Eddie Ray Routh (Photo : Reuters)
Eddie Ray Routh was recently found guilty of capital murder charges. Routh was the alleged shooter of American Sniper Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield.
While Judge Jason Cashon read the verdict, Routh just stared directly into the judge's bench.
Routh was a former member of the United States Marine Corps and has served in the Iraq war. According to evidences presented by the defense attorney, Routh is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and that is what pushed him to pull the trigger against his fellow serviceman.
The murder took place at a shooting range just within walking distance from Fort Worth in Texas on Feb. 2, 2013, CNN reported.
The verdict was unanimously decided upon by a 12-person jury consisting of 10 women and two men. It took the jury a little more than two hours to levy a guilty verdict on Routh. After the verdict was read, Judge Cashon basing his judgment on Texas' criminal justice system condemned Routh to life in prison and denied him of the possibility of parole.
However, according to USA Today, Routh still has the right to appeal the verdict.
District Attorney Alan Nash presented his closing argument on Tuesday saying, "The deep well of excuse-making for this defendant has to come to an end. In cold blood, he gunned these two men down."
According to official post-mortem examination, Kyle received four shots in the back and one shot right in the face while Littlefield was shot in back five times.
The film "American Sniper" helped the trial gain mainstream attention. The film directed by Clint Eastwood received a Best Picture nomination from the Academy Awards.
