of the murders. Also said the drugs were "probably laced up with something wet." Wet referring to the pot being laced with PCP or formaldehyde. [This should be objected to since there is no evidence to support this and the DA and police decided not to take Routh's blood to determine drugs or alcohol in his system.]

Eddie "admits to experiencing paranoia when smoking marijuana." [Where is this in the evidence?]

Eddie told Dr. Arambula that he "drank some vodka from the freezer, drank some whiskey when his uncle came over, smoked some pot before and after his uncle came over. The defendant was intoxicated on the day of the murders."

"We can all agree that Eddie has got something wrong with him. He is a weird, weird guy. But Dr. Price and Dr. Arambula both said he didn't have a severe mental defect." [The judge allowed only one of the defense's expert witnesses to testify.]

"He walks down range, and turns his back on Chris and Chad, yet he wants people to believe he was afraid of them? That's ridiculous." Starnes was referring to Dr. Arambula's statement that "actions speak louder than words.

"He stood over Chad's dead body and reloaded that gun. [Again, there is no evidence of this.] He then steals Chris' truck. He fled, and why did he flee? He knew that he had to get away from that awful scene. He fled 105 miles....from a place he had never been, a place out in the country. He navigates the country roads." [How could he have done this if he was intoxicated?]

"How do you know that he knew what he did was wrong? He gets in a stand off with Lancaster police and then you see this happen." Showing the video of high speed chase Routh led the police officers on.

"Why do you run from the police? Because he knew what he did was wrong."

"I shot them because they wouldn't talk to me. I was riding in the back of the truck and they wouldn't talk to me. They were just taking me to the range so I shot them. I'm sure that they forgive me," Routh told Officer Cole of the Erath County Sheriffs dept.

Starnes notes five other times when Routh admitted to the murders, including to his sister and multiple police officers.

"Crazy don't run. Crazy would sit there at that crime scene."

Starnes notes Routh telling Dr. Dunn that "it's a pretty shitty thing to kill someone," and "as soon as I did it I knew I had made a mistake. I thought I was defending my right, but after I did it I thought 'this doesn't look good."

"As soon as I shot them I thought, 'Jesus Christ what have I done?'" Routh told Dr. Dunn.

Routh said he saw Chad shaking and convulsing on the shooting deck and that "I shot Chad in the head to keep him from getting up." [Where is this statement in evidence?]

"But that is a lie, because we know that there was no way on God's green earth that Chad was ever getting up," Starnes said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that is not insanity. That is capital murder," Starnes' closing statement.


Tim Moore of the defense is now presenting their closing arguments.

Moore says that the state wants the jury to believe that Routh was intoxicated during the murders. Moore says that Routh was mentally insane at the time.

"It's pretty obvious that Eddie Routh shot these two men," Moore says while going over the judge's charge. He then tells the jury that "the facts come from the witness stand," and that "the only thing that you are to consider are the law and the evidence."

Moore is telling the jury to not base their decision on anything being covered by the media and that "you swore to us that you wouldn't consider any of that."

"You can't go back there and say, 'Oh, what would I say to my neighbor? What would I say to my friends at church?"

"This wet marijuana that has been just saturated in this trial. Eddie has said that it may have been laced, and his uncle says that it was just plain marijuana. You have to decide to only judge based on the facts." [The prosecution didn't want there to be proof that it wasn't laced, which is why the DA and police did not draw Routh's blood on the day of the murders.]

Moore is still going over each section of Judge Cashon's charge to the jury.

Moore continues to cover each section of the judge's charge. Is now covering the insanity portion of the charge, and says that "at the time that he pulled that trigger" was Routh insane?

"We know that we have the burden..to prove by preponderance of evidence that Eddie was insane at the time he shot them. The preponderance of the evidence is a civil charge not a legal." Moore continues section by section of the judge's charge.

"What we get back to is this voluntary intoxication. It isn't even our position that Eddie was intoxicated, that is their (the defense) position. We know that Uncle Jamie comes over and they smoke a couple of bowls of regular old marijuana........Eddie says it may have been 30 minutes before Chris got there. We know where they were at 3:15 and the effects of the marijuana would have worn off by then."

Moore questions why Texas Ranger Briley and DA Nash, "with enough probable cause to get a blood sample from effort" neglected to do so. "They made the conscious decision that night to not get the sample.....and yet they want to stand here and tell you how intoxicated he was."

"So I guess the bottom line is, did we present you with enough credible evidence that Eddie was insane at the time."

"Do we think that we presented enough credible evidence to prove that Eddie was insane? I think we did."

Moore turns over the closing arguments to Shay Isham, also of the defense.

Isham notes that he is an Erath County resident and said that he will be going over all of the detailed evidence that has been presented.

"Any single reported fact can be reported one of two ways." Isham said after talking about the state's claim that Routh was not insane because of his maneuvering a Taco Bell drive-thru.

Isham says that if Routh was fleeing that he wouldn't have made the stops at the Dollar Tree, his uncle or sister's house. Also says that Routh's returning to his home is evidence of disorganized thinking.

"Here's what we know. We have Eddie Routh, a troubled veteran." Isham is now talking about Routh's multiple trips to the VA. "Eddie is delusional back as far as July 2011," noting Routh thinking he had a tape worm.

"Cannabis plays a big role in this thing, but I think its abundantly clear that Eddie smoked marijuana most of his adult life. I think that there is evidence that people who knew Eddie, thought that marijuana calmed him down."

"Ultimately, Dr. Dunn says that Eddie exhibits two or more of the symptoms of schizophrenia and is of the opportune age to develop it."

"On Feb. 2, he was delusional if he was going to live or die." Isham notes the things Routh smelled in the air, "that's another example of his being delusional. Dr. Price would have you believe that it is cannabis induced but there are many examples of this delusion throughout the trial."

Isham going back over Jenn Weed's testimony, noting her testifying that Routh would sweat through shirts, and that Routh was paranoid that the government was listening to him. "It has nothing to do with smoking marijuana. It has nothing to do with his setting up a defense. It has everything to do with Eddie having schizophrenia."

Isham is talking about Routh's uncle's testimony. "There is not enough evidence in this record about when those two bowls of marijuana were smoked. But somebody that has some tolerance for marijuana sure wasn't intoxicated at 3:45 that evening in Erath County. They (the prosecution) had every chance to pull his (Routh's) blood but they didn't."

"Let me just pose this question to you, If Eddie is truly crazy, what good does it do to ask him that question? That's just like asking if the sky is purple, it doesn't do you any good to get there." Isham was talking about Ranger Briley questioning Routh on the night of the murders.

Isham ends with, "I ask you, the jury, to decide if all of this evidence says that Eddie Routh was crazy."

St. John of the defense has 34 minutes left to continue the closing arguments [why does he have a time limit?].

He begins by saying to the jury "that you'll never have as much power today, as you will have for the rest of you life. Think about it."

"Use your common sense. Dr. Price talked about a cannabis induced psychosis. Anyone on this jury ever have a beer or a glass of wine? How on the Earth was Eddie intoxicated at 4 'o'clock in the afternoon."

"He killed those men because he had a delusion. I'm going to say it again, he killed those men because he had a delusion."

"I find it somewhat shocking, that the state of Texas wants you to believe that Eddie shot those two men because they didn't shake his hand. And you know why? You know why? Because they know he is mentally ill. That is offensive

"Look at the delusion, look at the delusion of Eddie's mind. He is not sophisticated enough to build his defense."

St. John is going back over the interview between Ranger Briley and Routh the night of the murders. After reading a few quotes from Routh including his claim that the murders weren't a "have to but a need to", ask the jury, "does that make your skin crawl?"

"So how do we know that he was suffering from a severe mental disease at the time of the incident? Use your common sense. The state has two experts who don't agree with each other."

St. John says that the prosecution presented the jury will numerous false impressions. Including Routh smoking pot behind the work place, and "parading" the glass vials in front of the jury.

St. John says that Dr. Arambula, the President of the Texas Medical Board, was "a waste of time."

"He was not intoxicated folks, he was psychotic."

St. John tells the jury that "this was a tragic situation for my client, his family," and all other families involved.

"You have to have the integrity to follow your belief." St. John has finished.


Nash (prosecution) has 30 minutes to rebuttal.

"If they are going to ask you if he gets away with that [murder], make them, make them convince you of that [insanity]."

"As soon as he has an audience, 'I feel paranoid, I feel psychotic.' Make no mistake of it, they are you asking you to sign that last line on the charge, they are asking you to say that he is not guilty."

"It is time for his deep well of excuses for criminal, violent behavior to come to an end. He tries to kill his family and what do we hear? 'I'm military, I have PTSD.' And what happens? He goes to the VA, he avoids jail."

"We all know the root of the problem, the guy is a doper....We are talking about hardcore cannabis use."

"I'm tired of a couple of things from this defendant. Hundreds of thousands of men and women have served over seas, and they don't ask us to not hold them responsible to hold them accountable."

Nash is talking about Routh's ability to remember all of the facts of the murders on Feb. 16, 2013 when talking to the reporter from the New Yorker magazine.

"When he is talking to the reporter, it is almost bragging...He wasn't one bit sorry for what he did."

Nash is asking the jury to visualize "the defendant murdering Chad and Chris. And I want you to visualize, the defendant standing over Chad and reloading that 9mm [again with this statement not based on evidence].....Now what if, what if, Justin [Rough Creek employee], that father [who was present] and that 10 year-old boy, would have had a pig face [what does this have to do with anything?]. Is there any doubt in your mind that this picture [pic of the entrance of Rough Creek] be another crime scene?"

Nash says that "this insane man" gave himself up freely to Lancaster police, and "then the show begins."

"This defendants's conduct speaks louder than his words. His words really have no meaning, because they change if he is talking to a doctor, or a lawyer, or whoever. Even his own doctor had to admit that he lied."

Nash is showing the jury crime scene photos and saying that "he wasn't afraid of Chad Littlefield clinging to his life. He wanted him dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead. This defendant gunned down two men in cold blood in our county. Find him guilty."


The jury is now being given the case to deliberate. - 6:36 p.m.

The jury is being discharged to deliberate the proceedings. - 6:36 p.m.

Court will stand in recess until the jury reaches a verdict.

We will be remaining at the courthouse until either the jury reaches a decision or they are released for the night. We will update the blog every 15 minutes or until we have any other news. We will have the direct link to the live video feed shortly. - 7:15 p.m.

District Clerk, Wanda Pringle is addressing the media. - 7:17 p.m.
  
The jury is currently eating, and they are starting to deliberate shortly. The plan is to be here for a while, "all night if we have to be." There is a plan to sequester the jury if they decide they want to quit for the night. "We may be here till two or three in the morning." - 7:20 p.m.

"Once the jury starts deliberation they cannot be broken up. If we have a verdict tonight, we will have a sentencing tonight."

The jurors had a quick sandwich after exiting the courtroom and have begun deliberations. The courtroom, for lack of a better word, is empty.

Comment From Guest
Did Taya ever show up for trial today?

Texan News Service:
Yes, she was present. She did leave the courtroom abruptly during Isham's (defense) closing remarks. It has not been said why she left.
   
No update. Still waiting.  - 8:54 p.m.
   
BREAKING*** People are entering the courtroom. Stay with us and look for the live feed to be up if it is the verdict. - 9:01 p.m.

A verdict has been reached. - 9:02 p.m.

The families have entered. - 9:05 p.m.

Texan News Service:
can you describe the atmosphere in the courtroom?

Texan News Service:
Very quiet. Routh has not yet entered. Nash can be seen pacing around and looking at his cell phone. Everyone is seated.

Judge and Routh have entered. - 9:17 p.m.

Jury is entering. - 9:17 p.m.

In Texas v. Routh, Eddie Ray Routh is found guilty for the murders of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield.
9:22
   
Guilty. Unanimous. Sentenced to life in prison without parole.
9:27

Jury Delivers Verdict on Video: Texas v. Routh, 2/24/15


This portion cannot be shown. The family is making a statement to Routh.
9:27
   
Routh is called "an American disgrace" by a member of the family. Unknown who it is at this time.
9:28
   
Texan News Service:
"You wanted to be a Marine, a real man, but you destroyed the opportunity by committing a senseless act." 
9:28
   
Father of Littlefield now speaking.
9:29
   
"He cared about people and he gave you his time because he felt like you need it. The state of Texas has decided to spare your life, which is more than you were willing to do for Chad." -Travis M. Smith 9:29 p.m.
9:30
   
Also states that they will not be bitter as "that would keep us bound to you." "You confessed that you did not remember his name. You will now have the rest of your worthless life to remember his name. Let me remind you of his name. His name is Chad Littlefield." -Travis M. Smith 9:30 p.m.
9:31
   
CORRECTION: The first family member to speak was Jerry Richardson, Chad Littlefield's brother.

Court is adjourned. The trial is officially over. - 9:31 p.m.

Taya Kyle left the courtroom during Isham's closing statements. She did not return to the courtroom and was not present for the announcement of the verdict.