Scott P. Roeder charged with the murder of George Tiller

By Justin Kendall in Follow That Story, News

Tue., Jun. 2 2009 @ 3:30PM

Scott Roeder

Scott P. Roeder was charged with the first-degree murder of Wichita doctor George Tiller, the Wichita Eagle reports. Roeder was also charged with armed criminal action and ordered not to have any contact with the men he's accused of pointing a gun at after allegedly shooting Tiller.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 16.

Wichita Eagle reporter Ron Sylverster's writes on his Twitter that District Attorney Nola Foulston is explaining why this case doesn't meet the requirements for the death penalty.

Here's what else we found out today:

The office manager of Central Family Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas, claims Roeder glued the clinic's locks shut twice in the last month, including the day before Roeder allegedly assassinated Tiller. A police report was filed and the FBI contacted (the license plate number given to the FBI matched the one police were looking for following Tiller's killing).

Crime Scene KC has a 1986 photo of Tiller after his clinic was bombed. They also link to a story in the Guardian that highlights why Tiller was so committed to his work.

This morning's Kansas City Star story is also a must read. Snip:

Scott Roeder's beliefs also came up in a custody battle in Pennsylvania. In 2003, Roeder sued for the right to visit a girl born the previous year. Roeder said he was the girl's father.

The girl's mother and her husband told the court they felt Roeder would not be a good influence on the child.

According to a court ruling filed in 2005, Roeder was earlier diagnosed with schizophrenia "for which he takes no medication, which may pose a clear and present danger to the female minor child."

Roeder's ex-wife talks with KCTV-5 on camera.

Josh Rosenau with Thoughts From Kansas files an extremely thoughtful essay.

Tiller's church, Wichita's Reformation Lutheran Church, also issued a statment.

Operation Rescue's Web site is back online.