An emotional Taya Kyle, widow of America’s most deadly sniper, testified in the trial of her husband’s assassin. Her testimony came in the first day of the trial, shortly after opening arguments from both the prosecution and defense. Eddie Ray Routh is on trial for the murder of Chris Kyle on February 2nd, 2013.
Mrs. Kyle wiped away tears and spoke with a broken voice as she began her testimony. When asked if she was nervous, she replied she was just emotional, according to a report by Chris Sadeghi on KXAN.com. “He was a good shot. He was very good at his job,” she said. Taya Kyle spoke with pride as she described her husband’s service as a Navy Seal, his four tours of duty in Iraq and the work he did to help other veterans when he returned to the U.S. and ended his military service.
KXAN cited Taya Kyle’s testimony:
That day [Feb. 2nd] their family had attended Saturday morning sports games for their children and Chris had told her his plan to go to the gun range at the Rough Creek Lodge & Resort with friend Chad Littlefield and Eddie Routh, a man who had been suffering from mental illness. Routh’s mother worked at the school where the Kyle children attended and asked Chris if he might be able to help.
Taya said the couple hugged, kissed, and told the other “I love you,” before Chris left their home around noon. A few hours later, she called him and testified he was very short with her on the phone.
“He sounded like he was irritated,” said Taya. When she asked if he was OK, he simply said “yep.” She told the court she felt like Chris could not talk much because of the people around him.
A few hours later, Chad Littlefield’s wife called to ask if “I texted (Chris) ‘are you okay? I am getting worried,’” said Taya. A police officer and friend of the family who often would come by the home later showed up and asked if she had seen her husband’s truck. When she said she had not, the officer told her he believed Chris had been hurt.
From that point on, Taya said she ignored several phone calls and texts because she only wanted to hear from law enforcement. Eventually, the initial officer who told her Chris may have been hurt was the one to tell her he had been killed. she had heard from the men.
Erath County District Attorney Alan Nash is prosecuting the case for the State of Texas. Nash told the jury there will be overwhelming evidence presented during the trial to show that Routh was the one who killed Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield, according to a Fox News report.
Nash described Routh as a “troubled young man” with a history of mental illness. He said; however, the mental illnesses should not absolve him of being held accountable for the murders. “The evidence will show that mental illnesses, even the ones that this defendant may or may not have, don’t deprive people from being good citizens, to know right from wrong,” Nash said.
Routh’s attorney, Tim Moore, did not dispute that Routh was the killer of Kyle and Littlefield. He then painted a picture of a man spiraling out of control. He said Routh believed he needed to kill the two men because he was afraid they would turn on him.
Moore revealed an exchange of text messages between Kyle and Littlefield as they were driving to the range. “This dude is straight up nuts,” Kyle texted. Littlefield responded, “He’s right behind me, watch my six.”
Nash told the jurors that Routh was found with the 9mm handgun that killed Littlefield and the .45 caliber pistol that killed Kyle. He said Routh took the guns and Kyles and fled the scene. He told his sister he killed the two men and that he was planning on escaping to Mexico.
The trial is expected to last about two weeks. Mental health experts are expected to deliver testimony for both the defense and prosecution during the trial. If Routh is found guilty, he will automatically be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Earlier this month, Breitbart Texas Managing Director Brandon Darby reported that Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared February, 2nd to be “Chris Kyle Day” as a memorial to the slain American hero.
Bob Price is a senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.
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