Manslaughter case ruled out in abortion doctor’s killing

Roeder testified that he considered elaborate schemes to stop the doctor, including chopping off his hands, crashing a car into him, or sneaking into his home to kill him.

But in the end, Roeder told jurors, the easiest way was to walk into Tiller’s church, put a gun to the man’s forehead, and pull the trigger.

Testifying as the lone defense witness, Roeder calmly explained what he admitted publicly months ago - that he killed Tiller to save unborn children.

“Those children were in immediate danger if someone did not stop George Tiller,’’ Roeder said as the jury watched.

“They were going to continue to die,’’ he said. “The babies were going to continue to die.’’

Roeder, 51, has pleaded not guilty to murder in the attack at the Wichita church where Tiller was an usher. Witnesses have described how Roeder walked into the building’s foyer shortly after the service started, approached Tiller, and fired a single shot before fleeing.

After Roeder’s testimony, District Judge Warren Wilbert ruled that the jury would not be permitted to consider the manslaughter charge because abortion, including late-term abortion, is legal in Kansas and because Tiller did not pose an imminent threat.

“There is no immediate danger in the back of a church,’’ the judge said. He also ruled out a second-degree murder conviction, which does not involve premeditation.

Wilbert said he did not want the trial to become a debate on abortion, but he would give Roeder latitude when discussing his beliefs because they were integral to his defense.