If you’re an occasional reader of this blog, you’ll know that I had a bit of a fascination with the Scott Roeder murder trial. Convicted in late January of murdering abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, Roeder was sentenced recently to life in prison, with his earliest opportunity for parole being in fifty years… the harshest possible sentence he could have received. Since Roeder is 52, it’s entirely probable that he will spend the rest of his life in jail.

My interest in the case existed on several levels. One, as someone who worked in an abortion clinic for several years, the stark reality that someone could be murdered for providing this service hit close to home. Two, the particular type of defense that Roeder’s attorney’s attempted was so offensive and dangerous that, if it had worked, could have meant that it was “open season” on abortion providers.

Thankfully, Roeder was convicted and sentenced severely, though I guess it remains to be seen whether his punishment will act as a deterrent for other like-minded individuals… or if these people are so far gone that there’s not really anything that anyone can do that would act as a deterrent for them.

Several days before Roeder’s sentencing, there was an interesting article on Huffington Post, stating that, no matter what punishment Roeder received, he, along with the anti-choicers, “won.” The rationale behind this argument was that Roeder set out to do two things: stop Dr. Tiller and cease the performing of later-term abortions in the state. In both of his missions, he succeeded.

In the wake of Dr. Tiller’s death, a few abortion providers spoke up, saying that they’d seek to continue the work that Tiller did and open a new clinic in Kansas. As of this writing, none of these plans have come to fruition. And the Kansas legislature is in the process of attempting to tighten restrictions on later-term abortions in the state, which could make it almost impossible for another provider to open a clinic like the one Dr. Tiller operated. The result, of course, is that women who used to have access to a legal medical procedure now must travel a great distance (and, in many of these cases, this is a distance they can’t afford to travel) in order to get the procedure they need.

So, now that this ordeal has mostly come to a close, we can and should cheer the fact that Scott Roeder will spend the rest of his life behind bars (and hope that he will, one day, come to feel some remorse for his senseless and despicable crime)… but I also think it’s necessary to reflect on what the loss of Dr. Tiller has meant. Obviously, to his family, the loss is a pain that they must deal with every day, in deep and powerful ways that can never be matched by those who only know of the doctor and didn’t actually know him. But it’s not just his family that feels his loss. Countless women, is desperate need of help, do too. And as it seems less and less likely that Tiller’s clinic will ever be replaced in Kansas, well… it means that there’s one less place for women to turn to. Which, I would guess, is not something Dr. Tiller would have wanted.

Julie Burkhart, who worked with George Tiller for eight years, recently wrote a powerful blog reflecting on his life and legacy in the wake of Roeder’s sentencing. I highly recommend checking it out here.

Do you have any thoughts on Roeder’s sentencing or what will happen to Dr. Tiller’s legacy? Post them in the comments!

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