Just one year apart, Adam Routh says he and his cousin Eddie Ray Routh are as close as brothers.
"I tell you what.. my cousin was just one of the best guys ever," Adam Routh said. "I love that dude. And I'm going to stand by him 100 percent."
The Marine reservist accused of murdering former Navy SEAL and best-selling author Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield at an Erath County gun range on February 2. Routh continues to be held on a single count of capital murder and two separate murder complaints. His bond is set at $3 million.
Adam Routh knew his cousin well during childhood. And later, while Adam stayed in Texas, Eddie headed to the military. The US Marine served in both in Iraq and Haiti.
Adam admits when Eddie came back to Texas, he was different.
"I mean, he was still a good guy but there was an emptiness, there was an emptiness there in his eyes," Adam Routh said. "Thinking back and all that and looking back into it.. he was more of an aggressive person."
Family members claim Routh was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Records confirm he spent time at Green Oaks Psychiatric Hospital in Dallas.
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"The general public needs to understand they're bringing our boys home after doing things that nobody else could do," Adam Routh said. "They need help most of all."
Adam believes extreme mental suffering and aggression led Routh to allegedly shoot and kill Kyle and Littlefield.
"I want to speak out because what my cousin do [sic] was wrong... I fully agree with that I don't condone it," Routh said. "I will stand by my cousin 100 percent day by day. It's a terrible tragedy and I feel so sorry for the Kyle family and the Littlefield family."
"But there are measures in our government, whenever you send our boys home.. they're not right," Routh said. "You need to put our money into making our boys straight and sane, to come home so they don't do things like this."
