The Lethal Work of Doctors, Before and After Legalization

Dr. Guy Brewer

Doris Jones, a 20-year-old mother of two, died April 11, 1935, from complications of a criminal abortion perpetrated on April 3. Dr. Guy E. Brewer, a 53-year-old bachelor known for his benevolence toward college students, was fingered as the culprit by Doris' husband, Victor. Brewer (pictured, right)  was a quiet, small-town doctor in Garber, Oklahoma. Doris' husband, Victor, a grocery clerk, had not known about the abortion until after Doris took ill. Doris' abortion was typical of illegal abortions in that it was performed by a physician.

"Terri" Roe is one of the women Life Dynamics notes on their "Blackmun Wall" of women killed by legalized abortion. On April 6, 1991, Terri, age 34, had an abortion at a doctor's office in the 1100 block of Summit Avenue in Union City, New Jersey. A nurse called the police saying that they needed emergency help for an unconscious patient. According to the police report, the doctor had already left the facility when the nurse called for help. Terri was taken to the hospital and placed on life support. She was pronounced dead on April 11, 1991.

Dr. Raymond Showery

Though we don't know who the perpetrator was that caused Terri's death, we do know who is responsible for the death of 28-year-old Mickey Apodaca.  Abortionist Raymond E. Showery (pictured, right) was out on bail appealing a murder conviction when he performed the safe, legal abortion that killed Mickey, a divorced mother of four, on April 11, 1984. She was about 19 weeks pregnant, and during the abortion, Showery tore a hole in Mickey's uterus and severed a uterine artery. Mickey hemorrhaged for two hours before she was transferred to a hospital, where she died during an emergency hysterectomy.