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Transcripts of story about Lisa McPherson's death

1997

LISA McPHERSON WAS YOUNG, BEAUTIFUL AND DEEPLY RELIGIOUS. SHE WASDEDICATED TO THE TEACHINGS OF SCIENTOLOGY. BUT THIS SPIRITED OMAN DIED SUDDENLY IN 1995, AND HER AUNT CLAIMS MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH ARE RESPONSIBLE.

NOW "EXTRA'S" DAVID JACKSON SPEAKS TO LISA'S FAMILY AND SCIENTOLOGY REPRESENTATIVES ABOUT THIS CONTROVERSIAL CASE.

Reporter: IT'S A TWO-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY THAT MAY UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY.

ONE MINUTE, LISA McPHERSON WAS A HEALTHY 36-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHOSE LOVE OF COUNTRY DANCING WAS ECLIPSED ONLY BY HER LOVE FOR HER CHURCH. BUT THE NEXT MINUTE SHE WAS DEAD.

THE BIZARRE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HER DEATH HAVE PROTESTERS AND LISA'S OWN AUNT BLAMING THE CHURCH. THEY ISOLATED HER, DID NOT GIVE HEREDIC HELP THAT WAS NEEDED. Reporter: THE CLAIMS SOUND OUTRAGEOUS, BUT DELL LIEEICH SAYS SHE'LL PROVE THEM IN COURT IN AN $80 MILLION WRONGFUL DEATH SUIT AGAINST THE CHURCH.

FOR 18 YEARS, LISA WAS A DEVOUT SCIENTOLOGIST WHO LIVED CLOSE TO CHURCH HEADQUARTERS IN CLEARWATER, FLORIDA. IN THE LAST TWO YEARS OF HER LIFE, LISA REPORTEDLY SPENT OVER $97,000 TO LEARN THE SELF-HELP TEACHINGS OF CHURCH FOUNDER L. RON HUBBARD, BUT DELL TELLS ME SHE BELIEVES LISA DIED BECAUSE SHE WANTED OUT -- A BELIEF SHE SAYS THAT WAS PROMPTED BY A MYSTERIOUS PHONE CALL TO A FRIEND NOT LONG BEFORE SHE DIED.

"I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT IT WHEN I GET THERE. I CAN'T TALKBOUT I OVER THE PHONE BUT I HAVE A LOT TO TELL YOU. I'LL BE HOME CHRISTMAS FOR GOOD IS WHAT SHE TOLD HER FRIEND.

Reporter: WHAT WAS THAT INDICATING, DO YOU THINK? WELL, LIKE HER FRIEND THOUGHT, THAT SHE'S GETTING OUT OF SCIENTOLOGY. Reporter: JT TWWEEK LATER, ON NOVEMBER 18th, 1995, LISA WAS IN A MINOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN CLEARWATER, FLORIDA. SHE DIDN'T APPEAR INJURED, BUT FOR SOME REASON, SHE TORE OFF HER CLOTHES AND RAN NAKED DOWN THE STREET.

DOCTORS AT THIS HOSPITAL PRESCRIBED PSYCHIATRIC HELP. LISA REFUSED. IN LINE WITH CHURCH BELIEFS AGAINST PSYCHIATRY, AND INSTEAD, CHECKED INTO SCIENTOLOGY'S FT. HARRISON HOTEL, UNDER THE CARE OF A DOCTOR WHO WAS ALLEGEDLY NOT LICENSED TO PRACTICE IN FLORIDA. 17 DAYS LATER, LISA'S CONDITION HAD DETERIORATED AND SHE WAS RUSHED TO ANOTHER HOSPITAL, WHERE SHE DIED.

THE MEDICAL EXAMINER SAYS THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS "A THROMBO-EMBOLISM OF THE LEFT PULMONARY ARTERY." IN OTHER WORDS, A BLOOD CLOT. THE CORONER SAYS THAT CLOT CAME FROM "BED REST AND SEVERE DEHYDRATION."

WHAT THE CORONER'S REPORT DOESN'T SAY IS WHO IS TO BLAME FOR LISA'S DEATH.

IS THE CHURCH RESPONSIBLE OR WAS HER DEATH NATURAL CAUSES? THE LAWSUIT OF COURSE, IS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THAT ULTIMATELYBUT IT ALSO ACCOMPLISHES SOMETHING ELSE. IT GIVES US A RARE LOOK INSIDE THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY, BOTH ITS MEDICAL PRACTICES AND TREATMENT OF ITS OWN MEMBERS.

THE DISCLOSURE OF THESE MEDICAL NOTES WRITTEN BY THE SCIENTOLOGISTS WHO CARED FOR LISA DURING HER 17 DAYS AT THE HOTEL. IT SAYS -- AND AN ENTRY THAT COULD EXPLAIN HER DEHYDRATION SAYS SHE WOULD --

CLEARWATER POLICE INVESTIGORS SAY THREE OF THE SCIENTOLOGISTS WHO ATTENDED HER HAVE APPARENTLY LEFT THE UNITED STATES, PRESUMABLY FOR EUROPE. DID THESE PEOPLE DO ANYTHING TO INTENTIONALLY HARM HER? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Reporter: CHURCH ATTORNEY LAURA VAUGHAN BLAMES THE ANTI-SCIENTOLOGY FEELING FOR THE TWO-YEAR CLEARWATER POLICE INVTIGATION AND FOR THE LAWSUIT. I THINK THE REASON THAT WE'RE ALL HERE, THE REASON THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, THE REASON THAT AL OF THIS HAS HAPPENED IS BECAUSE IT'S THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY. Reporter: SCIENTOLOGY ALSO INSISTED WE TALK WITH ITS EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, KURT WEILAND, WHO TELLS ME HE BELIEVES AUNT DELL IS IN THIS FOR THE MONEY. WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS EXTORT $80 MILLION FROM THE CHURCH AND TO DO IT, THEY'LL TELL 80 MILLION LIES. IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO GET TO THE POINT OF PAYOFF. Reporter: DELL SAYS THAT'S NOT TRUE. SHE SIMPLY WANTS TO AVENGE HER NIECE'S DEATH AND TO WARN OTHERS, COULD HAPN TO THEM. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL SOMEONE WHO HAS A FAMILY MEMBER ABOUT TO BE INVOLVED IN SCIENTOLOGY? 'D S, GET OUT, GET OUT. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO. ACCORDING TO REPORTS IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES," POLICE IN CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, RECOMMENDED CRIMINAL CHARGES BE FILED IN THIS CASEBUT POLICE REFUSED TO DISCUSS SPECIFICS OF THE CHARGES OR WHO MIGHT BE CHARGED.

[webmaster's note: the Lisa McPherson Trust maintains a very nice video archive on Scientology. Please visit their website at http://lisatrust.net/Media/index.html to view their collection.]