I was reading about the murders of these two Seals and left with a question. How does a slug with no combat experience or serious hand gun training, and is on drugs and booze manage to shoot two combat veteran Navy Seals about five times apiece in the back and head two different caliber hand guns? They were shot with 9 mm and .45 caliber handguns.

According to the testimony in the trial, Chris texted his wife saying Eddie Routh was "straight up nuts". Littlefield texted Chris during the drive to the range asking him to "cover his six" because it was obvious "that boy ain't right". If Routh is that much of a perceived danger, they should have stopped at Whataburger and found a reason to cancel the trip.

Once at the range, I'd like to know how Routh managed to get behind Kyle and Routh long enough to shoot them about five time apiece with two different handguns.

How did Routh manage to gain that much weight in a couple years? He's almost unrecognizable in his trial photos. I guess a steady diet and lack of drugs/exercise will do that to you. His eyes are the same, though.

Short answer: sometimes ******** get lucky and the good guys get shot.

Chad was not a military veteran. They let their guard down, he was close to them with a loaded gun in hand and determined to kill them. Not much you can do in that situation, they weren't prepared for a shootout, just a friendly trip to the range. Not sure why they let their guard down given what they were texting each other, no way to ever know why.

This article says the killer waited until Kyle emptied his pistol and shot him in the back. Standard range procedure is you stay behind the person that's shooting so that's why he was behind Kyle. Not sure why Chad wasn't watching him closer, but as said above he didn't have military training. Chad was also shot in the back so I assume he was attempting to get away.

As for the weight gain, being off drugs for a couple of years and getting possible mental problems treated probably helped.

My guess is he'll receive a life sentence and won't face the death penalty. Unfortunately a win for his defense team.

Wow. I didn't realize they recognized a problem with the guy. Hindsight is always 20/20 isn't it.

quote:

---

My guess is he'll receive a life sentence and won't face the death penalty. Unfortunately a win for his defense team.

---

The prosecutor announced weeks ago that they aren't going to seek the death penalty.

I know the guy that runs Rough Creek personally. Paul Boccafogli to this day has never had a real explanation for how it all went down. ROugh Creek is a huge place and they were down at the far pistol range. There was no range boss on duty at the time because Kyle had arranged for private time with this guy, and Paul knowing Kyle the way he did, didn't send a range boss down, so the three of them were there alone. It's all very bizarre to say the least. I have burned many a round at Rough Creek, it's one of the nicest facilities in the US. It's basically a country club for shooters. It's the full vacation resort kinda place. And on 17 sections of land it's spread out.

No one I've talked to can believe this guy got the drop on Kyle, much less killed him and Littlefield. It's just very strange, especially since there is now evidence that they were evidently both aware and should have had their guard up.

And I beg to differ on Littlefield not having military training, I'm pretty sure he was in the military, or at least the Guard, because he was laid to rest with full military honors. I think the article is mistaken. Because I'd doubt that they'd give full military honors to a non veteran, or someone who wasn't a Peace Officer or Fireman.



Here is Littlefields Wife leaving the graveside service in Midlothian Tx. Note Flag under her right arm. I don't know the man personally, but I know people who did, and they all spoke of him as if he was a veteran of some sort. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so.

I hate that picture.

quote:

---

Littlefield, a lifelong resident of Texas, was born in Dallas on Feb. 11, 1977. He graduated from DeSoto High School in 1995. At the time of his death, he had been working as the logistics manager for Eagle Labs, Inc., which sells industrial chemicals, in DeSoto.
"Chad would tell you he was a 'regular guy just taking care of business,' and was happiest spending time with his family and friends," his relatives wrote in an online obituary published in 2013. They called Littlefield their "rock," saying he was always there when they needed him dependable, responsible, and readily available to console loved ones.

---

No military training. He met Kyle at kid's soccer game and became friends.

I would not be surprised if he had a gun on him concealed that the other two didn't know about. Assuming the killer was also well trained, there would be moments where he could get the drop On them no matter how cautious they were.

quote:

---

quote:

---

Littlefield, a lifelong resident of Texas, was born in Dallas on Feb. 11, 1977. He graduated from DeSoto High School in 1995. At the time of his death, he had been working as the logistics manager for Eagle Labs, Inc., which sells industrial chemicals, in DeSoto.
"Chad would tell you he was a 'regular guy just taking care of business,' and was happiest spending time with his family and friends," his relatives wrote in an online obituary published in 2013. They called Littlefield their "rock," saying he was always there when they needed him dependable, responsible, and readily available to console loved ones.

---

No military training. He met Kyle at kid's soccer game and became friends.

---

I bet that is wrong too considering how he was buried. It could have been two years in the guard out of high school or Something.

quote:

---

quote:

---

Littlefield, a lifelong resident of Texas, was born in Dallas on Feb. 11, 1977. He graduated from DeSoto High School in 1995. At the time of his death, he had been working as the logistics manager for Eagle Labs, Inc., which sells industrial chemicals, in DeSoto.
"Chad would tell you he was a 'regular guy just taking care of business,' and was happiest spending time with his family and friends," his relatives wrote in an online obituary published in 2013. They called Littlefield their "rock," saying he was always there when they needed him dependable, responsible, and readily available to console loved ones.

---

No military training. He met Kyle at kid's soccer game and became friends.

---

I'm saying the article is incorrect. There are articles saying the opposite as well.

quote:

---

A proud lifelong resident of Texas, Littlefield was born in Dallas on Feb. 11, 1977, and graduated from DeSoto High School in the Dallas suburb of DeSoto in 1995. He was reportedly a military veteran.
Littlefield was employed by DeSoto's Eagle Labs, Inc., an oil-services firm, as the facilities and logistics manager. He is survived by his wife, Leanne, a Midlothian middle-school assistant principal, and their daughter, Morgan.

---

http://nation.time.com/2013/02/08/chad-littlefield-1977-2013-the-other-shooting-range-victim/


Leanne Littlefield, holding the U.S. flag, and holding the hand of her daughter Morgan Littlefield, leaves the funeral for her husband, Chad Littlefield, at the First Baptist Church of Midlothian, Texas on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. (credit Dallas Morning News)

And I still hate that picture.

Quote from Chad's mother.

quote:

---

"Chad wasn't in the military and he didn't serve overseas, but he served in his own backyard," she said. "He had a passion for veterans,
as we do as a family. Two heroes died that day."

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article9688838.html#storylink=cpy

---

Marcus Luttrell was on CNN last night and said that Littlefield was not in the military, not that it matters at this point. Rip

That appears to be a Texas flag, not a U.S. flag. Don't know if there is any tradition / regulation / courtesy about who can be honored with a Texas flag on their coffin.

quote:

---

That appears to be a Texas flag, not a U.S. flag. Don't know if there is any tradition / regulation / courtesy about who can be honored with a Texas flag on their coffin.

---

Too much blue to be the US flag. Looks like a Texas flag to me as well.

Regardless its tragic and that picture breaks my heart.

As far as how they could let this happen; yeah they may have been nervous about him, but they were at the range either way. There's going to be a point where he gets behind them. He was bent on killing these guys and unless Kyle or Littlefield went on full red alert and shut it down, which I'm sure they didn't think he was this crazy, he was going to shoot them one way or another. He just waited for his chance. Too bad they won't seek death, and it's sad that insanity is a defense that pretty much anyone that doesn't something completely horrible can shoot for (no pun intended).

As far as the weight gain goes, jail/prison food is all cheap sugary starch and carbs. Same goes for snacks that can be bought at the commissary. With little to no physical activity, the pounds will pile on with a long stint of incarceration.

Good catch on the flag, certainly not enough stars to be an American Flag.

I stand corrected

Although both men were apparently aware that this guy was "nuts", I bet that they didn't know just how nuts he was. I feel confident in saying that neither would have been OK if they had cancelled the trip and this "nuts" guy went home and offed himself when they "could have tried harder" to help him.

It's too easy to sit in our comfy chairs behind computers and look back and say what all should have been done differently or "should have known/seen/done".

quote:

---

Chris texted his wife saying Eddie Routh was "straight up nuts".

---

Not that it isn't obvious, but please, for all that's good, as soon as you think ANYONE near you on the range (or on the way to the range) is nuts or close to it, turn around and go somewhere else. DO NOT involve yourself with that person and firearms. I can't believe Kyle's sixth sense didn't go off like crazy here.

Has anyone read anything substantial about Routh being an Islamic sympathizer? I had read something about him not having any combat experience, but instead having guarded prisoners while in the Marines and developing sympathy for his captives.

quote:

---

Has anyone read anything substantial about Routh being an Islamic sympathizer? I had read something about him not having any combat experience, but instead having guarded prisoners while in the Marines and developing sympathy for his captives.

---

I read about that

Not sure what to make of it

Except he didn't seem to do much that might cause PTSD

I agree with what's been posted above.

They both probably thought he was crazy, but did think he was that crazy.

At a range it wouldn't be very hard to get behind someone, especially if you've all been there for awhile and kind of calmed down thinking it was just another day at the range.