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Abortion doctor's killer executedPaul Hill shows no remorse all the way to the end
STARKE, Florida (AP) -- 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, outside the Ladies Center in Pensacola. Barrett's wife, June, was wounded. Doctors who performed abortions were using escorts at the time because of the fear of violence from protesters. As he had 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 he lay 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 clinics where abortions are performed. The governor said he would not be "bullied" into stopping the execution. Clinics on alertFlorida abortion clinics and police were on heightened alert for reprisals. Several officials connected to the case received threatening letters accompanied by rifle bullets last week. "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.
Extra law enforcement officers, explosives-sniffing dogs and undercover officers were stationed outside Florida State Prison 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. Fringe elements of the anti-abortion movement that condone clinic violence invited attacks on Web sites that proclaim Hill as a martyr. "We know events can trigger acts of violence, and we know that those in the extreme wing of the anti-choice movement are predicting a backlash, and we know we need to take these people seriously," said Victoria Saporta of the National Abortion Federation. Members of the mainstream anti-abortion movement denounced the calls for violence. Most clinics that perform abortions in Florida reached by The Associated Press on Wednesday declined comment. McKenzie said security is always high at her firm's 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. Did not fight executionHill, a former Presbyterian minister, had final visits with family members. His religious adviser stayed with him until just before the execution. Hill was kicked out of his church for promoting violence against abortion providers.
Since losing his automatic appeals, Hill did not fight his execution and dismissed his attorneys long ago. He insisted 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." (Full story) 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 doctor who performed abortions was 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 a Buffalo, New York, abortion doctor in 1998, and fugitive Eric Rudolph was captured and charged with a 1998 bombing that killed an off-duty police officer at a women's health clinic in Birmingham, Alabama. Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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