A mentally ill man accused of killing three people at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs in 2015 has died in federal custody.
A Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate search shows Robert L. Dear, 67, died Saturday.
A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons declined Tuesday to release details regarding Dear’s death, including the cause, citing safety, security and privacy. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado also declined to comment and a federal public defender listed in online court records did not immediately return a request for comment.
A grand jury indicted Dear on multiple counts of first-degree murder in the Nov. 27, 2015, shooting, when three people including a police officer were killed. Eight others were also wounded. He was later repeatedly found mentally incompetent to stand trial in state court, bogging down his prosecution. In 2019, he was charged in federal court under the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
Dear had been held in federal custody since 2019, with his attorneys continuing to argue he was not mentally fit for trial.
Court documents show Dear was being held at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. Mental health experts in Springfield determined that Dear was unlikely to be restored to competency to stand trial “in the foreseeable future,” according to court documents.
Dear refused to voluntarily take antipsychotic medication, but in June 2024, a federal appeals court ruled that Dear could be given medication against his will to try to make him well enough to stand trial. The ruling upheld an order issued by a federal judge in 2022.
His federal public defenders argued against the involuntary medication order because it allowed force to also be potentially used to get Dear to take medication or undergo monitoring for any potential side effects to his physical health. Dear’s lawyers argued that forcing Dear to be treated for delusional disorder could aggravate conditions including untreated high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Dear brought six rifles, five handguns, a shotgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition to the Planned Parenthood in northeastern Colorado Springs and intended to “wage war” because the clinic offered abortion services, the Department of Justice said.
Dear first shot at people parked close to his truck, killing one and seriously injuring two others. Then he shot three people who were in front of the clinic, killing one. After forcing his way into the clinic by shooting through a door, he continued to shoot, firing 198 bullets in the attack, the DOJ said.
There were 27 health care providers, employees, patients and companions in the clinic at the time, all who hid in various rooms until they were rescued by law enforcement, the DOJ said.
Dear engaged in a five-hour standoff with law enforcement officers from several agencies, firing more rounds at firefighters and officers, killing one officer and wounding others.
He admitted to being the gunman during outbursts in open court. Those killed in the shooting were University of Colorado Colorado Springs officer Garrett Swasey, 44, Jennifer Markovsky, 36, and Ke’Arre Marcell Stewart, 29. Each had two children.
In a statement Tuesday, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains said it was focused on honoring the victims in the attack and supporting staff.
“As we approach 10 years since the tragedy at our Colorado Springs health center, our thoughts continue to be with those lost, their loved ones, and all those who continue to feel the lasting impact of this senseless act of violence. We honor the strength and resilience of our staff — current and former — our patients, volunteers, and the Colorado Springs community,” the center said.
“At Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing accessible, nonjudgmental, high-quality healthcare to all who walk through our doors.”