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screen in background says "Scientology" in white script on blue background with light blue logo-pattern that looks like a sailboat sailing on the ocean with moon in the background
NEWSCASTER: World-famous forensic pathologists were so upset by a local newspaper editorial, they came here to set the record straight, as they say. The editorial called for continued prosecution of the Church of Scientology for the death of Lisa McPherson. Fox-13's Steve Nichols tells us why these men don't feel that's warranted.
footage at press conference; chart with drawing of human veins on stand by table where the people speaking are
DR. MICHAEL BADEN: We just let it go on--
STEVE NICHOLS--VOICE OF: The Church of Scientology said it would hire pre-eminent experts in its defense, and these are two of the best. Dr. Michael Baden was chief medical examiner in New York City and was hired by the House of Representatives to review the Kennedy and King assassinations.
Dr. Cyril Wecht at press conference; picture of Lisa McPherson; Fort Harrison
STEVE NICHOLS--VOICE OF: And it would take several pages just to list all the writings of Dr. Cyril Wecht. They are two of eight experts ready to dispute the autopsy findings after the death of 36-year-old Lisa McPherson. Fellow Scientologists were nursing McPherson through a mental breakdown at the time.
DR. CYRIL WECHT [caption--"Dr. Cyril Wecht, Forensic Pathologist]: Unexpected, absolutely unpredictable and hence unavoidable deaths--
footage of press conference
STEVE NICHOLS--VOICE OF: Most of today's briefing focused on what is not in dispute.
picture of Lisa; chart with drawings of blood veins showing emboli
STEVE NICHOLS--VOICE OF: McPherson got a bruise in a car accident; 17 days later, a blood clot from that bruise broke loose and lodged in her lung. And these scientists bristle at the suggestion that a medical finding like that can be bought.
DR. CYRIL WECHT: I made a living before the Scientology Church case. I'll make a living when the Scientology Church case is over.
outside Pinellas County Medical Examiner building; picture of Lisa
STEVE NICHOLS--VOICE OF: The local medical examiner also thinks McPherson was malnourished and dehydrated when she died.
DR. MICHAEL BADEN: Looking at the photographs and talking to Dr. Davis and looking at the microscopic slides, there is no evidence of malnutrition or dehydration.
Dr. Joan Wood; autopsy photos of Lisa
STEVE NICHOLS--VOICE OF: And at one point Dr. Joan Wood referred to numerous abrasions on McPherson as cockroach bites.
DR. MICHAEL BADEN: Clearly they're not cockroach bites. I've seen a lot of them in New York City, in the Bronx, in my 40 years of doing this work. Um, they're scrape marks.
STEVE NICHOLS--ON CAMERA: Of course, the church is not charged with homicide; it's charged with practicing medicine without a license and abuse and/or neglect of an incapacitated person. The consultants say they see no evidence of anybody practicing medicine without a license, but they both admit Lisa McPherson was probably incapacitated.
picture of Lisa; outside court building
STEVE NICHOLS--VOICE OF: But was she abused and/or neglected. That's one of the questions prosecutors must consider when deciding wheter to pursue this case. In Clearwater, Steve Nichols, Fox-13 News.
NEWSCASTER: The local medical examiner caused quite a stir a couple of weeks ago when she changed the manner of McPherson's death from "undetermined" to "accidental". However, her autopsy report still notes "severe dehydration".
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