Jury to decide about death penalty for Gosnell on May 21

by Ben Johnson

PHILADELPHIA, May 13, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Today's guilty verdict on three counts of first-degree murder means late-term abortionist Kermit Gosnell will face the possibility of the death penalty during his sentencing hearing on May 21.

A jury inside Judge Jeffrey Minehart's Philadelphia courtroom found Gosnell guilty of murdering Baby A, Baby C, and Baby D after they had been born alive.

Each conviction is a capital offense that carries the possibility the 72-year-old will land on death row.

“Kermit Gosnell deserves the fullest penalty of law,” said Congressman Joseph Pitts, a Republican from Pennsylvania.

“This case is a reminder that we must do more to protect the lives of women and children, especially the youngest babies who haven’t yet been born,” Pitts added. “If Gosnell had severed the spines of those babies before delivering them, many of their deaths would have been legal. America needs to think long and hard about the morality of that.”

However, not all agree that Gosnell should receive the death penalty. Earlier this year well-known pro-life academic Robert George wrote a piece entitled "A Plea for Mercy for Kermit Gosnell."

"Kermit Gosnell, like every human being, no matter how self-degraded, depraved, and sunk in wickedness, is our brother—a precious human being made in the very image and likeness of God," George wrote. "Our objective should not be his destruction, but the conversion of his heart."

The jury, which deliberated for nearly two weeks, also convicted Gosnell of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Karnamaya Mongar, as well as conspiracy, infanticide, and violating the state's 24-week abortion ban.

In all, more than 250 charges remained from an initial count of more than 380.

Gosnell was acquitted of murdering Baby E, who uttered a noise before Gosnell severed its spinal column with scissors.

Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life named the three babies Gosnell was convicted of murdering Adam, Alex, and Chris in a ceremony last week.

Rep. Pitts said America must realize more horror stories like those that emanated from the Women's Medical Society are hiding in the dark shadows of the abortion industry.

“As long as [abortion] remains legal, this case shows that abortion clinics need closer scrutiny and regulation,” he said. “We should not make the mistake of assuming Gosnell was completely unique.”