Paul Jennings Hill | |
|---|---|
 Hill'sFDOC photo | |
| Born | (1954-02-06)February 6, 1954 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | September 3, 2003(2003-09-03) (aged 49) |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Occupation | Minister (defrocked) |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Spouse | Karen Demuth Hill |
| Children | 3 |
| Motive | Anti-abortion violence |
| Convictions | First degree murder (2 counts) Attempted first degree murder Shooting or throwing a deadly missile |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Date | July 29, 1994 |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Pensacola, Florida |
| Target | John Britton |
| Killed | Dr. John Bayard Britton, 69 James Herman Barrett, 74 |
| Injured | June Barrett, 68 |
| Weapons | Mossberg Model 500A12-gaugepump-action shotgun |
Paul Jennings Hill (February 6, 1954 – September 3, 2003) was an American minister, religious extremist, andanti-abortion terrorist who murdered physicianJohn Britton and Britton's bodyguard, retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel James Barrett, in 1994.[1][2] Hill was sentenced todeath by lethal injection and was executed on September 3, 2003.[3]
Paul Hill was born inMiami, Florida, on February 6, 1954, to Oscar Jennings Hill, an airline pilot, and his wife Louise. He was raised inCoral Gables, Florida. At the age of 17, Hill was charged with the assault of his father when his parents attempted to get him treatment for hisdrug problem. Hill said he experienced areligious conversion two years later in 1973, after being sent to a military school.[4] Hill later enrolled inBelhaven University, where he met his future wife, Karen Demuth, with whom he had three children.
Hill graduated fromReformed Theological Seminary, where he studied underGreg Bahnsen, a founder of the right-wingChristian Reconstructionist movement.[5] He attended St. Paul Presbyterian Church, which espousedtheonomy, a movement related to Reconstructionism.[6] Following his ordination in 1984, Hill became aminister affiliated with both thePresbyterian Church in America and theOrthodox Presbyterian Church. He wasexcommunicated in 1993 following a number of nationally televised appearances in which he claimed to be the new national spokesperson for "defensive action"against abortion providers and claimed a connection to theArmy of God.[7][8]
Prior to his excommunication, Hill looked towards other means to support his family, having seen his eight years in ministry as "fruitless". After moving toPensacola, Florida, he purchased a franchise for a mobile business that performed cleaning, trim repair, touch-up paint and pinstripe services for new and used car dealerships. This offered him flexible work hours in order to pursue his anti-abortion protest activities. However, Hill's client base substantially dwindled as more of his radical views became public.
On July 29, 1994, Hill approached theLadies Center, an abortion clinic in Pensacola. When he spotted clinic doctorJohn Britton and hisbodyguard, retiredUSAF Lieutenant Colonel James H. Barrett,[9] outside the clinic, he fired on both of them at close range with aMossberg Model 500A12-gaugepump-action shotgun.[10] Both Britton and Barrett died; Barrett's wife, June, was also wounded. Following the shots, Hill laid his shotgun on the ground and waited to be arrested.
Following his arrest, Hill was brought to trial in the Circuit Court of Florida for the First Circuit, charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of shooting into an occupied vehicle. Hill moved, successfully, to be allowed to appearpro se; i.e., he represented himself. He pleaded not guilty on all counts. Hill's motion to use theaffirmative defense of justification was denied. According to Hill, his actions were a defensive act, rather than a retribution. On December 6, 1994, Hill was found guilty of the charges and was sentenced to death.[11] Appeals to the First District Court of Appeal, 656 So.2d 1271 (Fla. 1995), and subsequently to the Florida Supreme Court, 688 So.2d 901 (Fla.1996), were unsuccessful. Hill petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States for writ ofcertiorari (asking the Court to hear his appeal). The petition was denied. 522 U.S. 907 (1997). After losing his automatic appeals, Hill decided to waive the remainder of his appeals.[12]
Theexecution warrant for Hill was not signed until July 2003, at which time it was signed by GovernorJeb Bush. Hill died bylethal injection inFlorida State Prison on September 3, 2003, aged 49. His last words were, "If you believe abortion is a lethal force, you should oppose the force and do what you have to do to stop it. May God help you to protect the unborn as you would want to be protected."[11]
Hill chose Rev.Donald Spitz as his spiritual adviser during the last week of his life.[13] Hill was close friends with Spitz both before and after he killed John Britton and James H. Barrett. Spitz was with Hill during the last week of his life and with Hill when he was executed.
Prior to the murders, Hill sent two position papers toReconstructionist authorGary North, which set out Hill's views of abortion and why he considered murder of abortion care providers to be warranted. The papers were followed by three additional letters to North in October 1994. North's responses, issued after the murders, comprised two letters that were made available to the public. The letters rejected and refuted Hill's theological arguments, and concluded that, "...the public will regard your dual assassination as the act of a condemned man outside of God's church and acting on his own in defiance of Bible-revealed law and therefore also God's moral law."[14]
Hill spent almost a decade in prison awaiting his execution. In a statement made before his execution, Hill's views on the murders remained unchanged; he said that he felt noremorse for his actions, and that he expected "a great reward inHeaven".[11] Hill left behind a manuscript manifesto[15] which his backers promised him they would publish. Hill also encouraged others who believe abortion is an illegitimate use of lethal force to "do what you have to do to stop it."[16][17]
While in police custody, Hill told the media "Now is the time to defend the unborn as to defend a slave that's about to be murdered." Hill's purported ties to the Army of God movement as well as his life and crimes were explored in the 2000 feature-length HBO documentarySoldiers in the Army of God.[18]
Lake of Fire, a 2006 documentary byTony Kaye on theabortion controversy in the United States, features footage of Hill protesting outside abortion clinics in Florida, and shows footage of Hill's arrest and trial.[19][20] Hill also says to the filmmaker that "whatever force is justified in defending the life of a born child is also justified in defending the life of an unborn child."[21]
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