Robert Dear, Colorado Planned Parenthood Shooter, Dies in Federal Custody
Summary:
Robert Dear, the perpetrator of the 2015 Colorado Planned Parenthood shooting that killed three people, has died in federal custody at age 67. Dear, who claimed to be a “warrior for the babies,” was charged with murder but deemed incompetent to stand trial due to delusional disorder. His case involved legal battles over forced medication to restore competency. The deaths of Ke’Arre Stewart, Jennifer Markovsky, and Officer Garrett Swasey remain unresolved as Dear’s prosecution was stalled by mental health complications.
What This Means for You:
- Violent extremism risks: The case highlights ongoing threats to reproductive healthcare facilities—remain vigilant about clinic safety protocols.
- Mental health and justice: Demonstrates legal complexities when defendants have severe mental illness—understand your state’s competency laws.
- Victims’ rights: Families may pursue civil lawsuits when criminal cases stall—consult legal experts about alternative justice options.
- Warning: Similar attacks could occur—healthcare workers should review active shooter response training.
Original Post:
Robert Dear, the man who was charged with killing three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic in 2015 because it offered abortion services, has died in federal custody, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed Tuesday.
Dear died Saturday at a medical center for federal prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, the Bureau of Prisons said. Dear, 67, died of natural causes, said Kristie Breshears, a spokesperson for the agency.
Dear, who was charged in 2019 in federal court, became entangled in a legal battle over whether he could be medicated for his mental illness, delusional disorder, against his will. He had been repeatedly found incompetent to stand trial, stalling his prosecution. He was most recently civilly committed with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael J. Allen, whose office tried to prosecute Dear in state court.
The Associated Press left a voicemail for the federal public defender’s office in Colorado seeking comment. A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment Tuesday.
Last year, a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit upheld a federal judge’s order from 2022 allowing Dear to be forcibly medicated in order to be well enough to stand trial. Dear’s lawyers had contended that side effects could worsen Dear’s health issues, such as untreated high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Dear had called himself a “warrior for the babies.” Federal prosecutors alleged that he armed himself with several guns, propane tanks and 500 rounds of ammunition and shot outside the clinic before shooting his way through the door.
Ke’Arre Stewart, 29, an Army veteran who served in Iraq and was a father of two, and Jennifer Markovsky, 36, a mother of two who grew up in Oahu, Hawaii, were accompanying friends to the clinic before they were killed. Garrett Swasey, a campus police officer at a college nearby, responded after hearing of an active shooter and was also killed. Nine others were injured.
“All three victims, and this community, deserved the full measure of justice in this case but they are now denied that possibility,” Allen said.
Extra Information:
DOJ Reproductive Rights Task Force – Details federal protections for healthcare facilities
Journal of Forensic Psychiatry – Analysis of competency restoration protocols
Planned Parenthood Security Updates – Current safety measures for patients
People Also Ask About:
- What is delusional disorder? A psychiatric condition involving fixed false beliefs resistant to contrary evidence.
- How common are attacks on abortion clinics? The National Abortion Federation reports increasing violence since 2010.
- Can forced medication restore trial competency? Success rates vary by medication protocol and individual response.
- What happens to unresolved criminal cases? Charges are typically dismissed upon defendant’s death without verdict.
Expert Opinion:
“This case exemplifies systemic gaps in handling violent offenders with severe mental illness,” says Dr. Liza Gold, forensic psychiatry professor at Georgetown. “The legal system needs better protocols for balancing defendants’ rights, public safety, and victims’ closure—especially in ideologically motivated violence cases where competency issues arise.”
Key Terms:
- Planned Parenthood shooting Colorado 2015
- incompetent to stand trial mental illness
- forced medication for trial competency
- reproductive healthcare facility security
- delusional disorder criminal responsibility
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