ABOUT THE FILM

Six years ago, Dr. Kermit gosnell was known in west philadelphia as ”the good doctor.” Today, he sits behind bars, convicted of three counts of first degree murder.

How did this beloved doctor become one of the most hated and controversial figures of the decade?

In February of 2010, the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI raided the offices of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, a respected physician and late-term abortion provider in West Philadelphia. The doctor was suspected of selling prescription drugs illegally. However, what investigators discovered upon entering the clinic was unthinkable.

Blood stained floors. A feral cat roaming the hallways and examination rooms. Fetal remains in the staff food freezers. A row of jars containing severed feet. As investigators began interviewing employees, they learned that Dr. Gosnell employed a tactic that he called “snipping.” Women who came in for late-term abortions would be induced, live babies would be born, and then Dr. Gosnell would kill the babies by severing their spinal cords with scissors.

Through exclusive interviews with detectives, crime scene investigators, journalists, victims, and Dr. Gosnell himself, "3801 Lancaster: American Tragedy" tells a story of violence, greed, and a coverup that shook the nation.