The shooter's bullet was fired through Slepian's kitchen window, and a rifle was later found outside the house. The shooting was the fifth in a string of similar attacks against abortion doctors, dating back to November 1994.
On May 6, 1999, warrants were issued for the arrest of James Charles Kopp, the primary suspect in the case. On June 24, 1999, an Erie County grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Kopp, which included a charge of second-degree murder.
As of July 2000, the case has not yet gone to trial. Kopp remains on
the FBI's Ten
Most Wanted Fugitives list.
| December 1988 | Slepian wields a baseball bat in response to a demonstration outside his house during Hanukkah. The details of the incident are sketchy, but he may have smashed one of the protester's windows. |
| Sometime in 1992 | Slepian temporarily shuts down his office during a nearby protest by Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion group. |
| Sometime in 1993 | A pro-lifer is arrested for rifling through the trash cans at Slepian's home. |
| May 26, 1994 | President Clinton signs the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) into law; it takes effect immediately. The law prohibits the use of force to prevent an individual from obtaining or providing reproductive health services. |
| November 8, 1994 | Garson Romalis, an abortion doctor, is shot in his home in Vancouver. |
| November 10, 1995 | Hugh Short, an Ontario gynecologist, is shot through the window of his house. |
| October 28, 1997 | A doctor is shot outside his home in Rochester, N.Y. |
| November 11, 1997 | Jack Fainman, another abortion doctor, is shot while at his Winnipeg home. |
| October 23, 1998 | Slepian is shot and killed while at home with his family. |
| November 4, 1998 | The FBI announces that Kopp is wanted as a material witness in the case, in response to sightings of his car near the crime scene. |
| January 22, 1999 | Hair evidence found near the scene of the crime is linked to Kopp. |
| May 6, 1999 | Erie County issues a warrant for Kopp, for the murder of Slepian. Also, a federal warrant is issued for Kopp's violation of the FACE act. |
| June 7, 1999 | Kopp is placed on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list. |
| June 24, 1999 | An Erie County grand jury returns a three-count indictment against Kopp. |
Amherst, New York, right outside of Buffalo
James Charles Kopp, known in underground circles as "Atomic Dog." Has alleged connections with the Army of God group. His other aliases include Jim Kopp, John Doe, James Charles Copp, John Kapp, Clyde Swenson, Clyde Swanson, Jack Cotty, Jack Crotty, John Kopp, Jacob Koch, Charles Cooper, John Capp, Jim Cobb, James Cobb, Samuel E. Weinstein, Jacob I. Croninger, Enoch A. Guettler, Jonathan H. Henderson, Samuel E. Blanton, Soloman E. Aranburg, Aaron A. Bernstein, Eli A. Hochenleit, Dwight Hanson, K. Jawes Gavin, P. Anastation, B. James Milton, and "Catfish"