In L.A. basement babies case, abortion a possible reason for deaths

Detectives trying to unravel the mystery of two dead babies found wrapped in newspapers from the 1930s in an L.A. basement are trying to determine whether they were the result of an abortion or used as some type of medical specimens.

Sources with knowledge of the investigation stressed to The Times that they won't know anything conclusively until autopsies on the remains are completed. But they said those are two theories being investigated as officials wait to see whether scientific tests show any evidence of trauma or foul play.

"Back alley" abortions were common during this era -- decades before Roe vs. Wade decision legalized abortion in the United States.

John Medford, a longtime resident at the building and one-time chair of the co-op, said he suspected abortions might play a role in the case.

"It was kept secret for 74 years and my theory is that this rolls back the cover on a cruel, tragic and unjust time in America for women," Medford said. "Ending pregnancies this way would have been commonplace. This was business as usual in all social strata."

The remains were found in a steamer truck in the basement of a Westlake Village apartment earlier this week by two women clearing out the area. They found books, postcards, a beautiful crystal bowl and two leather doctor's satchels. Inside each satchel was the body of a baby. Each was swaddled in a blanket and wrapped in a faded, 1930s-era Los Angeles Times newspaper.

Those forms point in the direction of a woman named Jean M. Barrie, who lived in the area and was born in San Francisco in 1916. Detectives said they found postcards in the trunk addressed to Barrie, from a brother, Thomas, in San Francisco. They also recovered correspondence between Barrie and acquaintances or family in Canada and South Africa.

The sources said detectives are using the items inside the trunk to build a timeline in the case.

-- Andrew Blankstein and Kate Linthicum

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Comments

[jim]

>> "a cruel, tragic and unjust time in America for women."

And one that the Republican Party seems to want to return to.

[Jason]

We'll be back to back alley abortions just as soon as the Roberts court gets a case to work with!

[Joe]

It was probably the nurse, not the actress.

The doctor's satchels are a pretty good clue.

[Scott B]

Oh, so it was tragic if these babies were killed in a "back alley" abortion but it's fine if it would have been a legal abortion? This sort of reasoning is sad and frankly sickening. When is this country going to wake up and stop trying to rationalize abortion.

[Miss Displaced]

We have to also remember that this was the height of the Depression. Many could simply not afford more mouths to feed. It could be many things of that nature (abortion, infanticide) or perhaps the babies simply died and the mother could not afford a proper burial. That may seem odd nowadays, but back then many did not go to a hospital for births, and if your baby died or was miscarried or stillborn, you simply buried it in the backyard (if you lived in the country) and who knows what city folk did. Maybe the mother even died too, leaving the trunk forgotten all this time and/or the trunk and contents is not related to the babies. This is a rather fascinating cold case. Whatever happened, it does seem like they were trying to hide the fact that someone gave birth.

[Will]

Thanks for acknowledging that abortion does, indeed, kill babies.

[LL]

Now - "a cruel, tragic and unjust time in America for BABIES."

[Irma]

During that era, a woman either took the high road and had the baby and cared for it or gave it up for adoption.

Or, like many today who enjoy abortion, she killed the baby.

No matter what era, some people are just cruel and mean.

[TheBigPicture]

That guy holding the book doesn't seem too happy.....

[MexiChick]

@ The Big Picture...That's a WOMAN holding that book. Anyway, people need to realize that this kind of stuff still happens EVEN with legalized abortion. Think of babies being found in dumpsters. Really sad.

[Adrian Brooks Collins]

This story is really fascinating. I bet that copy of Peter Pan could fetch a pretty penny. This building is just a few blocks from the apartment I share and I always thought it had stories to tell. It's really beautiful. It's just fascinating when history stands still like this, in a basement. It'll be interesting to know whose DNA is found.

Riveted,

Adrian

[Menua]

LOL I'm pretty sure that is a female

Photo: Gloria Gomez shows a Peter Pan Woodland Club membership certificate issued to Mrs. Jean

[Larry]

This highly interesting mystery, is worthy of an Agatha Christie murder/mystery novel! It's worth writing a book and turning it into a movie script! Hope someone in Hollywood would be interested making a film about this mystery plot.

[Mike N]

So, then what's the problem? This is nothing more than a late term abortion. Babies are dead no matter what. If abortion is indeed at play here, then it is nothing more than a stark reality of what abortion truly is...the killing of a human being. The only difference, in respect to what pro-abortion people want, is timing. But, in reality, a dead baby is a dead baby, regardless of when the child is murdered.

The upside of this tragedy (if indeed there is such a thing as an upside here) is pro-abortion types get the chance to look in their "choice" in the face. Then they can go on ahead killing 1,000,000 babies per year, forgetting again the true face(s) of the crime.

[Sam]

I can remember a time when wackos didn't turn everything into a chance to pontificate about abortion. It was before churches discovered it was a great hook to get rich, and Republicans that it was a great hook to get elected (and stampede the sheep into voting against their own interests.)

It wasn't actually that long ago...30, 35 years or so...

I guess I AM old.

[Peter Bogdanoff]

What was cruel in this "cruel, tragic and unjust time in America for women"? That a woman had a "back-alley" abortion, or that there were 2 dead babies?

[Joe S.]

This is not news. The LA Times should be embarrassed for publishing this nonsense. It smacks of propaganda, and I'm pro-choice.

[Anne Wilson]

Westlake Village? You may want to check your facts.

[Bee Gomez]

Or not. The LAT is really milking this story. Why not throw this same reporting muscle on some current stories?

And why is the LAPD bothering? It took them years to find the Grim Sleeper, but they're going to crack a case from the 30s?

[OPINIONATED]

The way I see it if you were good and ready to have sexual intercourse no matter what era it may be in it is your responsibility to take any consequences that come your way. It is unfair to those children being created and then disposed of like trash. It is a human life from the moment it is created and women as much as men should be ashamed of ever aborting a child IF YOU DONT WANT CHILDREN EITHER DONT HAVE SEX IRRESPONSIBLY OR JUST GET YOUR REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS REMOVED SIMPLE AS THAT

[sg]

>> "a cruel, tragic and unjust time in America for women."

for women? How about cruel and unjust for the two dead kids?