Murder, Rape (12 incidents) and Forced Abortion
In 1967, Edward Gratton, 34, raped 16-year old Glenda Tedball repeatedly over a period of time, and she became pregnant. When her pregnancy became known, Gratton grabbed Glenda and held her down while her own mother, Norma Poore, aborted her with a coat hanger. Glenda died soon after.
This horrible incident was covered up and only revealed when Poore confessed to the crime just before she died in 1999. Gratton, now 67, was arrested for his part in the crime, and he pled guilty to procuring an abortion after the Crown agreed to withdraw a charge of culpable homicide. For the abortion, while it was illegal, and for concealing the murder for all these years, Justice Bruce Thomas gave Gratton a conditional sentence of two years less a day to be served in the community, followed by probation. Gratton is said to have had limited mental capacity, but the November 2000 sentence did not suggest a stay at one of Canada's institutes for the criminally insane.
Justice Bruce Thomas said that "Glenda Tedball didn't have the benefit of living beyond her 16th year. .. The fact that Mr. Gratton continues to have nightmares is of little concern to me."
While Gratton's conduct was criminal, Thomas said, he was following the lead of a woman who escaped justice altogether Tedball's mother, Norma Poole. "It's clear to me that Norma was the directing mind," Thomas said.
Poore persuaded Gratton, who had limited mental capacity, to help with an abortion he likely didn't realize could result in death, the judge said.
Gratton tied down the girl's wrists and ankles while Poore used a clothes hanger.
When Tedball screamed, Gratton stuffed a towel in her mouth. "[Norma Poore] carried on despite the protests of her daughter until she was covered in blood and Glenda was dead," Thomas said.
Poore, who for years led a public campaign to find her "missing" daughter, died July 11, 1999, taking her secret to the grave.
After Poore's death, Glenda's father, Glen Tedball, who had been living elsewhere when she disappeared from her farm in the Thedford, Ontario area, encouraged the provincial police to re-open the case.
Glen Tedball's tip led police to Gratton, who confessed to his role.
References: "No Jail in Canada for Rape, Abortion and Murder." LifeSite Daily News at
http://www.lifesite.net, November 28, 2000; "Man Whose Girlfriend Died in 1967 Home Abortion Gets Conditional Sentence." National Post [canada.com], November 29, 2000.
Is it possible this is her after all and the reported missing date was wrong. This is a bizarre story and Tedball's body was never found. I doubt that her mother reported her missing right after she botched the abortion. According to this story, it sounds like her father reported her missing (?) The age is off, but the other features look right to me. The drive from Thedford to Bear, DE is around 10 hours. Did Poore and Gratton drive to the States and dump her body after the botched abortion and then she wasn't reported missing until October. Do you guys think this is a possibility?
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