Officials believe it was due to a gas leak. This way out of here. With the snow piling up the winter blues are spreading. We have a cure. Dylan is about to surprise a lucky family with a hot ticket to paradise this wednesday, february 25th 2015. Announcer from nbc news this is today with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. Live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Good morning, everyone and welcome to today on a wednesday. I may steal that hot ticket to paradise. Al has a hot ticket to washington, d. C. For an event there last night. Lets get to the top story. A guilty verdict at the american sniper trial. It did not take long for the jury to reach the decision. Nbcs jacob rascon has covered the trial from the beginning. Good morning to you. Good morning. Two weeks and three dozen witnesses boils down to this. The jury did not buy the insanity defense. The verdict came quickly and punishment was immediate. All rise reporter it took less than three hours to decide. We the jury find the defendant guilty of the felony offense of capital murder. Words of comfort and closure for the families of the victims. We waited two years for god to get justice for us on behalf of our son and as always got has proved to be faithful. For the first time, we were able to hear what was presented to the jury. Like Police Dash Cam video of the failed escape attempt. And testimony from chris kyles widow. When did you last see chris that day . We were at the house and gave the kids a kiss and a hug like we always did. Even the defendant himself in the rambling confession tape. I knew if i did not take his soul he was going to take mine. I just want to get the bad guy. I cant see them. I cant shoot them. It became the sequel to the american sniper with chris kyle and the navy s. E. A. L. He and his friend chad littlefield took him to a range to help him cope with ptsd but he turned on them shooting them in the back. He said i shot them because they wouldnt talk to me. Nobody would talk to me. Ralph suffered from schizophrenia and he said he faked it and was high. I dont know what to think of the world right now. I dont know if im insane or sane. The former marine charged with killing the countrys most lethal sniper sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. He showed no emotion when the verdict was read. One Family Member calling him an american disgrace. Tea kyle was not inside when the verdict was read. She left during the defenses closing arguments. Savannah . Thank you. Chad littlefields parents don and judy and his brother jerry are with us exclusively. Good morning to all of you and you havent had a chance to speak before i wanted to share condolences for the loss of your son. Thank you. After everything you have been through, this twoyear journey, what was it like to hear the words, guilty ring out in the courtroom yesterday . Joyous. It was an answered prayer. We waited a long time to hear that. We feel justice was served. Mr. Richardson this jury didnt deliberate any more than 2 1 2 hours or so. Is there some satisfaction in how quickly and seemingly easily they rejected the claim of insanity . It was just an answered prayer because we waited so long and all of our pain needed to be done. I think the jury did it right. That was an answered prayer for us. Jerry, as i turn to you, there was a lot of testimony about the mental state of this defendant. I wonder where you come down on it. We now know the jury said he was not legally insane. Do you think he was mentally ill or do you think it was an act . It was all an act. I caught him in high school and thats a new one out there. Everybody that knows me remembers that i worked with him. He was thats just the way he was. He never grew up. He was opposite defiant and he had nothing wrong in the mind except for the drug use. Mrs. Littlefield, obviously this story, this case has received National Attention because chris kyle was so wellknown. What has it been like for you and your family to go through this terrible ordeal in such a public way with all of these National Headlines and even a movie focused on this case . Its been focused on chris kyle and because chad was not in the movie and the attention was not focused on him, we think it helped the case. When they wanted to change of venue, they had to remember that two men were murdered that night and chad had not had the publicity that chris had. It was difficult for us because we had to remain quiet because we didnt want to jeopardize the case in any way. Now is the time that we want to honor and talk about our precious son, chad. Mr. Middlefield, he deserves to be remembered. What would you want the world to know about the kind of man he was . Well chad was a quiet man. He was a good listener. He and chris worked out together. They were soccer pops. Thats where they met. Chris had some weights and chad wanted to go work out. He wanted to help the vets as they came back home. He was not a veteran himself, but he would talk to us about i want to help the men that are coming home in any way i can. He loved them and loved to be with chris and went with him. Chris chose him to go with him. Chris was comfortable with chat and chris being a navy s. E. A. L. Did not trust a whole lot. Chad being nonmilitary. Chris served overseas and chad served when they came back. He had a passion for veterans. Then chad was always a helping hand. He was a rock. A good friend. If he was your good friend you had a friend. His motto was pass it forward. Im sorry. There is h to say about your son and your brother. He was obviously a wonderful man and im glad he is getting the focus he deserves. Thank you for being with us this morning. Thank you. Boston now topping 100 inches of snow. Millions of dealing with a fresh mix of snow and ice. Gabe gutierrez is just outside atlanta. Good morning to you. Crews plan to take this gravel and spread it throughout to treat the roads and prevent the icy conditions. A winter storm warning takes effect at 10 00 a. M. And trying to avoid a repeat of the ice storm that stranded drivers and forced children to sleep in r schools overnight. This morning the south is bracing for even more of the snow sleet, and ice that made tuesdays commute very dangerous. We just moved up from florida about seven months ago. So this is definitely new to us. This years cold has been relentless. 23 states had temperatures at or below zero and several cities shattered tweeflheir previously lows. I hate it. I am counting down the days for spring and for all the snow to be melted away. In tennessee, there have been 30 weatherrelated deaths and tens of thousands of people are without power. A tornado comes through and hits a swath and moves on. The National Guard is handing out bottled water after the frigid conditions cutoff water service. As the record freeze grips the country, heres something to warm your heart. A random act of kindness is spreading from massachusetts to indianapolis. A scarf with a note attached reading take this if you are cold. That is to smile about. Kids here are also smiling. Many schools are closed for the day. Local officials are taking this serious. Not only are they spreading this gravel throughout the roads, but the governor declared a state of emergency that begins at 2 00 p. M. There is a reason for that concern. We have a big storm system that is coming and coming hard. Talking about a swath of about 1,000 miles where we have storm warnings. Moisture getting pulled in with the low pressure around the gulf. We are looking for dallas to charlotte and norfolk. A mix of snow and ice. Right now you can see dallas about 400 cancellations in and out of dallas as this system pushes on through, bringing with it a snowice mix. We will watch it push through. 38 Million People under a watch warning or advisory from texas all the way into parts of virginia. Dallas texas, one to three inches of snow possible. Into the afternoon hours, we are looking at atlanta. Snow accumulating in the suburbs and by this evening into raleigh with about three to six inches of snow. Some areas up to eight inches. One more punch. We are talking about another shot of arctic air coming in. All right, al thank you so much. The secretary of Veterans Affairs is publicly apologizing for an inaccurate claim about his military service. It is not quieting the anger that some veterans are feeling. The va moved aggressively in his claims about being in special Operations Forces was not true. When it comes to the veterans, his battles are far from over. Outside the va on tuesday, secretary Robert Mcdonough made a point. I made a mistake and i apologize for it. This is what he apologized for. In an exchange with a homeless vet in los angeles, he falsely claimed he had been a special operations soldier. Special forces . What years . I was in special forces. That was wrong and i have no excuse. He did survive special Warfare Training and joined the armys rangers, not special operations soldiers. Did you realize you made that mistake and did you think you would need to correct it . I was talking to a homeless veteran and concerned about getting him if they were a veteran the care and services they needed. At the white house, the Obama Administration stood by their man, but john mccain said he had bigger problems. He got more flack for the state of the va than any claims of special operations. This driveways us crazy. Michael helm is worried that he may be damaged goods. This didnt help. This was going to be a problem for sometime. I have to go. I have to get to work. He couldnt make his exit fast enough. The false claim about being in special forces appears to be an isolated incident. Mcdonough will likely survive and keep his job, but dealing with the angry veterans and fixing the vas Health Care Problems is a far bigger problem. He has a lot on his plate. Natalie has the investigation into a train crash and derailment in california. Thats right. The driver of a pickup truck accused in the accident north of los angeles is under arrest this morning. 28 people were injured, but Officials Say it could have been much much worse. Miguel is at the crash scene. Good morning. Reporter that commuter train has been taken off the tracks. The ntsb said they recovered the video and audio recording. They will be sent to washington, d. C. To be analyzed. The driver turned on to the tracks going the wrong way. This mor he faces criminal charges. Fire on the rails. An explosive commute to los angeles. Vehicle versus train at fifth. A metro link plowing into a pickup truck halling a trailer. The truck exploded outside the window. Joel was in the second car. Everything started flying everywhere. The thought of death went over me. With three cars flipped on their sides, the 49 people aboard suffered moderate to major injuries. Federal investigators are on scene. Our ultimate goal is not only to find out what happened but why it happened. The rail crossing with a history of accidents is known as one of the most dangerous in california. The truck driver Jose Sanchez Ramirez reportedly drove on to the tracks and fled the scene and was arrested a mile and a half away. He was taken into custody for a felony hitandrun violation. The train can reach a max speed of 79 miles per hour. The operator spotted the truck in the crossing. Applying the emergency brakes early and slowing the train before the impact. Metro link said the passenger cars are equipped with the crumple bumpers which absorb collisions. The metro link cars i believe saves lives. A devastating scene that could have easily been deadly. As they test the rail crossings this morning, four people remain in critical condition. The suspects attorney said he simply made a mistake and left his vehicle to get help. Natalie . Miguel in oxnard california thank you. Jailed tuesday charged with soliciting a minor. 44yearold daniel rosen was arrested following a series of online exchanges with a detective posing as a minor in virginia. He is listed as the director of policies with the state departments Counter Terrorism bureau. The Justice Department announced tuesday it will not pursue federal charges against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of trayvon martin. A federal investigation found insufficient evidence to pursue civil rights charges. Zimmerman was acquitted of seconddegree murder and manslaughter saying he accountted in self defense in the shooting. A frightening moment caught on a Police Dash Cam. A home burst into a ball of flame and debris shoots up into the sky. 15 people were hurt including two gas company workers. Crews were working on a gas main leak at the time. The blast felt up to a mile away. So frightening. A lot of families have not been able to go back home yet. Thank you. Lets go back to washington and mr. Roker. They had 200 water main breaks in the d. C. Area due to the brutally cold weather. We have the swath of wet weather through the gulf coast and icy conditions into the Midatlantic States and look for snow through the great lakes and a wet day today. Showers and 52 degrees. We would you be willing to give up sharing your moments . Sacrifice streaming all night long . Is it okay to drop a connection, when you need it most . If youre not on the largest, most reliable network, what are you giving up . Verizon. Good morning, im meteorologist bill henley. Another cold start but today well see lots of sunshine. And well be in the middle to upper 30s this afternoon. It gets cold tonight and tomorrow morning. Some snow falling to the south. Accumulating snow at the shore. And a few snowflakes possible in philadelphia as well. Then it gets colder friday and especially Cold Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon up to 33 degrees. Warmer on sunday. Then wet weather moving in for monday and again on tuesday. Have a great day. We will be looking at the temperature change. Guys . Controversial tweets landed in hot water. Some people say this was a matter of time and a lot of conversation on twitter. Facebook and just about everywhere. This went to a whole new level. Heres how it started. This is a short version. A former penn state student tweeted an article about the fundraiser for cancer. She wrote we are. She tagged keith on this. His response to this individual was one word. Pitiful. This stirred up penn state population and a heated debate soon followed. Sending out the note psu students are pitiful because they are psu students period. Proving my point about the mediocrity of their education and ethics. They suspended him from their network for the rest of the week. Ultimately Keith Olbermann apologized and he said he is stupid and childish. They did a great job. Olbermann was not aware that the initial tweet was about charity. Regardless the attacks continue and went to a nasty level with them making this decision. You go online and you see this conversation. His history factor into what should people are saying. Thank you very much. Coming up we will talk about a couple of mysteries that are making news around the world. New drone sightings in paris including near the eiffel tower and u. S. Embassy. A lot of people ask what they are doing there. Why did someone build a 33foot tunnel by hand in the city of toronto. First, this is today on nbc. [reminiscing] started my camry remembered the choices ive made, to be bold where others are scared, to show her right from wrong and realized my little girl had become an amazing human being who will make choices of her own. Toyota, lets go places. 7 26. Im vie sikahema. Lets get the first alert forecast with bill henley. A little warmer . Well see a warm up. Yesterday we were in the 20s. Today well be in the 30s. But its cold right now despite sunshine. A nice sunny view from the adventure aquarium. Temperatures plummeted overnight. Its 19 now in philadelphia. That number is on the rise. Roxborough, 19. Northeast philadelphia, is the seeing 19 degrees. Well wind up in the 30s later today. And this is 76 westbound jammed approaching the blue route all because of this accident that is on the shoulder there on the westbound side, but drivers are putting on their brake lights. We do have a delay there. The big tanker fire we had there earlier, route 90 eastbound, the betsy ross bridge ramp to route 130 is closed because of repair work but the rest of the area bridges are in the clear. And the gas company is going doortodoor in ocean county to make sure things are safe after a house explosion there. This happened yesterday morning on oak avenue in stafford township. The house you see there exploded. 30 people were hurt including firefighters and gas workers. Hundreds of homeowners still dont have gas service. The new jersey board of Public Utilities is investigating the cause of that explosion. Well have more coming up in a half hour. Its a dance version of let it go. Speaking of frozen its wednesday morning, february 25th 2015. Arent we all so tired of the snow and ice . We have another month of it. Dialylan will lose the will to live if we tell her. She is going to surprise somebody with a trip to the bahamas. We are not saying where she is is. We will say she is in miami. Lets take a look at the headlines. The jury found him guilty in the murder of chris kyle and chad littlefield. Ralph was immediately sentenced to in prison without the possibility of parole. An arizona man is under arrest in connection with a frightening Train Derailment in oxnard california. He abandoned his truck on the tracks leading to the accident. 28 people were injured four critically. Southwest grounded 128 planes overnight after inadvertently failing to inspect back up systems. The airline can keep the planes in service while the required checks are performed. Coming up first birthday is always a special occasion. Seth meyers will be here to celebrate the first year of his late night show. Look forward to that. We will begin with a couple of mysteries. The first concerns drones causing big concerns in paris. They have been spotted flying over landmarks there and an investigation is under way. Bill neely, the chief global correspondent is in paris. Good morning to you. Reporter good morning, matt from a city that was so famously relaxed. Not anymore. Paris is uneasy and on edge. It started with last months terror attacks, but last night people and police once again spotted mystery drones hovering over the city. They are asking is there a new threat from above . For the last two nights Police Spotted mystery drones. F