Seduction and Quackery

On April 25, 1899, Sarah Messinger died in St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago from an abortion performed by Marie Kampfer. Sarah died at the crime scene on the day the abortion was performed. Kampfer, whose profession is not listed, was held for $5,000 bond by Coroner's Jury.

In January of 1902, Abraham Conheim promised marriage to 19-year-old Harriet Larocque. With the promise of marriage, Harriet became sexually involved with Conheim. In April of 1902, Harriet discovered that she was pregnant. Conheim reneged on his promise of marriage, and instead arranged a criminal abortion for her. Harriet took ill after the abortion, dying on April 25.

April 25, 1932 saw yet another in a string of criminal abortion deaths in the Oklahoma City area: 19-year-old Nancy Jo Lee, whose abortionist, Dr. Richard E. Thacker (pictured), fled the state and had to be extradited to stand trial. Thacker and and Dr. J.W. Eisiminger were also linked to the deaths of Ruth Hall, Robbie Lou Thompson, Nancy Lee, Isobel F. Ferguson, Virginia Wyckoff, and Lennis May Roach.

Twenty-two-year-old Nichole Williams was the third patient known to have died of safe and legal abortion complications under the dubious care of Dr. Robert Crist. The others were Latachie Veal and Diane Boyd. Nichole, a mother of three, lived with her boyfriend. She died at Reproductive Health Services in St. Louis, Missouri at 3:12 p.m. on Friday, April 25, 1997. She had started experiencing breathing problems during the abortion and was transferred by ambulance, then in full cardiac arrest, to Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Reproductive Health Services, a National Abortion Federation member facility, is operated by Planned Parenthood of St. Louis. Crist serves as medical director.