| Vivian Grant, Illegal Abortion Death | |
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On January 21, 1961, Dr. Mandel M. Friedman contacted a Queens undertaker, asking him to arrange burial for 23-year-old Vivian Grant of New York. Friedman told the undertaker that Vivian had died of a heart ailment. The undertaker notified authorities, who determined that although Vivian had not been pregnant, Friedman had attempted to perform an abortion on her, causing her death. Friedman was charged with homicide and falsifying a death certificate. Vivian's abortion was typical in that it was performed by a doctor, as was the case with perhaps 90% of criminal abortions. Friedman resurfaced late the following year. He was charged with homicide in the
September 11, 1962 death of Barbara C. Covington, age 35, a Florida socialite. In the 1960s, we see the 20th Century downward trend in abortion mortality resumed -- until a brief upturn starting in 1968, when some states first started loosening their abortion laws. For more, see Abortion Deaths in the 1960's. For more on pre-legalization abortion, see The Bad Old Days of Abortion Source: New York Times 1-24-61