| Barbara Covington, Illegal Abortion Death | |
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Dr. Mandel M. Friedman was charged with homicide in the September 11, 1962 death of Barbara C. Covington, age 35, a Florida socialite. Friedman attributed Barbara's death to a heart attack and tried to get an undertaker to arrange a burial. The undertaker reported the case to authorities. A 31-year-old advertising executive, Franklin Charles Beck, admitted to securing the $1000 abortion fee and driving Barbara to Friedman's office. Friedman was on bail for the death of Vivian Grant at the time of Barbara's death. Barbara's abortion was typical in that it was performed by a doctor, as was the case with perhaps 90% of criminal abortions. 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 9-13-62, 9-14-62