my producer just informed me while i was on the air with you, we saw jody routh, eddie ray routh's mother walking out of the courtroom not long after the verdict was read, she was crying. we assume she's going home. also, we saw the littlefield family, chad littlefield's parents coming out of the front doors of the courthouse, also wiping away tears. i mentioned that sigh of relief. >> as a matter of fact, stay right there, casey. i understand that judy littlefield, chad littlefield was also killed with chris kyle is about to make a statement. we're going to carry that live, i think, if it's ready. not ready? okay. we go back to you, casey. apparently they have given notice they're going to give a statement at any second. we'll carry that live when they do. >> reporter: okay. >> you did bring up -- go ahead. >> reporter: i'm sorry. i wanted to point out. you mentioned taya was not in the courtroom for the verdict. that is fascinating. as i was saying earlier she has been a main stay throughout this trial. she left out of here on friday after a very long day here in court, flew to los ange

then routh's mother jody took the stand saying routh was never the same after military service, suicidal and in and out of a v.a. medical center. she said doctors diagnosed routh with ptsd and prescribed him nine medications, including anti-psychotics. jody routh also told the jury she begged the v.a. to not release her son only days before the crime. she also told them when she met chris kyle and asked for his help, quote, he said he would do anything and everything in his power to help my son, end quote. the defense picks up their case again tomorrow morning. lester? >> jacob rascon tonight, thanks. >>> the country's new secretary of defense is now officially on the job. ashton carter took the oath of office today at the white house. carter replaces chuck hagel who resigned amid friction with the white house in november. carter will serve as the fourth defense secretary under president obama. >>> for weeks at ports up and down the west coast, a long-stewing labor dispute has created a virtual standstill. ships have been floating out at sea unable to unload. now work is starting to resu

jodi routh testified her only son wasn't the same when he got out of the military. the month before the murders, you begged the v.a. not to release your son said the attorney. absolutely i did, his mother replied. the blockbuster movie hangs over this case. the highest-grossing war movie of all time. how would you describe chris kyle? >> he's clearly an individual you would never ever want to mess with. >> reporter: it all made the jury a difficult task. they had a questionnaire gauging the details of the chris kyle story. >> sequestering a jury is a big deal. they're almost never sequestered. it's an enormous burden. >> reporter: kyle's legacy was larger than life. >> chris always said the body will do whatever the mind tells it to. i'm counting on that now. >> reporter: the eddie routh they're seeing now in court is very different from his mug shot two years ago, and a stark difference from these pictures, trying to hit home the insanity defense, the defense presented text messages between chris kyle and chad littlefield as they rode to the gun range with routh in

the defense argues routh is not guilty by reason of insanity and this afternoon called his mother jodie routh to testify. routh's mother said he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in the marines. she pleaded for him not to berv released from the v.a. hospital in january of 2013, just weeks before the killings because she felt he was not ready. >> pelley: manuel bojorquez in stephenville, texas, tonight. manuel, thanks. do some states make it too easy for parents to refuse vaccinations? and desperate moments for a driver when the "cbs evening news" continues. 8sd (woman) the constipation and belly pain feel tight like a vise. how can i ease this pain? (man) when i can't go, it's like rocks piling up. i wish i could find some relief. (announcer) ask your doctor about linzess-- a once-daily capsule for adults with ibs with constipation or chronic idiopathic constipation. linzess is thought to help calm pain-sensing nerves and accelerate bowel movements. it helps you proactively manage your symptoms. do not give linzess to children under 6, and it should not be given

jodi routh testified her only son wasn't the same when he got out of the military. the month before the murders, you begged the v.a. not to release your son, said the attorney? absolutely i did, his mother replies. earlier this afternoon, prosecutors called 26 witnesses and showing the jury so many videos of routh. often using his own words against him. the latest? routh in the back of a police cruiser, just after his arrest. when the officer asks if he's okay he says "i've been paranoid schizophrenic all day. i don't even know what to make of the world right now. i don't know if i'm insane." prosecutors say it's all an act. they say routh only says things like that or does things like lie down in the cruiser, when people are nearby. watch. they sail when officers walk away from the car, he sits up normally and appears relaxed. over the next few days the defense is expected to call more members of eddie routh's family and a long line of his doctors. david? >> ryan owens tonight. ryan thank you. >>> and to the latest horror from isis and word this evening u.s. intell

on the other side of the spectrum, you had jody routh, walking out of the courtroom, devastated knowing her son will spend his life in prison. we have not heard from routh's sister, who told her brother she loved him but hated his demons. texas governor abbott tweeted tonight, justice, jury did not buy the insanity defense the veteran's group boot campaign quoted a texas jury finds eddie ray routh guilty, hash tag never forget. many tweeting in support of taya kyle there for closing arguments. >> just so much tragedy on both sides of the table. joining us is fox's producer jennifer and she listened to the victim impact statement right after the verdict jennifer, this has been as we have said throughout, a very emotional trial, not a surprising outcome but for families what a horrible experience and journey this has been. >> yes. margea. it has been an emotional couple of weeks here the family and friends waited over two years for this to go to trial and get some justice for their family members. and today was an emotional scene when the jury read the verdict of guilty. and sending the d

on the other side of the spectrum, you had jody routh, walking out of the courtroom, devastated knowing her son will spend his life in prison. we have not heard from routh's sister, who told her brother she loved him but hated his demons. texas governor abbott tweeted tonight, justice, jury did not buy the insanity defense the veteran's group boot campaign quoted a texas jury finds eddie ray routh guilty, hash tag never forget. many tweeting in support of taya kyle there for closing arguments. >> just so much tragedy on both sides of the table. joining us is fox's producer jennifer and she listened to the victim impact statement right after the verdict jennifer, this has been as we have said throughout, a very emotional trial, not a surprising outcome but for families what a horrible experience and journey this has been. >> yes. margea. it has been an emotional couple of weeks here the family and friends waited over two years for this to go to trial and get some justice for their family members. and today was an emotional scene when the jury read the verdict of guilty. and sending the d

on the other side of the specter, you had jodi routh who walked out of the courtroom devastated knowing her son would spent the rest of his life in prison. we had not heard from routh's sister who told her brother she loved him but hated his demon. texas governor tweeted justice chris kyle assailant convicted of murder. jury did not buy insanity defense. a texas jury finds guilty. chris kyle has gotten to know him because of the "american sniper" movie. >>> just so much tragedy across that entire courtroom on both sides of the table there. joining us now by phone is fox news producer jennifer gerten. she was in the courtroom from the very beginning of this to the very end. she watched all of it play out and they lynned to the victim impact statements right after the verdict. jennifer, this has been as we have said throughout a very emotional trial. not a surprising outcome but, boy, for these families what a horrible experience and journey this has been. >> yeah. martha. it's definitely been an emotional couple of week here. obviously, these family and friends have waited over two years

yesterday jodie routh, eddie's mother was on the stand much of the day, she testified that routh hadtimes since his discharge from the military. she said that he was discharged just eight days before the killings, she pleaded with the hospital to keep him there because he was psychotic. she also testified that about 30 days before the murders she met with chris kyle. kyle's children went to the school where she worked and kyle came to meet her. she asked for help for her son and chris kyle reportedly said he would do anything and everything to help eddie ray routh. after the killings eddie ray routh drove kyle's pickup truck to his sister's house and told her that he had killed two men and traded his soul for a trick. his sister called the mother and jodie testified yesterday that when she got that call she had chris kyle's phone number in her cell phone and called the number praying to god that chris kyle would answer. but of course he never did. jose? >> nbc's charles hadlock, thank you so much. >>> now to growing back lash over new policy at the university of massachusetts at a.m.

jody routh testifying her only son was suicidal after he got out of the marines.release him from the hospital the month before the murder. she also told the jury she asked chris kyle to help her son with his ptsd. he said he would love to do anything and everything he could to help my son. with kyle's widow taya looking on the prosecution rested tuesday after five days 26 witnesses and so many videos of routh. from the interrogation tape where admits he knows what he did is wrong to the high-speed chase where he finally gives up to the latest one, routh in the back of a police cruiser telling the officer, i've been so paranoid schizophrenic all day. i don't know what to even make of the world right now. i don't know if i'm insane. prosecutors say this is all an act and say routh only says things like that or does things like lie down in the police cruiser when people are nearby. watch. they say when officers walk away from the car, he sits up normally and appears relaxed. for "good morning america," ryan owens, abc news stephenville texas. >> all right, our thanks

. >> routh's mother jodie, who claims that routh threatened to kill himself and their family told us the moment she heard that her son killed kyle. >> i had chris's number in my phone and i dialed that number praying to god he would answer. >> taya was overcome on the stand. recalling the last time she saw her husband. >> just that we loved each other and a kiss and a hug like we always did. >> by the way, taya kyle was not in the courtroom when the verdict was read because she had stormed out during closing arguments arguments, she was so angry by some of the points that the defense made about the murder of her husband. >> understandable martin thank you for the reporting. it was obviously fast. but what the verdict obvious at awe. paul callan cnn legal partner at callan legal and a former nyc prosecutor and criminal defense attorney and joey jackson, hln legal analyst. the judge pushing them to deliberate. do you think it was a factor and are you surprised by the quickness of the verdict? i wasn't. paul? >> i'm very surprised at how fast the verdict went. whatever you want to say a

also on the stand, routh's mother jody. her testimony was crucial. she reached out to kyle to see if he could help her son. she knew he had helped other vets. she also testified that routh was never the same after his military service. he was suicidal and diagnosed with ptsd. routh is facing life behind bars. >>> there's been a major twist in the battle over immigration. president obama's executive order which could stop the deportation of more than 4 million undocumented immigrants has been put on hold. the order would have gone into effect today, but a federal judge ruled the president overstepped his authority. nbc's tracie potts is live in washington for us this morning. tracy, what is happening next in this immigration battle? >>. >> reporter: next things have to work their way through the court system and we don't know how long that will take. what we do know right now, there will be no social security numbers, no work permits for these kids called dreamers while the courts decide whether or not these immigration orders are constitutional. today

jodi routh said her son wasn't the same when he got out of the military.dal and in and out of v.a. hospitals. the month before the murders, you begged the v.a. not to release your son, asked the attorney? absolutely i did, his mother replies. prosecutors rested their case after calling 26 witnesses and showing the jury so many videos of routh. often using his own words against him. the latest routh in the back of a police cruiser just after his arrest. when the officer asks if he's okay, he says, i have been paranoid schizophrenic all day. i don't know what to make of the world right now. i don't know if i'm insane. prosecutors say it's all an act. they say routh only says things like that or does things like lie down in the cruiser when people are nearby. watch. they say when officers walk away from the car, he sits up normally and appears relaxed. over the next few days, the defense is expected to call several more members of eddie routh's family and a long line of his doctors. ryan owens, abc news, stephenville, texas. >>> those derailed tanker cars in

. >> routh's mother jody who claimed eddie threatened to kill himself and the jury recalled what she did the moment she heard he killed kyle. >> i had chris's number in my phone and i dialed that number praying he would answer. >> reporter: taya kyle, the wife of chris kyle was overcome on the stand. >> take a moment if you need to. >> reporter: recalling the last time she saw her husband. >> we said we loved each other and gave each other a kiss and a hug like we always did. >> reporter: carol, i was in the courtroom when taya kyle made that emotional testimony, it deeply impacted the jury. you could easily see that. by the way, she was not in the courtroom last night when the verdict was read. she had stormed out of that courtroom a short time before during closing arguments angered by some of the depictions the defense used when talking about the murder of her husband, carol. >> interesting. i do want to play a little more of chris kyle's widow on the witness stand talking about how she learned her husband had been killed. let's listen together martin. >> first of all, leanne chad

it was around the point where those attorneys talked about rather routh's mom's jody should have disclosed her son's violent past' before they went to the gun range by his mother did not. that's when taya got up and stormed out. she never returned to the courtroom. he confessed to the crime. that does not happen every dave in these times of proceeding much less it was caught on tape and it was played for the jury at the beginning of last week. but the defense wasn't arguing whether their client did it. they were trying to build this understand sanity defense that the 27-year-old former marine didn't know what he was doing at the time was wrong. very difficult to prove especially since routh said this the night he was arrested. listen. >> this anything you want to say to the families? >> yeah, i'm southerliy for what i have done. and . >> reporter: one witness said routh was faking to get out of working. martha: case martha: chris kyle's mother judy giving her thanks to god. >> we waited for two years for god to get justice for us opposite behalf our son. as always god has proved to be fait

routh an american disgrace. and right now another convicted murderer, jodi arias is waiting to find out if she will live or die.jury is deliberating whether to sentence her to death or life in prison. 2013 as you will remember she was convicted of stabbing and. forcing a penalty retrial. here is a brief look back at the case that grabbed the headlines. >> we the jury duly impaneled and sworn do find the defendant as to count 1 first degree murder guilty. >> there is nothing i can do to take back what i did. i wish that i could. >> she could now face execution. >> i would much rather die sooner than later. >> obviously she has the ability to kill somebody. this is a horrible horrible way. death is the ultimate freedom. i would rather just have my freedom as soon as can i get it. >> i think she is lying. i think she really wants to live. >> convicted not that she did what she did. >> i'm definitely sorry. >> and here jury gone home for the night. going back in the morning. katie phang joins us. nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> katie as a prosecutor, if you were arguing to have this woman sentenced to death

jody begged the v.a. she said not to release routh during his final visit.s later, routh shot kyle and chad to death at a texas gun range during his promised therapy session. it's the beginning of the case for the defense that routh is not guilty by reason of insanity. in the video evidence, he sits in a parked patrol car. after his arrest. hey, marine. you all right back there an officer asks. just so nervous about what's going to happen to me and my life today, routh says. then" i have been so paranoid and schizophrenic all day. i don't know what to think of the world right now. i don't know if i'm just insane or sane." the prosecution wrapped up five days of testimony from two dozen witnesses with a jail house recording of routh admitting again to the crime saying i had to take care of business. testimony picks up later this morning. for "today," jacob ras cone, stephenville, texas. >> we will hear from mental health experts in the coming days. >>> new developments in a deadly road rage attack in las vegas. we've been following the story. police search fo