Scott Roeder, 51, of Kansas City, Mo. was found guilty of premeditated, first-degree murder today in the May 31 shooting death of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller.
Roeder said he killed the doctor because he wanted to save the lives of unborn children.
Only taking the jury 37 minutes to deliberate, Roeder faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years when he is sentenced March 9. However prosecutor Nola Foulston is pursuing a “Hard 50” sentence, which would require Roeder to serve at least 50 years before he can be considered for parole.
Speaking of his cold blooded deed, Roeder stated before he went to trial and in court that he shot Tiller in the head in the foyer of the Wichita church where the doctor was serving as an usher. He testified he felt the lives of unborn children were in “immediate danger” because of Tiller.
“Those children were in immediate danger if someone did not stop George Tiller. They were going to continue to die. The babies were going to continue to die.”
He also was convicted of aggravated assault for pointing a gun at two ushers after the shooting.
