Buffalo Abortionist Killer "Kopp"s a Guilty Plea

AP ^ | 11/20/02

[11th Earl of Mar]

By Associated Press

November 20, 2002, 7:16 AM EST

BUFFALO, N.Y. --

Anti-abortion militant James Kopp admitted killing a doctor who provided abortions, but maintains he only intended to wound him, he said in a jailhouse interview with The Buffalo News.

"The truth is not that I regret shooting Dr. (Barnett) Slepian. I regret that he died," Kopp told the newspaper in an interview published Wednesday. "I aimed at his shoulder. The bullet took a crazy ricochet, and that's what killed him. One of my goals was to keep Dr. Slepian alive, and I failed at that goal."

Kopp, 47, said his outrage over abortion prompted him to shoot Slepian on Oct. 23, 1998, as the doctor warmed soup in the kitchen of his suburban Amherst home.

Kopp quickly became one of the FBI's most-wanted fugitives and was captured in France in March 2001. He has pleaded innocent to charges of second-degree murder and interfering with the right to an abortion and is scheduled to go on trial in February.

He told the newspaper he decided to make a public confession because he believes his supporters have been misled, and he wants them to know the reasons behind his actions. He also said he feels sorrow for Slepian's wife and four sons.

"To pick up a gun and aim it at another human being and to fire, it's not a human thing to do," Kopp said. "It's not nice. It's not pleasant. It's gory, it's bloody. It overcomes every human instinct.

"The only thing that would be worse, to me, would be to do nothing, and to allow abortions to continue."

Kopp said he selected Slepian's name out of a telephone book and that he had never read any news accounts about Slepian or ever participated in Buffalo protests before the shooting. No one in the Buffalo anti-abortion community recommended Slepian as a target, he told The Buffalo News.

Kopp said he targeted Slepian largely because his home was "vulnerable" because it had a rear window facing some woods.

Kopp said he scouted Slepian's neighborhood about six times over the course of a year before the attack. Twice, Kopp had his gun and was ready to shoot if he saw Slepian at the rear window, he said.

Kopp told the newspaper he shot the physician in the back of his left shoulder and was "horrified" when he later learned that the bullet glanced off a bone and caused internal injuries that killed the doctor.

"I didn't intend to kill Dr. Slepian," Kopp said. "Why do you think I used force against Dr. Slepian when he was within 10 hours of taking the lives of 25 babies? The question answers itself."

Kopp spoke with two reporters from The Buffalo News in the Erie County Holding Center last week with his new attorney, Bruce A. Barket.

Kopp's admission and his anti-abortion views are expected to be the basis of his defense, when his murder trial begins in Erie County Court.

Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press

[DonQ]

There's at least one problem with Kopp's "confession" -- Kopp claims he picked Slepian's name & address out of the phone book -- but Dr Slepian was very careful about having an unlisted phone. Only his staff and trusted friends had his phone number, and some of them never had his address.

No, Kopp had a local accomplice who provided him with info gotten from stalking Slepian. But Kopp comes up with this lie to conceal the accomplice(s).

[truth defector]

Something sounds fishy here! Is the guy psychotic? Some confessions are for publicity. What about the alleged frame up?

[oldfart]

I guess I'm just not that good a Christian. I figure that if the liberals can get away with treating the Bill of Rights like a smorgasbord, picking and choosing which parts they want to honor, I can do the same with the Ten Commandments. Granted, I may have to explain my actions to The Highest Authority someday, but that's my decision and my problem. But then, having had children murdered by some of these animals, I just might be a bit harsher in my feelings than those who have only an academic interest in the subject.

[RJCogburn]

Good point. There certainly seems to be more to the story.

[Marianne]

Thank you for the ping.
As you can imagine the local TV and radio are giving this extensive coverage.
We have 2 local call-in radio programs; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The topic today, of course, was the "confession".
On the 6:00 PM newscast a local reporter, from our ABC affiliate, interviewed Mr. Barket in New York City. The following is a transcript of the interview:

"Andrew Siff: 'James Kopp's lawyer was present when he confessed to details of the shooting. Kopp's lawyer, Bruce Barket, was in New York City today defending a Brooklyn couple accused of harboring and assisting Kopp. He spoke extensively about Kopp's decision to come forward.'

Bruce Barket: 'He strongly believed it was the correct thing to do. He wanted to put to rest the what and why of October 23rd, 1998.'

Siff: 'Barket insists, despite Kopp's admission, he is not guilty not only of intentional murder but of any crime. He insists it's a justified action taken to advance the cause of the pro-life movement.'

Barket: 'Jim Kopp's defense will be centered upon the right-to-life for every citizen in this country, including the unborn. His actions were premised upon his understanding that unborn children are just that, children and I think he should be acquitted.'

Siff:' Barket also insists just because Kopp is now admitting details of the shooting that doesn't mean he'll take the stand at his own trial.'

Barket: 'Whether he testifies or not is something that remains to be seen. That's a decision I don't have to make for many months now, so I'll wait to make it.' "

I don't believe any jury will acquit James Kopp and the right-to-life cause has suffered a major blow because of his actions.

[11th Earl of Mar]

'Jim Kopp's defense will be centered upon the right-to-life for every citizen in this country, including the unborn.

So according to Kopp, if a liberal disagrees with the military action about to take place in Iraq, the liberal is free to shoot the Army general who lives next door?

"I only killed the general because I was trying to save innocent civilians..."

[sinkspur]

No, Kopp had a local accomplice who provided him with info gotten from stalking Slepian. But Kopp comes up with this lie to conceal the accomplice(s.

You and Marianne have defended this cretin, and you continue to do so.

What in the hell is the matter with you?

The SOB admitted to the murder! There was no accomplice, there was only Kopp.

Sheesh! Get over your love-affair with Kopp!

[TexanAmerican]

As for this prolifer, I feel the death penalty would be in order.

\\\\\\\\\\
I believe that part of the extradition agreement with France was that the Death Penalty would be taken off the table.

[RJCogburn]

I fail to see how speculating about an accomplice in any way defends Kopp.

Please enlighten me.

[sinkspur]

I fail to see how speculating about an accomplice in any way defends Kopp.

An "accomplice" is just the latest theory in DonQ's mission to exhonorate Kopp.

Kopp has been lionized by some in the pro-life movement, and they just can't bring themselves to believe that he is actually a cold-blooded murderer.

Even when he, himself, confirms it for them.

[glc1173@aol.com]

"The theory that human problems are resolved by killing is false."

If the American colonists hadn't done "killing," you probably wouldn't even be in the U.S. - as your ancestors probably came after the U.S. got its freedom from Britain by killing enough Brits. There are some problems that just cannot be solved without violence.

[sinkspur]

There are some problems that just cannot be solved without violence.

Like abortion?

Violence against abortionists is contrary to Christian law, and any other law.

It is also counterproductive to changing the hearts of those who are pro-choice.

Violence is a fools errand.

[muawiyah]

Some of my people came here before the Spanish arrived on their funny little boats. Then there were the Ports and French, and a few others. All got here quite early.

No doubt your folks were on the WRONG side in the Pequod War. Now that's one where all the issues are not yet resolved.

BTW, there's a "self defense" exception well recognized in the killing business. If you think it's OK to run around killing your neighbors, they are entitled to defend themselves against you up to and including the point where you are no longer able to attack them. That could include your death although that is sometimes not required. It's part of the reason we don't just execute all POWs at the conclusion of the war.

My point is and remains that it is false to believe that death resolves issues, particularly when the believer is targeting the innocent.

[11th Earl of Mar]

There are some problems that just cannot be solved without violence.

So you believe that liberals should be free to kill members of the US Armed Forces, based on their belief of saving innocent lives?

And did you also defend Kathleen Soliah, aka Sara Olson, the Symbanese Liberation Army mother convicted of planting a bomb beneath the car of a policeman and of killing a [Christian] woman during a bank robbery?

[E Rocc]

There are some problems that just cannot be solved without violence.

So you believe that liberals should be free to kill members of the US Armed Forces, based on their belief of saving innocent lives?

And did you also defend Kathleen Soliah, aka Sara Olson, the Symbanese Liberation Army mother convicted of planting a bomb beneath the car of a policeman and of killing a [Christian] woman during a bank robbery?

It sounds like a pretty good justification for Hamas and its ilk too.

-Eric

[dmz]

you are every bit as evil as the abortionist you claim to despise, you see profit in murder.

[sinkspur]

I'll take that kind of return on equity any day of the week.

And, if murder is your method of securing that kind of profit, you will go to hell for it.

Even Flip Benham, head of Operation Rescue and who is a taco short of a combination plate, condemned Kopp.

The fact that there are people on Free Republic who laud him in a back-handed way indicates that they are not, in fact, pro-life.

[sinkspur]

There are many more people on Free Republic who support the muder of innocent people in Iraq.

A strawman, and you know it, but, nice try anyway.

Innocents who die in war are not "murdered." The Catholic Just War Doctrine teaches this.

Try again.