St. Louis, MO (KTVI) — There are new and disturbing allegations from an attorney who is looking into possibly questionable practices at the old Homer G. Phillips Hospital.
Al Watkins is a lawyer, he said, “This was a well thought out scheme and artifice.”
Watkins feels strongly that babies were taken from young mothers and then sold in the 50’s and 60’s. The medical facility serviced African Americans in St. Louis.
He said, “There was absolutely available on the market infant black children, pay for play cash on delivery you want a baby get some money.”
Jessie Ferguson was born at the hospital. He was a twin and he believe his was twin was taken at birth. Like many other people who have come forward Ferguson started to wonder after seeing the story of Zella Jackson Price last month.
It was the reunion of Zella Jackson Price and her 50 year old daughter Diane Gilmore. Zella was told her baby died at birth. Diane’s family began searching for her birth mother and on April 9th they were reunited.
Ferguson said, “I’m not alone I do have a twin.”
He and his mother, 73 year old Joyce McKinley both think Jessie’s brother may be alive. McKinley was 15 years old when she delivered twin sons at Homer G. Phillips Hospital. After seeing Zella’s story she was suspicious about how the birth of her son was handled by the doctor.
Joyce McKinley said, “The first baby came out and said he’s dead and got up and ran out the door with him. Madden: Did you hear the baby make any noises? No, I didn’t.”
Still, McKinley wants to know more because she said she never received a birth or a death certificate for Jessie’s brother and she was not permitted to bury him. Besides that, Jessie thinks he may have seen his twin a few years ago at work. He said, “A guy who looked just like me coming into one of my buildings we stared at each other we didn’t say nothing.”
Al Watkins said, “Babies were stolen at birth.”
Watkins represents women including Zella Price and her daughter Diane. He’s going to juvenile court to ask a judge to unseal baby Diane’s adoption records which could begin to solve the mystery and provide clues to determine if anything questionable was occurring at the hospital.
Watkins said, “There should be the name of the doctor who delivered the baby known as baby Diane that’s very vital to this investigation.”
He said more than one hundred women have called his office believing their baby was stolen at birth, at least 25 of them he calls credible. In the meantime people like Joyce and Jessie are left to wonder if a loved one is alive and somewhere out there.
Ferguson said, “Someone knows something and they’re not talking.”
Watkins thinks people at the hospital, lawyers and maybe even the courts were all involved in baby stealing and selling.
