Texas jurors on Thursday were shown video showing the former Marine who is accused of killing "American Sniper" Chris Kyle and his friend at a local gun range telling police that he had "taken a couple of souls" and had more to take.
Eddie Ray Routh, 27, is charged with capital murder in the killings of Kyle and Chad Littlefield. He made the comments to Lancaster police who were trying to get him to leave Kyle’s pickup truck after a police chase hours after the murders.
"He told us he'd taken a couple of souls and he had more souls to take," Lancaster Police Lt. Michael Smith testified Thursday.
Routh has admitted to killing both men at the shooting range of Rough Creek Lodge and Resort, southwest of Dallas, on Feb. 2, 2013. His defense lawyers will argue that Routh is not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors intend to seek life in prison without parole rather than the death penalty.
In the police body camera footage recorded before Routh led Lancaster police on a 10-minute chase, Routh is heard saying, "Hell is walking on earth with us now." He is also heard saying, "I can feel people feeding on my soul, and that’s not good," and asking, "Is the apocalypse upon us right now?"
A Texas Ranger testified Thursday that both Kyle and Littlefield were armed when they were shot, but never drew their weapons. A medical examiner testified that Kyle was shot six times and Littlefield was shot seven times.
Kyle, a former Navy SEAL who served four tours in Iraq, is reputed to be the deadliest sniper in U.S. history, having recorded 160 kills by the time he retired in 2009. His 2012 autobiography "American Sniper," was turned into a film adaptation that was released this year and has been nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
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