Buffalo, NY – Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark says the confession of James Kopp will change "very little" in the prosecution's case.
Kopp admitted in a Buffalo News interview that he fired the fatal shot that killed Dr. Barnett Slepian.
Kopp said he had not intended to kill but to wound Slepian when he fired on him in his Amherst home in October 1998.
Clark said the confession could be used at the trial, but that has not been decided.
"We may try the case without using the statement at all," said Clark. "But we have the option to go one way or another."
"If we use the statement, instead of calling a police officer to testify, we'll be calling the Buffalo News reporters. It gives us more options, I suppose."
Kopp's trial begins in early February.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Mehltretter said federal prosecutors will also move forward as planned with their case against Kopp despite the statements.
Reaction to James Kopp's jailhouse confession circulated quickly across the area yesterday.
The leader of the Buffalo G-Y-N Women Services is outraged by his statements.
Marilyn Buckham, who was also a friend to Dr. Slepian, said that in her estimation, Kopp is no different than a 9-11 terrorist, Timothy McVeigh or the DC snipers.
"He is nothing but a common, cold blooded assassin, and that's what we must not lose sight of," said Buckham. "All the reasons he's giving, and how he plotted, that he never meant to kill him -- it's just words."
Buckham said she finds it "insulting" that Kopp hopes a local jury believes that he shot Slepian for the anti-abortion cause.
Buckham said there is "no justification" for the violent act.
"And what did he accomplish? Women still have made choices and they made choices that week," said Buckham."
"If they didn't come to us they went somewhere else, but we still had doctors flying in to Buffalo. He did nothing to change the light of the women that made these decisions."
Kopp's attorney, Bruce Barket said the confession won't change his plans to defend his client.
Kopp's attorney Bruce Barket said his client wants his trial to be about his "Christian faith" and what he considers the "truth".
"If Jim was inclined to lie and put on some fake defense, he had a skilled lawyer in Buffalo that was ready, willing and able to try this case on the facts. He certainly could have done that," said Barket.
"He came forward to tell people about what happened, what he did and why, for the simple purpose that he wanted the truth out."
Kopp claims he didn't receive any help and got Slepian's name from the Yellow Pages.
But Buckham says she strongly believes that Kopp did not act alone.
Abortion rights advocates worry that the the News'publication of what they call Kopp's manifesto will inspire other anti-abortion extremists to come to Buffalo and promote violence.
Despite strong objections from the abortion rights community, the accused killer seems to have succeeded, at least for now, in making abortion the prime focus of his case.
Abortion became the headline almost before the ink was dry on the shocking news of James Kopp's confession.
Kopp said he hopes jurors will take his anti-abortion motives into account.
Local abortion rights advocates are outraged.
Glenn Murray is attorney for the Buffalo GYN Women's Services Clinic where Slepian worked.
Murray said Kopp should not be allowed to turn cold blooded murder into a rally for more violence.
"If James Kopp wants to turn this into a convention of extremists who advocate violence, a message need to be sent," said Murray.
This community rebukes those who preach the justification of violence, no matter what their agenda is, religious or otherwise."
Murray and others worry that the court case will now focus more on the abortion debate, rather than the murder.
Bishop Henry Mansell of the Buffalo Catholic Diocese said they reject violence for any reason.
But he added that a referendum on abortion at the trial would be appropriate.
"I would hope that even in the days going forward that there would be more discussion and more consciousness raising as to who are being affected by this," said Mansell.
"Obviously, we are very concerned for the Slepian family. But we're concerned also for the ongoing fact of abortion in our country."
Mansell added that that persuation should be through peaceful means.
But abortion rights advocates say that the case has already attracted anti-abortion extremists to the area.
There was a break-in at the Women's Services Clinic last week by vandals who said they are supporters of James Kopp