Accused Killer of Doctor Sobs at Trial

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A man accused of murdering an abortion doctor broke into tears Friday as a fellow anti-abortion activist described to a jury graphic videotapes and a 5-foot-tall effigy of the slain physician.

Sobbing and wiping his eyes, Michael F. Griffin was taken from the courtroom for a break after witness John Burt talked of the effigy of Dr. David Gunn.

“It was a doctor that had rubber gloves on,” Burt said. “Maybe the gloves had red paint splattered on them.”

Griffin is accused of shooting Gunn three times as he arrived for work at Pensacola Women’s Medical Services during a protest led by Burt nearly a year ago.

Prosecution witnesses said Griffin was the gunman. Griffin’s attorneys said videotapes of abortions, aborted fetuses in jars and even the effigy could have upset Griffin to the point of violence.