March 12, 1992 — July 19, 2012
A year ago today, Stacy Dawn Murphy died at Scientology’s flagship drug rehab facility, Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma. She was just 20 years old. Her death was the third at the facility in only nine months, and it resulted in local and state investigations, numerous lawsuits, and even a new state law.
But we’re still waiting to hear about the result of investigations in Oklahoma. While we wait, we asked Gary Richardson for an update on the lawsuits that he’s handling for several families who are suing Narconon Arrowhead for wrongful death or fraud. We also asked for a comment from Luke Catton, who for several years was the president of Narconon. And we reached out to Colin Henderson, a former Narconon patient who first alerted us to Stacy’s death.
GARY RICHARDSON: Tony, things are going very well, especially as to depositions that have been taken by us in Stacy’s case. It’s unfortunate that either Narconon didn’t provide law enforcement with the names of witnesses and/or law enforcement ignored those available with very valuable information. I will tell you that one witness that spent the night with Stacy before she died and slept in the same room with her talked to Pittsburg County law enforcement for — according to her sworn testimony in a deposition — about 15 minutes. There was so much information that her deposition lasted roughly 6 hours. I will also tell you that another witness that was with Stacy in her room, alone, for the better part of the evening before Stacy went to bed, never was even talked to by law enforcement. She knew so much that her deposition lasted around 7 hours.
When I think of what the guy said on the TV about finding nothing that Narconon had done wrong, it turns my stomach. This was the guy they refer to as Sheriff. The same guy that said something to the effect that he would rather have a child that is a Scientologist than a dead child. It sounded a bit prejudiced on behalf of Narconon to me. I was surprised that making such a judgment was part of his job description. Sounded to me like he was going overboard to exonerate Narconon.
The bottom line is the civil case is going great. We will, with all the power within us, see to it that justice is gotten for Stacy.
LUKE CATTON: A lot has happened since the tragic death of Stacy Murphy. Oklahoma passed a new law aimed at tighter regulations. Local and national media outlets have shed light on Arrowhead and other Narconon centers’ corruption. A dozen civil suits are pending in Oklahoma and a class action lawsuit has been filed in Georgia. Officials from multiple agencies in several states are conducting criminal investigations into various Narconon practices. The list could go on, and will. Soon Arrowhead will be like Narconon of Georgia is now, without a single client and no money coming in, as they’ve been below the level of viability for many months already. My condolences to Stacy’s family and the other families who are not forgotten. The church of Scientology and all of its tentacles will pay for their inhumane practices and criminal acts. Justice and retribution are just around the corner.
COLIN HENDERSON My heart continues to hurt for the Murphy family. It has been one year since the passing of Stacy Dawn Murphy and so many questions still remain unanswered. All of the families that have lost loved ones to Narconon Arrowhead deserve proper justice in a timely manner. It’s pretty sad to say the civil suits are making far more progress than any of the “investigations” by the State of Oklahoma, Pittsburgh County’s DA Office and the “Safe Pointing” Sheriff Joel Kerns. I know the wheels of justice are slow, but not this damn slow! In my most humble opinion, there should be an “investigation” into the “investigations.”
“Justice shall be delivered by truth. And the truth is everywhere, to know the truth sets you free.”
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The TomKat Project: Tickets on Sale Today!
Now is your chance to snag some tickets to a show Underground Bunker readers may appreciate more than just about anyone else. We’ve told you about the hit show The TomKat Project which has been selling out audiences in Chicago. It’s a play that mixes real news reports from the breakup of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, tosses in some Scientology, and advances a story line that we hear has some surprising twists. Synthia Fagen interviewed playwright Brandon Ogborn for us, and we hear he’ll be in town as the show comes to Fringe NYC.
Brandon tells us that you can buy tickets starting today at the Fringe NYC website. Showtimes: Tuesday Aug 20 @ 4:30, Wednesday Aug 21 @ 7:00, Thursday Aug 22 @ 3:45, Friday August 23 @ 9:45, Saturday Aug 24 @ 2:15.
What do you say we make Wednesday the 21st Underground Bunker night? Grab your tickets now!
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Nancy Many on CNN
Nancy Many tells us she’s going to be on CNN this morning, talking about the Scientology defection of Leah Remini. Keep an eye out for her!
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 19, 2013 at 07:00
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