September 15, 1971: Teen Sent Home With Mangled Fetus in Womb

Eighteen-year-old Janet Foster underwent an abortion at the hands of Richard Neal at Valley Doctors; Hospital in North Hollywood, California on September 11, 1971. Janet's abortion had been a "therapeutic" abortion approved by the hospital committee, as was required at the time. Neal reported that he'd estimated the pregnancy at 12 weeks and performed what he thought was an uneventful suction abortion. 

Janet's brother-in-law reported that she was very weak and sleepy when he picked her up at the hospital. After returning home, Janet suffered abdominal pain, and called Neal on September 14. He told her he'd see her the next day. Janet felt ill, so she went to bed early. 

At around 2 a.m., Janet experienced hot and cold flashes for about twenty minutes, then went into convulsions. Her brother-in-law called for emergency services. Police and paramedics found Janet lying in bed with what appeared to be pus in her vaginal area. On the way to the hospital medics attempted attempted to revive her, to no avail; Janet was pronounced dead on arrival at 3:55 am. 

The autopsy found that Janet's heart and lung sacs contained serous fluid, and there was frothy tan fluid in her respiratory track. Her uterus was boggy and the placenta was still attached. Janet's uterus also contained "approximately 20 cc. of red-brown purulent and foul-smelling liquid with similar odor and color to an exudate on the endometrial surface."

Also in Janet's uterus was a "macerated, lacerated and purulent male fetus of about 19 weeks gestation. This fetus measures 14.5 cm. in crown-rump length, shows lacerations in the shoulder area, evisceration of the bowel through an abdominal laceration, and destruction of the skull and facial structures."  

Janet's death attributed to septicemia due to "incomplete abortion, therapeutic, septic." 

An LA County grand jury indicted Neal on a felony manslaughter charge in Janet's death. The 1976 trial ended with a hung jury.

Sources: LA County Coroner Case No. 71-9846 and LA County Superior Court Case No A310874 and Case No C34424