Police reject pro-life
group’s allegations

By Julie Foster

The Amherst Police Department in New York State says an anti-abortion group’s accusations that law enforcement is trying to frame an accused abortionist killer responded to the group’s report yesterday, calling the accusation “ridiculous.”

Commander Joseph B. Scioli of the Amherst Detective Bureau made the comment. Scioli wrote the department’s affidavit in support of extraditing James Kopp from France. Kopp is the primary suspect in the killing of abortionist Dr. Barnet Slepian on Oct. 23, 1998. The suspect was on the run from law enforcement for two years, eventually fleeing to France, where the extradition process is relatively complicated.

As reported by WorldNetDaily, the anti-abortion group Life Dynamics released a report this week detailing its theory that Kopp is being framed by the FBI. Scioli dismissed the group’s report and noted the Amherst Police Department has “organized, conducted and supervised all searches at the crime scene – all searches.”

Life Dynamics asserted in its report that the FBI may have illegally planted evidence it collected from Kopp’s friend. The evidence – personal items of Kopp’s buried at the crime scene – was found about two weeks after the murder.

Scioli also said the APD requested the FBI’s help on the case.

“The Amherst Police contacted the New York State Police and the FBI and asked them to assist us in the investigation into the Slepian murder,” he said, adding the requests were made within 24 hours of the shooting.

“Without the cooperation of all the agencies, this case would not have been solved,” he said.

Related story:

Abortionist-killer suspect framed?

Julie Foster

Julie Foster is a contributing reporter for WorldNetDaily. Read more of Julie Foster's articles here.