Scott Roeder Court Video Shows Nonchalant Attitude
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Abortion, Law, VideoWatch the following video of George Tiller’s suspected murderer and tell me if you don’t see something wrong with this picture.
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that Roeder actually did kill Tiller. Does that guy look like he has even a shred of remorse? It sounds like he’s getting directions to a restaurant, not being informed of when his next court date is. Chilling stuff.
And, by the way, the folks at Operation Rescue supplied Roeder with information about Tiller’s court dates…
Roeder apparently kept track of the state prosecution against Tiller through a senior member of Operation Rescue, the anti-abortion organization.At the time of Roeder’s arrest Sunday afternoon along Interstate 35 in Johnson County, a television station captured the vehicle on video. There on the dashboard was a note that read “Cheryl†and “Op Rescue†with a phone number.
Cheryl Sullenger, senior policy adviser for Operation Rescue out of Wichita, said Tuesday that she has spoken to Roeder in the past, but she said he would initiate the contact. She said she hasn’t had any recent contact with him.
Sullenger served about two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to bomb an abortion clinic in California in 1988. She has since renounced violent action.
She said Roeder’s interest was in court hearings involving Tiller.
“He would call and say, ‘When does court start? When’s the next hearing?’ †Sullenger said. “I was polite enough to give him the information. I had no reason not to. Who knew? Who knew, you know what I mean?â€
Yes. Who knew?
More as it develops…
This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 and is filed under Abortion, Law, Video. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
June 4th, 2009 at 7:53 am
Well, in fairness to OR, they probably supplied information on court dates to several hundred people since their mission is to make life uncomfortable for people who don’t agree with them.
That doesn’t quite rise to the level of criminal conspiracy your post implies.
The only real question here is could they have anticipated that this guy was going to do with the information. How crazy did they think he was and how prone to committing such an act?
Now, from what I have read, a family member said he has had mental health problems for years, but was that apparant to OR and could they have a) negligently passed information to him allowing him to murder Tiller, or b) intentionally fed him information and aimed him at Tiller like a sniper aims a rifle.
B seems pretty improbable; A seems possible but it also requires that they knew he was likely to commit some act with that information and that doesn’t seem likely.
June 4th, 2009 at 8:26 am
gerryf-
Don’t you think at some point someone might have said. “You know I heard this guy was caught driving around with equipment to make bombs in his car?”
June 4th, 2009 at 10:48 am
“Nonchalant Attitude”
Well, let us talk about that. He is accused of murder, will plead not guilty (when the state gets around to getting him some “court appointed lawyer” who will just want to get him to plead guilty and to take whatever the state wants to deal out as punishment.
So…is he to come in all defiant, keeping a chip on his shoulder, screaming that the state and the republic are insane (for going along with the murder of millions of babies) all against him and that he is the one in the right? That he is the one protecting God’s children?
OR…maybe come in slobbing, sobbing and with his chin on his chest, try and elicid pity and ask for some kind of state administered salve to his soul or to just tell them to give him a quick and painful death?
Remorse…there are many faces to that.
Remorse for who?
or whom…?
For the children?
For the doctor?
For our Republic?
For our souls?
For the rule of law?
For me?
For you?
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
June 4th, 2009 at 11:23 am
word,
I don’t know–that was 16 years ago. How many people really knew he was driving around with things that could potentially be used for bombs 16 years ago?
How many people who knew Willam Ayers after 1970 knew he was wanted in connection with bombs until he wrote his memoirs in 2001? By all accounts, the most his casual acquaintences would have thought is “keep the super glue away from him”
Yes, his wife thought he was capable of murder, but most people didn’t.
I am pro-choice. I am not defending him; he’s a nut case and should be locked up, but holding OP responsible for his actions is a stretch unless you can show he had a propensity for violence.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I don’t think anyone is saying that they were responsible. I would say they are not innocent.
As to anyone knowing. I grew up in a small town in the Midwest and someone knows everything about everybody. Or they did where I came from.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
But OR is a not a small town…
How can I say this delicately? Imagine you are OR, and your base of support is made up of a very passionate, sometimes overzealous, fundamentalist Christians who believe with all their heart that Abortion is murder/sin.
We’re not talking your typical moderate conservative who idealolgically agrees with Pro-Life–we’re talking hardcore. Now, despite what you might think, these people are not a crazy rabble, but are very passionate and sincere.
This is not a small town where everyone knows everyone…they interact with probably thousands of people a year. How much is this guy going to stand out? OK, maybe he super glues more doors closed than most, but that hardly makes him a likely killer.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Well, in fairness to OR, they probably supplied information on court dates to several hundred people
Sullenger has now admitted daily phone contact with Roeder as part of her evolving story. Love to see her phone records. Do you think she personally supplied the court times/dates to several hundred people every day? Just askin’. In any case, in the same spirit of fairness to OR (whom for the record I’m not in the least emotionally inclined to be fair to, and hope are being scrutinized with an electron microscope by both state and federal authorities right now) while that daily contact could be evidence of a conspiracy, it is certainly not indicative of one by itself.
Roeder’s “justifiable homicide” advocacy was apparently known in the anti-abortion activist community. But even if it were demonstrably known to OR, your (b) would still be a tough case to prove in a criminal court without a fairly large pile of evidence re: intent and actions, which only an idiot would have left behind. Even if Roeder himself makes the claim, it would still be tough to prove to a jury without other substantiating evidence and/or witnesses, not just that of an accused murderer possibly seeking a deal. He said/she said.
Your (a) is quite possible (even quite likely) but does not indicate any intent on OR’s part. One can hardly breathe without doing something that an ill-intentioned person could use in pursuit of a criminal goal.
Fair enough?
June 4th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Justin: Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that Roeder actually did kill Tiller. Does that guy look like he has even a shred of remorse? It sounds like he’s getting directions to a restaurant, not being informed of when his next court date is. Chilling stuff.
I suspect Roeder thinks of himself as something akin to a suicide bomber, willingly sacrificing his own life (in a manner of speaking at least) to prevent Tiller from aborting any more babies. If that’s the case, his apparently nonchalant attitude makes perfect (if disturbing) sense, because as far as he’s concerned he’s already won his little part of the “war”.
June 4th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Yes, Tully, fair enough. You are obviously more up to date on this than I am. I was not aware Sullinger was in daily phone contact, or that Roeder’s “justifiable homicide” advocacy was well known among the Abti-abortion community.
As more becomes known, it certainly becomes more disturbing=guilty of conspiracy to commit murder? Probably not. Frighteningly negligent? Possible.
June 4th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Roeder has already complained to AP that he’s being treated like a criminal. Well, effing DUH.