‘American Sniper’ Killer to Appeal Murder Conviction
Eddie Ray Routh was found guilty of murdering Chris Kyle, but his lawyer claims the blockbuster film hurt Routh’s case
Debbie Emery | February 28, 2015 @ 10:45 AM
Last Updated: March 1, 2015 @ 7:02 PM
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Eddie Ray Routh was found guilty of murdering“American Sniper” subject Chris Kyle on Feb. 24, but his lawyers are fighting the verdict and plan to ask a Texas appeals court to overturn the jury’s decision.
Routh’s attorney, Warren St. John, claims the notoriety of the victim and publicity from Clint Eastwood‘s Oscar-winning film starring Bradley Cooper hurt his client’s case.
“Mr. Routh will appeal his case with one issue being the statement made to the Ranger. Others will be the change of venue issue because of the movie,” St. John said in a statement to TheWrap Friday.
Routh, 27, is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing Kyle, 38, and his friend, Chad Littlefield, 37, at a gun range in 2013 in Texas.
Routh, a former Marine, admitted to the killings but pleaded not guilty. The fact that he had shot and killed the men was not in dispute, but his defense attorneys argued that Routh was insane at the time of the shootings.
Just hours after Routh shot the two men, a Texas Ranger asked him if he understood his rights. Routh responded with a vulgarity, according to ABC affiliate WFAA, but he never said “yes.”
St. John said Thursday that he believed more than half of the 12 jurors had seen “American Sniper,” which was released three weeks before the trial started in Stephenville, Texas.
“They stated prior to being on the jury it didn’t, but I clearly do think it had an effect,” St. John said, according to the New York Times. “He [Kyle] had the label of an American hero, ‘American Sniper,’ decorated war veteran. I think it affected their ability to be fair and impartial.”
The rural town of Stephenville outside of Dallas has nearly 190,000 residents, and was chosen for the trial because it is the seat of Erath County, where the murders took place. The case captivated the town that calls itself the “Cowboy Capital of the World.”
The double homicide was featured in the final minutes of Eastwood‘s Oscar-winning film, as Kyle, played by Cooper, said goodbye to his wife (Sienna Miller) for the last time to go to the gun range with Routh and Littlefield. Having been deployed to Iraq and earthquake-ravaged Haiti, Routh’s mother had asked Kyle to help her son with his PTSD.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
23 Best & Worst Oscars Moments of 2015 (Photos)
WORST: Dakota Johnson's 50 Shades of Awkward With Mom Melanie Griffith Many, many people saw Dakota Johnson in "Fifty Shades of Grey," but not her famous mother, Melanie Griffith. The two had an awkward exchange on the subject during ABC's pre-Oscars red carpet show. After some back and forth on the matter -- which included some side-eye and a fair amount of sass -- Johnson closed the conversation by declaring, “Alright! You don’t have to see it. Jesus Christ.”
BEST: Melissa Rivers' Touching Tribute to Her Mom Melissa Rivers paid a touching tribute to her late mother during E!’s “Live From the Red Carpet” show. The “Fashion Police” executive producer honored the late comedienne with a video that looked back on some of her most memorable moments with some of Hollywood’s biggest names, from Will Smith to Sarah Jessica Parker.
WORST: Lady Gaga's Lackluster Turn on the Red Carpet Lady Gaga still had a great night overall with her scintillating "Sound of Music" tribute, but her red carpet look was a dud. She wore an Azzedine Alaia gown and red leather gloves that belonged on a welder or crab fisherman.
BEST: Lupita Nyong'o's Lovely Red Carpet Look Nyong'o stole the red carpet in a hand-embroidered Calvin Klein collection gown made of 6,000 mother-of-pearl beads. For a returning champ, perfect fashion is the best way to make an impression at the Academy Awards.
BEST: Reese Witherspoon encourages world to #AskHerMore The Oscar-nominated "Wild" star helped the #AskHerMore trend go viral on Sunday, which begs the world to look deeper than an actress's gown, hair and accessories on the red carpet.
WORST: "Face/Off" Star John Travolta Touches ScarJo and Idina Menzel's Faces Travolta surprised Scarlett Johansson with a cheek kiss on the red carpet and later the handsy "Wild Hogs" star surprised the whole world by repeatedly touching Idina Menzel's face on stage.
BEST: Neil Patrick Harris' Marvelous Music-Filled Opening The first-time Oscars host wasted no time before getting into a pitch-perfect opening that celebrated movies with co-singers Anna Kendrick and Jack Black, holograms and backup dancers that included "Star Wars" stormtroopers.
BEST: Jack Black's Superhero Slam While Neil Patrick Harris brought his usual magic to the opening Oscar number, an unexpected surprise came in the form of Jack Black. Singing a funny-but-poignant indictment of the current superhero-centered industry, Black belted about Hollywood: "It's run by muckety mucks, pitching tents for tentpoles and chasing Chinese bucks. Openings with lots of zeroes, all we get is superheroes ... the only screens we're watching are the screens in our jeans!"
BEST: J.Lo Gets Photobombed by Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux sneaking into Jennifer Lopez's Instagram selfie reminds us that even A-list audience members get bored and make the best use of their time (and J. Lo's smartphone frame).
BEST: Oprah Finally Winning an Oscar—Well, a Lego Oprah Winfrey has worked her Hollywood muscle for years with zero Golden trophies to show for it—but the folks from the Lego Movie finally righted the grave injustice. The former daytime queen was handed a well-earned Lego trophy during the Lego Movie performance—her ecstatic face sang "Everything is Awesome."
BEST: Patricia Arquette's Pitch-Perfect Plea for Gender Equality The actress took home the best supporting actress trophy on Sunday for her role in "Boyhood," but she earned a standing ovation for another accomplishment. Arquette made a plea for equal wages for equal work during her acceptance speech and also offered poignant words for all of the mothers of the world.
BEST: Neil Patrick Harris' Goes Nearly Nude in Michael Keaton Impression Harris showed off a buff bod as he walked on stage wearing nothing but tighty-whities and black shoes, nodding to a similar scene from “Birdman.” As the show returned from a commercial break, Harris could be seen backstage locked out of his dressing room wearing next to nothing, and cameras followed Harris as he walked on stage in his skivvies, giving audiences an eyeful.
BEST: A Bevy of Brilliant Black Performances For a ceremony criticized over its incurable whiteness, some of the Oscars best moments belonged to performers Jennifer Hudson, Common and John Legend, whose musical renditions brought down the house, along with not a few tears.
BEST: Lady Gaga Comes Alive With 'The Sound of Music' Lady Gaga stunned the Dolby Theater with a medley of songs from "The Sound of Music" using just her voice -- and none of the usual abstract stunts from her life and commercial work.
WORST: Joan Rivers' Mystifying In Memoriam Snub The comedian wasn’t just a standup comic, talk show host and red carpet staple. She also appeared in or provided her voice for several films, including “The Muppets Take Manhattan” and “Look Who’s Talking.” Most of all, she wrote and directed the provocative drama “Rabbit Test,” which starred Billy Crystal as a pregnant man.
BEST: Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs Defends Free Speech Isaacs applauds free speech in a year that saw terror threats over "The Interview" and a tragic killing at French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
WORST: Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs Sidesteps Race Issue Neil Patrick Harris joked about the race issues plaguing this year's Oscars during his opening monologue, but Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs stayed completely mum.
WORST: Eddie Murphy Flatlines During His Presentation We know he was honoring the written word, but when one of the greatest comedians of all time takes the stage, we expect him to do more than read off a cue card. He ticked off the nominees like it was a groceries list and didn't crack a single joke.
BEST: Graham Moore's Gripping Acceptance Speech The Oscar-winning "Imitation Game" screenwriter delivered a moving and personal acceptance speech: "I tried to commit suicide at 16 and now I'm standing here. I would like for this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like he doesn’t fit in anywhere. You do. Stay weird. Stay different, and then, when it's your turn and you are standing on this stage, please pass the same message along."
BEST: Eddie Redmayne's Stephen Hawking Shout-Out The "Theory of Everything" star solidified his spot in cinema history on Sunday by beating out a tough class of competitors for Best Actor, and he didn't waste his opportunity on the big stage. He dedicated his victory to the Hawking family and everyone suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
BEST: Julianne Moore's Cougar Crack The "Still Alice" star took home the Best Actress trophy on Sunday, as many expected, and started off her acceptance speech with a hilarious joke: "If winning an Oscar means I get to live five years longer, I'd like to thank the Academy because my husband is younger."
BEST: NPH's Oscar Predictions Gag Neil Patrick Harris started his prediction joke on a Sunday and wrapped it up on a Monday. We respect his commitment to the bit, but once it hits midnight on the East Coast it's time to consider cutting everything except essential moments, like the Best Picture winner.
WORST: Sean Penn's Overly Dramatic Pause, Xenophobic Joke Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn took a dramatic pause before announcing the Best Picture director which. Lasted. Way. Too Long. Then he followed it up with an off-color joke about "Birdman" director Alejandro Iñárritu. We know the two of them are friends and have worked together before, but "Who gave this sonofabitch his green card?" will go down as one of the worst Oscars introductions ever.
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From host Neil Patrick Harris’ musical monologue to Oscar winner Graham Moore’s moving acceptance speech, ABC’s live broadcast of the 87th Academy Awards had moments we’ll remember forever and others we’d like to forget
