In a tragic turn of events, Dr. Morris Wortman, a fertility doctor who had faced allegations of using his own sperm to impregnate patients, has died following a fatal plane crash. The incident occurred on Sunday, May 29, when the experimental aircraft, in which Wortman was a passenger, fell apart mid-flight and crashed in Orleans County. The pilot, Earl Luce Jr., also died in the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the crash, which involved a Wittman W-5 Buttercup airplane, built by Luce himself in an attempt to replicate the original plane constructed by Steve Wittman. Preliminary findings suggest that the wings of the aircraft became detached from the fuselage, ultimately leading to the tragic accident.
Dr. Morris Wortman, a prominent gynecologist in western New York, had been the subject of controversy and legal action. He was sued in 2021 by Morgan Hellquist, the daughter of one of his patients, who alleged that Wortman had secretly used his own sperm to inseminate her mother, Jo Ann Levy, in January 1985. Despite claiming that the donor was a local medical student, Wortman allegedly used his genetic material without the patient’s knowledge or consent.
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The lawsuit further revealed that Wortman kept this secret hidden, even after the daughter, who turned out to be his biological offspring, became his gynecology patient. Finally, the truth came to light when DNA genealogy tests exposed the existence of at least nine half-siblings for Hellquist. Subsequent DNA testing with Wortman’s daughter from his previous marriage confirmed the genetic link.
Hellquist’s mother had been under Wortman’s care between 1983 and 1985, during which she received regular sperm injections, purportedly from a medical student, at $50 each. The civil lawsuit, still pending in Monroe County Court, accuses Wortman of medical malpractice and seeks justice for the alleged misconduct.
The untimely demise of Dr. Morris Wortman in the plane crash leaves many unanswered questions surrounding the ongoing legal proceedings. As the investigation into the crash continues, the controversial legacy of the fertility doctor remains, impacting the lives of those involved and raising important ethical concerns within the medical community.
