Man Confesses to Killing Abortion Provider

(AP)  Defiant and unapologetic, a man accused of shooting a Kansas abortion provider confessed to the slaying Monday, telling The Associated Press that he killed the doctor to protect unborn children.

Scott Roeder, 51, of Kansas City, Missouri, spoke to the AP in a telephone call from jail, saying he plans to argue at his trial that he was justified in shooting Dr. George Tiller at the abortion provider's Wichita church in May.

"Because of the fact preborn children's lives were in imminent danger this was the action I chose. ... I want to make sure that the focus is, of course, obviously on the preborn children and the necessity to defend them," Roeder said.

"Defending innocent life — that is what prompted me. It is pretty simple," he said.

Roeder is charged with one count of first-degree murder in Tiller's death and two counts of aggravated assault for allegedly threatening two ushers who tried to stop him during the May 31 melee in the foyer of the doctor's church. Roeder has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial in January.

In a more than 30-minute interview with the AP, Roeder did not apologize for the slaying.

"No, I don't have any regrets because I have been told so far at least four women have changed their minds, that I know of, and have chosen to have the baby," Roeder said. "So even if one changed her mind it would be worth it. No, I don't have any regrets."

His confession came on the same day abortion opponents across the nation release their "Defensive Action Statement 3rd Edition" that proclaims any force that can be used to defend the life of a "born child is legitimate to defend the life of an unborn child." The statement's 21 signers demand Roeder's jurors be allowed to consider the "question of when life begins" in deciding whether lethal force was justified.

Among the signers are Eric Rudolph, James Kopp and Shelley Shannon — all serving prison time for targeting abortion doctors.

Lee Thompson, attorney for the Tiller family and executor of his estate, has said allowing such a defense would "invite chaos and be tantamount to anarchy." The Kansas Supreme Court rejected such a defense in a 1993 ruling over an abortion clinic trespassing case.

Tiller, 67, had been the target of relentless protests for most of the 36 years that he performed abortions at his Wichita clinic, where he practiced as one of the nation's few providers of late-term abortions. He was shot in both arms in 1993 and his clinic was bombed in 1986.

[toldyouso21]

GOD IS PRO CHOICE.

Men are concerned with life here on earth and the possible 70 to 100 years of it if people grow up to an old age.But when faced with eternal life, God does not press, coerce, or force his views. He still allows choice.

"Choose you this day whom ye shall serve, for you cannot serve both God and mammon"

Funny how when faced with 70 years and a stake in a world God told Christians NOT to conform to--So called Christians are very involved in trying to force government into the most private part of a woman's life...but when it comes to eternal life and the more important stake of the soul--God insists that every man must choose for himself.

Get enlightened people--choice is a very Christian thing, no one can be saved due to coercion--not even unborn children--those who try it net very abused and often, later dead children or...later dead pregnant women who do anything anyway to not have what they do not want.

You cannot force women to grow and feed something within their own bodies that they do not want--women are not slaves--no one can deposit seed in them then force them to cultivate and grow it out--it is personal because it takes place in them--if the far right does not want that--then invent artificial wombs--that way, perhaps you can force all women who are pregnant give up their fertilized eggs to the womb machine, though that also is debatable, since many women do not want to give up a part of themselves to anyone, and the egg is a one time gift each month (unless twins or more) from a woman. Whereas the man's one lucky spermmmm was a one time shot in the dark among at least 300K being released. Because the woman ultimately has to carry this result, in her body--it is her choice. Her body, her egg and if she does not tell the man about a pregnancy--he neither knows or feels a thing.

[brianbwb-2009]

So Roeder, not even licensed to practice medicine, performed an abortion in the 268th trimester of Dr. Tiller.

About as late term as it gets, don't you think?

Just like the rest of the far right, he claims protection under laws that he himself breaks.

[slownewsday-05]

Once again, it's sad to see the anti-choice crowd try to pass themselves off as "pro-life".

At the most, they are "pro-birth".


.

[CaliforniaConservative]

Once again, it's sad to see the anit-life crowd try to pass themselves off as "pro choice".

At the most, they are "pro abortion".

Hmm, that was easy. No wonder the libs get so much air time.

[slownewsday-05]

Well, I'm not a lib. I just think it's humorous that you claim to want small government, yet want to give them control over women's bodies.

You aren't really a conservative, ARE you?

And if you're so "pro-life", are you against war?

[BeckieBest]

Another daily illustration of how rabid and insane the right wing has become in this country.

[aldon62]

There is not anything to consider here. He killed someone that provided LEGAL abortions, what he did was ILLEGAL! Fry the Bass=turd.

[dscott2009]

When this SOB stands in judgment before GOD...I truly wonder how that "I killed this man to protect the unborn defense goes for him."

Good luck with that one Scott...

[CaliforniaConservative]

I'n not sure Doc Tiller will have much luck standing in that same situation saying that he was just trying to protect feminist rights.

[dscott2009]

Cali Con...you may be right as well. They might both share the same eternal hot tub, but how does committing murder justify committing murder?

[CaliforniaConservative]

It's my understanding that this Tiller character has participated in nearly 60,000 abortions.

[nmfaxman]

Why is it not called conception day?

[oreo1412]

I personally think that until men are the ones pushing the baby out or lying in the stirrups getting scraped out, why should they even talk about abortion? They just don't have the stake in childbirth that women do. Nobody is telling them that you must have the baby and give it up or you must have the abortion if you want to come home, like women were told before birth control was made available to single women. See, it used to be that unmarried women could not even get a contraceptive, even a diaphragm. And pregnant girls were sent away from home to give birth and surrender their babies under tremendous pressure to give those babies up. Other women had illegal abortions that sometimes scarred or killed them because unmarried women would face severe societal consequences from having babies out of wedlock. Yep, them were the good old days, back we were a moral country and everybody was full of Christian goodness. Remember that anybody over 40?

[rational_1]

Following your logic of men not having any say in abortion because they never personally deal with childbirth or abortion, one could then argue that only slaveholders should have been deciding whether or not slavery should be allowed.

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

by rational_1 November 9, 2009 11:28 PM EST
Following your logic of men not having any say in abortion because they never personally deal with childbirth or abortion, one could then argue that only slaveholders should have been deciding whether or not slavery should be allowed.
==============================================================

Not very logical...or rational. A better analogy would be the slave ship crews not having a say in slavery. By equating slave holders with men in the abortion equation, what are the women?

[kansas1946]

If anyone knew Dr. Tiller, then they would understand what a tragedy this really is. This little worm that murdered him will die in prison, a forgotten man, but none of us will forget Dr. Tiller who stood against these terrorists for years to help woman.

[Overruled1]

Yeah, right ......if there's a God, He is frying as sure as the guy who shot him will.

[doctor_know]

Yeah, right.... and if there's a tooth fairy, then we will all be getting lots of cash for our teeth.... but there's not!