Man Who Killed Abortion Doctor Executed

By RON WORD, Associated Press Writer

STARKE, Fla. - Paul Hill, a former minister who said he murdered an abortion doctor and his bodyguard to save the lives of unborn babies, was executed Wednesday by injection. He was the first person put to death in the United States for anti-abortion violence.

Hill, 49, was condemned for the July 29, 1994, shooting deaths of Dr. John Bayard Britton and his bodyguard, retired Air Force Lt. Col. James Herman Barrett, and the wounding of Barrett's wife outside the Ladies Center in Pensacola.

As he has since the slaying, Hill showed no remorse and urged abortion foes to use whatever means to protect the unborn.

"If you believe abortion is a lethal force, you should oppose the force and do what you have to do to stop it," Hill said as laid strapped to a gurney in the execution chamber. "May God help you to protect the unborn as you would want to be protected."

Hill was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m., Gov. Jeb Bush's office said.

Death penalty opponents and others had urged Bush to halt the execution, some of them warning Hill's death would make him a martyr and unleash more violence against abortion clinics. The governor said he would not be "bullied" into stopping the execution.

Florida abortion clinics and police were on heightened alert for reprisals. Several officials connected to the case received threatening letters last week, accompanied by rifle bullets.

"Paul Hill is a dangerous psychopath," said Marti McKenzie, spokeswoman for Dr. James S. Pendergraft, who runs clinics in Orlando, Ocala, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale.

Outside Florida State Prison, extra law enforcement officers, explosives-sniffing dogs and undercover officers were in place to prevent protests from getting out of hand. About 50 abortion and death penalty foes quickly left following the execution as rain fell and lighting struck near the prison.

Hill, a former Presbyterian minister, had final visits with family members and his religious adviser stayed with him until just before the execution.

Since losing his automatic appeals, Hill has not fought his execution and insisted up to the day before his death that he would be forgiven by God for killing to save the unborn.

"I expect a great reward in heaven," he said in an interview Tuesday, during which he was cheerful, often smiling. "I am looking forward to glory."

Fringe elements of the anti-abortion movement that condone clinic violence have invited attacks on Web sites that proclaim Hill as a martyr. Members of the mainstream anti-abortion movement have denounced the calls for violence.

Most abortion clinics in Florida reached by The Associated Press on Wednesday declined comment. McKenzie said security is always high at their clinics, but they are particularly cautious now because of Hill's call for people to follow his actions.

"The bottom line is when you work in the industry you're aware those people are out there every single day," she said.

Inspired by the 1993 shooting death of another abortion doctor in Pensacola, Hill purchased a new shotgun and went to a gun range to practice. The morning of the murders, as Britton and the Barretts entered the clinic parking lot, Hill shot James Barrett in the head and upper body. He then reloaded and fired again, hitting Britton in the head and arm. June Barrett was wounded in the arm.

Hill put down the shotgun because he did not want to get shot by police. When officers arrested him minutes later, he said, "I know one thing, no innocent babies are going to be killed in that clinic today."

Hill was the 57th inmate executed since Florida resumed executions in 1979 and the third in Florida this year.

The killings of Britton and Barrett happened during a time of increased violence at clinics nationwide.

Another abortion doctor had been killed in Pensacola in 1993 by Michael Griffin, who is serving a life sentence. Two receptionists were killed at Boston-area abortion clinics in 1994 by John Salvi, who committed suicide in prison two years later.

Earlier this year, James Kopp was convicted of killing an Buffalo, N.Y., abortion doctor in 1998, while fugitive Eric Rudolph was captured and charged with a 1998 bombing that killed an off-duty police officer at an Alabama abortion clinic.


http://www.comcast.net/Ne...b6ebd.html

Shortly before his execution, Hill released a statement to the press saying that he would be leaving the Org forever, citing rampant depravity as the reason and claiming that he would be moving on to greener pastures.

Anxiety said:

interestingly, i haven't heard much follow-up on his statement about getting his reward in heaven.


people were all over the 9-11 hijackers for believing the same thing, but a jesus-freak on the same bent doesn't get any commentary on the same subject.

Anxiety said:

you are so silly!

This sickens me to no end. It's repulsive when people take the word of their God, (Christian or other), and try to justify their actions by it. This is murder. No ifs, ands or buts about it. If abortion is a sin, then God.. depending on your OWN personal beliefs, will deal with you as He/She sees fit. Wars, murder, abuse, etc..all done in the name of a God? Not to make light of this situation, but where do people get off thinkng they have more power than God? For instance when you get "church members" coming to your door and telling you that you need to go to church. Well if God hasn't gotten my butt in there yet, what makes you that you can? I am catholic, believe in God and have my own personal relationship with him. I question and will continue to question many things considered sinful. But for my own understanding and spiritual inlightenment. Not to inject or 'beat' them into others. Thou shalt not murder..perhaps the 'so called priest' missed that one.



Nevermind the nevermind edit. :LOL:
[This message was edited Wed Sep 3 18:45:52 PDT 2003 by Chico319]

Anxiety said:

Easily the funniest post of the month

How this man is viewed as a hero makes no fuckin sense... He was so against people killing babies so he killed the doc and his bodyguard... hypocrite...

Chico319 said:

Well said my friend.

I appreciate that the legal system worked against this man, and that crimes of this nature are (finally) being prosecuted as they should be. Regardless of what you personally think of abortion, in this country it is a legal, safe medical procedure between a woman and her doctor. These "vigilantes" need to work through the legal system for the results they want--or even better, go adopt some abandoned crack babies and do some good.

I personally wish he'd been forced to live the remainder of his life in prison. I think that would be a far worse punishment.

Chico319 said:

Well said!

I too am Catholic and I am pro - choice, what ever you do in this life is between you and God no one else. That said I do not believe in the death penalty. This man was murdered the same as his victims

It is indeed good news.

Abortion is legal in this country. The decision to continue or stop a pregnancy is not this man's. If he truly believed in Judement then he would have let judgement lie with the one who rightfully has the ability to judge...and it's not him.

AaronSuperior said:

And the reason I say that these people are just as dangerous. All it takes is a spark to ignite the religious right wackos that live in the south (predominantly there but other places too) to flip out and carry out God's justice.

Just Look how the people were screaming and freaking out over the 10 commandments if you want to be concerned with their reaction to abortion...

He was wrong for taking someone's life who believed in stopping life(abortion), so we took his life.
That'll teach the kids the right way to do something.

CtheUncanny said:

There are laws in this country that prescribe the death penalty for certain offenses... he committed one of those offenses and was punished accordingly. Maybe we are teaching our kids that you shouldn't kill people unless you want to be killed in return.

Anxiety said:

AnotherLoverToo said:

I agree.

Abrazo said:

I could go with that, as long as he was forced to work to pay for his food, shelter, clothing and all related care.

A murderer who claims to be "pro-life."

Got no sympathy for the guy...

.
[This message was edited Thu Sep 4 6:20:54 PDT 2003 by teller]

IceNine said:

Did he pay for the costs of his execution, and all the court costs leading up to it? (I'm not trying to be antagonistic, I'm honestly asking.)

Anxiety said:

I sincerely hope so, but I really doubt it... I think that they should force prisoners to work until they make enough money to pay for their execution.

Sweeny79 said:

Co-sign and re-sign!

In closing on the subject, eating Sushi makes me no more Japanese then does going to a church make me a Christian! It doesn't take brain science to see that I can proclaim I am doing anything in the name of God. Does not mean it was sanctioned by God. Unbalanced in the name of any group is just that. Unbalanced!

teller said:

In this case it's all in the timing

IceNine said:

I wonder if Hill didn't think he was doing the same thing to the doctor.

IceNine said:

well, i am not really a big believer in capital punishment... but... good.

Anxiety said:

CtheUncanny said:

He very well might have... unfortunately for him, abortion is legal, whereas murdering a doctor is not.

<--- wishes he could be there when the murderer wakes up, much to his surprise, in HELL


i meant murderer, not doctor
[This message was edited Thu Sep 4 7:24:17 PDT 2003 by teller]

teller said:

i can make it happen for you
you weren't gonna finish that soul anyway, were you?
[This message was edited Thu Sep 4 7:27:45 PDT 2003 by cborgman]