“American Sniper” Trial: Latest Images of Chris Kyle’s Alleged Killer Released

ABC News(STEPHENVILLE, Texas) –The former Marine accused of killing American Sniper Chris Kyle has been photographed in court for the first time in months as preparations for his trial wrap up.

Eddie Ray Routh was pictured clean-shaven with a buzz cut — a marked difference from the scruffy beard he had when he was arrested in February 2013.

Rather than appearing in the striped prison jumpsuit that he was seen in last year or the orange jumpsuit he was wearing when his mugshot was taken on the day of his arrest, Routh was wearing an olive-colored collared shirt, a grey blazer and glasses.

Routh was also noticeably larger than he was at the time of his arrest.

Monday marked the start of an important day for the 25-year-old, as opening statements in his murder case are scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

The defense and prosecution have until Tuesday to come to decisions about the jury pool, which initially involved hundreds of residents of rural Erath County, Texas.

Up until now, little has been known about Routh.

He was arrested on February 2, 2013 after his sister called police to report that her brother had allegedly admitted to killing two people at a gun range.

He has since been charged with the deaths of Chris Kyle and Kyle’s friend Chad Littlefield, who had gone with Routh to a local gun range as part of work Kyle did with veterans.

“He was recently diagnosed with PTSD. … He just got out of a mental hospital last week,” Routh’s brother-in-law Gaines Blevins said later on the call.

The film American Sniper, which details Kyle’s four tours in Iraq, has broken box office records and has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

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