The Disquieting Death of Emma Gill: Abortion, Death, and Concealment in Victorian New England

Join us for this discussion of the new Bridgeport based true crime book The Disquieting Death of Emma Gill: Abortion, Death, and Concealment in Victorian New England with author Marcia Biederman!

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This event will be in person and livestreamed.

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Book details: In 1898, a group of schoolboys in Bridgeport, Connecticut discovered gruesome packages under a bridge holding the dismembered remains of a young woman.

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Finding that the dead woman had just undergone an abortion, prosecutors raced to establish her identity and fix blame for her death. Suspicion fell on Nancy Guilford, half of a married pair of “doctors” well known to police throughout New England.

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A fascinated public followed the suspect’s flight from justice, as many rooted for the fugitive. The Disquieting Death of Emma Gill takes a close look not only at the Guilfords, but also at the cultural shifts and social compacts that allowed their practice to flourish while abortion was both illegal and unregulated.

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