The family of Chris Kyle, the man who was portrayed by Bradley Cooper in American Sniper, has finally received justice. Eddie Ray Routh, the former marine that fatally shot and killed Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield in 2013, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Kyle’s memoir, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, had a long run on The New York Times bestseller list, soon after which Warner Brothers acquired the rights to produce a screen adaption of.
After he was honorably discharged from the NAVY, Chris Kyle spent his post-military life as the president of Craft International, a consulting and training provider that offers services and training to federal, state, and local customers. During this time, Kyle wrote his memoir, and worked on establishing the FITCO Cares Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides free in home fitness equipment, individualized programs, and life coaching to veterans with disabilities and those suffering with posttraumatic stress disorder.
The unfortunate irony of Kyle’s story is that it was a man suffering with post traumatic stress that he and his friend Chad were trying to help who killed them. No one would have ever imagined that Kyle would never have the opportunity of seeing his memoir come to life on the big screen, let alone not make it home from a trip to the shooting range. At least now, Kyle and Littlefield’s families can sleep at night knowing that Routh will be staying behind bars.