Man Plans EBay Auction to Fund Defense of Accused Murderer

WICHITA, KS -- An anti-abortion activist is planning an online auction to help support the defense of Scott Roeder.

Roeder, 51, is accused of entering the Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas on May 31 and fatally shooting abortion provider Dr. George Tiller.

Immediately following the shooting anti-abortion extremists called Roeder a "hero to thousands of babies."

Dave Leach hopes those same people will bid on his eBay auction.

"Abortion does kill an actual living human being, whose life is worth being saved. That's a fact issue," said Leach.

Leach plans to launch an eBay auction to raise money to get Roeder a better attorney.

A public defender represents Roeder currently.

Leach believes a private attorney could get Roeder an acquittal, based on the necessity defense.

"The necessity defense is the only thing that allows the letter of the law to be set aside in situations where the author of the law never would have intended it to be enforced," said Leach.

According to U.S. criminal law, the necessity defense argues the defendant should not be held liable for their crime, because it was necessary to prevent greater harm.

That defense did not work for Shelley Shannon.

Shannon tried to kill George Tiller in 1993.

Instead, she shot Tiller in the arm.

Shannon was convicted of attempted murder, and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Leach plans to auction prison cookbooks by Shelley Shannon, as well as drawings from Roeder in his online auction.

eBay will not reveal if they will allow Leach's website.

However, a company spokesperson says they do not allow listings that promote or glorify violence, hate, race or religious intolerance.

Roeder's trial is set to start in January.

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