BREAKING: Kermit Gosnell convicted on 3 of 4 counts of murdering babies

by Ben Johnson

PHILADELPHIA, May 13, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Philadelphia jury has found late-term abortionist Kermit Gosnell guilty of murdering three of four babies in his capital murder trial.

He is also guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 abortion death of Karnamaya Mongar, a 41-year-old legal immigrant who died when his untrained staff administered an overdose of sedatives.

The jury found Gosnell guilty of murdering Babies A, C, and D. Gosnell quipped Baby A, who was photographed by one of his employees, Andrienne Moton, was big enough to "walk me to the bus stop."

Jurors found Gosnell had committed first-degree murder when he allowed the babies to be born alive, then “snipped” their spinal cords with scissors -- a practice his employees said they saw him perform hundreds of times.

The verdict, which was announced this afternoon in the courtroom of Judge Jeffrey Minehart, means Gosnell will face the death penalty at sentencing.

The "not guilty" count related to Baby E, who uttered a noise before being killed. Jurors could not determine conclusively that such a sound represented a sign of life.

"Even if not on every count, I am thrilled today by the guilty verdict in the Gosnell murder trial," said Bryan Kemper of Stand True Ministries. "I have waited many years for justice to be served on behalf of babies being killed by abortionists."

The 72-year-old abortionist faced hundreds of charges, ranging from first-degree murder to racketeering to tampering with evidence.

Prosecutors Ed Cameron and Joanne Pescatore appeared relaxed before the verdict came in, according to reporter J.D. Mullane of the Buck County (PA) Courier Times, while Gosnell defense attorney Jack McMahon looked nervous.

On April 23, Judge Minehart dismissed nine charges against Gosnell: three murder charges, one count of infanticide, and five cases of abusing a corpse. He gave no indication why he did so.

Gosnell defense attorney Jack McMahon had argued it was “ludicrous” to say a baby was alive merely because it was moving. His case was bolstered when Chief Medical Examiner Sam Gulino said he could not determine from the frozen remains whether the babies had been delivered alive.

McMahon told jurors that Gosnell had injected the babies with Digoxin, stopping their heart, and "snipped" the babies only to "ensure fetal demise." However, authorities found not a trace of Digoxin on the premises when they raided the Women's Medical Society offices in West Philadelphia.

Horrifying testimony from the facility's workers confirmed the babies lived sometimes as long as 20 minutes before being subjected to the painful procedure.

Former Gosnell assistant Tina Baldwin said one baby's agonized thrashing caused Gosnell to joke, “That’s what you call a chicken with its head cut off.”

Sherry West testified she saw an 18-to-24-inch baby who had been “aborted,” lying in a clear glass pan, “screeching [and] making this noise” that “sounded like a little alien."

One baby was born alive in a toilet, struggling to swim out, Kareema Cross said.

McMahon rested his defense without calling a single witness, including Gosnell himself, on April 24.

The jury reported being deadlocked on two counts this morning. It was not initially reported what those charges were.

Developing....