Killer of abortion doctor gets life in jail

April 02, 2010|Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press

WICHITA, Kan. — An antiabortion zealot convicted of murdering a prominent Kansas abortion doctor was sentenced yesterday to life in prison and won’t be eligible for parole for 50 years — the maximum allowed by law.

Scott Roeder, 52, faced a mandatory life prison term for gunning down Dr. George Tiller in the back of Tiller’s Wichita church in May. Tiller was one of the few US doctors who performed late-term abortions.

Sedgwick County District Judge Warren Wilbert could have made Roeder eligible for parole after 25 years, but gave him the stronger sentence because the evidence showed Roeder stalked Tiller before killing him, he said.

Wilbert also sentenced Roeder to serve an additional year in prison on each of two counts of aggravated assault for threatening two church ushers in the melee. That means — allowing for possible time off those sentences for good behavior — Roeder won’t be eligible for parole for 51 years and eight months.

During his trial, Roeder testified that he killed Tiller in a bid to save unborn children.

In a statement in court yesterday, Roeder blamed Tiller’s death primarily on the state for not outlawing abortion.

“I stopped him so he could not dismember another innocent baby. Wichita is a far safer place for unborn babies without George Tiller,’’ Roeder said.

Roeder interrupted Wilbert several times as the judge discussed the sentence from the bench.

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