A Texas man was sentenced February 24 to life in prison without the possibility of parole after he was convicted of murdering the U.S. Navy Seal whose story inspired blockbuster movie "American Sniper."
Jurors unanimously rejected claims from Eddie Ray Routh, 27, that he was not guilty by way of insanity when he killed sniper Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield at a Texas shooting range in February 2013.
The two-week trial attracted massive media attention across America, coinciding with the release of Clint Eastwood's Oscar-nominated movie based on Kyle's memoirs.
Kyle was officially credited with killing 160 people during four tours in Iraq.
Routh's attorneys pleaded insanity and said their client was gripped by psychosis. Himself a former Marine, Routh also said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
"American Sniper" has so far earned more than $320 million to become the highest grossing war film in history.
Critics claim it presents a simplistic, black-and-white view of the Iraq conflict, and glosses over Kyle's references to Iraqis in his memoir as "savages."
Based on reporting by AFP and AP
