Norma McCorvey, central figure of Roe v. Wade abortion decision, dies at 69

Credit: CAMERON CRAIG

Credit: CAMERON CRAIG

Norma McCorvey, who was the central figure in the country's landmark legal case on abortion, has died at the age of 69.

McCorvey died Saturday from a heart ailment, according to The Washington Post.

McCorvey was plaintiff Jane Roe in the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that established a constitutional right to an abortion. Later in life, she became a born-again Christian, was associated with the pro-life group Operation Rescue and announced that she opposed abortion after the first trimester.

She wrote two memoirs and in 2009, was arrested at a protest during hearings on Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

About the Author