Category: Provider Hall of Shame

When New York legalized abortion on demand in 1970, Abortionist Jesse Ketchum immediately set up shop in a Buffalo motel suite.

On May 28, 1971, Ketchum did a D&C abortion under general anesthesia on Ellen K. Lawler of New Baltimore, Michigan, in his Buffalo office. Only later, at an undisclosed time, did Mrs. Lawler discover that Ketchum had lacerated her uterus, anterior cul-de-sac, right broad ligament, and peritoneum.

He had told her the abortion had been uncomplicated.

Ketchum was convicted of criminally negligent homicide after killing 25-year old Margaret Louise Smith on June 16, 1971. A pathologist determined that Margaret bled to death from “laceration of the entire length of the cervix, lower segment of the uterus, and the broad ligament.”
J
ust a few months later, one of his abortions killed a woman who traveled from Ohio for a vaginal hysterotomy abortion in Ketchum’s office. She was admitted to a hospital, in shock, the next day, and died of hemorrhage during a laparotomy on October 20, 1971. The coroner noted that “At autopsy, removal of sutures which completely closed the cervix revealed a laceration extending the length of the cervical canal into the uterus and the right uterine artery.”

This latter case led to his conviction on charges of criminally negligent homicide on October 26, 1973. His petition to overturn conviction on constitutional grounds was denied. Abortionist Milan Vuitch testified in Ketchum’s defense.

Of two doctors known to have been performing outpatient hysterotomy abortions in New York City in the early 1970s, Ketchum performed 18 of the 19 outpatient hysterotomies reported. Both reported deaths from outpatient hysterotomies (Margaret Smith and Carol Schaner) were Ketchum’s patients, giving his outpatient hysterotomy practice an 11% mortality rate.

On April 12, 1974, Ketchum was found guilty and fined $50 for sitting in a porno theater, masturbating with his pants around his knees. (2227 – NY Medical board documents)

References: United States District Court for Western New York, Ketchum v. Ward; Journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, March 1974; New York State Journal of Medicine, October 1975; Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, March 1974; Western District, New York District Court #Civ-75-79; New York Supreme Court, County of Erie, Index #D88030; New York Supreme Court, County of Erie, Index No. 62821; “Jesse Ketchum: Back-Alley Butcher Gone Legit Join the Discussion.” “Pro-Life Views,” About.com, June 29, 2001.

Credit; Abortionviolence.com

 

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On December 5, 1988, Buffalo abortionist Barnett Slepian went wild when several pro-lifers sang Christmas carols outside his home on a public sidewalk. Slepian grabbed a baseball bat and severely injured Ronald Breymeier, 48, by beating him on the head, back, and arms, before smashing out all of the windows on Breymeier’s van.

Slepian surrendered to Town of Amherst police at his home a short time afterwards, and was charged with felony assault and criminal mischief. Abortion clinic owner Marilynn Buckham defended Slepian, telling the Buffalo News “I think it’s [picketing] religious persecution. These ‘good Christians’ don’t respect anyone else’s religion.” Due to this incident, the Amherst Town Board immediately banned the picketing of homes by pro-lifers.

Slepian tragically became a victim of violence himself, shot by a cowardly anti-abortion man who betrayed his convictions by taking the life of another human being. Clinicquotes owners and affiliates vehemently condemn this act of horrible violence. No one who kills another person in cold blood is pro-life. Violence on either side of the abortion debate is contemptible.

References: Paul Likoudis, “Buffalo Abortionist Arrested on Sex-Abuse Charges.” The Wanderer, January 5, 1988, page 1; Associated Press, December 6 and 7, 1988.

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Abortionist Rafael G. Cunanan was director of Planned Parenthood in Niagara County, New York (in Buffalo). In October 1997, the State of New York fined him $1,000 for committing two unasked-for abortions and a mistaken sterilization.

The abortionist was also placed on probation for four years. The State found that Cunanan failed to have pregnancy tests done on women before performing abortions. He had also, without consent, done a tubal sterilization on a young woman in 1984, and then paid her to keep silent.

References: “Doctor Fined Over Abortions, Mistakenly Sterilizing Women.” Buffalo News, October 1, 1997, page A1; American Life League’s Communique, October 31, 1997; Tony Gosgnach. “Cases Reveal a Path of Destruction Through Women, Children, and Society.” The Interim, September 1998; Tony Gosgnach. “Planned Parenthood Exposed.” The Interim, February 2003.

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Abortionist David Benjamin (also know as Elyas Bonrouhi) killed 33-year old Honduran native Guadalupe Negron, a mother of four at the Metro Women’s Center abortion clinic in Queens, New York, on July 9, 1993.

Benjamin’s license had been revoked a month earlier for “gross incompetence and negligence” in rupturing the uteruses of five other women, but medical officials allowed him to continue his practice. But as early as 1980, after he was dismissed from a Utica hospital for substandard work, New York health officials already knew that he was a public health menace.

During Negron’s abortion, Benjamin proceeded to extract pieces of a 20-week old preborn baby without first performing any kind of examination. He lacerated Negron’s cervix and punctured her uterus, causing severe bleeding. The abortion began at 10 AM. The receptionist for the abortion mill testified that Negron was moved into recovery and was not monitored for over an hour. Benjamin’s wife, who acted as an assistant, took her back into the exam room and came out screaming, “Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Call the ambulance! Call the ambulance!” Benjamin did not summon an ambulance until 1:40 PM. Paramedics found a breathing tube inserted into Negron’s stomach instead of her trachea, causing stomach fluids to travel up the tube, into the mask, and down into her lungs. A paramedic said he found Negron naked and bloody, while a nurse was screaming and trying to revive her in a small, unventilated room with an inadequate oxygen tank and no necessary equipment such as blood pressure cuff. The paramedic stated Benjamin lied about nature of Negron’s problem, hindering attempts to save her. Negron’s autopsy report attributed her death to massive bleeding causing shock and cardiac arrest.

Benjamin was indicted on murder charges due to “depraved indifference to human life.” A paramedic told a reporter “I wouldn’t take my dog there (Benjamin’s clinic).” Benjamin was charged with second-degree murder. A news article indicates that Benjamin’s attorney found fault with the paramedic for presuming the information given to him by Benjamin was complete and accurate. Benjamin’s license was revoked in 1993 over charges pending prior to Negron’s death.

Even the National Abortion Federation (NAF) applauded Benjamin’s murder conviction. “The evidence presented in the case makes clear that Dr. Benjamin’s practices were absolutely unacceptable,” said Vicki Saporta, Executive Director of NAF. “Shoddy and substandard doesn’t even begin to describe his methods. He should not have been practicing medicine.” Strangely, though the NAF had done nothing prior to Negron’s death to stop Benjamin from practicing medicine.

Saporta, however, pointed the finger of blame not on the National Abortion Federation’s failure to take action despite multiple indications that Benjamin was practicing substandard medicine, or even on Benjamin himself, but on pro-lifers.

“The sad fact is that, because of the political controversy surrounding abortion, anti-choice policies exist that make it difficult for women to get basic information about the many safe, quality providers of abortion services … A doctor like David Benjamin depends on the anti-choice extremists of this country who work to make women ashamed and fearful. We should not have back alleys in 1995, but sadly, we do — because anti-abortion forces work to take funding, access and information away from women.”

Benjamin had previously been found guilty of, among other things, gross negligence, gross incompetence, and abandoning or neglecting a patient and failing to keep accurate medical records. His license had been suspended for three months and he had received a period of probation. He had also lost privileges in two hospitals in 1982 and 1983. He applied for hospital privileges in 1989, fraudulently concealed these disciplinary actions. News reports described his abortion mill as a “slaughterhouse” and “dark, filthy, poorly ventilated.” News articles alleged Benjamin also did abortions in the basement of his house, and that he disappeared after an investigation into Negron’s death was begun.

On March 16, 2000, a New York State Court of Appeals upheld Benjamin’s 1995 murder conviction. He will continue serving his 25-year-to-life sentence following the decision by the Appellate Division.

“This is a solid victory for patients and their families who, through the gross and depraved indifference of their medical practitioners, lose their lives,” said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, whose office brought the case.

Harold Pokel, who handled Benjamin’s appeal, said he was “very disappointed in the result.” Pokel had argued that testimony about Benjamin’s previous problematic medical history should have been excluded at trial; it was allowed, and prejudiced the jury, he said. He promised to take Benjamin’s case to the Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court.

References: Press release of the National Abortion Federation entitled “Abortion Providers Praise Verdict Against New York Doctor” dated August 8, 1995; PRI Newswire, August 8, 1995; Dave Andrusko. “Doctor Indicted in New York Woman’s Abortion Death.” The Wanderer, September 2, 1993, pages 1 and 6; Paul Likoudis. “Investigators Cast a Wide Net To Find Abortionist’s Murderer.” The Wanderer, December 10, 1998, pages 1 and 10; Dave Andrusko. “[David] Benjamin Indicted On Murder Charges.” National Right to Life News, September 14, 1993, page 5; Dave Andrusko. “Indictment Pending In New York Woman’s Abortion Death.” National Right to Life News, August 11, 1993, pages 5 and 24; New York Daily News, July 11 and 13, 1992, and July 11, 13 and 14, 1993; New York Post, August 11, 1993; Medical Board Order Number BPMC-93-79; New York Times Metro Section, July 18 and 20, 1995; New York Newsday, August 23, 1993; Dave Andrusko. “Benjamin Convicted of Second-Degree Murder in Botched Abortion.” National Right to Life News, August 22, 1995, page 4; “Appeals Court Upholds Abortion Practitioner’s Murder Conviction.” Steven Ertelt’s Pro-Life Infonet at http://www.prolifeinfo.org/infonet.html, March 27, 2000; Associated Press, March 23, 2000.

Credit: AbortionViolence.com

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On June 6, 1993, abortionist Stanley Brown tried to run down 79-year old Mrs. Margaret Cowell with his car. Brown had his medical license suspended for two years by the by the State Board of Health in 1988 for leaving preborn body parts in women’s uteruses; perforating uteruses; acting as both anesthesiologist and surgeon; administering the wrong anesthesia; performing tubal ligations without the consent of the patients; for having gaps and blanks in his medical records; for falsifying diagnoses to insure payment; misjudging a 17 week preborn baby for a 10 week baby, and other violations.

References: Rev. John T. Murphy, “Violence and Disruption Report,” December 15, 1994; Rev. John T. Murphy, Save the Babies Foundation newsletter, November 1994, page 2.

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Abortionist Boyd Cooper performed a July 1979 abortion at 23 weeks at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The 2-pound, 2-ounce infant boy gasped and attempted to breathe, but no efforts made to revive or help the little one, because he was so small and the parents wanted him dead.

So the little baby was placed in a utility room used as an infant morgue. Cooper instructed a nurse, “Leave the baby there — it will die.” The nurse testified that the infant was still gasping in the closet when she returned to work 12 hours later. Cooper then agreed to allow transfer to intensive care, where the infant died 4 days later.

To show the depths of denial the medical community will go to in order to protect abortionists, the infant’s death was ruled “accidental.”

Reference: Philadelphia Inquirer, August 2, 1981.

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Abortionist Ronald Tauber was convicted in 1982 of first degree criminal sexual assault and second degree criminal sexual misconduct. On July 14, 1980, he kidnapped a six year old girl “and did engage in sexual penetration with said victim.” Tauber was convicted after the state proved he had forcibly transported the girl in his car against her will.

Tauber admitted exposing himself to the girl and placing her hand on his penis. He also lifted the child’s undergarment to expose her vulva. Tauber released the girl when she began to cry. He was charged November 10, filed a motion of insanity March 15, 1982, was ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination relating to the insanity claim on March 30, and was arrested again April 22, 1982 on a charge of “indecent exposure, assault with intent to commit kidnapping, and assault with intent to commit sexual penetration of a female minor in Birmingham, Michigan.” He spent seven years in prison on these charges.

He also admitted that, on December 7, 1981, he engaged in masturbation in his car while children were exiting Cody High School. The Board dropped the revocation proceedings because Tauber was expected to be incarcerated beyond the expiration of his medical license.

He had previously killed 34-year old Gloria Small in a botched abortion in Florida, and admitted to exposing himself to more than 700 women and young girls. Amazingly, despite his sordid record, he is still currently licensed to commit abortions in New York State.

References: Miami Herald, July 20, 1979; Orlando Sentinel Star, April 20, 1978; Chris McKenna. “Convicted Molester Gets OK to Resume Med Practice.” New York Post, October 28, 1992, page 4; People vs. Ronald Tauber (Michigan Case #80-46749-FY); Michigan Medical Board case #82-202; and California Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners case #90-6 and OAH #N-37351.

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Abortionist Edward Rubin fatally botched second-trimester abortions on Lynn McNair, a 24-year-old mother of two, on March 24, 1979, and Dawn Mendoza, also a mother of two, on June 29, 1988.

In the latter case, Mendoza’s brother, had accompanied her, and was instructed to wait in a grassy park across the street and come back to get her at 4 PM. He returned and was told to wait two more times, and when he returned at 5:30, his sister was dead. She “started gasping for breath, and then she yelled out.” Her blood pressure fell, and the abortion clinic staff attempted resuscitation, but they did not bother to call an ambulance.

References: Autopsy report #88-1488; and New York Post, July 4, 1989.

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On January 24, 1985, abortionist Alan Kline aborted and killed 13-year old Dawn Ravenell at the Eastern Women’s Center abortion mill. Dawn’s 15-year-old boyfriend paid the $450 abortion fee with a family member’s credit card. Osteopathic nurse Robert Augent gave Dawn only half the dose necessary for the operation. Dawn awoke five minutes into the abortion procedure and began to vomit and choke.

Kline put a breathing tube into her throat and failed to extract the remainder of the preborn child. Despite her obviously serious difficulties, Kline left her unattended in the abortion clinic’s recovery room, where she suffered a heart attack and slipped into a coma.

Her parents were notified only when she was brought to St. Luke’s Hospital. She was comatose for three weeks and died on February 11, 1985. In an interview, her mother said, “They told me I had to come in [to St. Luke’s] right away, that Dawn is here at that hospital fighting for her life … How could she be fighting for her life? She left this morning, going to school, looking healthy, never been sick … While I was in the hospital sitting there, I had to keep my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming in horror. I could not believe this was happening. I said this is a bad dream, I’m going to wake up and this would not have happened.”

When a judge asked Kline if his patient’s young age had captured his attention, he responded, “Oh, no. I’ve done 13-year-olds before. When they’re 10, maybe I’ll notice.”

Court testimony showed that Kline and the abortion mill fabricated medical records in attempt to conceal their mistakes. The Court awarded $1.2 million to the plaintiffs, and the jury labeled his indifference to human life “an abomination.”

Kline testified in defense of fellow abortionist Harold Tictin, who aborted a 7-month fetus he had estimated as 3 months, stating that he himself had mistaken gestational ages by as much as 10 weeks.

References: Ray Kerrison. “A Child Died in the Care of this ‘Hero’ Abortion Doc.” New York Post, August 15, 1994, pages 2 and 18. St. Petersburg Times, May 12, 1988; New York Post, December 11, 1990 and August 7, 1991 and August 15, 1994; New York Daily News, December 1, 1990; New York County Supreme Court Index #22504/85.

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On January 15, 1989, Ghanaian native Eunice Agabgaa entered Y&P Medical Clinic in New York City for an abortion at the hands of Abram Zelikman. After the abortion, Zelikman left the clinic while Eunice was in recovery from the abortion. Unfortunately, Zelikman had botched the abortion so badly, she died.

A friend who was present at the clinic testified that she pleaded with the clinic staff to call paramedics once she noticed Eunice’s bloodied body and poor vital signs. Her friend stated “I felt if I hadn’t been there, they would have wrapped her dead body and thrown it in the garbage.”

References: New York Daily News, January 16, 1989; Associated Press, January 16 and February 3, 1989; New York Newsday, July 9, 1989.

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