Abortion Opponent Accused in Slaying of New York Doctor
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BUFFALO, N.Y. — An abortion foe who is the subject of an international manhunt was charged with murder Thursday in the slaying of a doctor who was cut down in his kitchen by a sniper’s bullet.
Federal and state arrest warrants were issued for James C. Kopp, 44, of St. Albans, Vt. His whereabouts are unknown.
“We have probable cause to believe this man, James Kopp, is responsible for the death of Dr. Barnett Slepian,” FBI agent Bernard Tolbert said.
Investigators have been searching for Kopp since shortly after the Oct. 23 slaying. Up until Thursday, however, they had described him only as a material witness wanted for questioning--not a suspect.
In addition to a state charge of murder, Kopp faces a federal charge of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act by using deadly force against an abortion doctor. Both charges carry up to life in prison. The newly filed charges will intensify the ongoing international search, Tolbert said.
In response to the new charges, Canadian officials confirmed that Kopp is a suspect in sniper shootings that injured abortion providers in November in Vancouver, British Columbia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Hamilton, Ontario.
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