admin @ Wed, 2006-09-27 08:00
Hall is now charged with killing her friend and cutting the unborn baby from her womb. She's also suspected of killing Jimella Tunstall's three other children.
Looking back, there may have been indications that something wasn't right. But in this case, no one at the hospital or in law enforcement realized what was going on until it was too late.
A full week before police found Tunstall's body, Hall arrived at Touchette Regional Hospital in East St. Louis with a stillborn fetus in her arms. The hospital immediately called the coroner's office, according to their protocol.
"We weren't really looking for the criminal aspect at that time, until I arrived at Touchette Regional (Hospital) and the police were there stating this lady changed here story back and forth," said St. Clair County Deputy Coroner Ace Hart.
This story sent up red flags for Hart, though it would be days before anyone knew the fetus belonged to Tunstall. At the time, Hall claimed she had been raped and that caused her to give birth. She later said the sex was consensual. Ultimately, the police left and she refused treatment.
"She did not allow the medical staff to examine her, which (causes) a light (to) come on. So I got on the phone to the coroner Rick Stone and said, 'Rick we got a little problem here,'" said Hart.
The coroner ordered an autopsy according to his guidelines; the hospital followed theirs. They were dealing with the death of the child as well as the health of Hall.
"In this case you had two different issues going on at once. So I'm sure they were following two different protocols. Was there any conflict between them? What happens? That I don't know."
Medical experts said between hospital protocols and state regulations, little is left to chance. There are only a few circumstances that would allow a doctor to override a patient's wishes. Those might include mental incompetence or infectious disease.
This is cache, read story here