Abortion on Trial

Dr Tiller's widow

Scott Roeder bought a gun, learnt how to shoot it, stalked his victim, went to his church, pressed a gun to his forehead and pulled the trigger.


George R Tiller was one of the few doctors in America prepared to perform late-term abortions. The Defense lawyers are pleading extenuating circumstances because of Roeder's strong belief that the doctor was a murderer but Judge Warren Wilbert ruled that he would not instruct the jury to consider a lesser charge than first-degree murder when they begin deliberations tomorrow.


Mr Roeder 51, of Kansas City told jurers that he had watched Evangalist Pat Robertson's talk show in the 1990's and had thought about killing the doctor as early as 1993. A year ago, he went to his church with a gun but he wasn't there that day.


Seated on the witness stand, Roeder faced a tiny gallery including Dr Tiller's widow, Anti-Abortionists - some who had served time in jail for violence - and Abortion Rights supporters.
"It should send a message that there is no justification for this" said Vicki Saporta, President of the National Abortion Federation who wants a first-degree murder conviction.


Mr Roeder described the morning of the murder. After killing his victim, he drove to a small country town and hid the gun. A few days later Dr Tiller's family closed the clinic. It was the only one in Wichita.

Scott Roeder

The Prosecutor asked "Have you successfully completed your mission?"

"He's been stopped" he said.

"Have you successfully completed your mission?" she asked again.

"Yes".

News just in, the jury took just 37 minutes to reach a guilty verdict of first-degree murder.