Los Angeles fetus disposal scandal
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_fetus_disposal_scandal
The Los Angeles fetus disposal scandal was the 1982 discovery of over 16,000 aborted fetuses being improperly stored at Malvin Weisberg's Woodland Hills, California, home and the ensuing legal battle regarding their disposal. It was called a "national tragedy" by the then-president Ronald Reagan and inspired a song by pop singer Pat Boone, with the fetuses finally buried in 1985. No criminal charges were filed against any of the parties involved.[1] Weisberg had stored the specimens properly but had not disposed of them due to financial difficulties.[1]
Malvin Weisberg had operated Medical Analytic Laboratories in Santa Monica from 1976 until March 1981.[2][3] He purchased a 20-foot (6.1 m) storage container in 1980, delivering it to his Woodland Hills home and paying for it with a bounced check for $1700.[2][4] The container was repossessed on February 3, 1982, by the Martin Container Company, based in the Wilmington area of Los Angeles.[4] The company tried to unload the container from the truck into the patio, but the weight of the container broke the guinch. The workers were then asked to remove some of the cardboard boxes inside in order to lighten up the container, but the bottom of one of the boxes opened up and spilled out bottles that opened, revealing something which wasn´t not identified by the worker. He then called the manager, who identifed it as a human body. Other workers started vomiting at the sight.[4]
The initial press conference, on February 5, 1982, by the Los Angeles County Health Department said up to 500 fetuses were found.[4] On February 24, 1982, the count of fetuses was raised to approximately 2000, with the majority of them being from the storage container and 200–300 from Weisberg's garage.[5][6][7]
The tally of fetuses was estimated at "up to 17,000" in May 1982,[8] and was later finally set at 16,431.[9] A count of 193 fetuses were evidently over 20 weeks' gestation, with the oldest almost 30 weeks.[9]
State law required the fetuses to be cremated or buried "within a reasonable time".[10]
Source and age of the fetuses Edit
The fetuses resulted from pregnancies terminated by licensed physicians, clinics and hospitals who contracted Medical Analytic Laboratories for pathology testing and disposal of the fetuses.[9][11]
The Los Angeles County District Attorney, John Van de Kamp, said the fetuses would be individually examined and charges would be filed against the doctors if fetuses were over the 20-week gestation limit allowed by California law at the time.[9][12] Officials found 193 fetuses that appeared to be over the 20-week limit.[9] Van de Kamp wanted to turn the remaining fetuses over to groups who would perform memorial services on them.[9]
In May 1982, California Attorney General George Deukmejian stated the gestation limit of the 1967 California abortion law was considered unenforceable because of conflicts with the 23-week Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973, but fetuses could be individually examined to determine viability, which was the legal limit.[9][12][13] In late May, Van de Kamp stated every fetus would be examined to determine if the fetus was aborted illegally.[8]