STEPHENVILLE, Texas, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- A jury on Tuesday found Eddie Ray Routh guilty of the murders of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield.
Judge Jason Cashon immediately sentenced Routh to life in prison for the conviction.
It took the jury two and a half hours to deliberate before unanimously finding the defendant guilty. Routh pleaded not guilty to capital murder by reason of insanity.
His lawyer argued Routh suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was legally insane when he shot Kyle and Littlefield at a shooting range in Texas. Routh admitted to the shooting shortly after his arrest, telling police he had to kill Kyle and Littlefield to save his soul.
The case garnered national attention due to Kyle's experiences in the military. His life is the basis for the blockbuster book and Oscar-nominated movie American Sniper.
Kyle served four tours in the Iraq War and became the most deadly sniper in U.S. military history. He is credited with killing 160 military targets. When he returned home, Kyle struggled with anxiety and founded FITCO Cares, a nonprofit that helps veterans suffering from PTSD. He co-wrote the bestselling book "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History," which was the basis for the movie.
