Criminals & Outlaws Codexery

Kermit Gosnell

American serial killer and abortion doctor convicted of murdering three infants and one woman.

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His clinic, the Women's Medical Society, was described as a "house of horrors" where illegal late-term abortions and infanticide occurred over decades.[1][2]

Key facts and history

Gosnell was born in Philadelphia, graduated from Central High School in 1959, and earned his medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University in 1966.[3][4] He opened an abortion clinic on Lancaster Avenue in the Mantua neighborhood in 1972.[5] In 1972, Gosnell participated in a televised trial of an experimental "Super Coil" abortion method that caused severe complications in nine of fifteen women.[6][7] By the late 1980s, public records showed state and federal tax liens against his halfway house and clinic.[8]

A February 2010 raid by the FBI and DEA discovered unsanitary conditions, unqualified staff, and the remains of 47 fetuses stored in bags and containers.[2][9][10][11] In May 2013, he was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of involuntary manslaughter.[12][13] Gosnell was also sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for running a prescription pill mill that distributed over 500,000 oxycodone pills.[12][14][15] On January 19, 2011, law enforcement took Gosnell into custody, and he faced accusations of eight murders.[16]

In return for a lifetime prison term without the chance of parole, Gosnell surrendered his entitlement to challenge the verdict, thus escaping capital punishment.[12][17] At age 85, Gosnell passed away on March 1, 2026, within a medical facility located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.[18]

What the cited sources add

The same source noted that the Department of State and Philadelphia Public Health Department also had ample warning of dire conditions and did nothing.[19] An NBC News report from 2011 stated that Gosnell charged $1,600 to $3,000 for late-term abortions and his clinic took in $10,000 to $15,000 per day.[20] The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2013 described Gosnell's background as including a drug halfway house and teen aid program, contrasting with the prosecution's portrait of a killer.[4] A CNN report from 2013 noted that Gosnell was not board-certified in obstetrics or gynecology.[21]

The same CNN article stated that eight of Gosnell's co-workers pleaded guilty to various charges before his trial.[21]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dennis, "Abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell convicted of murder in deaths of three infants", The Washington Post, May 13, 2013; "Doctor Kermit Gosnell found guilty of murdering infants in late-term abortions", Fox News, May 13, 2013; Francis, "Abortion Doctor Kermit Gosnell Guilty of First Degree Murder", ABC News, May 13, 2013; Goodwin, "Kermit Gosnell guilty of murder in 3 infants' deaths", Yahoo News, May 13, 2013; Lattanzio, "Abortion Doctor Gosnell Found Guilty of Killing 3 Babies Born Alive", NBC Philadelphia, July 8, 2013; Williams 20 en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "'House of horrors' alleged at abortion clinic", NBC News, January 19, 2011; Williams 2011, p. 20–21; Glover • •, "Fate of 47 Gosnell Fetuses Decided", NBC10 Philadelphia, July 19, 2013; Bailey, "Philadelphia plans to cremate, bury 47 Gosnell bodies", USA TODAY (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dale, "Jurors sought for abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell's murder trial", WPVI-TV, March 4, 2013; Fucs, "Kermit Gosnell's Nightmare Abortion Clinic Was A Multimillion-Dollar Business", April 13, 2013; Slobodizan, "Healer or monster?", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 24, 2013; "Jurors sought for Pa. abortion doctor's murder trial", USA TODAY; Slobodizan, "Healer or monster?", inquirer.com, March 24, 2013; "The lead", CNN, April 12, 2013; Slobodizan, "Healer or monster?", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 24, 2013 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Slobodizan, "Healer or monster?", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 24, 2013. facts only, no text reused. philly.com
  5. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Slobodizan, "Healer or monster?", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 24, 2013; Dale, "Jurors sought for abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell's murder trial", WPVI-TV, March 4, 2013; "Jurors sought for PA abortion doctor's murder trial", USAToday, March 4, 2013 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Siegel, "Gosnell crimes a deep offense to all physicians: Column", USA TODAY, June 2, 2013; Miller, "Gosnell gives up appeals, gets life sentence", The Philadelphia Tribune, May 16, 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McCullough, "Doctor had role in 1972 fiasco: Kermit B. Gosnell figured in a test of an abortion device that harmed 9 of 15 women", The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 25, 2010; Bourne, "Medical Complications from Induced Abortion by the Super Coil Method", Health Services Reports, 1974, p. 40–2; Siegel, "Gosnell crimes a deep offense to all physicians: Column", USA TODAY, June 2, 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "W. Phila abortion doctor had problems 38 years ago", The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 4, 2011; "W. Phila abortion doctor had problems 38 years ago", The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 4, 2011 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Williams 2011, p. 20–21 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Williams 2011, p. 20–21; Deeney, "How the DEA Finally Caught Kermit Gosnell", The Atlantic, 2013-04-22; Tavernise, "Squalid Abortion Clinic Escaped State Oversight", The New York Times, July 22, 2011 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dale, "Kermit Gosnell, Abortion Doctor, Enters 5th Week of Murder Trial; More Gruesome Details Revealed", The Huffington Post, April 15, 2013; Williams 2011, p. 20–21; Williams 2011, p. 20–21 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hoye, "Abortion doctor convicted of murder waives appeal, avoids death sentence", CNN, May 15, 2013; Hurdle, "Philadelphia Abortion Doctor Guilty of Murder in Late-Term Procedures", The New York Times, May 13, 2013; "Philadelphia Doctor Sentenced To 30 Years For Running Pill Mill", www.justice.gov, December 15, 2014 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  13. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Gosnell Jury Deadlocked on Two Counts in Controversial Abortion Case", ABC News; "Abortion Doctor Kermit Gosnell Found Guilty", Sky News; "Doctor Kermit Gosnell found guilty of murdering infants in late-term abortions", Fox News, May 13, 2013; Dennis, "Health & Science", The Washington Post, May 14, 2013; Swaine, "Dr Kermit Gosnell may face death penalty for murder of three newborn babies in backstreet 'abortion mill'", May 14, 2013; McElhinney, "Gosnell: The Untold Story of America's Most Prolific Serial Killer", Simon and Schuster, Ja en.wikipedia.org
  14. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Philadelphia Doctor Charged With Running Pill Mill", United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, December 14, 2011 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  15. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Pa. abortion doctor gets 30 years in prescription drugs case", cbsnews.com, December 17, 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  16. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Quijano, "Abortion Doc Charged with Eight Counts of Murder", CBS News, January 20, 2011; Hopper, "Alleged Victim Calls Philadelphia Abortion Doctor Kermit Gosnell a 'Monster'", ABC News, January 25, 2011; Masterson, "Wife of Abortion Doc Pleads Guilty", WCAU, March 19, 2013; Hopper, "Alleged Victim Calls Philadelphia Abortion Doctor Kermit Gosnell a 'Monster'", ABC News, January 25, 2011; Hayes, "Dr. Kermit Gosnell, Philadelphia Abortion Doctor, Accused of Killing 7 Babies with Scissors", CBS News, January 19, 2011 (we also read that sou en.wikipedia.org
  17. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Doctor convicted of murder in abortion case gets life in prison - CNN.com", CNN, May 15, 2013; "Gosnell Sentenced to Life on Other Crimes, Jurors to Speak", NBC10, May 15, 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  18. Wikipedia, "Kermit Gosnell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Vadala, "Kermit Gosnell, West Philadelphia abortion doctor convicted of murder, dies while serving prison term", Inquirer.com, March 23, 2026; Gabriel, "Kermit Gosnell, Imprisoned Abortion Doctor Convicted of Murders, Dies at 85", The New York Times, March 24, 2026 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  19. Pollitt, "Dr. Kermit Gosnell's Horror Show", The Nation, January 27, 2011. facts only, no text reused. thenation.com
  20. "'House of horrors' alleged at abortion clinic", NBC News, January 19, 2011. facts only, no text reused. nbcnews.com
  21. Hoye, "Abortion doctor convicted of murder waives appeal, avoids death sentence", CNN, May 15, 2013. facts only, no text reused. cnn.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Kermit Gosnell (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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