Anti-abortion activist on trial for anthrax hoax
Sunday, November 23, 2003 Posted: 10:30 AM EST (1530 GMT)
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A self-described anti-abortion
"terrorist" accused of sending hundreds of anthrax hoax letters to women's
clinics discovered during his trial that one of the letters went to a group
that counsels women against abortion.
Clayton Lee Waagner, who is acting as his own attorney, learned Friday that
the Pregnancy Resource Clinic of North Penn does not provide abortions.
Denise Orlowski, who opened a powder-filled letter sent to the clinic under
the name "Army of God" on October 16, 2001, testified that she had heard of
the Army of God from an anti-abortion news service.
"So you're familiar with my name as a radical who fights to stop abortion?"
Waagner asked Orlowski.
Orlowski seemed angry as she replied, "I believe we both can agree that
abortion is murder, but I don't agree with the methods the Army of God
uses."
Other witnesses testified that an ophthalmologist and a psychologist also
received the bogus threat letters, apparently because their names were
mistakenly listed in the Yellow Pages under "abortion providers."
Waagner, 47, previously had claimed responsibility for the letters, but also
suggested it was possible he lied about his involvement to take the pressure
off other anti-abortion activists.
Waagner already is serving a 30-year jail term for weapons violations, and
other charges are pending in several states. He was on the FBI's most wanted
list when he was arrested in Ohio in December after 10 months on the run
following his escape from an Illinois jail.
Prosecutors said that during his flight, Waagner mailed at least 550
threatening letters -- all claiming that the powder was anthrax. Some
contained flour and others contained an insecticide harmless to humans that
can create a false-positive test result for anthrax.
FBI agents said the stolen Mercedes-Benz that Waagner was driving at the
time of his arrest was stocked with envelopes and threatening form letters
purportedly from the "Army of God," along with a bag of the type of
insecticide found in some letters.
The trial continues Monday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Taking advantage of paranoia! |
24 Nov 2003 08:12:20 PM |
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In article <3fc1e2fd$1@fnewsb.telia.net>, "WH" <bollogs@hotmail.com> wrote:
Anti-abortion activist on trial for anthrax hoax
Sunday, November 23, 2003 Posted: 10:30 AM EST (1530 GMT)
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A self-described anti-abortion
"terrorist" accused of sending hundreds of anthrax hoax letters to women's
clinics discovered during his trial that one of the letters went to a group
that counsels women against abortion.
Ooops!
Clayton Lee Waagner, who is acting as his own attorney, learned Friday that
the Pregnancy Resource Clinic of North Penn does not provide abortions.
Geez. Why do people insist on representing themselves at criminal trials - they
nearly always end up with a crappy defense!
Woods
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