Ex-Marine In 'American Sniper' Murder Trial Plans to Appeal Guilty Verdict

Earlier this week, a Texas jury found Eddie Ray Routh guilty of the 2013 murders of Chris Kyle, the former Navy SEAL and author of the best seller "American Sniper" who inspired the box office hit, and his friend Chad Littlefield.

During his capital murder trial, which began on February 11, Routh’s lawyer, J. Warren St. John, sought to prove the former Marine was insane at the time of the murders. The state rejected the claims. "Ladies and gentlemen, that is not insanity. That is just cold, calculated capital murder. He is guilty of capital murder. He is not in any way insane," Assistant Attorney General Jane Starnes stated during closing arguments.

Jurors deliberating the case had three choices: guilty, not guilty, or not guilty by reason of insanity. It took them less than three hours to deliver their verdict, rejecting the defense's claims, and finding Routh guilty of capital murder.

Judge Jason Cashon immediately sentenced Routh to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

St. John told PEOPLE he planned to appeal this week.

"We are disappointed in the verdict," St. John said. "Mr. Routh is still suffering from schizophrenia. He had a belief in his mind that day. He believed that they were going to kill him. It was a real belief that he had. We're disappointed the jury didn't give that any consideration. They dismissed that." 

---

Nutrageous Behavior Lands Former Korean Air Executive in Prison

A South Korean court on Thursday sentenced the eldest daughter of Korean Air’s chairman, and granddaughter of its founder, to one year in prison after finding her guilty of violating aviation law. Yikes.

Hyun-ah Cho, also known as Heather Cho, achieved worldwide notoriety after she ordered the chief flight attendant off a December 5th flight, forcing it to return to the gate at John F. Kennedy airport in New York. She was LIVID that she had been offered macadamia nuts in a bag instead of on a dish and unleashed a wrath of fury on the unsuspecting stewardess and crew. The case, dubbed “nut rage,” caused an uproar in South Korea, a country where the economy is dominated by family-run conglomerates known as chaebol that often act above the law. (You know those Korean dramas where the really rich sons and daughters of empire companies arrogantly do whatever they want with zero consequences? Those characters are based off of real people like Heather Cho.) The former vice-president and head of in-flight services, who had been credited with forging a new corporate identity for Korean Air, which included newly-designed uniforms (I love the new uniforms!), cabin interiors, as well as improvements to in-flight services, quickly resigned from her positions at the airline and subsidiaries following the incident.

The court said Cho was guilty of forcing a flight to change its route, the most serious of the charges she faced. In reading the sentence, Judge Seung-woo Oh said Cho knew the plane was moving when she ordered it to return shortly after leaving the gate. The court also found Cho guilty of obstructing the flight’s captain in the performance of his duties, forcing the senior crew member off the plane and assaulting another crew member who served her the nuts. It found her not guilty of interfering with a transport ministry investigation into the incident.

“This is a case where human dignity was trampled upon,” Judge Oh stated.

It's both fascinating and tragic to see how quickly someone's life can change. I'm pretty sure when she was settling into her first class, fully reclining, $15,000 plus seat in December, she couldn't have fathomed in her wildest imagination she would be sitting in a prison cell a little over two months later. Kindness. It doesn't cost a damn thing. Sprinkle that shit everywhere.

---

Super Bowl XLIX

It’s Super Bowl Sunday and when my team isn’t playing (not since 1991), I usually pick the team I want to root for based on something completely arbitrary such as which team colors I like more, whichever team is the underdog, or which team has the better looking quarterback. Amirite , ladies?!

The Seattle Seahawks are playing the New England Patriots today (6:30 p.m. EST) at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Seahawks quarterback, 26-year-old Russell Wilson is facing off against 37-year-old, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Let's take a look at both of these incredibly talented, good looking men and learn a few fun facts about them.

ESPN

ESPN

ESPN

ESPN

1. Russell Wilson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and grew up in Richmond, Virginia. His brother played football and baseball for the University of Richmond.

2. Wilson is a senior editor at The Players' Tribune, a website launched by former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

3. After graduating from high school, Wilson was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2007 MLB Draft but elected to attend NC State that fall instead, believing an education was more important.

4. Wilson visits sick children at Seattle Children's Hospital every Tuesday in what has become known as “Blue Tuesdays.”

5. In 2008, Wilson became the first freshman in history to be named the ACC’s First-Team All-Conference quarterback.

ESPN

V Magazine

ESPN

1. As a child, Tom Brady's three older sisters would dress him as a girl. "They'd have dolls around the house and make me play with them," he told People magazine. 

2. Before becoming an NFL pro player, Brady was drafted as a Major League Baseball catcher by the Montreal Expos in 1995.

3. By his fifth season in the NFL, Brady had won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

4. Brady has more touchdowns than Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, the two greatest quarterbacks in the history of America’s Team, combined. 

5. Brady was chosen as one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2002 and hosted Saturday Night Live in 2005.

---