scott roeder

Scott Roeder, left, being transported by police on Sunday, May 31, 2009, in New Century, Kan. AP Photo/Ed Zurga

 

By Frank James

Seeking to his explain his actions, the family of Scott Roeder, the man accused of killing physician Dr. George Tiller who provided controversial abortion services, says he has suffered from mental illness.

This from the Topeka Capital-Journal:

The ex-wife of a man accused in the shooting death of abortionist George Tiller on Sunday said her ex-husband had undergone a mental evaluation in the mid-1990s and that although he never thought he was mentally unstable, "everyone else did."


"He just felt these were his views," she said. "His anti-abortion rhetoric was very strong. He followed the view of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."


Those memories echoed a statement on Monday from Roeder's family. Scott Roeder's brother David told The Topeka Capital-Journal the family never foresaw anything like what happened Sunday.


"We are shocked, horrified and filled with sadness at the death of Dr. Tiller and the circumstances surrounding it that may have involved Scott Roeder," the statement began. "We know Scott as a kind and loving son, brother and father who suffered from mental illness at various times in his life. However, none of us ever saw Scott as a person capable of or willing to take another person's life. Our deepest regrets, prayers and sympathy go out to the Tiller family during this terrible time."

Frank Morris, of NPR member station KCUR, has a report on All Things Considered from Wichita, Kansas with more reaction to Tiller's murder.

An excerpt from his report:

Roeder's 51 years old, and pretty well known around Kansas, at least on the front lines of the abortion issue. Some of his fellow anti-abortion activists say Roeder believes in "justifiable homicide". The Wichita Eagle found a website posting where he called Tiller " the concentration camp 'Mengele' of our day", arguing that Tiller quote "needs to be stopped".

Meanwhile, condemnation of the manner of Tiller's death continued to pour in. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement from Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the bishop's Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

"Our bishops' conference and all its members have repeatedly and publicly denounced all forms of violence in our society, including abortion as well as the misguided resort to violence by anyone opposed to abortion," Cardinal Rigali said. "Such killing is the opposite of everything we stand for, and everything we want our culture to stand for: respect for the life of each and every human being from its beginning to its natural end. We pray for Dr. Tiller and his family."

categories: Crime

4:25 - June 1, 2009

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