The funeral for Dr. Barnett Slepian drew hundreds of former patients as well as colleagues and relatives Monday. Heavy police presence was clearly felt.
“Dr. Slepian took care of all the women in my family,” Marsha Sperduti, a patient and friend of Dr. Slepian said. “Thank God I’m not having any more children because I don’t think I could have anyone but Bart deliver them,” she said through tears.
The FBI and Canadian officials are offering a combined reward of $250,000 for information that leads to the capture and conviction of the sniper who killed Dr. Slepian at his New York home last Friday. “We’re not leaving any stone unturned,” FBI spokesperson Bernard Tolbert stated. “We want to get to the bottom of this.”
During the last four years, upstate New York and Canada have seen five similar attacks in which snipers have fired shots into doctors’ homes. All five shootings have occurred around November 11, Veteran’s Day in the U.S. and Remembrance Day in Canada.
The outpouring of support from the community has touched Mrs. Slepian, family attorney Glen Murray said. “She appreciates the condolences of the friends and entire community who understood that her husband was a physician who felt a duty to use his abilities in the full range of ob-gyn, and that he was unwilling to eliminate from his practice any aspect because of intimidation.”
