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Robert Dear, Deemed Unfit for Trial in 2015 Colorado Clinic Attack, Dies in Federal Prison

02:25 PM, 11/26/2025
Robert Dear, Deemed Unfit for Trial in 2015 Colorado Clinic Attack, Dies in Federal Prison

Robert Dear, 67, who carried out a 2015 mass shooting at a Colorado Planned Parenthood that killed three people and wounded nine, has died at a federal prison medical center in Springfield, Missouri. Courts repeatedly found him mentally unfit to stand trial after diagnoses of paranoid delusional disorder, delaying both state and federal prosecutions. In June 2024 a court authorized involuntary antipsychotic treatment in an effort to restore competency — a step government experts said had a better-than-70% chance of success, a view disputed by defense experts.

Robert Dear, 67, the man who carried out a November 27, 2015 attack at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado that left three people dead and nine wounded, has died while in federal custody at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons' inmate locator lists Dear as deceased but provides no details about the cause or circumstances of his death. A Bureau spokesperson, Randilee Giamusso, said the death was "preliminarily linked to natural causes" and that prison staff followed advanced medical orders; officials did not immediately provide further information.

Dear remained in custody from his arrest immediately after the five-hour siege of the clinic. Authorities say he fired a rifle outside the facility, forced his way inside and surrendered after the standoff. Prosecutors said he arrived at the clinic with about a dozen firearms, propane tanks and more than 500 rounds of ammunition.

At several hearings after the attack, Dear described himself as "a warrior for the babies," reflecting his anti-abortion beliefs.

Evaluations of Dear's mental state complicated efforts to prosecute him. In 2016, two state-appointed psychologists diagnosed him with a paranoid delusional disorder and a state judge found him mentally incompetent to stand trial, concluding he could not meaningfully assist in his defense despite understanding the factual basis of the charges.

Federal authorities indicted Dear in 2019 in an effort to move the case forward, but in September 2021 a U.S. district judge again declared him mentally incompetent. Efforts to restore his competency continued while he remained in custody; in June 2024 a federal appeals court authorized involuntary administration of antipsychotic medication to try to restore fitness for trial. Government experts at the time estimated the treatment had a better-than-70% chance of success, while defense experts argued the drugs were unlikely to work given Dear's age and the long duration of untreated psychosis.

Dear remained in federal custody from his arrest after the 2015 siege until his death at the Springfield medical center.

Reporting: Keith Coffman. Writing: Steve Gorman.

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