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 MacPHSON 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..