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Gosnell is found guilty of first degree murder

Kermit Gosnell has been found guilty of first degree murder in three of the four charges against him. For Gosnell, this will mean either a sentence of life in prison or the death penalty. The Washington Post reports:

Abortion provider Kermit Gosnell was convicted Monday of three counts of first-degree murder for severing the spinal cords of infants born during abortions at his West Philadelphia clinic.

Gosnell also was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 death of 41-year-old Virginia woman Karnamaya Mongar, who died from an overdose of drugs while undergoing an abortion at the clinic. Prosecutors described the clinic as a “house of horrors” because of the unsanitary conditions and unsafe practices that defined it.

The trial now moves into a sentencing phase to decide whether Gosnell should receive the death penalty or face life in prison on the capital murders counts.

The New York Times coverage is still referring to the murdered babies as “fetuses.” Jon Hurdle writes:

The verdict came after a five-week trial in which the prosecution and the defense battled over whether the fetuses Dr. Gosnell was charged with killing were alive when they were removed from their mothers.

They’ve done this before, but you’d think that after his conviction the Times might refer to them as babies.

All of this is still developing. More later.

8 Comments

  • John D.

    The NYT don’t realize the irony in their language. If the killing of a “fetus” is murder, abortion should be outlawed. They’re unwittingly undermining their own hidden agenda.

  • James Harold Thomas

    I wonder if he’ll appeal the murder charges on the theory that a newborn who is unwanted by her mother has no right to life.

  • Ian Shaw

    As sad and as horrible as this is and while their is a yearning for justice that was served, we cannot allow ourselves to get too caught up in the punishment Gosnell will receive.

    Sin is the root-cause of all that is wrong with the world. And what’s wrong with the world, is me. I’m the biggest sinner I know. It’s not politicians or laws that will change people. It is Christ and Christ alone that can soften people’s hearts and the Holy Spirit brings true change into people. So before we try to help our brothers get the spec out of their eye, we must remember to get the plank our of our own eye first.

    We should be praying for this guy. That he truly asks God for forgiveness and accepts Christ. That’s what we should be doing. For him and all the women and children that went to that location.

  • Paul Reed

    100 Gosnell’s couldn’t change this country’s mind on abortion. Don’t expect any change in abortion policy (except something trivial.)

  • Daryl Little

    While I agree that we should be praying for his redemption, I think it’s also right to pray that he be redeemed on the way to the electric chair.

    That may be wrong, but I do feel that way.

  • Lucas Knisely

    Christians can both simultaneously long for justice and long for redemption. This tension exists in God in that he takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked (Ezek 18:23) while he is just and loves justice (Psalm 33:5) and will ultimately destroy and condemn wicked men (Psalm 94:23). In this way, God always gets glory. He will receive glory from the right destruction or incarceration of Gosnell, and will receive glory if Gosnell repents and believes.

  • Ian shaw

    I just meant we can’t have our sole focus on the justice side and not redemption. Certain talking heads on news channels don’t always display both.

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