Joseph Emory

Serial Killer

Joseph Alexander Emory - The "Cut-Rate Osteopath"

Background

Joseph Alexander Emory was a Los Angeles osteopath whose medical career became associated with an illegal abortion death and, many years later, an extraordinary series of infant deaths at a small maternity clinic he operated in Los Angeles. Some serial-killer reference works have classified Emory as a serial murderer and have attributed as many as eleven or more deaths to him. The surviving legal record, however, makes an important distinction: Emory was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of one woman, Viola Go, while the later infant deaths resulted in multiple murder charges but are not as clearly documented as convictions. Emory practiced medicine in the Los Angeles area during an era when abortion was generally illegal in California except under limited circumstances. His first documented homicide case arose in 1959, when 35-year-old Viola Go traveled from the Salinas area to Los Angeles seeking an abortion. What happened during and after the procedure eventually became the basis of a second-degree murder conviction and a detailed California appellate court decision.

The Death of Viola Go

Viola Go had been examined by a physician in Salinas several times during August 1959 and was confirmed to be pregnant. Her physician described her as being in good health and testified that there was no medical reason requiring termination of the pregnancy to preserve her life. On September 4, 1959, Go and her husband, George Go, traveled to Los Angeles. With the assistance of an acquaintance, an appointment was arranged with Emory. According to testimony later presented in court, Emory instructed Go to return to his home the following morning. On September 5, Go was taken to Emory's residence. During the procedure, Emory inserted placental forceps into her uterus. The instrument perforated the uterus and caught a portion of her intestine. Emory later admitted to police that when he withdrew the instrument he saw what he recognized as a loop of bowel attached to it. He pushed the tissue back inside and kept Go at his residence rather than immediately transferring her for emergency surgical treatment. Go remained seriously ill. Her husband stayed with her at Emory's residence through September 7. After seeking assistance from another physician, arrangements were finally made for her admission to Santa Monica Hospital. She arrived there during the early morning hours of September 9 in critical condition. Doctors found extensive internal injuries. Her uterus had been perforated, her small bowel had been lacerated, and intestinal contents had escaped into her abdominal cavity, producing severe generalized peritonitis. Surgeons operated on September 10 in an attempt to repair the damage. Go continued to suffer complications, including abdominal infection and abscess formation, and underwent another operation on September 29. Viola Go died on September 30, 1959, at Santa Monica Hospital. Medical testimony attributed her death to complications of the abortion, including injury to the bowel, peritonitis, abdominal abscesses and hemorrhage. An autopsy supported the conclusion that an abortion had been performed and that her uterus had been perforated during the procedure. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Viola Go Age: (35), Date of Death: 1959-09-30

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