NewsNational News

Actions

Norma McCorvey, 'Jane Roe' of Roe v. Wade court case, has died

<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/norma-mccorvey-jane-roe-of-roe-v-wade-decision-legalizing-abortion-dies-at-69/2017/02/18/24b83108-396e-11e6-8f7c-d4c723a2becb_story.html?utm_term=.69479878b529" target="_blank">Norma McCorvey</a>, known as "Jane Roe" in the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, has died. She was 69.</p><p>McCorvey was 22, single, poor and suffering from addiction when she became pregnant with her third child.</p><p>At the time, abortion was illegal in her home state of Texas unless the mother's life was at stake. McCorvey sued for the right to safely access that procedure.</p><p><b>SEE MORE: <a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/us-abortion-rates-have-hit-a-historic-low/">US Abortion Rates Have Hit A Historic Low</a></b></p><p>What followed changed the course of American history, and McCorvey, for years to come.</p><p>McCorvey was a pro-abortion rights advocate after the Roe v. Wade ruling but eventually became a born-again Christian and opposed abortions later in life.</p><p>She died of a heart condition at an assisted-living facility in Katy, Texas. She's survived by a daughter and two grandchildren.</p><hr><b>Trending stories at <a href="http://www.newsy.com">Newsy.com</a></b><ul class="inline-related-links"><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/nearly-1-in-10-us-bridges-may-need-an-upgrade/">It's 2017, And 1 In 10 US Bridges Still Need Repairs</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/evidence-links-flint-water-to-bacterial-disease-outbreak/">Flint Water Might've Made People Sick Again, But Not From Lead</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/weather-bomb-causes-heavy-rain-southern-california/">The 'Weather Bomb' Is A Blessing And A Curse For California</a></li></ul>
Posted
and last updated

(CNN) -- Norma McCorvey, known as "Jane Roe" in the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that established a constitutional right to abortion, has died, according to a priest close to the family.

The Rev. Frank Pavone, an anti-abortion rights activist, released a statement Saturday, saying, "Norma has been a friend of mine, and of Priests for Life, for more than 20 years. She was victimized and exploited by abortion ideologues when she was a young woman but she came to be genuinely sorry that a decision named for her has led to the deaths of more than 58 million children."

McCorvey had become active in the movement against abortion rights after the US Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade in 1973.

 

 

She began her association with one of the United States' most contentious and volatile sociopolitical issues in 1970, when she became the lead plaintiff in the class-action lawsuit filed to challenge the strict anti-abortion laws in Texas.

The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, which handed down its controversial ruling on January 22, 1973. The decision legalized the right to an abortion in all 50 states and sparked a political debate that remains charged to this day.

However, McCorvey, who was on her third pregnancy, never had an abortion and gave birth to a girl, who was given up for adoption.