User:Jenbut/sandbox

Berengera Caswell contracted typhoid fever, which was a result of a perforated uterus, caused by Smith when he was terminating the pregnancy. As a result of a lack of antibiotics, Caswell became septic and died a week after her invasive abortion, on December 22, 1849. After Caswell’s death, Smith took a wood board and tied Caswell's body to it, and disposed of her body into a nearby brook that had a lot of sharp turns, unbeknownst to Smith. Caswell's body was making its way to the Atlantic Ocean when it got lodged in a culvert. Her body remained there until April 13, 1850, when her body was discovered by people cleaning up the area. During the examination of the body, the coroner concluded that because of the intensive trauma to her reproductive organs, the infection she had was a result of an invasive abortion. This detail was barely mentioned in Smith’s trial that soon followed. However, the state of her body was discussed: rotted and decayed after a cold Maine winter. It was discovered that Smith burned Berengera’s belongings, including her leather chest, in which he destroyed her name, and instead carved his own into it. He also burned his medical instruments that he had used to perform her abortion. However, when the police arrived, they found metal bits in his stove and Smith was arrested.