Ten women and two men will decide whether former Marine Eddie Ray Routh is guilty of murder or not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2013 shooting deaths of "American Sniper" Chris Kyle and a close friend, Chad Littlefield.
Officials in Erath County, Texas, sent out 800 jury duty summons for the Routh trial, more than four times the typical number. By Monday morning, the jury pool had been reduced to 263 people.
Among other questions, prospective jurors were asked whether they had seen the movie "American Sniper," the top-grossing war film of all time. An affirmative answer alone wasn't grounds for disqualification.
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Routh's attorneys say they will argue that Routh is not guilty by reason of insanity because of post-traumatic stress disorder from his time as a Marine in Iraq. In Texas, a defendant can be found not guilty by reason of insanity if the jury determines that he or she did not know the difference between right and wrong when the crime was committed.
"I guess with all the publicity and everything, I just felt like he was guilty," dismissed prospective juror Clifford Saxon told NBC News. "And I wasn't all over the 'insanity' part of it."
Opening statements in the trial, which is expected to last two weeks, are scheduled Wednesday. If convicted, Routh will automatically be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
It's difficult to find anyone in the area who hasn't heard of Kyle.
Immediately before joining the Navy, Kyle attended Tarleton State University, living and working at a nearby ranch across the street from the family of Rick Welch.
"We used to get together on Sunday afternoon and drink beer and eat. Nice kid," Welch told NBC News. "I kept asking: 'Chris, what are you going to do with the rest of your life? You going to be a cowboy the rest of your life?' He goes, 'No.' He said, 'I'm going to join the Navy and be a Navy SEAL.'
"We talked about it for a couple of weeks, and every time I saw him, I said: 'Chris, man, those guys are bad. I mean, you're kind of mild-mannered for that,'" Welch said.
Kyle went on to serve four tours in Iraq, earning the title "America's deadliest sniper." Iraqi insurgents put a bounty on his head and nicknamed him 'The Devil of Ramadi.'
At home, Kyle struggled to adapt to civilian life, but he found strength in sharing his skills and helping other veterans.
He started Craft International, which provided tactical training to military and law enforcement, and he co-founded FITCO Cares, a nonprofit that helps veterans stay in shape.
In 2012, Kyle's autobiography, "American Sniper," became an instantaneous best-seller. A year later, Kyle and Littlefield took Routh to the Rough Creek Lodge gun range 20 miles outside Stephenville.
Only Routh returned. That night, he confessed to killing both men.
Gov. Greg Abbott declared Feb. 2, the date of Kyle's death, "Chris Kyle Day," as the movie adaptation of Kyle's autobiography broke several film records and jury selection in the trial of his accused killer began.