Jun 5, 2009 3:30 pm US/Central
Fed To Probe Killing Of Kans. Abortion Doctor
Justice Department To Investigate Dr. George Tiller's Case
Scott Roeder, 51, Being Held On Murder Charges
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) ―
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In this photo provided by the Wichita Police Department on June 3, 2009, Scott Roeder, 51, is seen in his booking photo in Wichita, Kansas. Roeder was charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Dr. George Tiller, a late term abortion doctor.
Handout/Getty Images
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Dea Deujsch (C) participates in a candle light vigil for Dr. George Tiller in Old Town May 31, 2009, in Wichita, Kansas.
Kelly Glasscock/Getty Images
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Dr. George Tiller was fatally shot on May 31, 2009, inside the foyer at Reformation Lutheran Church during morning church services.
Kelly Glasscock/Getty Images
The Justice Department on Friday opened an investigation into the killing of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller to see whether the accused gunman had accomplices.
The department will investigate possible federal crimes in connection with Dr. Tiller's slaying at his church on Sunday in Wichita. State prosecutors have already ruled out seeking the death penalty against the accused gunman, but federal prosecutors did not rule out doing so as they announced their own investigation.
"The Department of Justice will work tirelessly to determine the full involvement of any and all actors in this horrible crime," said Loretta King, head of the department's civil rights division.
Anyone who played a role in the killing, she said, will be prosecuted "to the full extent of federal law."
The department will seek to determine if the killing violated a 1994 law creating criminal penalties for violent or damaging conduct toward abortion providers and their patients.
Police have charged 51-year-old Scott Roeder with Tiller's death. After the killing, U.S. Marshals began providing security to some abortion providers and clinics around the country.
Tiller's funeral is scheduled for Saturday, and U.S. Marshals spokesman Jeff Carter said federal deputies "are committed to ensuring every individual wishing to mourn Doctor Tiller's passing can do so in a safe and secure environment."
Roeder is charged with first-degree murder and is being held on $5 million bond at Sedgwick County Jail.
He called The Associated Press from the jail Thursday.
"I haven't been convicted of anything, and I am being treated as a criminal," Roeder said.
If convicted of the state murder charge, Roeder would face a mandatory life sentence and would not be eligible for parole for at least 25 years.
Steve Osburn, the lawyer representing Roeder in the state case, had no comment on word of the federal investigation.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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