|
Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer (2018)
1
(GENTLE MUSIC) (MOVING TO TENSE MUSIC) (CAMERA BEEPING) (CAMERA CLICKING) (DRAMATIC DRUMMING MUSIC) (GENTLE MUSIC) (LEXI PANTING) (MOVING TO DRAMATIC MUSIC) Come on! (HORN HONKING) Idiots. (TIRES SCREECHING) (MOVING TO GENTLE MUSIC) ED: And step all through. There you go. Good catch. Did you get it? Yeah. Woody, that's not the right one! Oh, did you mean this one? This one? Not funny. Go put this on, go. Stop peeking, Woody! (GENTLE CLASSICAL MUSIC) Any last piece of advice, Dad? The way I see it, you got a couple choices here. Who gives this woman to be joined in holy matrimony? Her mother and I. You can be seated. No, no, I'm good, baby. No, it's on, yeah. MAN: Congratulations, Woody. Old boy's supposed to pay me Friday but he jagged me. I got the Benjis now, so it's on. Hey. MAN: Good luck, man. I get paid, I buy from you, know what I'm saying? Right? Are we good? Yeah. (ROCK MUSIC) Tonight? The Thrifty, 27th and 2nd. I'll be there, baby. Case 714, December 13th, 6:37 p.m. Detective Woods in combo with suspect Cindy Jones, arranging buy meeting. (GENTLE MUSIC) Here's Cindy. STARK: Pretty nice ride for a girl from the hood. Man, I can't believe she fell for your Jello pudding jive. WOODY: I learned it all from you. STARK: That's what I do. I do it all day. (BOTH LAUGHING) All right, man, you ready? Yeah. Testing, testing. It's good. So remember, you're gonna keep her in view the whole time, make sure you stay... Hey, it's not my first rodeo, Sherlock. Check you out, mixed metaphor. - Here we go. - Go. (POLICE RADIO OPERATOR CHATTERING) (GENTLE MUSIC) (WOMEN CHATTERING) All right, man, there's Cindy. Got her. STARK: Looks like she can stick that whole pharmacy in that big old coat. It looks like she's packing up, buddy. All right, man, here we go, here we go. Cindy Jones, Philadelphia PD. Oh shit, you gotta be kidding me! Now, now, kitty, be nice. How you doing, Cindy? Baby? It's nice to finally meet you face to face. That was you? Yeah. Okay, so the way I see it, you got a couple choices here. All right, you can give us the name of the doctor who wrote the scripts (SIRENS BLARING) or we can ruin your night. (TIRES SCREECHING) Hey! FBI! DEA. Philadelphia PD. This is a local bust. (GENTLE MUSIC) Don't worry your pretty little head about it. No, no, no, no. We built this collar. Ooh, looks like a formal investigation. You going to the prom? (AGENTS LAUGHING) (OFFICERS CHATTERING) This is an interstate drug situation, my friend. You are in second place. WOODY: No, no, if she doesn't give us what we need, she's going to city jail. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) ROY: She's a federal suspect! Dr. Gosnell! (POLICE RADIOS CHATTERING) The woman I get the scripts from works for Dr. Gosnell. (BIRDS CHIRPING) I promise I'm only doing drugs a few more months. Oh, I've heard that before. You'll start with the drugs and then you'll go back to murder. I'm sick of looking at autopsies and murder weapons. I just want a normal life. Take the job at the governor's office. We'll move to Harrisburg. If we move, can we get a dog? If we have a bigger yard and someone does the dishes, we might. It's not my turn, it's his. ED: And a hot tub. LEXI: Mmm. (PHONE RINGING) - Ew! - Mom! Oh, I gotta take this. I gotta go. Just take him for one second. You're not done yet. Woody, I'm not back 'til tomorrow. WOODY: There's that voice I long to hear! Thought you were back today. I'll call Dan. Well, now I'm curious, what's up? Well, we found our Oxy source. It's a Dr. Kermit Gosnell. He runs a clinic at 3801 Lancaster Avenue. Wanted to get a warrant so we can take a hidden camera in there. I'll follow up with Dan tomorrow. I'm always happy to help you with these drug cases, Woody. ED: Bye, kids! - Bye, Daddy. - Bye. LEXI: Okay, go get your backpack. Is Mom the police? No, Mom's the boss of the police. And don't you forget it. (LIVELY MUSIC) STARK: Now, don't you speak all that in one place either. What have we got? We have surveillance footage from Gosnell's clinic. All in one place, do you? STARK: (mumbles) This ain't my rookie season, okay? I hear ya. Money changing hands. You got jokes. STARK: I'll try to make... Okay, let's pick her up. (MOVING TO DRAMATIC MUSIC) WOMAN: That never went so fast in my life. I got there at quarter to, that's before my (MUMBLES). Hey, hey, beautiful. You going for a ride today. Hold up! You a cop? Yes, ma'am, I am a police officer. KESHAWNA: Man, this is some entrapment bullshit. You poor thing, I feel so sorry for you. Please watch your head. Keshawna, the way I see it, you got a couple choices here. Look, most of the pharmacists, you know, they legit. You can't be going in with the same names on the script all the time. So, Doc Gosnell, he has us pay junkies 50 bucks for their IDs and writes the scripts for 'em. ROY: Is he the only one writing scripts? KESHAWNA: He the only doctor there. They got girls that been to high school doing the procedures. WOODY: Procedures? Yeah, the abortions. ROY: So you send in the Smurfs. That's right. Seekers pay 84 and 80. That mean $3200 for a script. ROY: Seekers? Yeah, see, we got three... He got three kind of customers at the clinic. The seekers, they the ones come in for the drugs. Oxy, sometimes Xanax, Percocet. And you got the procedures, and they gotta get they pain meds to get ready for the abortions when the doctor comes in. 'Cause see, he don't even get there most days 'til like 7:00 at night or so. So you use the Smurfs to get the IDs for the scripts, right? And then the seekers... Wait, who's giving the abortion patients their meds? What's that got to do with anything? Well, if there's no doctor there, who's doling out the pain meds? Any of us. Alison, Lydia, Betty, sometimes. Excuse me. Can we finish the conversation about the narcotics operation? And Lydia was there when that one woman died. Wait, a woman died? (TRAIN RATTLING) This doesn't make sense to me here. Healthy woman goes into a clinic, comes out dead and there's no police report? How does that that happen? I thought you were working narcotics. Woody, you back at homicide? WOODY: Can't a guy have hobbies. CORONER: The death certificate said accidental death. Fentanyl and Demerol don't sound like accidental drugs to me. They sound like doctor drugs. Yeah, fine, but if a doctor administered 'em, it's not a crime, it's an accident. Malpractice, maybe. What if the doctor didn't administer those? What do the Feds say? They're saying it's a drug case. It is a drug case. Woman goes into a clinic, gets drugged to death by some untrained teen and that's just a drug case? That's a lot of assumptions, Woody. We don't know that any of that's true. Karnamaya Mongar, okay. (SOMBER MUSIC) 41 years old. Her husband and her and her kid get chased out of Bhutan for some ethnic cleansing bullshit, I don't know what it is. They spend 20 years in a straw hut in a refugee camp in Nepal, only to finally, finally make it to the good ol' USA. Four months later, she goes in for a procedure with Dr. Oxy. Now she's dead and no one seems to give a damn? You seem to give a damn. I do. Okay, all right, what kind of procedure was it? Abortion. What? I thought you were pro-choice. What does that have to do with anything? I don't know, what does that have to do with anything, Dan? It complicates things. Am I in the right place here? This is homicide, right? Homicide? Because this is homicide, Dan. It's homicide. LEXI: Is she your girlfriend? - Exactly. - Thank you, Dad. ED: Thank, Buddy, thank you for being an adult. GIRL: Cannot deny. (PHONE RINGING) GIRL: Is that the police? I'll just be a minute. ED: They're coming to get you. GIRL: Let's hope so. Woody, it's dinner time. WOODY: Why didn't you back me up in there? Woody. That poor woman lost her life because some moron pumped her full of drugs and you're just gonna ignore it? (PHONES RINGING) LEXI: Woody, you got your warrant. What? You got your warrant. You're going with the FBI, stay out of their way, all right? Okay, yeah. Now, is there anything else you'd like to say to me? You like the Eagles or the Giants with spread? (CHILDREN GIGGLING) (RADIOS CHATTERING) (MEN CHATTERING) STARK: Okay, guys, we're set. Yo, who's Nurse Ratchet over there? Mmm, Department of Health. She's gotta be there because the clinic's gonna be open when we go in. Mmm hmm. Good slice? No? You know you guys got this warrant in the Mongar case. Look for what you need, don't screw up our evidence, got it? Got it. All right, listen up. (OMINOUS MUSIC) We move through the clinic fast, get everyone in separate rooms so they can't compare notes. We're not expecting any weapons, but you never know, so be prepared. This is Nurse Sandra Rose, Department of Health. She's coming along to ensure the well-being of any patients we might encounter. We are looking for scripts, pills, anything that looks like drugs or paraphernalia. Don't touch anything else. (MOVING TO DRAMATIC MUSIC) They'll have copies of the warrant, know why we're here. Let's move. WOMAN: Officer, what's going on? (WOMAN MUMBLES) Good evening. We have a warrant to search the premises. WOODY: Hey, hey, hey, hey! - We need to talk to you! - Lets spread out. - Stop, stop! - Got your instructions. (DROWNED OUT BY MUSIC) OFFICER: Roger that. Gentlemen, do not disturb the patients. You take the upstairs. AGENT: Yes sir. All right, come on. (CATS MEOWING) (TENSE MUSIC) (WOMAN VOMITING) Hey, let's get that nurse in here! (CAT MEOWING) WOMAN: Who's out there? WOMAN: No, no. WOODY: What is that smell? AGENT: Yeah, we're gonna need more guys up here. Man, it smells like a dead fish up in here. Yeah. WOMAN: You write these down. (WOMAN MUMBLES) The police, okay, just stay where you are. Hey, let's get these girls in separate rooms! You two, come with me. (OFFICER COUGHING) ROY: You want me to hold 'em here? Keep 'em separate, whew. AGENT: Hey, Ken. KEN: I got it, I got it. Man, I think I stepped in something. It's probably cat shit. (CAT MEOWING) Oh man, it is cat shit! AGENT: That over there. STARK: Oh my God. AGENT: Don't touch that. What is this, the lunch room? STARK: Lunch room? No, I'm good, no lunch for me. (CAT MEOWING) AGENT: Keep those ladies in the back. We'll interview 'em later, all right? AGENT: I think I got some blood spatter over here or something. Hey, uh, Woody. Hey man, you gotta see this. (POLICE RADIO CHATTERING) (EERIE MUSIC) Hold it up, little higher. (POLICE RADIO CHATTERING) Hey man, is this normal? I don't know, I've never been in an abortion clinic before. (AGENTS COUGHING) AGENT: You all right? AGENT ON RADIO: We've got eyes on Gosnell. He's coming in the north entrance. AGENT: Roger that. AGENT ON RADIO: Should be there in a minute. (CATS MEOWING) KERMIT: Hello, hello! How y'all doing this evening? Dr. Gosnell. We are the DEA, the FBI, and the Philadelphia Police. Well, goodness, my goodness. Did we have a break in? No sir, we have a warrant to search these premises. (TENSE MUSIC) Am I under arrest? Not at this juncture. Well, just give me a moment if you would to put these down. Ah, thank you. I have some special patients I have to attend to. You gentlemen can come watch if you like. Ooh, just a minute, guys. Ah, there you are. Hey, hey, hey! Oh yes, you're hungry, aren't you? Here we go. Ah, come get it, come get it, come on, come get it. Come, there you come. Oh yeah. Ah, yes. Ah, yes. They bring my patients such joy at a very difficult time. Doctor, we have a patient in distress. Oh, oh dear! Pardon me, I have to see about this right away. (CAT MEOWING) (TENSE MUSIC) (DRAMATIC MUSIC) (PEOPLE CHATTERING) (POLICE RADIO CHATTERING) MAN: I'm hoping they arrested somebody. Excuse me, officer, have there been any arrests? Can you tell me why the police are raiding an abortion clinic? Why are the DEA and the FBI involved? What's the matter, you don't like tattoos? (POLICE RADIO CHATTERING) We're gonna, scripts, on the fraud, - on the false IDs. - Let's go after the money. You build the money on top of my case. Hey, are you just gonna let him run around and treat these women? ROY: You know how to do it? Well, call in an ambulance or something, this place is crazy! Look, that's not what we're here for. I'm sorry for all the extra mess. (POLICE RADIO CHATTERING) You might have noticed, um, we've been having a dispute with our medical disposal company. (CAT MEOWING) Yeah, you see that little rascal over there? He's killed over 100 mice in this clinic. (CHUCKLES) (PHONE RINGING) LEXI: Woody? You are not gonna believe what I saw last night. The stench was unbelievable. Is this the lunch room? He had all these bags everywhere. He said they were medical waste. We opened up some of them, there were little bodies inside. Bodies? What do you mean, fetuses? They looked like babies to me. How many? So far, we found over 30 of them. Stuffed inside jugs, inside bags, in the refrigerator, the freezer, everywhere. Oh, oh, the jars. This guy put baby's feet in jars. (SOMBER MUSIC) What, what do you mean, in jars? No, wait, look, right over here. Look at that. I mean, is that normal? He had dozens of 'em. And then they let him go work on this woman while we were there. I'm telling you, this woman was bigger than Joan was when she had Charlie. And, that's got to be illegal, right? I don't know. WOODY: A woman that big? I mean, there has to be some kind of a limit on when you can have an abortion. Yeah, but I don't know what that is. I thought you were a lawyer? Woody, I have five kids. What do I know about abortion? Here. No person shall perform or induce an abortion upon another person when the gestational age of the unborn child is 24 or more weeks. That's six months. Unreal. Six months? How big is a baby at six months? Pretty big. Big enough that the fetuses that you saw could have been perfectly legal. There's something bad going on there. I know it. You got any witnesses? I got a list of employees. Let's go talk to 'em. I made me a color chart to remember the different drugs and how much to give them. They would tell me a color and I'd know what to do. So, Gosnell trained you to give anesthesia? How much training did you get? About 20 minutes. When did you start working at the clinic? 'Bout five years ago, I guess. LEXI: When you were 15. Mama worked there. She'd bring me in after school for extra credit and Doc liked me, so he hired me. And you would use this chart to help you know what drugs to give the women who came into the clinic? Yeah. The Demerol and the Cytotec. That's the one that makes them precipitate. Precipitate? (SOMBER MUSIC) That's Doc's word for when the babies come out. When the babies come out? What would happen then, after the babies came out? Doc or somebody'd snip it? Snip it? He would take scissors and cut the back of their necks. He taught everybody how to do it so that it could be done if he wasn't there. He did it to all of them, even the ones that wasn't moving. Some of the babies were moving? Betty, how many times did you see that happen? Babies moving? I don't know. Got any plans for the next few years? Can you just call DA McGuire and ask if she'll see me? I mean... OFFICER: I really can't, ma'am, I'm sorry. I mean, I know I don't have an appointment, but since I'm already down here... OFFICER: I know. You really need to have an appointment. I even know the extension if you can just like like 432, like hello, can DA McGuire see me? OFFICER: Hey Woody. Oh, Detective Woods, hi, can I talk to you for a second? Do I know you? Mollie Mullaney, Mullaney Report. I just had a couple questions about the... The press, no, I hate the press. It's nothing personal, it's just because you guys lie all the time and stuff. I'm not from the press. I'm an investigative blogger. I just want a few... Blogger? Forget it, kid, I don't even talk to real reporters. Ah, no bloggers allowed. (POLICE RADIO CHATTERING) (TENSE MUSIC) Yeah. That's jammed up pretty good, huh? Let's take the whole unit. Detective Stark? There are a bunch of file boxes on the list that seem to have been moved. We can't find 'em. Show me. It was a cat, there were cats everywhere in the whole place, cat's running around. And we've been clearing stuff out of this clinic for almost 24 hours. We found envelopes with cash in 'em and one of which was labeled with, uh... Karnamaya Mongar. Thank you. She paid for her own death. We also found these plastic medical waste bags. Some of them contained fetuses. And then we have these files that Gosnell kept on 'em and some of them corresponded with the fetuses. How did you match the files to the bodies? He labeled them. He wrote names on a little piece of masking tape. The guy must not think he did anything wrong. But he was moving the files and he was moving the bags in the meantime. Well, how could he do that? There were cops all over the place. I mean, that's like a maze up in there. It's like three houses connected by secret corridors and stuff. I got lost in there a couple times. But he's not under arrest, so he could have moved that stuff at any time under our noses. I guess he does think he's doing something wrong. Yeah, but the question is, where's he moving the stuff to? (DRAMATIC MUSIC) McGuire! Didn't know you were gonna party with us today. (GRUNTS) Well, I can't let you boys have all the fun. You look good in Kevlar. You should wear it more often. Dr. Gosnell? Police, open up. We've got a search warrant. Dr. Gosnell, it's the police with a search warrant, open up. All right. Wait! STARK: Rule number one in a door breach, try the handle. Thank you. Dr. Gosnell, Philadelphia Police Department. We have a search warrant for this house. (CAT MEOWING) (TENSE MUSIC) Dr. Gosnell? Police. (CAT MEOWING) Dr. Gosnell? Police Department. LEXI: I guess their cleaning lady took a week off. WOODY: Sorry to bother you. Police. Is your father at home? (MOVING TO DRAMATIC MUSIC) Dr. Gosnell, Philadelphia Police Department. We have a search warrant for your house, sir. (CHUCKLES) Of course, of course. Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I assume you've met my daughter. Is your wife here? No, she's not. She's shopping. Make yourselves at home (CHUCKLES). (SOMBER MUSIC) Deeds to houses. He's got real estate all over the place. That's not all he's got. Look at this. KERMIT: May I fix you some breakfast, detective? No thank you. Dr. Gosnell, we need the keys that you have to a padlocked door in the hallway. Do you really need to do that? It's the cellar. I'm almost ashamed to let you go down there. It's a bit messy. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) (DOOR CREAKING) (SOMBER MUSIC) Files have been moved recently. Definitely moving stuff around. Oh. (OMINOUS MUSIC) Stark? STARK: Yeah? What is this? Oh God! Oh, hell no, come on! Let's go! (DOOR RATTLING) Open up! - Hey! - Open up! OFFICER: Come on, help me with it. Open up. OFFICER: We got it, here. Here, gimme your hand. WOODY: Come on, get 'em out. Get your suits off! Get it off of me. WOODY: Get 'em off, get 'em off! Oh shit. WOODY: Get this off. It's disgusting! (CLASSICAL PIANO MUSIC) What the... Did someone turn on the radio? Hey, what's going on in here? This is a crime scene, people. I warned you about the mess. (POLICE RADIO CHATTERING) (BABY CRYING) Yes, I'm holding for Dr. North. Well, do you know when she will be in? This is the third time I've called. Yes, please. ADA Alexis McGuire. You have my number? Yeah, okay, thank you. (BABY CRYING) Hey, Doctor Ray, I got a man down. Do you mind taking a look? It's just a little ear infection. I'll call in a prescription for you, he'll be fine. Thanks, Doc. You're the best. By the way, have you ever heard of a doctor cutting an aborted fetus's neck to ensure fetal demise? I've never heard of that. Is this the Gosnell case? LEXI: Can I put you on the witness stand? (CHUCKLES) Wouldn't testify in that case about anything. Doubt you'll find a doctor who will. Tell me about it. My own obstetrician who just delivered this guy told me to pound sand. Well, they all knew him as a colleague. Some of them probably even referred patients to him. So? That doesn't make them culpable. Lexi, it's abortion, nobody wants to touch that. Listen, if he's not better in a couple days, holler. (JAZZY MUSIC) BARISTA: Here you go. One medium skinny late. Name's Lexi. (PATRONS CHATTERING) Excuse me, Ms. McGuire. Are you gonna be the first prosecutor in American history to charge an abortion doctor with murder? I'm sorry, who are you? Mollie Mullaney, Mullaney Report. Shouldn't you be at home in your pajamas or something? It's free Wi-Fi, so it's actually reason enough to get out of bed. Now, in the past, you've said that you're pro-choice. Why are you pursuing this case? Young lady, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I don't speak about ongoing investigations. Hmm, have you ever heard the name Samika Shaw? No, I haven't. Really? Well, she died in 2000 after being treated by Dr. Gosnell. Ever heard of the Mother's Day Massacre in 1972? Gosnell flew to the Bahamas for 12 years right after that. Curious about why? Well, you can read about it on my blog, the links are on the card. Wait, hold on. Where are you getting your information? Sorry, I don't speak about ongoing investigations. (DRAMATIC SOMBER MUSIC) Ah kee kee, kee, I got your toes here. Chh, chh, clap, clap, clap. (BABY COOING) (BABY GIGGLING) (SOMBER MUSIC) We rehydrated all 47 of the bodies taken from the fridges. I think you'll wanna concentrate on the five largest. During a legal abortion, a doctor would definitely have to empty the skulls to get 'em through the birth canal. So if we could prove the skulls weren't emptied... That would mean they were probably delivered alive. (SAD MUSIC) How do we know if the skulls were emptied? We look. You just had a baby, Lex. Hey. What's going on? Mother's Day, 1972, Gosnell and this psychologist, they bused in 15 pregnant women from Chicago. Second trimester. They were doing this big experiment, a demonstration, you know. They filmed it and everything. They were testing this new device to make abortion easier. This ball of blades. They put it inside the woman and the blades rolled open. (SIGHS) Cut the girls up bad. Infections, hemorrhages, one poor girl had to have a hysterectomy. (SIGHS HEAVILY) You know what happened to Gosnell? Nothing. He hid out in the Bahamas for a while, came back here, opened another clinic, and since then, he's, he's been, killing babies, Ed. He's been delivering babies alive, and then snipping their necks with scissors. Hundreds of them, thousands maybe, I don't know, for 30 years. Because nobody wanted to say anything. Nobody wanted to know. I'm gonna get that bastard. (SAD MUSIC) LEXI: You didn't pass out. No, but close. So, these are the files that'll go with the other ones. Yeah, that would be great, thank you. (SIGHS) Okay, what have we got? We have written statements from a number of untrained staff who saw Gosnell snip the spinal cords of the babies after they were born. He also directed his unlicensed staff to administer drugs to Karnamaya Mongar, resulting in her death. And we've gotten statements to the tune of over 200 violations of existing abortion limits, from the 24-hour rule to the 24-week rule. Physical evidence? The bodies of six fetuses, babies, whose heads were not emptied, indicating they were born intact. Anything else? We also have a suspicion that he was using medical waste from his clinics and he was using that as bait for his crab pots at his beach house. Well, that's sick and shocking, but it's a lesser charge, abuse of corpse. It's not murder. What about that garbage disposal? I mean, that thing was clogged with God only knows what. There were probably baby parts... Again, that does not speak to a murder charge. Now listen. I heard Gosnell put Mike Cohan on retainer. He's tough. If I was in this trouble, I'd want him representing me too. Lexi. You have to understand completely what it is you're doing here. You are prosecuting an abortion doctor for murder. That man took babies that he medically induced to be born alive... Yes, yes, but you know how Cohan will play it. And you know how it will play in the media. If you try this case and lose, you can kiss any sort of political position with the governor goodbye. (SOMBER MUSIC) You'll be the prosecutor who went after reproductive rights. An activist ADA and you'll be a racist to boot. There is nothing that man did illegally for 30 years that protects women or children and you don't have to be a pro-life activist to see that. All right. But you better win. Your Honor, we believe there is sufficient evidence to prove that Karnamaya Mongar was murdered by Dr. Gosnell and that he murdered a number of infants born alive... All right, stop right there. This is not a case about abortion. You hear me? I hear you. You bring this to my grand jury, I'm the one who signs off on the report, and that report will not, will not bring a woman's right to chose into question. In this state, you've got a lot of conservative folk who'd like to see abortion outlawed and this is not going to be the case that gives them an excuse. That's the way you're going to try it, because that's the only way I'll sign off on it. (SOMBER MUSIC) Understood? LEXI: As an intern, you saw the conditions of the clinic. Oh yeah. There was dirt everywhere. Instruments being reused without sterilization. Sometimes the patients would have to urinate in the halls because the bathrooms were busy. No one even cleaned it up. LEXI: As a nursing student, why didn't you report any of this? I just thought that's the way they did things in an inner city clinic. I was referring patients to Gosnell and they were returning with sexually transmitted diseases. I got suspicious. I asked a social worker to check the place out. She found appallingly dirty conditions, untrained personnel, single use instruments being used repeatedly. LEXI: So you filed a complaint with the State Department of Health? I hand delivered that complaint to the DOH personally. LEXI: And their response? They never got back to me. When I said I wanted to stop, he yelled at me. He slapped my leg real hard. LEXI: Do you remember exactly what he said to you? He told me, "Stop acting like a baby." All of the nurses did. And then I passed out. And when I woke back up, I knew I wasn't pregnant no more. I asked Dr. Gosnell what happened to the babies afterwards. He said, "We burn 'em." So I told him I changed my mind. He got really mad at me, told me it was too late. Said the procedure couldn't be reversed. LEXI: But the laminaria had already been placed in your cervix, right? So what did you do? I went to Children's Hospital instead. And were they able to help you out? Oh yes. I had my baby. The prosecution has offered you a plea bargain, Dr. Gosnell. Your wife and daughter would keep the house, your wife would avoid prosecution, and you would avoid the death penalty. But, I would have to admit I was guilty (CHUCKLES). MIKE: That is correct. Why on Earth would I wanna do that? I'm not guilty. In that case, let me ask you some questions that the prosecution might ask you in the event we go to trial. I look forward to the opportunity to tell my story. Well, the DA alleges that you performed abortions past the legal limit. I was a close friend of George Tiller, you know. I'm sorry? He was a sweet, gentle man. A martyr, really. But they said that he performed late abortions too, and for that, he was struck down by an assassin's bullet. Well, to get back on point, Dr. Gosnell, let's say a woman came to you, desperate, past the 24-week limit. Would you be inclined to give her an abortion? Yes. I've asked myself what if your own daughter were in this situation? Would you want her to have access to an abortion? To not have her life changed forever by a baby? I looked at all the women I treated as if they were my own daughter. Many of the files in your office you had written 24.5 weeks. Are you aware that 24.5 weeks is past the legal limit for abortion? (CHUCKLES) I suppose I assumed as in mathematics, that the number would be rounded down to 24 (LAUGHS). (CHUCKLES) Well, actually, in mathematics that number would be rounded up, but are you saying that that number was an estimation and not a scientifically deduced fact? If you read the law, it states that the measure of viability is up to the physician. So, if I assessed that it is of a lower gestational age, then that's what rules today. So your interpretation of the law is that whatever you decide to write down should be accepted. Yes. You kept the feet of aborted babies in jars. Why? It's often necessary to preserve the DNA for later identification. It's customary for physicians to preserve a small sample, but not a whole foot. See, these are scientific matters. I can't expect a layman to understand the complex nature of my research. Is it true that you allowed your unlicensed and untrained staff to administer anesthesia and even to perform medical procedures in your absence? They were properly trained. (SOMBER MUSIC) I trained 'em myself. But you are aware that there are laws governing the licensing and training of medical personnel? These laws. They've always struck me as being politically motivated. The enemies of abortion erected them to create barriers between women and my services. I have no respect for these laws whatsoever. These poor women who need me have nowhere else to go. You are an inspector for the Department of Health, correct? SANDRA: Correct. And when was the last time your division inspected Dr. Gosnell's clinic? And then when the FBI raided the place. 17 years between inspections. We were told not to do any inspections unless we received complaints. And you received no complaints about Gosnell? Can you tell me what these are? I'll tell you what they are. They're complaints. Why didn't you do an inspection? We had instructions directly from Governor Ridge's office not to inspect abortion clinics. Why? It would hamper women from exercising their reproductive rights. Are you aware that a woman, Karnamaya Mongar, died of complications from an abortion at Gosnell's clinic? I believe so, yes. Is it true the DOH requires nail salons to be inspected at least once a year? Yes. If someone had died at a nail salon, would you have inspected it then? Look. Accidents happen during medical procedures. People die. (WOMAN GASPING) (SOMBER MUSIC) (DRAMATIC MUSIC) So this is what happens when you try to help people? JUDGE: Dr. Kermit Gosnell. You are charged with eight counts of murder in the first degree, 24 counts of illegal abortion, and 227 misdemeanor violations of the 24-hour abortion consent law. How do you plead? My client pleads not guilty, Your Honor. JUDGE: I order you remanded to custody to await trial. Your Honor, I'm prepared to pay bail. This is a capital murder case, Dr. Gosnell. Bail is not a possibility. Do you have anything else you'd like to say before this indictment is handed down? Oh my. Yes, Your Honor. I'm quite concerned about the turtles in my clinic. They're an endangered species and I've filed several requests for them to be moved. Counselor, you will have to deal with this. Your Honor, this is a very complicated case. I think we have higher priorities than worrying about Dr. Gosnell's illegally obtained pets. I take the Endangered Species Act very seriously. You are going to have to figure out how to deal with these vulnerable creatures. (GAVEL THUDDING) MIKE: Thank you, Your Honor. Not an animal lover, Ms. McGuire? (LIVELY MUSIC) All right, you guys have never handled a case like this. You need to be ready. Kermit Gosnell is perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history, but he is also an abortion doctor, a major hot button issue. That makes him big news. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is gonna be a long trial. When you get to the courthouse, you are going to be swarmed by reporters, swamped by them. They are gonna be shouting questions at you, snapping pictures, sticking microphones in your faces. (MOVING TO DRAMATIC MUSIC) The courtroom is going to be packed to overflowing. You won't be able to use the toilet without one of them sticking their heads out to ask you for an interview. So, remember, take a breath, stay calm, say the case will be tried in court and decided by the jury and that's all. When we get there, I want you to head right into the courtroom. I'll stop and speak to the press. You ready for this, counselor? (TENSE MUSIC) I'll be damned. (SIREN BLARING) WOODY: Where is everybody? Hello! Well, how pretty you look today. Don't tell me you know how to work that contraption. (CHUCKLES) Hello, counselor. My, what a lovely blouse. This is not a case about abortion. This is a case about murder. The murder of Karnamaya Mongar and the murder of seven infants born alive and then killed. That's what I want you to focus on. The murder of those babies. Not that they were there to be aborted, not whatever their mothers had in mind, but what happened to those babies after they were born alive into this world. They've come up with one tragic death, Karnamaya Mongar. One death in 31 years and they think that one case makes this man a monster. I mean, to hear the Commonwealth talk, you'd think people were just dropping dead right in front of that clinic every day, the corpses just piling up on the sidewalk, right there in front of 3801 Lancaster Avenue. But no, this man's clinic has been in operation for years, in '78, '79, '80, '81, '82, '83, '84. Year after year after year of this man successfully treating his patients and giving them the services they requested. Some of them even coming back for a third or fourth procedure. Why would they come back if this man was such a monster? The Commonwealth wants to tell you that this is not a case about abortion. (LAUGHS) This absolutely is a case about abortion, ladies and gentlemen. And if you stay true to your oath and you look at the facts, you will see what I see. An overly zealous Catholic investigator in a police department dominated by Catholicism and a targeted, racist, prosecutorial lynching of a man who has done nothing but serve the citizens of West Philadelphia for decades in neighborhoods they wouldn't even set foot in. Hey man, I think he convinced me. Really, Cohan? That's how you're gonna play this? We're a bunch of racists? Woody, get a hold of yourself. You gonna bring my religion into this, really? - Woody, back off! - Is that you wanna make this about, - you asshole? - Hey, hey, hey. - Do you? - Stop it! Woody, hey, calm down, all right? Hey, keep your mouth quiet, all right? That outburst, it needs to stop. That could cost us a mistrial. In this interview (DYNAMIC MUSIC) conducted before he was arrested, Dr. Gosnell told News 11 he believes he will be fully vindicated. (SOMBER MUSIC) I hadn't been aware of how hard I'd been working until I got a couple of days off. (LAUGHS) My feeling is that if you're not making mistakes, then you're not really attempting to do anything of value. So I think my patients are aware that I'm doing my very best by them. I provide the standard of care for them that I would want for my own daughter. NEWS REPORTER: Dr. Gosnell's considered by authorities to be a flight risk. Currently, he's being held without bail in the Philadelphia County Jail. Dr. North, can you tell the jury why you decided to testify today? I didn't want anyone to think that Dr. Gosnell's clinic represents what women's clinics are really like. Do you ever perform non-emergency pregnancy terminations after 24 weeks? No, never. Always we stop at 20 weeks. Do you reuse instruments on different patients that haven't been sterilized? No, never. Do you ever allow untrained personnel to say, administer anesthesia? No. Everyone in our office is a registered nurse and I administer the anesthesia myself. Dr. North, have you ever cut a baby's spine with scissors? No, we would not do that. Do you know any doctor that would? No, I do not. Thank you, no further questions. MIKE: Dr. North, how many abortions would you say you've performed in your career? I have performed over 30,000 abortions. Wow. In the second trimester, what method of abortion do you use? Mostly D&E, dilation and evacuation. Yes. Dilation is where you soften and widen the woman's cervix, correct? That is correct. Once the fetus grows larger, it's very important that we do that to prevent the cervix from tearing as the fetus is removed. And then you evacuate the fetus. You remove it from the womb. Yes. But first, we have to make sure that it's not a live birth. Oh, of course, of course, how do you do that? Well, we inject potassium chloride into the heart of the fetus. Hmm. With one of these, correct? Yes. Your Honor, I'd like to introduce defense exhibit 1A on the screen. May I publish? You may publish. Now, this is a sonogram of a 23-week-old fetus. And so when you inject the fetus, do you put the needle here? No. Here? Yes. Right there. And that stops the heart. That's correct. And then you use forceps. You use these and you reach up in there and you grab ahold of an arm or a leg or whatever and you pull on it until it comes out or comes off, correct? That's correct. But with larger fetuses, they remain intact. Of course, because the head's bigger. Makes it more difficult. What do you do then? We use a machine to suction out the gray matter. The gray matter, the brains. So, you suction out the brains and then what happens? Then the skull collapses and the fetus can be removed. Right. Now, isn't it true that sometimes, in order to get the suction machine into the fetus, you have to use a pair of scissors to make a hole in the back of the neck? Sometimes this happens, yes. So before, when you said that you'd never cut the neck of a fetus... I was referring to a live birth. Oh. Oh, okay, yeah, I get it now. Have you ever had a live birth during an abortion attempt, doctor? No, I have not, because we listen to the sonogram to ensure that the fetal heart has stopped. Well, what if you made a mistake? We don't. Well, what if you did? Objection, hypothetical, Your Honor. Your Honor, she's a medical expert. I'd like to have her opinion. Overruled. I'm going to allow the question, but stay on point, counselor. What would you do if the baby was out and it was breathing? We would issue comfort care. Comfort care. Can you define that for us? That's keeping the fetus warm and comfortable. Eventually, it will pass. Eventually, it would pass. So basically, you'd, you'd let it die. Seems like it'd be more humane to just take a pair of scissors... Objection! (SOMBER MUSIC) Withdraw the question, Your Honor. (SOMBER DRAMATIC MUSIC) Yashoda, you were there on the night your mother, Karnamaya Mongar died. Yes. I went with her to clinic and I walked down hall with her to see doctor. (TENSE MUSIC) No, no, no, no! LYDIA: Just put her on the table. KARNAMAYA: Doctor, doctor! - No, no. - Just take these. - Please, Mama. - You need to take - these right now. - You're gonna have to wait in the other room. (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) Call doctor. (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) I called doctor 'cause I didn't think Lydia knew what she was doing, and Ms. Mongar was putting up - such a fuss. - Oh ladies. Well, med her up. When he said "med her up," did you know what he meant? Yeah. He liked using Demerol 'cause it was cheap and it worked fast. Give her some intravenously until she calms down. I'll be there presently. (LIVELY CLASSICAL MUSIC) I seen doctor come in and I knew he was there for Mama, but he stop at the desk a long time. Finally, he went downstairs and I thought I was supposed to wait, so I did. (FLY BUZZING) (SIGHS) Well, that ought to do it. Let's get her into recovery. Doctor, she don't look so good. She's a funny color. (TENSE MUSIC) Oh my. Doctor went and got the crash cart from up on the third floor. We tried to use the paddles but they were broke. Then he just sort of stopped. I'm just thrilled that we kept this cart up to date. (SOMBER MUSIC) Hello? Hello? I couldn't wait anymore, so I ran down there, make them let me in. Lydia, plug in that oximeter in there. That oximeter don't work. Plug it in anyway! And throw all that expired medicine away. LYDIA: Okay. And make sure we clean up the floor there. We only get one chance to make a first impression. (LIGHT TAPPING) LEXI: And when you got in, how was your mother? She, she, she was out. She never woke up again. We took her to the hospital, but she died the next day. To your best recollection, how long was it from the time you saw your mother was unconscious until she was put in the ambulance? I think maybe one, maybe one and a half hour. No more questions, Your Honor. Ms. Mongar, I cannot imagine what a painful time that must have been for you and your family. I'm deeply sorry for your loss. Can you tell us why your mother was seeking an abortion? We just moved to America. We had refugee food stamps running out and my mother saying no work with baby. Did you want your mother to have an abortion? No. Did you tell your mother that you didn't want her to have an abortion? Yes. Did your mother go to any other clinics before she came to Dr. Gosnell? Yes. And what did they say? Why didn't she have it done there? The first say too late, past 14 weeks, others say too risky. Too risky. They said it was too risky? Yes. Ms. Mongar, do you recall a letter that Dr. Gosnell wrote your family? Yes, my uncle read it to me. Do you remember this section? One moment I feel confident that I did everything possible. In the next, I'm very down. I'm not a wealthy individual. My lower fees are a reflection of what my neighbors can afford, but please let me know if there is any way that I can compensate for your loss. Do you remember that? Yes. Does that sorrowful letter sound like it was written by a murderer? Objection. Sustained. Nothing further, Your Honor. (SOMBER MUSIC) You guys are getting killed in there. You're a ray of sunshine. Ever interview a girl named Betty Goodwin? I told you, I don't talk to reporters. Have you checked out her photo blog? Her what? Betty's a bit of a shutterbug. She takes pictures of everything. I guarantee you she'd have some shots inside the clinic. I'll send you the link, maybe your kid can open it for you. Don't you need my email address? No, I have it, Detective. (MOVING TO DRAMATIC MUSIC) Before we resume testimony, let's do a little housekeeping. Is tomorrow the day when the jury is scheduled to visit the women's clinic, Mrs. McGuire? Your Honor, it has come to our attention that there has been an incident at the clinic. Apparently a pipe burst and the conditions are not safe for the jury to visit. (GENTLE MUSIC) We'll remove that from the schedule. Also, the court has reached a decision regarding the motion by the defense to dismiss charges regarding to Baby B, Baby F, and Baby G for insufficient physical evidence. The court grants this motion. Jury is instructed to disregard any evidence heretofore presented regarding those matters. Cohan's got the jury thinking that Gosnell's just an ordinary abortion doctor who cut some corners to provide services to poor black women. Now we can't even bring the jury to that hellhole. Well, we're gonna bring that hellhole to them. Your Honor, may it please the court, the prosecution would like permission to publish previously admitted exhibits six, seven, eight, and nine. These are items salvaged from the Gosnell clinic after the damage caused by the broken pipe. Exhibit six is a gynecological chair taken from the second procedure room. Exhibit seven is the waste disposal unit from the kitchen. Exhibit eight is a broken pulse oximeter. Exhibit nine... (WOMAN IN FLOWERED BLOUSE DROWNED OUT BY MUSIC) Excuse me. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) You're welcome. (AUDIENCE CHATTERING) REPORTER: Can I quote you on that? Yes. What happened? We made the papers. BAILIFF: All rise. Be seated. The jury will notice there is an increased media presence in the room today. They are instructed not to let that affect their sense of the case before them. When a white woman would come, she would get the room upstairs. It was cleaner and more private. Did you ever have a conversation with Dr. Gosnell about why his white patients had a separate room? He said that's just the way of the world. Who's a racist now? Did you ever see or hear a baby cry? Yes. This one time, me and Betty was in the hallway. (BABY CRYING) (SOMBER MUSIC) (BABY CRYING) LEXI: Did you tell the doctor? He said not to worry about it. That it happened all the time. But about half the time, with all the Cytotec we was giving, the women would deliver before the doctor could arrive. You told us earlier about the baby that you saw swimming in the toilet. Were there any other babies that you can recall that were moving or breathing? Lydia had called me over and told me, "Come look at this one baby." And I seen the baby's chest going up and down. Was anything else on that baby moving? Lydia had pulled the baby hand and the baby pulled his hand back. No further questions. Miss Strawberry. So, you were there for the baby that was swimming in the toilet. Yes. You were there the night you heard the whine you thought was a baby's cry. Yes. And you were there when the baby breathed and moved its arm? Yes, I was. Did you ever see the movie Forrest Gump? Objection. I'll allow it. Yeah, I saw it. You remember how he was at the JFK assassination, he was at the I Have a Dream speech. Almost every event in American history, he was there, right? I don't know. You're just like Forrest Gump, aren't you? You're just everywhere. - (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) - Objection, Your Honor, this is ridiculous. Sustained. Over time, didn't your personal relationship with Dr. Gosnell begin to deteriorate? It was never personal. Did you say in your grand jury testimony, "He started hollering at me like he was my dad. "I didn't like it." Did you say that? Yes. Then why did you continue to work there? Because I had a family to take care of. Or because Dr. Gosnell was paying you good money, or maybe because you had a little something going on the side. (SOMBER MUSIC) A lot of the employees at that clinic have been arrested on drug trafficking charges, why haven't you? Objection! Isn't it true that you made a deal with the DA to avoid prosecution? Objection! (DRAMATIC MUSIC) Given your personal animosity for Dr. Gosnell, why should we believe anything you have to say - in this courtroom today? - Your Honor, please! (GAVEL THUDDING) Mr. Cohan! Mr. Cohan, I warn you, further outbursts of that nature will result in a formal admonition by the court. You do not have the right to continue to shout questions before I have ruled on an objection. (SOMBER MUSIC) Nothing further, Your Honor. And, I know you think she gonna talk to me just 'cause I'm black. I'm still police though. I think she's gonna talk to you because you're Mr. Smooth, Mr. Handsome, you got that deep voice. Yeah, man, I'm sure that gets you excited and everything but I don't know if it's gonna work on her. Hey, hey, Betty, how you doing? My mom said I'm not supposed to talk to you. You trying to put us all in jail. No, no, Betty, we're not even after you. The thing is that you're gonna testify tomorrow... There's a thing called obstruction of justice so if there's information you have... Would you shut up for five seconds? Look, I told you everything. I can't talk to you. (SIREN BLARING) That went well. I thought you wanted the black guy to do all the talking. (SOMBER MUSIC) This is the baby I saw moving. (GENTLE PIANO MUSIC) Lex, I need to talk to you. Are you kidding me? I'm sorry. Our daughter is playing. I'm really sorry. Just one second. I'll be right back. WOODY: I'm sorry. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Woody, my daughter is next. Got it. You need to see this. Betty took that picture inside the clinic. Baby Boy A was alive. (SOMBER MUSIC) This is what we wanted. (GENTLE CLASSICAL MUSIC) Everything all right? (SIGHS) LEXI: Ms. Goodwin, how many times did you see babies that were breathing, crying, chest moving, anything like that? How many times would you say you personally saw that? More than 10 times. And what, if anything, did Dr. Gosnell do to those babies? He would take scissors and snip the neck. Do you remember a specific baby that he did this to? Yes. (SOMBER MUSIC) For the record, this is Baby Boy A. And were you there on the night that Baby Boy A was born alive? Yeah. Me and Allison. (MUFFLED HEART BEATING) Well, well. This baby is big enough to walk me to the bus stop. (MUFFLED HEART BEATING) He put the baby in a tray. But when the baby was in the tray, the baby moved. It kind of curled up. After Dr. Gosnell put the baby in the surgical tray, what did he do next? He put the tray back on the shelf with the other ones. The other ones? There were other babies on the shelf? Yes, ma'am. (SAD MUSIC) JUDGE: Counselor? Betty, you like to take pictures, don't you? Yes, ma'am. You take a lot of pictures, right? Pictures of your meals, pictures of things you see on the street, pictures of your friends? Yes. Did you ever take a picture inside Dr. Gosnell's clinic? BETTY: Yes. On that particular night, do you remember taking a picture of Baby Boy A, the baby you saw Dr. Gosnell put up on that shelf? Objection. Overruled. The witness may answer. Yes, ma'am. Your Honor, in light of this new evidence, we would like to be granted the opportunity to publish this photograph... Objection, Your Honor, - this is outrageous! - People's exhibit C... This was not presented in discovery! LEXY: Exhibit C-5 (drowned out by gavel thudding). Order, this come will come to order! I declare a short recess. (GAVEL THUDDING) I wanna see both counsels in my chambers now! (MOVING TO DRAMATIC MUSIC) (AUDIENCE CHATTERING) LEXI: Your Honor, may the Commonwealth publish the exhibit to the jury? JUDGE: You may publish. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is the photograph that Betty Goodwin took of Baby Boy A on the night of July 12th. (SAD MUSIC) (JURORS SNIFFLING) (LEXI SIGHS) (AUDIENCE GASPING) Betty, is this the photograph that you took? Yes. I just have one last question for you. Why did you decide to take a photograph of this particular baby? He was so big. (SAD MUSIC) He looked like he could have been somebody's little brother. I just thought that there should be a picture of him, to show that he was here for a little while. The Commonwealth wants you to look at a hole in a dirty chair (DRAMATIC MUSIC) and say that means that that man is a monster. It wants you to believe somebody who says, "Oh, I think that baby moved its arm," and that means that that man is a killer. It's laughable, ladies and gentlemen. You are not here to decide whether or not Dr. Gosnell ran the cleanest clinic in Pennsylvania. He did not. We are not here to determine whether or not abortion is a horrible, terrible thing to have to look at, it is. We are here to determine whether or not the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has proved that this fine man, who has served his community for 30 years, providing services... Ladies and gentlemen, Kermit Gosnell snipped the spine of this baby and hundreds, maybe even thousands of other babies just like him, born alive and then killed. Yes, he did some legal abortions. Yes, his clinic was filthy. Yes, he had separate rooms for white women and black women. But, this case is not about that. This case is about Karnamaya Mongar. This case is about that baby and countless other babies that Dr. Gosnell murdered after they were born. This baby would be four years old today. (SOMBER MUSIC) (PHONE RINGING) Okay, thanks. (SIGHS) Will the defendant and the attorneys please rise? Mr. Foreman, have the jurors reached a verdict? Yes, Your Honor, we have. To the charge of criminal homicide in the death of Baby E, how say you? Not guilty. - (TENSE MUSIC) - What? On the charge of murder in the third degree, victim Mongar, how say you? Not guilty. To the charge of first degree murder, Baby A, how say you? Guilty. (SOMBER MUSIC) (AUDIENCE CHATTERING) To the charge of first degree murder, Baby C, how say you? Guilty. To the charge of first degree murder, Baby D, how say you? Guilty. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING AND CHEERING) JUDGE: Order! (inspirational music) (GAVEL THUDDING) Order in the court. Order! (CROWD APPLAUDING) REPORTER: But this was not a case about abortion. In the end, this was not a case about abortion, this was a case about a doctor... What did I tell you? This is not a case about abortion. Now I'm gonna do you a solid. Anyone from the media that would like to speak to the DA's office, please gather round. The Commonwealth would like to thank the jury for their hard work. Mollie. Congratulations. Oh, I hate to admit this, but we could not have done this without you. It's true. Why did you help? I didn't help, I'm a reporter. I'm just interested in the truth. If the truth doesn't match what I believe, I don't change the truth. See you around. LEXI: Well, fellas, I have five kids to feed. See you tomorrow. There we go. You ready to ride off into the sunset? (SIGHS) Yeah, right. (GENTLE MUSIC) Excuse me! Ms. McGuire. You remember me? Of course, Ms. Brown, from the grand jury. I have somebody I'd like you to meet. This is Gracie. My baby started kindergarten today. (LEXI SIGHS) (UPBEAT MUSIC) Hi, Gracie! Hi. I'm Lexi! It's so nice to meet you. Who is that calling out Who's that crying Do you wonder Where do the guiltless go Do end is no mother, father I have no gun Sweet guardian Where should I go Where should I go We are the innocents We are the innocents The righteous unimpeachable ho We are the innocents We are the innocents We are you Who is that watching us Who's the hero do you wonder Where do the guilty go Do devils know mother, father I have no gun Sweet guardian Where should I go Tell me you know We are the innocents We are the innocents The righteous unimpeachable ho We are the innocents We are the innocents And we are you We are the innocents We are the innocents The righteous unimpeachable ho We are the innocents We are the innocents And we are We are |
|