‘American Sniper’ murder trial opens in Texas court
By Jon Herskovitz STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Reuters) – Lawyers for an Iraqi War veteran plan to argue at the start of his trial on Wednesday that he was insane when he fatally shot former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, whose best-selling autobiography was turned into the hit movie "American Sniper." Former Marine Eddie Ray Routh, 27, is charged with murdering Kyle, who was credited with the most kills of any U.S. sniper, and his friend Chad Littlefield in 2013 at a shooting range about 70 miles (110 km) southwest of Fort Worth. Legal experts have said it is a tough task to obtain a verdict of innocence by reason of insanity in Texas. Routh's lawyers tried unsuccessfully to have the trial delayed, saying that having "American Sniper" in theaters nationwide and basking in the award season's glare makes it difficult for Routh to get a fair hearing. Kyle has been lionized in his home state of Texas, where he is buried at the Texas State Cemetery alongside some of the state's acclaimed figures.
