Lisa McPherson was a Scientologist who became widely known after her death in suspicious circumstances on 5 December 1995. Lisa is regularly cited by critics of Scientology as an example of what they call the abusive practices and procedures' practiced by the Church. by Gregg
(centrist)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Lisa McPherson was a Scientologist who became widely known after her death in suspicious circumstances on 5 December 1995. Lisa is regularly cited by critics of Scientology as an example of what they call the ‘abusive practices and procedures' practiced by the Church.
Background.
Born on the 10th of February, 1959, Lisa lived her early life in Dallas, Texas. She became a Scientologist at the age of eighteen in 1977. For a brief period during the 1980's, she lived in California before moving back to Dallas.
In 1991 Lisa, along with many other Scientologists, wrote a letter of application [1] to join the Cult Awareness Network. This appears to have been part of what Dan Leipold, a former lawyer for the Cult Awareness Network, called "an orchestrated effort" to take over the Cult Awareness Network on behalf of the Church of Scientology [2]. This effort, after extensive and numerous litigation procedures, resulted in the Cult Awareness Network being forced to file for bankruptcy. The Cult Awareness Network is currently being operated by the Foundation for Religious Freedom - a Scientology-related entity.
In 1994 Lisa moved to Clearwater in Florida where she was employed as a sales representative for Agent Media Corporation (also known as AMC Publishing). During this year Lisa spent $75,275 on Scientology services and courses. She also made tax-deducible donations totaling $55,000 [3].
On 24 April 1995, the Tampa Tribune published a letter written by Lisa. She wrote: "I work for a company that has been using this technology for years, and we have continued to expand and do well as a result. My own personal income has increased over the past five years without ever dropping, and I just got promoted because of the application of all this information." It seems that Lisa was instructed to write this letter and given advice on how to do so [4]. The following October Lisa attained the state of ‘clear' [5].
Lisa's death.
Lisa was involved in a car accident on 18 November 1995. Although uninjured by the accident, her behaviour, getting out of her car, removing her clothes, and beginning to walk down the street, suggested mental instability [7]. When asked by paramedics why she had taken off her clothes Lisa replied "I wanted help. I wanted help." [6] Lisa was taken by ambulance to Morton Plant Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. However, after several Scientologists arrived, she checked out of hospital against medical advice and was taken to the Fort Harrison hotel for 'rest and relaxation.' Lisa's refusal to accept psychiatric help was most likely due to her Scientology beliefs which regard psychiatry as a damaging pseudoscience.
The final 17 days of Lisa's life were spent undergoing an ‘introspection rundown', a procedure devised by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard to "calm a person in the throes of psychosis" [8]. During this time Lisa was "hyperactive, delusional and hallucinating" and "had conversations with people who were not there, claimed to be people she was not, sang and danced around the room as if giving a performance, crawled around on the floor, stood on the toilet, got in the shower fully clothed, tried to walk out of the room in a state of undress and on at least one occasion drank her own urine" [9]. Throughout this period Lisa was being watched by Scientologists who took detailed notes of the events [10].
Lisa's medical condition continued to deteriorate. On 5 December 1995 Scientology staffers contacted Dr. Minkoff, a Scientologist, who advised them to take Lisa to the nearest hospital. Rather than take Dr. Minkoff's advice, the Scientology staffers took Lisa to New Port Richey, the hospital where Dr. Minkoff worked; this hospital is located 45 minutes away from the Fort Harrison hotel. The Scientologists did this out of a fear that Lisa would be admitted to a psychiatric ward if they brought her to another hospital. Lisa was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
An autopsy was performed on the 6th of December by Joan Wood. Her report concluded that Lisa died from a pulmonary embolism caused by bed rest and severe dehydration. Also detailed in the report was the presence of "several crusted confluent dark brown lesions consistent with ‘insect/animal bites'" [11]. Dr. Wood, with reference to the insect bits, stated on air that "No, they are not mosquito bites. They appear to me to be cockroach bites."
The Church of Scientology responded by suing Wood for defamation. After extensive litigation all charges were dropped against the Church [12]. A civil suit brought against the Church by the McPherson family was settled in May of 2004 with the terms being undisclosed [13].
Aftermath.
After the controversy surrounding Lisa's death, the Church of Scientology introduced what has become known as the ‘Lisa McPherson clause'. This is a document grants the Church "the right to hold its members in isolation indefinitely, and absolves it of any responsibility for a member's injury or death as a result" [14].
Lisa's death has also been commemorated through candlelight vigils [15] and protests. The most recent, and most famous, of protests commemorating Lisa was held on her birthday of February 10, 2008 by Anonymous [16].
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What kind of people writes such an article? Are you paid for this or something???? Here is the true story about Lisa McPherson (aside from the fact that the court threw out the case and the civil parties settled).
Lisa McPherson was a Scientologist who died from a blood clot as a result of a car accident. Some corrupt individuals tried to profit from the death of this girl and make a lot of noise about it. That's why you know about it. Here is the real story. Lisa McPherson died of what the doctors called a pulmonary embolism (blood clot). Other statements first made by Medical Examiner Dr. Joan Wood were found unfounded, as she herself agreed when she was presented with all the evidence. None of the top medical experts around the country who have been consulted on this matter agreed with Wood's conclusions.
When the medical examiner looked at all the facts she came to the conclusion that Lisa McPherson suffered an accidental death as a result of a pulmonary embolism caused by an injury to her leg in the auto accident. All charges against the Church were dismissed by the prosecutor.
When the judge in the civil suit was presented the evidence he ruled that Lisa McPherson was at the Church of her own free will and dismissed a major portion of the case. The remaining part of the civil case ultimately settled in 2004.
Lisa was not mistreated, she was willingly in the care of friends. She did not lose 50 lbs. These are lies invented to align with a harassment campaign against the Church of Scientology and its members. The medical examiner determined that Lisa died of natural causes.
The Lisa McPherson Trust, Inc. (LMT) was a for-profit investment organization to make money out of the case of Lisa McPherson. It ceased operations in November 2001 and disbanded in 2002 after the main financier withdrew his financial support. Despite evidence of the accidental nature of Ms. McPherson’s death, critics in and around the LMT continued to exploit her name in their anti-Scientology hate campaign, although they certainly would have shunned her if she were living due to her adherence to the Scientology faith.
On other occasions individuals in the grey zone around the LMT threatened physical violence against Scientologists, including threatening to shoot any Church members who enter his property to engage in the same kind of protest demonstrations LMT representatives routinely direct at Scientology churches, staff and parishioners.
This harassment has been taken up recently by a group called "Anonymous". “Anonymous” members have been duped to belief in a false claim about Lisa McPherson (whose birthday they have selected for their main actions). Lisa McPherson was a Scientologist who suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism in 1995 after being treated and released from Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida after a traffic accident. Unknown to anyone, including the medical staff at Morton Plant Hospital, Lisa McPherson had sustained an injury in the auto accident that ultimately led to her death.
This is how a disgusting lie and the exploitation of a dead person is being continued by puppet masters, this time - in 2008 - using some college boys calling themselved "Anonymous".
Yes, I also think Lou is a Scientologist.....he is towing the party line.
Perhaps he would like to tell us what the party line is on Greg Bashaw, who went insane on Scientology and committed suicide or Ellie Perkins, who followed Hubbard "tech" and gave her son "vitamins" instead of the psychatric care he needed. He thanked her by stabbing her 70 something times.
Hubbard was a science fiction writer, who invented a so-called "religion" to make money. Scientologists travel around the world with their antii-psych museum.....their goal...... to destroy psychiatry and replace it with the quack science of L. Ron Hubbard..
According to the medic on the scene, Bonnie Portolano, Lisa Mcpherson was quoted as saying "Well, I wanted people to think I was crazy because I want help". Quite telling.
Reading the report, it looks to me that that may have been considered the "probable" cause of death. It's hard to pin a death on neglect, I've seen that go undiagnosed.
She may have lived if she had received proper care. It would seem that if that was the cause of death, it was not expected by the Scientologists "caring" for her.
Interestingly, the only definitive statements come in the press release. Notice that this press release was released through PRNewswire, which is a press release service that allows people to submit their own releases, stating whatever they wish with no verification. Odd that a government press release would be done in such a manner.
It's very suspicious that the only source that "proves" anything definitively is most likely submitted from a party with a vested interest...
Remember Gloria (Lou,) this is the internet. You will not win here. You should really stop trying. You arent any good at it. If scientology had anywhere near the number of members that it claims to have I would think these comments would be flooded with pro-scientology messages. To bad its all lies and they dont have 10% of what they claim.
Why is that the Scientologists keep latching onto the report that she died of a pulmonary embolism? What does that prove if that's the final thing that ended her life?
There are many things that could cause a blood clot to break loose and get into the lung. Immobilization can do it, as if someone was held in some hotel room somewhere. Irregular heartbeat can do it, such as with the stress of this situation. Trauma or injury could do it. She probably had these risk factors and more.
This medical report [link edited for length] seems to indicate that the doctor felt that the "bed rest" and dehydration played a part.
The "Church's" own logs, shown [link edited for length] would indicate that she was kept in captivity for some time.
The scientologist doctor who declared McPherson dead felt the need to settle out of court instead of defend his innocence: [link edited for length]
Yo Gregg: The reason you don't see more Scientologists on these boards is that they don't give a s*** about your hatemail. What they do know is that your movement is dying and has lost the majority of it's "non-members". Protests are now just a handful of lackeys and bigots. But guess what, nobody is listenting to you anymore. I happened onto this chat following a Google search. Any new religious movement is attacked by conforming hypocrites who don't have a clue. You've already lost, you just don't know it yet.
That's funny... The only ones that claim that anonymous is losing are Scientologists.Seems to me that it's stronger than ever. Do you have any non-scientologist sources indicating that the "movement" has lost?
If they don't give a s***, why did you feel the need to post?
The only reason anyone knows Lisa's name is because Scientology critic Jeff Jacobsen happened upon her story on Clearwater Police Dept's website -- CPD was looking for help with it.
Jeff brought the story to alt.religion.scientology, and the rest is history.
They'll never admit it was Scientology, Inc's fault; they can't. Its written policies of abuse don't allow for that revelation.
I think medical examiner Joan Wood was another victim of Scn, Inc. She was a target, just like author Paulette Cooper and former Clearwater mayor Gabe Cazares, and pretty much anyone who speaks up to say the emperor is butt naked.
From the Scientologist's own logs, Lisa couldn't walk or stand upright without assistance 1 week before she died. Now if I go to my house and find my sister/daughter/wife/etc unable to stand on her own, I'd take her to the hospital immediately. Bearing in mind that the hospital is <500yards away (in Lisa's case) then it seems pretty clear that the sci's killed her through neglect.
That the police let them get away with this is awful. Lou seems to think that getting away with murder actually means that you are innocent. He leaves out the fact that other medical examiners didn't agree with Wood, but did agree that she died suspiciously. Or why samples disappeared from the medical lab. Or why Wood suddenly became silent on the issue.
Scientology is a dodgy cult and Lisa's blood has stained them.
L
What makes the Church of Scientology so dangerous is that they are incapable of taking responsibility for their actions. Not only do they want to acknowledge Lisa McPherson's death is their fault, but they sued the coroner for giving an honest evaluation. They do this because the "Church" has a policy called Fair Game, which allows them to sue, trick, or lie to, critics. Watching the Scientologists respond to this article is a perfect example of how nothing else matters other than their "Church" ... even if it means discrediting the claims of Anonymous by making Anonymous come off as cyberterrorists (despite 7 peaceful worldwide protests).
For the truth, just look at the photo of Lisa taken at the time of her death. One look tells the story, all words aside. How could anyone allow her to deteriorate to that condition befor seeking medical treatment? THERE IS NO HUMANE ANSWER. Thankfully, Lisa is able to tell the truth of her story herself! The church may have thought they could help Lisa, but they were dead wrong. Either that or she was a risk to them that they didn't know how to deal with.
Fair Game (cancelled 40 years ago). Lisa McPherson (dead, court cases brought and settled), Issac Hayes (objections to a Church event recognizing his passing), the list goes on. But a uniform element emerges. These events are past, dead, when their smallest element is brought froth into the light of public scrutiny, Anonymous loses. When brought before public trial, Anonymous loses. When does anonymous gather force? Anonymous gathers force when its members are unknown and unknowable, when rumor and slander can be traded back and forth and built up by mutual consent into something it never was and will never be. Myths and fairy tales and commonly traded rumor are the forte' of anonymous. Spiritual worship and spiritual rehabilitation are its fears. Have a nice day guys, U know what eye mean?
mark tomles - nope. But you would have to ask people who oppose scientology their reason, Few, if any (my opinion) refuse to accept a philosophy because it is "too good" for them. "Too vast" (35 million words), maybe. "Too difficult to understand", maybe. "Too unachievable", maybe. "Too far off and over in never-never-land", maybe. "Too strange", maybe. For example, the idea that you can direct a confused person's attention to objects in their environment, and that this is likely to result in their becoming unconfused might seem "too strange" or "unachievable" or "difficult to understand", but "too good"? Nah, I doubt that.
You said, "Spiritual worship and spiritual rehabilitation are its fears", and I wonder who it is that would be afraid of such a thing. Certainly not me, who is a practicing Christian, and pursues these goals myself.
Notice on page 2, where the signer agrees to avoid all psychiatric care, and the contract mentions that the CoS will intervene if family, the state, or other actors try to place the signer in psyciatric care.
Isn't that exactly what allegedly happened to Lisa McPherson?
Yet fair game persists. Letters sent to terrorize families of anonymous protesters with false accusations of terrorism.
Anonymous loses in court? Not so far. Injunctions attempted in March against protests in Clearwater. Stuck down as ludicrous by a judge. Young man in UK charged for calling COS a cult. Struck down by the court. Youtube takedowns sent by a made up company by a known Scientologist. All back up because the original DMCA complaint was false and thus perjury. France is taking Scientology to trial as a criminal racket. Germany hosts a forum on the dangers of Scientology. Anonymous and critics and representivies of the nations of Europe allowed in. Scientology turned away. Canadian mounted police are beginning an investigation into Scientology in Quebec. The FBI are talking to Anonymous as well as ex members. Some ex members who were found to be talking to the FBI are being fair gamed right now, including a woman in Cincinnati who is being terrorized on a weekly basis for doing her duty and talking to the authorities about what she saw. We are watching and gathering evidence of intimidation of a witness.
Can't deny it Terry, 9 months now and we are still here. The walls are closing in. How long do you have before you are in court yourself for helping this criminal racket? How much longer do you have Terry? Talk to the Feds Terry and cut a deal. I would not want to be in your shoes when the Federal Govermnent finally comes knocking. The storm is building, and it will come like a thief in the night.
So to get a little bit more on topic in regards to this article, why did she have bites all over her body? Why were the men assigned to guard, errr, look out for her suddenly missing once she died, why was she not taken to the closest hospital when she died? I wonder. Also, TO Anonymous has yet to lose any case. And we laugh at Co$'s attempts to silence us.
I would also ask why she died at all? She spent, if I recall, 17 days in substandard care prior to her death. Why was she aloud to deteriorate to the point of death? Why wasn't she given proper medical care?
And before "someone" claims that she did receive medical care, I must remind this group that the Doctor that perscribed her medication, OT8 Doctor David Minkoff was fined and had his license suspended for perscribing said medicine without even seeing the patient.
Also, I should mention that the wrongful death suit was settled out of court on 5/28/2004.
Posted By: Om Nom Nom Nom
Date: 2008-10-07 20:21:43
And once again from Terry's comment about how the case of Lisa McPherson was "settled" points to another thing about Scientologists. To them she was just a case. Not a person at all, just a nuisance because she died in a way that made them look bad. Pretty sad if that is what they think about a fellow Scientologist. Not a person to them. Just a case file. A situation they have to "handle" so they don't look bad.
I didn't comment about Lisa McPherson's life because I did not know her, or her family. Certainly it was not a good situation and really, I doubt any of us are made happy by anyone's untimely death. However, the situation did undergo extensive legal scrutiny and law enforcement scrutiny and all parties have settled. (Except NomNomNom and a few critics who hope to create emotional baggage).
Not "all parties" have settled. The family still grieves and maintains a memorial page blaming the CoS. The family accepted the CoS settlement offer after being tied up by legal proceedings. One private family has a very hard time against the aggressive legal practices of a large organization.
Look at Armie L. and others, who were offered a settlement in exchange for their silence (arnie, for one, did not accept). A settlement does not admit guilt or prove innocence... It just makes it go away.
Posted By: International Post OTIII Day
Date: 2008-12-05 16:12:04
The following is the sacred document in Scientology known as OTIII. Scientologists deny it exists as part of their Operating Thetan literature. It was written by L. Ron Hubbard in 1967. Hubbard wrote that if you read this document before you have achieved a level of scholarship, you will get pneumonia and die. The cost to get to that level: $360,000.
“The head of the Galactic Confederation (76 planets around larger stars visible from here) (founded 95,000,000 yrs ago, very space opera) solved overpopulation (250 billion or so per planet -- 178 billion on average) by mass implanting. He caused people to be brought to Teegeeack (Earth) and put an H Bomb on the principal volcanoes (Incident 2) and then the Pacific area ones were taken in boxes to Hawaii and the Atlantic Area ones to Las Palmas and there "packaged." His name was Xenu. He used renegades. Various misleading data by means of circuits etc. was placed in the implants. When through with his crime (R/)Loyal Officers (to the people) captured him after 6 years of battle and put him in an electronic mountain trap where he still is. "They" are gone. The place (Confed.)has since been a desert.” - Hubbard
See it in his original handwriting at xenu.net. Learn more about the fight against the criminal cult of Scientology on whyweprotest.net. Make a difference by copy-pasting this and posting it somewhere else as part of International Post OTIII Day and in honor of Lisa McPherson, who died on Dec 5 1995 after being starved to death by Scientologists.
Nonsense piled on nonsense piled on rumor, steming mainly from drug induced stupor. Here and there in your rumor mill is a rare factoid, exaggerated from some long-ago-decided court case. Hey, have a nice day with your carpet sweepings, d'you know what I mean?
The Jett Travolta death... Scientology made them take him off his medication and it kills him?
It gets even more twisted folks. From reports from ex-Scientologists, it seems that Scientology has rigiorous control over the grieving process itself. From a grueling vogon poetry like standard eulogy written by L. Ron Hubbard which goes into weird stuff like dropping your body and coming back again to serve Scientology once more in a new life.
Then there is the auditing and "security" checks done with the E-Meter. The Travoltas will be subjected to quizzing about the death and the cult will look for reasons he died. Not real reasons like not taking medication, but for things that the Travoltas did to "pull in" the tragedy. It's kinda like some twisted version of Karma in Scientology. So the Scientologists look for some baloney reason to blame the Travoltas such as being "out ethics" or not having their "TR's" in and other garbage. Once they have wrung some kind of "crimes" out of them, then they have to pay up to $1000 an hour for special "auditing" to clear them of these crimes and clear the condition that "pulled in" the death of their son.
Now how twisted is that? Scientology can drag this process out for months and charge them out the wazoo for the whole sick and twisted ride into mindjob country. So not only do they likely cause the death by pushing the parents to not medicate their son properly... but they PROFIT from it as well by exploiting the now bereaved and vulnerable.
Scientology. It doesn't get much sicker than this.
The unvarnished truth from someone who just got out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqEgV-LA17g
Then there is our way of dealing with your cult:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4uOYAKswJI
We are winning. We will never stop. We will never fail. We will continue to pull this greedy cult apart and there isn't anything you or any other scilon or OSA goonbag can do about it.
For the best expose ever on the criminal scam called "Dianetics" and later "Scientology", see KESQ's unprecedentedly hart-hitting and truthful series. Some excerpts here:
http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=10114227
http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?s=10076802
http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?s=10104936
Louanne and Terryeo, where is your spin now on this incredible and detailed indictment of the organization you are compensated to speak out for? How can you claim to be in any way ethical represnting this organization of terror? Shame on you, the evidence is out now, and now amount of vague platitudes or "happy ho hos" will stop it.
![[link edited for length]](http://www.lisamcpherson.org/coroner.gif){kind=link}