Lisa McPherson Coverage

Description of video is in italics.

Channel 10 News Report –
Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
"Criminal Charges Dropped"


News Anchor Reginald Roundtree: ...thankful that they say the truth about Lisa McPherson's death is finally coming out.  That reaction today after State prosecutors dropped criminal charges against the church. But as 10 News reporter Kathryn Bursch explains, not everyone is convinced prosecutors did the right thing.


Footage of a vigil - people walking, holding candles and pictures of Lisa
McPherson with the sound of bagpipes playing


Kathryn Bursch (Voiceover): Vigils in her memory may take place in Clearwater but Lisa McPherson's death sparked a widespread controversy.


Mike Rinder: Because it was hurtful for a lot of people. A lot of people that were her...


Footage of Mike Rinder and News Anchorwoman
Picture of Lisa McPherson
Footage of the Fort Harrison Hotel
Footage of people inside of the Pinellas County Courthouse
Footage of the Fort Harrison Hotel


Kathryn Bursch (Voiceover): Mike Rinder, a Church of Scientology official calls McPherson's death in 1995 a tragic accident. But police and prosecutors thought differently. McPherson died after being in the care of Scientologists at the Fort Harrison Hotel. And Pinellas prosecutors charged the church with practicing medicine without a license, and abusing a disabled adult. However today, those charges were abruptly dropped. The church members feel exonerated.


Mike Rinder: The simplicity of it is, there is no case. The case is dropped. We're very happy about that.


Kathryn Bursch (walking in the courthouse): In paperwork filed with the court, prosecutors say they dropped the charges not because they no longer believe in their case, but because they can no longer prove it to a jury. So what torpedoed the prosecutions case? Well, back in February medical examiner Joan Wood changed her mind and ruled McPherson's death accidental.


Footage of Jeff Jacobsen typing on a computer
Footage of Jeff Jacobsen talking with Kathryn Bursch
Picture of Jeff Jacobsen's website, " Lisa McPherson Memorial Page " with a picture of Lisa McPherson
Footage of Jeff Jacobsen talking with Kathryn Bursch


Kathryn Bursch (Voiceover): But critics of the church maintain McPherson's death was far from accidental. Jeff Jacobsen created a website about McPherson, and he vows to keep questioning the church and it's actions.


Jeff Jacobsen: If they would rely on common sense instead of what Hubbard said, Lisa McPherson would be alive today.


Footage of computer with Jeff Jacobsen's website page with picture of Lisa
McPherson titled "Lisa McPherson Walking With The Angels
Picture of Lisa McPherson


Kathryn Bursch (Voiceover): McPherson died 5 years ago. The controversy lives on. In Clearwater, Kathryn Bursch, 10 News.

News Anchor Reginald Roundtree: A civil lawsuit brought by McPherson's family against the
church is still pending. It's unclear what impact the days developments
will have on that case.

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Channel 28 Tampa Bay News Report - Now @ 11:00
Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida News Station
"Charges Dropped"


News Anchor Bob Kendrick: ...After years of stating their innocence, Scientologists are cleared of all criminal charges in the death of one of the churches members. Lisa McPherson died under their care in 1995 and since then the church of Scientology has fought to prove that her death was an accident. For the first time in five years, the state agrees. 28 Tampa
Bay Stacy Phillips is joining us now with the latest. Stacy what changed their mind?


News Anchor Stacy Phillips: Well Bob, the State Attorneys Office dropped
this investigation just months after a key piece of evidence was changed. A Pinellas County medial examiner amended McPherson's death certificate. Now it appears her death was an accident.


Pictures of Lisa McPherson


Mike Rinder: The Scientologists, particularly those that, that knew Lisa and what her friends, uh, have had to endure allot I'm sure that their all relieved that they no longer have to have that, sitting out there and that they've been exonerated.


Footage of Fort Harrison Hotel
Picture of Lisa McPherson
Footage of the Pinellas County Medical Examiners Office
Picture of a Certificate of Death
Pictures of Lisa McPherson
Picture of Fort Harrison Hotel


Stacy Phillips (Voiceover): And so is the Church of Scientology. In 1995 Lisa McPherson died after being under the care of Scientologist for 17 days. Originally, Lisa's death certificate stated that actions by church members led to her death. Several years later, medical examiner Joan Wood changed her mind. The cause was then ruled accidental. This in part led to the charges against the church being dropped.


Footage of Fort Harrison Hotel


Mike Rinder: I think people now are going to see that the things that are being said, uh, a lot of those allegations that were sort of floating around then and, would be picked up by people uh, they'll know then look at them and go, what?, probably that wasn't true.


Footage of People Picketing Scientology in Clearwater


Stacy Phillips (Voiceover): Criminal charges may have been dropped but the church still faces charges from its critics. Most notably, the Lisa McPherson Trust .


Jeff Jacobsen: It's just one step in the process of trying to educate the public and trying to get the church to stop hurting people like this, uh. Lisa is still dead. Lisa was still hurt and we're going to let people know that.


Footage of People Picketing Scientology in Clearwater
Footage of Jeff Jacobsen sitting at a desk


Stacy Phillips (Voiceover): The McPherson Trust is primarily made up of former Church of Scientology members. Jacobsen claims Lisa is just one victim.


Jeff Jacobsen: It's sad that the prosecutor drops such weak charges in the first place but, uh, the evidence is still there and the truth will rule out in the end.


Stacy Phillips: There's still an active wrongful death suit that was filed by Lisa's aunt after her death. The church claims she filed that originally to find out the truth behind Lisa's death, not for money. And now that the record states it's an accident, they hoe she drops the case. But those at the (Lisa McPherson) Trust, say that's not likely, Bob.


News Anchor Bob Kendrick: Well Stacy, officials now say with the church that the criminal charges have been dropped, more energy can be devoted to the church. Meantime, organizers with the McPherson Trust say they will continue to protest the church practices.


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Channel 13
first On Fox news report

Woman News Anchor:  ...they will not press charges for the 1995 death of parishioner, Lisa McPherson. But as Fox 13 Giselle Guerra shows us now, McPherson's family are still going ahead with their civil suit.


Pictures of Lisa McPherson
Picture of the Church of Scientology


Giselle Guerra (Voiceover): December 5, 1995 when Lisa McPherson's wide smile vanished. She died, many say in part thanks to the church she belonged to while in their care. The Church of Scientology.


Jeff Jacobsen:  I think the church got away with hurting Lisa McPherson, and they get away scott-free without any uh, criminal damages on their part.


Footage of the Fort Harrison Hotel
Pictures from Medical Examiners Report
Footage of Medical Examiner Joan Wood appearing on Inside Edition
Picture of Lisa McPherson


Giselle Guerra (Voiceover): The Pinellas/Pasco States Attorneys office led the crusade, accusing the church of practicing medicine without a license, and neglect of an incapacitated person. They base their case largely on the medical examiners expert opinion.  Dr. Joan Wood, here in a nationwide interview on Inside Edition, where she delivered her opinion of what happened to the 36 year old Scientologist.


Joan Wood: From at the time that Lisa McPherson died, backwards - 24, 48
hours, she was unconscious.


Pictures from Medical Examiners Report
Picture of Lisa McPherson
Picture of the Church of Scientology


Giselle Guerra (Voiceover): In February, Dr. Wood reversed herself, basically tying McPherson's death to a traffic accident days before. Prosecutors blasted the move saying Woods credibility is compromised because of what they call her inability to coherently explain her decision. Her serious forensic error and her illogical and inconsistent justification. That, prosecutors say cut the legs off their case. And they dropped all their charges against the church.


Mike Rinder: Many of the, the allegations that this prosecution was based on, we knew were not true. We knew that they were groundless. That's why we had to spend so much time now getting the scientific evidence.


Footage of Giselle Guerra standing in front of the Fort Harrison Hotel


Giselle Guerra (Standing in front of the Fort Harrison Hotel): Now the Church of Scientology claims a victory with this but attorney Ken Dandar says "not so fast." There is still a civil case to contend with.


Picture of Ken Dandar with caption "On The Phone"

Ken Dandar (On the Phone): In fact, if I were the prosecutor I'll raise this and their shameful, I do not answer to any political power. I am totally independent. And I can't wait to take this case to trial.


Picture of Courthouse
Picture of window at the Fort Harrison Hotel


Giselle Guerra (Voiceover): The church says it expects McPherson's aunt to drop that civil lawsuit, still pending.


Mike Rinder: If she had uh, had any decency at this point, she would drop that case and allow this to be put into the past and let Lisa's memory now rest.


Picture of the Fort Harrison Hotel
Picture of Lisa McPherson


Giselle Guerra (Voiceover): Believers say they can put this to rest. Skeptics say what really happened inside the Fort Harrison Hotel, vanished with Lisa McPherson.


Woman News Anchor: Dandar says he still has some depositions to take before the case goes to court. He says he has no intention of dropping the McPherson family’s case against the church.

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News Channel 8
Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota & Lakeland Florida

Picture of Lisa McPherson
Picture of the Fort Harrison Hotel
Footage of Joan Wood
Pictures of Lisa McPherson


Woman News Anchor: A major victory for the Church of Scientology this morning. State Prosecutors have dropped the criminal charges against the church. Those charges came in response to the 1995 death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson. McPherson died after 17 days in the care of Scientologists at the churches world headquarters in Clearwater. The medical examiner recently altered her autopsy report. Now prosecutors say that wrecks their case. Church leaders praise prosecutors for dropping the charges.

Mike Rinder: And, I think that this marks the point where we can move forward and in a atmosphere of trust and an atmosphere where uh, something like this can never happen again because, there isn't any sort of mutual distrust.


Woman News Anchor: Lisa McPherson's aunt vows to press on with a civil suit filed against the church. Dell Liebreich tells News Channel 8 quote, "I'll fight'em to the end."

Transcript courtesy Feisty