George Tiller Investigation: DOJ Opens Probe Into Doctor's Murder

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Friday opened an investigation into the killing of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller to see whether the accused gunman had accomplices.

The department will investigate possible federal crimes in connection with Dr. Tiller's slaying at his church on Sunday in Wichita, Kan. State prosecutors have already ruled out seeking the death penalty against the accused gunman, but federal prosecutors did not rule out doing so as they announced their own investigation.

"The Department of Justice will work tirelessly to determine the full involvement of any and all actors in this horrible crime," said Loretta King, head of the department's civil rights division.

Anyone who played a role in the killing, she said, will be prosecuted "to the full extent of federal law."

The department will seek to determine if the killing violated a 1994 law creating criminal penalties for violent or damaging conduct toward abortion providers and their patients.

Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams said his investigation of the case would continue and run parallel to the federal effort.

Dan Monnat, an attorney for the Tiller family, said he welcomes "any investigation that will assist in determining all persons who encouraged or assisted this horrible act and result in their prosecution."

Police have charged 51-year-old Scott Roeder with Tiller's death. After the killing, U.S. Marshals began providing security to some abortion providers and clinics around the country.

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Tiller's funeral is scheduled for Saturday, and U.S. Marshals spokesman Jeff Carter said federal deputies "are committed to ensuring every individual wishing to mourn Doctor Tiller's passing can do so in a safe and secure environment."

Roeder is charged with first-degree murder and is being held on $5 million bond at Sedgwick County Jail.

He called The Associated Press from the jail Thursday.

"I haven't been convicted of anything, and I am being treated as a criminal," Roeder said.

If convicted of the state murder charge, Roeder would face a mandatory life sentence and would not be eligible for parole for at least 25 years.

Steve Osburn, the lawyer representing Roeder in the state case, had no comment on word of the federal investigation.

___

Associated Press writer Roxana Hegeman in Wichita, Kan., contributed to this report.

Comments

[HHarvey]

By all means, open this Pandora Box.

[naschkatze]

What's the diff between an accomplice and an accessory? Accessories there certainly are.

[lilymarie14]

I'm not sure?

[RickCoMatic]

Provide perp with gun: Accessory

Drive getaway car: Accomplice

Urge the crime on your TV & Radio Show: Accessory before the fact! (Fox & Bill-O)

[fairandjust]

Operation Rescue and other Reproductive Health Harassers - say hello to the Patriot Act.

Others have pointed out that the Patriot Act and RICO is more than enough to stop this criminal behavior and Protect Women's Legal Choices.

Then I predict to hear a lot of whiners mewling about "rights" - when before they thought the Patriot Act was just the greatest.

Most important here - read the agonizing patient tributes to the very compassionate Dr. Tiller - like this one - for those who think only women make this decision so lightly.

"In 2002 I found out I was carrying triplets. My husband did not want me to have them." ... "I ended up having a great pregnancy and three healthy baby girls. I can never thank Dr. Tiller enough for sending me away that day."

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/patients-remember-dr-tiller/

[lilymarie14]

Great post. Thank you

[Prakosh]

The guy had $10 dollars and an old car and he worked minimum wage jobs sporadically yet he was driving all over the state of Kansas stalking Tiller. It is apparent someone was paying him or at least aiding him with enough financial help to allow his surveillance. At the same time he was widely seen by many who knew him as mentally unbalanced. He may have been set up by someone. And if he was it was Operation Rescue. It has already been established that he was in close contact with them and they were telling him where the doctor would be. They at least aided and abetted him in this crime and they should be charged.

[fairandjust]

All excellent points!

It does seem pretty obvious that he was getting financial assistance - and most probably from Operation Rescue Harassers and its members. I read somewhere that they guy had not had a job in many years. So where did he get the car, the cell phone?

[NoblesseOblige]

Exactly. Follow the money.

[solarian]

doj will screw this up like they usually do

[wdw505]

big deal

[VOTER]

Why has the State already taken the Death Penalty off the table?
Kansas is Death Penalty State.
Are they this generous with other murderers?

[JackND]

Because despite the law, in a state like Kansas, Scott Roeder is a hero to some 40%-70% of the population.

[wdw505]

ironic

laughing

[lilymarie14]

That's not why they wouldn't seek the death penalty.

[doneflyin]

Don't need to make a martyr out of him. Give him life without parole.

[AmericanWarrior]

You can start with FAKENEWS and the crew.

[toypiano]

The feds and the local police could have helped prevent the murder of this physician if they had investigated and prosecuted this suspect for the numerous federal crimes he allegedly committed over a period of 10 years and for which there is video evidence.

So will the DOJ investigate the FBI? And who investigates the DOJ? And while we're at it, what about the murder weapon -- where'd that gun come from and how did he get it?

Does anyone seriously believe that this entire investigation won't be just a quick and cursory CYA, and end with a finding of "inconclusive"?

[wdw505]

"where'd that gun come from and how did he get it?" a store..yea­rs ago...why?

[WierdWookie]

The Feds getting involved just as they should-could just bring these terrorists to justice.
We can't live in a free country as long as people following the law are killed by extreemists.
When everyone knows the truth about the killer's connections, we can open our eyes.

[fairandjust]

yes to all of the above.

These murders and bombers and harassers - are terrorists.

[rich misty]

The Feds really cannot ignore his connection with Operation Rescue. Within a couple of hours of this story breaking on the wire services, people here, at KOS and Democratic­undergroun­d had run searches on the Operation Rescue website cache (they scrubbed the site and then took it offline).

They pulled up a post from Scott Roeder in their "Tiller Watch" forum which I made sure was filed as a law enforcement tip:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5755669

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/5/31/737370/-What-Is-Operation-Rescue-Hiding

[toypiano]

Good on ya, rich misty. Thanks for the links. The feds should seize the computer networks of OR and mine the scrubbed data, asap. Something tells me they won't be looking too hard for evidence b/c they're in full CYA mode, though.

[VOTER]

Well done.

Thanks.

[lilymarie14]

Yes. Fav'd and Fan'd a long time ago

[RevBookburn]

Yes, the probe should be far-reaching. Let's finally act like deadly religious terrorists from this side of the world just might be a problem. And let's reopen Dr. Tiller's clinic. Rev. Bookburn - Radio Volta

[Abdi Warsame]

Madness,

[DubyaGump]

I hope they're probing billo

[GunneraGirl]

and ann coulter.

why isn't what these 'pundits' say and do considered a terroristic threat? they just arrested a guy in nyc for threatening sotomayor and arraigned him on charges of making a terroristic threat. so why does ann coulter get away with making statements that abortionist doctors should have a procedure done on them with a rifle?

i'm sick of it. this hate speech brings us all down, lowers standards across the country, and makes fools of us all. it's an indecency, an obscenity.

[hangdogit]

"State prosecutors have already ruled out seeking the death penalty against the accused gunman, but federal prosecutors did not rule out doing so as they announced their own investigat­ion."

The state may have, at a minimum, made its intentions known too early as far as ruling out a death penalty if he is found guilty. The murder was committed in a sacred place, which adds to its horrific nature.

Here in FL, the Reverend (yes, he was a Reverend!) Hill was executed for murdering a Dr who performed abortions. That does put a strong stamp of official disapproval on such acts and could deter others (although these types of crimes are done by people so deranged as to welcome martydom).

[Bobrobert]

This guy will probably be found not guilty...

There is a reason they call these guys wackos....

He doesn't think he did anything wrong and he will get off...

He lives in an alternate universe and knows he is a hero since the guy he killed did abortions.­..

As poorly rated as the justice department is I don't think they could get a prosecution with a complete confession and an entire chuch full of witnesses!!!

Face it... life has never been fair...



Kansas... where is Kansas anyway????

[Pleneras]

All you need is a witness to the crime and they have a handful. This country already find people guilty with circumstantial evidence, there is a load of that on him.

[toypiano]

Thanks to the FBI ignoring numerous federal crimes by Roeder and therefore enabling this murder, justice has already failed Dr. Tiller. But his murderer's conviction is hardly a lost cause. I'm sure the case will be politicized and it might be difficult to find an untainted judge and jury, but even with all that, just because an alleged murderer claims he did nothing wrong doesn't make it so.

Do you really not know where Kansas is or are you asking metaphorically? Physically, Kansas is a landlocked state near the center of the country. Metaphorically, it's in that alternate universe you mentioned.

There's an interesting book called "What's The Matter With Kansas?" that's worth checking out:
[from Wikipedia]
" 'What's the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America' (2004) is a book written by American journalist and historian Thomas Frank, which explores the rise of conservative populism in the United States through the lens of his native state of Kansas, which was once a hotbed of the left-wing Populist movement of the late nineteenth century, but has become overwhelmingly conservative in recent decades. It was published in the United Kingdom and Australia as 'What's the Matter with America?' "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What's_the_Matter_with_Kansas%3F

[Tim303]

"I am being treated like a criminal yet I haven't been convicted of anything."

Said the suspected terrorist at Guantanamo.

[Bobrobert]

Ok Ok Ok

So we made one little mistake...