June 20, 1989: Fatal Uterine Perforation

Dr. William Fitzhugh

Margaret Paula Clodfelter, a 19-year-old secretary at an insurance agency, had an abortion at  Richmond Medical Center For Women on June 2, 1989. The abortion was performed by William Fitzhugh.

After she was discharged from the clinic, Margaret had pain and bleeding. She called the facility to consult with them, but they did not tell her that she needed any further care.

On June 4, she sought treatment at MCV Hospital in Richmond, where she was diagnosed with retained fetal tissue and a perforated uterus. She underwent a D&C. She developed infection, so doctors performed a hysterectomy. 

Their efforts were in vain. Margaret died of sepsis on June 20, 1989. She left behind a husband and a one-year-old son.

Sources: 

• Richmond City Circuit Court Case No. LU-441-1
• Virginia Death Certificate #89-020384
• The Abortion Injury Report, April 1995, page 2
• "In the Eye of the Storm," Roanoke Times, June 7, 1992