Routh's Mother Asked Kyle To Help Her Son

Law enforcement revealed that the family of Eddie Ray Routh was hoping former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle could help her son, a 25-year-old veteran.

Police have charged Routh with killing Kyle, the best sniper in U.S. military history and author of "American Sniper," and Chad Littlefield at the Rough Creek Lodge and Resort shooting range on Saturday.

Routh is charged with two counts of capital murder. He is being held on $3 million bond. Authorities did not know whether Routh had a lawyer yet.

According to Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant, Kyle may have been helping Routh with his struggles. 

"The suspect's mother was a schoolteacher for a long time," Sheriff Bryant said. "She may have reach out to Mr. Kyle to help her son. We kind of have an idea that's why they may have been on the range for some type of therapy that Mr. Kyle assisted with."

Sheriff Bryant said Routh was unemployed and "may have been suffering from some type of mental illness from being in the military himself," but he didn't know if Routh was on any medication.

"I don't know that we'll ever know. He's the only one that knows that," Capt. Jason Upshaw with the Erath County Sheriff's Office said.

Danny and Sandra Elizondo, who live across the street and several houses down from Routh's Lancaster home, said they have known Routh for three years. The couple said they had cookouts and attended parades together.

"He seemed to be real nice," Danny Elizondo said. "We'd gotten together a couple of times. He talked to me about him being in Iraq, and I just can't see him flipping out like that."

The U.S. military confirmed Sunday that Routh was a corporal in the Marines from June 2006 to January 2010. He was deployed to Iraq in 2007 and Haiti in 2010. His current duty status is listed as reserve.

"We knew his mom and dad, and he always waved," Sandra Elizondo said. "We'd be out here, and he'd always say 'Hi.' [We] never any problems with him. He was just a nice guy."

But another neighbor had a different impression.

"He just had that evil persona about him," Carolyn Greathouse said. "He didn't talk to nobody. He gave you a dirty look all the time. He's one of the people you just don't want to hang out with. You want to go your own way."

Danny Elizondo said a man he thought may have been Kyle pulled up in a pickup truck Saturday morning.

"He was wearing a camouflage hat and some glasses," he said. "He was looking for Eddie's house, and I directed him where Eddie's house was at, and they took off, I guess, and later in the afternoon, we hear all that stuff that happened."

The Associated Press reported that a for-sale sign is in front of Routh's small, wood-framed home.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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