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30 reviews for:
Gosnell: The Untold Story of America's Most Prolific Serial Killer
Ann McElhinney, Phelim McAleer
3.72 AVERAGE
30 reviews for:
Gosnell: The Untold Story of America's Most Prolific Serial Killer
Ann McElhinney, Phelim McAleer
3.72 AVERAGE
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Blood, Abortion, Murder, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism, Medical content
Minor: Animal cruelty
13% Not what I expected the book to be and the writing wasn’t good enough to keep me going.
While the true crime genre is not my typical reading preference, Gosnell should be essential reading material for everyone-- not necessarily for speaking points in the pro-abortion/pro-life debate, but to understand the consequences (i.e. a murderer being allowed to continue his crimes for 30 years...) that result when people look the other way when confronted with evidence of evil. The authors courageously call out (by name) those who covered up for the heinous crimes of a "doctor" to help the abortion industry save face, including local and state health officials, abortion clinic workers, politicians, and journalists. This well-researched, well-written exposé includes coverage of the grand jury, trial, accomplices, and even an interview with the monster himself (in prison). As difficult as it is to read about the wickedness that occurred at the now-infamous 3801 Lancaster address, I would highly recommend you do.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder
Warning: this book and probably the review is all kinds of triggery. Be warned.
When I started reading this book (that one of the women I worked with loaned me) I thought it was just a pro-life story. I almost never picked it up. Because for one, I'm tired of politics being beat over my head. I educate myself and make my own opinions. Beating me over the head just tends to tick me off and make me ignore whatever it is that you are saying.
But this.
I don't give two craps about whether you are pro-life or pro-choice..so let's get that out of the way first. This stinking book is going to give me nightmares for years. I almost wish I had never read it. BUT the world should have taken notice when it was going on. They should still take notice. I honestly COULD NOT wrap my brain around the fact that this was a supposed true life crime story. I had to stop and research and then still am having a hard time believing this is true.
In 2013..take note of that date. Not 1913..but 2013. Police entered into a women's health clinic because of a prescription narcotic ring that they had been investigating.
This place right here...
Not only did they find that the doctor, Kermit Barron Gosnell was supplying an unlimited supply of narcotics out randomly for a small cash fee. They found that recently a woman had died due to the care that she had received here.
Filthy conditions, two flea invested cats that were entering procedure rooms, urine and blood soaked equipment, the stench....and then the body parts.
Gosnell and his untrained staff had been performing abortions. Not just abortions (Don't start with the whole legality/morality of this-I ain't up to it) but late term abortions.
Now I'm not one to decide for another woman what should be done with her body, and this book and the story behind it doesn't really do that so calm down. I'm trying to figure out how to somewhat put into words the horrors of this stuff.
Gosnell charged the women up front (in cash) so that he would do the procedure for them. He mostly dealt with minority, poor and/or immigrants. So what he was doing wasn't really paid very much attention. He had some complaints. They got ignored.
When police went in he had remains of aborted infants feet saved in drink containers, he had stopped up toilets because body parts just got flushed. They were put down the garbage disposal.
Teenage girls were brought into his clinic, not wanting the abortion. Their moms/grandmothers brought them in. He and his staff would hold them down and drug them and do the procedure anyways. (I'm not including all the horrors that happened in that clinic in my review because I want them out of my mind right now.)
I just can't. I'm a woman. I work in public health. I see ALL kinds of stuff but this??? Why was the media not all over this? Because it's a hot subject. Abortion is a topic that you don't want to shed bad light on if you are pro-choice. BUT damn, this was cold blooded murders. Multiple murders.
I'm not going to share the horrific images that the book says exist and that when I searched for I found. I gagged almost the whole time. I'm ashamed that this happened. I'm ashamed that no one stood up for these women.
I will share this one of where the patients were placed until they could be made to get the heck out of the clinic so the next woman could take their spot.
When I started reading this book (that one of the women I worked with loaned me) I thought it was just a pro-life story. I almost never picked it up. Because for one, I'm tired of politics being beat over my head. I educate myself and make my own opinions. Beating me over the head just tends to tick me off and make me ignore whatever it is that you are saying.
But this.
I don't give two craps about whether you are pro-life or pro-choice..so let's get that out of the way first. This stinking book is going to give me nightmares for years. I almost wish I had never read it. BUT the world should have taken notice when it was going on. They should still take notice. I honestly COULD NOT wrap my brain around the fact that this was a supposed true life crime story. I had to stop and research and then still am having a hard time believing this is true.
In 2013..take note of that date. Not 1913..but 2013. Police entered into a women's health clinic because of a prescription narcotic ring that they had been investigating.
This place right here...
Not only did they find that the doctor, Kermit Barron Gosnell was supplying an unlimited supply of narcotics out randomly for a small cash fee. They found that recently a woman had died due to the care that she had received here.
Filthy conditions, two flea invested cats that were entering procedure rooms, urine and blood soaked equipment, the stench....and then the body parts.
Gosnell and his untrained staff had been performing abortions. Not just abortions (Don't start with the whole legality/morality of this-I ain't up to it) but late term abortions.
Now I'm not one to decide for another woman what should be done with her body, and this book and the story behind it doesn't really do that so calm down. I'm trying to figure out how to somewhat put into words the horrors of this stuff.
Gosnell charged the women up front (in cash) so that he would do the procedure for them. He mostly dealt with minority, poor and/or immigrants. So what he was doing wasn't really paid very much attention. He had some complaints. They got ignored.
When police went in he had remains of aborted infants feet saved in drink containers, he had stopped up toilets because body parts just got flushed. They were put down the garbage disposal.
Teenage girls were brought into his clinic, not wanting the abortion. Their moms/grandmothers brought them in. He and his staff would hold them down and drug them and do the procedure anyways. (I'm not including all the horrors that happened in that clinic in my review because I want them out of my mind right now.)
I just can't. I'm a woman. I work in public health. I see ALL kinds of stuff but this??? Why was the media not all over this? Because it's a hot subject. Abortion is a topic that you don't want to shed bad light on if you are pro-choice. BUT damn, this was cold blooded murders. Multiple murders.
I'm not going to share the horrific images that the book says exist and that when I searched for I found. I gagged almost the whole time. I'm ashamed that this happened. I'm ashamed that no one stood up for these women.
I will share this one of where the patients were placed until they could be made to get the heck out of the clinic so the next woman could take their spot.
Admittedly, this book took me much longer to read than most...for one reason: It's gut wrenching and horrifying!
From the lack of media (and the likely reasons behind it) to the crimes itself-it was just difficult to stomach.
I first heard about this book on a news radio interview. One of the authors was encouraging both pro-life and pro-choice advocates to read it. After reading, I agree.
If you think Gosnell is the only one out there running this type of shoddy business, you're absolutely wrong. Wether you stand up for life or stand up for choice, this is just NOT okay and our eyes need to be opened.
From the lack of media (and the likely reasons behind it) to the crimes itself-it was just difficult to stomach.
I first heard about this book on a news radio interview. One of the authors was encouraging both pro-life and pro-choice advocates to read it. After reading, I agree.
If you think Gosnell is the only one out there running this type of shoddy business, you're absolutely wrong. Wether you stand up for life or stand up for choice, this is just NOT okay and our eyes need to be opened.
Note: This review will include graphic details.
Everyone, no matter where you stand on the abortion issue, whether you are pro-life or pro-choice or ambivalent, should take the time to read this book and educate yourself on the atrocities Gosnell committed over a span of decades. If this doctor got away with his crimes for so long, I am sure this is not the only case that has occurred or is occurring in America. I pray this is not the case, but Planned Parenthood officials have been caught selling fetal organs and tissue. As a pro-life woman, I believe babies are human and have rights at all stages of development. I am sure if more people read this book, minds and attitudes towards abortion can and will change.
This book ranks in the top most horrifying books I’ve ever read. Other books in this category include Nazi atrocities at concentration and death camps and serial killers the likes of Charles Manson and Gary Ridgway. Even though I was very familiar with this case, having followed it and having read the Grand Jury report immediately prior to reading this book, this was still an extremely difficult book to read. This husband-wife team of authors did an excellent job tackling this subject matter from all angles. They did not only focus on Gosnell but also on the failures of the state’s Department of Health and Department of State, clinic inspectors, clinic employees, and the media (regarding their blatant blackout of this case, except for a handful of reporters and citizens on Twitter).
Gosnell is no doubt the most prolific serial killer in American history, though some people will say it doesn't apply as he was doing abortions. The problem is that even under the law, he was doing illegal late-term abortions, and his employees have testified under oath that Gosnell killed at least 100 infants that were born alive by "snipping." These procedures were illegal because in the state of Pennsylvania, the cut-off limit for abortions is 23 weeks, 6 days. Gosnell manipulated the ultrasound images to show the older babies (some were between 28 and 32 weeks) to be only 24.5 weeks gestation. The irony of this is that Gosnell thought the manipulation to show 24.5-week gestation would be within the legal limit when he was mistaken about the law’s legal limit of abortion.
When babies were born alive after failed abortion procedures, Gosnell and other employees would perform “snippings.” This was the term the doctor used to refer to cutting the spinal cords of the babies that survived abortion procedures in order to "ensure fetal demise." There photographic evidence of this barbaric practice, and experts for the prosecution said there is no medical reason for this to have occurred.
One could argue that he was just ensuring successful abortions, what the women who came to him paid him to do. The issue with this is that it violates federal law, the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act of 2002. This law requires medical professionals to administer life-saving measures to infants born during abortions. Most, if not all, of the infants that had their spinal cords cut were past the age of viability, and witnesses testified that these babies were moving, breathing, and at times, making noise.
I think the most disturbing aspect of this case, other than the killings of the babies, was that Gosnell cut the feet off of many of the babies and kept them. It seems as though these were his *trophies. The authors, after the trial and Gosnell's sentencing, interviewed him, and say that he has a fetish for feet. Coincidence? I don't think so. Unbelievably, the judge threw out the charges of mutilating corpses, so he was never punished for cutting the feet off of these babies and keeping them in jars.
He also killed two women. The Grand Jury’s report dealt with the death of 22-year-old Semika Shaw. “On October 9, 2002, the Professional Underwriters Liability Insurance Company reported to the State Board of Medicine that it had paid a $400,000 settlement to the family of Semika Shaw, the 22-year-old mother of two who died following an abortion procedure at Gosnell’s clinic in March 2000.” She “died from infection and sepsis two days after Gosnell perforated her uterus and cervix during an abortion procedure,” according to the report. ([b:Blackout: The Gosnell Grand Jury Report the Media Does Not Want You to Read|17913987|Blackout The Gosnell Grand Jury Report the Media Does Not Want You to Read|Jonah Goldberg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1395000347s/17913987.jpg|26503692]).
It was not until the February 2010 drug raid on Gosnell's clinic when investigators became aware of the second woman's death. Forty-one-year-old Karnamaya Mongar suffered a fatal drug overdose during an abortion procedure. The drugs were administered by an unqualified employee, and witnesses testified that Gosnell did not attempt to revive the patient. Because of the clinics poor layout and locked doors, EMTs spent over 40 minutes trying to remove Mrs. Mongar from the clinic. She was later declared brain dead at a local hospital. Except for one employee, a physician's assistant, no one was qualified to assist in procedures, but this did not matter to Gosnell.
The clinic was disgustingly dirty, with dried blood all over, cats roaming, and bloody medical equipment that was reused, even one one-time use instrument that cost $1. This one fact spoke volumes to me as it showed Gosnell did not care about the women he “treated;” it was all about the money.
The true hero of this entire case is Detective Jim Wood (Woody) who orchestrated the drug raid (Gosnell was also illegally selling prescription drugs out of his clinic) on Gosnell’s clinic in February 2010 and looked deeper into the disturbing sights and smells he encountered in the clinic and the mention of Mrs. Mongar’s death. He did not let it go like so many other government officials did in the past.
He could not believe a health official allowed Gosnell to perform an abortion during the raid even in conditions that obviously violated the health code. This was after he saw Gosnell eating teriyaki salmon while wearing torn, bloody gloves. Another disturbing fact that stuck with me is that there was a lock on the outside of his 15-year-old daughter’s bedroom door when they searched his house after he was arrested and charged.
In the end, Gosnell was convicted of first-degree murder of three infants that were born alive. He was acquitted in a fourth baby's death, and found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the overdose death of Mrs. Mongar. He agreed not to appeal his conviction in exchange for a life sentence without parole, escaping the death penalty.
The babies they found were buried secretly by Philadelphia officials, despite church officials petitioning. In the summer of 2015 a small group of people gathered to mourn the 47 babies. "How a person dies doesn't make anyone less human," said Catherine Glenn Foster at the memorial. "These children were not unclaimed...they were wanted, they were desired," said Rev Patrick Mahoney, referring to the fight to have a proper burial for the babies.
Everyone, no matter where you stand on the abortion issue, whether you are pro-life or pro-choice or ambivalent, should take the time to read this book and educate yourself on the atrocities Gosnell committed over a span of decades. If this doctor got away with his crimes for so long, I am sure this is not the only case that has occurred or is occurring in America. I pray this is not the case, but Planned Parenthood officials have been caught selling fetal organs and tissue. As a pro-life woman, I believe babies are human and have rights at all stages of development. I am sure if more people read this book, minds and attitudes towards abortion can and will change.
This book ranks in the top most horrifying books I’ve ever read. Other books in this category include Nazi atrocities at concentration and death camps and serial killers the likes of Charles Manson and Gary Ridgway. Even though I was very familiar with this case, having followed it and having read the Grand Jury report immediately prior to reading this book, this was still an extremely difficult book to read. This husband-wife team of authors did an excellent job tackling this subject matter from all angles. They did not only focus on Gosnell but also on the failures of the state’s Department of Health and Department of State, clinic inspectors, clinic employees, and the media (regarding their blatant blackout of this case, except for a handful of reporters and citizens on Twitter).
Gosnell is no doubt the most prolific serial killer in American history, though some people will say it doesn't apply as he was doing abortions. The problem is that even under the law, he was doing illegal late-term abortions, and his employees have testified under oath that Gosnell killed at least 100 infants that were born alive by "snipping." These procedures were illegal because in the state of Pennsylvania, the cut-off limit for abortions is 23 weeks, 6 days. Gosnell manipulated the ultrasound images to show the older babies (some were between 28 and 32 weeks) to be only 24.5 weeks gestation. The irony of this is that Gosnell thought the manipulation to show 24.5-week gestation would be within the legal limit when he was mistaken about the law’s legal limit of abortion.
When babies were born alive after failed abortion procedures, Gosnell and other employees would perform “snippings.” This was the term the doctor used to refer to cutting the spinal cords of the babies that survived abortion procedures in order to "ensure fetal demise." There photographic evidence of this barbaric practice, and experts for the prosecution said there is no medical reason for this to have occurred.
One could argue that he was just ensuring successful abortions, what the women who came to him paid him to do. The issue with this is that it violates federal law, the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act of 2002. This law requires medical professionals to administer life-saving measures to infants born during abortions. Most, if not all, of the infants that had their spinal cords cut were past the age of viability, and witnesses testified that these babies were moving, breathing, and at times, making noise.
I think the most disturbing aspect of this case, other than the killings of the babies, was that Gosnell cut the feet off of many of the babies and kept them. It seems as though these were his *trophies. The authors, after the trial and Gosnell's sentencing, interviewed him, and say that he has a fetish for feet. Coincidence? I don't think so. Unbelievably, the judge threw out the charges of mutilating corpses, so he was never punished for cutting the feet off of these babies and keeping them in jars.
He also killed two women. The Grand Jury’s report dealt with the death of 22-year-old Semika Shaw. “On October 9, 2002, the Professional Underwriters Liability Insurance Company reported to the State Board of Medicine that it had paid a $400,000 settlement to the family of Semika Shaw, the 22-year-old mother of two who died following an abortion procedure at Gosnell’s clinic in March 2000.” She “died from infection and sepsis two days after Gosnell perforated her uterus and cervix during an abortion procedure,” according to the report. ([b:Blackout: The Gosnell Grand Jury Report the Media Does Not Want You to Read|17913987|Blackout The Gosnell Grand Jury Report the Media Does Not Want You to Read|Jonah Goldberg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1395000347s/17913987.jpg|26503692]).
It was not until the February 2010 drug raid on Gosnell's clinic when investigators became aware of the second woman's death. Forty-one-year-old Karnamaya Mongar suffered a fatal drug overdose during an abortion procedure. The drugs were administered by an unqualified employee, and witnesses testified that Gosnell did not attempt to revive the patient. Because of the clinics poor layout and locked doors, EMTs spent over 40 minutes trying to remove Mrs. Mongar from the clinic. She was later declared brain dead at a local hospital. Except for one employee, a physician's assistant, no one was qualified to assist in procedures, but this did not matter to Gosnell.
The clinic was disgustingly dirty, with dried blood all over, cats roaming, and bloody medical equipment that was reused, even one one-time use instrument that cost $1. This one fact spoke volumes to me as it showed Gosnell did not care about the women he “treated;” it was all about the money.
The true hero of this entire case is Detective Jim Wood (Woody) who orchestrated the drug raid (Gosnell was also illegally selling prescription drugs out of his clinic) on Gosnell’s clinic in February 2010 and looked deeper into the disturbing sights and smells he encountered in the clinic and the mention of Mrs. Mongar’s death. He did not let it go like so many other government officials did in the past.
He could not believe a health official allowed Gosnell to perform an abortion during the raid even in conditions that obviously violated the health code. This was after he saw Gosnell eating teriyaki salmon while wearing torn, bloody gloves. Another disturbing fact that stuck with me is that there was a lock on the outside of his 15-year-old daughter’s bedroom door when they searched his house after he was arrested and charged.
In the end, Gosnell was convicted of first-degree murder of three infants that were born alive. He was acquitted in a fourth baby's death, and found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the overdose death of Mrs. Mongar. He agreed not to appeal his conviction in exchange for a life sentence without parole, escaping the death penalty.
The babies they found were buried secretly by Philadelphia officials, despite church officials petitioning. In the summer of 2015 a small group of people gathered to mourn the 47 babies. "How a person dies doesn't make anyone less human," said Catherine Glenn Foster at the memorial. "These children were not unclaimed...they were wanted, they were desired," said Rev Patrick Mahoney, referring to the fight to have a proper burial for the babies.
Do NOT read this book if you have a sensitive stomach or are sensitive to the topic of abortion!!!
Although I knew about Gosnell and his horrific crimes, I wasn’t prepared for the absolute soul punch that this book delivered.
To say that Gosnell, his staff and the health board are utterly outrageous is the biggest understatement I can manage... although I can’t think of a word that accurately describes this monster and the horrific crimes that he got away with.
This is a heinously graphic book. It has to be. The violence and brutality of the man and his staff must be described so the reader can truly understand the evil nature of this man. Let it be said that I am pro-choice, so the topic of abortion isn’t something that inflamed me. What did inflame me was the way that Gosnell and his staff conducted the abortions and the fact that the authorities turned a blind eye to it repeatedly!!! The only reason he was stopped was because he was writing false scripts for drug addicts!!!!
I have read some heinous and disturbing books in my life and I really, really believe that this takes the pick as the most vile and depraved book I have read EVER. It was so disturbing that I actually had to put it down at times and come back to it. I’m curious to see what the film adaption will be like and I believe that more people need to know about this man and his crimes so that it is NEVER allowed to be repeated.
I don’t believe in heaven or hell but I sure believe in evil and it’s definition (amongst others), has Gosnell written right next to it.
Although I knew about Gosnell and his horrific crimes, I wasn’t prepared for the absolute soul punch that this book delivered.
To say that Gosnell, his staff and the health board are utterly outrageous is the biggest understatement I can manage... although I can’t think of a word that accurately describes this monster and the horrific crimes that he got away with.
This is a heinously graphic book. It has to be. The violence and brutality of the man and his staff must be described so the reader can truly understand the evil nature of this man. Let it be said that I am pro-choice, so the topic of abortion isn’t something that inflamed me. What did inflame me was the way that Gosnell and his staff conducted the abortions and the fact that the authorities turned a blind eye to it repeatedly!!! The only reason he was stopped was because he was writing false scripts for drug addicts!!!!
I have read some heinous and disturbing books in my life and I really, really believe that this takes the pick as the most vile and depraved book I have read EVER. It was so disturbing that I actually had to put it down at times and come back to it. I’m curious to see what the film adaption will be like and I believe that more people need to know about this man and his crimes so that it is NEVER allowed to be repeated.
I don’t believe in heaven or hell but I sure believe in evil and it’s definition (amongst others), has Gosnell written right next to it.
This book tells a terribly tragic true story. It graphically details evils carried out by Kermit Gosnell. It details partial birth abortions many times in bloody, gory, stomach turning visuals. It describes the filth and squalor that was the norm in Gosnell's clinic. It emphasizes that Gosnell seems to prefer to snip the baby's neck with scissors once outside its mother, rather that crushing its skull and then delivering the aborted fetus. All of these things make the reader hate Gosnell. As they should. Yet three fourths of the book isn't those things. Most of the book is written from a pro-life standpoint which goes on and on and on and on about how the press chose not to publicize the trial. It assumes all of the later term babies would have been able to survive and have productive lives had Gosnell allowed them to live, even as some of these mothers are drug addict, repeat abortion getters. The book would have been much more powerful for me had McElhinney left the politics out of the novel, and stuck with the crime, trial, and post incarceration interviews.
There's also a movie about this, but the whole entire case was tragic, and it depicted very inhumane circumstances. It shed light on the very seedy medical practices that are alive and well probably all over the country that perhaps do not get the media attention and spotlight that are needed to raise awareness. I was appalled and had to stop several times during the book to just take a breath. My heart goes out to the families who suffered as a result of this tragedy.