The murder of George Tiller has left the nation with only one provider of late-term abortions—and that makes Warren Hern public enemy No. 1 on the fringes of the anti-abortion camp. "I will never be safe," Hern tells Esquire in a long profile. "I will always be looking over my shoulder." The story details the extraordinary security measures necessary in his personal and professional life, his defiance against what he considers a "violent terrorist movement," and a glimpse at the wide range of stressed-out women who seek his care.
Hern remains furious over the murder of his friend Tiller, which he calls a “cold-blooded, brutal, political assassination.” He blames anti-abortion leaders for fomenting a “seething mass of angry, rabid anger, and hatred of freedom.” And the murder is “exactly what they wanted to happen.” With Tiller gone, Hern's caseload has only grown, but at 70, he isn't considering retirement. "I have work to do. I have important work to do here." (More late-term abortion stories.)