The suspicious death of Rodney Rimando (21)
Died 25 November 1986
Part of whyaretheydead.net by Mike Gormez. Visit the message board.
The suspicious
death of Rodney Rimando (21)
Died 25 November 1986
Part of whyaretheydead.net
by Mike Gormez.
Visit the message
board.
'Search for Salvation Ended in Death'
Originally printed in the San Jose Mercury News
5 December 1986
On Tuesday, the 21-year-old man was buried at Oak Hills Memorial Park, one week after tumbling to his death from the sixth floor of the ornate Hollywood church building where he lived, breathed, and ate Scientology for the past six months...
A suicide note found on his bunk bed at the Scientology center was not in his handwriting, according to his mother, and made reference to a "wife". Rimondo was single. The police and church authorities also have expressed doubts about the authenticity of the note....
Los Angeles Times 26.11.1987
A woman filed a $6-million lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday against the Church of Scientology for allegedly driving her son to commit suicide last year.Irene Marshall said in her suit that church officials tried to destroy the close relationship she had with her son, Pedro Rimando, 22, and that their efforts drove him to leap off the sixth floor of a church-owned building in Hollywood on Nov. 25, 1986.
The suit charges the church, the Rev. Ken Hoden and J. Porter with wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotional distress leading to suicide, and with negligence and outrageous conduct.
What Scientology told the IRS in its 1023 Tax Exempt Application
Pedro H. Rimando and Irene Marshall v. The Church of Scientology of San Francisco. et al.: This suit was a suit brought by the parents of Rodney Rimando, a former Church staff member who committed suicide in November 1986 by jumping out of a window of a Church of Scientology building. The suit's claims were wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and outrageous conduct. The suit claimed that Rimando came to the Church of Scientology of San Francisco for spiritual guidance and that no precautions were taken to prevent his suicide or see that he got psychiatric help. This suit only came about because a CAN attorney incited the parents to file it. The parents did not really believe the Church to be responsible for their son's suicide. The suit was never served and was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice.
Why did Scientology lie about his death?
Scientology says:
But:
Rodney was not sent by the church to study or work at the center. "He just came in one day and asked for a job."
In May 86, he told his family that he was being sent to LA for further training, and went despite his parents' opposition. "He said he had to leave the next day," said his sister.
He applied but was "unqualified" to become a staff member.
He was given a janitorial job - which IS staff under Scientology policy, Estates Section, Dept. 21.