Close Menu
The Baylor Lariat
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    Trending
    • Baylor community unites in flash flood relief efforts
    • Baylor rescinds LGBTQIA+ inclusion research grant after backlash
    • Students react to emergency alert following campus lockdown
    • Baylor shelter-in-place lifted following police pursuit of robbery suspects
    • Baylor graduate charged after killing cats with pellet gun, hanging bodies over utility lines
    • Baylor Football’s Alex Foster dies at 18
    • Board of Regents confirms budget, renovations, new leadership in May meeting
    • How facilities responds to storms, flooding in campus buildings
    • About us
      • Spring 2025 Staff Page
      • Copyright Information
    • Contact
      • Contact Information
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Subscribe to The Morning Buzz
      • Department of Student Media
    • Employment
    • PDF Archives
    • RSS Feeds
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    The Baylor LariatThe Baylor Lariat
    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz
    Saturday, July 12
    • News
      • State and National News
        • State
        • National
      • Politics
        • 2025 Inauguration Page
        • Election Page
      • Homecoming Page
      • Baylor News
      • Waco Updates
      • Campus and Waco Crime
    • Arts & Life
      • Wedding Edition 2025
      • What to Do in Waco
      • Campus Culture
      • Indy and Belle
      • Sing 2025
      • Leisure and Travel
        • Leisure
        • Travel
          • Baylor in Ireland
      • Student Spotlight
      • Local Scene
        • Small Businesses
        • Social Media
      • Arts and Entertainment
        • Art
        • Fashion
        • Food
        • Literature
        • Music
        • Film and Television
    • Opinion
      • Editorials
      • Points of View
      • Lariat Letters
    • Sports
      • March Madness 2025
      • Football
      • Basketball
        • Men’s Basketball
        • Women’s Basketball
      • Soccer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
      • Volleyball
      • Equestrian
      • Cross Country and Track & Field
      • Acrobatics & Tumbling
      • Tennis
      • Golf
      • Pro Sports
      • Sports Takes
      • Club Sports
    • Lariat TV News
    • Multimedia
      • Video Features
      • Podcasts
        • Don’t Feed the Bears
      • Slideshows
    • Advertising
    The Baylor Lariat
    Home»Arts and Life

    Wife of ‘Sniper’ author publishes book on grief

    Baylor LariatBy Baylor LariatApril 30, 2015 Arts and Life No Comments3 Mins Read
    Widow of "American Sniper" Chris Kyle, Taya Kyle, center, throws out the first ceremonial pitch on Military Opening Day before a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants in San Diego, Calif., April 12.
    Associated Press
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Taya Kyle

    By Jamie Stengle
    Associated Press

    DALLAS — The widow of famed “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle says in her upcoming book that she struggled with the idea of whether her husband’s killer should be executed.

    Taya Kyle writes in “American Wife,” which will be published next week by William Morrow, that she concluded she would be fine with either the death penalty or life in prison. “That was as far as I could go toward forgiveness,” she wrote.

    Kyle describes her life with the famed former Navy SEAL sniper and coping after his 2013 death at a Texas gun range. The Associated Press purchased an early copy of the book, written with Jim DeFelice, who also co-authored her husband’s bestselling memoir of his Iraq tours that was turned into an Oscar-nominated movie.

    Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, were shot to death by former Marine Eddie Ray Routh, whose mother had asked Kyle to help him. The prosecutor decided not to seek the death penalty, so Routh was automatically sentenced to life in prison after his capital murder conviction in February.

    Taya Kyle said that while she still believes in the death penalty, she also has “come around to the view that life without parole may in fact be a worse punishment than death.”

    Trial testimony revealed Routh had been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment and prescribed medication to treat schizophrenia. But jurors found the insanity defense mounted by his lawyers failed to meet the legal threshold: a mental illness so severe he didn’t know right from wrong.

    Erath County District Attorney Alan Nash told the AP Thursday that he decided not to seek the death penalty after weighing several factors, including that the jury and higher courts could consider Routh’s military service and mental health records. He said it also led to a faster conclusion as opposed to years and years of appeals.

    Chris Kyle met Routh for the first time the day he was killed, Taya Kyle wrote, adding: “Chris didn’t know the young man, nor was he told the vast depths of his problems.”

    She writes about deciding to have her husband laid to rest at Texas State Cemetery in Austin instead of Arlington National Cemetery. They had talked about it after a friend’s funeral and she wrote that her husband told her: “I just want to be wherever is best for ya’ll.”

    He also told her: “I want a big funeral. I’m gone, right? Blow it out.”

    Thousands attended his memorial service held at AT&T Stadium, where his coffin was placed at the Dallas Cowboys’ star at midfield.

    Baylor Lariat

    Keep Reading

    What to Do in Waco: Summer Edition

    Fields of joy: Western Belle Farm’s Sunflower Festival returns this May

    Review: ‘Until Dawn’ starts strong, gets lost in the fog

    A&L Tunesday: May 6

    Waco roots to recognition: Texas short film gains national traction

    25th annual Black Glasses highlights best of Baylor filmmakers

    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Recent Posts
    • Baylor community unites in flash flood relief efforts July 9, 2025
    • Baylor rescinds LGBTQIA+ inclusion research grant after backlash July 9, 2025
    About

    The award-winning student newspaper of Baylor University since 1900.

    Articles, photos, and other works by staff of The Baylor Lariat are Copyright © Baylor® University. All rights reserved.

    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz

    Get the latest Lariat News by just Clicking Subscribe!

    Follow the Live Coverage
    Tweets by @bulariat

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    • Featured
    • News
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Arts and Life
    © 2025 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.