911 call sheds light on veteran’s mindset

Associated Press

FORT WORTH, Texas

A 911 recording and documents released Tuesday reveal more about the possible state of mind of the Iraq War veteran charged with gunning down a former Navy SEAL sniper and his friend at a Texas shooting range.

Eddie Ray Routh told his sister and brother-in-law that he and the two men “were out shooting target practice, and he couldn’t trust them so he killed them before they could kill him,” according to a Lancaster police search- warrant affidavit.

Shortly after the shootings, Routh’s sister told a 911 operator that her brother had come to her house and confessed killing two people and was “psychotic,” according to a recording of the frantic call to Midlothian police.

Routh, 25, is charged with one count of capital murder and two counts of murder in the deaths of Chris Kyle, author of the best-selling book “American Sniper,” and his friend Chad Littlefield on Saturday. He’s jailed in Erath County on $3 million bail and is on suicide watch.

Laura Blevins told police her brother seemed “out of his mind, saying people were sucking his soul and that he could smell the pigs. He said he was going to get their souls before they took his,” according to the affidavit, which first was obtained by WFAA-TV. Routh told his brother-in-law, Gaines Blevins, that everyone was out to get him, according to the affidavit, which says Lancaster police obtained a warrant to search Routh’s home for weapons and other evidence.