Day 3 of Jury Deliberations in Gosnell Murder Trial

The jury in the Gosnell murder trial completed its third day of deliberations Thursday with no verdict. In addition to the murder charges, Gosnell faces nearly 300 additional charges.

According to J.D. Mullane, columnist for the Bucks County Courier Times, Gosnell is being held in the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in solitary confinement for his own protection. Mullane, who has covered the entire trial, tweeted that a source said, “Snipping babies’ heads is frowned upon by felons.”

Mullane also tweeted that a source told him that while deputy sheriffs have referred to Gosnell as “Kermit,” the abortionist has demanded, “You will address me as Dr. Gosnell.”

The lawyers for the defense and prosecution returned to the courtroom on Thursday because the jury had questions about testimony and evidence presented during the trial. Mullane reports that as the jury deliberated, prosecutor Ed Cameron moved the “filthy abortion clinic equipment from the courtroom, including the blood-stained ‘recovery’ chair.”

Mullane also indicates that on Wednesday he spoke to Jack McMahon, defense attorney for Gosnell, who told him that he does not watch the coverage of the trial.

Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue, a pro-life organization, reports that the focus of the jury on Thursday remained on co-defendant Eileen O’Neill, a former Gosnell employee who falsely presented herself as a licensed physician at the Philadelphia abortion clinic.

O’Neill faces eight counts of Theft by Deception, for falsely billing for services as a licensed physician, and Conspiracy related to Corrupt Organizations.

O’Neill has worked in the abortion industry since 1998, starting with a job at the notorious Delta Clinic of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, an abortion clinic with a long history of violations and unsanitary conditions similar to those found in Gosnell’s abortion clinic. Two women were reported to have died from botched abortions they received at the Delta Clinic.

O’Neill told the Philadelphia grand jury that she relinquished a medical license in Louisiana due to “post-traumatic stress.”

The jury in the Gosnell case asked to review testimony from one of O’Neill’s abortion patients, Lisa Dungee, who testified that she had received an abortion by pill from O’Neill in 2009 at Gosnell’s clinic. Dungee testified that she had never seen Gosnell at the clinic while being treated by O’Neill, though O’Neill could not legally practice without his presence.

To date, all of the jury’s questions have focused on O’Neill, whose charges were the first listed on the 30-page jury form. Sullenger believes that this fact may indicate that the jury has yet to deal with the hundreds of charges against Gosnell, a situation that could suggest a lengthy jury watch.