May 23, 1985: High-Volume Abortion Mill Screws Up Fatally

Documents indicate that Josefina Garcia, age 37, mother of 2, died after abortion at a Family Planning Associates Medical Group (FPA) facility. 

Josefina's survivors filed suit against FPA owner Edward Campbell Allred, and 5 other doctors: Kenneth Wright, Leslie S. Orleans, Earl Baxter, Soon Sohn, and Thomas Grubbs. 

AI rendition of Josefina unattended in recovery

The family said that staff failed to determine that Josefina had an ectopic pregnancy before proceeding with a routine safe and legal abortion procedure by D&C on May 23, 1985. After her abortion, Josefina was left unattended in a recovery room, where she hemorrhaged. She died the day of her abortion. 

Regardless of whether or not abortion is legal, an ectopic pregnancy is something any abortionist should have diagnosed, if not before the abortion, then certainly after the abortion was completed and there were not pieces of fetus removed. Either way, there was little excuse for failing to detect the ectopic pregnancy. Whether Josefina lived or died would have depended on the state of medicine at the time, and the ordinary skills of doctors who were not abortionists.

The abortion conglomerate eventually named Family Planning Associates Medical Group was formed by Dr. Edward Campbell "Fast Eddie" Allred. Allred is credited with popularizing the assembly-line abortion. An admirer once said that Allred had done for abortion "what Ray Kroc did for hamburgers" by founding McDonald's. 

I know of 18 women who died from abortions performed by Allred's abortion businesses:

• Denise Holmes, age 24, 1970
• Patricia Chacon, age 16, March 3, 1984
• Mary Pena, age 43, December 16, 1984
• Laniece Dorsey, age 17, February 6, 1986
• Joyce Ortenzio, age 32, June 8, 1988
• Tami Suematsu, age 19, August 19, 1988
• Susan Levy, age 30, April 9, 1992
• Deanna Bell, age 13, September 5, 1992
• Christine Mora, age 18, November 8, 1994
• Ta Tanisha Wesson, age 24, January 24, 1995
• Nakia Jorden, age 16, December 10, 1998
• Maria Leho, age 26, June 11, 1999
• Maria Rodriguez, age 22, March 25, 2000
• Kimberly Neil, age 38, May 22, 2000
• "Imelda Laurence," age 19, November 30, 2003
• Chanelle Bryant, age 22, January 14, 2004
• "Kyla Ellis," age 23, May 16, 2014

Sources: Press-Telegram 4-25-88; California Death Certificate No. 85-106566

May 23, 1982: Fatal Embolism?

Grok AI age-progression image based on
Rhonda's yearbook photo.

Life Dynamics lists 29-year-old divorcee Rhonda Ruggiero on their "Blackmun Wall" of safe and legal abortion deaths. 

According to public records Rhonda was a native of New York who was then living in Columbus, Ohio. She left behind two children.

According to the information LDI put together, Rhonda underwent an abortion in May of 1982. She suddenly died of an abortion-related pulmonary embolism on May 23.

Sources:

• Fatal Pulmonary Embolism During Legal Induced Abortion in the United States from 1972-1985, Lawson, Herschel W., MD, Atrash, Hani K., MD, MPH, Franks, Adele L., MD
• American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol. 162, No. 4, April 1990, p. 986-990
• United States Social Security Death Index database, Rhonda Ruggiero, May 1982; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

May 23, 1929: Out on Bail, Rongetti Kills Another Woman

 A Suspicious Undertaker

On May 23, 1929, 24-year-old Elizabeth Palumbo died at West End Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Amante Rongetti, age 46, signed a death certificate attributing her death to appendicitis. However, an undertaker thought that Elizabeth's death was suspicious and asked Coroner Herman Bundesen to investigate.

The coroner's physician, Dr. Thomas Dwyer, determined that Elizabeth's death had actually been caused by an abortion performed two days before her death. This led the coroner to launch an inquiry.

Dr. Bundesen released a statement saying, "Deaths resulting from criminal operations are almost invariably the result of wanton carelessness on the part of the operating physician. The quack who bungles this type of surgery and whose disregard of God and sanitation brings death to his victim is a murderer worse than a gunman."

I find it interesting that Dr. Bundesen assumed that most abortions were being performed by physicians. He said that the typical abortion doctor, upon noting that a patient is moribund from complications, will admit her to the hospital and perform an appendectomy so that he has a legal explanation for her death. 

The Widower's Story

Dr. Amante Rongetti

Elizabeth's husband, Anthony, told the coroner's jury that Elizabeth had been in pain since a previous criminal abortion. "Last Sunday night my wife complained of pains in her right side and I took her to Dr. Rongetti's offices. I had known of Rongetti through relatives and he had once treated me, saying I did not have tuberculosis but something 'close to T.B.'"

Tony went on, "He examined my wife and he told her she had acute appendicitis. He said, 'Yes, it is an acute case. I will have to take that appendix right out.' We didn't like the idea, the pain had been so severe. My wife told  him she expected to become a mother. He said, 'Well, I will have to take care of that, too.'"

Tony indicated that he took this to mean that Rongetti would have to perform an abortion in order to remove Elizabeth's appendix. He said that he and Elizabeth went home and discussed the situation and decided to go with Rongetti's recommendation.

The Operation

The next day the couple went back to Rongetti's office. Rongetti, Tony said, sent him home and took Elizabeth to the hospital himself. "On Tuesday morning he operated. I saw her Tuesday and she said she felt all right. I saw her Wednesday and she said the same, but she did not look well. On Thursday morning they called me and said she was bad. After I got to the hospital, they stalled for a while but finally told me she was dead."

Dr. Dwyer, who had performed the autopsy, attributed the death to abortion-related infection. He said that the incision Rongetti had made when he'd operated on Elizabeth was in the center of her abdomen, not in the location to perform an appendectomy. Dr. Bundesen and Dwyer both testified that there would be no need to perform an abortion in order to remove an appendix.

Investigation and Scrutiny

Rongetti was held by the coroner on June 12 for having perpetrated the fatal abortion. When the investigation ended, Rongetti vanished. He turned himself in on July 2 and was released after only a few minutes because he had arranged in advance for his attorney to bail him out.

Authorities also put West End Hospital under scrutiny, noting that on January 15 of that year the fire prevention engineer had cited ten violations there. The hospital's owner, Dr. Benjamin Breakstone, had himself been investigated by the coroner on other occasions.

Stalling and Acquittal

Rongetti managed to stall the trial for over a year. When the jury was chosen, jurors were required to pledge that if legally appropriate, they would sentence Rongetti to death.

However, he was acquitted after three ballots. The first stood 7 to 5 for acquittal but after three further hours of deliberation the five jurors voting for conviction were won over by the majority.

All of these goings-on surrounding Elizabeth's death took place while Rongetti was out on bail pending a new trial in the abortion death of Loretta Enders, for which he'd been sentenced to die in the electric chair. He won a new trial and Rongetti was found guilty of manslaughter in Loretta's death. He was out on bail in the Enders case when Elizabeth died.

The Medical Board's Verdict

The medical board did not agree with the jury in Elizabeth's case. They moved to revoke Rongetti's license while he was out on bail pending appeal of a manslaughter conviction. Their grounds were that he was under conviction for manslaughter, and that he had committed gross malpractice in the deaths of both Loretta Enders and Elizabeth Palumbo. Rongetti dragged the process out but did eventually lose his license.

Watch Second Death While Out on Bail on YouTube.

Sources: 

• "Rongetti Held Again on Serious Charge," Journal Gazette, May 27, 1929
• "Rongetti Faces New Accusation," Decatur (IL) Herald, May 27, 1929
• "Rongetti Arrested Again," The Pantagraph, May 27, 1929
• "Rongetti Again Faces Death Charge," Chicago Times, May 27, 1929
• "Rongetti Again Held on Serious Charge," Journal Gazette, May 27, 1929
• "Seize Rongetti; Probe Death of Young Woman," Chicago Daily Tribune, May 27, 1929
• "Officials Start Hospital Probe in Rongetti Case," Chicago Daily Tribune, May 28, 1929
• "Seeking Rongetti on New Murder Charge," Journal Gazette, June 13, 1929
• "Hunt Rongetti; Held to Jury in Woman's Death," Chicago Daily Tribune, June 13, 1929
• "Police Seeking Dr. Rongetti," Chicago Times, June 13, 1929
• "Rongetti Faces Trial Today on Murder Charge," Chicago Daily Tribune, June 17, 1930
• "Pick Four Jurors to Try Rongetti; Deny Delay Plea," Chicago Tribune, June 18, 1929
• "Rongetti Gives Self Up on New Murder Charge," Chicago Daily Tribune, July 3, 1929
• "Rongetti Free Under Bonds on Second Murder Charge," The Pantagraph, July 3, 1929
• "Jurors Acquit Dr. Rongetti in Woman's Death," Chicago Tribune, June 22, 1930
• "State Seeking to Take License From Rongetti," Chicago Tribune, November 13, 1930
• "License Board Hears Rongetti Trial Evidence," Chicago Tribune, November 14, 1930
• "Enjoin Medical Board's Trial of Dr. Rongetti," Chicago Tribune, December 17, 1930
• "Rongetti Loses Plea to Block Ouster Hearing," Chicago Daily Tribune, February 4, 1931

May 22, 2000: One of 18 Known Allred-Associated Deaths

Kenneth Wright

The Fresno Bee reported that Family Planning Associates Medical Group (FPA) and abortionist Kenneth Wright were being sued by the family of 38-year-old Kimberly Neil, who died after Wright performed a safe and legal abortion on her. 

To the best of my knowledge, this makes at least 18 dead abortion patients for the abortion conglomerate eventually dubbed Family Planning Associates Medical Group, owned and operated by Edward "Fast Eddie" Allred. 

The suit says that FPA staff failed to properly monitor Kimberly, and failed to treat her properly when she stopped breathing during the abortion, performed on May 2, 2000. Kimberly slipped into a coma from which she never recovered. She died May 22. She left behind three children ages 19, 13, and 4.

Family Planning Associates Medical Group is a member of the prestigious National Abortion Federation, which purportedly assures that all members adhere to the highest standards of safety and care. I know of 16 women who have died after abortions at FPA. In addition to Kimberly, they are:

• Denise Holmes, age 24, 1970
• Patricia Chacon, age 16, 1984
• Mary Pena, age 43, 1984
• Josefina Garcia, age 37, 1985
• Laniece Dorsey, age 17, 1986
• Joyce Ortenzio, age 32, 1988
• Tami Suematsu, age 19, 1988
• Deanna Bell, age 13, 1992
• Susan Levy, age 30, 1992
• Christina Mora, age 18, 1994
• TaTanisha Wesson, age 24, 1995
• Nakia Jorden, 1998
• Maria Leho, 1999
• Maria Rodriguez, age 22, 2000
• "Imelda Lawrence," age 19, 2003
• Chanelle Bryant, age 22, 2004
• "Kyla Ellis," age 23, 2014

Watch One of 17 Deaths. That I Know Of. on YouTube. (The video was recorded before I learned of the death of Imelda.

Sources: 

• Obituary, (Visalia, CA) Daily Times, May 25, 2000
• "Fresno doctor is sued in death," Fresno Bee, August 18, 2000

1974: Post-Abortion Infection Triggers Ketoacidosis

As a result of a legal abortion, “Rachel” contracted an infection. Post-abortion infection can be dangerous to anyone, but this time it had additional danger since she was diabetic. Serious infections in diabetic patients can affect production of certain hormones, which can work against the effects of insulin.

In Rachel’s case, the effect was so severe that she went into diabetic ketoacidosis. It would have been a very disorienting and painful way to die.

Family Planning Perspectives, 1978

May 20, 1934: Third of Five Deaths Attributed to Dr. Justin Mitchell

SUMMARY: On May 20, 1934, 22-year-old Mary Schwartz died from complications of an abortion perpetrated by Dr. Justin Mitchell in Chicago.

Arranging an Abortion

Dr. Justin Mitchell

In May of 1934, 22-year-old Mary Schwartz told Marie Hansen, a coworker at the Illinois Meat Company in Chicago, that she was pregnant. The father of Mary's baby was Joe Henja, who was a foreman at the meat plant. 

According to both marriage and death records, Mary had a husband named Fred. Were they separated? Considering divorce? Or was Mary aborting her baby in an attempt to save her marriage? We have no way of knowing.

Whatever her reasons, Mary asked Marie for help arranging an abortion.

Marie told Mary that she would try to help the best she could. That same day, a Monday, Marie took Mary to Dr. Justin L. Mitchell's office south of Chicago's meatpacking district.

Marie had undergone an abortion at Mitchell's hands three years earlier, and, telling him that her friend “wants to get fixed up,” she negotiated a discount from the usual price of $50 to $30. Marie co-signed on a $25 loan, and lent Mary $5 “in dimes” from her own money.

The Abortion and Complications

The next morning, the two women again went to Mitchell's office. Marie waited outside during the abortion, then took Mary home with her to recover.

That evening, Mary took ill, so Marie called Mitchell and told him that Mary “was bad sick.” Mitchell told Marie to give Mary castor oil, and place warm towels on her abdomen to help with the pain. This did not alleviate Mary's pain, so on Marie took her back to Mitchell's office on Thursday evening and Friday morning. Marie told Mitchell, "Don't forget to scrape her. . . . and do a good job."

Hospital and Death

At 4:00 Saturday morning, Marie was very concerned and called Mary's lover.  Joe complied with Marie's request that he come right away and get Mary. He called his own doctor then rushed Mary to a hospital, where she died on May 20, 1934.

More Deaths Attributed to Mitchell

Mitchell had already been implicated in the abortion deaths of Ethel Vaughan in 1931 and Florence Jordan in 1933.

After Mary Schwartz's death he went on to be implicated in the abortion death of Mary Nowalowski in 1925 and of Alice Haggin in 1936, 

Context

Note, please, that with overall public health issues such as doctors not using proper aseptic techniques, lack of access to blood transfusions and antibiotics, and overall poor health to begin with, there was likely little difference between the performance of a legal abortion and illegal practice, and the aftercare for either type of abortion was probably equally unlikely to do the woman much, if any, good.

In fact, due to improvements in addressing these problems, maternal mortality in general (and abortion mortality with it) fell dramatically in the 20th Century, decades before Roe vs. Wade legalized abortion across America.

Sources:

• Leslie Reagan, "When Abortion Was a Crime"
• People v. Mitchell, Supreme Court of Illinois, 368Ill.399 (Ill. 1938) (The Mary Nowakowski case goes into some detail about Mary Schwartz's death.)

May 19, 1924: Second Known Victim Attributed to Dr. Lou E. Davis

On April 2, 1924, 26-year-old homemaker Mary Whitney underwent an abortion at the Chicago office of Dr. Lou E. Davis. On May 17, Mary died at St. Mary's Hospital of complications of that abortion. Dr. Davis was held by the coroner on May 19. 

Dr. Lou E. Davis

Davis had already been implicated in the September 9, 1913 abortion death of 27-year-old Anna Adler. She went on to be implicated in another four Chicago abortion deaths:

• November 4, 1928, 22-year-old Anna Borndal
• December 1, 1928, 23-year-old Esther V. Wahlstrom
• May 19, 1932, 24-year-old Irene Kirschner
• February 7, 1937, 27-year-old Gertrude Gaesswitz

In spite of these six dead young woman, David was never jailed. She was convicted of murder by abortion in 1934, likely for Irene's death, but her conviction was reversed by the Illinois Supreme Court.

She was implicated in an abortion perpetrated on 33-year-old Marie Cooper, a married mother of three in January of 1947 but I have found no evidence of a successful prosecution in that case. 

In September of 1947 Davis was charged with an abortion she has reportedly perpetrated on 22-year-old Mary Kaye in late August.

In August of 1947 Davis was performing an abortion on a 22-year-old woman who played accordion in a night club. The patient's hysterical screaming led the neighbors to call the police, who promptly took the woman to the hospital and Davis to jail.

In November of 1947 she was arrested on two charges of abortion and another of attempted abortion based on accusations from three young women, who of whom made their statements from their hospital beds.

Davis was finally stopped on December 14, 1948, when she was convicted of perpetrating an abortion. At that time she had six other abortion charges pending against her. 

A week after this conviction a criminal court adjudged Davis insane and sent her to Kankakee State Hospital, where she died Monday, May 3, 1954 at the age of 77.

Sources: 

• Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database
• Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database
• "Seize Husband and Pair Change Abortion Story," Chicago Daily Tribune, January 18, 1947
• "Woman Doctor Faces Charge of Abortion," Chicago Sunday Tribune, August 31, 1947
• "Nab Ex-Doctor and 2 in Loop Abortion Raid," Chicago Daily Tribune, September 4, 1947
• "Woman Physician Faces Three Abortion Charges," Chicago Sunday Tribune, November 9, 1947
• "Judge Urges Voiding of Woman Doctor's License in Abortion," Chicago Daily Tribune, March 6, 1948
• Death notice, Chicago Daily Tribune, May 8, 1954

May 18, 2001: Two Kids Left Motherless

Dr. Ronald Blatt

Cynthia Quintana-Morales, a healthy 30-year-old mother of two, entrusted herself to the care of Dr. Ronald D. Blatt at Eastside Gynecology in New York City. She reported for her abortion appointment on May 7, 2001.

The facility administered Brevital to sedate Cynthia, and she went into cardiac arrest. She was transported to Lennox Hill Hospital, where she died of anoxic encephalopathy on May 18. 

She left a 16-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter motherless.

Cynthia's husband of ten years, Andrew, sued Blatt and the practice, citing failing to use reasonable care, neglecting to heed Cynthia's condition, departing from accepted practices, performing contraindicated procedures, and lack of informed consent. Andrew asserted that his wife never would have consented to the abortion had she been adequately informed of the specific risks to her.

Blatt promptly closed the practice and reopened it as East Side Gynecology Services, effectively protecting his practice from financial liability.

Cynthia's husband settled with Blatt on March 30, 2008 for $1.25 million. Blatt's insurance covered the settlement.

Other women who died from Brevital mishaps include Susanne Logan, Kia Jorden, Melissa Heim, Donna Heim, Delores Smith, Gabriella Alonso, Venus Ortiz, Deanna Bell, Tanya Williamson, Suzanne Logan, and Debra Gray.

Watch Two Children Left Motherless on YouTube.

Thanks to Operation Rescue for these sources:

• Andrew Moraless v. Ronald Blatt, Index #13093/03
• Order of Compromise, Index #13093/03
• Order to Show Case, Index #13093/03

May 18: Happy Birthday Yamile Munoz

Yamile in the lap of her mother, Maggie Munoz,
with Mrs. Magaly Llaguno, Latin America Coordinator
for Human Life International

When Maggie Munoz learned that she was pregnant, she thought her only option was abortion. She was already an unmarried mother of four, and her friends and relatives told her that she already had "too many children" and that abortion was the "suitable solution." 

Ultrasound prior to the abortion revealed a normal 11-week pregnancy. 

Maggie underwent an abortion by D&C. After returning home, she was ill and depressed. 

Two weeks later, staff at the abortion facility called Maggie to tell her that the pathology report showed that the abortion was incomplete. Maggie returned to the clinic, where an ultrasound revealed a healthy fetus, still very much alive. But the employee told Maggie that there was "retained tissue" and gave her an appointment to return in a week for a second abortion procedure. 

Maggie didn't trust the clinic staff, and decided to go to her own doctor, who ordered an ultrasound showing a healthy 15-week fetus. 

Yamile was born May 18, 1992, perfectly healthy. Every day Maggie thanks God for her perfect daughter. 

Watch Happy Birthday, Yamile on YouTube.

(Source: Abortion Survivors [translation by Babelfish], from Right to Life League of Southern California, Fall 1992)

May 18, 2022: Suicide After Abortion Drugs

"Talia" was 26 years old when she went to an American facility for the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol on an undetermined date.

On May 18, 2022, Talia committed suicide by shooting herself in the head. 

Killed-by-choice cites FAERS Case 21177969 as the source for information about Talia's death.

May 17, 1876: Midwife Confesses to Fatal Abortion

Matilda Beringer, age 34 arranged for an abortion, which was perpetrated by midwife Johanna White at her New York practice in mid-March of 1876. 

Immediately Matilda began to experience severe pain so she went straight home and took to her bed. 

On Saturday, May 14, Dr. William Fayner was called on to care for her and found her suffering from peritonitis. When his efforts to treat her did not have the desired effect he brought in a second physician, Dr. Samuel Gluck, to consult. The two continued to treat her until her death on May 17.

Matilda's husband, Edward, told authorities the he'd heard gossip about his wife but that she had never said anything to him about the abortion. The police evidently had no reason to doubt him, since he was not charged as an accessory in his wife's death. When arrested, White admitted to having perpetrated the abortion and was held on $2,000 bond.

While looking for additional information about Matilda's death, I learned that While was implicated in the death of another woman, Mary Heinemann, less than six months later.

Watch Midwife Confesses to Fatal Abortion on YouTube.
Watch Midwife Confesses to Fatal Abortion on Rumble.

Source:

• "Death from Malpractice," New York Times, May 23, 1876

May 17, 1919: Unidentified Chicago Midwife

On May 17, 1919, 27-year-old nurse Gertrude Schaefer, a widow, died at Chicago's Wesley Hospital from septicemia caused by an abortion.

According to public records, Gertrude married her husband, John, in September of 1912, when she was 21 and he was 30.

At first police were told that Gertrude had committed the abortion on herself. However, during an inquest held at the hospital, police concluded that a midwife had perpetrated the abortion.

I have yet to find any sources that name the midwife in question.

Sources:

• Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database
• Death certificate
• "Hunt for Midwife," Chicago Daily Tribune, May 20, 1919