Abortion Doctor’s Murderer Denied Early Parole
November 1st, 2017 by Jake Stofan
The man credited as the first anti-abortion extremist to murder an abortion doctor was denied an early release at his first parole hearing Wednesday, after serving 25 years behind bars.
Michael Griffin was the first person convicted of murdering an abortion provider. The year was 1993. Griffin’s victim Dr. David Gunn. He was shot in the back multiple times.
The Pensacola man was sentenced to life in prison, which at the time was a minimum 25 years.
His act has since inspired nearly a dozen similar murders across the country. Numerous bombings and arsons were also directed at abortion providers.
Dr. Gunn’s son and daughter drove 5 hours from Birmingham Alabama to testify at Griffin’s first parole hearing. His daughter Wedny Gunn-Bowman fought back tears as she begged the panel to deny an early release.
“This is who he could have been a grandfather to. He never got to meet this person because of what this man did to us and what he took from us,” she said while holding up a photo of her child.
Dr. Gunn’s son, David Gunn Jr. called Griffin a terrorist. Warning an early release could set a precedent, encouraging others to carry out attacks on abortion providers.
“Every killer that has taken the same action that he took has cited him as an influence,” Gunn said.
Griffin’s mother and one of his supporters were scheduled to make an appearance at the hearing, but they never showed up.
A letter was sent before the hearing by the supporter Lannie Mercer, in which she highlighted Griffin’s participation in church programs in the prison.
She called his imprisonment a waste of tax dollars and claimed he needed and deserved a second chance.
The board decided to delay Griffin’s next interview until 2024, it’s the harshest penalty they could legally impose on him.
In Giffins next interview, the parole board can choose to extend or reduce his scheduled parole date. Currently he’s slated for release in 2043.
Griffin has 60 days to appeal the board’s decision.
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