This photo provided by the Erath County Sheriff’s Office shows Eddie Ray ... more >The suspect in jail for allegedly shooting to death American SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield on Saturday has a past that includes two mental hospital stays, according to various media reports.
Eddie Ray Routh, a 25-year-old Iraq veteran, was taken twice to a mental hospital in the five months before Saturday’s shootings, according to The Associated Press. He was first brought in for threatening to kill himself and his family in September, after police found him wandering the streets without shoes or shirt, AP reports.
In January, Mr. Routh was again brought to a mental hospital for observation, after a woman reportedly contacted police with concerns for his safety.
After Saturday’s shooting, Newser reported, Mr. Routh drove to his sister’s house in Mr. Kyle’s truck and told her he “traded his soul for a new truck.”
Mr. Routh is in jail on two charges of murder and one count of capital murder, according to Newser.
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Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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