WICHITA, Kan. — A man suspected of fatally shooting abortion doctor George Tiller was in jail Monday while investigators sought to learn more about his background, including his possible connections to anti-abortion groups.
Tiller, 67, was shot Sunday in the foyer of Reformation Lutheran Church, police said. The gunman fired one shot at Tiller and threatened two other people who tried to stop him.
The suspect, identified by one law enforcement agency as Scott Roeder, was arrested about 170 miles away in a Kansas City suburb about three hours after the shooting.
Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston indicated the state has 48 hours to charge anyone who is in custody and said she planned to take the full two days to decide. She said any charges would be filed in state court.
Also, a law enforcement official said investigators have searched two homes as part of the inquiry into Tiller’s killing. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the investigation, said the homes are in Merriam, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo. The official did not know what turned up during the searches.
Roeder’s former wife, Lindsey Roeder, said he had lived at a house in Merriam but moved out months ago and was currently living in the Westport area of Kansas City. His brother, David Roeder, told The Topeka Capital-Journal newspaper the family is "shocked, horrified and filled with sadness at the death of Dr. Tiller” and the possible involvement of their relative.
He said his sibling suffered from mental illness at times in his life.
No bail allowed
Scott Roeder, 51, was returned to Wichita and was being held without bail on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
The U.S. Marshals Service said that as a result of Tiller’s shooting, Attorney General Eric Holder had ordered it to "increase security for a number of individuals and facilities.” It gave no details.
Tiller’s clinic is under federal protection. He last had protection from marshals in 2001. Tiller and other doctors received such protection at different times in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, a man with the same name as the suspect has a criminal record and a background of anti-abortion postings on sympathetic Web sites.
But police said all early indications showed the shooter acted alone.
by the associated press
Tiller, 67, was shot Sunday in the foyer of Reformation Lutheran Church, police said. The gunman fired one shot at Tiller and threatened two other people who tried to stop him.
The suspect, identified by one law enforcement agency as Scott Roeder, was arrested about 170 miles away in a Kansas City suburb about three hours after the shooting.
Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston indicated the state has 48 hours to charge anyone who is in custody and said she planned to take the full two days to decide. She said any charges would be filed in state court.
Also, a law enforcement official said investigators have searched two homes as part of the inquiry into Tiller’s killing. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the investigation, said the homes are in Merriam, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo. The official did not know what turned up during the searches.
Roeder’s former wife, Lindsey Roeder, said he had lived at a house in Merriam but moved out months ago and was currently living in the Westport area of Kansas City. His brother, David Roeder, told The Topeka Capital-Journal newspaper the family is "shocked, horrified and filled with sadness at the death of Dr. Tiller” and the possible involvement of their relative.
He said his sibling suffered from mental illness at times in his life.
No bail allowed
Scott Roeder, 51, was returned to Wichita and was being held without bail on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
The U.S. Marshals Service said that as a result of Tiller’s shooting, Attorney General Eric Holder had ordered it to "increase security for a number of individuals and facilities.” It gave no details.
Tiller’s clinic is under federal protection. He last had protection from marshals in 2001. Tiller and other doctors received such protection at different times in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, a man with the same name as the suspect has a criminal record and a background of anti-abortion postings on sympathetic Web sites.
But police said all early indications showed the shooter acted alone.
by the associated press
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