WICHITA, Kan. — An activist abortion opponent was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in the death of late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller. The prosecutor said the evidence ruled out the death penalty.
Scott Roeder, 51, was shown via a video link from the Sedgwick County jail. He fiddled with the charging documents on a podium in front of him, and said "OK” three times as Judge Ben Burgess read the charges.
Burgess ordered Roeder to be held without bail and said he was not allowed to communicate with Tiller’s family or two witnesses he allegedly assaulted.
A preliminary hearing was set for June 16.
If convicted, Roeder would face a mandatory life sentence and would not be eligible for parole for at least 25 years.
Kansas law requires that special circumstances exist for a defendant to be eligible for the death penalty. Circumstances include the killing of a law officer, more than one person or a victim kidnapped for ransom or rape, or killed in murder for hire.
Roeder is accused of shooting Tiller to death Sunday at the doctor’s Wichita church. Roeder also was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly threatening two people who tried to stop him.
by the associated press
Scott Roeder, 51, was shown via a video link from the Sedgwick County jail. He fiddled with the charging documents on a podium in front of him, and said "OK” three times as Judge Ben Burgess read the charges.
Burgess ordered Roeder to be held without bail and said he was not allowed to communicate with Tiller’s family or two witnesses he allegedly assaulted.
A preliminary hearing was set for June 16.
If convicted, Roeder would face a mandatory life sentence and would not be eligible for parole for at least 25 years.
Kansas law requires that special circumstances exist for a defendant to be eligible for the death penalty. Circumstances include the killing of a law officer, more than one person or a victim kidnapped for ransom or rape, or killed in murder for hire.
Roeder is accused of shooting Tiller to death Sunday at the doctor’s Wichita church. Roeder also was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly threatening two people who tried to stop him.
by the associated press
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