December 16, 1984: Slipped Through the Coroner's Office

On December 15, 1984, Mary Pena underwent a safe and legal abortion at San Vincente Hospital in Los Angeles. She was 43 years old and the mother of five. 

Mary had thought that she was 3 months pregnant, but doctors discovered she was at 22 weeks. 

After the procedure, Mary was bleeding so heavily that a hysterectomy was performed in an effort to save her life. The surgery was not successful, and at 1:50 am on December 16, 1984, she died while on the operating table.

San Vicente owner, Dr. Edward Allred, slipped Mary's body past the coroner without an autopsy. However, when her death certificate was taken to Kern County Health Department they refused to accept it and contacted the Los Angeles Coroner. 

Mary's body was brought to LA County for an autopsy. Only then was it revealed that she had bled to death from cervical lacerations. Once a cause for the fatal hemorrhage was determined, the death certificate was accepted, and Mary was laid to rest.

San Vicente had been purchased by National Abortion Federation member Family Planning Associates Medical Group shortly before Mary's death. 

Other patients known to have died after abortion at Allred's facilities include:

• Denise Holmes, age 24, December,1970
• Patricia Chacon, age 16, March, 1984
• Josefina Garcia, age 37, May, 1985
• Lanice Dorsey, age 17, February, 1986
• Joyce Ortenzio, age 32, June, 1988
  
• Tami Suematsu, age 19, August, 1988
• Susan Levy, age 30, May, 1992
• Deanna Bell, age 13, September, 1992
• Christine Mora, age 18, November, 1994
• Ta Tanisha Wesson, age 24, February, 1995
• Nakia Jorden, December, 1998
• Maria Leho, June, 1999
• Maria Rodriguez, age 22, March, 2000
• Kimberly Neil, May, 2000
• Chanelle Bryant, age 22, January, 2004

Watch "Third Dead of at least Sixteen" on YouTube.