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Saturday, December 01, 2001
By Jonathan D. Silver, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Federal authorities in West Virginia have staked their own claim to wanted fugitive and militant anti-abortionist Clayton Waagner by announcing an arrest warrant in connection with a bank robbery in Morgantown last month.
In addition, Monongalia County authorities have issued their own arrest warrant for the crime.
Waagner, who escaped from an Illinois prison in February, has already been charged in a Harrisburg bank robbery.
The slippery felon has been deemed a career criminal and is suspected by the U.S. Justice Department of sending hundreds of letters that falsely claimed to contain anthrax to family planning clinics.
Waagner, 44, of Kennerdell, Venango County, was facing 15 years to life in prison after he was convicted in federal court last year in connection with a multi-state crime spree. In interviews with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and later in testimony in open court, Waagner said he had been called by God to stalk and kill abortion doctors and their employees.
U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Johnston of West Virginia's northern district detailed the latest charge during a news conference yesterday in Morgantown.
An FBI affidavit filed in support of the arrest warrant said a white man entered the BB&T Bank at the Morgantown Mall Nov. 9 at 11:23 a.m. He was armed with what appeared to be a semiautomatic handgun.
The man announced that he was robbing the bank and demanded money. Tellers put an undisclosed amount of cash in a soft black briefcase or valise, which the man put over his shoulder. He exited the bank and left the mall through the rear entrance.
Investigators retrieved several fingerprints from the scene along with several dollar bills dropped by the robber.
Authorities said an image taken from bank surveillance tapes indicated that the robber was Waagner, who is on the U.S. Marshals' Service Top 15 fugitive list and has cracked the FBI's 10 Most Wanted.
Authorities canvassed local hotels in the Morgantown area and found that a John Logan stayed at a Comfort Inn Nov. 8. He checked in at 4 p.m., left the next day and listed a home address in Canton, Mich.
Logan is one of Waagner's known aliases, and authorities said he has previously given the same false address in Michigan.
Authorities stressed that Waagner is armed and dangerous. They advised anyone who spots him not to approach him.
Waagner was last reported seen Nov. 23 in Georgia by another anti-abortion militant, Neal Horsley, who told the Post-Gazette that Waagner appeared at his door, chatted for a while and then bound him with duct tape.
Horsley told the Post-Gazette that Waagner flashed money during the visit, showed dozens of false driver licenses with his photo on them, and said the gun he was carrying had been stolen in Memphis, Tenn.
Waagner does not usually disguise himself, although authorities yesterday said he is believed to have a badge and might have impersonated a police officer in the past.
He has a discolored front tooth, a penchant for Crown Royal whiskey and is a heavy smoker.
The Dominion Post of Morgantown contributed to this report.