Gary Hoepner was serving as an usher with Dr. Tiller when the shooting occurred, and he says he still gets emotional when he relives the gunshot.
"When it first started, I had trouble sleeping," says Hoepner. "I kept reliving it. It's gotten better over time."
Hoepner and another man who police say chased Roeder from the church will be two of the main prosecution witnesses on Tuesday. Wichita Police say Roeder threatened the men and pointed his gun at them when they tried to follow him.
Hoepner says his full story will come out in court, but he still prays for Tiller's family and his church family. He says the repercussions of the murder have been significant. He recalls a parent asking their pastor what to do recently when their child asked, "Are we going to be killed in church?"
"This just doesn't happen very often in somebody's church," says Hoepner. "To violate our church is just something I would never imagine in my life that I'd ever see."
Eyewitness News also talked with Dr. Tiller's attorney and the family spokesman for Tiller's family, Dan Monnat. Monnat says the Tiller family is doing as well as can be expected but will not attend Tuesday's hearing.
"The Tiller family has confidence and trust in the court system," says Monnat, "and will patiently wait for justice to be carried out."
Last Friday, prosecutors endorsed several new witnesses for trial, including the woman who shot Tiller in 1993, Shelley Shannon. Prosecutors say they plan to call fewer than 10 witnesses during Tuesday's preliminary hearing, and Shannon will not be one of them.
It is important to note Tuesday's hearing is designed for prosecutors to lay their case out for the judge. We won't hear from defense witnesses or the defense side of the story until Roeder's case goes to trial.
Eyewitness News Reporter Cliff Judy will be in the courtroom and provide a live interactive blog throughout the day Tuesday. Stay with KWCH on-air and online for his reports.
