More on the Deaths of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield

CNN has additional information that gives us a more complete picture of the murderer, Routh. 

Routh was having some serious mental problems -- possibly from PTSD.  However, I think there may have been some underlying issues that had nothing to do with his service -- schizophrenia comes to mind. 

Gaines Blevins said his brother-in-law said "he'd traded his soul for a new truck and that he murdered two people," the affidavit says. "He said they were out shooting target practice and he couldn't trust them so he killed them before they could kill him. He said he couldn't trust anyone anymore; everyone was out to get him."  (Emphasis added)

That would indicate psychosis, a loss of contact with reality, and something more than freaking out from the stress of combat. 

Kyle was obviously a person who cared about his fellow veterans.

This was, Bryant said, after Routh's mother "may have reached out to" one of the victims -- Chris Kyle, author of the best-selling book "American Sniper" -- "to try and help her son."

The suspect is "a troubled veteran whom they were trying to help," said Craft International, a company founded by Kyle, who had tried to help veterans with PTSD since he retired from the Navy in 2009.

Fellow SEAL Marcus Luttrell had been in contact with his friend Chris Kyle and said that Kyle was trying to help Routh "blow off some steam". 

This was a case where Kyle, knowing that Routh had some mental instability, took a chance and, once more, put his life on the line to help a brother-in-arms.  Both Kyle and Littlefield died as heroes and deserve our respect.  Routh, it appears, deserves a measure of pity and understanding, but he still has to pay for what he has done.

I almost feel like this happened in my backyard.  Midlothian, where Routh's sister lives, is a place I know well.  My wife has gotten a total of one traffic ticket in her life (it helps to be cute) -- she got it in Midlothian, on her way from Waxahachie to Alvarado.  I used to drive up and down Highway 67 every work day on my way from out there in Johnson County up to North Dallas.  I have been out to Glen Rose on numerous occasions and knew several people who worked on building the Comanche Peak nuclear plant.    

This is so sad.  But, contrary the conclusion of the authorities, I'd say the motive is pretty clear.  Routh is truly not in his right mind.