Chris Kyle's Accused Killer Faces Judge
STEPHENVILLE (CBSDFW.COM) - The man accused of killing retired Navy SEAL Chris Kyle faced a judge in Stephenville on Tuesday morning, less than one month after his indictment. Eddie Ray Routh remains in police custody, and authorities transported him under tight security from the jailhouse to the courthouse for his arraignment.
This was the first time that Routh had been seen in public since the murders. The suspect has grown a significant beard since his arrest.
Routh has been charged with two counts of capital murder in connection with the deaths of Kyle and Kyle's friend, Chad Littlefield. The two killings took place on February 2 at a gun range in Erath County. Officials said that Kyle and Littlefield were attempting to help Routh, who is a troubled Iraqi War veteran. After allegedly shooting the two men, Routh fled in Kyle's truck to his sister's home in Lancaster, where he was captured.
Kyle was known as the most lethal sniper in American military history. His life was detailed in the bestselling book "American Sniper."
Routh entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday morning during his first court appearance. The judge set his pretrial date for September 16. The 25-year-old suspect's trial is scheduled to begin on October 21.
Attorneys for Routh did not offer an official comment, but said that his competency is still an issue in this case.
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