Kermit Gosnell, a Philadelphia abortion provider who was serving several life sentences for the deaths of three babies and a patient, died March 1 while in custody, according to the superintendent’s office of Smithfield Correctional Institution in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. He was 85 years old and had been admitted to an outside hospital where he died. The cause of death has not yet been released by the Huntingdon County Coroner.
Gosnell’s case drew national attention due to the nature of his crimes and conditions found at his clinic. His conviction in 2013 included charges for infanticide after three babies were born alive during attempted abortions and involuntary manslaughter in the death of Karnamaya Mongar, a refugee from Nepal who died following an abortion procedure.
A grand jury indictment from 2011 described dangerous practices at Gosnell’s West Philadelphia clinic, including performing abortions beyond Pennsylvania’s legal gestational limit and manipulating ultrasound images. The report stated that “babies were often born alive at his clinic” and that their spinal cords were cut with scissors if they showed signs of life. Investigators labeled the Women’s Medical Society as a “house of horrors,” finding fetal remains stored improperly throughout the facility alongside unsanitary conditions such as blood stains, cat feces, and accumulated biohazard waste.
Federal agents discovered these violations during a joint investigation into illegal prescription drug activities involving Gosnell in 2010. A documentary released in 2015 titled “3801 Lancaster: American Tragedy” highlighted failures by state regulators to act on repeated violations reported between 1979 and 1993 as well as complaints about patient safety that went unaddressed.
Pro-life groups responded to news of Gosnell’s death by calling for stricter oversight of abortion clinics. SBA Pro-life America said on March 23: “The abortion industry today STILL fights health/safety standards, inspections, and transparency. Babies are still born alive after botched abortions and left to die without care in too many states. We need this to change now.” Mary Kate Zander, president of Illinois Right to Life, also urged state officials for more rigorous inspections: “Because Illinois does not regularly inspect the State’s many abortion clinics, women who travel here for abortions, or who live here, are at risk for substandard care,” she said.
Illinois is considered by some organizations as having protective policies regarding abortion access but critics argue regulatory measures are lacking when it comes to ensuring patient safety.
