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Former Abortion Clinic Worker Testifies that Live-Born Baby was Stabbed to Death

Wichita, KS, June 24, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A murder investigation has been opened involving Shelley Sella, a California abortionist employed by George Tiller, who according to a former employee is reported to have intentionally stabbed to death an infant born alive during an abortion at Tiller's Women's Health Care Services abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas.

On the advice of an attorney, Operation Rescue reported the incident to the Wichita Police Department after a former Tiller employee, Tina Davis, told Troy Newman and Cheryl Sullenger of the stabbing in April. It is believed that the alleged infanticide took place sometime in the past two years.

In addition, the incident has been reported to the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts, which has confirmed that the case has been assigned to an investigator.

Ms. Davis is a Licensed Practical Nurse, and was the only licensed medical person in Tiller's employment at that time, except for his three out-of-state abortionists, who work at WHCS on a three-week rotating schedule.

Abortionist Shelley Sella is a "circuit rider", who splits her time between Tiller's Wichita clinic, a California Planned Parenthood clinic, and other, smaller abortion mills.

"Ms. Davis gave us a very specific eye-witness account about the incident," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We were told that the baby was 35 weeks gestation at the time of the abortion. The baby came out and was moving. Sella looked up at Ms. Davis, then picked up a utensil and stabbed the baby in the left ribcage, twisting the utensil until the baby quit moving. At 35 weeks, there is no doubt about viability. This is murder in anybody's book."

Ms. Davis could not explain why the baby was born alive since abortions that late in the pregnancy usually begin with a fatal injection into the baby's heart. However, former abortion patients have said that sometimes the first injection is not always successful. 

In fact, Sella was involved in the abortion of Michelle Armesto-Berge, who testified before a Kansas legislative committee last September of her horrific late-term abortion experience at WHCS. According to her medical records, Armesto-Berge received the digoxin injection at the beginning of her abortion process, and was forced to receive a second injection by Sella when it was discovered that her baby was still alive the following day.

"The digoxin injection into the baby's heart is a difficult and risky procedure," said Newman. "Sella doesn't appear to be very good at it."

Ms. Davis also told Operation Rescue that on four occasions of which she was aware, women received the digoxin injection into their babies' hearts, and were sent home to their primary physician for "delivery of the stillborn."

"This practice has extreme risks, because the women, who come from all over the Western Hemisphere, could go into labor or experience a number of other dangerous complications before they are able to get to their own doctors," said Newman. "It is shocking that this is allowed."

"We understand there are unique challenges to getting charges filed in this case since the body would have been cremated at Tiller's on-site crematorium. Without a body, any murder case becomes more difficult," said Newman. "However, because of the brutality of this murder and the gravity of this charge, we are compelled to demand that Tiller's clinic be closed by the State until a full inspection and investigation can take place, and that the medical licenses of Sella and her boss, Tiller, be immediately suspended."

"We also understand that because Ms. Davis' employment at WHCS was terminated, that damages her credibility," Newman continued. "But we have every reason to believe that the story she told us was true. We have been able to confirm many of the other things she told us. Ms. Davis came forward because she was troubled by what went on at the abortion clinic, and was seeking peace. We pray she finds it. "

In March, 2008, Students for Life in America released an undercover video where Tiller told them that if a baby is born alive during an abortion, "It's just sloppy technique. It is just technique that is reprehensible." He added, "The guy that did that ought to have his head beat up."

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