Friday, June 15, 2012

1984: Mom Finds Teen Dead

Early on the morning of June 15, 1984, 14-year-old "Gwen Newhart's" mother found her dead on the bathroom floor.

Just the day before, Gwen had undergone a second-trimester abortion performed by Dr. E. Wyman Garrett in Newark, New Jersey. She was 22 weeks pregnant.

After her abortion, Gwen had begun vomiting and suffered from abdominal pain and a high fever. During the night, the massive infection that was causing her symptoms killed her.

An autopsy found that Gwen's uterus had been punctured, and her abdomen was full of pus and adhesions.

When the New Jersey medical board investigated Dr. Garrett, they noted that he had illegally altered Gwen's medical records. Garrett argued that he was suffering from ''burnout syndrome,'' caused by performing more than 2,600 second-trimester abortions between 1982 and 1986.

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