'American Sniper' Suspected Killer of War Hero Chris Kyle to Plead 'Not Guilty' in Upcoming Trial as Attorney Insists 'He's Not Evil'

1/31/2015

(PHOTO: REUTERS/ERATH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/HANDOUT)

Eddie Ray Routh is pictured in this booking photo provided by the Erath County Sheriff’s Office. Routh is a suspect in the shooting and killing of former Navy SEAL Sniper Chris Kyle.

Eddie Ray Routh, the Marine Corps veteran accused of killing real life "American Sniper" Chris Kyle, will plead "not guilty" in the upcoming trial his lawyer said.

Kyle, a former Navy SEAL, and his friend Chad Littlefield were gunned down at point blank range at a Texas shooting range while trying to help Routh overcome PTSD back in Feb. 2013. Routh's trial is scheduled to begin next month pending jury selection and his attorney said recently that he will plead "not guilty" to both shooting deaths.

"My client will plead not guilty by reason of insanity," Routh's attorney, J. Warren St. John, told People Magazine in a report last week. He was also quoted by Reuters as saying, "Our guy is not evil."

The story of Kyle was captured in his 2012 best-selling autobiographyAmerican Sniper, which set the premise for Hollywood filmmaker Clint Eastwood's newly released blockbuster film. It recently scored six Academy award nods and set a box office record by pulling in an estimated $105 million during its opening weekend.

St. John said the jury selection process could delay the trial date because the case is so high profile.

"The film will be an issue," St. John told People. "I think any case with significant publicity has an issue with picking a jury. I've had them in the past, and anything that has significant national attention makes it hard to pick a jury."

Kyle, who was 38 when he was killed, served four tours in Iraq before he left the military in 2009 to focus on his family. He later became an advocate for veterans' mental health and he often spent time with wounded war vets on the shooting range.

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