Church: Cops planted false story
CHERYL WALDRIP of The Tampa Tribune
Published in The Tampa Tribune Dec. 17, 1996
CLEARWATER - The Church of Scientology sent a statement to media outlets
Monday attacking the police department that is investigating the death of one
of its members.
The Tampa Tribune reported Sunday that Clearwater police are trying to learn
what happened to Lisa McPherson, 36, a member of the church who died a year ago
after spending less than three weeks at the church's local headquarters.
An autopsy shows her death was caused by a blood clot brought on by ``bed
rest'' and ``severe dehydration.'' McPherson's skin was cracked and her arms
and legs were bruised.
In a statement released Monday, Scientology officials claim the police
``planted a false story in The Tampa Tribune for the express purpose of
creating hate and prejudice against the Church of Scientology.''
McPherson went to Scientology's headquarters at 210 S. Fort Harrison Ave.
Nov. 18, 1995, for ``rest and relaxation,'' police say. Seventeen days later,
on Dec. 5, 1995, she was dead on arrival at HCA Hospital in New Port Richey.
Last month, police posted a request on the Internet for information on the
whereabouts of three former church staff members sought for questioning.
Suzanne Schnuremberger, Ildiko Cannovas and Laura Arrunada are no longer
employed by the church and have left the country, the church says.
``Detective [Wayne] Andrews has had some responses to his Internet query in
the last couple of days,'' Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor said. ``I
don't know the nature of those responses.''
In the statement, Scientology spokesman Brian Anderson and church attorney
Robert Johnson say McPherson had a ``deadly staphylococcus infection.'' Larry
Bedore of the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner's office, which conducted the
autopsy, confirmed Monday McPherson did have a staph infection, but said it was
not the cause of death.
Church officials say the police, have ``slandered the church, abused their
authority [and] lied to the media and the public ... ''
Shelor declined to discuss such accusations.
``We've done nothing other than try and define what happened to a resident
of Clearwater,'' Shelor said.