Infamous abortionist Kermit Gosnell, convicted of killing babies, dies at 85

Infamous late-term abortionist Dr. Kermit Gosnell has died, prompting pro-life activists to reflect on his crimes and the state of the pro-life movement. 

Gosnell, an abortionist who served more than a decade in prison for killing babies who survived botched abortions, died earlier this month at age 85.

In a Substack post published Monday, filmmakers Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney announced that Gosnell had died in prison as they reflected on the 2018 film they created about his late-term abortion clinic, “Gosnell: The Untold Story of America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer.” Prison officials confirmed his death to The Associated Press.

At the time of his death, Gosnell was serving three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, handed down in 2013. He later received another 30-year prison sentence on separate charges. 

Gosnell’s prison sentence followed first-degree murder convictions in connection with the deaths of three infants who were born alive during late-term abortions at his Philadelphia clinic and killed by having their spinal cords severed with scissors. Gosnell was also convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Karnamaya Mongar, who died after staff at his clinic administered a lethal dose of anesthesia. 

“In Gosnell’s 30 years of running his filthy abortion clinic in Philadelphia, it is thought that he murdered thousands of babies born alive,” McAleer and McElhinney wrote. “The grand jury which investigated his case wanted to charge him with 200 recent murders, but the move was stymied and reduced to just seven after pressure from senior political and law enforcement officials.”

An investigation into Gosnell’s clinic began after the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office became aware of his side business of selling illegal opioid prescriptions. It revealed an unsanitary facility where the remains of nearly four dozen aborted babies were discovered in a freezer, unlicensed staff performed abortions and “flea-infested cats” roamed the “blood-splattered floors and chairs” while soaking blankets in urine and feces. 

“Gosnell is gone, but we should take time to think of the thousands of innocent babies who were his victims. They lived for a short period of time but must not be forgotten,” McElhinney said in a statement. “They achieved some measure of justice with Gosnell’s prosecution and incarceration.” 

Jim Wood, the police officer who uncovered the conditions at Gosnell’s clinic, also reacted to the abortionist’s death, saying "there may be no mercy for him, like there was no mercy for the babies."

Statements poured in from pro-life leaders after news of Gosnell’s death broke.

“Kermit Gosnell is not an outlier among abortionists; he is only one of the few to be brought to some measure of justice for black-letter crimes,” stated Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser, adding that "Gosnell’s legacy of awakening the public to the true horrors of abortion cannot be dismissed or ignored."

“The ripple effects of Gosnell’s slaughter of innocent Americans continue today. His actions represent profound evil, yet like many politicians he justified them as service to the poor and held himself in esteem. And he didn’t operate in a silo. His crimes spanned 30 years because people and organizations turned a blind eye."

National Right to Life President Carol Tobias said that Gosnell's crimes "underscore a reality our nation continues to ignore."

"Each abortion — no matter how it is performed — deliberately and brutally takes at least one innocent human life," Tobias stated. "Every day, unborn children — including those at late gestational ages — are intentionally killed in an abortion. Women continue to be harmed, and sometimes die, from abortion procedures.”